ã€ŠThe Emperor&#x27;s Concubineã€‹


 Prologue

    The novel ¡°To Be Empress¡± had become quite famous lately. Despite it being a historical romance book full of clich¨¦s, it had also addressed more serious topics. Thus, it quickly gained a great number of fans and the increasing popularity soon led to the announcement of another installment in the series.

    The story was written from the perspective of a young but intelligent and ambitious noble lady called Seraphina Duremont. Being the eldest daughter of the most influential duke, she became the emperor''s wife and was crowned as the empress. Throughout the book she fought against the intrigues of various aristocrats and won her husband''s respect and eventually his love. As the story progressed the both of them became closer and the strict emperor turned out to be a doting, pampering lover. The couple worked together to defeat the nobles striving for power and even won the war with a neighboring enemy nation in the process.

    But out of everything, the biggest threat to their relationship was the emperor''s mistress, Blanche, who caused problems in every single way imaginable. She was the most stereotypical villainess one could imagine. Blanche was a power-hungry, attention-seeking brat that had somehow gained the ruler''s favor by acting sweet and loving around him despite actually being a terrible actress. Both Seraphina and the readers quickly realized what kind of person Blanche really was.

    At the beginning of the novel, the villainess had only refused to show the heroine respect but after the main characters spent time more together, Blanche began to plot against the empress. Despite only being a concubine she did her best to come between the fated couple. At first, she spread rumors about Seraphina having an affair with some of her male friends, cut the other''s dresses or ordered her servant to destroy the other woman''s belongings.

    But with time it got worse and worse as jealousy poisoned her mind. Blanche tried to steal things that were meant for the heroine and was very open about wanting to become empress herself. Even if she was lacking a noble background or any kind of political education which had made all of that completely impossible. As if this hadn''t made her annoying enough, she had often caused scenes at events, mainly to provoke the heroine. But aside from being bratty and arrogant, she was also vile and malicious. It was revealed that she worked together with other nobles, of which some were the emperor''s worst enemies, to harm the empress and claim her position.

    Still, the emperor protected his lover and cared for her while believing in her innocence. But with every problem, she caused the amount of evidence grew, and he distanced himself more from her. Near the end of the novel, the villainess'' actions started to become more extreme as Blanche noticed that she was losing her lover''s favor. Eventually, she even hired assassins to kill Seraphina and irreversibly crossed the line when she tried to poison the empress after finding out that the other woman was pregnant.

    The heroine barely evaded both threats and finally had enough evidence to reveal the truth to her husband. Thus, the emperor learned about his mistress'' evil deeds, ordered her execution and watched her desperate crying for forgiveness and hollow declarations of love without emotions.

    Most readers were delighted upon the demise of their most hated character, about which they had complained countless times before. Within the book nobody felt remorse about the villainess'' death either. After all the vile woman that had manipulated the emperor and wished for power was dead now and the main characters could become happy together.

    However, her personality was not the only thing that had made the villainess so revolting to those around her. Soon after the execution more about Blanche''s past was revealed and this information painted an even uglier picture. Blanche had been the daughter of a vicious family that betrayed the country and had been beheaded for their crimes. Blanche had been the only one who had escaped that fate by contacting one of the emperor''s enemies.

    A marquess had helped her flee in return for her assistance for his vile plan. Without thinking about it Blanche had left her family behind to save her life and was smuggled into the royal palace, where she met the emperor. Her task had been to get closer to the ruler and use her newly obtained influence to support the marquess. In the end she was supposed to poison the emperor which would allow the second prince, who was the main antagonist of the story but hadn''t appeared in person yet, to ascend to the throne.

    This only clarified what most people had always suspected. The villainess had only been used by others from the start and was never truly loved by anyone except for the emperor, who left her behind after she showed her true colors.

    Still, most readers did not feel any sympathy for her as her actions had shown that she herself had also never cared for anyone else. By the end of the first installment, which ended with the main characters living happily ever after, everyone was sure that Blanche had only been a narcissistic woman that had wished to use the emperor from the very beginning.

    But that was untrue.

    The concerned person herself was the only one that could know what she felt. And Blanche could be very certain about her devotion to her lover, even after she had awoken with the memories of the novel''s storyline.

    <hr>

    It felt odd. For a moment she had believed that she had been sitting on grass while holding someone in her arms. A metallic smell filled the air, and she was crying without any sound coming out of her mouth while her throat burned like she had drunk acid.

    But then everything faded away.

    And this scenery was replaced by a wave of memories. The events of months suddenly crashed onto her, and she could barely breathe as she felt like she was forced into a tight space without air. Her head felt like it was bursting.

    It was too much. Too many horrible things were among those memories.

    She thought that she might really die this time but only a second later it stopped. As if someone had cut a thread, she felt like she was falling and the impact made her wake up.

    <hr>

    Blanche''s eyes flew open, and she shot in an upright position as her fingers grasped the bedsheet. Her gaze darted across the room as she tried her best to fight the rising dread in her stomach.

    As the memories inside her head formed a whirl and refused to calm down, she attempted to collect her thoughts to no avail. She was only able to regain a bit of her composure when she focused on slow and steady breathing despite feeling like she was suffocating. Even inhaling was harder than it normally should have been. Her throat felt like she had swallowed burning oil.

    Blanche''s head was only clear enough to properly form coherent words thoughts after what seemed like an eternity. Still, the memories in her brain didn''t seem to fit together. While she remembered her own life as one normally would, she also had memories of a novel called ¡°To Be Empress¡±, a book in which she herself and nearly every single person she knew had been described. It wasn''t a biography but a fictional story that corresponded with the real world too much to just be by accident. The information had been too precise, too detailed for anyone to know. Places and people from inside of the royal palace were mentioned and described. An outsider could never have been aware of any of this.

    But what was even more disturbing than that, was the fact that the novel described the future. If Blanche only remembered a book about the incidents up until this day, she would simply have convinced herself that the author gathered enough information to write a terrifyingly exact story. That would have made sense even though there were so many question-marks left in her head. But most of the things in the novel hadn''t happened.

    At least not yet.

    Somehow Blanche was sure that they would occur in the future. The reason for this, besides the overwhelmingly accurate information presented in the novel, was that she couldn''t remember reading such a book at all. She hated reading, so she barely picked up a book unless she was dying out of boredom. Why would she have suddenly read a romance novel? If she had done so, she should remember, but she didn''t. She was certain that there wasn''t any book called ¡°To Be Empress¡± in the library. At least not one about real people.

    If there ever had been such a book, someone would have found it and spread the knowledge of the contents already. The very existence of a future predicting novel would cause an uproar and without a doubt be reported to the emperor. But her lover hadn''t mentioned something like that despite always informing Blanche about everything he needed to concern himself with. Surely he would tell her if he knew that her fate was to be beheaded because of his order.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    It took a few minutes but the concubine slowly felt like she was able to differentiate her memories between which ones belonged to her and which ones to the novel. She turned her head and took in her surroundings. She was lying in a grand peach-colored bed with covers in a light shade of lavender. The golden ornaments of the bed frame matched the ones on the white walls of the big chamber. This certainly was the room she remembered. The same room that Blanche had been living in ever since she had met the emperor and moved into the palace over a year ago.

    She slowly stood up and walked to one of the windows while trying to keep her shaking legs from giving in. She barely reached her destination and propped herself up on the window sill to keep her balance. One look outside convinced her that this was still the same place where she had fallen asleep last night. She could see the same palace garden below her chambers. Neither the path leading through it nor the trees or bushes had changed which proved that this was reality.

    And unfortunately, the property seemed to match the book''s description perfectly.

    For a short moment Blanche considered that all of this was just a dream but the cold floor below her naked feet and the chilling air around her legs made her doubt that the explanation was this simple. She pinched her hand slightly and the sensation only supported her guess. She turned her head to look at the standing mirror in the corner of the room and walked towards it with unsteady steps. When she reached it, she carefully pressed her hands against the cold surface and observed how her reflection did the same.

    Usually, Blanche would use this mirror to dress up or admire her appearance. Her lover always complimented her, so she had been rather proud of it and loved dressing up for him. But right now she only felt shame. She scanned her features and compared them to the words that were used in the novel to describe the villainess. With every aspect that matched the book''s narrative, she felt sicker. From her wavy alabaster-colored hair to her light yellow eyes as well as her face and body shape everything was identical. Since both her appearance and her name were quite uncommon, it couldn''t have been by chance.

    She truly was the villainess from the book.

    Right after coming to that conclusion, Blanche tried to convince herself that there was still a logical explanation. If she wasn''t dreaming currently, maybe she had dreamed the part about the novel and was now confusing her imagination and reality. But no matter how she looked at it, her memories concerning the book were too concrete. Not once in her life had she had such a complex dream and remembered so many details when she awoke.

    Blanche wasn''t able to explain how the existence of this novel was possible, but she was certain that it described the people and events of her world. This would also mean that the future that was written in ¡°To Be Empress¡± would become true. She was the villainess, who would be abandoned by her lover and be executed by his order. The thought of being beheaded made the blood drain from her face, and she began to shiver uncontrollably. At the same time not only fear overcame her, but she also felt a sting in her heart.

    Even if the novel''s Blanche had seemed like she only cared for power and was unable to develop feelings for anyone except herself, this wasn''t true. She didn''t even like herself that much and had always paid attention to every single one of her flaws. But aside from being not as proud as in the book, there was another difference that was much more important. She really did love the emperor and imagining him leaving her, and him ordering her execution on top of that, hurt more than anything she had felt in a while.

    Even if she had only known him for a little over a year, he was the person that she loved. He was the first and only man she had ever fallen for, and he loved her as well. He cared for Blanche, made her feel adored and gave her warmth while she made sure to return those emotions whenever they spent time with each other. In her presence he could truly be himself, let down his guard and relax. For this reason, he had made her his concubine and allowed her to live in the palace in the first place.

    The name of the man Blanche loved this much was Theodore Estien. He was the emperor of Artias and the male main character of ¡°To Be Empress¡±.

    As the original story of the book progressed he had gotten closer to his wife Seraphina Duremont, who was renamed Seraphina Estien after their marriage and got crowned as the empress. The spouses had worked together to defeat their enemies and eventually fell in love with each other. That was why the villainess had attempted to take action to intervene in the book.

    Even now jealousy rose inside Blanche and wrenched itself into her heart like a rusty nail when she imagined Theodore and another woman as a couple. And as she went through her memories, she noticed that she had already caused problems because of her envy. The novel had begun at the wedding of Seraphina and Theodore, which had been arranged purely based on political advantages. In the real world this had happened almost a year ago, if Blanche remembered correctly.

    From then to this day Blanche hadn''t shown Seraphina any kind of respect despite the other woman being the empress. She had even provoked the heroine at every opportunity she got. Directly after the wedding ceremony Blanche had dragged her lover away to make sure that he spent the wedding night with her. She hadn''t cared for the guests that might see them or Theodore''s repeated promises that he hadn''t planned on staying with his wife in the first place. During the week after that, she had only worn black clothes to express her dismay about this marriage which had been extremely disrespectful as well.

    But those examples were only the first of the countless offenses she had committed during the past eleven months. And no matter what she had done, Theodore always forgave her quickly when she apologized often enough and told him that she loved him.

    In the novel he had forgiven her numerous times as well. He had turned a blind eye to all of her faults until she had tried to harm his pregnant wife and unborn child. That had lead to her execution.

    It was obvious that Blanche couldn''t let that happen. She didn''t want to die. Especially not at the hands of her lover who had ordered the beheading himself.

    She frowned while touching her neck lightly with her fingertips. Her mirror image made the same gesture and stared back at her with a mentally absent gaze. It hurt and touching her own skin felt strange. This wasn''t just a dream. It had been a premonition.

    Without a doubt Blanche needed to evade her demise, but she was unsure how she could accomplish this. Would it be enough to simply refrain from trying to poison Seraphina? This was the deed she had been convicted for after all. But maybe it wouldn''t change much if she committed one offense less.

    Ultimately she was the villainess of the novel, the one fated to be an obstacle on the lovers'' path to their happy end. That obstacle always needed to be removed.

    Maybe she wasn''t able to avoid her doom since it was an important part of the story. Maybe she would always hinder the protagonists and be killed no matter what she did. Maybe she wasn''t even able to change the story at all because the novel enforced its correct course.

    Blanche desperately hoped that this wasn''t the case. She wanted to live and to survive she would have to change a big part of the story. She could not become the main characters'' enemy under any circumstances. This meant that she had to stay away from the novel''s most important events and that she could not try to prevent the romance between Seraphina and Theodore. She couldn''t interfere with their relationship at all, even if she could already feel her rising jealousy when thinking about the couple.

    And that wasn''t everything. Blanche also needed to stay far away from the intrigues that would soon surround the spouses. A small portion of those schemes only consisted of rumors or insults hidden behind the sweet words of other nobles which she could avoid easily by ignoring them. But there also were fights for power within the royal family. She couldn''t evade those. These political intrigues were already connected to her.

    The person that had taken her in for two years after her family''s death and brought her into the palace to make her gain the emperor''s favor was Marquess Julien Sefare. From her own memories Blanche only knew that Sefare wished to obtain a greater influence through her which was why he wanted her to become Theodore''s lover and eventually the empress. Inside the novel, however, this plan was revealed to be way more elaborate.

    Marquess Sefare was a good friend of the Duke of Vasquez, one of the three dukes in Artias. While Seraphina''s father, the Duke of Duremont, supported the current emperor, Duke Vasquez and his family backed the dowager empress.

    The dowager empress was the deceased former emperor''s wife and Theodore''s mother but favored her younger son, the second prince. She wanted her second son to become the ruler and had plotted against the main characters throughout the whole book.

    That woman and her son were the primary antagonists of the novel, but they never appeared physically in the first installment. After all they had been put in confinement in a palace at the other end of the capital. Theodore had placed them there six years ago after an assassination attempt on him following his coronation was linked to them. Despite the lack of their presence, the dowager empress and the prince still harmed the protagonists by operating through their followers, including Marquess Sefare.

    The novel had revealed that Sefare''s real goal wasn''t gaining influence by using Blanche but to eliminate Theodore by making her poison the emperor. That would make the second prince the next in the throne''s succession. Obviously Blanche couldn''t play along with that. She needed to ensure her own and her lover''s safety as much as she could. If Theodore ever got hurt because of her, she would never be able to forgive herself. So she needed to stop helping Sefare immediately. She wouldn''t write him any letters anymore, nor would she talk to him in general. This could cause some huge problems though.

    No one kept a useless pawn in their game. If Blanche decided to openly cut her ties to Sefare, he would surely plot to get rid of her. Sefare would need her to disappear to prevent her from telling Theodore about his involvement in such intrigues, and he would probably target her life.

    Still, Blanche had to stick to her choice. She needed to stop assisting the emperor''s enemies for Theodore''s and her own sake. Maybe she could avoid Sefare''s revenge if she got the protection of some influential people.

    In the best-case scenario the emperor would continue to shield her. After all he was in love with her right now and had only begun to dislike her in the novel because she had acted like a power-hungry, arrogant brat. If she behaved well, she could probably maintain his favor, and he would keep her safe. And even if he would become infatuated with Seraphina, Theodore wouldn''t wish harm onto her as long as she didn''t hurt anyone close to him. So Blanche should be safe around him, shouldn''t she?

    The thought of losing her partner''s love pained Blanche, but she would have to swallow her own feelings to survive until the novel''s finale. Maybe she could avoid being the villainess by becoming unimportant. In books there were countless background characters, who weren''t doing much besides existing and only served as extras to make the setting seem realistic. It should be possible to become one of those characters. Blanche would simply appear next to Theodore and behave like a reserved person to become invisible to the other nobles. Then she would still be able to spend time with her lover and maintain his favor, at least partly. He would protect her and if she stayed away from any power-hungry people, it would be fine.

    That should be enough to secure her survival.

    Right?

    Blanche was content with her plan and yet a little voice in the backside of her head told her to refrain from feeling too safe. She tried to cheer herself up and met her own gaze in the mirror. She forced herself to smile and show some confidence, only to fail miserably. Her doubts didn''t vanish and the fake grin on her lips wouldn''t fool anyone.

 Chapter 1: Awakening (1)

    Blanche couldn''t bring herself to do much more than to stare at her face in the mirror. Until yesterday her life had been completely normal, and now she was supposed to accept the fact that she was the villainess in a romance novel? The person whose lover would be taken away by the heroine? That wasn''t fair. Surely she wasn''t a good person. But did she really deserve to be abandoned and executed?

    Maybe. That depended on whether she would be able to keep her plans in mind. She had to change the novel''s ending, that much was clear. So she had to stay away from the main characters and the antagonists while staying under the emperor''s protection. Hopefully that would help.

    A knock on the door ripped her from her thoughts, and she turned her head to face the entrance.

    The mahogany door opened and a young, ginger-haired woman with a ponytail and a maid attire tiptoed into the room. She carefully pushed a cart, which was carrying a few turned-over silver bowls, in front of her and was seemingly focused on not creating the slightest disturbance. She only looked up after she let go of the cart and froze when she saw the other woman. Of course, it would appear strange to the maid that Blanche still pressed her hands against the mirror.

    The concubine quickly retracted her arms and took a step back. When she had fully turned around, the other party had already wiped the surprise off her face.

    Stella seemed to be almost scared now. She bowed deeply before speaking up in a small voice. ¡°Good morning, My Lady. I sincerely apologize for being late. I will accept any punishment that you deem appropriate.¡±

    At first, Blanche frowned a little at how nervous the maid was, but then she quickly remembered their previous interaction. Hadn''t there been a small disagreement yesterday? And that fight hadn''t even been the beginning of the problems between them.

    The woman in front of her was Stella, who had been her personal servant ever since Blanche had entered the palace. Thus, the maid''s only task was following her mistress around and listening to her orders.

    As she went through her memories, Blanche quickly realized that she hadn''t exactly been nice to the maid in the past. She had used the poor woman as an excuse not to do anything herself and ordered the servant around while criticizing everything Stella did. No matter how hard the maid had worked, the reward had often been being reprimanded and being asked to leave in a harsh tone. When dressing up, Blanche would complain about the servant being unable to put on clothes. When brushing Blanche''s hair, the concubine would whine about it hurting too much. All in all, Stella had always been forced to endure her mistress'' whims.

    After hearing this everyone would believe that Blanche hated Stella, but that wasn''t the case. As stupid as it sounded, most conflicts had developed because of misunderstandings. During their first meeting, the concubine had been a bit too harsh, and ever since then, Stella had acted as if her mistress would punish her at any second. Blanche had been annoyed by that but been too uncertain on how to address the issue again. Talking to people she wasn''t close with had never been her strength. But now she would have to do something about this. After all, she couldn''t allow the future to resemble the one she had foreseen.

    In the novel, Blanche had used her maid to carry out her schemes. From stealing the empress'' jewelry to putting strange herbs into Seraphina''s tea or smuggling letters into and out of the palace, Stella had to do it all. When the maid had been sent to destroy an accessory in the heroine''s room, she had dropped a vase and was noticed. Of course the empress had confronted the other woman. Stella had admitted to acting on her mistress'' orders out of fear that Blanche would punish her if the empress didn''t protect her. Then Seraphina had forgiven her and took in the woman as her own maid. At this point in time, Theodore had still believed in his lover''s innocence and accused the servant of lying until the empress intervened.

    If Blanche had stopped trying to harm others at that point, she might have survived. But she had continued her plotting and Stella''s testimony ended up being one of the many nails in the villainess'' coffin. Obviously, Blanche didn''t intend to let the story follow the same path.

    Right now she had the opportunity to start changing the outcome. She wanted to transform her image from being the emperor''s bratty lover to being a well-behaved woman at Theodore''s side. She didn''t want to attract much attention. If she wished to reach that goal, she would have to get along with many people. The main characters, the most influential nobles and also the servants should at least have a neutral opinion on her. Stella seemed like a nice person so improving their relationship should be easy as long as Blanche was kind to her. They didn''t have to become best friends but if Stella started to like her mistress, the concubine would gain a loyal servant. That could only be beneficial for the both of them.

    Blanche scanned Stella for a while which caused the maid to become nervous.

    Most likely Stella was already questioning what she had done to offend her mistress. ¡°My Lady?¡± The servant spoke with a slight tremble in her voice and almost seemed prepared to back off.

    This made Blanche wonder why the maid was so scared of her. Surely she had been rude to Stella, but she had never hurt the servant. But she didn''t have much time to think about that. The other''s words had reminded Blanche that the maid had addressed her a while ago without receiving a response. After blinking a few times and trying to remember what the person in front of her had said, Blanche had to admit defeat. ¡°I''m sorry, what did you say?¡± Her voice cracked more at that than it should have.

    Immediately the maid lowered her head and bowed again before responding. ¡°I apologized for arriving only after My Lady had woken up. Please forgive my insolence.¡± Stella seemed to be prepared to add another sentence, but Blanche cut her off.

    ¡°You don''t need to apologize. Why should you have to be here before I wake up?¡± The maid wanted to refute but was stopped by her mistress'' vague hand gesture. ¡°Really, it''s fine. Also, you don''t need to bow to me in the future.¡± Blanche''s throat was a bit itchy and with each word it got worse. She coughed quietly, but that didn''t make it better.

    The maid met the other''s gaze warily. ¡°But My Lady said that I should do this to show more respect.¡± She fiddled with her hands while cautiously awaiting the other party''s reaction.

    Only now Blanche realized that her sudden change of heart would confuse others. Her previous behavior had already greatly influenced her relationship with the people surrounding her. This would cause many problems now. Great. She pinched her nose for a moment while deciding on her answer. ¡°I did say that, didn''t I?¡± At least she could vaguely remember such an occurrence, even though her memories were a bit hazy right now.

    Some servants weren''t really keen on serving a random, bratty commoner girl and Blanche had wanted to change that. She had thought that her own maid bowing to her would at least signal that she deserved some kind of respect. But in the end that had proven to do nothing at all. The only reason that she hadn''t told her maid to stop was that she hadn''t known how to address it. So she had just watched it for the past month or so despite hating it when people bowed to her. It was good that she could end that now.

    Blanche cleared her throat and rubbed over her aching neck before speaking up again. ¡°Honestly, it would probably be for the best if you forget everything I told you until now. You can stop bowing, and you also don''t need to talk so formally.¡± She hadn''t even said that much, but she was already at her limit. Her throat burned so much that she began to cough.

    Stella looked perplexed at that and seemingly needed a few seconds to properly process these words but hurried to her mistress'' side to hand her a cup of water anyway.

    Blanche happily gulped down the cool liquid. This was enough to make her throat way less sore.

    ¡°Are you feeling better now, My Lady?¡± The maid took the cup back and filled it up again.

    With a nod, the concubine emptied another cup. Luckily this seemed to reduce the itchy feeling in her throat. By now it was endurable again.

    Stella remained quiet for a moment before she lowered her gaze. ¡°I will make sure that the kitchen staff pays more attention to their ingredients in the future. I reminded them of your allergy often enough, so they won''t forget again. There won''t be any trace of cherries in your food anymore, I promise.¡±

    Actually, Blanche was convinced that all servants had gotten informed about her allergy. She had reminded them of that often enough in a rather unfriendly tone. That might have been why they had stopped listening to her too, and now she had paid the price for that.

    After eating a cake that seemed to have contained cherries, her throat had been swollen so much that it hurt. This had lasted for the past two days and hadn''t been life-threatening but still uncomfortable, and at times painful. Her inability to speak without suffering from a coughing fit for the following minutes had been pretty frustrating. Having constricted airways had made breathing difficult and feeling like she had drunken acid hadn''t been pleasant either. So she truly was a bit annoyed.

    But her maid hadn''t made the mistake, so Blanche wouldn''t blame her. ¡°It wasn''t your fault. Thank you for the water.¡± She gave the other woman a smile.

    Stella blinked at her in response before replying. ¡°Gladly, My Lady.¡±

    Blanche gave the cup back before she scanned her maid''s expression. If the servant was so surprised by a little kindness, couldn''t she use this opportunity to improve Stella''s opinion on her? She laid out a sentence in her head and rebuilt it a few times until she was content with its politeness. ¡°Can we start to get ready then? I would like to ask you to brush my hair. If you don''t mind it, of course.¡± She had probably overdone it with her courtesy since she was still talking to a servant, but she was satisfied with Stella''s baffled expression.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady.¡± The maid walked over to the white dressing table on the other side of the room. She opened one of the drawers to take out a brush and pulled the chair back so that her mistress could sit on it.

    Blanche followed her and took a seat on the chair before looking into the mirror in front of her. It was big enough to allow her to view her whole upper body. She saw how Stella had begun to comb through her hair and focused on her own reflection. Her eyes were reddened and puffy and underlined with dark circles, which weren''t obvious at first glance but still visible if one cared to look more closely. One short glimpse at herself was enough to notice how tired she looked.

    Remembering that her life took place in a novel and finding out that her lover would leave and execute her seemed like a good excuse to be exhausted to Blanche though.

    She wasn''t even interested in staring at herself anymore which she had previously done quite often while dressing up for her lover. She had always wanted to impress Theodore with her appearance, but that might not be part of her daily life much longer.

    At the thought of her lover, she felt her heart clench in a way that physically hurt. In all honesty, it wasn''t surprising that Theodore left her after finding out about her real personality and her malicious deeds. Being executed for trying to kill a member of the royal family wasn''t unusual as well. Still being deserted and killed by one''s lover was one of the cruelest ways to die. And that wasn''t even everything.

    While Blanche was telling herself that changing her own fate was possible, the rest of the story would most likely progress like it was intended to. This meant that Theodore would fall in love with the heroine.

    At this point in time, the spouses hadn''t formed any connection in the slightest. In the eleven months after their wedding and Seraphina''s coronation, they had only met to discuss political topics. Generally, they didn''t spend time with each other unless they attended an event together. Theodore still visited Blanche whenever he could and without a doubt favored her. But this didn''t mean anything. It had also been like this in the novel.

    The story began at the main characters'' wedding ceremony and a time skip followed after the prologue. The first chapter played out when the couple started to develop feelings for each other which had happened about a year after they had married.

    Which would be around now.

    Blanche almost gasped at that realization. The romance between the protagonists was closer than she had thought it to be. If one believed in the novel''s timeline, the main characters would soon begin to appreciate each other''s company and spend more time together. Eventually, they would fall in love and while the readers had rooted for them, Blanche could barely stand the thought of losing Theodore to Seraphina. She had never truly hated the heroine from the bottom of her heart, but now she was close to it. She had always been jealous of that woman because Seraphina had the one thing Blanche truly wanted. The chance of being Theodore''s wife.

    Now the concubine only wished to survive but the selfish part of her didn''t want to let her lover become Seraphina''s. If Theodore started to fall for his wife Blanche might really begin to wish death upon the other woman.

    But she couldn''t afford to despise the heroine since it would just emphasize her role as the villainess. To continue living she would have to let the story progress and allow the couple to get together, even if the jealousy ate her alive. That thought made Blanche feel sick, and she clenched her fists in an attempt to calm down. She could only tell herself that Theodore would become happy this way. He was the main character after all. He was bound to reach his happy end with the heroine by his side. This would protect him from all possible conflicts and intrigues that were plotted against him and secure his reign.

    Still, it hurt to know that Blanche wouldn''t be with him when he celebrated his victory.

    To distract herself, she returned her focus back to the real world and noticed that Stella still continued to brush Blanche''s hair. That was a bit confusing. While she knew that having long hair resulted in taking longer to comb it, it shouldn''t take this much time. Even if her hair was wavy instead of straight and thus hard to brush. As she viewed the servant''s movements in the mirror, she quickly understood why the maid needed an eternity to finish though.

    Stella carefully combed through every streak while maintaining a very slow and even pace. It looked as if she feared that she would hurt her mistress otherwise.

    Blanche did remember scolding the servant for causing her pain and ordering the maid to be more careful once. In retrospect, it hadn''t actually hurt much, and she had simply overreacted because she had been in a bad mood back then. But when the concubine thought about it more, she realized that she had done this quite often. There had been many times at which she had created difficulties for others with that attitude. She would have to apologize to many people to make up for it. This would be a crucial step towards the kinder image, which she wanted to create and needed to survive. The big issue she needed to go against was the following one. In the novel she had been disliked by almost all characters around her and, in all honesty, she understood why.

    The memories of the book allowed her to have an outsider''s view of herself. On how she acted and treated others, on how she spoke and on how little she cared for other people except Theodore and herself. Even her devotion to her lover hadn''t been apparent to the readers. She really seemed like an antagonist and a truly awful person.

    Surprisingly, Blanche had never seen herself like this. But now reflecting on her past behavior made her extremely uncomfortable. Apologizing would not only increase her chances of survival but also allow her to change herself. The novel''s knowledge could help her become a better person. Talking to her maid seemed like a good opportunity to start.

    Blanche turned her gaze to Stella''s reflection in the mirror and observed it. While she had previously thought that the maid was average-looking, Stella was actually quite adorable. Especially the other woman''s light green eyes drew attention to them and her freckles only made her look even cuter.

    Apparently, Stella had noticed her mistress'' stare quickly. She glanced in Blanche''s direction before averting her eyes. After that, she brushed even more carefully and had a nervous expression on her face.

    The concubine didn''t want to scare the maid even more, so she cleared her throat and then addressed the woman behind her. ¡°You aren''t hurting me. So...it''s alright if you move a little faster.¡±

    Stella seemed surprised but quickly nodded and sped up her pace.

    At the same time, Blanche thought about how to phrase an apology to the servant. She didn''t know how to start and which words to use. She just wasn''t good at approaching others. But to improve the relationship with the maid she needed to speak up. It would be best if she could do it without making her overnight change of personality even more obvious too. ¡°I, uhm...¡± She began in a quiet voice which caused Stella to pause her movements and lift her head to meet her mistress'' gaze in the mirror. Blanche swallowed and quickly used that chance to be direct. ¡°I wanted to apologize.¡±

    For a short but unpleasant moment, both women stayed silent. Blanche watched her maid''s expression change quickly. At first, the servant seemed surprised with widened eyes and a slightly opened mouth before she furrowed her brows like she was suspicious of the other woman.

    Finally, Stella ended the silence by answering. ¡°My Lady hasn''t done anything wrong. Besides, I could never accept an apology by my mistress.¡± It was easy to see that the servant tried to calm Blanche by emphasizing her obedience and her lower rank. Most likely because she feared that an emotional outbreak of the other party might follow.

    The concubine held back a sigh at that. ¡°That''s not true. We both know that I acted inappropriately countless times. My general behavior has been unacceptable, and I treated you unfairly despite you always handling your tasks well. I wanted to apologize for not noticing this before and not understanding that I should be happy to have you as my maid. I know that my words now don''t change the fact that I wronged you in the past. Still, I promise to behave differently from this day on and show you the respect that you deserve.¡± At the end of her speech, Blanche realized that she had certainly overdone it this time. If her previous words hadn''t revealed that she had completely changed overnight, these surely had.

    Judging by Stella''s expression, the maid had also become aware of this. Until now, she had undoubtedly looked surprised but at this moment she acted like she had met a family member that had been believed to be dead for decades. She wasn''t even able to voice an answer and just stared at her mistress. Stella lowered her hand, which was still holding the brush, while opening and closing her mouth a few times without actually saying anything. She then simply observed Blanche and awaited another explanation that would help her understand why her mistress suddenly behaved this way.

    But nothing came.

    After staying quiet for a short while Stella replied in an uncertain tone. ¡°This... My Lady. I don''t know what to...¡±

    As expected, Blanche''s words alone wouldn''t be enough. She made eye contact with the servant and hoped that her sincerity would reach the other woman this. Her facial expressions had always been like an open book to others around her. Normally that was an issue but here it could help. She took a deep breath before adding another bit. ¡°I don''t expect you to forgive and trust me immediately after how I treated you for the past year. But I hope that you can give me another chance to start our relationship from the beginning.¡± She almost didn''t expect a positive reaction but was pleasantly surprised.

    Stella''s confused face lit up, and she beamed at the other woman. ¡°Gladly!¡± She even replied in a chirpy voice before continuing to comb Blanche''s hair again. This time she still worked carefully but slightly faster and as expected it didn''t hurt at all. To Blanche''s surprise and satisfaction Stella grinned the whole time.

    Blanche was very content with this result and at the same time, this also made her feel even worse about her prior treatment of the maid. Only a few kind words were enough to convince Stella to forgive her mistress'' terrible behavior and genuinely make her happy. Why had the concubine been so spiteful towards such a sweet person? Maybe because she had believed that Stella looked down on her like many other servants did.

    In retrospect, that also was Blanche''s fault. It should have been logical that many servants wouldn''t be happy about her sudden appearance in the palace. Instead of holding back to not strengthen that dislike, Blanche had been harsh with them and quickly built up the image of an arrogant woman, even if she didn''t actually dislike the servants.

    If one looked at it from a distance, it was obvious that she was bound to lose her status if she continued to act this recklessly. Especially since her only accomplishment was being the emperor''s lover, which was a position she could easily lose in an instant. If Blanche followed the novel''s original story, she would fall from grace and be left behind by him in just a year.

    But she was currently working on preventing that and could only pray that it would work.

    Stella finished combing Blanche''s hair and left it open, as her mistress preferred it. She put the brush back into the drawer and walked over to the entrance, where the cart still stood. She brought it to the small round table, which was covered in a white cloth, and began putting the plates onto it.

    That wasn''t unusual. Blanche always ate alone in her room when she wasn''t accompanied by Theodore. At first, she had eaten in the dining room even when she was on her own but at some point, she had become annoyed with walking there every day only to sit by herself. So she had ordered for the food to be brought to her which was much more comfortable. Today would be no different. She sat down on the chair and watched as Stella lifted the covers to reveal the dishes.

    Unsurprisingly, all the food looked delicious. The cooks in the palace were probably the most skilled and experienced in the country, so it was normal for them to prepare meals commoners could only dream about. The food was always an astonishing sight and the taste made Blanche feel like she was in heaven. She couldn''t help but get hungry after one look at the dishes. She noticed a bowl filled with different kinds of berries with a spoonful of yogurt as well as a plate full of sliced fruits. Her favorites had to be the many pastries including small tarts and croissants though. This was served along with a glass of freshly pressed orange juice and a cup of tea.

    The concubine didn''t wait long before beginning to eat. She had always loved sweets and tea which meant that the breakfast meal couldn''t have been chosen better. After a few bites, she began to feel unwell though. Not because the food didn''t taste good. On the contrary, it was one of the best meals that she had had in her whole life.

    What made her uncomfortable, aside from the fact that her life was crumbling in front of her, was the fact that she was eating alone while Stella stood directly next to the table and watched her. Naturally, she disliked the thought of someone observing her chewing and swallowing her food. It also felt wrong to sit down and eat when another person was forced to stand beside her without being able to consume anything themselves. This was quite strange, after all, it had always been that way ever since Blanche had entered the palace.

    Maybe the novel''s memories had led to the change of her emotions regarding this matter. She had begun to think differently about a lot of things after waking up with her new knowledge. And for some reason, she knew that she would be much more comfortable seeing that her maid ate something as well. Stella didn''t look too thin so that emotion made no sense, but little did today.

    Blanche wouldn''t question it anymore.

 Chapter 2: Awakening (2)

    One glance at the table convinced Blanche that there was way too much food for a single person. She looked at Stella for a small moment and considered inviting her maid to join her at the table but decided against it. She had planned to change her behavior slowly to not make her sudden transformation too obvious. Admittedly, she had already surprised the servant with a completely different attitude, so she needed to hold back. She doubted that the maid would be comfortable enough to eat with her at this point in time anyway.

    Maybe she could have breakfast with Stella in a few days when they had talked a little more. This would allow them to engage in conversations more easily and a greater amount of food would be eaten instead of being brought back into the kitchen. Then Blanche also wouldn''t be forced to dine alone in the future when her lover didn''t come to see her anymore.

    The thought of Theodore made Blanche freeze. Previously she hadn''t even considered that she would have to face him soon with the knowledge that he would leave her. But if he called for her to eat with him, she might be forced to see him this very evening. Her heart clenched at that thought, and she grasped the fork tighter. She moved her gaze to the place across the table and tried to distract herself.

    It was odd. She had no clue how to face her lover and yet a part of her also longed to see him. In fact, she almost wished that he had summoned her to have breakfast with him. In that case, she wouldn''t have had time to ponder over what to say or how to act in his presence. She might also be thankful that she had a chance to process her newly gained knowledge before meeting him, but she couldn''t ignore her disappointment nonetheless. She wouldn''t have been forced to eat alone if Theodore was here.

    Blanche should probably get used to this soon though. The story would progress at some point and Theodore would fall in love with Seraphina. He would spend time with his wife only and abandon his concubine.

    This single bitter thought was enough to make tears well up in Blanche''s eyes. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and she forced herself to see this situation in a more positive way to prevent herself from crying. Theodore was guaranteed to become happy with the heroine and Blanche needed to let go of him for her own safety and for his sake. Even if her beloved was the most important person in her life and she already felt lonely upon imagining him leaving her, her survival had the main priority.

    At least her mind told her that even though her heart screamed. She had to give him up to survive. She could only enjoy the time he would still spend with her and hope that he would allow her to stay in the palace even if he didn''t love her anymore. Blanche didn''t know what she would do otherwise.

    ¡°My Lady, is everything alright?¡± Stella''s voice cut through Blanche''s thoughts.

    The concubine blinked a few times and lifted her head. One glance at the fork in her hand reminded her that she was still in the middle of eating. Blanche turned to the maid and noticed that the other woman was frowning at her. It seemed like Stella was concerned about her mistress'' well-being which warmed the concubine''s heart a bit. She gave the servant a bright smile. ¡°I''m fine. Thank you for your concern. I''m just a little tired.¡± She lifted her fork to continue eating again, only to notice that Stella''s gaze was still fixated on her.

    Apparently, the maid wasn''t entirely convinced by her mistress'' excuse, but she kept quiet.

    Blanche suppressed the thoughts about the novel for a while and finished her meal. She had eaten less than usual, so there were even more leftovers than expected.

    Stella scanned the table and began speaking. ¡°Have you finished, My Lady?¡±

    Blanche nodded and waited for the maid to clear the table.

    The servant excused herself for a short while to bring the cart along with the leftovers back into the kitchen.

    The concubine used this opportunity to freshen up in the bath and clean her teeth while pondering about her current situation and her future strategies. She didn''t have much time to do that though.

    The maid returned quickly and asked whether there were any plans for the day.

    Blanche decided that she still needed to think about the biggest threats. She had to come up with more solutions that would help her with avoiding the novel''s ending if she wanted to survive. But she doubted that she would have new ideas while standing in her room and staring at the wall. Maybe a walk outside could clear her mind and make her think of different approaches. So she replied with an absentminded gaze. ¡°I would like to go out.¡±

    Stella walked to the big wardrobe in one of the room''s corners and opened the doors to help her mistress choose a dress for the day. ¡°Do you wish to go see His Majesty?¡±

    It was true that Blanche normally only left her chambers to visit Theodore or sometimes to simply walk around the palace after which she would go to her lover as well. Today she didn''t have the strength to face him though. Even if she knew that meeting him eventually was inevitable. At least she could avoid him for a few days to collect her thoughts beforehand. That should be fine since it wasn''t unusual for the couple to go without seeing each other for multiple days as Theodore spent most of his time ruling the nation.

    The emperor had to discuss new laws with his ministers, maintain contact with influential noble families and secure Artias'' well-being by trading with neighboring countries. At the same time, he had to verify whether the reigning aristocrats did what was expected of them and exchange them if it was necessary as well as control the economy and much more. So Theodore was quite busy. On some days he would barely find any time to do anything but to work. Naturally, Blanche couldn''t meet him on such days. Thus, avoiding him for a bit shouldn''t draw much attention to her.

    She gave her maid a fake grin and responded. ¡°No, I won''t go see him. I want to take a walk in the garden.¡±

    Stella nodded and began to search the dresses inside the wardrobe for a suitable one. She paused shortly to turn to her mistress. ¡°Do you have a specific attire in mind?¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°I don''t. Can you pick out a comfortable and simple one?¡±

    The maid inspected a few gowns before pulling out a mint-colored dress with small lace decorations and showed it to her mistress, who nodded in approval. Stella helped the concubine put on the dress and brought a fitting pair of shoes.

    Blanche chose not to wear any accessories today which surprised the servant a little. This time it wasn''t as apparent on the maid''s face as before though. Most likely because Stella was already used to surprises since her mistress had been behaving unusually the whole morning.

    The women left the room when Blanche had finished dressing up and walked down the corridor. The hallway was framed by sand-colored walls while the floor was made of marble tiles in the same color. There was a window front on the one side, from which one could see the emperor''s office across the courtyard. The other side was decorated with statues and paintings which hung between the doors.

    Since the palace was huge, it was sometimes hard to identify in which part of the building one was which often troubled guests. But after spending a long time here Blanche had begun to memorize small details like specific paintings and had no issues with orienting herself anymore. By now she didn''t even need to pay attention to those subtle cues and could walk to any destination with her eyes closed. She was thankful for that since getting lost in the huge palace didn''t seem like a pleasant thought. Even though she had never been lost in a building, this was her first thought for some reason.

    Blanche followed the hallway until she arrived at the grand entrance hall, where she used the main stairs to get to the first floor. She used this opportunity to take a look at the glass chandelier, which hung in the center of the room. She had always admired it but didn''t dare to look at it for long to avoid tripping and falling down the stairs. Still, she couldn''t help but glance at it a few more times. If she remembered correctly, the chandelier had hung here ever since she arrived here, but she had never wondered about it being dangerous. Now that she paid attention to the thin ropes that held the construction, she was slightly uncertain though. Surely the palace was safe but if that thing crashed down and landed on top of someone, it would be over for that person.

    The concubine hurried to push those thoughts away as soon as they came. She didn''t need to ponder about possible demises the whole time only because she had to prevent her death. Thankfully there were enough other things to focus on here. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, her gaze fell onto the men guarding the hall.

    A few of them greeted her with a nod but most of them ignored her. Their white uniforms with decorations in navy and gold allowed anyone to identify them as the royal guards. These knights were part of an elite troop consisting out of the best warriors in the whole country. They had been handpicked by the emperor''s most trusted companions to ensure the safety of the members of the royal family and secure the palace. Since Artias was peaceful, the guards mostly used their time to train and prepare for emergencies and patrolled the corridors of the palace.

    In the past, Blanche had always felt safe in their presence, but today she had her doubts. Would these men even know how to react to a direct attack after living in peace for so long? She wasn''t sure and didn''t want to think about it either.

    Blanche focused on her goal for now instead of scaring herself even more. She approached a huge double door to her left. The servant at the side recognized her and opened the door for her. She went through the doorway and moved through the ballroom, which was connected with the balcony that led to the garden. Right now the great hall was empty which made it appear even bigger than it seemed during balls. The golden decorations on the walls and the ceiling of this gorgeous room were all very impressive but no one would look at them for long upon entering since all eyes would be drawn elsewhere.

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    The most striking feature of the ballroom was the elevated platform on which the emperor''s and the empress'' thrones stood. The steps leading to them as well as the platform itself were covered by a blue carpet while the seats were golden and decorated with numerous gems. This would make anyone who saw them for the first time stare in awe. Even now Blanche was still impressed by the appearance of these thrones, but today she didn''t stay to admire them. They only left a bitter feeling in her stomach when she thought about the couple that would sit there side by side.

    The concubine hurried to turn away. After going through the opened doors on the southern side of the room, she arrived at the balcony. From there she had a great view of the terrace and the fountain below it. Blanche went down yet another staircase and reached a stone path that led to the terrace. She sat down on the ledge of the adjoining fountain and let her gaze wander across the garden.

    From here she could see the labyrinth''s entrance next to the terrace, which probably was the only location on the palace grounds that she wasn''t familiar with. She had only been inside with Theodore once, but she didn''t remember much except for the small space in the center, where another fountain was located. If the novel''s information were correct, this was the place where Seraphina often sat down to collect her thoughts. That only was another reason not to enter it.

    Blanche turned her face towards the sun and closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth for a moment. It was sunny, no cloud was in sight and the temperature was warm enough to allow her to go outside without freezing. Still, she let out a sigh in frustration. It was the most pleasant day in a while, and she couldn''t savor it properly because she had to figure out how to deal with her situation.

    But maybe she should be happy about gaining the novel''s knowledge at this point in time rather than complaining. Currently, she was still in a favorable position and could change her future.

    At least if changing the future was even possible. There was a possibility that the book could force the characters to act accordingly to the original story. A cold shiver ran down Blanche''s spine at that thought. Being controlled by some kind of almighty power that could play with people like they were dolls wouldn''t be fun. There had to be a way for her to find out whether she would have to deal with that.

    She bit the inside of her cheek until an idea crossed her mind. Since this world seemed to be inside a book, there had to have been a person who wrote it. If everything here was based on the author''s creation, the ending would inevitably happen like it was intended to. However, if this world was more than a piece of writing and had developed its own life in some form, this meant that changing the story should be possible. If Blanche was able to find out which of these scenarios was accurate, she would be able to differentiate whether she had the possibility to change her own fate. She opened her eyes and balled her fists with determination. There had to be a way to determine which of her theories was true.

    Did her world only consist out of what was written in the novel or was there more to it?

    Blanche desperately clung to the thought that there had to be more than the book''s information. After all, she clearly remembered her childhood in great detail, which surely hadn''t been described as elaborately in the novel. Still, the villainess'' past had been an important revelation near the finale that allowed the main characters to identify the other nobles that were involved in the intrigues. Thus, Blanche''s childhood had been mentioned multiple times and was relevant to the story. Maybe this was the only reason why she remembered it clearly, so this wasn''t proof.

    But if she could find any piece of information that hadn''t appeared in the book and could also not be crucial to the plot''s progress, then she would be able to prove that her world could still develop on its own. But how could she gain such knowledge? Maybe she should ask a supporting character for a detail about their life that didn''t influence their personality. If such a fact existed, her world would be able to change from the novel, and she could avoid her doom. Right?

    Blanche turned her head to the maid, who was still standing beside her. This servant did count as a supporting character, didn''t she? It certainly couldn''t hurt to try out a theory. ¡°Say, Stella...¡±

    The maid, who was seemingly lost in thoughts, was startled for a second until she realized that her mistress had addressed her. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a favorite meal?¡±

    Stella just looked at her mistress as if she had grown wings. ¡°I apologize, but I''m afraid that I didn''t understand what My Lady was saying.¡±

    Blanche lifted her head to meet her maid''s gaze before repeating her question. ¡°I asked what your favorite meal was.¡± Still, the servant remained quiet, so she added another phrase. ¡°It''s fine if you don''t have one.¡± With every second of silence, she got more unsure about whether she had somehow offended Stella which truly wouldn''t make a lot of sense.

    The maid blinked a few times before finally opening her mouth. ¡°No, that''s not it. I do have one. It''s just that I was surprised because My Lady asked.¡± It was normal for her to feel that way.

    Blanche had never asked her maid a single question about her personal life in the past year. But now she would do her best to improve her relationship with the other woman. ¡°I just wanted to get to know you a little better. You have been with me ever since I entered the palace, but I don''t know much about you.¡±

    Stella appeared to be content with that answer and responded with a soft smile. ¡°If My Lady wishes for that, I''ll gladly oblige. If I had to pick out a favorite meal, I would have to choose scrambled eggs.¡±

    At first, it was surprising to Blanche that the maid preferred something this simple, but then she remembered some dishes from her childhood. The easiest meals were often the tastiest, as long as they were made with care. She still had memories of eating scrambled eggs with bacon with her family starting from when she had been very young. Back then she had also loved this dish and had regularly begged her mother to make it again.

    After a few seconds of silence, Stella spoke up again while seeming a bit embarrassed. ¡°I know it''s a really simple dish and nothing special, but I just like it a lot.¡± She looked like she was ready to defend her favorite dish even more, but Blanche interrupted her.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with simple food. I actually like scrambled eggs too.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The maid sounded a bit surprised while saying that. Her confusion was understandable.

    Blanche had always asked for the most delicious treats to be delivered to her and even voiced her dissatisfaction with these meals. Over the course of the past fifteen months, she had caused many issues by complaining about the food''s quality. In hindsight, this seemed to be another terrible trait which she hadn''t previously noticed in herself. Troubling the cooks was bad enough but considering how good the breakfast today had been, it was likely that there hadn''t been a problem with the food in the first place. At least not when the cooks actually tried to make the hated concubine something nice.

    Blanche took a moment to return to the conversation and hurried to reply. ¡°Yes. I know that I haven''t acted like it before, but I do like homemade cooking a lot. The simplicity of the meal only enhances the flavor.¡±

    Stella''s face lit up. She quickly nodded in approval before adding her own opinion. ¡°Exactly! It also awakens memories of their home in most people which inevitably makes them happy. And you can also cook it yourself even with a small amount of money and time so...¡± Only then Stella noticed that she had begun rambling about her obvious passion for homemade cooking, She shut her mouth while trying to hide the slight blush that had come onto her cheeks and mumbled another sentence. ¡°I apologize.¡±

    Blanche began smiling at the servant''s adorable behavior and mentally noted that her maid''s weak spot appeared to be food. This would make finding topics to talk about way easier since she also adored food, especially pastries, herself. Trying to improve her relationship with Stella would become more uncomplicated if she had a vague idea of what to address.

    Still, Blanche hadn''t forgotten that she had voiced her original question for a completely different reason. Her maid''s answer allowed her to calm down a little. It had proved that this reality was more than just a replica of the novel. Their world contained information that hadn''t been mentioned in the book, like the preferences of Stella, who only had been a minor supporting character. If the maid''s personality was this developed despite only appearing rarely in the story, this world wasn''t fully dependent on the novel. Most likely the ending could be changed. At least it seemed like Blanche had a realistic chance to change her fate.

    For a second, newfound motivation gave the concubine the confidence that she would reach her goal, but this feeling quickly faded. There were two things that made her certainty crumble just after a moment.

    Firstly, she had no guarantee that the story was really able to stray away from the book. If all characters acted like they originally did, this world would forcefully follow the narrative''s intended path. As long as other people still considered her the villainess, she would be killed no matter how she behaved. All she could do was hope that the story didn''t correct itself in any way and that she could evade her role as the antagonist.

    And secondly, Blanche would only be able to change a small part of the novel, her own fate. To save her life she would have to distance herself from all intrigues and struggles for power. That would not be easy at all. Especially cutting ties with Marquess Sefare could become a huge challenge if he decided to harm her for betraying him. It could even endanger her survival.

    Still, there was one thing that Blanche considered to be even worse than that. It was that she could not under any circumstance become an obstacle in the main characters'' path. She would be forced to stand on the sidelines and watch as her lover fell in love with another woman. Acting on her sadness, anger and jealousy would qualify her as a villain and get her killed immediately. So she would have to suppress all of her emotions. Theodore would slowly spend less time with her and his expression when he saw her would change while Blanche was unable to do anything. In the end, he would pledge his eternal love and loyalty to Seraphina. After that, he couldn''t be with his concubine anymore.

    In that case, Theodore could decide to throw his former lover out of the palace and thus force Blanche to live alone in the capital despite her being completely incapable of earning money or finding a home. Or he could allow her to stay and ease her worries about starving on the streets but condemn her to witness the spouses'' joyful and carefree life from close proximity. Surely being able to see Theodore would make her happy, but her jealousy would probably torment her until she died from heartbreak. Maybe staying in the palace wasn''t a good idea after all. But in the end, her future seemed to be pretty grim no matter what she chose.

    She could be executed by her lover, be assassinated by Sefare, starve in the streets or die because of a broken heart. And even if she avoided all of this, she still wouldn''t have a happy end. The man she loved would be the partner of another woman at that point. Maybe this was just how it was meant to be for the villainess. She could try everything she wanted and would still fail miserably and meet her doom.

    And all of that happened while the heroine didn''t have to lift a finger to arrive at her perfect ending in which everyone she cared for was living happily at her side.

    Blanche couldn''t help but vent her frustration. ¡°How unfair...¡± It was just a small mumble but to her, it summarized it all pretty well. She had to focus on steady breathing to keep the tears from welling in her eyes. Crying now wouldn''t do anything except for worrying Stella. Though considering how easily and often Blanche normally cried, it was surprising that she hadn''t already begun to sob the second that she awoke.

    She lifted her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes while pondering about her dilemma. It was a blessing to acquire knowledge that had the power to change the future, and yet she was sitting here and wallowed in self-pity. Blanche took a deep breath and tried to focus on the positive aspects. She could avoid being executed. Only her survival mattered for now. She could shape her future life later. She would continue to live and find her own happiness. Eventually, she would be able to get over Theodore and build relationships with new people.

    At least that was what she told herself.

    She knew well that there was no way that she could ever be happy without him. But right now she needed determination instead of fear. She couldn''t despair every time that she looked into the future, or she might as well give up already. She would have to maintain a positive attitude to keep herself moving forward. Then she would also stop pondering about all the bad things that would inevitably happen. But that was easier said than done.

    Blanche sighed and stood up. Maybe taking a walk would help her clear her mind. She walked towards the stone pathway that led around the palace. She stopped for a moment to meet Stella''s gaze to show her maid that she was planning on moving. The other woman quickly understood and followed her mistress.

    The pathway that Blanche headed for went through the biggest part of the garden and formed a circle around the whole building. It was quite long and thus perfect for spending a long time outside. It also gave visitors an opportunity to enjoy the view of all the gorgeous places in the garden and admire the beautifully crafted facade of the palace itself. Even though Blanche had seen the scenery here countless times, she still felt amazed by the picture-like sight that was offered to her. But no matter how beautiful it was, it didn''t protect her from trouble.

    Just as she rounded a corner to follow the pathway, three people, who were also walking on the same path, stepped out from behind a hedge. Blanche only needed one glance to recognize the women in front of her. This was just what she hadn''t needed today.

    She desperately tried to suppress the rising dread in her stomach and swallowed at the sight of her archrival. Of course she had to run into the one person she wanted to avoid even more than Theodore.

    Before her, her fated enemy stood. That was no one other than the perfect heroine of ¡°To Be Empress¡±.

    Seraphina Estien.

 Chapter 3: The Heroine

    She was easy to spot.

    As the main character one needed to have a certain presence to be memorable and Seraphina surely did have it.

    The heroine was a bit taller than Blanche and thus looked down at the concubine which only made her seem even more threatening. Her facial expression also didn''t help in that regard. She stared at Blanche with a cold gaze that nearly made the concubine shiver. But even despite this, it was painfully obvious that Seraphina was gorgeous which wasn''t surprising since she was the heroine of a romance novel. The other''s appearance was impressing enough to make Blanche wonder how she had never questioned the existence of such a beautiful being. Though the concubine herself was quite pleasing to look at, Seraphina had something about her that made her even more eye-catching.

    The empress wore her golden hair open so that it reached her waist and complimented her slender figure. Her blue eyes were emphasized by her spotless skin and matched the majestic dress she was wearing. She belonged to the royal family, so she was allowed to be dressed in navy and gold which needless to say fit her perfectly. Along with that she also wore a golden tiara with sapphires to complete the image of a flawless empress even more. She wouldn''t have needed any of that to seem majestic, but like this, she almost looked like an ethereal being.

    The only thing that contradicted her beauty was the freezing look that she gave Blanche. Though it was understandable that Seraphina disliked the other woman. The person in front of her was the mistress of her husband which already justified Seraphina holding a grudge.

    The more prominent reasons though were the many fights they had had ever since Seraphina had married Theodore. Most of them had developed because Blanche had disrespected the other woman or tried to claim privileges that were meant for the empress. Logically Seraphina hadn''t ignored this imprudent behavior and countless disputes had erupted.

    The worst one of them had even ended in Blanche promising that she wouldn''t let the other woman stay empress for long and that she would take over that position. In hindsight, these words had been more than foolish and only proved what an impulsive person Blanche had been. And this had only been one of the countless times that she had antagonized Seraphina.

    Naturally, the empress only saw the concubine as a cause of problems and a future threat now. So it was understandable that she acknowledged the other''s presence with the simplest one of the possible greetings in a tone that was just as frosty as her glare. ¡°Lady Blanche.¡±

    The concubine stopped staring at the other woman and hurried to show the empress the appropriate courtesy. She lowered her head, lifted the hem of her dress and made a curtsy. ¡°Greetings to Her Majesty, the empress of Artias.¡± Most likely this had been the first time that she had properly addressed Seraphina with this overly formal traditional greeting. It felt a little strange since Blanche was used to provoking her lover''s wife at any given chance. Luckily it seemed like the novel''s memories had also taught her to swallow more of her pride. It didn''t pain her as much to bow to her nemesis as she was sure that it would have before.

    That was good. She needed to get along with Seraphina to avoid becoming the villainess. This was crucial even if it made her stomach churn. In the best case, the heroine would have a completely neutral opinion on her so that Blanche wouldn''t be considered important for the story. To act appropriately around the empress and treat her respectfully was the first step to improve their relationship to that level.

    Nonetheless, it appeared like Seraphina wasn''t impressed by the concubine''s greeting. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and gave the woman in front of her a disapproving look. ¡°It seems like you finally regained some of your lost manners.¡± She spoke slowly and clearly which caused her voice to have some kind of authority despite her staying calm. ¡°This is progress. Though I doubt that you will be able to maintain this level of behavior for very long.¡±

    Normally Blanche would have given her an annoyed answer and added something provoking. Even though a part of her felt the need to do so, she just focused on keeping a neutral expression. She couldn''t let her nervousness nor her dismay show. It was logical that Seraphina acted like this when they had been enemies starting from the very day that they had met. To change the other woman''s impression of her Blanche would need to be kind for a longer amount of time. Being calm and collected while talking and acting respectfully should be enough to slowly improve her image. As long as Blanche didn''t try to cause trouble nor began quarrels, she should steer away from the villainess'' role.

    But of course, that would take some time as the woman on Seraphina''s left proved. ¡°It is quite unlikely that she can keep up the facade of a well-behaved person for even a day, let alone longer than that. We shouldn''t bother hoping.¡± It didn''t take Blanche long to identify this person.

    This woman was of a similar age as her friends and her expensive-looking dress revealed that she was a noble lady too, even if her dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail which was rather uncommon for aristocrats. This person was much more open about her emotions than the empress and gave the concubine a dismissive look. There was only one person at Seraphina''s side that fit this description. This was Madeleine Bellfaux. She was the eldest daughter of Marquess Bellfaux, who was known for his enormous wealth that he had built by trading with properties.

    Madeleine had always been at the heroine''s side and supported her with her strong personality. Her impulsive, and sometimes harsh, advice often bordered on tactless which was why Seraphina didn''t listen to her most of the time. Right now she proved that again by complaining about the concubine loudly. ¡°I believe that it would be best to leave now. I don''t want to be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Let us continue our walk.¡±

    But a third voice chimed in at that point. ¡°Madeleine. Don''t be like that. Lady Blanche greeted us politely, so we need to return the favor.¡±

    Blanche turned her head to look at the person on the heroine''s right side and unsurprisingly Sophia was there.

    Sophia was the youngest daughter of the Duke of Duremont and thus Seraphina''s little sister. She had blond hair as well and blue eyes that were slightly lighter than her sibling''s. She had gained the hearts of many readers by always being gentle and patient with others, even with the haughty and bratty villainess herself. Sophia would be the one to calm and comfort the heroine, give her advice or simply listen to her if it became necessary. Currently, Sophia should be pregnant which a short look towards her slightly rounded belly confirmed.

    Seeing that made Blanche swallow again. She heard how the women in front of her talked, but their voices seemed to fade out as she got lost in thoughts.

    While the book itself did have a happy end, there had still been some tragedies. One of them had been the death of Sophia''s child which had also greatly affected her mother''s health. That the reason for the young girl''s death hadn''t been an accident or a sickness made it even more regrettable. Three months after the beginning of the main story Sophia had given birth and everything had been fine until she attended the emperor''s birthday party a few months later. She and her husband had talked to the royal couple for a short while and asked Sophia''s aunt to watch over the baby.

    At this point, they couldn''t have known that Evelyn Lemares was a psychopathic woman who was fully controlled by her jealousy for her sister. From her early childhood on she had envied Elaine Duremont, Sophia''s mother, and that had gotten worse after she had fallen for her sister''s husband. Evelyn had projected her anger onto her sisters'' granddaughter and threw the baby into the fountain when nobody noticed.

    The incident had been considered an accident as Evelyn had told Sophia that the baby crawled into the water. Only near the end of the book, Evelyn''s deed was revealed and punished. But Sophia hadn''t been able to recover from the loss of her daughter and became sick to the point of refusing to leave her bed.

    Blanche felt the need to throw up at that thought. Not only because of Evelyn''s malice but also because the investigation in the novel had disclosed that the villainess had worked together with that monster. Apparently, Blanche had used the woman''s jealousy and promised to give Evelyn a chance to marry the man she loved, who happened to be Seraphina''s father. That had led to Evelyn doing everything in her power to hurt Seraphina.

    The thought of partnering up with such a vile person made Blanche question how evil her original personality had to have been. It seemed like she had simply done everything to reach her goal even if it included helping a child''s murderer or poisoning a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. She was extremely thankful for the book''s memories if they had helped her realized how horrible all of that was. Still, it confused her how stark the contrast was. As far as she could remember, she had always adored children, including her two younger siblings. Helping someone with getting away with murdering such innocent creatures appeared like an unimaginable idea to her. Shouldn''t even the villainess have condemned this crime? Even if she hadn''t, she would now.

    Blanche would try to save Sophia''s child. If she could shape her own fate, then she should also be able to influence the people surrounding her too. The emperor''s birthday was an easy date to remember and since she would be attending the party anyway, she would just need to stay near the fountain and watch Evelyn. She wanted to distance herself from that woman as much as humanly possible, but she should still keep an eye on her. People that were fueled by jealousy were unpredictable and the original story''s Blanche had been no different. When considering how ruthless her own actions in the novel had been described, she definitely understood why she had been the villain.

    Blanche snapped out of it when one of the women in front of her cleared her throat. Apparently, she had spaced out for the dozenth time today.

    Great.

    She quickly lowered her head and made another curtsy. She remained in that position for a few seconds while waiting for the people with the higher rank to greet her. Even if she wouldn''t have much to do with them, being polite couldn''t hurt.

    Though Madeleine, who as the daughter of a marquess had a higher rank than Sophia who was married to a count, didn''t seem happy about it, she greeted the concubine anyway. ¡°Lady Blanche.¡± The annoyance in her tone was easy to hear, but that didn''t keep Blanche from returning the greeting.

    ¡°Good day, Lady Bellfaux.¡±

    After that, it was Sophia''s turn to speak and she did so with a polite but genuine smile. Even her warm voice served as a stark contrast to the others'' aloof speech. ¡°It has been a while, Lady Blanche. How are you?¡±

    ¡°It truly has. I''m doing well. Thank you for asking, Lady Ravillot. I hope that you are feeling well too.¡± Blanche returned a small smile even if she felt a shiver run down her spine while she fought against her own nervousness.

    Sophia''s face lit up even more, and she happily replied. ¡°Oh, luckily everything has been going well. I am glad to hear that there don''t seem to be too many problems. It is wonderful that it has been peaceful for a while now.¡±

    In contrast to her friend, Madeleine only furrowed her brows and crossed the arms in front of her chest. She stayed quiet for a few seconds and looked to her side before turning her head to Blanche with a cold expression. ¡°It seems that you have decided to show more appropriate behavior for now. If you truly wish to continue to act like this, maybe it would be time for an apology now.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The concubine was a bit confused at that statement. Was this about an apology for her general actions towards the empress or did the other woman have a specific event in mind? Silently Blanche cursed herself for causing so many arguments. She had lost track of most of them. ¡°I am willing to do so as soon as you remind me what exactly I have done.¡± She desperately hoped that there hadn''t too much trouble in the past weeks. But she was disappointed mercilessly.

    Madeleine clicked her tongue and replied in a voice that was dripping with frustration. ¡°It appears that you might have a problem with your long-term memory. Have you truly forgotten the last banquet already? I seem to remember an incident during which you tried to insult Her Majesty in front of all influential nobles of the capital. An apology for that would be in order, or am I mistaken?¡± It sounded like she truly wanted to hear an apology for her friend.

    Whether Seraphina appreciated that was unrecognizable as her face still expressed no emotion. Sophia, on the other hand, looked quite uncomfortable. Most likely she was unsure whether she should support her friend''s words or try to deescalate the situation.

    Sure enough, if Blanche still had been the same person as yesterday, she would have gotten furious by now. Though she still found the words a bit provoking, she understood that her own actions had led to the way that others treated her. Seraphina and Madeleine were reasonable people, and they were only this hostile because of the concubine''s previous behavior. Blanche had often thrown tantrums, provoked them or their families, and had been disrespectful in general too often.

    The last banquet had not been an exception. Theodore had arrived with Seraphina and Blanche. Naturally, he had taken a seat on the chair at the end of the table, at the position that was meant for the emperor. Despite knowing that the seat next to him was the empress'', Blanche had sat down on it. Even after being warned by Seraphina multiple times, she hadn''t moved which caused a big dispute with the heroine''s family. The emperor had broken up the fight and defended Blanche but still taken his wife''s side. This had made his concubine even more furious and caused her to create more problems. In the end, they had been forced to leave the banquet early and Theodore had been angry with her. Only for a short while though. After all, he could never be upset with his lover for long.

    The emperor''s tendency to quickly forgive anything Blanche did was probably one of the main reasons that she had ended up as the villainess. Her impulsive behavior had never been punished but rather supported by Theodore''s pampering and forgiving nature. Him never telling her to consider her own position before provoking those who were much more powerful had made her feel verified in her actions and led to her being too cocky. She had forgotten that her status was only based on the emperor''s favor and never realized that she was losing his love until it had been too late.

    Instead of looking around, she had created more elaborate schemes and used other nobles to try to harm the empress. She had longed for more power without considering that she might also get hurt in the process. Ultimately, her pride made her feel untouchable and led to her downfall. Swallowing her pride was an essential part of her plan to survive along with avoiding the main characters'' hatred. Apologizing now would be an important step in the direction of both of these goals.

    Blanche froze and reminded herself to stop overthinking everything during the whole conversation. She couldn''t just stare off into the distance. She quickly lifted the hem of her dress and bowed as deeply as she could. ¡°I sincerely apologize for my actions. After reflecting on my past behavior, I realized that it has been inappropriate and disrespectful. While knowing that an excuse for these incidents won''t be enough to convince you of my change, I still promise to conduct myself properly in the future. Once again I''d like to express that I deeply regret what happened at the banquet.¡± She considered asking Seraphina for forgiveness but due to their relationship that might seem too insincere. After finishing her speech, she lifted her head and tried to read the women''s expressions.

    This time all of them were affected by her words and appeared to be momentarily stunned. Seemingly none of them actually expected an apology out of the concubine''s mouth which wasn''t surprising since Blanche had never apologized to the empress. Seeing the three women''s confusion was satisfying, especially since Madeleine, who always had something to say, was at a loss for words.

    However, Blanche had to admit that watching the stoic Seraphina furrow her brows and press her mouth into a thin line was slightly entertaining as well.

    At least it was until the empress'' stare turned icy and made the concubine feel like it pierced through her soul and revealed each of her thoughts. The next few seconds were accompanied by an unpleasant silence and a just as distressing eye contact with the heroine.

    Blanche found herself unable to avert her gaze or say anything else.

    When the silence slowly became unbearable, Seraphina finally gave her answer. ¡°Many people give great speeches without the intention of keeping any of their promises. I hope that you are aware that every spoken word should have meaning.¡± Her voice matched her frosty expression. On the outside, she was very calm, but there was a noticeable undertone full of resentment in her voice. But she didn''t say more than this.

    The empress walked past Blanche without even giving her another look. Her companions followed her and Sophia nodded once to signal a silent goodbye.

    Blanche stood there motionlessly and watched as the women moved forward.

    Just as she thought that they would leave, Seraphina stopped and looked over her shoulder. ¡°I''m not as blind as His Majesty.¡± With that, she rounded the corner and disappeared from Blanche''s view.

    The concubine was left behind to be frustrated with the heroine''s reaction. While she hadn''t expected the empress to forgive her immediately and become her best friend, she also hadn''t anticipated such a cold response. Though she should have seen that coming. The last eleven months had been filled with countless discussions and fights of which most were started by Blanche. That Seraphina doubted her good intentions was only based on their collective background. It would take a long time to make the empress change her mind.

    Blanche let her shoulders sink and sighed loudly. Only now she noticed that her knees had been shaking. The confrontation with her archrival had seemingly affected her more than she had previously thought. It felt like her heart was almost jumping out of her chest.

    Footsteps sounded next to her and Stella stepped into her field of view. ¡°Is everything alright, My Lady?¡± The maid sounded concerned which made it seem like she really was a loyal companion. Despite their rocky start, she was already worried about her mistress. That was sweet.

    Blanche gave her a little smile. ¡°I''m fine. Thank you, Stella.¡±

    The maid returned the smile and didn''t ask any further questions. Presumably, because she knew about the conflicts between the empress and the concubine. She regularly witnessed tense interactions between them after all.

    Blanche gave herself a moment to calm down before she continued to follow the pathway while enjoying the view of the skillfully designed garden. She silently admired the professionals who tended to the plants and allowed the landscape to be as breathtaking as it was. But she couldn''t focus as much on the flowers as she wanted.

    Mixed-up scenes from the novel appeared in her mind, or she found herself pondering about the future. Her life was at stake so this made sense, but she hadn''t thought about anything else the entire day, and it was getting frustrating. The encounter with Seraphina had drained her energy quite a bit too, so she was already at her limit.

    Nevertheless, she couldn''t keep her mind from digging through her memories. She needed to rethink her plan. Blanche gave in with a small groan. She scanned the garden and noticed the roses in a little flowerbed that was separated from the others. Most of the flowers were red, but there were also some white roses that were just as beautiful. She left the path and approached the flowerbed. A bench was conveniently placed directly next to the plants, so the concubine used that chance and sat down on it.

    Since the roses were planted in an elevated flowerbed, she was now at the exact height of the flowers. She moved her face closer to the roses and reached for one of them. Blanche carefully pulled it towards her to get a closer look at it while staying wary of the thorns. She trained her eyes on the rose and let her mind wander once again.

    The short conversation with Seraphina had been enough to make her doubt that the approach she had chosen was the best. As long as the heroine held a grudge against Blanche, it could cause problems. Even if the concubine didn''t act much on her own, she could become a minor villainess and those often had terrible fates in romance novels too. If Seraphina''s dislike could lead to her doom, it was actually rather dangerous to stay close to her.

    Maybe, no, most likely it would be safer to leave the palace and stay far away from the fights for power and the intrigues of nobility. This would make it easier to avoid Marquess Sefare as well. If Blanche lived somewhere else, preferably in a small city far away from the capital, it would be nearly impossible for him to find her even if he wanted to get rid of her. But at the same time, she would give up her protection to a big extent as well.

    Inside the walls of the palace, Blanche was shielded from many dangers. She didn''t need to worry about her living expenses or finding shelter and food. It was also extraordinarily hard for attackers to even enter the property due to the layout of the palace''s defense mechanism and the existence of the royal guards, who included some of the nation''s strongest and most skilled warriors. These trained knights would be able to eliminate most physical attacks and protect the palace. Thus, Blanche would be safe from any assassinations Sefare could possibly plan as long as she was in the estate. Even the entrances were heavily controlled and any food that was brought into the kitchen would be examined before its usage. This made poisonings way less likely to happen.

    However, though the palace was quite safe, there were gaps in the security as the novel had shown numerous times. For example, Seraphina had been poisoned by her maid once. This event proved that smuggling harmful substances into the palace wasn''t impossible.

    On top of that, there had been a chapter in which the heroine had secretly left the royal estate through a hole in the wall. Therefore, it was obvious that there was an unsecured passageway that could eventually allow enemies to enter the palace.

    But didn''t hole also give Blanche a chance to leave the property on her own? Maybe she should leave it open then. Did an escape route give Blanche enough certainty though?

    There was a sequel to the novel, but she didn''t know what would happen in that book. Countless threats could arise with her being helpless against them. Naturally, these dangers would appear close to the main characters who then would have to fight against those threats. So as long as Blanche stayed in the palace, she would inevitably also be affected by the protagonists'' problems.

    And yet there was no way that she could leave.

    The reason was that she was useless when it came to sustaining herself. Blanche''s father had been a merchant and his wealth had allowed the whole family to live comfortably. When he had died along with her mother and siblings, Blanche had only been eighteen and Marquess Sefare had taken her in. And ever since she had come to the palace, Theodore had spoiled her. At no point in her life had she ever been forced to take care of herself. For this reason, Blanche wouldn''t be able to live alone in the capital unless she wanted to starve. So she would much rather stay in the palace even if she was close to the main characters and the story events because of this.

    But she had to admit that there was another reason that kept her from leaving.

    Blanche didn''t want to be apart from Theodore. While she couldn''t care less about Seraphina, Theodore was important to her. He was the male main character and thus always involved in the story. Distancing herself from him would significantly raise her chances of survival. Still, she couldn''t bring herself to actually consider that possibility.

    Theodore was her first love and the person she cared about most in her life, as well as the only one who had ever made her feel this happy. Leaving him would hurt just as much as her execution, if not even more. Even if it was illogical and stupid considering her threatening doom, she couldn''t bring herself to make a decision that would separate her from her lover. Her feelings for him were too strong to be suppressed even though she knew that he would choose Seraphina in the end.

    Rationally thinking, Blanche was aware of how foolish this was, but she didn''t even want to try to convince herself to leave. Despite knowing how the story would progress, she wanted to be selfish and monopolize Theodore even if staying with him increased the chance of her dying enormously. So, her original plan of acting kind, becoming invisible to others and avoiding intrigues would have to be enough to save her.

    Bits of a sentence reached Blanche and caused her to focus back on the real world.

    ¡°My Lady!¡± Stella''s voice came from directly next to Blanche''s ear. The maid was already bowing down to her mistress and grabbed her shoulders gently. ¡°My Lady, can you hear me? Thank the gods. You weren''t responding even after I called multiple times. Is everything alright?¡± Stella spoke with a slight tremble in her voice, and her expression also revealed that she was upset.

    Blanche felt a bit bad for troubling her, so she quickly answered. ¡°I''m sorry for worrying you, Stella. I''m fine, I was just thinking about something.¡± Her response somehow didn''t seem to calm the maid.

    Stella stepped even closer and made eye contact with her mistress as determination twinkled in her eyes. ¡°My Lady, I know that it''s not my right to interfere, but you have been spacing out the whole day. It''s normal to be lost in thoughts but not to the point of completely forgetting the world around you. Please, you can talk to me if something is bothering you. If you want to, I can also consult the royal doctor if you are feeling unwell. Losing all sense of reality like this can''t be good for your health.¡± She interrupted herself for a moment and lowered her gaze before continuing. ¡°I know that I''m not authorized to give you any advice and I apologize if this seems inappropriate to you. But I''m simply worried about My Lady.¡±

    Blanche could only sit there and didn''t know what to answer. It was touching that her maid cared this much even though today had been the first time they had really had a friendly conversation. She didn''t feel like she could quickly come up with a satisfying excuse but telling the truth was impossible too. Still, she wanted to calm Stella. ¡°You really don''t have to worry about my health. I''m feeling fine. I just tend to overthink different things and let my mind wander, but that doesn''t affect me negatively.¡±

    To the concubine''s surprise, Stella refuted that immediately. ¡°It does. Whatever you have been pondering about this whole time has to be a burden to you. I can see it on your face when you think that I''m not looking and when you notice my gaze, you put on a fake smile. If you don''t talk about your worries and the problem doesn''t get resolved, it will weigh on your mind and pressure you. Stress is very dangerous and affects both your physical and mental health. That means that you have to tell someone what distresses you.¡±

    Blanche was momentarily stunned by the maid''s determination. It was overwhelming how dedicated the other woman was despite their rocky relationship prior to this morning.

    It seemed like she would really need an excuse now.

 Chapter 4: Lost in Thoughts

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    couldn''t meet him now.

    one more day wouldn''t possibly create issues, right? Blanche prepared to explain that she was feeling unwell and would go to bed early. But she stopped quickly as soon as she remembered how careful Theodore was when he suspected that someone was sick. He always called the royal doctor to check on her, no matter how small the suspected issue was. Once he had told Blanche that this was a precaution because he feared that the people around him could have been poisoned. If she didn''t want to unnecessarily worry him, she couldn''t use this excuse.

    ¡°

 Chapter 5: The Emperor

    Faintly, Blanche could hear one of the guards announcing her arrival. But the only thing she could focus on was her lover''s face.

    The moment she entered, the emperor had lifted his head and upon seeing her, the corners of his lips rose to form a smile that made her heart flutter. Within seconds, she abandoned all thoughts of the novel and her possible doom.

    All she could do was stare at the mesmerizing blue of Theodore''s eyes.

    Unsurprisingly, he was as handsome as always. He was definitely the most perfect man that this world had ever seen. Blanche was a pretty subjective judge in this case though, so one should take her opinion with a grain of salt. After all, he was her adored lover, whom she considered to be the most important person in her life. Only seeing him was enough to fill her head with all the precious memories that she had made with him.

    When she saw his lips, she remembered kissing him. When she looked into his eyes, she thought about the many times that he met her gaze while proclaiming his love to her. When she gazed at his soft hair that was colored in an almost black shade of dark blue, she remembered carefully stroking over it whenever she had the chance.

    Her eyes met his, and she couldn''t help but return his soft smile as he spoke up.

    ¡°There you are. I was getting worried when no one could find you.¡± Even Theodore''s voice made Blanche feel ecstatic, just with a few words.

    She walked towards the side of the table that was across Theodore''s and sat down when Stella pulled the chair back for her. After moving the seat closer again, Blanche responded. ¡°I apologize for that. I was in the garden the whole day. Obviously, most people wouldn''t have expected me to be there.¡±

    Theodore placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his palm while scanning her expression. ¡°Since you were out, I assume that you feel better. Your voice sounds normal again. Is the allergic reaction over or do you still feel bad?¡±

    Blanche held her hand up and waved once in a dismissive gesture. ¡°It wasn''t that bad in the first place, and now it''s finally gone. But any part of me that has begun to long for cherries is now buried at the very bottom of my soul.¡±

    Her lover chuckled at her reply. ¡°You definitely aren''t going to eat more cherries any time soon. If you try to pick some for yourself again, I will get rid of all cherry trees. I''m serious about that. I''m glad that it wasn''t that painful, but we won''t risk anything. Honestly, I''m still worried, you know? Especially since you said you were in the garden the whole day while you recovered. What were you doing there? Usually, you don''t stay outside that long.¡± He lifted his right hand to signal the servants that he wished to be alone.

    The staff members promptly left the room. Stella and Owen also exited after the emperor thanked the knight with a nod.

    When the doors were closed gently, Blanche began talking. ¡°I was actually just taking a walk and looked at the roses. I might have been lost in a daydream, so I forgot the time. Nothing special happened.¡± Lying to Theodore didn''t feel right and her tone didn''t sound convincing to herself either. But it was better than telling him that she had found out that their world was actually a book. If she explained that she had been pondering about something unspecified, it was as close to the truth as she could get.

    Still, it wasn''t surprising that Theodore picked up on her lie. ¡°A daydream? If something was on your mind the entire day, it must have been important. Is there something bothering you? I can take care of everything if you give me a hint of what it was about.¡±

    Blanche quickly shook her head. ¡°It wasn''t anything bad. There is no need to worry.¡± Just this little lie sufficed to make him understand that she wasn''t as honest as she should be.

    Theodore''s smile faded a bit. ¡°You know that you can always tell me if something upsets you, right?¡± He paused as if he waited for her to answer. When she remained quiet for a while, he continued. ¡°Especially if someone upset you. Even when it was someone important like the empress.¡±

    Blanche froze in place and did her best to not let her expression give away her tension. She wrung her hands on her lap and focused on keeping her voice steady. ¡°What exactly do you mean, Theo? Nothing happened.¡± For the first time in her life, using the nickname she always addressed her lover with felt strange in her mouth. For some reason, it felt like she hadn''t said it like this in a while. But that couldn''t be it. Maybe she felt odd because others would often be confused or even offended by her lack of formal speech around the emperor.

    This time she was the one reminded of their difference in status though.

    Theodore kept his eyes on her face while trying to pick up on any possible trace of anger. ¡°Owen only went into the garden because we met the empress a while ago. She hinted that she met you outside after hearing that you had gone missing. And since I know how interactions between the two of you usually go, I wanted to ask if something happened. The empress seemed like she was a little irritated and your reaction proves that there was some kind of trouble. Tell me what happened, and I''ll take care of the situation. I can talk to her to calm her down a bit if necessary.¡±

    Blanche felt a tiny bit of anger bubbling inside her, but she was more disappointed than furious. When presented with a disagreement between her and Seraphina, her lover always supported her, but he just assumed that Blanche had been the one to make a mistake. While this had been the case more often than not, she hadn''t done anything wrong this time. There hadn''t even been a conflict, but she was still blamed for Seraphina''s emotions.

    And now he even offered to console the empress, even though Blanche was the one that needed him most.

    She felt something prick in her heart at this thought. Maybe this was the result of being a villainess that had to fight against a heroine. The protagonists would always be treated preferably by others and win, while the fault was pushed onto their opponent. In an instant, Blanche''s fears and the novel''s outcome pressed back into her mind and she felt horrible once again.

    The table was small enough to allow the participants of a meal to be quite close to each other. Normally she adored that. But now the short distance to her lover felt suffocating. Unwillingly, she let all the terrible images of being deserted by Theodore and eventually being beheaded run through her mind. She tightened her fists until she was sure that there would be crescent-shaped imprints left by her fingernails later.

    This short conversation had already reminded her of the most important fact. She would lose this fight against the heroine no matter what she did. Maybe she should just try to get used to it now so that it wouldn''t crush her heart even more when the ending came.

    ¡°Blanche?¡± Theodore''s worried voice pulled her back into reality.

    Even if she couldn''t win, she needed to protect herself. Otherwise, she would be executed as the villain. Blanche told herself that but in reality she just hated the thought of her lover thinking badly of her. So she defended herself despite knowing that it wouldn''t change a thing. ¡°I didn''t do anything.¡±

    Both of them were silent for a moment.

    That was enough to remind the concubine of her countless offenses in the past. She was much quieter when she added the rest. ¡°This time, at least. I really didn''t do anything.¡± She cast her gaze downward and concentrated on the filled plate before her. It was completely useless to feel like this now but her heart just hurt. She couldn''t do much about that, so she had given in and tried to save what was already lost.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    For a few seconds, it was quiet again until the emperor broke the silence. ¡°Blanche.¡± When she lifted her head slightly to look at him, he rested his arm on the table and turned his palm upwards right in front of her.

    It was almost a reflex. She didn''t hesitate for long and put her own hand in his. It felt warm and being able to touch him made her heart skip a beat. She loved him so much. Why did she have to lose him?

    Theodore began talking in a soft voice while slowly caressing the backside of her hand with his thumb. ¡°I didn''t mean to say that you did something wrong. I only wanted to know what happened. Did you two fight?¡±

    Blanche shook her head while holding back her tears. ¡°No, we didn''t. We just met by accident and exchanged a few sentences. I properly greeted both her and her friends. I also apologized for my behavior at the banquet, so I don''t know why she is upset.¡± It wasn''t her fault if Seraphina couldn''t deal with her presence.

    Theodore listened patiently and smiled after hearing about the apology. ¡°I''m glad that you did that. The banquet was truly a bit problematic. But if you apologized, everything should be fine again. I can assure you that there won''t be any problems if you keep in mind what I told you. As long as you don''t pick fights with anyone on purpose, nothing can happen to you. That is why you don''t need to worry about the empress. Her stupid chair next to mine doesn''t mean a thing. She''ll get over it in a few weeks.¡±

    After gaining the novel''s knowledge, it was strange hearing him say those words. He would fall in love with the empress, so he wouldn''t be indifferent about her for long. And at the same time, his promise to keep his concubine safe only caused Blanche to worry.

    Why had her lover decided to give her such great freedom? He had always allowed her to continue exhibiting the pretentious behavior that she had shown from the beginning. This had made the villainess feel too safe, and she began to scheme against others to gain power. She had done all of those things while believing that the emperor would protect her. Then she had crossed the line and paid the bitter price.

    Normally Blanche loved being doted on, but now it left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. Theodore''s pampering had only fueled the original Blanche''s confidence to the point of becoming the villainess. If he had been stricter with his lover, maybe she wouldn''t have gone beyond the limits of acceptable behavior. Maybe she wouldn''t have been left to die.

    Theodore defending Blanche like this hadn''t protected her but rather encouraged the concubine to run into danger. And he hadn''t noticed that he played a crucial part in dooming his lover at all. He should have scolded her more for the thing that happened at the banquet. Maybe that would have protected her from losing his love too.

    Of course, she couldn''t blame him for the crimes that she had committed in the novel, but his actions still had reinforced her actions. At least a little.

    Maybe that was why Blanche couldn''t keep quiet about this. She held herself back from pointing out that the empress'' chair had never been the root of the problem and just addressed the main issue. ¡°But aren''t you spoiling me too much by saying something like that? What I did during the banquet wasn''t sane. Anyone else would have been thrown out of the palace for that. And that wasn''t the only time that I messed up. Don''t you think that I should start holding back? I probably shouldn''t offend anyone anymore since I already caused so many problems. After all, I''m only a baroness, and you are the one who granted me the title. This means that my rank is much lower than most other noble''s ones. Provoking people with higher status isn''t really intelligent, is it?¡±

    After finishing her sentence, she realized that she might seem pretty serious to Theodore, so she smiled at him to make her concerns appear less urgent.

    Her lover scanned her expression for a moment. He seemed to notice that something was wrong, but he didn''t address it immediately. Instead, he squeezed her hand. ¡°Don''t worry about stuff like that. No one can ever harm you. You are my lover, so you won''t ever be in danger. That means that you can do things others could only dream about. Of course you can''t run around and offend others, but you don''t have to accept it when they say annoying things. And no matter what happens, I will always be by your side.¡±

    Previously, these kinds of promises had been the ones that Blanche adored. She had loved being told that her lover was with her for the rest of her life. But right now she felt insecure with how easily his words had influenced her. Wasn''t he just lying the whole time? He couldn''t know that but she did.

    Theodore watched her for another moment before speaking up. ¡°We should begin to eat before the food gets cold. The servants also brought your favorite tea, so you should drink while it''s still hot.¡± He pointed at the pot next to Blanche''s plate.

    The concubine was thankful for a chance to avoid eye contact for a moment and lifted her cup. She took a sip and inwardly had to admit that she was torn. The sweet fruity taste of apricot filled her mouth and she would normally melt because of that. It usually also helped to calm her down, but today it did little to relax her.

    The presence of her favorite tea often meant that Theodore had expected her to get angry at his words and hoped to appease her. He was used to her tantrums when a conflict with the empress had developed and thus had prepared the drink beforehand. If he had always known how explosive her temper was when it came to the empress, why didn''t he encourage her to learn to control herself?

    Blanche thought about what he had just said while watching him beginning to eat. He was right about her having more freedom as the emperor''s mistress. But he didn''t seem to be aware that this also meant that this privilege was only limited to as long as he decided to keep her by his side. Having knowledge of the future made her think differently about their relationship than he did. After all, she knew that his love was fleeting and that he would fall for the woman whom he currently only considered his wife in name.

    Oh, how she hated that her thoughts always wandered to the image of Theodore leaving her. Despite knowing that she would have to experience this heartbreak eventually, her chest still hurt at this realization every time.

    Blanche watched her lover eat for a few seconds. Then he noticed her staring at him and made eye contact with her, so she quickly grabbed her fork and did her best to seem like she was about to eat too. She acted like she intended to spear a piece of vegetable on it, but she actually didn''t want to swallow anything. The confusing mess in her head already made her feel sick and the sight of food didn''t make this more pleasant. This would have already been enough to keep her from putting anything in her mouth, but additionally, Theodore had begun to observe her carefully.

    After poking around on her plate a bit, Blanche finally picked up a mushroom and stiffly moved it towards her face. She chewed very slowly and swallowed eventually, but it still made her feel like throwing up. A clink sounded from across the table and made her lift her gaze.

    Theodore had put down his utensils and his mood had obviously changed. He looked serious now and stared directly into her eyes while speaking up. ¡°Is there really not something wrong? You seem distracted, and you haven''t eaten more than a small mushroom. If there is something on your mind, please tell me.¡±

    She wouldn''t be able to get him to move on without an answer. Blanche knew how stubborn her lover could be, so she needed an excuse. She set down the fork and knife extremely slowly to stall for time and met her lover''s gaze. His worried look almost made her want to tell him the entire truth, even if it sounded unbelievable. But then he would only be more concerned and call the royal doctor to examine her. She couldn''t risk that. Still, she wasn''t comfortable lying to his face and wouldn''t be able to convince him with her lacking acting skills anyway. So she should probably tell him a half-truth as she had done it with Stella. Being insecure about the future and fearing the loss of a beloved person was a reasonable cause for someone to worry. He would understand that, right?

    Blanche took a deep breath before she began. ¡°You said that I can get away with more than others because I''m your lover. And that I shouldn''t think about that too much since you will protect me.¡±

    Theodore slowly nodded while keeping his eyes on her face. ¡°That''s right. You shouldn''t try to upset anyone important, but that is pretty much the only thing you can''t do. You can defend yourself as much as you want to and no one will be able to blame you for that. And you can have whatever you want because I will give it to you as soon as you ask.¡± Of course he would say that.

    The concubine bit the inside of her cheek and tried her best to keep herself from crying as she began to explain. ¡°I know that my position gives me a lot of wonderful things. Of course I would get special treatment if I''m at your side. But I think that I should still be a little more conscious about all of this. I achieved nothing in my life but making you fall in love with me. My privileges are dependent on your love for me which means that...¡± She felt a lump in her throat and had to swallow before resuming. ¡°All of this could be lost in an instant.¡± She had tried to speak like she was only talking about a possibility, but she had obviously seemed way too upset.

    It only took a moment before Theodore''s attitude changed. His eyes narrowed as his expression turned to one of rage. ¡°Who told you that?¡± His icy voice cut through the otherwise silent room and made it clear that he wasn''t happy about what she had said. His tone alone revealed why the people respected and feared the emperor without daring to talk back.

    Even Blanche felt intimidated even though he wasn''t angry at her. She quickly shook her head and hurried to answer while making a rejecting gesture with her hands. ¡°No one told me! It just was a thought I had.¡± She knew how weak that excuse was. In the past, she had never voiced something like this. How would her lover know about her worries when she never told him how she feared that he would get tired of a woman that couldn''t even give back half as much as she received?

    It wasn''t surprising that Theodore wasn''t convinced by her excuse. Instead, he seemed even more upset. He grabbed both of her hands and stared into her eyes. ¡°I don''t believe that. Why would you suddenly think about nonsense like that? My love for you is unwavering. If someone offended you by telling you something stupid like what you just said, I''ll-¡±

    She interrupted him by shaking her head again, this time more vigorously. ¡°No one did anything like that, I swear. It''s just that...¡± She made the mistake of looking directly into her lover''s eyes. In an instant, the memories of the past and the future crossed her mind and a wave of emotions crashed over her. That distracted her for a moment. She had to focus for a few seconds before she managed to find a somewhat believable excuse. ¡°I had a dream about the future. A nightmare, to be exact.¡± She could feel and see that Theodore relaxed at these words, but she continued anyway.

    Blanche turned her gaze towards their intertwined fingers to evade his inquiring look and tried to hold back the fear and the grief that was connected with those memories. ¡°I dreamed that I was a villain who did terrible things to others. You noticed that and you turned away from me. Then you fell in love with another woman.¡± If she addressed Seraphina by name, Theodore would think that she was only being jealous again. Though this wasn''t entirely false either, she wanted to avoid that discussion now. She wouldn''t be able to take hearing him lie to her face about him not being interested in Seraphina.

    Blanche swallowed and then continued her story. ¡°I tried to keep you two apart but nothing helped. So I did even worse things than before. In the end, you left me. And that woman was pregnant, so I poisoned her tea. But you saved her in time and then ordered my execution.¡± Blanche had to force the last sentence out and her voice''s volume got quieter with every word. After finishing her explanation she lifted her head to see what her lover would say now. She wanted to hear him say that he loved her and would never leave her so badly.

    Theodore''s face was soft now and all traces of his anger had disappeared. He gently squeezed her hands and gave her a little smile. ¡°What a silly dream.¡±

 Chapter 6: A Silly Dream

    ¡°What a silly dream.¡±

    Blanche felt her heart break at that. She had tried to unburden herself to Theodore, and he simply dismissed it. He hadn''t even taken her worst fear seriously. She wanted to say so much about that, but the words were stuck in her throat.

    Her lover had lowered his gaze onto their hands and already continued in a soft voice. ¡°You know that this wouldn''t happen under any circumstance, right? What would you be executed for? You haven''t done anything. Also, why should I leave you for another woman? Your brain surely came up with a stupid dream.¡±

    But all of that wasn''t impossible at all. It was exactly what would happen if Blanche didn''t take action. She pressed her mouth into a thin line before speaking up. ¡°If you fall in love with someone else, there is a possibility of you leaving me. And I was beheaded for trying to poison that woman while she was pregnant with your child. That was treason. In the dream, I mean.¡±

    Theodore just smiled at her which was probably supposed to make her feel safe. ¡°I wouldn''t leave you. You know that I love you, and no one could ever make me stop adoring you. There is no one that could win my heart because it belongs to you. So, you don''t have to be jealous of a nonexistent person. Since they don''t exist, you can''t get convicted for harming them. You see, your nightmare doesn''t make any sense. Did you really worry about that?¡±

    Although he couldn''t know how serious this topic was to her, she still felt a little disappointed at him for ignoring her fears. ¡°But-¡± She had just begun, but she was cut off immediately.

    ¡°You don''t need to imagine such scenarios. There isn''t a chance of me leaving you, not even a little one. This means that you don''t have to worry about it. When I heard that something troubled you the entire day, I thought that it was serious. I''m glad it was just a dream.¡±

    What was ¡®just a dream¡¯ to him, was the dark future that she desperately needed to escape from for Blanche. Even if he wasn''t able to understand how threatening this was to her, dismissing her worries made her feel ignored. He couldn''t know that her words had described the reality instead of a nightmare, but he had noticed that the subject had upset her. So, he could at least have tried to understand her fears.

    Still, Theodore acted as if the problem was solved. He pressed a small kiss onto her hand before looking at her again. ¡°Is everything alright now?¡±

    Blanche was tempted to explain that, in fact, nothing was ¡®alright¡¯. But as soon as she lifted her head, she froze. She hadn''t noticed before, but there were dark circles below Theodore''s eyes.

    In addition, he was wearing his uniform which meant that he had to have come directly from his office. Usually, he had time to change his clothes before dinner, but on some days he nearly drowned in work and barely had any free time. It seemed like today had been rough since he looked quite tired and still wore his uniform. He also had been forced to wait for Blanche''s arrival and had been worried about her multiple times throughout the dinner.

    Not only had the concubine caused trouble for him on a day that was already stressful, but right now she was also getting angry at him because he didn''t know that her nightmare wasn''t really a dream but something much more significant to her. How selfish she was. She couldn''t demand that he just guessed that she had actually foreseen the future and blame him for not being able to do that. He couldn''t go against his fate either. And how could she ask him to throw his happy end away for her? She couldn''t tell him about any of this.

    Blanche forced herself to smile. She didn''t want to bother him for a second longer. ¡°Yes, it''s fine. Let us eat now.¡±

    Her lover returned a grin and let go of her hands after giving her another kiss. ¡°Very well.¡± He began to dine and Blanche did the same with less eagerness.

    She still wasn''t hungry thanks to the uproar in her brain, but she forced herself to finish her plate while making small talk with Theodore. In the process, she quickly realized that she wouldn''t be able to enjoy the time she had left with him properly despite thinking otherwise earlier. Her mind was already fixated on the fact that she would lose him sooner or later. Tears began pricking in her eyes and she struggled not to let her resignation show on her face. Apparently, she succeeded to some extent since the emperor didn''t say anything.

    After finishing her meal and confirming that Theodore was also done, Blanche stood up immediately. ¡°I think I need to catch up on some sleep. I will go to bed early today. Goodnight.¡± She prepared to leave and already walked to the door, only to be stopped by her lover.

    ¡°You''re not even going to give me a hug today?¡± Theodore seemed genuinely worried as he said that which wasn''t surprising. Normally the two of them cuddled almost all the time when they were together.

    Blanche couldn''t bring herself to say anything. She just turned around to face him and extended her arms towards him to allow him to pull her against his chest. It felt like an eternity had passed since he last held her like this, but she knew that only a few days had passed. Theodore''s embrace was warm and wonderful, and that only made her want to scream out even more. She loved him so much. Why did this world want to take him away from her this badly?

    Couldn''t she have been his happy end?

    It took all of her self-control not to sob, but she somehow managed to hold back. She didn''t have enough energy left to speak or face him any longer though. Tears were already rolling down her face and she could only hide them because she was pressed against his chest

    If she said anything now, she would end up falling to her knees and begging him not to leave her for Seraphina. She would say that him visiting her once a month would be fine as long as he didn''t abandon her completely.

    And Theodore wouldn''t understand and tell her that everything was fine when it clearly wasn''t. Telling him wouldn''t change a thing but to make him wonder why she doubted his love. He didn''t need that now while he was under stress due to his work already.

    So, Blanche kept quiet even though she wanted nothing more but to explain that she loved him and that she would do whatever it took to stay with him. As soon as Theodore let go, she spun around and stormed out of the dining room. Hopefully, it didn''t look like she was running away, even if that was exactly what she was doing.

    As soon as she had entered the corridor and heard the doors close behind her, it was over. She couldn''t stop her tears anymore, and within seconds they began covering her whole face. The first sob came out of her throat, and she fought the urge to scream. She didn''t want others to see this pathetic display. She moved her hands in front of her mouth and stifled her own noises while hurrying down the hallway towards the stairs. Her sight was slightly blurred, but she still found the staircase and managed to go up to the top floor without tripping.

    She heard footsteps behind her and Stella calling out for her, but she ignored that. Blanche didn''t slow down once and just hurried towards her room. When she reached the door, she slammed it open and stormed inside. She threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow. For a moment, she hoped to quieten her crying with that, but she had to give up since she could barely breathe like this. So, she forced herself to turn around so that she was facing upwards and shielded her face with her arms. Though she did her best to stay calm, she already felt her body betraying her. Sobs began coming out more often, and she started to tremble.

    It didn''t take long before Blanche heard the door. Then it was closed again. Footsteps approached the bed, only to stop next to it.

    Stella called out to her in a soft tone. ¡°My Lady...¡± When she didn''t receive a response, she remained quiet afterward. Most likely because she didn''t know what to say. Comforting another person was difficult enough and their complicated relationship didn''t make it any easier.

    Until yesterday, her mistress had treated the maid with an arrogant attitude and ordered her around while using harsh, and sometimes insulting, words. This morning, Blanche had apologized and expressed her desire to behave differently. During the rest of the day, they had talked a few times. The conversations had been pleasant but couldn''t have convinced the servant of the concubine''s change. Now Stella probably didn''t know how to interact with the other woman. She couldn''t know which of her mistress'' personalities she would face and wouldn''t overstep her boundaries as a maid either.

    A few seconds passed in silence before an object screeched along the floor. It sounded like a chair was being pulled closer to the bed. The noise got louder before it stopped. Another moment went by before Stella whispered to her mistress. ¡°Can I do something for you, My Lady?¡±

    Blanche gave up on hiding her crying at that point. She was much too loud anyway. What was the use? She stopped covering her face and let her arms fall onto the blanket. She glanced over to the maid that had gotten a chair to sit on. ¡°No.¡± She answered while attempting not to sound harsh, but she wasn''t sure whether she had succeeded.

    In any case, Stella didn''t give in. ¡°If I may ask, did you fight with His Majesty?¡±

    Blanche turned her gaze to the ceiling above her and wiped a few tears from her eyes. She only answered after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Not really.¡± She was unsure whether she wanted to talk about what had happened. She could either risk saying something she would regret later or just keep quiet. But the tumult in her mind needed to be cleared and venting to someone would certainly help. Slowly, she opened her mouth and spoke with hesitation. ¡°You surely have people that you love too. Are you ever scared that...they might leave you behind?¡±

    Stella seemed surprised that her mistress chose to talk to her but quickly prepared to reply. She moved her chair a bit closer to the bed before speaking in a gentle voice. ¡°I do have people that I care about a lot. I am friends with many of the other servants, and some of them are so dear to me that I consider them my family. But we live in the palace together, so I never had to think about not being able to see them anymore. Though I have questioned what would happen if they suddenly didn''t like me anymore, it was only an idea that didn''t stay in my mind for long.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Blanche glanced at her again. ¡°What about your parents?¡±

    The maid shook her head. ¡°They died when I was extremely young, so I don''t even remember them. I grew up in the palace.¡±

    Naturally, the concubine had to run into such a mishap head first. How lucky she was. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± She hadn''t wanted to address such a sensitive topic.

    ¡°Don''t be. As I said, I don''t remember them at all, so I don''t mind. But, of course, I never dreaded losing them because of this. Still, I can understand what you said. Naturally, I would hate not being able to spend time with my friends anymore. Losing them is my greatest fear. ¡±

    Blanche sniffled at that. She almost choked on her own sobs as she forced herself to vocalize the worst nightmare that any god could have come up with for her. ¡°My greatest fear is being...abandoned by the most important person in my life. Of course that''s Theodore. I tried talking about that with him, but he didn''t take it seriously. He just said that he wouldn''t leave me and that I should stop worrying. But I can''t simply quit thinking about it. People and relationships change over time, and when he decides that he doesn''t want me anymore, I''ll-¡± Her voice had gotten louder and more desperate with every word, so she interrupted herself. She closed her eyes and tried to hold back. If she didn''t pull herself together, she might break down completely.

    Stella waited a short moment and when her mistress didn''t speak up again, she began. Her voice sounded even softer now, almost as if she was calming a child. ¡°It''s true that some relationships become distant and end. But not all will. And to be honest, I cannot imagine that His Majesty would ever lose interest in you. Do you know that the servants here, and even some people in the capital, see you and His Majesty as role models for how lovers should treat each other? There are countless people that adore how cute you two are together.¡±

    Blanche opened her eyes to give her maid a skeptical look. There was no way. She knew what others really said about her relationship with the emperor.

    But Stella seemed absolutely convinced that she was speaking the truth. ¡°I''m being serious! The way that you behave around each other, the way you smile when you are together, and the way you two speak. All of that shows how much you care. Even outsiders are sure that they can observe true love by watching you. There are books being sold about you, you know? The capital celebrates your fairy-tale-like relationship.¡±

    The concubine let out a snort at that. Maybe the commoners did think that it was cute. But she knew exactly how the nobles thought and talked about the emperor''s affair. While there were some people who encouraged their ruler to have a mistress whom he was devoted to, most aristocrats didn''t care about love.

    Between the noble families, marriages were decided to accomplish a goal. In most cases, this was connected to forming ties with influential households, gaining power and wealth, or granting befriended families a favor. The most important part was securing heirs. Therefore, children were often considered pawns by their parents. They were supposed to continue the family''s heritage or engage in a marriage that had been determined long before their birth.

    Marriages because of love were extremely rare in noble society. Children were raised to fulfill the roles that had been chosen for them and naturally were discouraged from straying away from that path. If their parents didn''t hold any affection for each other and showed this, love wouldn''t matter to the children later either. Most nobles didn''t even believe in true love and just assumed that relationships were cultivated to receive something from it in return. And a man having a mistress was said to be even less connected to love since that was usually only done to satisfy their physical desires.

    For this reason, the affair between Theodore and Blanche was suspected to be a way to pass time for him and a chance to gain power for her. The misconduct and ignorance she had frequently shown had also fortified the aristocrats'' guesses in that regard. Many believed that she only wished to use the emperor because of his high status.

    Blanche gave her maid a weak smile and before replying. ¡°I doubt it. Don''t most of them hate me for seducing their country''s ruler for my own benefit? You told me that some call me a prostitute just a few minutes ago.¡±

    Stella seemed a bit hesitant about her answer, but she spoke up anyway. ¡°Some do. But those are the individuals that don''t get to witness your behavior around His Majesty often enough. Though I have to admit that you have¡­irritated a few of the servants with your actions, they still are aware of the fact that you care about our ruler. They have watched the two of you too regularly to assume otherwise. So they don''t doubt your love for him. And it''s the same the other way around. If His Majesty didn''t truly love you, he wouldn''t dote on you this much. While it''s also true that your relationship might change, two-sided affection of this strength won''t give in so easily.¡±

    Little did Stella know that Blanche already saw what the future would offer. The concubine would be beheaded while the main characters celebrated their happy end. The novel had already decided that Theodore would become infatuated with his wife soon, so Blanche didn''t have much time left. Still, she knew one thing. ¡°I don''t doubt that he cares about me.¡± Her voice was quiet when she said this, but she really was certain that he liked her.

    The problem was that she wasn''t sure whether this was true love. After all, the purest form of this emotion was reserved for the relationship between him and the heroine. At least that should be it since this was the world of a romance novel. So Theodore couldn''t truly love his concubine, right?

    Blanche sobbed at that thought. She wanted to keep quiet, but she couldn''t help the words flowing out of her mouth. ¡°I love him so much. Theo is the only one I have. Without him, I will...¡± Be all alone. Without her lover, she wouldn''t be able to go on for much longer. Not only because she would be lonely then. Also, because her heart would be broken into a million pieces. Admitting this out loud was harder than it should have been. Blanche had already been forced to accept that the novel''s reality was hers. Why wasn''t she able to say it? She would have to give up anyway.

    ¡°I''ll be there.¡± Stella''s words came completely unexpected and snapped the other woman out of her paralysis.

    Blanche turned to her maid upon hearing them. ¡°What?¡± Her voice sounded pathetic right now, but she couldn''t do anything about that. It was a wonder that she was even able to respond.

    The maid lowered her gaze and looked at her hands, which she had balled to fists on her lap. ¡°I mean... I''m not His Majesty and I could never replace him. And I really doubt that he would ever leave you since you''re so...let''s say...close to each other. But if that did happen, I would stay by your side. I know that it wouldn''t be the same and that I don''t have the qualification to promise something like this. But you wouldn''t be alone.¡±

    For a moment, Blanche could just stare at the servant before more tears streamed down her face again. ¡°Why?¡± This time she could barely speak. ¡°Why would you be alright with staying with me? Until today, I treated you terribly. This morning, I only said a few nice things, and you still care so much. I don''t deserve that.¡± At least not until she had been able to make up for everything she had done which would take a while.

    But Stella seemed determined to show her sincerity. ¡°You apologized to me, My Lady. Accepting that you are doing something wrong is often the hardest thing to admit. I strongly believe that people can change if they honestly want to. Then they need another chance so that they can prove that they became a good person. You promised that you want to improve yourself, and I trust you. Even if we only talked for a short amount of time today and didn''t have many conversations in the past, I could see a difference. I will give my best to support you on your journey. No matter what happens, I will be by your side. Even though I''m just a maid, it''s better than nothing.¡±

    Blanche was speechless for a moment. But then a warm sensation spread around her heart. She had been able to change Stella''s impression of her. This meant that she could influence the way others viewed her. And she could make up for everything she had done wrong. This was only the beginning, but she had already become acquainted with a really kind person. A small smile crept onto her lips. ¡°Thank you, Stella.¡±

    Both women remained quiet for a while but the silence wasn''t uncomfortable but rather calming. Blanche sniffled less, and she calmed down even if the horrible events of the future stayed in her mind the whole time. To keep them there, in the most distant corner of her mind, she tried to strike up a conversation again. ¡°I like it better when you talk to me like this.¡±

    Stella''s expression made it obvious that she didn''t know what her mistress was talking about.

    The concubine grinned at that. ¡°I prefer it when you speak your mind. You don''t need to tell me what I want to hear or be obedient all the time. I''d like to become your friend if that''s possible, so you can simply begin a conversation with me as you did just now.¡± She only realized what she said after speaking. When the embarrassment set in, it was already too late.

    Thankfully, Stella looked like she wouldn''t make fun of the other woman. She was just a bit surprised. ¡°I would be honored to be your friend but... I don''t know if I can do that. You are my mistress, and I am only a maid. If others hear that I speak to you in the same tone as with another servant, they will see this as an insult towards you.¡±

    That was the only reason? In that case, it would be easy to convince her of the opposite.

    Blanche quickly denied the maid''s doubts. ¡°I think that most people don''t care what you say as long as I don''t complain. Besides, you''re probably the most polite person out of all the servants anyway. And even if you weren''t, the others don''t matter. Remember that you told me that their opinion is unimportant? We are alone most of the time anyway. No one will hear you talk. If it makes you more comfortable, you can also speak formally when we are surrounded by other people. In private it can be different. Also, if you want to, you can call me by my name.¡± Maybe she had wanted a bit too much too quickly. Blanche scanned her maid with worry about having messed up her chance.

    Stella kept quiet for a few seconds. Based on her facial expression, she seemed to ponder over her response. Then she nodded once. ¡°If you allow me to address you as a friend, I will. But only when we are alone. When we are in front of others, I will have to insist on the usual formalities. And if you don''t mind, I would still like to call you ¡®My Lady¡¯. I somehow like the sound of that.¡±

    A smile crossed Blanche''s face. ¡°I''m fine with that.¡± She was thankful that the maid felt content with seeing her as more of a friend than a mistress. Not only would this make it easier to start conversations with Stella, but it also gave her a personal advantage. Blanche had begun to genuinely like the servant and wanted to know more about her. She had never truly had any friends, so she would be happy if this worked out.

    The concubine slowly sat up and wiped the remaining, already drying tears out of her eyes. She put all the fears that occupied her mind to the back of her mind and took a deep breath. It was unnecessary to keep on going through the same scenarios in her head. Her situation wouldn''t change because of this and neither would her future. Instead of regretting what was bound to happen, she should focus on avoiding the role of the villainess. What she needed to prevent most was her execution. While this was easier to say than to carry out since her chest still hurt whenever she thought about Theodore, she forced herself to forget everything about the novel for a moment.

    Blanche stood up and stretched her neck and shoulders before turning to Stella. ¡°Thank you for talking to me. It helped a lot.¡±

    The maid gave her a soft smile in return. ¡°I didn''t do much at all. But I''m glad that you feel better now.¡±

    The concubine''s gaze wandered to the windows, only to see that the sky had fully darkened. The dinner with Theodore had taken longer than she had thought even though it had already felt like an eternity to her. Staring into the darkness made her realize that she was actually getting really tired. Overthinking every single memory, plotting to survive and facing her lover had drained her energy quite a lot. And crying had made exhausted her too. So she wouldn''t stay awake much longer. ¡°I''d like to drink some water before going to bed.¡±

    The maid nodded and left the bedroom to fetch a drink from the kitchen.

    In the meantime, Blanche stood by the window and let her gaze drift across the garden. In the faint moonlight, the property appeared completely different from in the afternoon. The slight silver gleam made the whole scenery seem more mysterious. Unfortunately, she wasn''t able to catch a glimpse of the roses from this spot, but she didn''t doubt that they still looked as gorgeous as before, if not even more majestic.

    When Stella returned, Blanche left her place by the window. She thanked her maid and she drank half of the water before setting the cup down on her nightstand. Afterward, she undressed with the servant''s help and put on a nightgown before sitting on her bed again. She then wished Stella a good night and sent her to the maid''s own room next door.

    The servant returned the greeting and left.

    Maybe Blanche should use her time alone as an opportunity to decide on the details of her survival plan, but she was too tired to concentrate. After pondering about the novel and the countless possibilities of what might happen in the future, she wanted to avoid thinking in general. Dwelling on Theodore and Seraphina''s relationship would not prevent them from becoming a couple either. The concubine just wanted to sleep and push all of her problems away.

    Maybe she only saw her situation like that because she was exhausted. Tomorrow she would probably overthink everything again as soon as she awoke. Or maybe she wouldn''t. That didn''t matter to her now.

    Blanche lay down on her bed, pulled the blanket over her body and closed her eyes. For a second, she hoped and prayed to the gods. Maybe this whole thing had only been a dream and the novel didn''t really exist. But deep inside she knew that she hadn''t just seen a meaningless dream the night before.

    Within seconds, she fell unconscious and spent the night in a deep sleep with images of a battlefield appearing in front of her inner eye.

 Chapter 7: Hopes and Fears

    The next morning, Blanche was woken by the sunlight that reached her face through the windows. She took a few seconds to process her memories of the past day, and as soon as she was done, resignation crashed over her. Unfortunately, her circumstances hadn''t changed overnight, and she was still in a nightmarish situation. The concubine let out a quiet sigh and allowed her eyes to get used to the brightness before opening them fully.

    Stella stood beside the windows and fastened the curtains at the sides to prevent them from blocking out the sun again. When she was done and turned her face towards the bed, she was beaming. ¡°Good morning, My Lady!¡±

    Blanche wasn''t a person that liked mornings, so she still took a bit longer. She murmured her response back after a few seconds. ¡°Good morning.¡± Then she sat up and grabbed the cup from the nightstand to drink something. After taking a sip, she put the cup down and skeptically watched her maid. ¡°What are you so happy for this early?¡±

    Stella''s smile only grew at that. ¡°A present for you came!¡± She only pointed to the small table where her mistress normally ate while beaming.

    A puzzled look appeared on Blanche''s face. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®a present¡¯?¡± Why would she receive a present at this ungodly hour? The concubine took a while before she managed to force herself out of her bed. She cringed at the cool floor under her feet but approached the table anyway. She could see that something was lying on its surface already but didn''t recognize what it was. As she came closer, she inspected the so-called present and realized that it was a letter. A plate filled with macarons in different colors was positioned next to the paper.

    On the one hand, Blanche was curious why her favorite sweets were here. On the other hand, she could already guess that only one person would prepare something like this for her. She took the letter and began reading it. She only took a single second to realize that the note was handwritten by Theodore which made her heartbeat quicken. After scanning the text, a smile formed on her lips.

    Stella appeared by her side a few seconds later. She was still grinning and seemed as excited as her mistress. ¡°What does it say?¡±

    Blanche was happy to satisfy the maid''s curiosity ¡°It''s from Theo. He said that he noticed that I was upset and apologized for yesterday. He wants to meet me today and asked me to come to his office before lunch.¡± For the first time since she had received the novel''s memories, a genuine beam spread across her face. The fact that her lover wrote something for her was great enough, but of course, he had also done it in a perfect way.

    The message had been written very sweetly, and his apologetic words were touching. Theodore had noticed that the topic was more important to her than a dream after all. Admittedly, her emotions probably had been showing on her face very obviously, but that didn''t matter. What mattered what that Theodore had felt the need to make her more comfortable and that he had prepared something with this in mind.

    Of course a letter and some sweets weren''t anything extraordinary. But they came from Theodore which made them more wonderful than anything else could be.

    Blanche would always be delighted when her lover gave her something, no matter if it was his affection or a gift. This was one of the reasons that she could be sure of her love for him. Anything related to him evoked true joy within her. Even the quite simple present filled her with bliss. In this very moment, she was reminded of the strength of her own feelings and the inevitable consequence.

    She couldn''t leave Theodore.

    Blanche couldn''t bring herself to care if the novel didn''t intend to let the story progress this way. She would stay with her lover. Even if he would eventually fall for someone else. As long as she could stay by his side, she would be content.

    Stella''s smile widened even more when she heard her mistress'' words. ¡°See? It will be fine. His Majesty wants to make sure that you are feeling well at all times. When do you want to go meet him?¡±

    Blanche didn''t want to wait any longer, so she responded in a hurry. ¡°Directly after eating breakfast. Can you get my food, please?¡± While the maid proceeded to set the table, Blanche happily held the letter to her chest as she twirled around a bit. Theodore wasn''t indifferent to her worries and that only proved that they had a little chance.

    Her mind was already racing to go over the possibilities she had if she stayed in the palace. If she wanted to spend her life here, she would be closer to the story''s events and, thus, in more danger. So, she would have to put more effort into avoiding the reasons for the original Blanche''s death to avoid a terrible ending. There were two major things that had led to her execution at the end of the novel.

    The first one had been her behavior itself. Blanche had been sure that her lover would protect her and never once stopped to think before doing what she wanted. Her arrogance and misconduct regarding the standards of the nobles'' society had offended many aristocrats, including the empress herself.

    The second reason had been her intentional and unintentional involvement in different intrigues. In the novel, it was revealed that she had used weaker nobles as pawns to harm Seraphina and ultimately even wished to kill the heroine which was why the villainess had been convicted. At the same time, she had been a tool for Marquess Sefare, whose goal was to kill the emperor in the end. This had originally only been revealed at the end of Blanche''s trial, but if this came to light earlier due to the change of the story, it would cause a huge problem much sooner.

    In conclusion, to survive she would have to act appropriately when appearing in public and avoid connections to any schemes. This didn''t seem to be too hard to accomplish. Then Theodore wouldn''t begin to dislike her, and she could stay his lover.

    It was a much too simple-minded thought which she had had in a moment of euphoria, and that was obvious. In this moment of bliss, she tried to find an easy solution. One that couldn''t exist.

    But still, she was satisfied with her solution. Blanche sat down at the table and began eating enthusiastically. She gave her best to ignore the quiet voice in the back of her mind that warned her not to let down her guard. She had no chance to foresee whether the novel''s progress would forcefully make her the villainess. She also didn''t know whether Theodore would want to keep her in the palace after falling in love with Seraphina and whether staying close to him nevertheless wouldn''t put her in unnecessary danger. She knew that thinking that everything would be fine was naive.

    But she just gulped down the delicious food and pushed those thoughts aside. She would go to Theodore now and cuddle with him until all her worries disappeared. Then she would hug him again and kiss him to make up for her quick goodbye yesterday. Her mind was already occupied with the most beautiful thoughts, so she didn''t give herself a chance to worry.

    After finishing her breakfast, she changed into a violet dress and let her maid brush her hair. As she saw her own beaming face in the mirror, Blanche noticed that her feelings really appeared on her features as if she was an open book. But since she didn''t have a problem with showing anyone how ecstatic she was about being able to find a way to stay with her lover, she didn''t mind. Instead, she felt her smile widen at the sight of her sparkling eyes. They were full of happiness again. The expression of resignation that had shown itself on her face yesterday was gone. It was obvious why. For the whole past day, she had been pessimistic about her future, and now the perfect solution seemed to be obtainable.

    The little warning voice grew louder, but she refused to listen to it. Among the numerous paths she could choose, only one would allow her to stay with the person she loved. So, she would take this path. By acting like she had planned her survival should be secured. Even if it wasn''t, there was no other choice.

    When the maid finished combing her mistress'' hair, Blanche jumped to her feet. ¡°I would like to put an accessory on today. Could you get me the purple butterfly?¡±

    Stella opened one of the drawers of the dresser and retrieved the mentioned item. She swiftly put the clasp in her mistress'' hair before fixating the hairstyle.

    Blanche scanned herself in the mirror and was content with her attire. Theodore would be happy to see her wearing this clasp. With that thought, she hurried to the entrance door. She stormed into the hallway and only slowed down when Stella called after her. Still, a huge grin was plastered on her face, and she couldn''t stop imagining how her plan would work out. She would witness a future in which none of the anticipated tragedies would occur. She would stay at Theodore''s side, she was sure of it. If he felt the need to make her feel safe despite her worries, he cared enough to fight for their relationship. They would just avoid the novel''s events. That should be easy.

    Right?

    As she walked through the tiled corridor, Blanche''s gaze wandered to the window front. From here, she could see the balcony belonging to the emperor''s office and a person standing on it. She recognized her lover immediately and had to refrain from quickening her pace again. She knew where to find him and, in contrast to yesterday, was looking forward to meeting him. For a short moment, Blanche admired how majestic he looked just by standing there.

    Theodore leaned against the railing with a stern expression. Then he opened his mouth and seemed to speak to someone. The concubine assumed that that person was his secretary, Leonard Astame. That wasn''t unusual as Leon helped Theodore with governing signing contracts as well as with all other tasks that came up. And despite having this many duties, the emperor still found time to meet with Blanche and would take a break when she came to visit him.

    The concubine could only beam at that. She tore her gaze away from him and followed the hallway for a while before she went down a small spiral staircase, which led to another corridor that was mostly used by the servants. This hallway was located next to the inner courtyard, and passing through an inconspicuous door allowed Blanche to step outside.

    The courtyard was covered in beautiful flowers and hedges for the most part, and benches were sporadically placed around them. Only a few stoned paths gave people a chance to cross the courtyard without having to trample onto the soil. Blanche followed one of the paths that led toward the small entrance that would bring her towards the balcony. Normally, she would stop to marvel at the fruit trees and blooming flowers, but today, she only could think about reconciling with her lover. That was why she had taken the detour too. If she arrived in the courtyard, Theodore would see her from the balcony, and then she could wave to him before going up.

    Blanche almost squealed as she imagined how his face would light up when he saw her. She lifted her head to observe the balcony, but a tree obstructed her view. She was only able to see the railing after she moved a bit farther. But she wasn''t greeted by a pleasing sight.

    Within a second, Blanche froze.

    Theodore still stood on the balcony, but he wasn''t looking down anymore. Instead, he gazed at the person next to him. The golden hair unmistakably gave away who that person was.

    Seraphina stood directly in front of the emperor, and they faced each other. The spouses appeared to be completely focused on an emotional discussion, which bordered on a fight, as they both talked quite loudly. Their expressions and body language proved that assumption to be true.

    Theodore''s eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. One of his hands grabbed onto the railing, and he looked like he almost broke the stone with his grasp.

    The empress had her arms crossed before her chest, and her gaze exuded the coldness of a blizzard even though the anger boiling inside her was still visible. Both of them were fully invested in the argument and didn''t pay attention to anything else.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    While a conflict between the emperor and his wife usually was a joyful occasion for Blanche, she felt the blood drain from her face at this sight. A normal quarrel would have been calming to witness since it could prove that Theodore and Seraphina still weren''t close.

    But this situation was familiar.

    This exact scene had been described in the second chapter of the novel. The heroine had had a disagreement with her husband regarding a trading contract with the neighboring country Clatos. Seraphina didn''t support an alliance with a dictatorship that pursued war to extend their territory. The emperor, however, wanted to use a one-time chance to receive rare metals that could significantly improve Artias'' defense and income. They had a heated discussion about that topic, which had mainly served to show how different the spouses were in terms of their political stance.

    But at the end of the fight, they had started to stand extremely close to each other. For a moment, they had maintained eye contact and almost kissed. That didn''t really happen, but Seraphina had been embarrassed afterward and couldn''t forget the situation. The argument had been the first scene in which the main characters had started to show romantic interest in one another, and thus, it was a catalyst for their love story. Of course seeing this with her own eyes was horrifying to Blanche.

    Just now Theodore bent his upper body forward slightly while he glared at Seraphina which caused both of them to remain silent. Seconds passed, and they just stared at each other.

    It seemed like time had stopped, and Blanche''s heart skipped a beat. She hated looking at her lover with another woman, even if that was his wife and fated partner. A mix of sorrow and rage-filled her mind. She clenched her hands to fists as a wave of emotions overcame her. She felt her whole body tremble, and tears formed in the corner of her eyes. Blanche didn''t want to see this. Yet, she couldn''t turn her gaze away from the couple on the balcony.

    The both of them were still facing each other without saying a single word, and Blanche felt her stomach churn. She had the desperate wish to intervene, to do something, anything, to get them to stop. She wanted to wave and scream so that Theodore would look at her instead of that thieving woman. She wanted to stand between the two so that they wouldn''t get close again.

    She wanted the empress to disappear.

    This thought was enough for all of Blanche''s anger to fade. It only left behind grief and jealousy which made her chest feel hollow. One look at the main characters together had been enough to prove that the warning voice in the backside of her mind was right. These two would inevitably fall in love, and Theodore would leave Blanche even if she didn''t want to accept that reality. And since the spouses looking just at each other made her wish to do anything necessary to make sure that the empress stayed away from Theodore, living in the palace would be hard.

    If Blanche continued to be a witness to their romance''s progress, she was sure that she would end up intervening. This would mean that she fulfilled her role as the villainess, the obstacle to the main characters, and would meet her doom like in the original novel.

    She couldn''t risk that.

    Her focus needed to be directed at securing her survival even if that meant that she would have to leave and live without Theodore. After seeing the couple on the balcony, she was once again confronted with the fact that there wasn''t a place for her at his side. He would become happy with the heroine, and his former lover could only cause problems for him. Blanche wouldn''t be able to endure him looking at her with hatred. So, she might as well disappear before the villainess was blamed for all of the main character''s problems.

    That thought made her feel so bitter that she couldn''t take it.

    Blanche spun around and ran back while trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She was frustrated with herself for crying which only fueled her need to sob loudly. It wouldn''t change anything to cry, and still, she couldn''t help it. She heard Stella''s footsteps behind her and only hurried even more. Even when the maid''s worried calls reached her ears, she just slammed open the door to hide from Theodore, who definitely shouldn''t see her like this.

    ¡°My Lady, what''s wrong?¡±

    The concubine needed a few attempts before her voice followed her commands, and it still cracked when she responded. ¡°I want to go back.¡±

    She stormed into the corridor and climbed up the stairs in a hurry. A few servants were walking around on this floor and stared at her, most likely while wondering whether they should complain about her throwing a tantrum again. But thankfully, no one spoke to her, and the hallways that led back to her room were empty.

    As soon as the door closed behind Blanche, she felt like her world broke down. This reality followed the novel''s story too closely. She couldn''t win, and even if she did, she would take Theodore''s happy end away. She threw herself onto her bed and pulled the blanket over her whole body.

    Slow footsteps approached the bed, and Stella addressed her in a quite uncertain voice. ¡°Can I-¡±

    Blanche didn''t want to hear anything right now. ¡°Can you prepare a bath?¡± For a few seconds, everything was silent until she added a word in an even quieter voice. ¡°Please?¡±

    The maid''s footsteps moved away. ¡°I''ll tell you when it''s finished.¡±

    The concubine was glad that the servant listened to her without any questions. It probably seemed incomprehensible why she was this upset upon seeing the emperor and his wife together. How could anyone know that this scene was the proof that this reality was starting to develop like in the novel? To her, this meant that she wouldn''t be able to run away from the harsh truth. Even if she somehow managed to fool death and survive, Theodore would be another woman''s in the end.

    Blanche pressed her face into the mattress and desperately stifled the loud noises that had begun to come from her throat. She was thankful to be alone at this moment. No one should see her like this. It was pathetic.

    She cursed herself for letting her emotions control her this much. Now she was sobbing, and only a few minutes ago she had been beaming and hoping for a future with Theodore. She had been an idiot for believing that because of a single letter. Currently, he was kind to her, but that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t leave her later. Her desperate attempt to declare all problems solved because of her love was quite pitiful. Theodore wouldn''t stay with her, and she wouldn''t be able to watch him with Seraphina even if she had told herself this before.

    Minutes passed, and she soon became too exhausted to cry. The sobs in her throat died down, and she stayed in bed for a bit while hiding her face under the blanket. At some point, she stood up and walked over to the dresser.

    One look in the mirror showed her a heartbroken woman. As always, Blanche''s appearance only underlined how she felt right now. Her eyes were puffy and red and still appeared glassy because of her tears. The rest of her face was also reddened, and her sniffling was probably audible in the entire room. Any person that met her could determine that she was grieving after a short glimpse. Just as her happiness had been apparent this morning, her grief was visible from the outside as well.

    Now that Blanche thought about it, it didn''t make any sense. Hadn''t she lied to Theodore''s face upon meeting him? She had said that she was suffering from amnesia, and he had believed her. Upon seeing how obviously her expression revealed what she was thinking to anyone around her, she questioned how she had even been an acceptable actress. Either falling in love had changed how expressive she was or Theodore had been exceptionally blind when they met.

    Blanche carefully watched her mirror image as she raised her hand and took the purple butterfly from her hair. She placed it on the dresser before her and lowered her gaze to stare at it. The clasp had been a gift from Theodore for their one-year anniversary three months ago. He loved it whenever she wore the accessory. For that reason, she had put it on today.

    But since she hadn''t reached Theodore''s office, he hadn''t been able to see it at all. He probably wouldn''t have cared anyway when Seraphina, who looked like a personified goddess, was with him.

    The concubine blankly stared at the butterfly, and memories of the day that she had received the ornament flooded her mind. Images of her lover''s smiling face in the pavilion appeared before her inner eye and only made her struggle to accept the truth even more. Staying close to Theodore was too dangerous. At this point in time, he hadn''t begun to fall for Seraphina and didn''t make any advances towards the other woman yet. But even now seeing them interact made envy rise inside of Blanche. If she was forced to be a spectator to their romance, she would break at some point and wish the empress harm, not unlike in the book. But this was the most crucial emotion to avoid in order to survive.

    Yet, leaving Theodore seemed almost impossible. Or rather, it was impossible.

    Aside from the topic of sustaining her own life that had plagued her mind before, she also wouldn''t have a way to leave the palace. Blanche wasn''t allowed to leave the estate by herself. She had gone out two or three times, but she had always been required to take a few knights with her whenever she wanted to get out. Running away from these guards while they were in the city was impossible even if she had some kind of plan. The knights were training regularly while Blanche hadn''t run in years, so she wouldn''t be fast enough to escape one of them, let alone a group.

    If she wanted to leave, she would have to get out on her own. But no one could enter the royal property or come close to the walls surrounding it without the royal guards observing their actions. Trying to exit the palace secretly would make the guards stop her instantly. Of course the emperor was immediately informed of all occurrences as well.

    What would Theodore do if he heard that Blanche intended to leave the property? How would he feel if she explained that she needed to cut all ties to him and live alone in the capital? Would he allow it? Certainly not.

    The emperor would not only be shocked at such an unexpected action from his lover, but he also wouldn''t let her run off into the big wide world without a way to make a living. Either he would be devastated, or he wouldn''t even believe that she was serious and assume that this was another tantrum of hers to get his attention. In either case, Blanche wouldn''t be able to leave the palace for more than a small stroll around the city. Escaping the royal estate was simply hopeless if one just tried to walk out of the main door, and all the other entrances were guarded just as much.

    But there was one secret way out.

    The hole in the wall was still there. None of the knights should know about it, and thus, it wasn''t being watched which would allow Blanche to leave the property secretly. This would be an easy way to get out of the royal estate without arousing suspicion. Still, running away wasn''t a solution to most of her problems.

    The world around the palace functioned differently than the one she was used to. Unemployment, poverty and starvation were common in the cities of their country, even if Artias was a rather wealthy nation. There was a huge contrast between the prosperity of the nobles, the comfortable life of most commoners and the famished beggars on the street that hadn''t been able to get a job. Based on her nonexistent skills and experience, Blanche would without a doubt become part of the last category if she tried to start a new life outside the palace. She wouldn''t survive this for more than a few days, if she was lucky, maybe weeks. She had been pampered and protected by others her whole life which had made her quite useless regarding any kind of work.

    And to be honest, she didn''t want to leave at all.

    Blanche gritted her teeth at that thought and saw how her reflection grabbed her own hair in frustration. Staying in the royal palace would make her go mad with jealousy, and leaving it would kill her. Once again she began to doubt whether there even was a good ending within her reach. Was the villainess simply fated to perish full of regrets no matter what she did? What had she done to deserve to be treated like this? And why was the cold Seraphina destined to be happy after stealing another woman''s lover?

    Behind her, the door opened. Stella came out of the bath and spoke up in a soft voice. ¡°Your bath is ready.¡±

    Blanche forced herself to stand up and came into the bath, where Stella helped her undress. She wished to be left alone, so the maid exited the chamber. The concubine stepped into the white tub after making sure that the servant had closed the door and let the water surround her body. The temperature of the bathwater was warm but not too hot, just like she preferred it. She inwardly thanked Stella for that despite knowing that she would forget to voice her gratitude later. She started lowering herself until she was sitting with her body slouched against the tub''s rim and the water reached her mouth.

    For a short moment, she held still before she let her head fall forwards. She submerged her face in the water and did what she had wanted to do ever since seeing the royal couple together. She allowed all of her frustration to flow out with a loud scream. Bubbles rose around her head and tingled on her skin. Faintly, she heard the sound of her own voice and feared that Stella somehow heard it too, but she didn''t stop yelling until she had run out of air. Only then did she lift her head and sucked in the much-needed oxygen.

    Air filled her lungs, and when she caught her breath again, Blanche exhaled deeply. She stared at the softly swaying water and focused on the soothing waves while giving in to the resignation. She could scream underwater all she wanted, and it still wouldn''t change a single thing. Her situation was a dilemma with two unfavorable and terrible outcomes. She was reluctant to choose, but not making that choice would also end with her staying in the palace. So, she only had two choices. Leaving or staying.

    She had to decide on the route that promised her a higher chance of survival. But knowing that she would probably die either way thanks to a broken heart didn''t make this any easier.

    Blanche leaned her head backward on the bathtub''s edge and stared at the white ceiling above her. She needed more information before selecting her final approach. While she knew that a secret passageway existed, she had never seen it herself. If she considered counting on the hole as an escape route, she would have to examine it first. She could pretend to take a walk tomorrow and secretly search the walls for cracks. For now, she would just do that to ensure that the passageway was there.

    At least she told herself that. She knew well that her real hope was that this hole didn''t exist. Then she wouldn''t even be confronted with the choice of leaving after all. She could suppress her emotions as much as she wanted to. In the end, there was only one thing she wanted.

    And that was staying at Theodore''s side.

    Blanche wanted to enjoy every moment that she still had left with him and meet him as often as possible. Even if he already loved another woman and only saw her as a way to pass time or decided to abandon her. Even if her jealousy would torment her, being able to interact with Theodore would make up for it. At least this was what her heart told her even though her brain wasn''t sure about that.

    The concubine held her breath and dipped her head underwater again. She washed her hair and body while taking her time before stepping out of the bathtub. After drying herself with a towel, she put on a nightgown and entered her bedroom again.

    Stella was by her side to help with drying her hair. When the maid finished, her mistress lay down on the bed and stared at the wall. The servant remained silent for a short time before addressing the other woman, who still hadn''t attempted to move. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you, My Lady?¡± She received a tired smile as an answer.

    ¡°No. But thank you, Stella. I would like to be alone, please.¡±

    The maid nodded. ¡°If you want anything later, just call me.¡± She turned around before freezing and facing her mistress again. ¡°I just wanted to let you know that you can tell me what burdens you. Even if it''s connected to a very important person. I will always try my best to help you. Goodnight, My Lady.¡± With these words, Stella bowed her head slightly and left the chamber.

    Blanche rolled onto her side and looked out of the window without really seeing anything. She tried to sort the tornado of thoughts in her head, but the different scenes and plans didn''t make any more sense after pondering over them for hours. Her ideas only seemed to repeat countless times, and her thoughts went in circles.

    This continued for the rest of the day. Blanche only allowed her mind to take a break for a short moment when Stella brought lunch and dinner. Even though she didn''t feel hungry at all, she ate a bite of the dishes before going back into her trance-like state. At some point, the sun set, and Blanche cuddled herself into her blanket, but she still couldn''t stop contemplating her future.

    After lying awake until midnight, she finally began drifting into a restless sleep with an unpleasant surprise waiting for her.

 Chapter 8: Execution

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    ¡°

 Chapter 9: Difference

really thirsty. Could you please get me some water?¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°

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    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 10: I Love You

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    ¡°

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    ¡°

    This is what distressed you this much? That dream? I...¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 11: A Painting and its Meaning (1)

    What eventually woke Blanche was the smell of freshly brewed tea. She opened her eyes and watched Stella, who set the table and brought in plates and cups, through lowered eyelids. After letting her eyes get used to the dim light that fell inside the room despite the curtains, she sat up. ¡°Good morning, Stella.¡±

    The maid turned around, and it instantly became clear that she wasn''t as cheerful as usual but quite upset. ¡°Good morning, My Lady.¡± Even her voice was stiff. But apparently, that wasn''t the only thing that was different. The servant hadn''t greeted the emperor which proved one thing immediately.

    Blanche looked to her side, only to find that Theodore wasn''t there.

    Stella spoke without waiting for the question. ¡°His Majesty had to leave early in the morning since something came up that required his immediate attention. He went to his office to take care of it. He said that he wants to apologize for that.¡± She still sounded like she was rather annoyed which was odd.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Blanche glanced to the empty bed and tried to keep her disappointment to herself. It wasn''t unusual for Theodore to wake up before his lover did. Not only because she simply needed more sleep than him but also because he sometimes had to deal with urgent problems. In those cases, he never told her but left quietly so that she could continue to sleep.

    Stella was silent for a bit before adding something else. ¡°He also wrote you a letter. I put it on the table.¡±

    Within a second, things seemed a bit better again. A faint smile crossed Blanche''s face, and she jumped to her feet. With a few long steps, she was almost at her destination, but her maid''s expression made her freeze.

    Stella frowned at her, and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. Why was she so upset?

    For a short moment, Blanche went through her memories to find out whether she had done something that offended the maid. Then she remembered yesterday. She had promised to wait for Stella, but after meeting Allen, she had ignored that and wandered around the palace. Afterward, she had sat down in the pavilion and stayed there until Theodore had led her back to her room. That meant that she hadn''t been at the meeting place when the maid had returned.

    Blanche immediately apologized for that. ¡°I made you run around for no reason yesterday, didn''t I? I''m sorry.¡±

    Stella narrowed her eyes. ¡°That''s not the problem. The problem is that you told me that you''d wait in the garden. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I came back, only to find out that you had disappeared? You could have been anywhere on the property, and I had no clue where to look. I searched everywhere, but there wasn''t a trace of your remains. I even asked some royal guards, who had seen you on the third floor, but I couldn''t find you! I already considered informing all knights of your absence when you finally arrived with His Majesty!¡± The maid had become louder with every sentence and almost glared at the other woman.

    Blanche lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers. It shouldn''t have been surprising that she had been in the pavilion, which was known to be her favorite place. But Stella was right. Last evening, Blanche had been lost in her thoughts and had completely forgotten that she had ignored the servant. She had been away for a rather long time. Not once had she remembered that Stella was waiting for her. Hearing what trouble she had caused for the maid and the guards made her feel guilty once again, so she apologized. ¡°I''m really sorry from the bottom of my heart. I didn''t mean to worry you. I just met Lord Duremont and... That doesn''t matter. I shouldn''t have run off without telling you where I''ll go. I promise I won''t do it again in the future.¡±

    Stella put her hands on her hips. ¡°You''d keep that promise. It''s not about inconveniencing me but about your safety. What if something bad happens and nobody knows where you are? I''m just glad that His Majesty found you. Please, just tell me where you want to go next time, and I will accompany you.¡±

    Blanche assured the maid that she would do that and apologized three more times even though she wasn''t sure whether she could keep that promise.

    After a while, Stella shook her head slightly and sighed but put on a smile afterward. ¡°It''s fine. You should open your letter now, My Lady. I''m sure that you are already dying from curiosity.¡± She was right about her assumption.

    Her mistress did look forwards to any notes the emperor had written. Blanche took the last few steps towards the table, lifted the paper and began to read the lines carefully.

    Theodore had used the letter to inform her that he needed to go to his office early to mediate between a handful of nobles. He wanted to sign a contract that established the new trading route between Esora, the capital, and Ibela, a medium-sized port city known for their fishing. This would take a while, and he apologized for being forced to leave. At noon, an artist would come to paint the emperor and the empress. For this reason, he couldn''t see her before the afternoon and asked her to come to the ballroom for tea time.

    The note ended with him reminding Blanche that he loved her and him promising her a present, which would be ready in a few days. Apparently, that gift would arrive just in time before the ball, and he wanted her to wear it for that occasion.

    Blanche lowered the letter and gently brushed her fingertips along the paper. Readings things Theodore had written made her heart melt, but at the same time, she was torn when it came to the ball. She vaguely remembered hearing about that event, but she hadn''t thought about it ever since gaining the book''s memories. Her mind had been occupied with finding out how to avoid her execution, so she hadn''t had time.

    But now she had to make time. That ball would be an important date for her.

    For one, she would have an opportunity to show how much her behavior had improved in a place where many people could witness her change. Since she had decided to stay with Theodore, she needed to make sure that others viewed her as kind but unobtrusive. Being regarded as almost invisible and very polite would lead to her not being treated like the villainess and thus, save her life. At least she hoped that.

    Secondly, she needed to meet Marquess Sefare and cut all ties with him. Any connection to intrigues had to be broken off. Otherwise, she might be convicted as a traitor if those ever got revealed.

    Both of these tasks were important, but Blanche was still reluctant to go to the ball. After all, achieving these goals would be extremely hard and require her greatest efforts. And all of this would lead to many new problems as well. For example, Sefare could possibly want to get rid of her as soon as she stopped supporting him. Still, it was essential to begin working on her objectives, and in the end, taking action was inevitable. So, she would have to deal with people staring at her during the ball even if she hated that.

    However, Blanche didn''t want to ruin her mood because of this now. She focused on the rest of the letter. It was, once again, written quite sweetly. Reading Theodore''s profession of love made her stomach tingle, and she told herself that it was out of happiness and not because she feared losing the man she adored. Her doubts regarding his love for her were almost washed away by his comforting and affectionate words, but that didn''t change the fact that he would leave her in the future. But worrying about the novel and about the fact that time could change the emperor''s feelings wouldn''t help her much.

    Right now, Blanche simply wanted to be happy about the note, so she focused on the good things. She lifted her head and spoke up. ¡°Theodore asked me to meet him in the ballroom this afternoon. Apparently, a painter came here to draw the royal couple which is why he will be busy until then.¡±

    Stella, who was arranging the utensils on the table, looked up to nod once. ¡°I remember there being an announcement about the artist''s arrival weeks ago. That man seems to be well known for his exquisite art, and his skills are highly regarded all across Artias. I heard that even some rulers of neighboring countries asked for his services.¡±

    Blanche had been told about this painter as well. But her memories centered more around the discussion she had had with Theodore more than around the artist himself.

    Upon finding out that someone was supposed to draw the emperor and the empress, Blanche had insisted on being in the painting as well. Even after her lover had explained that the portrait was an important tradition of the royal family and not a simple gift, she had refused to listen. In hindsight, Blanche felt ashamed of her childish behavior. She almost couldn''t believe that she had acted this self-centered and confrontational only weeks ago when jealously had been her only motive. Apparently, reading about her behavior and viewing herself critically from an outsider''s perspective had helped her realize what ridiculous things she had done. For that reason, she was actually a bit thankful for the novel''s knowledge. Now that she paid attention to the political or social conventions in aristocratic society, all of her lover''s decisions made sense.

    The portrait of the ruling couple not only served as a painting in the ancestral gallery but also represented an acknowledgment of their reign. Especially Seraphina''s position as the empress was officially accepted and would be presented to future generations. This honored her efforts as the emperor''s companion and likewise increase her whole family''s influence and political power. The portrait would be hung in the entrance hall above the main stairs so that every visitor would see it and become aware of the empress'' authority.

    It was only logical that Blanche would not be present in such a painting. Some people already considered Theodore having a mistress as a disgrace to Seraphina and the Dukedom of Duremont even if the emperor hadn''t ever revealed the true nature of his relationship to the public. Keeping a woman of significantly lower status near his lawful wife was insulting to many nobles, so depicting them in the same painting would without a doubt cause opposition from Seraphina''s family.

    Aside from that, there was another problem. A third person besides the ruling couple being in this portrait would imply that they held the same influence as the emperor and the empress. This would contradict all the norms and the recognition of ranks in noble society. Certainly, that would cause an uproar among the aristocrats and harm Theodore''s reputation.

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    Despite these reasons being extremely obvious, Blanche had previously refused to comprehend those facts and sulked when Theodore hadn''t given in. Back then, she had argued that she was the person he loved and thus, deserved to be in the painting rather than the empress. Luckily, her lover hadn''t listened to her and had ended the discussion quickly.

    Blanche carefully folded the letter and opened her wardrobe to put it in a small box at the bottom, in which she kept all the notes Theodore had given her. When she had closed the doors again, she turned to Stella. ¡°This means that the painter is really talented, doesn''t it? The portrait will hang in the foyer for the next decades, so hopefully, it will come out good.¡±

    Stella agreed and waited for her mistress to sit at the table.

    The food was delicious as usual, and Blanche didn''t have any problem with eating until she was full. When she finished, a leftover egg reminded her of her idea of eating with her maid. She could ask the cooks to prepare Stella''s favorite meal and lure the other woman into joining her at the table like this. Then more of the food would be eaten, and Blanche wouldn''t feel as strange because she dined alone. She made that conviction before putting away the spoon she had used and stood up. ¡°Let''s get ready to go out. I''d like to take a stroll in the garden before meeting Theo.¡±

    Stella nodded at that. She swiftly brushed her mistress'' hair and then opened the wardrobe. ¡°Since you will see His Majesty later, you should wear something pretty, right?¡± The maid asked while she already looked through the dresses.

    In all honesty, Theodore didn''t care much about how Blanche was dressed when they spent time together and complimented her anyway. So, she theoretically only needed to appear in extraordinarily elegant attires when they were visible to the public, like during events. But Blanche had always loved to wear long robes and shiny accessories, not only to impress her lover. As a child, she had already dreamed about being a princess. While she didn''t wish to become royalty anymore, she would continue to adore beautiful dresses. So, she happily made her choice. ¡°How about the lilac one?¡± This would give her an excuse to put on her favorite hair ornament.

    Stella pulled out the robe and helped Blanche dress. Then the servant retrieved the clasp and put the purple butterfly in her mistress'' hair. When they finished, the two women left the palace and wandered around the garden.

    This time, Blanche wasn''t lost in thoughts but talked to her maid about different topics. She asked for details about Stella''s childhood and about what the other woman liked to do in her free time.

    Apparently, the servant liked to sew and cook which was convenient since maids often needed to take care of things like this. It also seemed like Stella pretty much had no time off since as she was required to follow her mistress everywhere. Still, she had the right to leave for vacation twice per year and would be absent for a week in about a month. She needed her mistress'' permission for the final decision though.

    Blanche felt bad about the fact that the servants spend so much time attending their masters that they only had two weeks for themselves. So, she immediately agreed with the vacation and made the resolve to send the maid away earlier in the evenings so that Stella had more free time.

    The women were happy with talking to each other for a while. Their conversation was only put to a halt when another servant approached to ask Blanche to come to the ballroom, where the emperor was waiting. They followed the man and quickly arrived at their destination.

    When she entered the ballroom, Blanche could see that the artist was still working on the painting. She scanned him with unveiled curiosity, but she didn''t catch a glimpse of much. She could only see him from behind, but his gray hair suggested that he was an elderly man. Since she couldn''t look at his face, her attention was quickly pulled away though. There was something much more impressive here after all.

    The view on the really awe-inducing part of the ballroom was unobstructed. Both of the two golden thrones were decorated with numerous gems and detailed ornaments. They stood on top of an elevated platform which only made them seem even more extravagant. To reach them one would have to climb up multiple stair steps and cross a navy carpet that was spread out in front of them. This was impressive to any visitor of the royal events and underlined that the rulers had the greatest authority.

    But the emperor and the empress certainly didn''t need the thrones to be seen. Both of them had the necessary presence to inform others of their power without any tools.

    The royal couple was currently sitting on the thrones motionlessly, and both spouses stared at the painter with a cool gaze. This scene gave off an impression of pure dominance. No one that looked at the rulers would believe that their reign was endangered or easy to end. Especially their facial expression made Blanche feel like bowing down and obeying without objection. That didn''t quite remind her of nice memories but rather of the nightmare.

    When Theodore noticed his lover, he gave her a short but warm smile before looking back at the artist with a stoic expression.

    Blanche felt the corners of her lips lifting in return and waved in his direction once while she pushed away the bad memories once again.

    Unfortunately, this made Seraphina aware of the concubine''s presence as well. Blanche could swear that the empress frowned a little for a moment. But the heroine caught herself fast and wiped any emotion off her face. It was understandable that she reacted like that, even if it was pretty impolite. The two women normally never went separate ways without some sort of argument or discussion happening.

    In addition, Seraphina knew about the discussion Blanche had had with Theodore a few weeks ago. She was aware that the concubine had demanded to be in the portrait and surely waited for the other woman to throw a tantrum now that her wish had been ignored.

    However, Blanche had no desire to cause trouble and patiently waited at one of the tables. It was a bit satisfying to surprise Seraphina, even if the concubine also felt a small pang in her heart upon seeing how perfect the royal couple looked when they sat next to each other. She quickly pushed those thoughts away, but now she was left with nothing to do. So, she let her gaze wander around the room and noticed that Owen was there as well.

    The guard was standing next to one of the doors without moving in the slightest. When Owen met her gaze, he gave her a small nod which she returned. Of course, he couldn''t humor the concubine either.

    It seemed that the rest of the time would be rather boring. Blanche considered asking for some tea, but she held back. She didn''t want to trouble anyone after all. She was a bit confused as to why she was supposed to be here when the others were still busy, but she couldn''t do anything about that. She would just wait and hope that Theodore had a few minutes for her after he was done. He probably would since he had called her here, but she never knew what kind of sudden development could require him to come to his office immediately.

    She had prepared to wait for an eternity, so it was pretty surprising that the artist stepped away from the canvas and declared that his work was finished after only a couple of minutes. When the royal couple looked at the result, they seemed content which made Blanche curious.

    She had intended to stay far away from Seraphina, and she would continue to do so, but she also wanted to see what this famous artist had drawn. She slowly walked towards the easel but maintained a distance while she tried to catch a glimpse of the painting. Of course, she wasn''t good at sneaking though.

    Theodore noticed her after a few seconds and gestured for her to come closer. ¡°Your timing is perfect. You arrived just when it was almost finished. What do you think?¡±

    Blanche followed his gaze when he turned to the easel.

    Only a short look was sufficient to identify that a person with great skill had worked on this project. The brushes'' lines were almost invisible, and the colors, although realistic, seemed to convey the depicted couple''s authority perfectly. The background as well as the faces were portrayed in a scarily life-like manner. The painter had only arrived at noon, so he seemed to be extraordinarily fast as well which only made this even more impressive.

    Even though Blanche hated admitting it, the royal couple did look good together, and the portrait was gorgeous. So, there was no way that she could lie about this. ¡°It''s amazing.¡±

    Even though she had only spoken the truth, Theodore and Seraphina, who hid most of her emotions but scanned the concubine for a moment, appeared to be surprised at that. It was understandable due to Blanche''s usual jealousy regarding everything that was connected to the couple, but still, the concubine felt a bit satisfied to have been able to confuse the empress.

    Her compliment seemed to have another use too. The artist puffed out his chest a little more and grinned proudly.

    The emperor scanned the canvas again before speaking. ¡°We thought so as well. We are quite happy with your work, Erneis. You shall be rewarded accordingly.¡±

    The elderly artist laughed at that. ¡°There is no need for something like that. I can assure you that Your Majesty''s satisfaction is all I require.¡±

    Theodore just grinned. ¡°We will see about that. I can definitely not let you go like this. Would you please stay a bit longer? I still have something that I wish to discuss with you.¡± He said that as if the artist, who just nodded, truly had a choice here.

    Seraphina, who had been silent until now, used a short pause to also expressed her gratitude to the artist. ¡°As expected, the result is a masterpiece. I would like to let you know that this painting is proof that you are a great master of arts. You deserve to be praised by all the people whom you worked with. Thank you for your services. Unfortunately, I cannot stay any longer since I still have an important matter to take care of.¡± She gave him a little polite smile as he responded curtly. Then she turned to the emperor. ¡°I would like to ask for permission to leave, Your Majesty. As I said, I will need to deal with some documents that require my urgent attention.¡± That was definitely a lie. She just wanted to avoid the trouble she expected Blanche to cause.

    But Theodore didn''t seem to care whether it was the truth or a lie. ¡°You may leave.¡± He waited for a moment, and as soon as the empress had left the room, he turned to the painter. ¡°If it''s fine with you, I would like to request your talent once more.¡± He took off his crown and his cape to give them to one of the servants.

    The artist gave him a bright smile in return. ¡°Is this about the painting that Your Majesty had mentioned? Then I assume that this is the lucky lady you were referring to.¡± While speaking he turned to Blanche and bowed his head, to which she replied with a curtsy.

    The concubine had no idea what the artist was referring to, so she met Theodore''s gaze.

    Her lover was grinning at her. With a few steps, he was at her side and gently took her hand to lead her to a chair, which stood close to the platform on which the thrones were located. He gestured for her to sit down and then stood next to the backrest. He put one of his arms on the chair while he beamed down at her.

    One of the servants helped Erneis with arranging his easel so that it faced the chair Blanche sat on. That hinted that he wanted to draw her which surprised her a bit. She raised her head and gave her lover a questioning look.

    Theodore smiled down at her and kept her guessing a bit before responding. ¡°When I talked about Erneis'' arrival weeks ago, you wanted to be in the painting by all means. Though you can''t be in the one with the empress, I doubt that you really have the desire to be portrayed alongside her. So, I thought about letting another painting be made. A picture of just us two would be nice, wouldn''t it?¡±

    Blanche''s eyes widened a little upon hearing that. She already felt joy bubbling in her stomach at the prospect of being drawn with Theodore.

    But her lover wasn''t even finished yet. ¡°I know that we didn''t talk about it anymore after that first conversation, but I didn''t forget. Even though you didn''t mention that topic in the last weeks, I think it''s a good idea.¡±

    The concubine hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± While Blanche hadn''t thought about the discussion prior to Theodore''s note, this had only been the case because her mind had been busy pondering about the novel. Naturally, she still wished for a painting that depicted her with her lover. How could she not have been jealous that Seraphina was allowed to be drawn along with Theodore, while it was forbidden to his lover?

    Even though she understood the reasoning behind this after gaining the book''s information, it still would be a lie to say that she hadn''t felt envy upon seeing the empress next to Theodore. Just because she could foresee the future, that didn''t mean that her original feelings were nonexistent. She would have to suppress these emotions, especially her jealousy, to avoid being in the heroine''s way, but they would be there nevertheless. Thus, she was overjoyed to receive her own painting now.

    Her excitement earned her a little kiss from Theodore which only made her even happier.

    Erneis sorted his utensils before asking the couple to hold still in the pose they wanted to be drawn.

    Blanche moved to sit in a comfortable way that would appear upright to the viewer and looked at the artist. She was full of bliss at the prospect of having a painting of her lover and herself soon, so she didn''t have a problem with smiling the whole time. Still, she feared that she would struggle to maintain her posture if Erneis took too long. But those worries turned out to be useless.

 Chapter 12: A Painting and its Meaning (2)

    The artist finished surprisingly quickly and stepped back to take a final look at his work. He nodded and put down the brush before announcing that he was done.

    Blanche nearly jumped off the chair and pulled Theodore towards the canvas. She was excited to see how well the artist had painted this time. If the other portrait was the standard, the result should be beautiful again. Sure enough, she wasn''t disappointed when she caught a glimpse of the painting.

    Instead, she was speechless upon realizing how gorgeous it was. Without a doubt, the first canvas had been handled with great skill, but it wasn''t comparable to the second one. The background of this painting was much simpler. The depicted people, on the other hand, were drawn with so much detail that they looked like they could walk off the canvas every second. Especially the faces showed the exact emotions Theodore and Blanche had expressed while Erneis had painted them. Both of them had a bright smile on their lips, and their eyes almost seemed to glow.

    Blanche felt like one could see their love for each other, but that might have been her imagination. ¡°This is... It''s perfect.¡± She breathed out her admiration before staring at the painting in silence.

    Theodore next to her remained silent for a short moment before he spoke. ¡°You''re absolutely right. Erneis, this has to be the most incredible one out of your already exceptional works.¡±

    Erneis beamed upon responding. ¡°Your Majesty and the young lady are flattering me. I''m glad that my painting is to your liking. But I will not accept more money anyway.¡±

    That caused Theodore to cross his arms. ¡°I''m not sure about that.¡±

    In an instant, the two of them began to discuss the artist''s payment. Theodore insisted on doubling it while the artist refused to accept more than the previously decided amount.

    In the meantime, Blanche just stared at the portrait with a wide grin. Seeing proof of her love in such a beautiful way was enough to make her joyful for the moment, and she refused to let the thoughts of the novel ruin this for her. So, she focused on her happiness for now. After a while, she felt an arm being put around her shoulder and glanced up to see her lover''s satisfied expression.

    Theodore truly seemed to be as happy as her. ¡°It came out even better than I had expected. This is truly a masterpiece, isn''t it?¡± His smile almost made her want to kiss him, but there were too many people here.

    Blanche quickly nodded in return before asking the question that mattered most. ¡°Where are you going to hang it? It would be great if it was at a place where we can look at it often.¡±

    The emperor seemed to ponder about her words, and she immediately feared that he assumed that she wanted to exhibit in the entrance hall, where only the empress'' painting hung. Many people would see it there and start rumors about how a mistress'' picture was put next to a wife''s portrait in public. The concubine''s ignorant past self might have asked for that, but the current her would never be that brazen.

    So, Blanche quickly added something to clarify. ¡°Of course, it should be in a private place where visitors won''t walk around much. It should only be for us two and no one else. We don''t want any rumors after all.¡±

    Theodore blinked at her and frowned slightly at her interjection. Admittedly, showing consideration for society''s norms and other people''s feelings hadn''t been one of Blanche''s strengths, so it was unusual that she tried to prevent causing an uproar. His confusion was justified, but he didn''t dwell on that for too long and replied. ¡°I was thinking about putting it inside my office.¡± He kept his gaze on her to study her reaction. ¡°Outsiders don''t go there often, but I spend a big portion of my time inside. The wall to the right side of my desk is quite empty, and I believe that it would fit there well.¡±

    Blanche stared at him and opened her mouth to respond but closed it again wordlessly.

    Was he serious? Surely, the emperor''s office wasn''t a room that nobles entered when they visited the palace for events, but all important political meetings were held there. This meant that the most influential aristocrats, as well as the ministers and the rulers of allied countries, would sit there with a perfect view of the portrait. So, while most nobles wouldn''t see it themselves, the ones who did would still spread this information. Since the painting would be in a place that was considered private, people couldn''t criticize that the honor of the empress and her family was being attacked. But most likely there would still be comments about how Theodore kept a painting of another woman in his sight while the one of his wife was in the entrance hall, where he barely was.

    This idea wasn''t really the best, so Blanche felt the need to point that out. ¡°Are you sure? Other people will see it there too. That might spark rumors in the same way.¡±

    Theodore chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. ¡°You know that nobility loves to gossip. Let them talk all they want. Rumors don''t need to concern us, and what would they even be about? That I put your portrait in my office so that I can see it as often as possible? That''s not a rumor but the truth. Besides, why do you think that I made you sit while I stood? No one can argue about this being some metaphor about your power which makes this unrelated to my role as the emperor. So, it''s a private painting, and no one can complain about what picture I appear in when it''s hung in my own home. If some singular person whines, it doesn''t matter.¡± This wasn''t like him at all. Normally, he was always so careful regarding anything that could cause trouble. Why was he suddenly acting like none of this was a problem? They were hiding their relationship completely because of society''s pressure, which allegedly didn''t need to concern him now.

    Blanche looked at the picture before turning her gaze back to her lover. ¡°I think it does matter. If you overdo it, they might see that as proof of you having an affair which is what you don''t really need. And in general, having my picture so close to you might make the ministers, including Duke Duremont, very angry. You should rethink your decision. People are already claiming that you think too highly of me and should stop focusing on me so much.¡± This was still recited nicely. The real wordings were usually much more insulting.

    Many nobles believed that Blanche was only a self-centered brat that had seduced the emperor to gain status and power. They weren''t completely wrong. She loved Theodore and was much more focused on him than on herself, so she wasn''t that self-centered nor was power her ambition. But she had to admit that she was a brat. Up until the last few days, she had acted extremely out of line.

    Because of this, a great number of aristocrats criticized that the emperor let himself be controlled by a manipulative commoner and assumed that he wasn''t able to think clearly anymore. They thought that Blanche was trying to interfere with an already existing happy marriage and harm Seraphina, despite knowing that the concubine had been Theodore''s lover even before the wedding. Obviously, the people''s talking was inevitable and not a real danger to the emperor, but it still influenced his reputation negatively. Luckily, he was an intelligent ruler and had brought many accomplishments to Artias, so the biggest portion of aristocrats supported him anyway.

    Yet, Theodore always tried to keep the rumors at bay. He needed to avoid offending anyone, and beginning a fight with Duke Duremont was one of the main things he had to prevent. Normally, he put a lot of effort into this and would even go as far as to hide a relationship that was much too obvious to the public already.

    Surprisingly, Theodore wasn''t really worried about that right now. He groaned exaggeratedly and burrowed his face in Blanche''s neck while holding her in his arms. ¡°People need to learn to mind their own business. I don''t tell them what I think about their marriages and mistresses either. As long as I don''t neglect the nation, I can do whatever I want with my free time. And it just happens to be that I want to spend my time with you.¡± He whined a bit while saying that but made sure that he was quiet enough so that only she would hear him.

    Blanche wanted to agree, but she was still a bit worried about the painting. It wouldn''t be a good idea to put that where the ministers would see it. Surely, those men might not even notice it, but it was better to avoid potential conflict. ¡°Theo, about the picture...¡±

    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Theodore lifted his head again and turned to the servants before continuing in his usual authoritarian voice. ¡°The painting will be hung in my office. Bring it there after letting it dry in the seating area, and be careful to not damage it. I''ll decide on the exact spot later.¡±

    Two of the men instantly prepared to move the canvas to its intended destination.

    Within a second, Blanche''s chance to complain was gone. She couldn''t tell the servants to ignore the emperor''s words. Neither could she voice her concern again without making it seem like she was just a tiny bit too worried about the opinion of others, about which she hadn''t cared much before. She looked at the painting one more time before focusing on her lover. Theodore had grown up in noble society. He knew more about rumors and such than she did. If he said that it was fine, no problems would occur.

    Hopefully. Blanche didn''t have a chance to worry about that for long.

    Theodore took his lover''s hand and led her out of the room with Stella and Owen following them. He seemed to be in a good mood and spoke up after they walked a few steps. ¡°Remind me to show you how the painting looks in my office in a few days. For now, I''ll see off Erneis. Do you want to eat dinner with me after that?¡± He pressed a small peck to the backside of her hand and gave her a questioning look.

    Blanche didn''t have to think twice before nodding. When Theodore had some free time, she needed to use it before the chance was gone.

    Her lover smiled and kissed her hand again. ¡°I will join you in the dining room as soon as I finish. It will take a bit to convince Erneis, so you can take your time.¡± After that, he bid her farewell before taking care of the artist.

    Blanche was left behind with a weird mix of emotions. She was extremely happy about the painting, but to her, it seemed odd that Theodore would take the risk to hang it in his office. It was nice if he could see the picture often, but still. She wouldn''t think about that longer though.

    The concubine turned around and walked towards the dining room. She had barely taken a few steps when a glimpse of one of the cooks reminded her that she had wanted to make a short visit to the kitchen. She decided to go there first. Since the kitchen was directly next to the ballroom to ensure that the guests would receive their dishes fast, she didn''t even need to make a detour.

    When Blanche entered the kitchen, it felt like everyone present stopped in their tracks, and their gazes snapped to her. In the past, she hadn''t been in here often. In the rare cases that she had come, it had usually been to complain about the food. She had to admit that those visits mostly had been an excuse for demanding more of a dish that she had enjoyed. She had definitely had some serious complaints as well, but she had voiced those in a much too harsh tone.

    Thus, the tense faces of the cooks and servants were understandable.

    Blanche asked Stella to wait at the door so that the maid wouldn''t hear her mistress'' request. The maid raised an eyebrow at that but complied. The concubine approached the chef, whom she recognized from one of her previous visits.

    The plump man nervously twirled his white mustache and took a few steps towards her, seemingly while being ready to pacify her. ¡°Lady Blanche, if there is anything missing or unsatisfactory, I will immediately take care of it. I apologize for any inconvenience that we have caused. I promise that there will never be any cherries in your food again.¡± Right. She had almost forgotten about that.

    Blanche wasn''t happy about being in pain for two days straight, but complaining wouldn''t help her here. She needed to get the staff to accept her to some extent. As long as no severe problems showed up, she would just be polite and calm no matter what was thrown her way. With this in mind, she replied. ¡°There aren''t any problems. Mistakes regarding my allergy can happen. I ask you to be more careful in the future, but I am aware that it was not someone''s vile intention that caused this incident. Rest assured that I will not complain. Why would I? The meals were delicious as always.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°As I said I am deeply-¡± The chef blinked a few times before he questioned what the woman had said. ¡°What?¡± His voice was higher than before and he genuinely sounded surprised which made Blanche feel bad for causing trouble for the kitchen staff instead of praising them.

    So, she began talking with a smile. ¡°I realized that I never told you how amazing your food tastes. Every single dish has been prepared with so much skill and passion. I wanted to thank all of you for your hard work.¡±

    The chef was speechless now and turned back to look at his colleagues'' reactions before looking back to the woman. He did this three times and only stopped when Blanche requested scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow and assured him that she loved the dishes they made again. Then he began beaming. He seemed to be a bit naive to trust a person just because of a few nice words, but that only made his genuine reaction sweeter.

    Just as Blanche left and closed the door, she caught a glimpse of the chef turning around with a proud expression and the other servants storming towards him. This made her smile a little as well. Seemingly, she could do well with just a few kind words. Not everything would be so easy, but she had made someone happy which was enough to satisfy her.

    But for now, she had other things to do, and hopefully, those would make the day even better. She went upstairs along with Stella and entered the small dining room. Fortunately, Theodore wasn''t there yet which meant that she hadn''t made him wait.

    Blanche sat down at the table, and shortly after that, the door swung open to reveal several maids that were pushing a cart with plates. The servants greeted her and began setting the table.

    It didn''t take more than another minute for Theodore to arrive. He sat down across from Blanche and gave her a soft smile. ¡°I hope you didn''t have to wait too long for me. I just wanted to make sure that Erneis was rewarded properly for his work.¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°Actually, I didn''t wait at all. I just arrived here as well. Did you manage to convince him to raise the payment?¡± The answer was pretty obvious.

    Theodore put his elbow on the table and leaned his head on his hand while dismissing Owen and the servants with a small gesture. ¡°No. Erneis was as stubborn as always but...¡± He paused and the corners of his lips lifted to form a cheeky grin. ¡°So am I. I told him that I agreed with the original price and gave him that amount. I let the rest be put into his baggage. He''ll only find the money when he arrives at home, and it will be too late to return it then.¡±

    Blanche quietly giggled at that. ¡°That does sound like something you would do. It will only work once though. If you ever ask him to come to the palace again for another portrait, he is going to be more careful. He might even return the money.¡±

    For a few seconds, Theodore only looked at her with a bright smile. It almost seemed like he was captivated by her which bewildered her slightly.

    ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    Her lover''s expression became more serious at that even though he still showed her a little smile. ¡°No, on the contrary. I''m glad that you are talking normally to me again. The last few days, you were always quiet in front of me or seemed to be mentally absent. When you did talk, you sounded sad and evaded my gaze.¡± He gently took her hand from across the table, and his smile faded. After a few seconds of a pause, he resumed in a tone that was much more dejected. ¡°I''m sorry. When you told me about your nightmare, I didn''t realize how important it was to you. I didn''t even notice how much it worried you until I found you in the pavilion yesterday. I should have paid more attention and known how you felt sooner. I''m really sorry. In the future I will be more aware, I promise you that.¡±

    The hopes of having an evening without worrying were disappointed once again. The concubine was reminded of things she would have liked to ban from her mind for now. But she couldn''t stay quiet either.

    Blanche had to swallow when her lover finished his last sentence. He wasn''t at fault. Her sudden change had to have been very confusing for him. Usually, she sought out his attention but during their last few meetings, she had cried or struggled to hold back tears and tried to keep her lover at a distance. For someone without the novel''s memories, this would be unexplainable. But now she had decided to stay with Theodore, and he had reminded her that he cared about her. So, she didn''t have to avoid contact with him anymore. She had cleared her mind and knew how she had to act to have the highest chance of survival. Right now she could behave as she normally would around him and enjoy his company, at least as long as he didn''t begin to fall for Seraphina. This was the least she could do to avoid wrecking him with concern.

    Blanche squeezed her lover''s hand in response. ¡°That''s not your fault. I didn''t tell you how much that dream affected me. How would you be able to guess that? You can''t read my mind. But thanks to you, I feel fine now, so you don''t have to worry anymore.¡± After all, Blanche was already worried enough for both of them. While she had become great at convincing herself to avoid thinking about the book and believe in easy solutions, a small voice in her brain continued to warn her. The danger wasn''t defeated in the slightest. In fact, the more the story progressed, the closer she came to her possible doom.

    The threats of being executed for treason or killed by Marquess Sefare for abandoning his plan were increasingly menacing. The loss of Theodore''s love was also approaching rapidly, and it was almost impossible to suppress those thoughts and the memory of the much too vivid execution under his command when he was sitting in front of her. Blanche could save her own life and thus, avoid the two first problems, or at least she hoped that. But preventing the main characters'' romance wasn''t achievable without becoming an antagonist. All of this was constantly in the back of her mind while she explained that she was alright and put on a fake smile for Theodore.

    Apparently, that was convincing enough for him. Theodore seemed relieved while he held onto her hand. ¡°I''m glad that you feel better. But remember that you can tell me about everything that is on your, mind and I will listen. I''m always going to stay at your side.¡± Until he would become infatuated with the heroine and would experience true love, which he apparently didn''t feel for Blanche.

    Instead of voicing this, she just replied calmly. ¡°I know. Thank you¡­¡± This time she couldn''t read his expression and find out whether he believed her.

    He simply nodded and offered to start eating. She agreed and both of them ate in silence for a while. The quiet only served to make her worries take on a life on their own, and she attempted to remember a topic which she could talk about to distract herself. Theodore''s letter came to her mind, and she immediately used her chance.

    ¡°You mentioned a present in your note. Are you going to keep me guessing until the ball?¡±

    The emperor''s wide grin proved her assumption to be true. ¡°Of course. Telling you beforehand would only spoil the surprise. I already gave you a hint by asking you to wear it at the party. So, it''s something wearable, and it''s fitting for an event that requires elegant attires. I won''t give you any other tips, but I promise that you''ll adore it.¡± His confidence didn''t come out of nowhere. Every gift that she had received from him had been chosen extremely well. He always found the things she liked the most and still gifted her something she didn''t own yet each time. Even though she would love anything he gave her, Theodore knew what made her happy better than she did herself.

    Blanche obviously looked forward to that gift. ¡°I''m not good at guessing. I''ll just have to let it remain a surprise.¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°That''s good too.¡± He was quiet for a moment before speaking up again with more care in his voice. ¡°There is also another important topic that we have to talk about.¡±

    Blanche gave him a puzzled look, and he quickly continued.

    ¡°Don''t worry, it''s nothing bad.¡± He paused before finishing and resumed in a quieter voice. ¡°Over the past year, especially during the last months, there have been several disagreements between you and...the empress. Now, that wouldn''t be much of a problem if it happened only a few times, but these conflicts have been appearing regularly.¡± He made another pause and carefully scanned Blanche''s face for a reaction. When she didn''t complain, he resumed talking in a soft voice. ¡°The empress may be a bit too strict around you, but some of her complaints are reasonable. Most of those arguments developed because of some sort of misunderstanding surrounding the rules of aristocracy and the expected conduct among noble society.¡±

    In other words, he was trying to tactfully address Blanche''s previous misbehavior. Her lover was trying to explain the situation in a way that couldn''t make her feel offended which made the concubine dislike her original personality even more. He expected another discussion should he name the problem directly which said a lot. If even Theodore, whom she was very fond of, viewed her as this egoistical, how confrontational had she behaved before?

    Theodore continued his explanation while still keeping his eyes on her. ¡°Of course, I know that learning those rules is very hard, especially if one hasn''t been taught them since childhood. Still, being aware of society''s norms and conducting oneself properly in an important part of-¡±

    Blanche cut him off at this point. ¡°Theo, you don''t need to sugarcoat it. Tell me directly what you want to say.¡±

    For a short moment, he looked baffled but quickly recovered. ¡°Well, some nobles have been criticizing how you behave in public. You never learned what kind of conventions there are among the ranks of aristocracy aside from the very basics, so that''s only natural. Since you aren''t...¡± Theodore faltered shortly and needed a moment to find the right words. ¡°Involved in any political or economical matters, it''s also not necessary for you to know them.¡±

    What he probably meant to say was that it was fine since she wasn''t part of the royal family. But this might have reminded Blanche of the fact that she wasn''t his lawful wife. Her original personality would have responded to that with dismay or disappointment, so Theodore didn''t say it directly.

    When he saw that she didn''t complain, Theodore continued. ¡°Still, it would help you find your way around society to know a bit more. Needless to say, I won''t force you. But it might be beneficial to you if you would attend etiquette lessons.¡±

    Blanche''s jaw nearly dropped. She would never have expected him to propose something like this. Not once had he ever mentioned the topic, and it also hadn''t been addressed in the novel. The book had always stated that the concubine hadn''t ever received any lessons. But she was sure that she hadn''t misheard.

    Theodore raised one of his hands to appease her. ¡°As I said, you don''t have to do it if you don''t want to. You also don''t have to answer now and-¡±

    ¡°I''ll do it.¡±

    The emperor''s eyes widened at her response, which he definitely hadn''t anticipated.

    In reality, it had only taken Blanche a few seconds to make her resolve. Receiving etiquette training would only bring her advantages. If she behaved like the nobles expected her to, she would have an easier time improving her reputation. Blending in, along with being perceived as polite, were her main goals, and reaching those was only possible if she followed nobility''s rules strictly. Her last public appearances had always been accompanied by her obvious misconduct which had caused a great number of aristocrats to be outraged. She had to admit that she had mostly ignored the conventions intentionally despite being aware of them since she had found them useless, but learning more could never hurt. From now on, she would behave perfectly after all.

    Changing her image would not only make her less likely to be regarded as a villain but would improve Theodore''s standing as well. Ever since he had taken in a mistress, nobles had been criticizing him. Blanche''s unsatisfactory and sometimes offending behavior had only amplified the voices of those who disapproved of his reign. Many political enemies of the emperor, mainly those backing the dowager empress and the second prince, tried to use this mood against him. If Blanche could help Theodore gain even the slightest advantage, she would do anything in her power to realize that. Showing more appropriate manners in public would hopefully lessen the number of people complaining about the emperor''s lover.

    Furthermore, she didn''t have any tasks in the palace except for visiting Theodore whenever he called for her. Having something else to do would satisfy her, and since etiquette lessons were beneficial as well, this seemed to be a useful activity.

    Even though she was willing to be taught now, the novel''s Blanche definitely wouldn''t have agreed. Most likely the villainess would have sulked and asked whether Theodore thought that she was ill-mannered which he would have refused. That thought only made her feel worse again. If she considered all the changes she had noticed in herself, she felt strangely distanced from her counterpart in the novel. So many of her actions appeared disgusting or selfish to her, and she couldn''t comprehend why she should have behaved like that. It was really odd.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Theodore almost sounded unwilling to believe that persuading his lover had been this easy.

    Blanche hurried to give him a bright smile. ¡°I am. Taking a few lessons won''t hurt. If it gets too annoying, I can just stop, right? Besides, all I do is walk around the garden, eat and wait for you. Finding something to keep me busy is very welcome.¡±

    The emperor returned a smile and nodded at her. ¡°Alright, then I will search for a competent teacher.¡± Apparently, he had been convinced that she would refuse. Otherwise, he would have selected a person already.

    ¡°I see. Do you have someone in mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Multiple sources have confirmed that she is highly educated, and all of her previous students were satisfied with her teaching skills. She is from a well-known family and has connections to an even more influential one. This means that she is experienced and attended many events of noble society herself for over two decades.¡± Theodore''s lips formed a grin. ¡°Of course, I won''t tell you who she is yet. I''ll need to get her approval first. If everything works out, I''ll introduce her to you at the ball. Even though you surely know her already.¡±

    The uncertainty of who her teacher would be unsettled Blanche a bit. Most nobles weren''t keen on encountering her with a friendly attitude, but for the greatest part would show her the necessary respect. Many only did that to avoid offending the emperor, but at least they were somewhat nice. However, there were people who openly looked down on the ruler''s mistress as well. They wouldn''t treat her with more politeness than the absolutely required amount.

    The original story''s Blanche hadn''t had any problem with those who insulted her. Often she had used her status as the emperor''s concubine to provoke them while being protected from any revenge. So, she had had no issues with insulting them right back.

    Now she wouldn''t be able to do anything similar to that though. She would be forced to stay quiet to ensure that she drew as little attention to herself as possible to survive. Certainly, most nobles would ignore her if she didn''t offend them, but some would still despise her for being Theodore''s mistress and see her as unworthy. In the case that one of the aristocrats who despised her became her teacher, she would experience unpleasant times. Hopefully, those people wouldn''t agree to work with her in the first place so that she could be lucky once.

    But Blanche didn''t say any of that and just replied. ¡°I''m fine with that. Just choose someone nice, please.¡±

    Theodore let out a laugh. ¡°Naturally, I will only employ the best for my angel. And if any problems come up anyway, you only need to say the word, and you won''t ever see that person again.¡± Of course he would say that. Since he always treated Blanche with this much leniency, it wasn''t odd that her original counterpart had developed into a self-absorbed woman. Theodore left her free rein over most aspects of her life which was well-meant, but he also had never intervened when she had become too proud.

    Blanche told herself that she would work hard to study with her new teacher while affirming her choice once more. ¡°I''ll trust your decision then.¡±

    ¡°I won''t disappoint.¡± The emperor replied before he led his fork to his mouth. Seemingly, the serious part of the conversation was over with that. He changed the topic to some different lighthearted themes, which they discussed while eating. When they finished their meal, he wished her a good night and gave her a kiss before he returned to his office.

    Blanche left along with Stella and went back to her chambers. She washed and put on a nightgown. After she lay down, she bid goodbye to the maid and covered herself with the blanket. She tried to stay in bed without thinking about the novel''s plot or Seraphina, who would claim Theodore''s love soon, and focused on all the pleasant things that had happened that day.

    She had to admit that she was almost unwilling to sleep, so she stayed awake until it was much later than usual. At that point, she became tired and dared to close her eyes while her stomach churned with nausea. She was scared of another nightmare. She felt childish for that, but considering the last dream, her worry was justified. Experiencing another scene from the villainess'' doom would crush her even more than the novel''s existence itself had. Her mental health was fragile enough at the moment. She didn''t need more problems.

    With these thoughts in mind, she fell into a deep slumber. Luckily, she managed to avoid another nightmare that night.

 Chapter 13: Preparations for the Ball

    The next morning, Blanche woke up before her maid had entered the room. She stayed in bed for a while and only stood up when her stomach complained.

    Almost in the same second, a knock came from the door, and Stella came inside with the breakfast. When she saw that her mistress was awake already, she smiled. ¡°Good morning, my Lady. Did you sleep well?¡±

    Surprisingly, Blanche had been able to fully rest this time, in contrast to the last three nights. She was thankful for that since she could do without another traumatic dream. ¡°Yes, I did. How about you, Stella?¡±

    The servant nodded and talked about some confusing dream while she began setting the table. After putting down all the plates, she lifted the coverings and found the scrambled eggs which made her freeze.

    Blanche sat down at the table and turned to the maid. ¡°This is your favorite meal, isn''t it?¡±

    Stella nodded, and a soft smile spread across her lips. ¡°Yes. But I only mentioned it once. I''m surprised that you remembered that.¡±

    The concubine grinned at her in return. ¡°Of course. How bad do you think my memory is?¡±

    Stella quickly made a refuting hand gesture. ¡°Oh no, I didn''t mean it like that! It''s just...¡± Even if it wasn''t necessary anymore, she still made a great effort to avoid insulting Blanche. It was sweet to see how considerate the maid was.

    ¡°I know what you meant. You don''t have to overthink everything you say. How about you sit down and eat with me before the scrambled eggs get cold?¡± The concubine pointed at the empty chair at her side while she spoke.

    Instantly, Stella''s eyes widened, and she took a step backward. ¡°I don''t dare to do that, My Lady! Even if you are incredibly kind to me, I am still only a servant. I can''t simply sit with you and eat your food.¡±

    Blanche waved her hand around and frowned. ¡°Nonsense, why shouldn''t you? I explicitly gave you my consent to join me at the table. As long as I allow that, no one can complain, right? And there aren''t any other people here either, so who would say anything in the first place? When I felt bad after my nightmare, you sat with me too and didn''t worry.¡±

    Stella grasped the hem of her skirt and bit her lip. ¡°That was completely different. I still-¡± She was interrupted before she could finish.

    ¡°If you are fine with eating with me, please do. It would be much more pleasant than sitting here alone. Also, there are always leftovers. More than enough to fill another person''s stomach, to be exact. We can''t keep sending this back to the kitchen. And look. I even requested your favorite dish for you.¡± Blanche lifted the plate with the scrambled eggs for a moment before carefully lowering it onto the table again.

    Stella still hesitated ¡°You requested it? You went into the kitchen yesterday to ask for scrambled eggs?¡±

    A nod by her mistress answered the question.

    ¡°My Lady... Thank you.¡± The maid stared at the food another second before continuing. ¡°Do you really want me to eat with you?¡±

    Blanche happily nodded and patted the chair next to her. ¡°Naturally. Why else would I ask you to? Come on, sit with me.¡±

    Stella sat down very slowly before staring at the food in front of her. ¡°If you change your mind, no matter when, please tell me. Then I''ll stop immediately.¡±

    ¡°I won''t change my mind. I like you, Stella. So, I won''t get tired of spending time with you.¡± Blanche began eating the delicious meal and watched how the other woman took a while to adapt to her new situation. At some point, Stella finally grabbed a little portion of the dishes. Though the small amount wouldn''t be enough to satiate the maid for sure. ¡°You don''t need to be shy. You can eat more, or you will still be hungry afterward.¡±

    Stella shook her head while giving her mistress an apologetic look. ¡°That''s not it. I already ate with the other servants. We always meet really early in the morning before going to work.¡±

    Blanche''s lips formed a small ¡®Oh¡¯. She felt a bit stupid for not realizing that the maid could have had breakfast earlier. After all, she had never seen Stella eat, so the woman logically had to have done that while she wasn''t with her mistress.

    Stella gave her a bright smile. ¡°It''s alright though. We usually don''t have much time and hurry to swallow our food, so I don''t get as much as I''d like. Besides, the food you have is way tastier. So, while I would like to continue eating with the others, I can also join you.¡± That was relieving.

    Blanche replied immediately. ¡°Thank the gods. I would rather eat with you, but I won''t make you do it against your will. I''m glad you agreed.¡± She wasn''t really sure why seeing how Stella ate nothing had made her uncomfortable, but now it was definitely better. Each time her maid swallowed something, Blanche felt a bit more satisfied.

    For the rest of the meal, the women talked about different subjects, and the relaxed atmosphere already made the whole thing better. Blanche didn''t feel alone at the table anymore and could speak more to the maid and get to know her.

    After being asked, Stella explained that she didn''t know anything about her real parents except that they had died and that someone had brought her to the palace. She had been raised here by the previous head maid, though most of the adult servants had assisted her. So, she had spent most of her childhood helping the other maids. Thus, she had learned how to take care of the palace quite early and was efficient in getting her tasks done.

    When Blanche had moved into the palace, Stella had been the only female servant of a similar age that had finished her training. For that reason, she had gotten assigned to the concubine. Ever since then she had had less to do since all of her tasks consisted of what her mistress decided on. For the most part, Blanche had only given her easy chores like delivering an item, so the maid had been quite content. Stella didn''t mention how unfairly she had been treated though.

    The more Blanche talked to her maid, the more she questioned her original behavior. Why had she only noticed what a terrible person she had been when she had received the novel''s memories and found out that she was the villain? When she heard about her actions now, she always felt bad. Being mean to the friendly maid didn''t make any sense. By provoking nobles she could maybe have gained the satisfaction of fighting someone with a higher rank and winning anyway, but insulting a servant didn''t offer her advantages. But whether she understood that or not, it had definitely been mentioned in the novel, so she had to accept it as a fact. She couldn''t complain about that. Her only choice was to treat the people around her better to make up for it.

    After both women finished eating, they left the table. Stella brought the cart back into the kitchen before brushing her mistress'' hair and helping her dress. For the rest of the day, they walked around the garden and continued their conversation.

    <hr>

    The following week was uneventful. It rained for three days in a row which forced Blanche and Stella to stay inside unless they wanted to dirty their shoes.

    Theodore still had to sign contracts regarding the trading route and was busy arguing with the opposing nobles. Aside from this, he also had to prepare for the upcoming ball and thus, didn''t have time to see Blanche. Sometimes, he sent short notes and lightened up her mood with his sweet words which made her miss him a little.

    But in the end, his absence proved to be beneficial to Blanche as the ball quickly approached and she needed to figure out how she would act. Being distracted by the overwhelming emotions she felt around her lover would only keep her from reaching a conclusion, so it was good that she was alone with Stella.

    Blanche went through every imaginable scenario inside her mind and laid out a plan on how to behave to avoid conflicts and refrain from harming her already damaged reputation. She mainly focused on interactions with the empress and Marquess Sefare, the two people who posed the biggest threat to her right now. This would hopefully prepare her for emergencies and also prevented her thoughts from wandering to Theodore.

    In addition, the concubine wrote a short letter to Sefare. In that note, she explained that she thanked him for saving her life but didn''t wish any contact with him in the future because she wasn''t ready to do anything that might hurt her lover. Giving the marquess this would be faster and less suspicious than her talking to one of the emperor''s enemies in private. Since Sefare couldn''t tell the emperor about her role in the intrigues without giving away that he was involved himself, giving him that letter shouldn''t be a problem.

    Still, no one else should see it.

    While writing her note, Blanche took great care that Stella didn''t even catch a glimpse of it. She wanted to make sure even though this was probably unnecessary since the maid had been the one to deliver her mistress'' letters for the past year. Previously, the concubine had sent Sefare a summary of the events inside the palace every month, so Stella was aware that Blanche was in contact with someone from the capital. Still, the maid didn''t need to find out how deeply her mistress was involved in the political intrigues which was why Blanche tried to keep as much hidden as she could.

    Like this, the days passed by.

    <hr>

    Blanche should have felt better after preparing everything, but she became more and more nervous every hour. The day of the ball arrived way faster than she would have liked it. After getting up, she ate with Stella like they had done it during the last days already. The festivities would only begin in the evening, so they took their time. Still, they began preparing her attire in the morning already.

    It wasn''t even noon, and the concubine was in the middle of deciding on the accessories that would fit the dress she had chosen while trying to create an attire that was rather inconspicuous. She didn''t get far. A knock on the door interrupted her. Blanche held back a sigh and exchanged a confused look with Stella before raising her voice. ¡°Yes? You may enter.¡±

    Seconds later, a gray-haired elderly woman came in. Her face, which was covered in wrinkles, showed a serious expression and mirrored that she didn''t think highly of the emperor''s mistress. This person here was Gloria, the current head maid of the royal palace. She managed most of the servants'' affairs, made sure that they did their work properly and distributed their payment. Gloria had taken over the position a few years before Blanche had arrived and was quite skillful, so she would definitely keep it for at least another decade.

    Blanche was a bit uncertain why this woman was here, but she greeted her with a little fake smile anyway. ¡°I wish you a nice day, Gloria. What led you here?¡±

    Gloria bowed down and then spoke. ¡°Good morning, Lady Blanche. I hope that you had an undisturbed night so that you are well rested for the upcoming event.¡± She raised her head again and continued. ¡°His Majesty has sent me to hand over this gift to you.¡± She spoke while showing the other woman a small box, which was made out of dark wood with golden ornaments.

    Blanche had nearly forgotten about the present Theodore had promised her. She had been pondering about enough other things in the past days, so she hadn''t anticipated the surprise at all. She carefully took the box and put it on the table to avoid dropping it. She opened it slowly despite her growing curiosity.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The inside of the box was coated with purple velvet, which was meant to protect the actual gift. A golden necklace with a masterly implemented sapphire was lying on top of the fabric.

    With a gasp, Blanche lifted the accessory and observed it in the daylight that was coming from the window. She stared at the exemplary craftsmanship in awe and slowly turned the necklace to see it from every angle. Once again, it seemed like Theodore had managed to find the perfect present. The accessory was beautiful, and she adored it already as he had promised.

    However, this wasn''t what made her speechless. The reason for that was the gift''s color scheme. She held the necklace even closer to the window to make sure that she hadn''t mistaken the colors. But her first impression had been right. The chain itself was golden, while the sapphire was tinted in a dark blue.

    Everyone in the country would recognize this combination as the colors of the royal family.

    For decades, if not centuries, the rulers of Artias had been represented by an emblem consisting of gold and navy. Family members that were closely related to the emperor often wore attires in these colors to underline their status and remind others of their heirloom. Except for the royal couple, all members of royalty tended to add another color to this combination to differentiate between the ranks within the royal family. The more powerful the person was, the more of their clothes were in the royal colors.

    Thus, attires that were fully colored in navy and gold were reserved for the emperor and the empress alone. While it wasn''t forbidden for other nobles to wear clothes with this color combination, it was considered to be highly inappropriate. After all, it would hint that the person had the same power as the royal family, and that would inevitably be seen as an insult towards the emperor.

    Of course, anyone was free to wear small accessories made out of gold and sapphires despite that, and it wasn''t frowned upon to do so.

    Still, giving this necklace to Blanche and asking her to wear it in public would draw attention to her. People were already talking about the emperor''s lover striving for power, and her wearing a necklace with the royal colors would fuel those rumors. Nobles might assume that she was slowly trying to take over privileges of the empress to eventually claim that title. After all, showing up in gold and navy would display her wish to be regarded as a member of royalty. To avoid accidentally causing a scandal, the concubine would definitely not choose an accessory like that on her own.

    But she hadn''t made this decision. The necklace had been a gift from Theodore.

    The fact that Theodore gave this to Blanche and encouraged her to wear it at the ball meant that he wanted her to show her connection to him. At first, she was worried about the reactions that this would evoke, but she quickly pushed away that thought. Since her dress was in a different color, the necklace wouldn''t offend the empress and only give a subtle hint that Blanche was somehow affiliated with the royal family.

    Blanche didn''t know whether her lover had decided to do this to ease her worries after the last week, in which she had voiced the fear of being left by him. Maybe that was it. He also could have gifted her this to stop the aristocrats from talking badly about her. But either way, he introduced her as a person that was close to him and proved that he was on her side. And he would manage to do all of this without revealing the true nature of their relationship or destroying his previous efforts to keep their affair a secret. It was perfect.

    Blanche''s cheeks burned up, and her heart hammered in her chest while felt a slight tingle in her stomach. She couldn''t contain her emotions and began to grin.

    Stella took a step towards her mistress, who showed her the necklace. After observing the accessory with an open mouth, the maid began smiling too. ¡°It''s beautiful!¡±

    Blanche nodded vigorously. ¡°It really is, isn''t it? Theo found the most incredible gift again.¡± She turned around and faced the dress that she had picked. It was a light green ballgown with soft tulle and lace ornaments. The necklace would match the dress perfectly if she chose fitting accessories. She was about to decide which ones to use when she noticed that she hadn''t acknowledged the head maid''s help yet.

    As she turned back to the older woman, she found Gloria staring at her with narrowed eyes. Blanche spoke anyway but wondered if she had done something to upset the other party. ¡°I nearly forgot to thank you for bringing this here. I am grateful for your efforts.¡±

    The head maid''s expression didn''t soften but rather got even colder. ¡°There is no need to thank me. I was merely following His Majesty''s order.¡± It sounded like she pointed out that she wouldn''t have brought the concubine anything if Theodore hadn''t requested it. That she had said that in a voice that was laced with poison hadn''t helped either.

    For a moment, Blanche was taken aback because of Gloria''s glare, but she quickly remembered why the other woman was so upset.

    The head maid had been one of Seraphina''s allies in the novel and had always expressed a strong dislike for the concubine. She had never acted in a way that would support either party, but whom her favor belonged to was definitely obvious due to the way that she acted.

    As much as Blanche would prefer it if Gloria''s impression of her improved, she doubted that that would be achievable. The more the villainess in the novel had talked, the more annoyed the older woman had gotten. So, she wouldn''t try to improve their relationship, but rather treat Gloria politely and distantly. She faced Stella before speaking up. ¡°I believe that the necklace should fit together with the dress nicely. What do you think?¡±

    Stella walked towards the dresser while looking over her shoulder. ¡°Yes, I agree. If we exchange the other accessories it will match without a doubt. Oh, My Lady! How about these earrings? They should be perfect. Wait, I will get them out for you.¡± Stella retrieved the concerned jewelry from one of the drawers and presented it to her mistress, only to be interrupted.

    Gloria cleared her throat before opening her mouth. ¡°It certainly is a pleasant surprise to see that you get along well with Lady Blanche. However, you should still remember the true nature of your relationship, Stella. There are limits to how carefree a servant can speak to their mistress.¡±

    Stella frowned and tried to refute those words, but she was cut off by Gloria.

    ¡°If you had paid attention to your words just now, you would have noticed that you attempted to make a decision for your mistress which isn''t your responsibility. You are supposed to wait for orders and then execute them, not assume what the other party wants.¡±

    Stella lowered her gaze to the floor upon being scolded while Blanche frowned. Clearly, Gloria was exaggerating. Most people would think that Stella''s conduct had been slightly indecent at most, but it wasn''t bad enough for anyone to raise their voice. Making a fuss out of this only served to reprimand the maid for a triviality. But Blanche could guess why Gloria did this.

    Just a week ago, all staff members had despised the concubine for her treatment of the servants and her general arrogant behavior. Most likely, the head maid was bothered by seeing how friendly Stella was with her mistress. Gloria herself hated Blanche and thus, didn''t want others to like the concubine either. And at the same time, this gave the head maid an opportunity to berate someone close to Blanche despite not being able to rebuke the mistress herself. It was perfect for Gloria.

    The only problem was that the head maid didn''t have the right to complain here.

    Blanche chimed in to defend her maid. ¡°That''s not a problem at all. I actually allowed Stella to talk with me as freely as possible, so it''s fine.¡±

    Still, Gloria shook her head. ¡°As the head maid, it is my task to ensure that all inhabitants of the royal palace will be treated with the required respect, so I must insist on the formalities.¡±

    Inwardly, Blanche let out a groan but answered with a calm smile. ¡°I appreciate your efforts to secure the servants'' proper conduct. But as long as I, as Stella''s mistress, confirm that she can talk to me like this, you can be sure that I don''t see anything she says as disrespectful. If I should feel like she crossed a line, which I doubt will ever happen, I will deal with it myself.¡±

    Gloria''s lips twitched for a second before she forced herself to keep her expression motionless. ¡°Of course, Lady Blanche. I did not wish to offend you.¡±

    The concubine quickly refuted this. ¡°You haven''t. I am sure that you only had the best intentions.¡± She turned back to Stella, who formed a quiet ¡®Thank you¡¯ with her lips, and her smile dropped.

    Blanche tried to focus on her gift again, but that was hard since she could feel Gloria''s stare on her back the whole time. When the head maid showed no intention of leaving even after a few seconds passed, the concubine began a conversation with Stella. She hoped that Gloria would get the message if she was being annoying on purpose. ¡°I believe that this is the prettiest necklace Theo has given me yet. It is gorgeous and eye-catching but still elegant at the same time.¡± While Blanche truly couldn''t help gushing about presents, especially jewelry and dresses that she adored, she also knew that Gloria hated how materialistic she was. Maybe she could get the head maid to exit the room if she talked about this a bit more.

    Stella answered as enthusiastically as her mistress had addressed her. ¡°You''re right! This will fit My Lady perfectly. His Majesty must have chosen this gift with your preferences in mind. He is such a considerate person! As always, it''s perfect. This only shows how much he dotes on you.¡± That was something a person that was close to the empress certainly did not want to hear.

    Blanche saw how Gloria gritted her teeth from the corner of her eyes and feared that the other woman would criticize how Stella had spoken about the emperor.

    But Gloria addressed another topic in a calm, yet somewhat mocking, tone. ¡°I agree that this piece of jewelry is quite a sight. Considering the excellent craftsmanship, it surely must have cost a fortune. Though in comparison to the gift for Her Majesty...it might be rather cheap.¡± Gloria''s face didn''t budge as she looked into the concubine''s eyes, most likely while awaiting anger, which she would have also gotten a week ago.

    But now, Blanche wasn''t impressed. That woman used such an old trick that she wouldn''t fall for it.

    When no reaction on the mistress'' side came, Gloria continued. ¡°But that''s only natural. Her Majesty didn''t only receive a necklace after all. She obtained the presents from His Majesty yesterday already so that she would have enough time to prepare for the ball. I had the honor to be allowed to watch her inspect the gifts. She received a stunning dress in the royal colors accompanied by a set of jewelry consisting of earrings, a necklace, bracelets, rings and a tiara. Her Majesty tried everything on and looked as gorgeous as a goddess. She will certainly be the highlight of the ball, but that is only to be expected. She is the most powerful woman in this nation after all. That means that all eyes will be on her.¡±

    Previously, Blanche hadn''t had much of an impression of the head maid, but that woman seemed to be an unpleasant person. Just a few days ago, those words would have led to the concubine being rather upset.

    Why did Gloria want to create trouble when she wouldn''t gain anything from it? That question was easy to answer. Gloria herself wouldn''t have an advantage if the concubine threw a tantrum but Seraphina would. In the novel, Gloria had been one of the most loyal followers of the empress and supported her in any way possible. Thus, her mistress'' husband having a lover bothered her, especially since that woman showed a terrible attitude.

    Most likely, Gloria was being this petty right now because she hated the fact that the concubine had received a necklace in the royal colors and wanted to intervene now. By provoking one of Blanche''s less kind moments, Gloria tried to make Theodore witness how his concubine truly acted and probably hoped to make him restrict Blanche more.

    The fact that this obvious scheme might have worked in the past annoyed Blanche. It also irritated her that Gloria tried to separate her from Theodore as if the novel''s plot wouldn''t drive a wedge between them soon enough already. And even though she knew all of that, she still felt a small pang of jealousy in her heart, which she quickly ignored.

    Objectively, it was only logical that the empress would receive more gifts because of her status. As the wife of the emperor, she was required to wear a new dress during every event and always got one from her husband for such occasions.

    Blanche, on the other hand, like all the other nobles, didn''t have to show up in a completely new attire as long as she wore different clothes in between. Despite this, Theodore had always given her new dresses so that she had never appeared in the same one twice. Usually, a tailor came into the palace every three months, and Blanche had often liked so many attires that Theodore had bought enough for a whole year. Thus, she still had many unworn outfits in her wardrobe. She had more than she actually needed and didn''t require an alternative for the ball.

    Seraphina, however, had disliked being lavish with money from the very beginning and had asked for fewer dresses than Blanche. So, naturally, she still needed to buy something new before every other event.

    Besides, the emperor giving his concubine a bigger number of gifts than he gave his own wife would definitely start rumors among the nobles if they somehow noticed. Especially Seraphina''s father, the Duke of Duremont, who was the most important supporter of the emperor, wouldn''t be fond of the idea that another woman was more favored than his daughter.

    In addition, a tiara, which had been a part of the present too, was only to be worn by the emperor''s wives or the dowager empress. Of course, only Seraphina would get one.

    All of that made sense.

    And yet, Blanche hated the thought of that woman getting anything from Theodore. That was mostly because of the novel though, so she allowed herself that much.

    Still, Blanche didn''t want Gloria to notice that these words had struck a nerve with her. So, when she faced the head maid, she showed the older woman a sweet smile. ¡°That is not surprising at all. As you said, she is the empress. Naturally, she would receive more gifts than me. And surely, Her Majesty will be the center of attention. Her beauty is well known among the nobles, and the attire Theo picked will only emphasize it. I look forward to seeing her wearing the dress you mentioned. I''m sure she will be enchanting.¡± She underlined her words with an exaggerated sugary tone and couldn''t help but grin when her endeavors had the desired effect on the head maid.

    Gloria''s eyes narrowed. She looked like she had to restrain herself from showing her anger but failed anyhow. ¡°I''m glad that Lady Blanche agrees with me. I will take my leave now as I still have to aid in preparing the venue. I hope that you have a pleasant evening. Just make sure that you pay attention to the proper etiquette on such an important day.¡± Gloria turned on her heel and rushed out of the room, most likely to return to the empress'' side.

    As soon as the door slammed shut, Stella approached her mistress with a worried expression. ¡°I have never seen her act like this. She is usually so composed, and many servants see her as a role model. I could have never imagined that she would be a person that would deliberately try to make others angry.¡±

    The concubine stopped smiling and waved her hand around. ¡°Don''t worry about that. She probably argued with Theo about him giving me this gift and was upset because he didn''t listen to her. You can''t see the real personality of most humans unless they feel strong emotions. Gloria simply dislikes me, and that''s fine.¡±

    To her, the fact that people revealed who they really were under pressure held even more true than for others. In the novel, Blanche''s true character had also been revealed because of her jealousy. Just like how Theodore had only shown how cold he could be after he had started to despise her.

    Images of her dream returned to Blanche''s mind, and she unwillingly pictured her own execution. She shuddered in fear and tried to avoid those thoughts. Thankfully, Stella''s voice kept her from imagining how the axe fell down on her neck while the man she loved watched.

    ¡°That makes sense. But still... You behave differently than before. Shouldn''t she give you another chance? Furthermore, it can''t be alright that Gloria shows her dislike so obviously. After all, you have much more influence than her. I mean, while she may be the head maid, she is a servant. You are the emperor''s beloved and inhabitant of the palace and a baroness. How can she try to upset you?¡± Stella sounded like she couldn''t even comprehend how someone could wish to trouble anyone else at all.

    Blanche sat down on her bed before she explained her theory. ¡°Well, I happen to know that Gloria is quite close to the empress. Of course, I don''t know for sure, but I would guess that she wants me to anger Theo. If I lost his favor, his wife would be the one to receive more attention. Most likely, she hopes for that.¡± In the case that the story progressed like it was intended to, the head maid would get what she wanted. That was a depressing thought. ¡°Or she was really upset about the thing with the necklace. I don''t know. But no matter what we think about her objective, we cannot change it. We shouldn''t concern ourselves with problems that have no chance of being solved. Rather than worrying about her, we need to prepare for the ball. I still need to eat lunch, bathe, get ready and then put on my dress and the accessories.¡±

    Stella remained quiet for a short moment before she nodded. ¡°We took a long time to decide on your dress, so it''s noon already. And we haven''t even started to style your hair yet! We should continue at a faster pace, or we won''t make it.¡±

    True to the maid''s words, they didn''t move as slowly as before. Stella had quickly retrieved a small meal from the kitchen, which was only meant to saturate until the ball, during which a mouthwatering buffet awaited the guests.

    After eating the dishes, Blanche asked her maid to prepare a bath and cleansed herself before Stella helped her dress. Then she sat on the stool by the dresser and watched as the maid did her hair.

 Chapter 14: The Nobles of the Capital, Friends and Foes (1)

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    annoyances, nothing is bothering us. Are you in good health, Lady Blanche?¡± His response had definitely hinted that she was the one who caused the most trouble for his family, but she ignored that. He had come to her, so he had no right to insult her.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    you will go to entertain them now. I will stand in the corner and try to steal something from the buffet without being seen.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 15: The Nobles of the Capital, Friends and Foes (2)

    Since when had Theodore begun saying such nonsense? Of course he couldn''t ignore his wife.

    Blanche had to keep herself from cowering as she felt how everyone around her stared at them. ¡°Actually, you have to follow her every step. The empress should be with you when you talk to the nobles. And I shouldn''t be anywhere near you. So, I will just go back to my corner and-¡± She wasn''t even able to finish.

    Theodore frowned at her as he cut her off. ¡°What are you talking about? I''m not letting you stand there in the corner the whole time. Since you seem to worry, the empress is already with the guests. And she can also talk to whomever she wants on her own. I don''t necessarily need to accompany her.¡±

    The concubine shook her head with more vigor and replied in a whisper. ¡°That might be true, but that doesn''t give me a reason to frustrate her whole family by showing up. Shouldn''t I, you know, avoid you a bit in public? To balance out the damage that my clinging to you during the past year did? Just so that our relationship won''t be even more obvious than it already is.¡±

    Theodore looked at her as if she had just grown wings, and his face fell. ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about that? You never cared about... Did something happen?¡±

    She held back a sigh and slouched her shoulders. It had been a horrible idea to bring up a subject that had previously only been her lover''s worry. If she continued like this, she would draw even more attention to them. It was bad enough that many of the guests were already staring at them and probably wondered what she had done to perplex the emperor this much. But the longer the couple stood here in the center of the room, the more people would notice. So, it might be better just to go with him. After all, there was no way that her previous self would have refused.

    Blanche forced herself to smile and waved her hand around in the air. ¡°That was a joke. I just repeated what you always tell me.¡± That didn''t seem to help.

    Theodore''s frown deepened, and he stepped closer to her as he spoke with more emphasis. ¡°I never phrased it like that. I don''t want you to avoid me, and I wouldn''t call anything you do ¡®damage¡¯. I would never-¡±

    She quickly interrupted him by shaking her head. ¡°No, no. I didn''t mean it like that. As I said, it was a joke. I was exaggerating. Don''t take all of my words so seriously.¡± She truly was a horrible liar. Even she herself could hear that she was uncomfortable. Blanche shrank in herself as she felt the gazes of many of the guests on her. It took all of her self-control to not shiver nor turn around to meet their eyes. Instead, she just focused on her lover, who was slowly relaxing.

    Theodore let out a deep breath before he replied. ¡°Thank the gods. Don''t suddenly say things like that while we are in the middle of a ball. I didn''t know that you were joking. But I don''t think that you should make jokes about things like this either. If you think that I want you to avoid me, I really messed up during these past months.¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t think that.¡± It just would be better to not antagonize the heroine. And hiding their relationship would be better for that, but apparently, all of Blanche''s choices were limited. By now she had given up her plan of not accompanying her lover and wanted him to hurry to the Duremonts so that they wouldn''t feel offended. ¡°Let''s not stand around here for any longer. Go greet your guests.¡± She gestured towards the Duremonts. For a minute, she considered voicing an excuse about being hungry and hiding by the buffet so that she could disappear, but she wasn''t fast enough.

    Theodore quickly revealed that she didn''t have a choice. ¡°Naturally. And you''ll come with me.¡± Her lover refused to move until Blanche did, which meant that she had to follow him now.

    So, she forced herself to straighten her shoulders and walked forward. Luckily, Theodore at least had enough common sense to walk slightly in front of her, instead of next to or behind her. He led her to the group of aristocrats that were still chatting at the same spot.

    When the couple got closer to the people surrounding the duke, Blanche spotted Seraphina, who was speaking with her siblings. She would have liked to disappear into thin air, but unfortunately, that wasn''t possible.

    As soon as the nobles saw that the emperor was approaching them, they turned their attention to him. Thus, the concubine could see the faces of all the family members who were present and quickly confirmed the roles that those people played in the novel. Most of them weren''t a threat but only side characters that were supposed to emphasize how great the heroine''s family was.

    Except for one person.

    The empress'' father, Henry Duremont, was the most influential duke in Artias. He was also Theodore''s biggest supporter. He had the option to withdraw his support in an instant in case that he felt like his daughter''s honor had been stained. Right now Henry was standing next to his wife, Elaine Duremont, and just glared at Blanche. His eyes narrowed, and a deep frown appeared on his face when he saw that Theodore brought his mistress with him. That wasn''t a good sign.

    Elaine, the duchess, had a polite smile on her face and patted her husband''s hand lightly to calm him. That was probably necessary since the duke was very honest when he felt like his daughter was being disrespected. Henry had no qualms about criticizing the emperor and didn''t bother to hide his anger, so his wife had to step in.

    Similarly, Seraphina''s eyes became cold like ice when she spotted Blanche which only emphasized her already intimidating aura. She only lifted her chin, but that was enough to make her seem a hundred times more threatening. She didn''t say anything about being upset, but she showed it. After all, she didn''t move from her position between her siblings to stand next to Theodore which she would have normally done.

    As expected, the others weren''t pleased either.

    Allen stayed close to his sisters and kept a stern expression, which was definitely grimmer than a while ago again.

    Sophia and her husband, who had been talking with Seraphina, stopped when Theodore approached them. They looked rather concerned even though they usually didn''t get involved in any conflicts.

    It was also the same for the Marquess of Bellfaux, who along with his daughters, stood next to Duke Duremont while trying to hide his dismay.

    The Bellfauxes were close to the Duremonts and thus, often spoke with them at events. The heads of the families had been friends for decades and also met regularly in their free time. For this reason, their children had also been in contact. The marquess'' eldest daughter, Madeleine, was very close to Seraphina while his younger daughter, Briana, was Allen''s fianc¨¦e despite their rather great difference in age.

    Both of the sisters didn''t attempt to hide that they were unhappy about Blanche''s presence. Though Madeleine still kept a somewhat dignified expression while her sister didn''t care.

    Briana turned up her nose at the concubine and linked her arms with Allen''s as if she wanted to show her claim on him. In the novel, she hadn''t appeared often, and when she did, it had been with her fianc¨¦. Even in those few scenes, she had exhibited a bratty behavior that rivaled Blanche''s, but it had been justified by the recent death of her mother, whom she missed dearly. So, no one was angry with her in the end which was quite unfair considering that the villainess had lost her whole family, and nobody pitied Blanche in the finale.

    After witnessing all of this hostility that was directed at her, Blanche would rather turn around and avoid them, but that wasn''t possible. At least she could confuse them with her improved manners for now and hope that they would ignore her in favor of chatting with Theodore afterward. They always ignored her, so they could do it today too, right?

    Blanche''s gaze wandered across the people once again, and she saw another person next to Henry that she hadn''t noticed before. She should have expected that Evelyn Lemares would be with the Duremonts, but still, it made the concubine want to grip her lover''s hand. That woman was the vile creature that had murdered Sophia''s daughter. Blanche didn''t have any intention of interacting with a person capable of murdering a child, and even being in the same room as Evelyn made her feel nauseous. However, explaining this to Theodore without revealing that she had knowledge of the future wasn''t possible, so she had to endure it.

    But as always, Theodore seemed to notice her inner turmoil without her needing to speak up. He leaned close to whisper in Blanche''s ear. ¡°Don''t worry. Just stay by my side, and be polite. They won''t do anything.¡±

    Certainly, the people here couldn''t harm the emperor''s lover while he was watching, but they could insult her behind sugarcoated words while glaring at her. This wasn''t a great danger, but Blanche didn''t look forward to that anyway. Especially not when her lover getting so close to her would upset them even more. She would have liked to run away, but she had no choice but to ignore her reluctance to step into the families'' circle. She nodded to signal that she had understood the emperor''s words and followed her lover.

    As they reached the group, Theodore greeted the Duke and the Duchess of Duremont with a flawless smile. ¡°I''m glad to see that your whole family is present, Your Grace. I am pleased to meet you and your wife again. I hope you arrived here without any problems.¡±

    The couple returned the greeting with a bow and a curtsy. Henry was the one that replied first. ¡°Greetings to His Majesty, the emperor of Artias.¡± The curt greeting proved that he was in a horrible mood, and it could only get worse from now on. ¡°Of course, we couldn''t miss the opportunity to visit one of the royal family''s renowned events. Luckily, there haven''t been any difficulties on the way here.¡± He was polite, but his freezing expression said everything.

    After that, the two men talked about a few superficial topics, but Henry never hid his anger. That could only mean trouble later.

    The Duremonts had always been the biggest supporters of the emperor, and they had been acquaintances from Theodore''s early childhood on. This was why the emperor had gotten engaged to Seraphina in the first place. Through this marriage, he would secure her family''s backing and strengthen the ties with them. But ever since he had taken Blanche as his lover, his relationship with Henry had worsened.

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    Duke Duremont didn''t appreciate that his daughter''s husband had a mistress, and this was only amplified by the fact that the concubine didn''t even have a noble background. Henry despised how much Theodore spoiled his lover and resented Blanche for the pretentious behavior she had exhibited. Henry naturally wasn''t pleased about the emperor keeping such a woman in the palace while his beloved daughter was neglected by her husband. He couldn''t dictate Theodore''s actions, but he would always be on Seraphina''s side which proved that he would be more than upset about this.

    In the novel, Henry had even promised his daughter that he would immediately stop backing the emperor if she felt like her honor was being violated. The heroine had replied that it wasn''t necessary for him to make such grand promises which was the only reason why he continued to support Theodore. Still, the atmosphere between Duke Duremont and the emperor was strained because of Blanche. This was noticeable to anyone that had even the slightest piece of information about the general situation and witnessed their interaction.

    The emperor had made small talk with Henry for a short while the empress and the duchess also chimed in, but the tension never sufficed.

    After their chatting was over, the most unpleasant part would follow. Blanche would have to greet the group too. Since she had arrived with the emperor, the people that spoke to Theodore would need to acknowledge her too. As this forced everyone to address a baroness so soon, it was obvious that this wouldn''t raise anyone''s mood. But it got even worse than Blanche had hoped it to be.

    Seraphina''s gaze was freezing when she addressed the concubine in the most aloof way imaginable. ¡°I wish you a wonderful evening, Lady Blanche.¡± She didn''t say more than that which proved how upset she was.

    Blanche didn''t feel much better. She just wanted to get it over with too. So, she curtsied and replied shortly too. ¡°Greetings to Her Majesty, the empress of Artias.¡± That traditional greeting proved that she respected Seraphina, and at the same time, it should reveal some sort of distance. The concubine felt like that had worked out quite well, so she hoped that the rest of the meeting would be fine too.

    But once again luck wasn''t on her side. Technically, the person with the rank below the emperor and the empress would address the one with the lower status now. So, Duke Duremont should be the one to speak up, but Henry made no move to acknowledge Blanche.

    The concubine was at a loss. Should she simply raise her voice in a moment during which no one was speaking? Definitely not. That would be the biggest offense she could commit. Should she stubbornly wait for her introduction and just stay quiet if Duke Duremont kept silent? That wasn''t too bad. She would be fine with being invisible for the whole ball. But someone else didn''t share that opinion.

    Her lover wouldn''t allow anyone to ignore her like this. A short pause came up, and Theodore showed the duke a smile that obviously made clear that he wanted the other man to be polite.

    Blanche almost shrank in herself as looked up at Henry. She met his gaze and quickly realized from whom Seraphina had to have picked up her freezing stare.

    Henry didn''t bother to veil his disgust when he saw her. ¡°Lady Blanche. How are you?¡± He didn''t even try to conceal that he was only following the protocol and began the most meaningless small talk.

    Still, the concubine made a curtsy and answered politely. ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am in good health and also cannot complain about any problems otherwise. I hope that Your Grace''s family is in a just as gratifying situation.¡±

    The group appeared to be stunned by her errorless response. The concubine hadn''t been provoking, hadn''t offended anyone nor had she ignored any social conventions. This didn''t necessarily make the situation more relaxed though. After all, the people here would only become even warier from now on.

    Henry''s expression darkened again, but Elaine patted his hand and answered for him. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Lady Blanche. We are also in a satisfying standing at this point in time. I''m glad that the circumstances inside the royal palace are similar.¡±

    Theodore glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled. ¡°Yes, luckily there aren''t any complications right now. Even though our country has to face a couple of challenges this year, it seems that the capital itself is rather calm.¡± After replying, he moved on to address Allen, and they had a short conversation.

    That ended with the concubine greeting the duke''s son too, but this was much easier than talking to his father had been. Marquess Bellfaux and his daughters had to be spoken to next. Theodore indulged in some small talk with them, and they laughed about a few jokes.

    In the meantime, Blanche quietly stood by her lover''s side and struggled to keep all of her muscles motionless. She fought the urge to link her arms with his and stared onto the wall to avoid accidentally making eye contact with anyone. Listening to the repetitive small talk was tiring and almost made her feel like a child that was waiting for their parents to stop chatting.

    But she would rather be silent than to speak. She didn''t want to engage in a conversation with all the people who hated her. The only person in the group who possibly had a neutral impression on her was Sophia. Everyone else already stared at the concubine like she was a foreign object even if she didn''t speak on her own at all. Or maybe that was exactly why they were so confused. Normally, she had chatted a bit more, mainly with Theodore, to hide her nervousness. But today, she wouldn''t say a single word unless she was addressed first.

    When the emperor greeted Evelyn, Blanche struggled to keep her expression unreadable. No one could see how much she loathed that woman until Seraphina''s aunt showed her true colors. Still, Evelyn''s overly sweet voice infuriated her.

    When Evelyn spoke, she also put on a wide exaggerated grin. That alone made her unbearable. ¡°It is an honor to be invited to a royal ball, so naturally, I couldn''t dream about refusing.¡±

    Theodore, who apparently wasn''t as disgusted as his lover, let out a quiet laugh. ¡°I''m pleased to hear that you enjoy the events in the palace. Everyone here is working hard to make sure that the guests will have a joyful evening.¡± With that, he finally turned to Count Ravillot and his wife and addressed them. This meant that the greetings would be finished and that they could finally approach other nobles, whose presence was less oppressive.

    But to Blanche''s dismay, the emperor didn''t move even after she had said hello to everyone. Instead, he began a discussion with the whole group, and most of the people joined in. She didn''t pay much attention to the conversation and looked around, only to meet Seraphina''s gaze. A shiver ran down her spine, and she lowered her head to stare at the floor. A couple of seconds passed until she was sure that she could look up again. She hesitantly raised her head and was ready to focus her eyes onto the ground again if it became necessary.

    Luckily, the empress wasn''t staring at her anymore.

    However, it felt like someone else was watching Blanche now. A short glance to her side quickly determined that Duke Duremont was the one glaring at her. His freezing stare had the exact same impact as his daughter''s. A single glimpse of his expression proved that he definitely was Seraphina''s father and the person who had raised the heroine, who was so similar to him when she got angry. Blanche unwillingly took a step closer to Theodore and focused on the conversation while being careful not to let her gaze wander to the duke again.

    Theodore was in the middle of a sentence, so he hadn''t even noticed. ¡°I wasn''t aware of that. What a strange development. Besides this, is there anything else with great importance going on right now?¡±

    Immediately, the surrounding people became quiet and exchanged uncertain looks with each other. Duke Duremont was the one to open his mouth. ¡°There have been many rumors surrounding a specific topic, and as Your Majesty knows, rumors are often rooted in truth. In this case, they are about the scandals of a noble family. Due to the numerous wrongdoings the family members have committed, the house of Besseta might fall in the near future. Though I do not know whether Your Majesty has been informed about that already.¡±

    Even though Theodore appeared to be unaffected after hearing that name, Blanche saw that his muscled had tensed up.

    The Besseta family was a sensitive subject for the emperor, and he had only opened up to his lover about it after being with her for a while. Six years ago, his father had died unexpectedly, and he had been forced to ascend to the throne at the age of twenty. In the first year of his reign, he had been forced to fight to earn the nobles'' trust and respect despite his youth.

    The dowager empress had begun to stir up trouble back then already, but Theodore had still considered her and his brother as relatives and ignored it. At least until a group of assassins had targeted Theodore at the annual hunting festival. He had survived the attack but was severely wounded both physically and mentally. In the investigation, no solid evidence was found, but many hints pointed to one conclusion. The dowager empress had hired the assassins to clear the way for the second prince to help him become the emperor.

    Naturally, Theodore had been devastated by that conclusion. Still, he had insisted on another investigation, and suddenly, new evidence was brought to light. These clues had obviously been falsified, but they had to be accepted in the trial. The person who was found guilty of hiring the mercenaries thanks to those clues had been Count Besseta. And while every single one of Theodore''s followers had been aware that the man had been framed, Count Besseta had been executed because of the overwhelming amount of evidence and a few other crimes that he had actually committed. Considering that that man had been convicted of treason, his family would normally have been executed as well, but the emperor had pardoned them.

    However, since the real culprit had still been living in the palace, Theodore hadn''t been able to let down his guard anymore. He had chosen the most desperate approach to keep his brother and mother from killing him and had in return falsified enough evidence to send them in confinement. To this day, Theodore had a guilty conscience despite only having protected himself and still wondered whether his solution had been the right one. When he had told Blanche this, she had affirmed that he made the correct decision, but that didn''t solve anything.

    The house of Besseta had suffered due to the head of their family being executed. They were branded as traitors in public and had lost a great part of their fortune and influence. It was rather surprising that they had been able to hold on until now for which Theodore felt guilty as well.

    Since the Besseta family was closely connected with all those bad memories, it was understandable that Theodore had become tense as soon as the household had been mentioned. But as the ruler of a nation, he was used to hiding his real feelings, so no one except for his lover had noticed his reaction.

    Blanche would have loved to intertwine their fingers and caress the backside of his hand with her thumb, as she often did. But she couldn''t do so in public. Since she couldn''t touch him, her only other choice would be to speak up to calm him. But that would only pull the nobles'' attention to his weak point, so she stayed quiet.

    Theodore handled the matter by himself anyway. ¡°No, I haven''t heard about that issue. Would you give me more details?¡± His voice didn''t waver and thus, didn''t reveal his inner turmoil, much like his stoic face, which made Blanche admire his self-control even more than she already had before.

    Henry took a sip from the glass he was holding and put it down on a table before responding. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. The Bessetas are in debt, and they have borrowed money that they cannot return. They already had to dismiss more than half of their servants because they couldn''t afford to keep all of them. Most likely they will have to sell their estate soon to pay back their allies. If they don''t break down because of their debt, they will because there won''t be any heirs. None of the noble families from the capital would be reckless enough to agree to marry one of the Bessetas'' children after all. And if there aren''t any wealthy people backing them, they will go bankrupt in less than five years.¡±

    In public, the emperor would have to pretend that he didn''t care about the downfall of the people who had tried to assassinate him. But since he knew that Count Besseta had been framed, it probably pained him to learn that this man''s relatives still suffered because of the execution. The fact that Count Besseta had committed a lot of crimes that would have led to a severe punishment anyway wasn''t very calming when the whole Besseta family was falling apart because they had been named traitors. But even though Theodore had to be thinking about all of that, he replied with an expressionless face. ¡°That does sound serious. They seem to be in quite a predicament. Though as far as I know, they are the only noble household in the capital that is unstable right now.¡±

    Elaine nodded. ¡°Thankfully, the rest of the aristocrats are able to manage their finances and maintain their lifestyle.¡±

    The empress held her chin before raising her voice as well. ¡°Still, I am astonished that this hasn''t reached our ears already. A noble family being threatened of losing their title is very rare as the inhabitants of the capital are rather wealthy. Something like this hasn''t happened at all in the last fifty years.¡±

    The duchess nodded again before responding. ¡°That is true. But none of the things Henry said are set in stone. The Besseta family refuses to openly state how bad their current situation is. All the knowledge we have is based on gossip, but since countless sources describe the same circumstances, we can assume that the rumors correspond with the truth.¡±

    All of this was true. Blanche remembered that the Bessetas downfall had been summarized similarly to Henry''s words in the book. Those people would lose all of their money and eventually, their title in a few months. But no one aside from her could know that.

    Theodore replied in a deliberately calm tone. ¡°Well, as long as other nobles aren''t deeply involved with this, we don''t need to take action.¡± His words made clear that he intended to change the topic, and the others obliged. He turned to Blanche and smiled at her. ¡°There is something we still have to settle. Lady Lemares, would you mind following us for a moment?¡±

    That didn''t sound good. Blanche felt uneasiness rise inside her.

    Evelyn put on her sickening smile again as she answered. ¡°Naturally, I will comply with Your Majesty''s request.¡±

    Theodore nodded and led his lover away from the group while Seraphina''s aunt followed closely behind them.

    Blanche''s mind was already racing to find out what Theodore was thinking right now. Had she done something wrong, and he wanted to explain it to her in private? But she hadn''t really had the chance to do anything at all. She had only stood next to him in silence. What was even more confusing that Evelyn was joining them. Blanche never had any contact with that woman before and her knowledge of the novel ensured that she also didn''t wish to change that in the future.

    She had a bad premonition about this.

 Chapter 16: The Nobles of the Capital, Friends and Foes (3)

    After the three of them had put some distance between them and the Duremonts, Theodore stopped and faced his lover. Seemingly, Blanche wasn''t as skilled in disguising her thoughts, and he saw her conflicting emotions since he bowed down to calm her. ¡°I''m sorry for taking you by surprise, but you don''t have to be worried. It''s nothing to be concerned about.¡± He whispered so that Evelyn couldn''t hear him, but doing that in the middle of a ball might not be the best idea. Thankfully, he quickly stepped away from his lover and gestured towards the other woman. ¡°This is Evelyn Lemares, the Marchioness of Lemares and sister of the Duchess of Duremont.¡± Afterward, he turned to his concubine. ¡°This is Lady Blanche, a guest who has lived in the palace with us for a long time now. Though you are already acquainted, I wished to re-introduce you.¡±

    Evelyn immediately made a curtsy. ¡°While we have met countless times, I am honored to be introduced to you formally, Lady Blanche.¡±

    Despite hating to be addressed by this cruel person, Blanche could only force herself to lift the corners of her lips and hope that her smile didn''t appear too forced. She returned the curtsy as gracefully as she could. ¡°The honor is all mine, Lady Lemares.¡±

    Theodore appeared content at this interaction and began explaining. ¡°There is a specific reason that I wanted you to meet today. Lady Lemares has grown up with connections to the most influential noble houses and is a paragon of well-mannered conduct. In the many years that she has visited all sorts of social events, she has always paid attention to the conventions of our society and is experienced in teaching as well. The families in which she worked before all confirmed that she is exemplary and are very satisfied with her services.¡±

    Blanche''s face fell, and she could feel the color draining from her cheeks. She quickly hid her dread as well as she could.

    Theodore''s introduction could only be referring to one thing, and as he continued, her guess was confirmed. ¡°We talked about employing an etiquette teacher for you, and I told you that I had a person in mind. I contacted Lady Lemares, and she agreed to become your teacher. She will stay at the palace for two weeks so that you can learn the basics. After that, she will come once every week to make sure that you can go over each important topic. I''m convinced that you will progress fast with the help of such an incredible teacher.¡±

    Evelyn grinned from one ear to the other one as she replied. ¡°Oh my, I don''t deserve so much praise, let alone from Your Majesty himself. I am nothing special. Still, I promise that I will give my best to help Lady Blanche improve her manners as soon as possible.¡±

    The concubine didn''t like seeing that expression at all.

    Surely, Evelyn wouldn''t cause trouble in the royal palace since that would harm her reputation and the faith the emperor had put in her, right? Doing that wouldn''t be logical, but Evelyn was revealed to be completely deranged in the latter half of the novel. Her ignoring all rational thoughts wouldn''t be out of the question.

    Though as long as Blanche didn''t remind Evelyn of the envy that that woman felt for her own sister, she would hopefully be able to evade the teacher''s maniac side. Nonetheless, being forced to spend time with that psychopath didn''t make the concubine joyful. She was aware of the ruthlessness Evelyn had shown in hopes of marrying the man she loved after all.

    In the novel, Evelyn had drowned Sophia''s baby even though the young mother didn''t hold any responsibility for her aunt''s hatred. Before and after that, she had assisted the original Blanche, who had promised to make her the Duchess of Duremont. To reach that goal, Evelyn had harmed Seraphina, her own niece, as well. Even when that madwoman''s deeds had been revealed, she had insisted that she had done it out of true love, but Blanche doubted that. In reality, Evelyn had envied Elaine since their early childhood and only wanted to marry Henry because he had become her sister''s husband.

    Seeing that woman every day while all of this was on Blanche''s mind would be unbearable. Her own counterpart in the novel had to have been driven insane to be able to work with Evelyn. The concubine would never consider partnering up with a child''s murderer when thinking clearly. After all, she didn''t even want to talk to that woman once while being in her current state. That was exactly why she had a problem now though.

    For a moment, Blanche contemplated refusing Evelyn as her teacher. Theodore had asked for her consent, and should she withdraw it now, he would certainly be disappointed, but he would never make her do this against her will. He had promised that she could send the teacher away if she didn''t like that person. So, it was tempting to speak up now. One sentence would suffice, and she wouldn''t have to meet Evelyn.

    But at the same time, she couldn''t give a reason for disliking her chosen teacher. That meant that Theodore would believe that she didn''t want to attend lessons in general. He wouldn''t search for another person to replace Evelyn then, and the concubine wouldn''t get educated.

    However, improving her manners was a big part of her survival plan. Blanche needed to be aware of the norms of society and etiquette to follow them properly and avoid becoming the villainess. She couldn''t give up that opportunity just because she resented Evelyn. At the same time, she didn''t want to upset Theodore or render his search for a teacher useless.

    This meant that she couldn''t refuse in her current situation.

    Since Blanche still didn''t want to see the other woman often, she might have to compromise. Maybe she could stop the lessons after she had rehearsed the most crucial things. Blanche could tell Theodore that she was bored with the lessons when she felt confident in her understanding of the rules she had learned. She would still have to handle being with Evelyn for a few weeks, but she would simply listen to the tutor''s instructions, and no problems should arise. Right?

    Still, this didn''t make her happy at all.

    Blanche formed a fake smile with her lips. ¡°Thank you for your help, Lady Lemares. I am certain that your guidance will help me a lot.¡±

    Evelyn hesitated for a second before she returned the grin. ¡°I am thankful for the trust Your Majesty and Lady Blanche put in me. I look forward to working with you and sincerely hope that we can get along well.¡±

    Theodore''s face lit up when he heard that. ¡°I''m glad that Lady Lemares agreed to my request. I will order a room to be prepared before your arrival.¡± While speaking, he slowly walked towards the Duremonts again.

    Evelyn let out a fake laugh. ¡°No, I''m honored that Your Majesty considered me worthy of entering the royal palace and even staying there. I will not disappoint.¡±

    Despite just having made her decision, Blanche already regretted it slightly. Just hearing her new teacher talk made her feel nauseous.

    Evelyn''s whole personality seemed to be an act of disguising her unstable mind that was slowly corroded by her jealousy. How could no one else realize this? Her family might not want to see the truth, but everyone else should have become cautious already.

    Though Blanche hadn''t suspected the woman of being a psychopath before either. She was only able to pick up the little cracks in Evelyn''s facade because she had known about their existence in the first place. Thanks to the novel''s memories, seeing through other people''s lies was much easier now.

    As they reached the group of nobles again, they were met with questioning gazes. Especially Seraphina scanned Blanche''s expression for a hint of satisfaction. The heroine had always been suspecting that her aunt wasn''t as innocent as Evelyn pretended to be. Naturally, she grew wary upon seeing that her archnemesis and Evelyn had had a conversation in private.

    Based on Seraphina''s and her family''s faces, Evelyn hadn''t told them that she would become Blanche''s tutor. This decision would have been met with a lot of resistance considering how the Duremonts felt about the emperor''s concubine, but Blanche didn''t care about that in the slightest. That would be Evelyn''s problem.

    To Blanche''s relief, Theodore only stayed for a short moment before he excused himself to greet the other nobles. So, the concubine had gotten through the conversation with the people who had the most unfavorable impression of her. The rest of the evening should be less exhausting.

    At this point, the emperor finally seemed to regain some sense of caution. He went over to the empress and offered her his arm. Seraphina took it and let herself be escorted by Theodore. The royal couple crossed the whole ballroom to approach the family of Duke Vasquez, who came second in terms of influence and was only a little below the empress'' family. While the couple strode over to them, the emperor made eye contact with Blanche and slowed his pace to gesture her to follow him.

    Blanche bit the inside of her cheek and swallowed down her disappointment. She had hoped that Theodore would forget her if she just walked in the other direction, but he had immediately seen how she tried to run away. With a sigh, she caught up to him and stayed by his side while being careful to not stand closer to him than the empress did.

    When Theodore saw that she was next to him, he sped up again. Now they finally move towards their destination, which would hold a rather unpleasant conversation ready.

    They reached the Vasquez family, and Blanche noted that only Claude and Selena, the duke and the duchess, were present. Their son was missing. That wasn''t very relieving though. Despite there just being two people that the emperor would have to entertain instead of a group of ten, it would be more much difficult for him.

    Selena was the younger sister of the dowager empress. She and her husband supported Theodore''s mother and the second prince, and that made them the emperor''s enemies. Conversations with them often consisted of threats or declarations of hostility that were thinly veiled behind carefully crafted word structures.

    This often led to verbal battles, in which Theodore couldn''t back down. For him, the interactions with Claude, who was definitely the more provoking person, were stressful and demanded him to keep his guard up the whole time. Taking Blanche, who often said inappropriate things and didn''t know what she could or couldn''t voice, with him actually wasn''t beneficial at all.

    Previously, Theodore had kept the Vasquez family from exchanging more sentences with his lover than necessary, and Blanche was thankful for that. She could certainly be mean, but offending a duke wasn''t good, and she didn''t doubt that Claude would be able to twist her words to his liking. She was cautious even if Duke Vasquez probably wouldn''t wish to harm her since she was his friend''s pawn and thus, aided in the completion of his goals.

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    Theodore greeted the Vasquez couple, and they returned it along with a bow and a curtsy.

    Claude put on a smug grin as he spoke. ¡°I''m honored that Your Majesty has made his way over to us at this point in the evening.¡± He was referring to the fact that the emperor had stayed with the Duremonts for so long and only came to him now. Most likely, he had also seen that Theodore had greeted the Bellfaux and the Ravillot family before his and subtly vented his annoyance. What a great start.

    The emperor returned a fake smile as well. ¡°I hope that Your Grace hasn''t waited for too long. I was merely catching up with the Duremonts and learned about some developments in the capital. You must excuse that the empress wishes to spend time with her family.¡± He had used his words to emphasize that the Duremonts had a higher rank than the Vasquez family and that it was normal for him to interact with them for a longer amount of time as they were related to him.

    If the first sentences, which had already been attacks that were aimed at each other''s throat, were an indication, this dialogue would not become any more pleasant later on.

    Claude replied with a fake uncertainty in his voice. ¡°Oh, you do not need to worry, Your Majesty. We were having a discussion with other nobles as well and heard about the news regarding the Besseta family. Has Your Majesty been made aware of that already?¡±

    Theodore nodded and didn''t bother with hiding his satisfaction. ¡°I have been quite surprised upon finding this out as well. It seems that the standing of aristocrats in the capital isn''t as stable as we thought it to be.¡±

    The duke laughed shortly. ¡°It really is unexpected when the tide turns on you so quickly that no one is safe. Though Your Majesty won''t have to worry about such a thing.¡± Then he turned his head and stared at the concubine for a moment. This couldn''t mean anything good. Claude''s smile widened as he spoke up with a complacent tone. ¡°I have to admit that I am a bit taken aback to see that face here. Greetings to Lady Blanche, whose presence is as charming as ever.¡±

    The concubine''s bad premonition had become true. Duke Vasquez had disregarded the chronology in which he would have to greet the people before him.

    Due to his rank, the emperor naturally was the first one to speak, and the person he spoke to would address him after that. The empress would be given a chance to raise her voice next. Then the other party would address her specifically in their response.

    Ignoring this to talk to Blanche implied that her status was higher than Seraphina''s which was an obvious insult to the empress. Along with Claude using the greeting that was normally used for the royal couple, he had created the most offending insult possible without saying any bad words.

    Blanche swallowed and tightened her fist. She was in a dilemma. Answering meant that she agreed with the hierarchy Claude had suggested. She couldn''t do this without being presumptuous and antagonizing the heroine. But the person of lower rank had to respond when they were spoken to. Remaining silent or even pointing out his mistake was offending to the duke. It was truly upsetting. Especially since the original Blanche would have immediately taken this chance to be placed above the empress.

    Claude, as well as the rest of the nobles in the capital, was aware of the rivalry between the two women. Presumably, he also received the letters that the concubine had sent Sefare, which only gave him more information about Blanche''s jealousy in regard to the empress. He obviously wanted to use that to his advantage. He hoped to instigate a fight just with a few words and surely couldn''t be blamed if he apologized for his error.

    But thankfully, Theodore chimed in here. ¡°Your Grace.¡± He warned the other man in a low voice. ¡°Have you drunken something that might affect your long-term memory?¡±

    The duke turned his head in an exaggerated motion and widened his eyes as he pretended to notice Seraphina. ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty. I do not know where my mind was headed. I was just so surprised to see Lady Blanche here that I momentarily blacked out. Maybe Your Majesty is right. Honey, do you think I drank too much?¡±

    Selena shook her head and put on an apologetic face. ¡°Oh my, I don''t think so. Your Majesty, please excuse my husband. I fear that our son''s sickness might have influenced him too. Darling, are you feeling well?¡±

    Claude nodded and then looked at Seraphina. Now he suddenly waited for her to speak up first. Apparently, he knew that he couldn''t be even more insolent without getting in trouble.

    The empress narrowed her eyes but spoke up in a perfectly calm voice. ¡°Good evening, Your Grace. I sincerely hope that you did not get too sick due to your son''s illness.

    Claude quickly bowed again. ¡°Greetings to Her Majesty, the empress of Artias. Please forgive my insolence. I did not know where my mind was headed. I must truly have drunken too much.¡±

    Seraphina replied calmly again, even though her face expressed her freezing anger. ¡°I will excuse it this time, but do pay attention to not repeat such errors. Otherwise, some people might begin to doubt Your Grace''s intellectual capabilities.¡± Even if her wrath was directed at someone else, it was still terrifying.

    That only made it even stranger that Claude smiled again. ¡°I sincerely thank Your Majesty for her patience and her generosity to overlook other''s indiscretions.¡±

    Seraphina''s jaw tensed. She had understood what that comment had indicated. But she couldn''t bring up the ambiguity of the duke''s words, or he would simply insist that she had misunderstood.

    Judging by Theodore''s expression, he had also realized that Claude had been referring to his affair, but he remained quiet too.

    Claude used that chance to turn to the concubine again. ¡°Now, I can repeat what I had intended to do too hastily. I hope that Lady Blanche is doing well. It is truly a pleasant surprise to see that you are accompanying His Majesty from the very beginning so that we have the chance to speak. As normally, you have quite the captivating presence.¡± He really seemed keen on upsetting the empress today. Claude had complimented the concubine twice but not Seraphina. Either he wanted to deteriorate the heroine''s mood or fuel Blanche''s pride. Both usually would have made the outbreak of an argument later this evening much more likely.

    But Blanche didn''t have any intention of fighting with someone. She wanted to be polite and invisible, as she reminded herself. ¡°Thank you for your courtesy, Your Grace. I wish you a wonderful evening. May you enjoy the ball to the fullest.¡± She made a curtsy and lowered her head.

    The Duke of Vasquez let out a booming laugh. ¡°I''m not being polite, Lady Blanche. I really was admiring you. Your attire is mesmerizing, especially the necklace.¡± He smiled, but his eyes showed that he felt superior and that his kindness was nothing but an act. As soon as he mentioned the accessory, it was clear what he intended to do. Claude lowered his voice a little. ¡°I planned to find a skilled jeweler to buy presents for my lovely wife, but I have been unsuccessful until now. Say, would you inform me where you obtained this masterpiece from?¡±

    It was too obvious. Claude wanted Blanche to admit that she had chosen the necklace herself. Based on her previous behavior, he probably assumed that she had worn an accessory in the royal colors to make the impression of being part of the Estien family without Theodore''s consent. This would be pretentious, and certainly, the empress wouldn''t be pleasant upon noticing that the concubine had overstepped her boundaries yet again.

    Seraphina had already turned her head to look at the concerned necklace. She was definitely not too happy. But she couldn''t blame the concubine for no reason here.

    Blanche hurried to speak up to make clear that she hadn''t worn this on her own decision. She gave the duke a forced smile. ¡°This really is a beautiful example of excellent craftsmanship, isn''t it? Though I haven''t chosen it by myself. I would never dare, even if I know that this small accessory is not supposed to mean anything. The person who gifted this to me was Theo.¡±

    As she finished, Claude''s face fell for a second until he caught himself again. He responded with a grin that was even wider than before. ¡°Is that so? Well, His Majesty seems to have a good eye for accessories.¡± Then he scanned the concubine to emphasize the ambiguity of his statement. Blanche could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to fathom why the emperor would give a concubine a necklace in the royal colors and let her wear it in public. But for some reason, he seemed content with that which scared her a bit.

    Theodore was the one to laugh this time. ¡°I do pride myself in being able to see the true core of all things.¡± He looked down at his lover and gave her a confident smile. That certainly didn''t make the situation much better.

    Blanche felt like she had evaded the trap that the Duke of Vasquez had laid out, but Seraphina''s expression was still sour. The empress was now aware that her husband had given his mistress an object that would imply that the other woman was an unofficial part of the royal family.

    Even though the nobles knew what kind of relationship Theodore and his lover had, he had never announced the truth in public. He always introduced Blanche as a baroness living in the palace and nothing more. This was enough to make the people speculate about an affair, and the emperor had never refuted the rumors. He spent a lot of time with Blanche, even in public, without ever pushing her away when she had clung to him which was proof of his affair in itself. But letting his concubine wear a necklace in the royal colors implied that he saw her as a family member which didn''t leave any doubt regarding their relationship.

    The empress had already struggled to endure the concubine''s arrogance, which would only grow to be a bigger problem should the emperor reveal that Blanche was his lover. Due to the novel''s memories, the concubine had changed, but the heroine wasn''t aware of that and thus, probably dreaded her enemy becoming even more audacious.

    In the end, admitting that the necklace had been the emperor''s gift might not have been the best idea, but it was too late.

    Theodore seemed to realize that the atmosphere had gotten tense and changed the topic. Later he would have to pacify his wife, but he certainly wouldn''t have this discussion in front of the Vasquez family. ¡°Your Grace mentioned that your son is sick. Is it something alarming?¡±

    Selena shook her head and put her fingertips on her lips for a moment. ¡°Oh no! It''s nothing serious. Thankfully, Luciano is very lucky regarding sicknesses. He just caught a little cold and is resting in bed. Since he didn''t feel well and also feared infecting the other guests, he decided to stay at home. He regrets that he will miss the ball, but it can''t be helped.¡±

    In Blanche''s mind, something clicked at hearing the son''s name. Luciano Vasquez had been a character that appeared fairly often in the novel. He had approached the heroine on multiple occasions and even hinted that he had romantic feelings for her despite Seraphina being his family''s enemy and the emperor''s wife. That conflict hadn''t been resolved in the first book and thus, would be a possible obstacle in the sequel.

    Though Blanche still found the role Luciano had played in the novel strange. Not much about him had been revealed, and he hadn''t acted on his own except for initiating conversations with Seraphina, but he was treated like an important character anyway. This made the concubine suspect that he would play a bigger part in the second book. She doubted that his only role would be being a love interest since the heroine would already have chosen Theodore at that point too. Seraphina had used Luciano to take care of some things for her as well, and there had been a conflict about her worrying about why her husband wasn''t jealous of her spending time with another man. But that surely wasn''t the only reason Luciano had appeared in the novel, right?

    Something else was much more likely. Maybe that man wasn''t just supposed to be an element to add more people for Seraphina to twist around her finger to the story. Luciano''s background would create the perfect starting position for him to become an antagonist, wouldn''t it?

    Since Blanche was executed near the end of the first novel, Marquess Sefare''s deeds had also been discovered. He wouldn''t be able to act as a villain in the sequel since he would already be dead after being poisoned at that point. So, the Duke of Vasquez as well as the dowager empress and the second prince would be the most obvious antagonists. But this wouldn''t surprise readers, so a sudden plot twist wasn''t unlikely. Even though Blanche had no reasoning that backed her theory, she suspected that Luciano might become a villain in the future. It didn''t matter if she was right, but there was a possibility that he would be a danger soon. So, she would simply avoid him which shouldn''t be remarkable to others anyway. Luciano was Theodore''s enemy, so not interacting with him was a given.

    Seraphina kept her flawless stoic expression upright as she replied to the duchess. ¡°Send your son our regards. Hopefully, he will recover soon.¡±

    Theodore nodded in approval. ¡°If he is as tough as his parents, he will surely become healthy within a few days.¡±

    The conversation didn''t go on for much longer. The Vasquez family thanked the royal couple for their kind wishes, and Theodore quickly announced that they would move on. The two couples said their goodbyes, and Theodore led Seraphina to the third duke while Blanche trailed behind them.

    The concubine considered starting another attempt to get away, but her lover already gave her a look that assured her that he wouldn''t let her run away. She sighed and followed the royal couple before freezing in place. For a second, she felt something cold on her back and turned around to find Duke Vasquez staring at her with an expressionless face.

    When Claude saw that she looked at him, he put on a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.

    Blanche quickly focused on the path in front of her again while trying to suppress a shiver. She didn''t like that man at all. For Claude, she was probably a marionette dangling on a string, which he could cut whenever she did something he didn''t approve of. This was another reason to break off all contact with his friend, Marquess Sefare. That thought made her remember that she had forgotten to search for Sefare ever since Theodore had approached her.

    The concubine stopped and let her gaze wander through the ballroom. She scanned the nobles for a trace of platinum blond hair one more time. She remained unsuccessful and mentally noted that she would have to send the letter at the next opportunity she had. Otherwise, she might waste time, which was the one thing she didn''t have.

    ¡°Blanche?¡± A voice pulled her out of her daydream.

    The concubine''s eyes snapped to her lover, who was waiting for her a few steps away. She hurried after him and gave him a smile in response to his questioning look.

    Seraphina eyed her skeptically, but Blanche paid no attention to that as they reached the last duke.

 Chapter 17: The Nobles of the Capital, Friends and Foes (4)

    would be offensive. ¡°I happened to notice the necklace you are wearing, and I was unsure whether you were aware of its implied meaning.¡± She probably knew that she could say that the other woman was either uneducated and didn''t know society''s rules or that the concubine simply ignored them on purpose. So, she had an insult rather no matter what Blanche said.

    If you were closer to him, you would be in a rather unfortunate predicament. Because that would mean that you would have to accept that the man you love doesn''t want to take you as his wife. I have to confess that I wouldn''t be able to live with that. Especially since Her Majesty would always have an advantage over you like this. It would be very generous of a person to settle for a secret relationship, though that naturally would be the correct mindset. His Majesty would have to put the norms and rules of society above his own feelings in any case, right? Though he is the emperor. Doesn''t that mean that he can do whatever he wishes? If he had a lover, I would assume that he simply doesn''t want to marry her.¡±

    truly loved her when he was destined to be with the heroine had concerned her ever since she had received the novel''s memories. Still, she didn''t want to give up and accept defeat by showing how much these taunts affected her.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡° must be close to him.¡± Was she trying another strategy now? If so, this one was just as annoying as the other one.

    rumors, and I couldn''t convince her otherwise. Even after I requested for her to stop, she apologized multiple times. I am not even sure what about her words should have made me angry.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 18: Disagreements (1)

¡°

    ¡°

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    not concern you.¡± He pronounced every word with deliberate clarity.

    my palace?¡±

 Chapter 19: Disagreements (2)

    ¡°

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    If I change my mind, I will tell you. But I don''t think I will.¡± She cut him off when he tried to remind her that he would fulfill her desires as soon as she voiced them yet again. She wasn''t sure whether he said those things way more frequently than before or whether she was simply paying attention to it now. In any case, she needed to get him to be more cautious with such statements, or she would end up being accused of manipulating him again.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 20: Stressful Times Arrive

    Blanche awoke as she stirred around in a cold sweat, only to be calmed when she opened her eyes and found Theodore in front of her. Still, it took a while to ban the horrible images from her dream from her head. Even if that scene only was a fabrication of her own mind that was trying to process her jealousy, seeing Seraphina with Theodore felt like a knife was stuck in her stomach. The pavilion was a special place for Blanche and her lover. No one else deserved to be there.

    Especially not the heroine.

    Even though the concubine had woken up in this unpleasant manner, she took a moment to become conscious. She was still yawning and getting used to the light that was spilling through the curtain when she saw that her lover was already fully awake.

    Theodore was lying on his side and supported his head with his hand while observing her. ¡°Good morning, my angel. You seem to have slept quite well tonight.¡± The corners of his lips lifted as he carefully pulled a single strand of her that fallen onto her face away.

    ¡°Have I slept too long? Since when have you been awake already?¡± She murmured her questions and slowly sat up.

    He followed her example while shaking his head. ¡°This time, I seem to have woken up later than usual as well. But I could use the last few minutes to watch your adorable sleeping face, so it was worth it. You made strange noises in between. Did you dream something odd?¡± The memory of her nightmare caused her to grimace, which made Theodore laugh. ¡°So, it wasn''t a pleasant dream, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, but it wasn''t a nightmare either. Just...bizarre.¡± Blanche''s gaze fell onto the table, which was already set. She turned to the emperor to question when the servants had prepared everything, but he responded before she could open her mouth.

    ¡°Stella was here a while ago and asked whether she should take care of breakfast. That maid is surprisingly quiet while working.¡±

    A smile appeared on the concubine''s lips. ¡°She is used to setting the table when I''m sleeping, and I believe that she didn''t wake me once in the past weeks, even though I am normally quite sensitive regarding noises. Stella is incredibly good at not making a single clink when she handles porcelain.¡±

    Maybe the servant had become so efficient because her mistress had scolded her for the slightest noise before. But naturally, being completely silent took more time than when she could ignore all sounds, no matter which reason Stella had to be so good. If Theodore had watched the whole process of placing all the plates and dishware on the table, he had to have been awake longer than he had admitted.

    Blanche turned to her lover and asked him directly. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Let''s say that if you wanted to eat now, I would be glad to join.¡± The emperor grinned at her.

    The concubine swung her legs to the side of the bed and stood up to move to the table. ¡°Then we should have breakfast before you starve.¡±

    They sat down on their chairs and Theodore lifted one of the covers to reveal a basket with freshly baked bread and a plate with fish, which Blanche assumed to be salmon. This species was the most common fish in the sea of Eswen, the ocean that bordered on Artias, and thus, eaten more frequently than other fish. That was quite a useful coincidence for her. Salmon was her favorite garnish, and thanks to Theodore''s request, the cooks made sure to include it in a meal every so often.

    Blanche grabbed one of the small loaves of bread and happily bit into it. As she expected, it was delicious. The smell of freshly baked bread filled her nose, and she was glad that she could eat without having to wait.

    Her lover across the table took some bread as well and topped his slice with some vegetables before devouring it. It seemed like he had been hungrier than he had admitted earlier. This was something he tended to do. Often he would keep silent about his own desires and needs or simply ignore them in Blanche''s favor. He was the pampering, devoted lover that many young ladies dreamed about, which was natural since he was the male main character of a romance novel. Though his concubine could only hope that he wouldn''t neglect his own feelings in the future too. He deserved to be happy.

    The couple ate while exchanging a few words, and Theodore''s face lit up at some point before he spoke up. ¡°Our picture has been in the office for two days now. And as I had guessed, it fits there perfectly. Do you want to stop by later and take a look at it?¡±

    Despite Blanche''s doubts, he truly hadn''t reconsidered his decision and placed the portrait where it could spark rumors. Most likely, nothing would happen since only the ministers would enter, and they wouldn''t spread information that could start unflattering gossip about their ruler. But Duke Duremont would see it there too, and he wouldn''t be happy. Theodore knew that, and still, he had accepted the risks because he wanted to see his lover''s image on the wall in the room where he spent most of his time.

    A warm sensation spread in Blanche''s chest as she began beaming. ¡°Sure. When are you free? And when do you have to leave?¡±

    Theodore took another bite and drank a sip out of his cup while recounting his duties. His expression darkened a bit, and he paused in his movements. ¡°I will have to go after breakfast, regrettably. The messenger is scheduled to come here with news from Northern Ocrea, and I need to welcome him.¡± He finished his drink and set the cup down. ¡°I swear that half of my work would be unnecessary if those countries had signed a peace treaty after they split decades ago. If it wasn''t for this mess, I would have so much free time that I wouldn''t know what to do with it.¡± This was exaggerated, but he was right about having many difficulties because of Ocrea.

    Ocrea had been located behind the eastern border of Artias and had way bigger territories than most neighbors. A few decades ago, a civil war had developed out of the strong contrast between the population and their desired rulers. The violent revolution that followed had split the country into the northern and southern parts. Ever since then, the two nations had been in the middle of a cold war, and the border, which was heavily guarded, often was the location of conflicts that threatened to involve the military.

    Theodore''s father, the previous emperor, had signed a peace contract with Southern Ocrea, which made them allies. Thus, Northern Ocrea considered Artias an enemy country. Being on the verge of a war with this nation, which had a great number of weapons and experienced warriors, wasn''t an ideal situation for Artias at all. Should military combat develop, both sides would have many losses in terms of soldier''s lives and economic stability.

    This was exactly what would happen in the novel as well. Though the war was never described in detail since the heroine hadn''t been present at the battlefield, the consequences still had been summarized and left a terrifying impression. The description had been so good that Blanche could see the landscape of Northern Ocrea with the dead and injured soldiers lying on the floor in front of her inner eye. So many had died. In the end, a strategy that Seraphina had found in a book had led to Artias'' victory, but that didn''t make up for the horrifying impact that the war had had on both countries. Obviously, no one knew about that yet.

    Currently, Theodore was doing his best to avoid demanding the military''s support as he was aware of the threat that Northern Ocrea posed. A lot of his time was spent mediating with the king through messengers and appeasing him. In addition, he had to discuss the required actions with his ministers and design war strategies for the worst-case scenario.

    It would be better for everyone if that conflict never escalated, but how could Blanche get involved? She could ask her lover to put more effort into negotiating. As if he didn''t try that already. Maybe war was inevitable at this point in time. The concubine was so lost in thought that she almost didn''t realize that Theodore had continued to talk.

    ¡°But today the messenger won''t have too much energy after coming all the way from Ocrea. This means that I only have to greet him and find out whether he has some letters for me. If there are any, I have to read them and write a response. After that, I should have a little time before the ministers come. So, could you visit me in the office after lunch? I''m afraid I won''t make it through the day otherwise.¡± He put on a pleading expression.

    Blanche nodded instantly. He actually hadn''t needed to ask her in the first place. There wasn''t a reason for her to refuse her lover. She was in the palace to accompany him and would never dream about denying a chance to meet him. Still, he always asked for her opinion before arranging a meeting and allowed her to decline as well, even though her answer was obvious. ¡°I will be there.¡±

    Theodore began smiling and took another bite from his slice of bread. ¡°Then I''ll inform the guards so that they''ll let you in immediately.¡±

    They finished breakfast shortly after, and the emperor prepared to leave. He gave his concubine a long hug and a kiss before exiting the room.

    As soon as he was gone, Stella entered. ¡°Good morning, My Lady. How was the night?¡± She questioned that with raised eyebrows.

    Blanche had to grin at the servant''s relaxed behavior. She was glad that the other woman felt comfortable joking around with her mistress now. ¡°Oh yes, sleeping was very exciting. Did you do something interesting with your free time yesterday?¡±

    Stella''s face fell upon hearing these words. ¡°Actually, there is something that I need to tell you.¡±

    The maid''s serious tone worried Blanche a bit. She gesticulated towards the chair in front of her.

    Stella sat down. She stared at the table for a while and played around with her fingernails.

    When the maid hadn''t spoken up after some time, an unpleasant knot formed in Blanche''s stomach. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±

    The response followed as a frown, and a few seconds later, Stella finally opened her mouth. ¡°It''s nothing you have to worry about, I think. But it struck me as odd, so I believe it would be good if I told you about this. Yesterday, after Her Majesty told me to leave the room, I waited in front of the library. For a while, it was quiet, and I decided to quickly bring the ink back to your chambers. I came back, and Her Majesty was standing by the door. When she noticed me, she approached me and began asking strange questions.¡±

    Blanche frowned as well after hearing the servant''s explanation. ¡°Like what?¡±

    Stella started to fiddle with her fingers again. ¡°First, she wanted to know whether I served you. When I affirmed that, she asked what I thought about you. I was a little taken aback by that and questioned what she meant. Then Her Majesty asked whether you were treating me badly or whether you had ever hurt me. When I denied that, she got quiet for a moment before she asked if I was sure about that. I said that I was, and she thanked me. Then she left.¡±

    This was truly particular. Seraphina seemed to view Blanche as a truly despicable person if she believed that the other woman would physically harm her maid. Though considering the behavior the concubine had exhibited in front of the heroine, laying her hand upon others would only appear like a slight intensification of her self-righteous actions. But what didn''t make sense about this was the empress'' goal. What would she accomplish by finding out that Blanche had hurt a servant?

    Blanche had no idea what this was about, but she didn''t like it one bit. ¡°That is...unusual for sure. Why would she ask about something like this? I mean...what does she want with this piece of information? She certainly didn''t ask because she desires to understand my motives or anything like that.¡±

    Stella shrugged in response. ¡°I don''t know, My Lady. I was puzzled because of that the whole evening. I thought it might be better for you to know about that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe that it was good for you to tell me. Thank you.¡± Blanche put her hand on her chin and tried to understand what had gone through the heroine''s head. Unsurprisingly, she didn''t find an answer. ¡°Well, I can''t read her thoughts, no matter what I do. I''ll just keep that in mind. But for now, I will focus on visiting Theo. He requested me to come to his office after lunch.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Stella looked to the side and was unusually quiet for a moment.

    Blanche observed her and spoke up after a moment. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    The maid raised her gaze to Blanche for a couple of seconds before lowering it to the table. ¡°It''s just that-¡± She interrupted herself and began once more. ¡°I know that I shouldn''t compare this, but I can''t help remembering the last time that you went there. That didn''t end well.¡±

    The concubine would have liked to forget about that. The scene of Seraphina and Theodore on the balcony assembled itself in her mind, and she struggled to shove it aside again. Of course, Stella was still unaware of why her mistress had been so hurt upon witnessing it. The maid couldn''t know that this situation signaled the start of the book''s story. While Blanche had avoided thinking about that specific image, her brain had been processing the novel''s information almost nonstop. If she did manage to secure her survival and reached the end of the narrative, she looked forward to not having to ponder about the book anymore. ¡°I know what you mean. But it will be fine.¡±

    Probably.

    The odds that Seraphina was willing to spend time with Theodore after their explosive argument two days ago were low, and the odds that she wished to stay after seeing Blanche were even lower.

    ¡°I guess...¡± Stella didn''t seem to be convinced by that. But she motivated herself after a few seconds. She let out a deep breath and straightened her posture. ¡°If you want to meet His Majesty, you should dress now so that we can leave immediately after you finish lunch later.¡±

    The concubine agreed, and they got ready to go out. Today she wore a peach-colored gown, which was elegant but didn''t restrict her movement too much. After she got dressed, the women sat down and talked until it was time for lunch.

    When Stella left to retrieve the dishes, Blanche remembered the letter she wanted to send to Sefare. The concubine hurried to her desk and began writing the marquess'' initials on the envelope. She barely finished before the maid came back and hid the paper in one of the drawers in between other stacks of empty sheets of paper. She still wanted to read through her note once more before asking Stella to bring it out but couldn''t do that while the servant was with her. So, the arrival of her letter would be delayed by another day yet again.

    Stella joined her mistress at the table, and they ate together. After they were full, she brought the cart back into the kitchen. When she returned, the women made their way towards the office.

    And even though the concubine had acted confident before, she was still worried.

    While she walked through the corridors, Blanche carefully let her gaze wander to the window. No one was on the balcony this time. That calmed her somehow. The situation of last time wouldn''t be repeated. Still, she didn''t take the route across the courtyard and stayed in the building to make sure. As long as she approached the office from this side, she couldn''t see the people inside until she had entered the office. Then Seraphina, should she be there for some reason, would notice her too and hopefully retreat to avoid facing the concubine.

    This wing of the palace, in which the royal couple''s chambers as well as Theodore''s office were, was guarded heavily. The hallway next to Blanche''s destination was filled with knights, and the entrance door alone was protected by four of them. Normally, one would need to ask one of them to knock, but today it was different. Her lover had kept his promise as the guards bowed and let her in without announcing her arrival first.

    She stepped into the office, and the first thing that she saw was the emperor sitting at his desk. His face was buried in his hands, and only his elbows kept him in an upright position. Theodore looked up, and a tired smile appeared on his face when he recognized her. ¡°You came at the perfect time. I''m about to fall into despair any minute.¡± It seemed like the situation was horrible.

    Blanche quickly let her gaze roam across the office to get an overview.

    Owen was standing near the entrance and greeted the concubine with a nod, which she returned.

    Another person stood next to Theodore as well though. Leon''s face showed that he was just as exhausted as the emperor. He was currently pulling on his blond ponytail and looked like he was struggling to regain his composure. This was Leonard Astame, who was a marquess but more importantly Theodore''s right-hand man. He helped the emperor with political decisions, served as his advisor and substituted for him when it was required. If he was showing his irritation on his face this openly, they seemed to have been dealing with complicated problems.

    Blanche approached the desk and spoke up ¡°Then it''s good that I came now. Did the messenger bring bad news?¡±

    Leon nodded in her direction. ¡°I wish I could say that ¡®bad¡¯ was a fitting description. If what he wrote is true, it''s catastrophic!¡± He took a deep breath and turned around to stare out the window.

    Theodore waved his hand. ¡°If it''s alright with you, I''ll tell in a few minutes. I would like to take a short break. I have been dealing with this...situation for too long without resting in between.¡± He smiled when Blanche nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± He was quiet for a moment and then gestured to his right. ¡°As I told you, it seems like the picture just belongs here. It was the only thing that kept me sane during the past two weeks.¡±

    The concubine''s eyes followed his hand, and her gaze fell onto the portrait that was hanging on the wall. She hadn''t seen it again after it had been created, but the image had remained clearly in her mind. Still, it looked even more beautiful than she had remembered it to be. Seeing her lover and herself beaming down from the canvas painted a smile on her lips as well. The portrait hung above a dresser and between two higher bookshelves, which made it appear like the frame had been destined to be put there from the very beginning.

    Blanche couldn''t help but stare at it for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Erneis is truly a genius. It looks perfect on its own, but it fits there so well.¡± She rounded the desk and stood directly next to Theodore. ¡°And you have it in your field of view when you raise your head while working too.¡±

    Her lover hugged her waist and pulled her towards him as he spoke. ¡°This is exactly why I wanted to hang it there. So that I can always see you even when I''m working.¡±

    She put her arm around his neck and scanned the portrait with a grin. ¡°If it calms you, that is good.¡±

    Theodore nodded, and his expression became serious again. ¡°You don''t know how often it saved me today alone.¡±

    Blanche''s gaze wandered to his desk, which was covered in loose papers that were distributed in multiple high stacks. ¡°Do think telling me about it might help?¡±

    The emperor leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. ¡°It won''t change the extremely terrible situation, as Leon already hinted. But I need to sort my thoughts before I get emotional.¡±

    The concubine walked around his chair to stand behind him and gently began massaging his scalp.

    Her lover let out another long groan and began to narrate. His voice sounded strained, but she felt him relaxing under her slow movements. ¡°The messenger brought a letter of the king of Northern Ocrea. Until now, I thought that the king was a bit outlandish but a reasonable person. But in this text, he revealed that he is a paranoid old man that is suffering from dementia. Despite my endeavors to maintain peace and try to mediate with him, he suddenly insists that I am an enemy with the intention to invade his country. Why would I do that? Artias is wealthy. We can fish at the sea and mine for ores and gems in the mountains. None of the territories of Northern Ocrea offer anything that would benefit us enough to justify a war that would bring so much destruction and death to us.¡±

    ¡°Is he threatening to send his forces?¡±

    Theodore leaned his head backward and opened his eyes to look into hers. ¡°Not yet. He hinted that he might consider that soon if we continue to supply the cities near the border. But if we stopped, we would risk that soldiers from Ocrea attack us while we aren''t supporting our men, which are stationed there. That means that I am in a dilemma. I can''t follow his demand because that would show that he can order us around and jeopardize our troops. However, I can''t not follow it because he will view that as a threat somehow. Why did his personality change so abruptly?¡±

    If the situation was this tricky, it wasn''t surprising that a war had broken out in the novel. No matter how diplomatic Theodore acted, it would have unfavorable consequences either way.

    Though that didn''t even seem to be the worst part as Theodore still continued. ¡°In addition, the king accidentally sent another letter meant for his troops. Apparently, he ordered them to prepare for an attack should we not withdraw from the border in a week. I can''t fathom how he could make such a mistake, but this equals a declaration of war. Theoretically, I would have to announce that we will engage in combat soon. However, that would destroy all the years of work that both my father and I sacrificed to maintain peace. Not to mention the disastrous consequences that this war would have.¡±

    Blanche pressed her lips into a line. She didn''t have any idea what she could say. Nothing would make it better. ¡°That''s terrible. I can''t think of any other way to describe this situation.¡± And the novel didn''t really offer many possible solutions, did it? The reason for the war had been an attack by Ocrean soldiers, so Blanche couldn''t do anything about that. Even the heroine''s military strategy could only end the war brutally instead of preventing it.

    Leon turned back from the window and appeared to have calmed down slightly now. ¡°Saying that it''s terrible is an accurate description though. But I still don''t comprehend why the king would treat such confidential information so carelessly. While writing letters isn''t the safest form of communication in the first place, he should at least attempt to prevent the publication of these orders. In hindsight, we will always be able to prove that Northern Ocrea was the provocative party. That means that, in case of a war, they will be regarded as the guilty ones and forced to pay compensation fees. Writing down something like this is thoughtless.¡± He was right.

    The letters would be solid evidence to prove that Ocrea''s king had threatened to send his military. Thus, he might have written his own condemnation. An image of Blanche''s own letter to Sefare crossed her mind. Wasn''t she in a similar situation?

    Her plan to cut all ties with the marquess through a letter was risky as well. Should the envelope and the paper with her handwriting be found, it would prove that she had had a connection to the emperor''s enemy. This was something that she had to evade under any circumstances. Being involved in the intrigues was one of the reasons that the villainess had been regarded as an even more vile person after her death. If that was revealed before her demise, it would also destroy all of her efforts to avoid the antagonist''s role, and Theodore would resent her for being a traitor.

    This meant that she couldn''t send a letter after all, right? She should tear up the note and maybe burn the rest. Contacting Sefare would have to wait until she had a chance to talk to him personally at the next ball even if it would take a while. But wasn''t talking to him also dangerous? She had no idea what to do anymore.

    Blanche cleared her throat before speaking up. ¡°So, addressing such topics in a private conversation would be better?¡±

    The emperor nodded. ¡°Yes, it would. In that case, there would be two testimonies with differing content, and the true sequence of events can''t be retraced. Though since the capitals of Artias and Northern Ocrea are separated by a great distance, this isn''t possible for us. But...¡± He stood up and faced Blanche. ¡°I won''t bother you with politics anymore. You can consider yourself to be lucky that you don''t have to deal with this infuriating nonsense every single day. Though you will still have something to do starting by tomorrow. Your teacher will arrive in the evening, and your first lesson will follow the next day.¡±

    The concubine had to keep her face from falling. She had ignored the thought of Evelyn since the ball and was now reminded that she would have to spend a great amount of time with that unpleasant person. Nevertheless, she shouldn''t complain. It had been her decision to accept the other woman as a teacher. ¡°Should I go greet her?¡± She asked that even though she didn''t have the motivation to actually go and meet that awful woman.

    ¡°You don''t have to, but it would be polite of you. After all, I can''t come because I have to sit through a discussion with the ministers about that king''s letter.¡±

    Blanche inwardly sighed but nodded at her lover. ¡°Alright. When will she arrive?¡±

    Theodore grabbed a note from the desk and reread some lines. ¡°She didn''t give a specific time. I''ll ask the guards to inform you when she enters the property.¡±

    She barely had the time to thank him before someone knocked and was allowed in. The door swung open and one of the knights announced the arrival of the first ministers. The emperor gave his lover a small kiss on her forehead, and she quickly said her goodbyes. She left the room and met up with Stella to return to her chambers along with the maid.

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    Shortly before it was time for dinner, one of the guards knocked on the door and informed Blanche that her guest was waiting in the entrance hall. She hurried into the foyer and already saw Evelyn from the top of the stairs.

    Lady Lemares was currently ordering around the servants in an unpleasant tone while asking them to be careful with her baggage as she wildly gesticulated with her arms. ¡°Are you really so incompetent that you are unable to transport a few suitcases without destroying my belongings? Is this supposed to be the hospitality that guests of His Majesty receive?¡±

    Instantly, Blanche''s hopes that the teacher would behave appropriately in the royal palace died down. She walked down the staircase with a frown.

    When Evelyn noticed the concubine, she put on a rehearsed smile and made a curtsy. Within a second, her appearance became the one of a reserved and well-mannered lady. It wasn''t unexpected to see her immediate change of personality, after all, she had concealed her malicious side from her family for years. She didn''t raise her voice, which reminded the concubine that she, as the host, would have to speak first.

    Blanche did so promptly. ¡°Welcome, Lady Lemares. I hope you had a pleasant ride to the royal palace.¡± She returned a small curtsy after her greeting.

    Evelyn smiled at her in a sickeningly sweet way. ¡°Good evening, Lady Blanche. It was a calm journey without any occurrences. Thank you for allowing me to stay in the royal palace. It is an honor.¡±

    ¡°No, it is an honor for us. We are glad that you agreed to help me improve my conduct. Unfortunately, Theo...¡± For a moment, Blanche considered using her lover''s title but decided against it. Addressing him so distantly would be much too unpleasant, so she would rather be brazen. ¡°Theo had to attend a meeting with the ministers at short notice and thus, cannot greet you. I apologize for that.¡±

    Evelyn made a rejecting gesture. ¡°There is no need to apologize. Naturally, the political duties of His Majesty are of greater importance than an instructor''s arrival. Besides, Lady Blanche is here to welcome me, which a special honor as well.¡±

    The concubine couldn''t tell whether that remark had been made with the intention of being sarcastic, but it had sounded like that. After all, Evelyn''s rank as a daughter of a marquess and the sister of the most influential duchess was higher than the one of a baroness. Blanche ignored that and replied politely. ¡°I''m delighted by Lady Lemares'' understanding nature. Even if your ride wasn''t complicated by any obstacles, it must have been exhausting. Will you allow me to show you the way to your chambers?¡±

    The servants observed the interaction with a skeptical gaze. They probably had expected that the two women with explosive temper would clash upon meeting. Those poor people had probably feared getting involved in a fight now. While Blanche felt unwell seeing the teacher''s unfriendly attitude towards the maids, she didn''t bring it up. Evelyn would certainly find an excuse that justified her aggressive reaction even though her word choice had still been unfitting.

    Seemingly, Evelyn was even more unpleasant than Blanche had imagined her to be. First, she had used her rank to yell at others while treating them like garbage. But as soon as someone with more influence arrived, in this case the emperor''s concubine, she had gotten quiet and now behaved politely. How infuriating.

    But in all honesty, everything this woman did was upsetting. Evelyn responded with an exaggerated sweet tone. ¡°Gladly.¡± That was already enough to make the concubine want to throw her out.

    Blanche led the other woman to the third floor, where the rooms for the guests were located. She wished Evelyn a good night and made an appointment to meet the next day for the first lesson in the seating room next to the other woman''s bedroom. After that, she quickly retreated into her own chambers.

    Seeing Evelyn always reminded her of Sophia''s child drowning, and she could do without imagining that. She didn''t want to see such a tragedy. The concubine would give her best so that she wouldn''t be forced to in the future either. The unpleasantly clear image that the words of the novel had evoked upon describing how the baby was lying in the water motionlessly was enough to make her want to throw up. However, she couldn''t do much until Evelyn showed her true colors in front of everyone first, which would happen near the novel''s ending. That day, the concubine could chime in and save Sophia''s daughter. Until then, Blanche would have to ignore that a psychopathic woman like Evelyn was walking around freely.

    Blanche refused to think about that for long. She went to sleep early after eating dinner while trying not to worry too much.

 Chapter 21: Nightmarish Lessons (1)

    I often have a very busy day and thus, need to take advantage of every minute. However, we shouldn''t discuss that now but rather sort out how you are expected to perform flawlessly after my lessons. Are there any special topics that you would like to focus on?¡±

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 Chapter 22: Nightmarish Lessons (2)

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    esteemed Lady Lemares can complain about my posture even more.¡±

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 Chapter 23: Nightmarish Lessons (3)

    if she had met Evelyn, she would have thrown the other woman out of the palace after the first minutes. Lady Lemares was only lucky because her student needed to improve her conduct as fast as possible and didn''t wish to trouble Theodore with having to find another teacher.

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    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

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 Chapter 24: Piercing Words

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    the lady feels like putting even the slightest bit of effort into her duties? I''ll tell you something. I won''t allow you to make a fool out of me!¡± With every sentence, the tutor had become louder and was almost screaming now.

    I feel overwhelmed by having to do something for once in my life. The mean tutor is making me learn, and my empty head can''t take that.¡± She resumed in her normal voice again. ¡°Oh, how angry he will be at me.¡±

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    None. Because your abominable conduct has made you the person that everyone looks down on. After all, you''re just a whore that managed to seduce an influential man despite having no good traits. I only agreed because I wanted to change you so that you wouldn''t trouble our competent ruler. He has much more important things to do than keeping a sulking brat under control.¡±

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    her. Not for that horrible woman who called herself the heroine.

 Chapter 25: Lessons and Blueberry Cake

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 Chapter 26: A Delicious Gift?

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    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    men, especially Duke Vasquez, that moron, won''t accept that because they would have to use up a little more of their mountains of gold in that case. Their discussions are infuriating because they can''t give me any arguments but refuse to listen anyway. And that isn''t even all. The trading contract with Clatos still has to be affirmed, as well as the new route from Esora to Ibela, which would connect the capital with the sea and simplify shipping fish. In addition, the conflict of Travuan and Clatos considering the territorial claim of both on Batra is concerning me. We don''t need these two powerful nations to start a war close to our border nor them trying to conquer the land of our ally. As you can hear, it''s awful. This year is just a big catastrophe. If you start listing all the problems we have to deal with, you can go on for hours. But...¡±

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 Chapter 27: A Chance to Go Out

    As soon as the concubine left the room, Stella approached her mistress with curiosity. ¡°And? Did His Majesty like your cake?¡±

    Blanche replied with a wide grin. ¡°He adored it. He said that I did a great job and that he would love to eat more I bake.¡±

    That seemed to make Stella happy too as she responded while beaming. ¡°See? I knew that His Majesty would love it!¡± She was a bit louder than before while saying that, which attracted the knights'' stares.

    The women ignored that and walked towards the concubine''s chambers.

    On the way back, Blanche realized that she was humming to herself. Getting Theodore''s approval was such a small thing, but it meant the world to her. It probably wasn''t normal that her psychological well-being was so dependent on him, however, she couldn''t bring herself to care about that. She would enjoy every second with her lover to the fullest before it would inevitably end. As she recounted the events of the meal in bliss, she stopped in her tracks.

    This almost made her maid run into her. Stella, who had barely stopped before the collision, quickly questioned whether there was something wrong. ¡°My Lady?¡±

    Blanche frowned when she addressed her worry. ¡°Do you know what the empress likes?¡±

    In an instant, Stella''s expression changed from concern to showing complete confusion. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean as a present. Theo reminded me of her birthday. I need to prepare a gift that the empress will like at least a little bit for that. I know that she often reads, but I can''t simply give her some book when she has the royal library at her disposal.¡± Blanche explained that as she continued to move towards her room.

    Stella adapted to her mistress'' pace and held her chin while she pondered. After a short while, she responded. ¡°I''m sorry. I have no idea what Her Majesty would enjoy. I believe I know less about her personality or interests than you. But her birthday is still two months away, right? So, that means that you have enough time to find something fitting.¡±

    They arrived at their destination and entered the room before closing the door behind them.

    Blanche sat down on her bed and nodded. ¡°Yes, but I don''t have a clue where to begin. That''s why it might be good to start searching now. Perhaps I should ask someone close to her.¡±

    ¡°That would be helpful.¡± After a pause, Stella spoke up again. ¡°Maybe you could also go into the city and look at some stores. You don''t only have to take a look at the boutiques and luxury shops either. Of course, you can''t buy something for Her Majesty in the stores of commoners, but you might get some inspiration there.¡±

    After hearing this, the concubine perked up. After staying in the palace for a long time, she had only needed an excuse to go outside. Finding a present for the empress was a perfect reason to go out. Theodore would definitely allow her that, and she could go out with guards.

    Though this would sate her curiosity, it wouldn''t give her a chance to inspect the secret passageway. She still hadn''t attempted to look at it after Allen had interrupted her, but securing an escape route for an emergency was necessary, even if it was just to find out whether their enemies could use that hole. However, that was hard to accomplish with all the guards patrolling the garden and impossible with her maid watching her at all times.

    Blanche glanced over to the other woman. ¡°Stella, didn''t you tell me that you will visit the sea during your free days? Won''t that be this week?¡± This was almost too perfect. Since when was Blanche this lucky?

    Stella didn''t notice what her mistress was thinking and nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, I look forward to going to the coast. I haven''t been there for a few years and saved money to pay for the carriage ride. Now I will finally see the fruits of my hard labor. I''ll leave in two days, you know? You should have remembered that.¡± She beamed before she paused for a moment and then talked in a more serious manner. ¡°Have you reminded His Majesty to assign another servant to you for that week? He might have forgotten that considering how many duties he has at this moment. If you don''t point that out, you could be on your own for the time that I''m away.¡±

    The concubine made a rejecting hand gesture as she replied, ¡°I''ll do that tomorrow during breakfast.¡± She wouldn''t. For one, Blanche wasn''t keen on being waited on by an unknown person, who probably disliked her. The servants couldn''t insult her, but most of them displayed their opinion on the emperor''s lover very openly, like Gloria did. The concubine could accept being ignored or refuse to acknowledge gossip, but she didn''t want to spend a whole week with someone who hated her.

    In addition, while she considered Stella a good friend, she was glad to have some time for herself. She would be able to get lost in thoughts whenever she wanted and could examine the passage in the wall without being forced to hurry to finish before the maid came back. Blanche should be able to take care of herself for a few days. She could simply wear less complicated dresses, which she could put on herself, and everything else should be a piece of cake. Since she ate with Theodore, she also didn''t need to ask someone to bring her food to her chambers, and she was capable of walking there alone.

    The prospect of possibly leaving the royal property on her own was thrilling enough to fill the concubine with slight excitement that slowly grew with each time she thought about this option.

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    The wait for Stella''s vacation felt like an eternity. Whenever Blanche thought about visiting the city, she began fiddling her hands and pacing around on the same spot while being filled with anticipation and worry. Luckily, her maid was just as excited because of the joy about her upcoming journey since she didn''t seem to notice what her mistress was plotting.

    And so, that day finally arrived with Blanche feeling much more uneasy than she cared to admit to being.

    When Stella prepared to leave, the concubine saw her off at the main entrance. The maid had given her baggage to the coachman and talked to a couple of her colleagues while her mistress stood farther away to give them some privacy.

    Blanche tried not to listen, but a few words still reached her even when she turned away.

    One of Stella''s friends, a young woman, suggested something in a cheerful tone. ¡°You should use your vacation to relax once in a while. You deserve a break.¡±

    A second servant, a smaller woman, chimed in. ¡°Yes, you always work so hard and pull us along with your energy. Without you, it''s much harder to stay motivated.¡±

    A third man spoke up at that point. ¡°Well, that''s because you always push your duties onto her whenever you can.¡± This joke caused the group to break out in laughter while the addressed girl pouted playfully.

    This joyful banter continued for a moment before Stella took a look at the coachman, who was becoming impatient. ¡°I should go now so that we will arrive on time.¡± She glanced back at her friends. ¡°Thank you for coming here. I''ll miss you.¡±

    The first maid hugged Stella right after that. ¡°We''ll miss you too! Enjoy your vacation, and tell us about the sea afterward.¡± Her actions seemed to have lured the other ones in.

    One after the other, all of the servants embraced their friend and told her goodbye.

    In the end, Stella hugged them back for a while. Then she let go and said something to them before. She turned to her mistress and approached her while her colleagues watched with confusion. When Stella stopped in front of the concubine, she put on a somewhat shy smile. ¡°I''m sorry for letting you wait, My Lady. I should have talked to you first so that you could have left earlier.¡±

    Blanche dismissed her worry with a small gesture. ¡°I wouldn''t leave early either way. I''m going to wave as you ride off into the distance.¡± Her smiling expression became a bit more serious as she added something. ¡°I really hope that you have a lot of fun, but most importantly, have a safe journey.¡±

    Her maid beamed in return. ¡°I will. When I come back, I''ll give you a vivid description of the sea so that you can look forward to seeing it for yourself when His Majesty takes you to the summer residence.¡±

    ¡°But only if you don''t make me too jealous with your story.¡± The concubine responded with a grin that was supposed to hide her uncertainty. She had a very life-like image of the sea in her mind, but that could only be based on other''s stories. And unfortunately, she couldn''t be sure that she would be able to catch a single glimpse at the real ocean at all. Not when the novel progressed.

    For a moment, the women stood before each other in silence, which made Blanche focus on the presence again.

    Sending Stella off without anything else seemed cold, but Blanche didn''t know whether her initial thought went too far. She wanted to hug her servant as the others had done it, however, there was a great difference between them. The people standing there had been the maid''s friends for years. Blanche, on the other hand, had only begun to improve her relationship with Stella less than two months ago. Before that, they hadn''t exchanged words aside from greetings, orders and short replies in a distant or even hostile tone. Would an embrace be too sudden or unpleasant for her servant?

    Much like the concubine, Stella also seemed as if she still wanted to say something. She stayed quiet for a couple of seconds before slightly lifting her arms to the side and thus, offering her mistress a careful hug without forcing her into it.

    Blanche''s surprise was quickly shoved aside by glee. So, Stella did consider her as a friend, which proved that the conversations of the last weeks had meant as much to the servant as they did to the concubine. After this invitation, Blanche didn''t hesitate to pull the maid into an embrace but still moved slowly to avoid startling the other woman.

    They put their arms around each other''s bodies and remained like that momentarily. Within an instant, the gazes of everyone present were on them, but the women didn''t let the attention interrupt their interaction. When they pulled back, a bright smile adorned both of their lips.

    Blanche couldn''t help but say one final goodbye. ¡°Have a joyful journey.¡±

    Stella nodded at this and glanced towards the coachman, who had already taken a seat on the carriage. ¡°Thank you. I really have to leave now. We''ll see each other in a week.¡±

    ¡°I will wait right here at the entrance.¡±

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    The maid chuckled at the promise and climbed into the coach, from where she waved the people bidding farewell to her. ¡°Goodbye!¡± The servant''s exclamation was returned by her colleagues while the horses started to move towards the tiled pathway, which led away from the palace.

    Blanche stayed at the same spot and waved until the coach had disappeared onto the broad street, which wasn''t visible from behind the main gate. Suddenly, she felt really alone. While she was confident in being able to live on her own for a week, another problem became noticeable immediately. As soon as she turned around to return to her chambers, she realized that she hadn''t imagined that all the servants were staring at her. Their friend''s intimacy with the hated concubine had probably surprised them. But Blanche wouldn''t be the one to tell them how this had come to be.

    The concubine tried to ignore the people that were watching her and entered the palace through the main entrance. However, just after a few steps, she understood that walking through the corridors without Stella trailing behind her made her feel less protected. The staff''s cautious gazes and their indiscreet whispering intimidated her more than she wanted to admit. Normally, she could focus on a conversation with her maid, but that wasn''t possible now. She felt exactly like when she had come to the palace first. It was awful.

    Every time someone gazed at her for too long, she had to fight the urge to shrink under their judgmental looks. This was more than enough to make her take the shortest route back to her room. Even though she had impatiently awaited Stella''s departure before, sitting on her bed alone without someone to talk to made her feel lonely after just a few minutes. Luckily, the time for dinner arrived soon so that she could join Theodore for a bit.

    None of the guards or other servants whom the concubine met on the way asked her about the absence of her maid, and her lover didn''t notice anything either. This filled her with a little confidence. Maybe luck was on her side at least once. Hopefully, her journey to the capital would be possible without any unpleasant occurrences as well.

    She didn''t keep this optimistic stance for long.

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    The first thing Blanche noticed the next morning was that her luck was as unreliable as always. She had gotten up in the middle of the night to drink something. She had wanted to close her eyes again after that, but since her maid wasn''t here, she feared that she would sleep in. That wouldn''t be a problem if Theodore wouldn''t wait for her at the breakfast table, but he would. Thus, the concubine stayed awake despite yawning and her eyelids becoming heavy.

    When the sun began to illuminate the room, she stood up and dressed. This took her long enough as she wasn''t used to binding the corset on her own behind her back. After trying this unsuccessfully for a while, she gave up and put on a very simple dress instead of one of her favorites. Brushing her hair proved to be even more of a challenge. During the biggest part of her life, another person had taken over this task for her, so Blanche hadn''t done this alone in ages. Normally, that would have been fine, but her hair seemed to like troubling her, so she took a while. In the end, she managed to untangle her locks but not without pulling out more hairs than she should have.

    A look at the clock then also informed her that she was late despite being awake since the middle of the night, and she hurried to the dining room. On the way there, she almost tripped over her dress and barely regained her balance in the last second, which even made Owen, who was waiting before the door, prepare to catch her.

    Theodore was already at the table when Blanche came, so he, once again, didn''t notice that she had arrived alone. The meal went by without anything special except for the emperor asking if she hadn''t slept well, which she had to affirm.

    After parting ways with her lover, Blanche was eager to search for the secret passageway, but luck still wasn''t on her side. A couple of gardeners were cutting the bushes just across from her destination. Even if the novel hadn''t described anyone but Seraphina finding the passageway, this worried the concubine a bit. Should these gardeners check on the wall for some reason, they would locate the passage, and it would be closed immediately. Naturally, she couldn''t investigate her secret escape route while they were working. But the hidden hole was in their field of view, and she couldn''t avoid them.

    So, she had to wait another day.

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    The following night, Blanche was able to sleep until it was time for breakfast. She was fully awake today, however, a glimpse of the time made her jump out of bed. To be punctual, she had to get ready in less than five minutes, which wasn''t nearly enough time. She had barely put on a dress and made her hair look acceptable when she already stormed out of her room. With this, she managed to scare the maid, whom Theodore had sent due to his lover being tardy, and needed to apologize multiple times, which only seemed to worry the maid even more.

    The concubine was out of breath when she arrived in the corridor by the dining room and earned Theodore''s questioning expression with that. Unsurprisingly, he asked what happened, and she responded with a lie about Stella having missed waking her. Apparently, that excuse was good enough.

    After breakfast, she went into the garden, only to realize that the gardeners were still there. Blanche was slowly getting frustrated as she stomped back to her room, which almost led to a collision with a servant, who was carrying a pile of clothes. The man gave her an annoyed look that quickly turned into a bewildered one when she apologized three times and hurriedly closed the door behind her.

    In the end, she had wasted another day.

    <hr>

    During the next day, Theodore explained that he couldn''t join his lover for lunch since he had to attend a meeting with the ministers. This was perfect for Blanche''s plan, but that could be easily ruined if the gardeners were still present. So, she almost didn''t dare to look at her destination.

    But for once, the garden was empty.

    Blanche spun around multiple times to make sure that no one was anywhere close to her and then approached the wall. She carefully lifted the hem of her dress and moved between the bushes without stepping on them. She bowed down and put her hands on the cool stone of the wall to detect any cracks. Every few seconds, she turned around to confirm whether someone had come closer as she didn''t want to repeat the situation with Allen. After she had done that three times, her fingers brushed over a part of the wall that felt like something had broken off.

    The concubine crouched down and shoved the leaves to the side to reveal a hole in the stone. It wasn''t too big, but the size was great enough to allow a person to fit through with some squeezing. Blanche could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she whipped her head around. She was still alone with no one present to stop her. She was free to go into the city if she wanted to do so.

    For a moment, she hesitated. Was it a good idea to try this? Surely, the capital was safe as long as she stayed in the wealthy parts of the city, but was this really necessary? Technically, Blanche had decided that she would stay with Theodore, so examining a way to go out wasn''t really helpful. But it would still be good to have a clue of how the capital and the way there looked, right? Just so that Blanche could avoid the heroine if it truly became necessary. While she went out, she could also confirm whether the one way to make money she had come up with would work for her. She was pretty certain that she wouldn''t need gold coins when she stayed with Theodore, but she had to admit that her curiosity won. She could just take a small step out to check whether it was safe first, right?

    Adrenaline shot through her veins as she lifted her dress higher to avoid dragging it across the floor and stepped in front of the passage. She slowly crawled through the hole. After just a few steps, she had overcome the impassable walls of the palace. She had to squeeze through the gap between the stone and a great bush on the other side. When she straightened her posture, her eyes darted around her surroundings.

    No one was to be seen. That was stupid. Surely, the area on this side of the wall didn''t belong to the royal estate, which meant that people could technically move around here, but there were still many guards that liked to send outsiders away. Why couldn''t she see any of those?

    Uncertainty began nagging at Blanche''s brain. Was it truly safe for her to be here? Surely, there weren''t any dangers close to the royal estate. The worst that could happen was being caught by guards, who would bring her back and ruined her chances of having a secret escape route, which she had decided to not use anyway. There also weren''t many crimes in the part of the city she wanted to visit, and no one would recognize her as long as she didn''t yell her name loudly. While the commoners had heard rumors about the emperor''s lover, they had never seen her and had a vague description of her in mind at most.

    The most dangerous part was probably the way from the palace into the city. If she could cross that distance, she would actually be able to justify her trip.

    Blanche remembered that the novel had described how Seraphina had paid the owner of a cart to drive her to her destination with a few gold coins. If that had worked for the heroine, it should be fine for Blanche too. She was confusingly sure about that, which was enough for her to make her decision.

    She climbed back inside the walls and approached her room while taking care that the servants didn''t notice her. She opened a small chest in her wardrobe and pulled out a velvet sack. The concubine took a few coins from her emergency stack, which wasn''t too big but just great enough for her to buy something in the city. She put those inside the sack, which she hid in her hand, before changing into the most inconspicuous dress she had. Blanche couldn''t quite hope to look like a poor commoner like this, but at least no one would suspect that she was rich enough to be a good target for thieves. Along with the fact that she wanted to go to a neighborhood with a more wealthy clientele, and thus many guards, that was enough to keep her safe.

    She confirmed whether she had everything she needed once again before climbing downstairs and exiting the palace. After waiting for some guards to pass by and making sure that she was alone now, she left the estate through the hole again. It seemed like the gods were gracious with her today as her path was cleared by some magical coincidence.

    As Blanche stepped away from the royal walls, she found herself on top of a hill from which she had an unobstructed view of the outline of the capital. For a moment, her lungs let out all air, and she forgot to breathe. Since the last time that she had seen the city, it had grown so immensely that the difference was even visible from a distance. In just a year, the world around the royal estate had changed completely while time seemed to be stopped inside the palace.

    When Blanche caught her breath again, her gaze wandered to the little marketplace that was located between the capital and the palace. This was where Seraphina had found her ride, and the concubine intended to try that too. She began walking down the hill. The grass below her shoes felt as strangely familiar as the breeze, which made her hair whirl around in the air. It seemed like she unconsciously remembered her childhood outside the palace better than she noticed. But had she ever been here at this marketplace? Blanche doubted it.

    After a few minutes, she arrived at the tiled square, which was covered with a few stalls where the vendors were presenting their goods. She let her eyes roam around until she found an old man with a cart, which was pulled by two horses. After she watched the trader chatting with a few of his colleagues, she came to the conviction that he seemed like he would gladly help someone for some gold coins. That familiar man''s cart matched the novel''s description with its green and red flags tied to the back, so it should be fine.

    Blanche approached the man with slight uncertainty, and his gaze met hers.

    A bright smile appeared on the man''s face as she reached him. ¡°Good day, young lady. Can I help you with something?¡± This was definitely the person that brought people around on his cart. He had the same gap between his teeth, which was the only thing the concubine had memorized about this person''s appearance.

    Blanche returned a beam and responded. ¡°I wish a good day to you too. Yes, I would like to go to the capital. Are you willing to bring me there for a few cold coins?¡± She lifted the sack up and shook it so that a clinking was audible.

    The man gave her a nod and pointed to his cart. ¡°If the young lady is fine with riding in this run-down thing, I''m glad to bring you to your destination.¡± He helped her with climbing onto the seat and sat down next to her as he seemed to do it with everyone that asked him to bring them somewhere.

    Unsurprisingly, Blanche had made the right decision in this regard. The man was nice and joked a bit about her avoiding her parents'' watchful eyes and him remembering his wild youth as well, so the ride was pleasant and quick. The horses were way faster than the concubine would have been while walking.

    After about half an hour, they reached the city gate. The streets were filled with masses of people, who were going through their daily schedule and scurrying around.

    The cart wasn''t suitable to move past the crowd, so Blanche jumped off. She didn''t know how many coins she should give the man, so she handed him five. She had thought that being generous would make him more likely to help her in the future. But apparently, that amount had been too much since it made him stare at her with wide eyes. She had overdone it with those stupid gold coins. This would make her more memorable than she wanted to be, but taking some money back now wasn''t polite either.

    Thankfully, the man was very grateful. He offered to bring her back in the evening, and they set up a meeting point by the gate. Then he left her alone amongst the cramped roads after giving her some tips on where to go.

    Blanche nodded but ignored his words. She knew where she needed to go. At first, she had trouble orientating herself and squeezing through the small gaps between the vendors, but as she moved forward, fewer citizens ran around. As soon as she spotted the main street, she followed it while humming to herself. Blanche had managed to find the part of the town where the stores for the more wealthy clientele were located. The boutiques and luxury shops were in yet another district, but even here a significantly smaller amount of people was present.

    It should be possible for her to find a pawnshop here. In an emergency, which she knew that she would be very reluctant to accept, she might be able to give away some of her jewelry in exchange for enough money to keep herself afloat for a few weeks. Surely, this wasn''t going to help her in the long run though. Handing over too many valuable items would require her to name a household that would vouch to pay back the money in the future, much like selling too much jewelry at the same time would make people ask for a proof of ownership. But if she could get enough money to pay for food for a couple of days, and possibly buy some nice, small gift for Theodore, that was the best she could do at the moment. First, she would have to find that pawnshop though.

    Or a store in general, where she could search for an idea for Seraphina''s present. That was much more important. After all, Blanche was aware that her needing to attend the empress'' birthday party was a million times more likely than her actually running away.

    She shouldn''t take too long to find either type of store though, so it didn''t matter what she did first. This was a place that Blanche had visited a few times in the past with her parents. She knew the general layout of the streets and could probably find her way around as long as she paid attention to the stores she had been to in the past. Back then, she had never had an issue with orienting herself, so she was sure that it would be fine. And for the most part, it truly was fine. The surrounding area was familiar.

    Still, Blanche had to admit that she took longer than before. She scanned the buildings and inspected the signs that showed the street names, but quickly noticed that she wasn''t that close to her destination. Now that she was in the midst of the labyrinth of roads, she had to admit that storming into the city without preparation might not have been the best idea. She had no choice but to find the stores she knew to figure out how to move forward from there, even if that meant taking a detour. She stared at the facade of one of the shops and took a step backward to read its name.

    That had been a stupid idea though. When she ran into another person, she realized that wasn''t alone at this intersection like she had previously believed.

    The sudden impact almost made Blanche trip, and she only managed to avoid that because the figure behind her had grabbed her shoulders to stabilize her. The concubine spun around and hurriedly apologized. ¡°I''m sorry, I didn''t-¡±

    The words died in her throat when she came face to face with a pair of golden eyes. It was like she was staring directly into a pot of melted gold, and she was mesmerized for a second. But the air left her lungs for another reason.

    ¡°Lady Blanche?¡± The other party''s voice sounded as startled as she was.

    Why was that man here? Luciano Vasquez, the son of Duke Vasquez, was one of the people she definitely shouldn''t meet.

 Chapter 28: Accidental Meeting

    Surely, the gods had to hate her. No one could be this unlucky.

    Blanche asked herself how unlikely it was that she had met Luciano Vasquez the one time that she left the palace but found no response.

    Luciano was the son of Duke Vasquez, who opposed Theodore. He was a love interest to the heroine and hinted to be an antagonist later. At the last ball, Blanche had made the conviction of avoiding him, but it seemed like most of her plans didn''t work out the way she wanted them to.

    ¡°Lord Vasquez, what a coincidence it is to see you here.¡± She stepped away from him and made a curtsy.

    Luciano had regained his composure as well and put on a smug grin that was much like his father''s. He bowed down and returned the greeting. ¡°It really is a surprise to meet you outside the palace, Lady Blanche.¡± He turned his head to the sides and scanned the streets for a moment. Then gazed at the woman in front of him again. ¡°Aren''t there any guards accompanying you?¡±

    Blanche probably shouldn''t admit that she was here without protection in front of the emperor''s enemy. So, she replied as calmly as possible while trying not to panic. ¡°There are guards here. They are merely hiding to avoid me standing out, which is why you can''t see them. I just wanted to go out for a short time, so you needn''t worry.¡± By now she regretted going out already though. She had to get away from this man quickly, or her rather secure visit would end up being problematic.

    Luciano crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows as he observed her reaction to his next sentence. ¡°His Majesty doesn''t know that you are here, correct?¡± He sounded like he was scolding a child, and he wasn''t so wrong about this claim at all.

    The concubine raised her hands in a rejecting gesture and glanced to the side while she hurriedly began to give him an excuse. ¡°He does! The guards are waiting for me. It''s just-¡±

    Luciano shielded his eyes with a hand for a moment before lowering it again and scanning her expression in detail. He raised his chin slightly while he replied ¡°You don''t need to lie to me. It''s quite obvious that His Majesty wouldn''t let you go out on your own. I don''t want to prevent you from having fun, but being alone in the capital is reckless. Not only do you not have any knowledge about the layout of Esora, but you could also get into trouble. While the city is generally safe, that doesn''t mean that there aren''t any criminals here.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Blanche started, but she doubted that Luciano would listen to her. ¡°This is a city, not a battlefield. There are many more citizens running around here alone, and they didn''t get in trouble. Besides, I am very much aware of where I need to go.¡± Her gaze wandered around the surroundings, and when she saw no one that looked like a guard, she became a bit more confident. She crossed her arms in front of her chest to mirror Luciano''s posture and refuted his words. ¡°You''re alone here as well, aren''t you? So, it''s fine for me too.¡± Her confident expression was quickly wiped off her face when he shook his head.

    ¡°That''s not true. I''m not alone. The carriage with my servants and a guard is waiting for me behind this intersection.¡± Luciano pointed to one of the street signs. ¡°Besides...¡± He pushed his cloak to the side to reveal a sword that was strapped to his belt. ¡°I can defend myself in an emergency. Not to be impolite, but I doubt that Lady Blanche carries a weapon that she can use against a group of bandits with her.¡±

    The concubine was at a loss for words. She didn''t have much to say to refute his reasoning. He was right about her not having cautious enough. She hadn''t considered that someone might have the intention to harm her at all. ¡°I...hadn''t thought about that.¡± She let her arms sink and scratched her wrist while evading Luciano''s gaze but tried to explain why she was still sure that her visit hadn''t been too risky anyway. ¡°However, as I said, this is a normal city. You shouldn''t expect anyone to randomly attack-¡±

    Luciano cut her off without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡°That you were unprepared is not much of a problem, so you don''t need to justify your reasoning. I won''t scold you like His Majesty would. Thankfully, nothing happened, but we''ll have to make sure that it stays this way. I''ll bring you back to the palace.¡±

    A small ¡°Huh?¡± escaped Blanche''s lips before she could stop it. She didn''t want to accompany that man.

    Luciano should be well aware of that, but he just looked at her as if she had said something strange. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    After keeping her mouth shut for a moment, Blanche responded quietly. ¡°Do you mean you want to bring me back now?¡±

    ¡°Naturally. It''s only unnecessarily dangerous to leave you here alone. That you managed to come all the way without being harassed by some lowlife is almost a miracle A delicate, young noblewoman, who walks through the streets alone and is unfamiliar with the city, is a great target if you want to gain money fast.¡± Luciano gestured towards the velvet pouch, which she grasped in her hand. ¡°Especially if she carries it around with her this openly.¡±

    The concubine''s gaze followed his, and she clenched her fingers around the pouch more tightly. He was right again. At least to some extent. In reality, the more wealthy parts of the city were safe. That was the only reason she had come here on her own and was sure that she could stay here for a few more minutes too. At this point in time, she didn''t want to go back. She hadn''t located any helpful stores and also hadn''t found a present for Seraphina. So, she looked up again and spoke with as much confidence as possible. ¡°I came into the city to find a gift for Her Majesty''s birthday, but I have no clue what I should give her. This is why I can''t leave before finding inspiration.¡±

    Blanche hoped that this excuse could help her. As long as she entered a random store in a moment, Luciano would finally disappear, right? Wrong.

    Luciano raised an eyebrow inquiringly. ¡°Isn''t Her Majesty''s birthday only in two months? You still have many other opportunities to find something for her. Though if you insist on going now, I can accompany you to secure your well-being.¡±

    She didn''t want that either. This man was the son of Theodore''s enemy, so she had no interest in spending a lot of time with him. He should feel the same way. Thus, his friendliness made her skeptical. This could lead to unpleasant questions if other aristocrats were to notice them together, and exploring the capital wouldn''t be fun when he trailed behind her either.

    Blanche scanned the man for a moment before coming up with an excuse. ¡°No, I don''t want to inconvenience you any further. I will search for an appropriate gift later. While I am extremely thankful for your offer, I don''t need to be brought back. I''ll go home on my own now.¡± She would only need a few minutes to return to the man with the cart, so that should be fine. She tried to turn around and walk away, but her explanation was completely ignored.

    Luciano put on a serious expression and spoke up with determination when he stepped into her way. ¡°I apologize for my boldness, but I have to insist on escorting you in any case. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if something were to happen because of my negligence. I will not give in regarding this matter. If you wish to stay here, I will accompany you until you decide to go back. Your safety is much too important for me to agree with your reckless decision.¡± That bastard. A glimpse of resolution showed on his face and convinced Blanche of the fact that he wouldn''t give in.

    Blanche put her hands onto her hips and glared at the man for a moment. After a few seconds of silence in which neither one of them budged, she gave in though. Inwardly, she wanted to tell him to leave her alone, but she put on a small smile. ¡°I see. If Lord Vasquez is this determined, I will gladly accept your courtesy.¡± Only because he wouldn''t leave her alone so that she had no choice, but it was still frustrating. There was no way that Luciano could hurt her when they were in the capital, where people would inevitably see them leave together, but she had to swallow her reluctance nonetheless.

    Luciano bowed his head for a second while he answered. ¡°No, it''s the duty of every young man in noble society to protect others in need of help. I''m honored because you are allowing me to assist you. Then will you let me guide you to the carriage?¡± He gestured towards their destination.

    Was this really going to be it? Blanche would give up now if she needed to go home without gaining anything. She looked over her shoulder while trying to catch a glimpse of the stores. She hadn''t been lucky today. Could she still attempt to gain one advantage despite that? She glanced at Luciano. She didn''t trust that man at all, but if she asked a harmless question, he could surely answer, right? Admittedly, she was more than reluctant, but she still forced herself to speak. ¡°Pardon me, Lord Vasquez. Are you perhaps aware of any pawnshops that are located around here?¡±

    As expected, Luciano couldn''t respond politely without bothering her. Instead, he looked at her in confusion. ¡°Why do you need to know about that? I doubt that His Majesty makes you pay rent. Does he not gift you enough-¡± He could spare his breath.

    Blanche cut him off while trying to sound as kind as possible. ¡°Why I wish to visit that store is not important. Do you know whether one is around here?¡± If so, she needed to go in and ask whether it was possible for her to exchange jewelry for money at any time even when she was in a rush to run away. Not that she would ever need that with how keen she was on staying with Theodore, but then she could at least tell herself that her visit here had had a purpose.

    Luciano blinked at her a few times, but for some reason, his surprise seemed more fake than anything else. He acted like he was so innocent while definitely having ulterior motives. ¡°I do know where one would be. I could bring you there if you wish to go. However, it will not help you much.¡± That didn''t sound good. ¡°Due to the huge amount of people that committed fraud during the past months, the pawnshops came up with a new rule. They will only pay a very small amount of money without confirmation of your identity. If you wish to ask for more than just five gold coins, you will need to name your household and address. I do not want to be impolite, but Lady Blanche is neither part of a well-known noble family nor will the people here accept the royal palace as your home unless you bring proof. So, unless you have an official letter by His Majesty, you will not be able to win much here.¡±

    Damn it. The rules had been changed in the past year. Theodore''s permission was the one thing Blanche couldn''t get. Did that mean that she could forget selling her jewelry even if there was an emergency?

    Seemingly.

    Well, she hadn''t planned on running away anyway. If Blanche was honest, she knew that she would never leave her lover even if she was swimming in money. That she was so stuck to Theodore seemed like the typical trait of a villainess, didn''t it? In any case, this meant that she could give up on finding a pawnshop then.

    Luciano didn''t seem to notice that the other party had lost interest and quickly spoke up again. ¡°If Lady Blanche requires money and His Majesty won''t give it to you, I could lend-¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°No.¡± Blanche only noticed that she had been a bit too harsh in her tone after saying that. So, she forced herself to put on a bright smile. ¡°Thank you very much, but I don''t need anything. Shall we go to your carriage then?¡± She hoped that changing the topic would save her.

    Apparently, she was lucky.

    Luciano looked like he was rather skeptical, but he agreed. He led Blanche into the street that branched off behind the intersection. He hadn''t lied when he had previously stated that his servants were waiting there for him. There were two men and a knight, who greeted their master and the concubine without daring to ask questions.

    Luciano approached the carriage and offered Blanche help while she climbed up the steps below the door, which she ignored. He followed her and took a seat on the bench across from her. After he gave one of the servants an order, the coach began moving. The roads close to the city gate were less filled now, most likely because it was midday and the citizens ate dinner with their families.

    As they left the capital, Blanche was in a horrible mood. Going out hadn''t helped her at all. She didn''t have an idea for a gift nor had she been able to find any old places that reminded her of her family. She had only run into one of the countless people she should avoid. This was just typical for her luck, wasn''t it? She glanced out of the window. Just then, her gaze fell on the old man who had brought her here. She quickly turned to Luciano and asked him to stop. She pointed to the man. ¡°This is the person who let me ride their cart on the way to the city. We agreed to meet in the afternoon so that he could drive me back. I need to tell him that he can leave now.¡± She intended to jump out and possibly try to use that chance to ride back by cart instead, but the duke''s son stopped her.

    ¡°You don''t have to do that.¡± Luciano signed towards his attendant and asked him to bring the news to the old man.

    The concubine was slightly annoyed that she didn''t get to leave on her own accord, but she tried not to focus on that. She felt bad for having made the trader wait the whole day for nothing, so she handed the servant three more gold coins before he hurried to his destination.

    The old man listened to that servant''s narration, accepted the money and looked up to smile at Blanche while he waved. She returned the motion.

    The servant came back after a minute, and the ride continued.

    The difference between this carriage and the old cart became obvious quickly. The little bumps of the tiled roads were way less noticeable, and this vehicle moved much faster, which was thanks to the trained horses that had probably costed a fortune.

    Blanche wasn''t comfortable with any of this though. She hated the fact that Luciano was with her and only trusted him enough to let him bring her home because of the servants that surrounded them and the citizens that had seen them together. Thus, she had hoped to be able to stay quiet until the end, but she wasn''t that lucky.

    After a while of silence, Luciano took out a piece of paper and scribbled something down on it. He handed it over to the concubine, who took it with a questioning gaze.

    She unfolded the scrap of paper and was met with an address that was unfamiliar to her. She glanced at the man sitting in front of her, and he gave her a carefree grin.

    Luciano explained himself quickly. ¡°This is the jeweler that my family has been visiting for years. He creates stunning accessories with great skill and takes on custom orders too. You said that you still require a present for Her Majesty, and I believe that this store could give you some inspiration. Maybe you will even find a fitting gift there. Though you will not be able to sell anything for money there either.¡±

    Blanche scanned the address again while trying to hide her anger upon realizing that Luciano knew what her plan had been. ¡°Thank you for your suggestion. I will look into it.¡± She was unsure whether the pragmatic empress could be pleased with jewelry, but since she had no starting point, she might as well try it.

    After that, Luciano seemed to make it his task to bother the concubine as much as he could. He continued to initiate small talk during the rest of the ride, which was rather uncomfortable.

    Blanche tried to show him that she wasn''t interested with curt responses, but that didn''t help much. Luciano seemed to be a stubborn person, much to her dismay.

    Even though the carriage ride felt like torture, they reached the royal estate earlier than she had expected. Luciano got off the coach to help her while she followed him out.

    Blanche immediately looked around. They were on the side of the royal estate that was close to the servant''s quarters. This meant that no guard would bat an eye if carriages came here, unless someone stepped too close to the walls. The few conveniently placed trees would even give her enough protection to move back to her destination. This would work out perfectly for her. Logically, the concubine didn''t wish to inform Theodore of her trip, so she would have to enter through the secret passageway again without anyone else being here. She just had to walk around the wall until she found the correct spot and then return.

    This wasn''t possible as long as Luciano was watching her though.

    Blanche turned towards him and smiled to be polite even if she was actually pretty annoyed. ¡°I''d like to thank you for the ride.¡± At first, she wanted to stop after that, but then it dawned on her that she was now indebted to him. So, she added another sentence. ¡°I troubled you today, and I apologize for that.¡±

    Luciano''s face still showed the same smug grin as before, which unsettled the concubine a bit when he replied. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, Lady Blanche, but you do not have to thank me. As I said, it was an honor for me. However, if you wish to reciprocate my help, I do have something I would like to ask of you.¡±

    Blanche froze as she fought the urge to take a step backward. She neither wanted to do anything for this man nor did she feel comfortable listening to his possible request. She feared what he would voice now, but as the words left his mouth, the pressure fell off her again.

    Luciano actually didn''t demand anything problematic at all. ¡°Please be more careful in the future. You shouldn''t put yourself in a possibly dangerous situation for no reason. Just take a few guards with you, and I''ll be calmed.¡±

    The concubine nodded but felt like he was exaggerating at the same time. Why did he care whether she was safe? They were enemies. ¡°I will listen to Lord Vasquez''s request, but I doubt that I am in much danger when I go out into the city. It''s not like there are people trying to hurt me in particular. I''m not that special.¡± She smiled and wanted to end the conversation there, but she didn''t get that chance.

    Luciano let out a chuckle, which made her interrupt herself. Somehow, he suddenly had a different aura than before. His smile was a bit smaller now, and the emotion blinking in his eyes certainly wasn''t joy. ¡°I fear that there is a group of individuals who wish to harm you, Lady Blanche. And your appearance doesn''t make it hard to spot you.¡± He leaned down to the concubine and lifted one strand of her hair before letting it fall.

    Blanche almost slapped his hand away as she took a step backward. She glared at him while already being prepared to yell to lure in the royal guards. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Luciano still stood at the space he had occupied before, but now he seemed to be serious instead of acting like he was making fun of her. ¡°You stand out like a flare. Have you ever seen someone with similar hair? I haven''t either. Now think about it. Everyone in the capital heard the rumors about His Majesty''s lover. You might believe that everyone around you is stupid, but any person that isn''t completely clueless can put one and one together and realize that you are His Majesty''s precious treasure. There are enough nobles who would be glad if you came to harm, and if you run around alone, that gives them the chance they need to take that matter into their own hands. Do you want to be hurt so badly? I don''t think so. Maybe you are just too dense to fully understand the position that you are in.¡±

    Luciano''s voice had lost its light tone a little with every word that he had spoken. At the same time, his smile had faded, and his eyes showed a seriousness that didn''t match his normal behavior at all. He actually wasn''t threatening the concubine, but his words almost made it seem like he was hinting at that.

    Blanche took a step back again. She was about to turn around and run away to attract the attention of some royal guards, but then it stopped.

    In an instant, Luciano seemed like a lever had been switched. His grin returned with the carefree mood in his voice. ¡°You''re His Majesty''s beloved, so you should take care of yourself a little more, alright? You aren''t even cautious of me. I would never dream of harming you, but others aren''t as courteous as me. Don''t just trust anyone you meet. You can''t afford to scar your pretty little face. Besides, His Majesty might not want to see you spending time with other men. You should pay attention to that too if you don''t wish to upset him.¡± He lowered his volume so that he was barely audible to Blanche, even though she only stood a few steps away from him. ¡°But Sefare hasn''t reminded you to be careful about that, has he?¡±

    A shiver ran down the concubine''s spine as she balled her fists and narrowed her eyes. Of course Luciano would know about her past and about how Sefare had taken her in and used her. That was obvious, but he had still caught her off guard, which was even worse considering that Blanche hated that fraction of her life. Theodore''s enemies still saw her as their tool. She needed to make them understand that she wouldn''t fulfill the role they had come up with for her quickly.

    Her reaction made Luciano let out a quiet chuckle before he resumed while talking louder than before. ¡°Well then, it''s time for me to return home. I hope to see you again soon, Lady Blanche.¡± He turned around and left without giving the speechless woman an opportunity to sort her thoughts or respond. Luciano climbed into the carriage, waved his hand once and drove off to leave the concubine alone with the tension weighing on her.

    Her intuition had been right about him. Luciano was a two-faced person, who resembled his father in more than just his appearance, and would most certainly become a threat to the main characters later. It almost seemed like he had enjoyed scaring her. And not just that, he also knew too much.

    While Blanche had considered the possibility that the Duke of Vasquez and his son knew about her connection to Sefare, hearing Luciano speaking about it had left her behind with an unorganized whirl of thoughts in her mind. She needed to cut ties with Sefare as fast as possible.

    If that was even possible despite her already being caught in a sea of lies.

    She tried to calm herself by breathing in and out slowly as she watched the coach becoming smaller as it followed the path from the palace to the city. When she managed to tear her eyes away from the horizon, she tried to look as inconspicuous as she could as she looked around.

    It almost felt like she was following a routine when she approached the wall and moved alongside it until she found the hole. After ensuring that none of the guards were watching her, she climbed inside.

    As Blanche squeezed herself through the passage and stood up inside the royal property without alerting the knights, doubts rose inside her. Was the palace really safe if a person could just come and leave whenever they wanted?

    Though a few seconds after Blanche had stepped onto the stone-path, a pair of guards were passing by. That calmed her a bit but not completely. If she wasn''t sure that no one except for Seraphina would find this pathway and that this hole could help her and the royal family if they ever needed to leave secretly, she would inform Theodore about it immediately. To be honest, Blanche might even ignore that this was one of the heroine''s special places if she just felt a splinter of doubt regarding her enemies knowing about this. She would make sure to listen to rumors in that regard in the future.

    She glanced at the bush which covered the hole skeptically one last time before brushing off her dress in case that any dirt had ended up on it and walked back to the palace.

    The meeting with Luciano hadn''t been exceptionally pleasant. But it could have been worse, and otherwise, nothing awful had happened. This made Blanche uncertain. Normally, she didn''t have this much luck on her side. She didn''t quite trust the calmness as she returned to her room. Some part of her expected that a knight had observed her and that Theodore would call her to speak about her unauthorized journey, but nothing like that happened.

    Blanche stayed in her chambers for the rest of the day without moving from her spot. The rush of seeing the city had already ceased to adrenalize her, and now she was lying on her bed without anything to do. She wanted to avoid thinking about Luciano, so she focused on nicer things instead. She looked forward to Stella coming back so that she would have a person to talk to again and could ask about the other''s vacation.

    Engaging in a conversation might have helped Blanche with staying awake too. The decrease of excitement made her eyelids fall shut, and her soft bed tempted her even more. It took a great amount of self-control to not fall asleep, but as the knock on the door made her flinch, her tiredness vanished.

    Blanche immediately jumped up and rushed downstairs.

    The uncertainty of whether Theodore had somehow learned about her journey kept her fully awake at the dinner table. But he didn''t address such a topic. Instead, he was loving like always and gave her three kisses before returning to his office again.

    Blanche only breathed out in relief after she wished him a good night and closed the bedroom door behind her. Hiding something from Theodore made her feel unwell, but she didn''t have a choice if she didn''t want to lose her escape route. Still, Luciano''s words had planted some doubt inside her.

    Storming off into an unknown territory where she was unprotected from harm hadn''t been a smart decision, even if she was rather certain that the streets of the capital weren''t full of bandits. She accepted that someone as unlucky as her shouldn''t test fate. Even though she hadn''t been able to fulfill her initial goal of exploring the city either, she made the resolve that she would ask for Theodore''s permission the next time and go out with a guard.

    But she would still keep her emergency escape route as long as she could be sure that no one but her and Seraphina knew about it. The main character''s plot armor should protect even such an obvious route, so Blanche probably didn''t have to worry too much about that.

    Before the concubine went to bed, she returned the few gold coins she had left into her wardrobe. Then she took out the note that Luciano had given her, read it once more and put it in a drawer of her desk. She didn''t trust that man, but visiting a jeweler and looking at his work could be helpful in her search for a gift for Seraphina. So, she would consider seeking out the address in the future if she really didn''t have any own ideas.

    That was the last thing Blanche really did that day. She merely washed after that and then got changed into her nightgown before letting her body drop onto her bed.

    Like this, a long and exhausting day went by.

 Chapter 29: New Acquaintances

    During the next days, Blanche didn''t attempt to leave the royal estate, even though she had become bored with sitting around in her room quickly. With Stella being away, she had nothing else to do and regretted wanting her maid to leave. It hadn''t even been a week, but she missed the other woman anyway as she desperately tried to pass the time in some way.

    Blanche let out a sigh and leaned her forehead against the window as she observed the garden through the glass. She expected to see a few servants and no one else. But today she was surprised to see that Seraphina walked down the tiled path. Blanche moved away a little to avoid being visible from the outside and kept her eyes trained onto the empress, who was accompanied by a man.

    It looked like Allen had come to the palace to visit his sister. The two moved towards the terrace, which probably meant that their destination was the labyrinth. In the book, that had been the heroine''s favorite place for private discussions. Gossip spread faster than anything else in noble households, so this was actually a good idea. And as expected, the siblings approached the maze and stepped inside, which left Blanche without a source of entertainment again.

    The concubine focused on the inside again. She let her gaze roam through the room and searched for something else to busy herself with. She froze when she saw the guidebook that Leon had given her. A scowl formed on her face. Was she really bored enough to consider reading? Unfortunately, the answer was ¡®yes¡¯. She grabbed the book and sat down on the window sill again.

    She skimmed through the topics that interested her and arrived at the chapter about table etiquette. Pictures depicted the correct positioning of the utensils as well as how forks, knives and spoons were supposed to be held. Surprisingly, the explanations were easy to understand, and Blanche ended up flipping through all the pages. Contrary to Evelyn''s demands, the content of this book wasn''t very hard to memorize. Most of the things one should pay attention to were logical, like the proper treatment of nobles of a higher rank. All in all, Blanche was confident that she would be able to follow these rules without major problems.

    Blanche shut the guide and put it next to her when a motion outside caught her eyes.

    Seraphina and her brother had returned and were having a conversation just below the concubine''s window.

    Blanche first thought was to open her window so that she could listen to them, but she quickly scolded herself for being nosy. She hated others prying into matters that didn''t concern them, so she wouldn''t do the same. Besides, hearing the heroine''s voice also wouldn''t improve her mood.

    She prepared to turn away as she realized that Allen was staring directly in her direction. Their eyes met for a moment. Of course he had caught her right in the act of observing him and his sister. Great. The concubine cursed her bad luck as she felt warmth rushing to her cheeks.

    Presumably because of Allen''s sudden silence, the empress raised her head to gaze at the window as well. Suddenly, the situation was much different.

    Blanche''s body acted before her brain did. She jumped away from the window and barely got away from her seating place, which caused her to trip. Her legs gave in, and she crashed onto the floor with a loud thud. She winced at the noise and stayed on the floor for a few more seconds. Hopefully, the siblings hadn''t heard or seen her accident just now. If they did, that would be an embarrassment she wouldn''t forget anytime in the close future.

    For a moment, Blanche just covered her face with her hands while trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. Why had she been so panicked upon seeing the empress just now? They might be fated enemies, but she couldn''t lose her cool like this. Blanche sighed before she finally found the energy to stand up. She knelt next to the window and raised her head as slowly as possible.

    This time, no one was to be seen in the garden.

    Blanche let out a breath of relief and got onto her feet. Her spine ached slightly, but otherwise, she was fine. She brushed off her dress to get rid of any dirt that might have clung to the fabric and looked at the window sill. She didn''t want to sit down again and do nothing for the rest of the day. But except for taking walks and talking to Stella, she had never done much.

    In hindsight, her life sounded pretty boring, but when her maid was present, she didn''t pay much attention to that. Still, Blanche had to admit that it was true that she didn''t act on her own often. The last time she had done an unusual activity within the palace, she had gone into the kitchen to bake a cake.

    This thought almost made her raise her fist in victory. She could simply bake another cake. While she didn''t remember the other recipes as clearly as the one for the citrus-blueberry cake, some of her mother''s favorites were still fresh in her mind. Making them would be fun and allow her to pass the time in a way that was a little more fulfilling than doing nothing. With newfound motivation, she left her chambers and steered towards the kitchen.

    Blanche knocked on the door twice and then entered. Unlike during her last visits, the chef wasn''t anywhere to be seen. Instead, a significantly smaller number of servants than usual were inside the kitchen. They also weren''t running around and working but standing at a counter to chat with each other. This scene was very different from the typical hectic rush that always ruled in the kitchen so that the concubine froze in the doorway.

    As if she had intruded into a secret space, the four servants stopped their discussion to stare at her. Simultaneously, their carefree faces turned into cautious ones, and they exchanged a few glances with each other. Those were some of Stella''s friends, weren''t they? The concubine was rather sure of it, but in the end, that didn''t matter. Seemingly, none of them wanted to speak up and greet the emperor''s lover, so everyone stayed silent.

    Blanche''s gaze roamed across the room in hopes of finding the cook that had given her permission last time. If he was present, she wouldn''t need to explain that she wanted to use their utensils to bake to others. But he wasn''t there. So, she forced herself to speak up despite the somewhat hostile atmosphere. ¡°Uhm, is one of the chefs somewhere here?¡±

    At first, the servants remained quiet, and the concubine feared that she wouldn''t receive an answer, but eventually, one of the two women responded. ¡°He isn''t.¡± This curt reply was voiced in a much sharper tone than the question should have evoked.

    Inwardly, the concubine groaned. If the staff disliked her, getting their permission to bake in the kitchen would be much harder. But her only other option was giving up and returning to sit in her room all day, which she wasn''t ready to do. ¡°Alright then. Would you mind if I used the furnace and a baking form?¡±

    The servants were as surprised as she had imagined them to be. They had been skeptical of her intentions from the beginning and were even more on edge now. The one to talk was one of the men now. ¡°For what do you need that?¡±

    Blanche ignoring his lack of polite speech and just answered. ¡°I would like to bake a cake. I did that a while ago too, and the chef allowed me to do so. Since he isn''t here, I wanted to ask you whether that was alright.¡±

    Three of the servants were bewildered by her statement. Only the man who had spoken just now narrowed his eyes. ¡°You can bake?¡± The disbelieving tone in which he said this was actually more insulting than them treating the person who they should serve without any respect. Though he couldn''t know that the concubine had prepared food often before. He had only witnessed how she lived in the palace, where she didn''t do anything on her own. So, his skepticism was logical.

    Blanche shrugged and replied. ¡°It seems like it. The cake wasn''t perfect last time, but it tasted good. Anyway, may I work with your utensils?¡±

    The servants looked at one another before another woman raised her voice. ¡°You just need them for now, right?¡±

    The concubine affirmed this with a nod.

    The other party kept her mouth shut for a moment and then reluctantly agreed. ¡°That should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Blanche didn''t want to waste more time. She approached the cabinet from where she had taken the tools at her previous visit. She sorted out the utensils she needed and did the same with the ingredients afterward. For today, she had thought about making an apple pie and became sure of her decision when she found a few of the juicy, red fruits she needed. Since she hadn''t done this in a few years, peeling them took longer than she had expected. But after she finished that, the rest of the steps were almost too easy. During the whole time, she felt the servants'' gazes on her back and heard their low whispering. Despite this, they didn''t address her until she was in the middle of pressing the dough into the baking form.

    At that point, one of the women slowly walked in the other''s direction and then stayed closely behind the concubine in silence.

    Blanche glanced over her shoulder to look at the servant. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Upon being spoken to, the maid was startled and took a step backward. ¡°I didn''t mean to interrupt you.¡±

    ¡°It''s fine. You didn''t disturb me in any way.¡± The concubine turned back to her work. She mixed the apple pieces with cinnamon and put them into the baking form as well. Then she used gloves to place the dish into the furnace.

    While she did this, the servant stepped next to her and crouched down slightly to inspect the unfinished cake. ¡°How did-¡± The woman began but stopped midway.

    Blanche looked at her again, only to not receive a full question still.

    The maid''s face showed conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she seemed to be interested in what the emperor''s lover was doing. However, she also didn''t want to openly ask the person that she disliked so much. She was unable to decide what she wanted to do and just stood there in silence. After a few seconds, this began to feel strange, but the servant didn''t have the intention to move. Without an impulse, she probably wouldn''t speak up at all.

    So, Blanche made direct eye contact with her. ¡°Yes?¡±

    Suddenly, the previous confidence to ignore the concubine was gone, and the maid''s gaze began flickering to the side. ¡°I...uh. I was just wondering how you learned to bake. Because you never prepared food before... Well, at least we didn''t see you do that. And you look like you know how to...¡± The servant''s voice trailed off without her finishing her sentence.

    Blanche decided to stick to the same excuse as before. ¡°I read about the recipe in a cooking guide. It sounded like it would taste good, so I tried it out. I liked it, so I started to bake more often.¡± All of that was a lie since she had only used the kitchen of the palace once before. But no one would be able to find out about that unless they interviewed all members of the staff.

    ¡°Really?¡± The maid seemed to have forgotten about her own tension as she stopped fidgeting with her hands.

    From the corner of her eyes, Blanche saw that two of the other servants had come closer and tried to catch a glimpse of her creation as well. This proved to be difficult since they couldn''t get to the furnace without passing by her. So, they attempted to lean to the side to have an unobstructed view. Their efforts, which most likely were supposed to go by unnoticed, resulted in a rather strange posture, which forced the concubine to conceal a chuckle. Upsetting them because they thought that she made fun of them was the last thing she wished to do, so she stayed quiet.

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    After their contortions went on for a while, Blanche finally decided to offer them a more simple solution though. ¡°If you want to look at it properly, you could do that when it''s out of the furnace. That would be easier for you.¡±

    Immediately, the two servants stopped their movements. The male blushed while the female let out a nervous laugh. Their obvious embarrassment reminded Blanche of the twin''s reaction when they were caught trying to nibble on sweets without their parents'' permission.

    Before Blanche realized it, a soft smile appeared on her face. For her, it was just a normal expression, but the people in front of her froze to stare at her. For a moment, she feared that she had somehow offended them and quickly added something else. ¡°Of course, you can take a look now as well. I just believed that you would be able to do so more easily when the cake is standing on the counter. I didn''t mean to order you around.¡±

    Her words hadn''t served to lessen the servants'' surprise. On the contrary. Now they observed her as if wings suddenly had grown on her back. But, admittedly, hearing these words while they still had the former impolite Blanche in their mind made this response understandable.

    The following silence was only accompanied by the quiet crackling of the fire of the furnace, which reminded the concubine to check on her cake.

    Blanche leaned down to look into the furnace. She was content with the golden hue that was beginning to slowly spread over the apples and hummed to herself. She hadn''t tasted the result yet, but if the appearance and the scent of the cake were an indication, it would be delicious. She prepared to stand up when the maid who had approached her first crouched down next to her.

    ¡°How long do you think it will take until it''s ready?¡± The maid scanned the cake with obvious interest.

    This question caught Blanche off guard. She hurried to reply while her mind was already engulfed in the memories of her siblings'' impatient nagging. It was strange that she thought about this so often now. Before awaking with the book''s knowledge she had rarely thought about her family but definitely not because of her lack of care, as ¡°To Be Empress¡± had described it. Her reason had probably been that she didn''t wish to rip open the barely healed wound that her family''s death had left. Though she couldn''t know that for sure.

    Since the moment the novel had appeared in her life, she had felt such a strange disconnection from her previous self. Before all of this, she had been unaware of the fact that everything she loved would be taken away from her within a year, so that was logical. The only thing that seemed even more distant from herself than her previous personality was the book''s depiction of her. The villainess had committed such a large number of vile crimes, which she normally wouldn''t consider in her wildest dreams. Working together with Evelyn, who had been a child murderer at that point, was only one of the many deeds that the concubine found despicable. Why would she act like that?

    But this question quickly disappeared from her mind as she imagined Seraphina and Theodore on the balcony. Even now, when the spouses didn''t have any feelings for each other, jealousy was almost killing her upon seeing them together. If they fell in love in front of her eyes, it wasn''t absurd to assume that she would eventually snap.

    The male servant spoke up, which pulled Blanche back into reality. ¡°You really memorized that from a recipe? I''ve been working in the kitchen for three years now, and I still haven''t been able to get any numbers right. Neither the weight of the ingredients nor the time the dish needs to cook. I always have to read them up while I prepare the meal, no matter how often I repeat it beforehand.¡±

    Blanche looked up at him with a questioning expression. ¡°How is that a problem at all? I mean, if you put the book or note directly next to you, it would only take a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°Normally, it would be fine, but we''re in the royal palace. The requirements are pretty hard to meet when everyone else is working faster than you. Because when I look at the recipe again, I lose the exact amount of seconds that the others finish before me.¡±

    One of the maids chimed in at that too. ¡°Most people don''t make a big deal out of it, but there are a handful of mean colleagues here.¡±

    The second maid added something else. ¡°There is one girl who keeps taking George''s notes away when we aren''t looking. We are often in a hurry, so this happens regularly. Since he can''t just ignore the recipe or leave the room to find another written version, he has to ask one of the cooks. Most of them are kind, but when it''s stressful, they''re really harsh.¡±

    Blanche tried to hide her surprise upon hearing the servants talking to her openly. She wouldn''t complain about progress though. She leaned against one of the counters while speaking. ¡°Why does she do that? Does she gain anything from such petty actions?¡±

    The response by George came immediately. ¡°We''re both trying to get a promotion and thus, fight for the same position. If she can make me seem bad, she will do anything, including something stupid like this. Maybe she wants the cooks to get annoyed with me, maybe she wants me to yell at her, maybe both. It doesn''t matter as long as she ends up appearing like the more competent and collected person.¡± While narrating he struggled to keep up his neutral expression, with bits of anger, frustration and also resignation shining through his facade.

    Blanche considered just listening to his story, but she couldn''t help but think about herself. This situation was too similar to the relationship between the heroine and the villainess in the novel. Her original counterpart had also left out no opportunity to harm Seraphina''s reputation. She had even caused a scene because of trivialities just to blame the empress for something. But these endeavors had only led to the opposite of what she wanted, her downfall and the other woman''s happy end.

    Upon thinking that, Blanche spoke up. ¡°I see. That''s an unfavorable situation. Have you tried talking to her?¡±

    That made George take a deep breath.

    Instead of him, one of the maids answered. ¡°He did. She just accused him of pretending to be kind to take her by surprise with some evil scheme.¡±

    George crossed his arms before adding more to that explanation. ¡°I have to admit that the dislike isn''t one-sided. I also wasn''t too friendly to her since we always disliked each other. But I mostly ignored her and only got revenge when she started to stir up trouble. With time, this went from insignificant quarrels to what she is doing now, hindering me in my work. At this point, others are affected by this as well because they have to do some of my work when I can''t finish it without my notes. For a while now, I didn''t bother her at all, but she still didn''t stop.¡±

    Blanche searched her brain for some piece of advice she could give him, however, she remained unsuccessful. ¡°That''s difficult. Can you-¡± Her eyes wandered to the side, and the silhouette of the furnace reminded her that she had almost forgotten the cake.

    The concubine stormed forward to grab the gloves before quickly pulling the baking form out. In her hurry, she nearly burned herself but managed to put the dish down safely without feeling more than a little sting from the heat. She waved her hands in the cool air and took a deep breath in an attempt to ease the pain a bit.

    ¡°Are you alright? I can get you cold water.¡± One of the maids was ready to rush into the neighboring room, but the concubine stopped her.

    ¡°No, no. It''s fine. I retracted my fingers just in time.¡± Blanche set aside the gloves, lifted her arms and moved them around to show that her palms were unharmed before turning back to her creation. To her relief, the rather harsh impact hadn''t harmed the cake. A confident smile spread on her face as she leaned forward to inspect the result closer.

    The golden-brown apples were framed by a crispy layer of dough, and the delicious fragrance rising with the steam didn''t leave any doubt that she would love this pastry. Blanche was barely able to sprinkle some cinnamon over the cake before the three servants arrived by her side to look at it.

    ¡°Oh...¡± One of the women murmured while her eyes widened in awe. ¡°You''re really good at baking. It smells so tasty!¡±

    The other maid added similar phrases. ¡°Cinnamon and apples are such a perfect combination. My mouth waters just by looking at it.¡±

    A second later, George nodded as well. ¡°I know... Mine too. It''s been so long since I''ve had apple pie. My mother used to make one when I was small, but now I''m barely home to eat it.¡±

    Their longing stares didn''t take long to convince Blanche to offer them the food of their desire. A smile grew on her face as she addressed. ¡°If you want to, we can eat it in about five minutes. Then it should be cooled down slightly but still warm, which is the ideal temperature for this cake.¡± She only noted her mistake only after she had spoken and hurried to correct herself. ¡°At least I read that in the recipe.¡±

    Instead of showing the same caution as before on their faces, the servants'' eyes began to twinkle. ¡°You''ll give us a piece?¡± George questioned that in an almost unbelieving tone.

    Blanche nodded. ¡°Of course. This is way too big for me alone. So, you can even have more than one piece.¡±

    George''s expression lit up even more. ¡°Honestly? Thank you!¡±

    One of the maids opened her mouth as well, only to be interrupted by a voice coming from the back of the room.

    ¡°So, a cake is all that you need to be bribed?¡±

    Along with the others, the concubine turned around. She had completely forgotten about the second man, who was still standing at the counter, where the group had chatted before. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his head was slightly tilted upwards, which gave him a somewhat arrogant aura.

    While his words had only irritated Blanche slightly, they had affected his colleagues more. They lowered their gaze to the ground or looked to the side while scratching one leg with the other.

    The man strode over to them until he stood in front of the concubine and eyed the steaming pastry on the counter. ¡°I''m surprised. At least it looks like an apple pie.¡± Pure mockery dripped from his voice, but his statement hadn''t come across as the insult it was meant to be. He had accidentally complimented the concubine''s work after all.

    Blanche shrugged. ¡°Well, it''s supposed to be one, so that makes sense. Besides, baking a pie isn''t that hard. Naturally, I would be able to do that too. I''m pretty sure that even a child can recreate this.¡±

    In just an instant, the prideful expression on the servant''s face faltered, and he evaded her gaze.

    The smaller maid snorted at his reaction and began teasing him playfully. ¡°I happen to know someone who is a prodigy in the kitchen but still manages to burn every single apple pie that was ever in his grasp. I can''t quite remember who that was, can you?¡±

    George quickly chimed into the banter. ¡°I know what you''re talking about, but I forgot the name. Isn''t he known throughout the whole staff because of his so-called curse, which only affects the apples on a cake even though all of his other sweet pastries always come out fine?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now I realized who-¡± The second maid began, only to be cut off by the discussed person.

    ¡°I am very much aware of that. You use every opportunity to remind me of it, not that I would forget about that in the first place.¡± Once again, the servant crossed his arms, but his pout and flushed cheeks didn''t allow him to radiate the same self-confidence as before. It was somewhat cute to see his arrogance disperse into nothingness.

    Observing that interaction made Blanche smile. She didn''t know these people at all. But these four were close to Stella and seemed to be great friends just from the way that they treated each other. While the one man''s accusation towards the others hadn''t been very polite, she doubted that he had been serious about it. Within a few seconds, she had grown to like this group.

    The concubine turned to her cake and loosened the pastry from the baking form before moving it onto a plate. Then she grabbed a knife and cut the cake into ten pieces. Originally, the slices were supposed to be of the same size, but apparently, her hand wasn''t steady enough to be successful. Yet, she managed to finish without cutting off her own finger. She took out five more plates and put the bigger pieces onto four of them before addressing the servant who had arrived last. ¡°Do you want to be ¡®bribed¡¯ too?¡±

    His bewildered face was amusing, to say the least.

    Blanche replied with a chuckle. ¡°I''m asking whether you want to have some cake. I can''t guarantee that it won''t be bad, but you could take that risk.¡±

    The man stayed silent for a moment, in which his gaze continued to flicker from the concubine to the pie.

    While he remained indecisive, Blanche handed his friends a piece each and took a plate for herself. Then she gave him another chance. ¡°And?¡±

    From the outside, it was apparent that the gears in the servant''s head were turning. His answer had been obvious from the point on at which his colleagues had begun devouring the cake while gushing about how good it tasted. He replied without meeting the concubine''s eyes once. ¡°I think I should take a bite to see whether they are complimenting you for nothing.¡± That was an excuse.

    But Blanche didn''t force him to be honest as the hungry glimmering in his eyes spoke louder than any words. She prepared another piece and gave him the plate, which he received eagerly.

    After one of his friends cleared her throat, the man muttered a small ¡°Thank you¡± before taking a bite. Within a minute, the piece disappeared inside his mouth, and he finished even faster than his colleagues.

    That made George grin. ¡°It wasn''t that bad, right?¡±

    The other man pressed his lips together in response. He only spoke again to affirm when the concubine offered him a second helping.

    Blanche took a slice of pie for herself and had to agree with the others'' judgment. The fruity flavor intertwined with the taste of cinnamon and resulted in a mouth-watering experience. While the apples were mushy and wet, the dough was crispy and thus, created an ideal contrast between the two parts. She was a little proud of herself for her work and for getting the servants'' approval.

    These people were so happy with the cake that each of them asked for a second piece, which she gladly handed over. As they ate, the servants began to talk about their job as well as their likes and dislikes. They even introduced themselves as George, Angelica, Darlene and Clark. With every minute they relaxed more, even Clark, who had been more hostile at first, but he still evaded the concubine''s gaze continuously.

    Blanche listened to their conversation and chimed in occasionally while keeping an eye on the clock. She had spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen and now only had less than twenty minutes before it was time for dinner. She had reserved the last remaining piece of the cake for Theodore and didn''t plan on arriving too late or being forced to run to the dining room again. She wasn''t willing to risk tripping while she held the rest of the pie, so she bid the servants goodbye earlier than she had to, which allowed her to go slow.

    The servants waved her when she left, which painted a smile on the concubine''s lips. The atmosphere now was way more pleasant than it had been when she arrived. This proved that she could influence the future by changing her actions for the better, didn''t it? If she could even have such nice conversations with others in the process, it was perfect.

    Blanche walked to the dining room while humming, and her evening only became more brilliant after that. Theodore praised her baking once more, and they parted after a long embrace. These events truly had raised her spirits, which she had needed after the stress with Evelyn, Luciano''s bewildering behavior and her boredom.

 Chapter 30: A Friends Return

    The next day continued to improve Blanche''s mood since Leonard managed to make time for a lesson and gave her the desired overview of Artias'' relationships to its neighboring countries. She knew about the discord between Northern and Southern Ocrea, but his summary still cleared up some of the questions that she had had before. The dreading escalation at the western territories unsettled her even more now that she had a better understanding of what the emperor was dealing with.

    And that wasn''t even everything.

    In general, it was disturbing how many nations were on the verge of war or in the middle of one. Batra, a very small country in the southeast that was Artias'' ally, was threatened by Clatos and Travuan. Only Artias'' protection had prevented the two largest dictatorships of the continent from invading Batra, but their rivalry and desire to grow didn''t stop because of that. Should a military conflict between them break out, the consequences would be catastrophic. Aside from the cold war between Northern Ocrea and its counterpart in the south as well as Artias, riots in Southern Ocrea caused issues too. It was all rather messy.

    At the end of the lesson, Blanche''s head was spinning with all the new pieces of information, which still didn''t hold back her growing curiosity. Politics consisted out of many complicated topics, but it was also incredibly interesting to hear about the world outside the palace, and she was eager to learn more. She didn''t need to worry about being overwhelmed anyway.

    Leonard had to return to his duties directly after the lesson and promised to resume the topic at a later point in the future, which would, unfortunately, be a while away. After all, he had to assist the emperor in finding solutions for the problems that he had explained to the concubine before doing anything else.

    Thus, the rest of Blanche''s time had still remained unused. She would have enjoyed getting to see her lover for more than the short meals for once, but she was thankful for even the little conversations. After all, she knew that spending this much of his time on work wasn''t what Theodore wanted either.

    Still, it would be pleasant to not be forced to stay alone day after day with her boredom. To avoid spending all of her time doing absolutely nothing, Blanche visited the kitchen almost daily to create some sort of dessert. Occasionally, she met one of the four servants from before and gave them some sweets as they had a little chat, but unfortunately, no opportunity for a longer conversation came up.

    Blanche soon realized that she missed Stella more than she had previously thought. The maid''s constant presence at her side had become so normal that she felt strange without it.

    So, when the day of the servant''s return finally arrived, the concubine was more than eager as she waited in the entrance hall. To not risk breaking her promise, she had come there directly after lunch, even though Stella was only supposed to return to the palace in an hour.

    As the concubine stood there for a while, a group of servants arrived. They all gave her a strange look, except for two of them, whom she recognized as the men she had met in the kitchen.

    To their colleagues'' confusion, these two waved in Blanche''s direction, which she mirrored. For the next couple of minutes, the two men talked to the crowd until Clark pulled his friend to the concubine and tapped his arm.

    George rolled his eyes before speaking up. ¡°You can say something without hiding behind me, you know? Anyway, we, including the girls, wanted to thank you for letting us have some of the pie you baked.¡±

    Blanche smiled at them, even though it was hard to ignore the rest of the servants, of whom some had come closer to eavesdrop and winced at the lack of formal speech. Those people probably expected a mean response, but Blanche tried to be as polite as possible. ¡°The cake had to be finished either way, so I was glad to share it with you. Normally, I always end up with a bigger portion than I can eat on my own without knowing what to do with it.¡± At least that had happened when the baking fever had taken a hold of her when she had been a child. In the last weeks, she hadn''t baked often enough, but she was sure that she would repeat the same mistakes in the future again.

    The servants that were standing next to the group tried to be inconspicuous with their whispering and eavesdropping but failed miserably, which was a bit frustrating.

    Blanche heard every word, and she had to admit that she understood why they were so surprised to hear her chat with servants. She obviously didn''t like being stared at like this, but she gave her best to ignore that since she was used to it.

    But apparently, this atmosphere was tense enough to make the men retreat quickly. George was as polite as ever, but it was clear that he ended the conversation earlier than he might have done it in private. ¡°Then it is good to hear that we managed to finish the cake. Still, we are very grateful. We don''t want to disturb you any longer though. Please have a nice day.¡± With that, George and Clark excused themselves after just a short conversation and returned to their colleagues.

    Blanche was a bit confused about that, and it got even stranger.

    Just a couple of seconds later, one of the other servants addressed the two men and pulled them to the side. They followed him with a tense posture that showed their unwillingness even to Blanche, who was watching them from a distance. The three rounded the corner, and the rest of the crowd trailed behind them, which left the concubine nearly alone in the hall as both her curiosity and concern grew.

    Without thinking twice, she slowly approached the wall while trying to keep the volume of her shoes clicking against the floor as low as possible. She moved closer until she could hear the people speak and carefully glanced around the corner. Thankfully, no one looked in her direction so that she could see what was going on.

    The group of servants practically circled George and Clark and listened to the servant who seemed to be their leader. ¡°I really wonder what that woman had to do to win you over. Weren''t you especially...¡± He spoke while pointing at Clark. ¡°Annoyed with her ¡®parasitic clinging¡¯ to His Majesty?¡± Then he gestured to George. ¡°And didn''t you despise her treating everybody here like slaves? Both of you changed your mind quite fast.¡±

    Clark hissed his response in a quiet tone that hinted that he wanted to discuss this in private. ¡°Don''t do this now.¡± Though, of course, it was already too late for that.

    The servants'' leader crossed his arms while replying. ¡°What? You don''t want me to point out your hypocrisy? She is nice to you once, and you instantly forget everything that happened?¡±

    Clark frowned at that and took a step forwards, but George stood between them and spoke up. ¡°This argument is completely useless. We only talked to her a few times, Harris. Please don''t make a big deal out of that.¡±

    The servant, who seemed to be called Harris, snorted at his response and crossed his arms. ¡°Do I need to remind you of the many times that this pest has made it her task to ruin our lives by threatening to have His Majesty throw us out? Or of the times that she made us run around for nothing for her entertainment? You surely still have in mind how she treated Stella, right? And all the things she said to us?¡± His words continued to flow out and only stopped when he had to take a breath

    In the short pause that followed, most of the servants around him nodded. Whether they just agreed because he said that or because they actually felt like this was unclear. If it was the latter option, they were being rather harsh. Especially this Harris.

    Blanche knew that she hadn''t been nice, but she was pretty sure that she had never given orders that were supposed to trouble the servants. Though her impolite tone might have made it sound that way. However, she couldn''t think about that for long. Right now, she could only stare at Harris while trying to figure out who exactly he was. This man was too familiar for it to be a coincidence. If he led the servants this easily, he had to be a somewhat well-known person. Right?

    But the scene already resumed before she came to a conclusion.

    Clark listened to Harris but cut him off at some point. ¡°We can talk to whomever we want, and that is none of your business. You hated her from the very beginning before she even had the chance to do anything. And if you''re completely honest, she only-¡±

    This time, Harris interrupted him with loud laughter. ¡°I was the one? That''s strange. If I remember correctly, you resented her more than most of the staff, including me, just a week ago. You despised her so much that you even purposefully-¡±

    While he spoke, one of the maids turned her head slightly and noticed Blanche, who was leaning out from behind the corner. The woman gesticulated wildly, which caused Harris to stop mid-sentence to turn to the concubine, just when the most interesting part should have followed. In an instant, the whole group did the same and stared at the concubine with differing expressions. Most of them evaded eye contact, a few others were bracing themselves for the trouble that they expected to encounter.

    Blanche didn''t want to continue to stand there and reveal that she had been eavesdropping. So, she stepped out from behind the wall. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Hopefully, this directed the servants'' attention away from her inelegant entrance.

    Within a second, Harris changed his behavior from acting hostile towards the emperor''s lover to being submissive. He put on a polite smile before speaking in a soft voice that seemed to ooze friendliness. ¡°No, of course not. Is there something we can assist you with, Lady Blanche?¡±

    She should be angry with this man. She should be fuming right now. And she was a little upset too, after all, she had been slandered. But she wasn''t as furious as she should be since she could only look at Harris and ponder whether she had met him somewhere already. She could swear that she had never paid attention to most of the servants, but at the same time, she was sure that she knew him. And even though he had messed up badly just now, she didn''t want to scold him. Still, she considered it for a short moment.

    But in the end, Blanche couldn''t bring herself to raise her voice. She shook her head in response. ¡°No. I was waiting for Stella and just wondered why all the servants suddenly left the foyer. I apologize for interrupting the conversation. If there aren''t any issues, I will give you some privacy.¡± She spun around on her heel and walked away from this uncomfortable situation, during which all eyes were trained onto her.

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    The concubine had known that the majority of the staff didn''t especially like her, but she hadn''t considered that they would react this harshly because someone had been kind to her once. Though it didn''t seem like Harris had done this to harm her. No, it had sounded like he had the intention of troubling George and Clark specifically. But despite this provoking attitude, Harris also seemed like he genuinely didn''t comprehend why the two men had talked to the concubine out of their own free will.

    Most people who hadn''t noticed her change would feel this way. Even when they had been in contact with her for the last two months, they would have a hard time believing that a human could become a completely different person overnight. Just like Seraphina didn''t trust Blanche, others also wouldn''t.

    This meant that the concubine couldn''t expect anyone to act like Sophia, who had immediately been kind despite her sister''s hatred for the concubine. Blanche''s survival, which required the sympathy of the public, wasn''t going to be achievable this easily. She was aware of that, but she still couldn''t do more than continue to follow the rules and treat everyone with respect. Eventually, this had to save her, even if it took an eternity. The only problem was that she didn''t have ¡®an eternity¡¯. She only had a little over ten months left until the original novel would end and possibly doom her.

    Blanche was lost in thoughts as she wandered out of the main entrance and stood next to the steps leading up to the palace. Shortly after her, some servants, whom she recognized as Stella''s friends including the four ones she knew, came out too and waited.

    As if she had been able to foresee the future, a carriage arrived at one of the golden side gates of the estate merely a minute later. The coach came closer until it stopped while maintaining a small distance to the palace. The vehicle''s door opened, and a ginger-haired woman jumped out.

    A rush of adrenaline surged through Blanche. Finally, her maid had returned, and she could spend time with her again. She followed her first instinct as she lifted the hem of her dress and hurried towards the carriage. She ignored the coachman, who was moving the baggage out of his vehicle and watched her with skepticism, and focused on slowing her steps to not accidentally trip over the cobblestone.

    As she approached Stella, the maid turned around, and a beam appeared on her face upon seeing her mistress.

    The concubine only stopped to avoid a collision at full speed but still couldn''t hold herself back fully. In her ecstasy, she threw her arms around the other woman without thinking about whether her hug came too sudden. ¡°Welcome back!¡±

    Luckily, Stella returned her embrace just as eagerly. ¡°You really waited at the entrance, My Lady? You didn''t have to do that.¡±

    A smile spread across Blanche''s lips as she pulled her maid a bit closer. ¡°Of course. I promised you that I would be here after all.¡± The women remained in this position for a short while, which was enough to spread a warm feeling in the area around her heart. For some reason, she was extremely happy to see that her maid was fine. Stella had never been in danger, but for some reason, she had still been worried about something bad happening. Thus, it was relieving to see Stella happy and healthy. So, Blanche relished in the hug and only let go when she was forced to.

    The concubine heard approaching footsteps and reluctantly backed away but took her maid''s hands in hers. Before she would allow her servant to greet her friends, she added another sentence. ¡°I missed you.¡± She had spoken in a much lower voice than before, but the other''s glowing beam proved that the maid had heard her.

    Stella squeezed her mistress'' hands lightly and whispered back. ¡°It seems that we are on the same page. I missed you too, My Lady.¡±

    When the women let go, all the surrounding people gave them a look that revealed their doubts about this situation more clearly than most words would have. But that didn''t matter to either one of them.

    For a couple of minutes, Blanche stepped to the side to allow Stella to catch up with her colleague until the maid bid them farewell.

    ¡°Let''s talk about everything later. I need to unpack my bags now and get some rest. The ride was exhausting.¡± With that, Stella turned to her mistress, and they went back to her chambers, which were directly next to Blanche''s.

    While sorting and folding her clothes, Stella blissfully gushed about the house at the sea where she had spent the last week. Her descriptions of the surroundings made the concubine desire to see the ocean herself even more than before.

    Blanche couldn''t help it. The stories about the calmly swaying blue waves formed an image in her mind, and she wanted to confirm whether she was right in her assumptions about the ocean. She could basically see the summer mansion in front of her inner eyes, and she wanted to see it in reality too. But if she wanted to be able to do that, Theodore couldn''t forget his promise of visiting the coast with her for summer vacation. Though the overwhelming amount of problems that he had to solve this year and the possibility that he wouldn''t care for her at that point anymore made this questionable.

    So, when the conversation moved on to other topics, she was a bit relieved to avoid bad thoughts that made her doubtful about her future.

    When Stella inquired whether something interesting had happened in the palace while she was away, Blanche naturally didn''t answer truthfully. The concubine didn''t mention sneaking out of the palace and only recounted how bored she had been, which made Stella laugh.

    ¡°Well, there isn''t much for you to do while I''m here either.¡± Stella wasn''t wrong about that, but still, her presence made everything much more wonderful.

    <hr>

    The following days passed with the same nonexistent excitement as the previous ones.

    Still, it was more enjoyable when the concubine was able to chat with Stella while going through her monotonous schedule. Blanche awoke, got ready, ate breakfast with Theodore, took walks, ate lunch, baked in the kitchen and ate dinner before going to bed. Even if she repeated the same actions daily, it wasn''t as tiring as she had believed it to be weeks ago.

    Blanche always looked forward to meeting her lover, and seeing him filled her with bliss. When she wasn''t with him, she was with Stella, which was a treat as well. The discussions with her maid ranged from ethical dilemmas to the problems of the commoners in Artias, which encouraged her to view some topics from a different angle. Aside from this, Blanche had begun to love baking even more than she had as a child. That might be connected to the fact that she didn''t have to clean the dishware she used now and had access to an almost unlimited amount of groceries and spices, which her family could only have dreamed of possessing.

    Because of this, she visited the kitchen, where she often met the four servants that had become her acquaintances, every day. Along with Stella, who really was one of those servants'' close friends, they had a short conversation whenever they could, but their chef''s reminders to finish their work interrupted this often. Still, it was exciting to get to know new people and see how open they had become with a person that they had despised weeks ago.

    The only one out of the four servants who continued to maintain some distance was Clark, who evaded eye contact nearly all the time but chimed into the conversations nonetheless.

    After baking in the kitchen, Blanche regularly brought the dishes she had made to dinner. Theodore always praised her, even if she doubted that he really enjoyed eating so many sweets despite his preference for savory food. But still, he kept on asking her to make more, and she complied happily while paying attention to use less sugar than she normally would have.

    The days went by like this without occurrences. Blanche didn''t run into the empress, and to her relief, Sefare didn''t contact her either. Her routine didn''t change at all except for the desserts that she decided to make. Nonetheless, this was enough to satisfy her, and her thoughts stayed almost clear of any worries concerning her possible doom. Of course, this didn''t go on for long. It was only until one day, which soon brought an unpleasant surprise.

    <hr>

    This time, the concubine had baked a chocolate cake with strawberries, which she was especially proud of. Decorating it had taken longer than she had intended, and thus, she arrived at the dining room a little later than usual.

    Fortunately, Theodore wasn''t present yet, so he hadn''t been forced to wait.

    The concubine requested a servant to set the cake down on the table and sat on her chair. She talked to Stella for a moment while the rest of the food was brought in. Though when everything was finished, there was still no trace of the emperor.

    Blanche had begun tapping her fingertips onto the table and drank some of her tea, but her lover still didn''t arrive when minutes passed. That made her ask. ¡°Say, Stella... Have we perhaps confused the time and came here too early?

    The maid glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner and shook her head. ¡°I don''t think so, My Lady. It''s eight o''clock, like always. The kitchen staff has prepared everything as well, so we can''t be tardy. Most likely, His Majesty is just finishing up one of his tasks before he can leave. We should be patient for a little longer.¡±

    The concubine agreed, but doubts already began to tear at her mind. Theodore had never let her wait for more than ten minutes even if he had had no free time on that day at all. Unease began to rise in her when a look at the clock confirmed that half an hour had passed. Maybe something had happened to him, and no one had witnessed it. With every second of silence, the knot in her stomach twisted more despite Stella''s attempts to give a plausible reason for Theodore''s absence.

    Blanche gave her best not to sound pressing while inquired a servant as he passed by the room. ¡°Excuse me, do you maybe know where Theo currently is? He hasn''t arrived for dinner yet, and I worry a bit.¡±

    The elderly man scanned the table, on which the meals already stood, and the candles that slowly burned down. Then he turned to the concubine and responded in a pacifying tone. ¡°His Majesty might still require some time before he can join you. He should be in the office along with Her Majesty.¡±

    Hearing these words felt like Blanche''s organs cramped while a knife was being twisted in her innards. Why did Theodore have to be with Seraphina? During the last few days, Blanche had been too careless and taken her current circumstances for granted. She had completely ignored the passing of time and the connected progression of the novel.

    Due to the massive workload because of the political difficulties, Theodore would involve the empress in many decisions and have many discussions about their strategies with her. They had arrived at the part of the book during which the main characters started to speak more often and created a mutual understanding and respect for each other.

    The concubine''s expression seemed to have betrayed her terror as the servant quickly added something else. ¡°They are discussing something about an important trading contract with another nation. His Majesty will surely come when he is finished.¡± Reassuring her the interaction was merely out of diplomatic reasons didn''t calm her like intended.

    Blanche muttered a dry ¡°Thank you¡± and stared at the cover hiding her chocolate cake. Trying to prevent the main characters getting together sounded so tempting, but Blanche knew that this would only support the original development. Her life was more valuable than staying with Theodore, right? Still, she seriously began to consider hindering his and Seraphina''s relationships. Was there a way for her to chime in during intended story events?

    Her fingernails dug into her skin as she clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes wandered to the clock. Twenty minutes had passed since she had checked for the last time.

    Being a little tardy because a conversation took longer than expected was one thing. But not sending a notice despite not arriving until one was late by an hour was something else entirely. It seemed like Theodore was completely invested in the dialogue. So, much that he forgot the world around him and his lover, who was waiting for him.

    Unwillingly, Blanche let out a bitter chuckle. She should probably get used to this feeling soon. Similar situations would arise much more often in the future. Theodore would set back anyone and anything for his wife once he fell for her. She gritted her teeth, which caused Stella to give her a worried gaze, but the concubine insisted that she was fine.

    The barely audible ticking of the clock echoed through the otherwise silent room, and she looked at the hands again. They indicated that it had almost been a full hour now.

    Maybe Theodore wouldn''t come anymore after all, but Blanche couldn''t bring herself to consider leaving. Even if he was absorbed in a conversation, he wouldn''t simply let her wait without sending someone to inform her of his absence. Though as the minutes passed, she began to doubt her own reasoning.

    Stella attempted to soothe her by repeating that the emperor was very busy and would come soon. But being forced to sit there in uncertainty about whether he would join wasn''t the most upsetting thing. It was the fact that he was with the heroine, the person who would make the rest of the world seem irrelevant to Theodore.

    Blanche''s heart felt like someone was tugging at it, and she lowered her head to hide her emotions from her maid. She wiped her eyes as inconspicuously as possible and gave her best to ban thoughts about the novel to the backside of her mind. Her stomach growled quietly, and she reluctantly picked up her fork. Even if Theodore didn''t come, she still needed to eat. Her servant observed her but didn''t intervene as the concubine swallowed her appetizer. With every bite, a mix of grief and animosity sank deeper into her bones.

    Just like this, she was reminded that her counterpart''s vile actions didn''t seem as absurd when she was filled with these feelings. Not all of the original Blanche''s deeds were justified because of this, and she still felt sick when remembering a few of them. But trying to get rid of Seraphina was a desire she shared with the book''s villainess. How could it be different when that stupid heroine just seemed to monopolize everyone''s affection while destroying the villainess'' life just because she could?

    The concubine''s thoughts were interrupted as the double door suddenly swung open.

 Chapter 31: Are You Jealous?

    Theodore entered the room without a warning. ¡°I''m sorry for being late. Have you begun eating already?¡± He spoke with a bright smile and sat down on his chair.

    The servants took this as their cue to exit the room, which left the concubine alone with her lover and her anxiousness. How was the emperor in such a good mood after he had let her wait for almost an hour because he was chatting with his wife? His halfhearted apology didn''t simply make this up within a second.

    Blanche expected more to come, so she stayed quiet and watched him get comfortable and starting to eat his meal.

    Her missing response seemed to make Theodore understand that she wasn''t as pleased as he was. After he had swallowed the food in his mouth, he set down the utensils again and stared at his lover. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Blanche tried to form a sentence that didn''t sound aggressive, but the whirl of emotions inside her made it hard to suppress voicing her real opinion. ¡°Where were you?¡± Her tone had been sharper than she had intended it to be, which also showed on the emperor''s expression.

    He frowned but still replied to her without hesitation. ¡°In my office. I had a quite enlightening discussion with the empress about some of our previous issues. For once, it was in a calm manner. This is the first time that I felt like I could understand her point of view more and like she was attempting to see mine as well. This could be great progress since I believe that we''ll be able to work and get along with each other better.¡±

    As he explained, his face lit up again, and he appeared to be genuinely happy, which felt like a paper cut inside the concubine''s chest.

    Blanche wanted to ask why he had stood her up without a single warning, but the words wouldn''t roll off her tongue without her voice breaking. She really didn''t really wish to concern him with her jealousy. He couldn''t change the book either, and her seeming like a resentful, envious woman would only amplify his future dislike of her. She drank a sip of her tea to calm herself, but the result wasn''t notable. Though while she could shut her mouth, she couldn''t control her expression.

    Theodore had no difficulties noticing when his lover was in distress, and today wasn''t an exception. ¡°You seem upset, did something happen?¡±

    Blanche placed the cup back on the table with much more force than she had intended to, which led to a clink, and some liquid spilled out of the porcelain. She held back most of the anger in her voice, but it was still audible if one listened carefully. ¡°Well, it''s not an issue when you are late, but you could have sent a servant or written a short note. Just so that I would be prepared for that. I was worried, you know?¡± She didn''t wish to risk shattering the fragile facade that was veiling her emotions, so she didn''t speak any more.

    Still, it had been enough for Theodore to realize that she was mad. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms while pressing his mouth into a thin line. ¡°I understand what you mean, and I would have informed you if it had taken any longer. I only came a few minutes later than usual, so you didn''t have to wait too long. But if you wish, I will send someone the next time. Let''s not fight about this, please.¡±

    The rational part of Blanche hoped to end this discussion soon and return to her room, where she could let out her frustration without making the emperor deal with her tantrum despite his stack of duties. However, his words destroyed all the self-control that she might have had before. She yelled but couldn''t stop her voice from breaking near the end. ¡°It''s been ¡®only a few minutes¡¯? It''s been an hour!¡±

    Her lover looked at her before a moment before he checked the grandfather clock, and his expression quickly changed from slight annoyance to unbelief to realization. ¡°That''s...¡± He froze in place. ¡°I didn''t... How?¡± He covered his mouth with a hand and stared at the depicted time before turning back. His widened eyes gazed at Blanche, who was keeping her jaw closed tightly and balled her fists on the table in an attempt to prevent the growing urge to raise her voice from winning.

    For a few seconds, it was silent while the concubine asked herself what was going on.

    Then Theodore regained his voice and began to apologize profusely so that he almost tripped over his own words. ¡°I''m so sorry! I didn''t notice that it was this late. I wouldn''t have stayed if I had realized! There is a clock in the office, and I looked at it multiple times. When I left, it was... I didn''t mean to let you wait for more than five minutes, I swear. How on earth did...¡± He interrupted himself and stared onto the table cloth blankly for a moment. Then he looked up at his lover with a conflicted expression. ¡°I''ll make this up to you. Nothing like this will happen ever again, I promise. Please forgive me.¡±

    Blanche disliked hearing him sounding guilty, even some part of her hoped that he wouldn''t ignore her in the future if he remained this apologetic. But the novel predicted that his priorities would be different soon, so she also hated listening to promises that he couldn''t keep. Those conflicted feelings made her want to change the topic. Her lover was sorry, so there was no need to deal with this any longer. ¡°It''s fine, just tell me next time, like you said.¡±

    Nevertheless, Theodore didn''t let himself be cut off. ¡°No, this is not fine. I hurt you because of my negligence. There won''t be a next time. I''ll make sure to check on the time regularly when we''re about to meet. I won''t make you wait again, especially not this long.¡±

    Surely, it hadn''t been pleasant to sit there in uncertainty, but knowing that he was with Seraphina was the worst part. Still, Theodore rambled on about how he had wasted his lover''s time without skipping a beat.

    Blanche couldn''t help herself and muttered her response under her breath. ¡°The problem isn''t that you were late.¡± The words left her mouth before she could close it. In a panic, the concubine''s gaze snapped to her plate. Her true thoughts had leaked out, and she couldn''t take them back anymore.

    The desperate hope that the emperor hadn''t heard her was immediately demolished by his reaction. He stopped talking and stared right at his lover. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    She did her best to ignore the bubbling in her stomach and made a rejecting hand gesture while keeping her eyes downwards. ¡°No, that wasn''t anything important. I only spoke before I thought about what I should say.¡± She attempted to sound composed, but in reality, it was quite obvious that she wasn''t fine.

    Theodore''s face darkened at her excuse, and he shook his head slightly. ¡°That''s not it, is it? If your mouth acts before your mind, then you voiced your true thoughts. Don''t keep your worries or complaints to yourself. Tell me about them so that I can get rid of your problems. You mentioned that there was something else I did.¡± After her following silence, he added another sentence. ¡°If you clarify what you don''t like, I won''t do it again.¡±

    Blanche began to mutter some barely comprehensible phrases as an excuse and avoided eye contact. ¡°That wasn''t... I didn''t mean anything by that. I don''t mind. We can just...eat now. Right?¡±

    Still, Theodore didn''t drop the subject and reached across the table with his arms. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them, which always made her heart melt and encouraged her to be honest.

    Even now, Blanche didn''t want to admit her jealousy out loud.

    She had known about her envy ever since the day that she had met Seraphina, who had been introduced as Theodore''s fianc¨¦, and this had only become worse after the wedding. Due to her behavior, the empress, the servants and also her lover were aware of the concubine''s grudge against Seraphina.

    But Blanche had never put her feeling in words except for the unkind names that she had called the heroine and didn''t wish to change that. Explaining that she felt inferior to the gorgeous, intelligent, well-mannered woman from an influential family, who was married to the man she loved, and feared losing him to her was like accepting defeat.

    Seraphina was perfect in every way, and Blanche didn''t match her level in even one of them. Saying that this troubled her would reveal that she admired the empress despite her disdain for the heroine, and every fiber in her opposed to that. And she couldn''t even emphasize the urgency of her fears by mentioning the novel. If she told Theodore about the future predicting book, he would send for the royal doctor instantly.

    So, Blanche tried to keep him from asking. ¡°I really didn''t mean anything by mumbling. You don''t have to justify your actions. If you tell me about your plans, that''s alright.¡± She didn''t want to tell him the truth, but he didn''t let it go.

    ¡°I won''t ignore your concerns, no matter how little they might seem. The last time that you brushed them off, I didn''t insist on asking. Then I found you in the pavilion the next day while you were crying so hard that you had trouble breathing. I will not let you hide something that is hurting you again. Look at me.¡± His voice was gentle and yet firm at the same time, which made it impossible to refuse.

    Blanche slowly raised her gaze to meet his while he interlocked their fingers.

    Theodore looked right at her. ¡°Please don''t conceal what upsets you. Talk to me.¡±

    At that moment, it felt like time had stopped. Blanche stared into the sea of blue in her lover''s eyes, and everything else disappeared. She still didn''t want to be honest, but it was like a cork in a turned-over flask had been removed. Some part of her needed to admit what she was concealing, or she would have a breakdown. Still, she tried to hollow out all the bitterness and desperation that actually was behind her words as she spoke. ¡°I would have understood if you were late because you had to finish up work in the office. And I know that you were discussing something political, but I... You still set me back because of her.¡± She hadn''t intended to end there, but her voice threatened to give in. She wanted to pull away her hands to begin eating or to do anything else but to keep staring at her lover. Since Theodore still held her hands and refused to let go, she couldn''t even do that though.

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    Theodore responded in a very soft voice, almost as if he feared that he would scare her if he spoke any louder. ¡°I don''t have an excuse for that, and I feel terrible. I''ll never do something like this again, ever. I could swear that the clock showed me that I was on time. I will make sure to check that. Just know that you are my top priority and that I will never put anyone above you. So, you don''t have any reason to be...¡± He hesitated for a moment only to gaze deeply into her eyes and continue in an even lower tone. ¡°Are you jealous of her?¡±

    Despite her reluctance, Blanche knew that there was just one true answer. ¡°Don''t make me say it.¡± Her response had come out quieter than she had wanted and was barely audible to herself since her heartbeat drowned out anything else. As she felt blood rush into her cheeks, she hung her head to avoid the judgment that she expected to see in his expression. Her lover knew that she was full of envy, even if he couldn''t grasp the full extent of this emotion. Still, saying this to his face was humiliating.

    Theodore''s hold on her hands tightened for a moment until he raised one of his arms to push away the hair strands that obstructed his view of her face. ¡°Why?¡± He was talking in the same soothing voice as before, but his question was irritating nonetheless.

    Blanche replied without wanting to. ¡°What do mean by ¡®why¡¯? She has everything I could only ever dream about. She is perfect. People admire her. She can do everything she wants on her own, and everyone will still love her. And she is your wife.¡± While she muttered, her eyes not once lifted to observe Theodore. The fear of being met with disappointment was too big.

    Almost instantly after she finished, Theodore''s hand was at her cheek, and he carefully stroked over her skin. ¡°Blanche, you have no reason to wish for anything the empress has at all. She isn''t ahead of you or superior in any way. You shouldn''t compare yourself to her.¡± His tone remained quiet and seemed careful to not upset his lover any further. ¡°There is nothing that would make me choose her above you. You are the person that I want to spend my life with. She doesn''t have my love, not in the slightest.¡± Not yet. ¡°I promised you when we got together, and I''ll repeat it as often as you want to hear it. I won''t leave you under any circumstances. My devotion is yours until the day I die. Don''t forget the difference between you and her. She might be my wife, but I had to marry her for no other reason than strengthening political bonds to secure her family''s support. But you? I wanted to keep you by my side because I love you. There was nothing except for my own feeling involved in that decision. You''re my angel, whom I adore more than anything else in my life. You don''t have to question my commitment.¡±

    Blanche had needed to hear these words. Even if they could be created from the most hollow lies. Even though their honesty would soon be questionable. She adored hearing those words.

    But in the end, they were still like a double-edged sword.

    She slowly looked up. The doubtful part of her expected seeing an emotionless mask on Theodore''s face, which would prove that his speech had only served to keep her satisfied so that she stopped annoying him. Instead, she could only see sincerity in his expression. Once more, her heart felt like it was torn to shreds as she observed him while blinking to distract herself a bit.

    While she wanted to hear his affirmations of love, it also reminded her of her fear of losing him. With every time that they addressed this topic, she grew more certain that she wouldn''t be able to bear him leaving her. She was sure that it would happen, but preparing her heart for the pain that would follow was impossible. Only considering such a future made everything ache already.

    Blanche''s voice was almost inaudible when she responded.¡°If that ever changes, please warn me first, or I''ll...¡± She didn''t finish the sentence, but her intention had been made clear.

    The response came immediately. ¡°I don''t need to promise something like that since it''s impossible for that to happen.¡± Theodore squeezed her hands tightly as his gaze pierced her eyes. ¡°I don''t have a way to prove that my words are true. I can only swear that I won''t leave you. Never in my life have I felt something similar to the bond between us. I wouldn''t consider changing this in my wildest dreams. How can a nightmare make you doubt our relationship this much?¡± His voice died, and he had to clear his throat before he resumed. ¡°I don''t know what I can do to convince you that you are the most important thing in this whole world to me. But I''ll always be there for you and tell you no matter how often you need to hear it. Please don''t believe that my love for you is this fragile.¡±

    Blanche felt like a pit had formed in her stomach. She had only thought about her own emotions and not considered that she might hurt her lover with her worries. To the emperor, who was unaware of the novel''s existence, her fear of being abandoned would seem exaggerated and portray her as an untrusting lover. However, she wasn''t doubting his devotion because he made her feel unloved but because of the future she had foreseen. ¡°I didn''t mean-¡± She started, but she had no way to finish. ¡°That wasn''t...¡± Nothing came to her mind, nothing that would explain her view more or assure him that she didn''t doubt him because of anything he had done yet. ¡°I wasn''t trying to say something like that I don''t trust you. I...¡±

    Theodore lifted her hand and put his lips on her wrist. ¡°I know. I didn''t interpret it like that either.¡± He pressed a kiss onto her fingertips and lowered her arm again. ¡°I won''t misunderstand your concerns as some sort of insult, so never stop voicing your complaints.¡±

    The concubine nodded slightly and gripped his hand with a little more strength even as all of her complaints were stuck in her throat.

    Their relationship had always been unbalanced, and she was reminded of this once more. The one who showered her in gifts and attention was Theodore. While Blanche didn''t have the same access to money and goods as the emperor, she still felt guilty for being the person who received without exception. Usually, she had attempted to make up for that by sticking to Theodore''s side as much as possible and spending time with him. Nonetheless, he had still been forced to endure all of her tantrums and pacify her.

    Currently, this was only amplified. Now she regularly had emotional breakdowns because of her grief. So, he was focused on soothing her again, even while her remarks might have hurt his feelings. Still, he was offering to solve any problem that bothered her without demanding more compassion from her. Even now the villainess only caused problems for him. It was no wonder that he would favor the independent heroine.

    And yet, Theodore was still here and held the villainess'' hands while she desperately needed his affirmation.

    Blanche could barely breathe as she muttered what she needed to say most. ¡°I love you. And I''ll feel that way forever.¡± Even if she might die because of that.

    A gentle smile appeared on Theodore''s face. ¡°I love you too. That won''t change no matter what.¡± He squeezed her arm before just offering her his presence in silence.

    The couple kept their fingers intertwined for a few more minutes in silence before they separated their right hands to be able to eat Even though it was unpractical, they were unwilling to allow the smallest distance between them, and they didn''t separate their left hands for the rest of the meal.

    The concubine could barely swallow any food, but Theodore still encouraged her to eat a bit. When they were done, she expected her lover to leave as usual, but he kept his hold on her when they stood up.

    As Theodore caught her staring at him, he quickly explained it to her. ¡°I will stay with you tonight.¡± That sounded good now.

    Blanche had needed his presence. She gave him a small smile as he led her to the entrance.

    The couple left the dining room and came into the hallway, where a group of servants waited. It was an odd situation when the staff members all greeted the emperor, only to be met with a frown. Though Theodore''s confusion made sense. Blanche didn''t comprehend why those people were standing there either.

    Four, maybe five, out of the servants had a reason to stay at this spot. Stella, who attended her mistress, the two knights who were guarding the door and a servant who was escorting Theodore as well as Owen. The kitchen staff could have possibly come too early to pick up the leftovers as the dinner had gone on for much longer than normal, but they weren''t present.

    Instead, the concubine spotted a few people whom she had seen occasionally in the palace, but they had other tasks than taking care of the meals. Among them, there was only one maid that had a higher position, and that was Seraphina''s personal attendant. That woman didn''t do anything except carefully watching the couple with slightly narrowed eyes, but that was enough to show how tense the situation was.

    Blanche made eye contact with Stella, who was pressing her mouth into a thin line and clenched her apron in her fists. The servant''s distressed look worried her. Had something happened?

    The concubine let her gaze wander across the small crowd and realized that all of the servants seemed like they struggled to maintain a calm exterior.

    However, the servants'' anger wasn''t disguised well for most of them. They either showed a frown, balled their fists, crossed their arms or tensed their jaw. All the people remained unmoving after greeting the emperor and only observed him and his concubine.

    Blanche didn''t understand the meaning of that and looked up at Theodore questioningly.

    The emperor''s expression had become stern, which proved that he hid behind the stoic mask he put on when he was in public and needed to assert his authority. Though when he gazed down at his lover, he smiled before going back to his seriousness and watching the servants. He seemed calm, but his tightening grasp on her hand betrayed his irritation. To her surprise, the emperor moved his arm more to the front so that she was pulled a step closer to him and their interlocked fingers were visible to the crowd. ¡°We will take our leave now.¡± He announced that and didn''t hesitate before leading his lover down the corridor.

    The gears in Blanche''s head were turning as she hoped to come up with an explanation of what that situation had meant. She peeked back to see Stella following her and the rest of the servants still staring at them. Her voice was still a bit hoarse as she asked her lover. ¡°What was that about? They are all acting weird. And why were they just standing there?¡±

    Theodore furrowed his brows and put an arm around her waist to pull her so close that she was almost leaning against him. ¡°Because they are a nosy pack.¡± He growled that while leading her around the corner. Only then he lost his tension and paid less attention to his posture as he turned to his lover. ¡°Of course, I don''t know for sure. But I assume that they might have heard you earlier when you spoke a little louder and rushed to gawk at what is happening.¡±

    Blanche stopped in her tracks as she remembered their discussion. Shame rose inside her, so she looked away as she wiped her thump over the back of her lover''s hand. ¡°I''m sorry for yelling.¡± She forced herself to look up. ¡°I didn''t mean to.¡±

    Theodore spun around to face her and caressed her head by rubbing small circles onto her scalp. ¡°It''s alright, that was my fault. But I think that they are more upset about it than I ever was. Not everybody can raise their voice at the emperor without consequences, and they would definitely consider this an offense. It doesn''t matter what they think, but it still infuriates me that everyone inside the palace is addicted to gossip. Don''t they have anything better to do?¡± He gave her an encouraging smile before he continued. ¡°But that doesn''t have to concern us.¡±

    Blanche agreed, which served as his cue to link their arms and pick up movement again. In her mind, she was still recounting her dispute with Theodore. She had become louder once. Had this short sentence truly angered the servants? Surely, yelling at Artias'' ruler was offending, but he hadn''t complained, so they shouldn''t care. But since the servants already disliked the concubine in the first place, they probably reacted more sensitively than others would. That was problematic when she needed to influence the public''s opinion. But Blanche refused to think about that now. She had other things to pay attention to.

    The couple reached Blanche''s bedroom and dismissed Stella before getting ready for bed. Theodore seemed to be interested in sleeping early, which was quite the exception. After they got ready, he sat down, and Blanche immediately saw how he halfheartedly hid a yawn behind his hand.

    A smile grew on her lips as she climbed onto the mattress next to him and slipped under the covers. ¡°Did you have an exhausting day?¡± She asked that in a quiet voice while he moved close to her. She slowly stroked over his hair as he pressed his face into the cushion.

    Theodore hummed in response. He sounded like he was already half-asleep now, even though he hadn''t seemed tired at the dinner table at all. Maybe he simply hadn''t shown it as obviously as now, or the discussion had caused him to lose energy. Great. It seemed like his lover had once again done the opposite of what she wanted to do. Instead of helping him relax, she had troubled him even more.

    Blanche felt bad for that, so she would quickly make up for it and let him sleep quickly. She kissed his forehead and put an arm around him before she whispered her response. ¡°Good night.¡±

    He returned the words in a mumbling tone and closed his half-lidded eyes. Judging by how tired he was, he would fall asleep soon, but the concubine didn''t stay awake long enough to be sure.

    Blanche''s last thought before unconsciousness overtook her was that she wanted to be by her lover''s side until the end.

    Even if it was a bitter end.

 Chapter 32: Rumors and Consequences

    Anyway. The tea party will be an opportunity for you to prove that you aren''t as incompetent as that woman portrayed you. So, we have five days to prepare. That should be enough since you don''t have to be perfect all of a sudden. As long as you don''t draw attention to yourself, it will be fine.¡± He voiced the last sentence with a somewhat accusatory tone, which the concubine ignored.

    ¡°

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    shouldn''t behave. Staying quiet in a corner appeared to be a safe plan, but she still became slightly nauseous when thinking about the gathering. After all, Theodore wouldn''t be there to protect her, and everyone else was against her, so she would be on her own.

    ¡°

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    that person is the one responsible for making you suffer like that. I have not considered letting them off the hook for a single second, and I won''t budge on that decision.¡±

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    ¡°

 Chapter 33: The Tailor

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    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

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 Chapter 34: Tea Party (1)

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    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

 Chapter 35: Tea Party (2)

    The maids, who had previously stood next to the table motionlessly, now approached the guests one after the other and filled their cups. It only took two minutes before a servant reached the concubine and listed the available flavors.

    Much to Blanche''s dismay, no tea with fruit taste had been prepared. She adored tea and had it daily, but she clearly favored the sweet kinds over the classical ones. She held back a dejected expression from appearing on her face and chose the green tea which sounded like it wasn''t as bitter as the others and thanked the servant as the maid left.

    As everyone around her began to drink, Blanche lifted her cup and observed the liquid with slightly narrowed eyes. Hopefully, it wouldn''t taste bitter like the last time that she had been forced to settle for green tea. She reminded herself to hold the cup in the position that Leon had shown her and took a small sip. Immediately, she placed the cup onto the table again and focused all her energy on not grimacing when the bitter taste clung to her tongue. It appeared that she had decided on the wrong flavor, but she couldn''t simply leave the full cup untouched. She would have to finish at least one cup, or it would be disrespectful towards the host. However, asking for another flavor without touching the first one also wasn''t regarded highly.

    Blanche''s eyes wandered to the sugar that was standing in the middle of the table. She could take it, but others would definitely see her movements and direct their attention to her, which she needed to avoid. Sweetening green or black tea certainly wasn''t part of the table etiquette and would seem odd to the guests. Apparently, she would have to gulp down the liquid despite the bitterness.

    The concubine stared at the tea and told herself that she two hours to finish one cup. She could take very short sips and pause in between. But before she had a chance to attempt drinking more, a voice called out to her.

    ¡°Is the tea not to your liking, Lady Blanche?¡± Fiona spoke with a face that appeared concerned at first glance. From directly in front of her, however, one could see how the corners of her lips twitched. Her volume had been louder than it was necessary for the concubine to hear her, which had drawn the attention of some other noble ladies towards them.

    Almost all the women at the table gazed into their direction while trying to seem inconspicuous by sipping their drinks or looking away occasionally.

    Blanche grasped the porcelain a little tighter while holding back her annoyance. ¡°No, the tea is as mouth-watering as Her Majesty promised. I just happened to have lunch before the party, which I regret now. I won''t be able to drink much.¡± She kept her response in a lower volume and could almost see how the people around them were perking up their ears in expectation of entertainment. She surely wouldn''t grant them that.

    Lucille surprisingly chimed into the conversation as well. ¡°Thankfully. We already feared that the tea might be too bitter for you, but that would make you quite sensitive.¡± Her attempt at imitating Fiona''s sugary insults succeeded in terms of her word choice, but her weak voice didn''t make it sound very intimidating.

    The concubine still found it irritating that everyone wanted to trouble her for seemingly no reason, but she couldn''t show that. She demonstratively took a sip from her cup and replied. ¡°It''s true that this is a little tart in comparison to the tea I consume normally, but it is nice to have a change sometimes.¡± Saying this was pretty hypocritical when the liquid almost burned on her tongue.

    A moment later, Selena inserted herself into the discussion too. ¡°In your age, I only drank overly sweet drinks as well. When you mature more, your taste buds will accommodate to other flavors, so I am sure that you will also enjoy green tea in the future.¡±

    A frown came onto Blanche''s face before she could prevent it. Being called young and inexperienced with the intention to offend her was actually a new insult. Normally, she was regarded as a useless, arrogant seductress, who had no worth without the emperor''s favor. She opened her mouth to respond but was stopped.

    In that very second, the empress raised her voice so that all the guests could understand her. ¡°Have there recently been any occurrences in the capital that you wish to share? I am curious to hear what you have experienced during the last year.¡±

    The concubine directed her gaze at Evelyn and let out a deep breath when that woman didn''t speak up to slander her.

    Instead, a few other noble ladies began narrating more or less interesting stories. The fear of the people at the border to Northern Ocrea and the fall of house Besseta were addressed curtly. But most of the stories were light-themed anecdotes of their husbands and children. For a short time, the event was as relaxing as Seraphina had wanted it to be until Sophia had revealed how she planned to call her baby depending on its gender.

    After everyone had praised Sophia for her choice, the Duchess of Vasquez also asked for permission to talk, which she received. A beam spread across her face, and for the first time, it didn''t appear fake in the slightest. ¡°A week ago, I had an appointment for an examination with our doctor. We received the joyful message that I am pregnant. It seems like I''m in my third month. My husband and I are extremely excited, and Luciano looks forward to meeting his sibling as well.¡± Selena put her hand onto her stomach and caressed it while the noble ladies let out noises of surprise.

    While the birth of a family member of the emperor''s opponent wasn''t a euphoric event for Seraphina, she still put on her flawless smile. ¡°Congratulations, Your Grace. The baby will grow up in wonderful company, so it will without a doubt become a virtuous person in the future. May the gods be with them and keep them safe and in good health. I will inform His Majesty so that he can bless his cousin in the future too.¡±

    Certainly, Theodore wouldn''t be overjoyed at the prospect of the Vasquez family growing even more, but he might have to force himself to congratulate them either way. After all, the duchess was his mother''s sister, and even though he despised the dowager empress, he couldn''t deny his relation to her.

    As Selena thanked the empress, Evelyn began to stir. That gave Blanche a bad premonition that was proven to be true by Lady Lemares'' words. ¡°It is such a coincidence that two of the noble ladies from the capital have been blessed with children at the same time. The gods seem to be generous this year. Could this possibly also raise the chances of the birth of a royal heir in the close future?¡±

    The concubine froze at those words, and everyone around her did the same. Judging another household''s childlessness was frowned upon already, even if most aristocrats did this behind closed doors. However, feeling entitled to criticize the royal bloodline was close to the most presumptuous thing one could say. How could Evelyn, who was educated in more rules than the greatest part of the present people, make such a mistake? Could she truly feel so safe because her niece was the empress? Or had she done this on purpose?

    Understandably, a deep frown was etched into Seraphina''s features as she attempted to deescalate the situation. ¡°Lady Lemares, I know that you had no treacherous intention, but still, you are invading in matters that do not concern you.¡±

    At the very least, Evelyn should have realized that she had overstepped her boundaries now. But she added another bit with an expression of fake surprise on her face. ¡°I did not mean to offend Your Majesty. I wasn''t asking this because of bad intentions but because I am an aunt. I only wished to inquire whether my sister could look forward to having another grandchild soon, so if my question has been insolent, please ignore it.¡±

    The Duchess of Duremont, Elaine, raised her voice after this as well. ¡°We will not hold it against you, but please be more careful of your words.¡±

    In response, Evelyn apologized once more and kept quiet, but the seed of curiosity had been implanted into everybody''s minds. The women''s cautious gazes directed at the empress were impossible to ignore, even if none of them voiced their thoughts. Evelyn had managed to make them keep this topic in the backside of their heads, and even though no one could blame Seraphina, the heroine''s reaction had fueled this.

    If the empress had calmly explained that she and Theodore were taking their time, most people would have been satisfied, but cutting the conversation off had the opposite effect. Now the damage had been done.

    The unnerving silence was only broken when multiple small discussions emerged across the table after an uncomfortable amount of time.

    After letting out a sigh, Blanche drank some of her tea. By the gods, this was unpleasant. She could only hope that this topic would be forgotten soon. She wanted to go back to her room.

    Despite the strange atmosphere, Fiona began talking to Lucille while still watching the concubine. ¡°It sounds like it might still take a bit until the royal family grows. Her Majesty doesn''t seem to be ready to have a child at this point in time.¡±

    Lucille nodded in approval before an uncertain smile grew on her lips. She looked like she hated herself for it, but she spoke up nonetheless. ¡°You''re right. But that doesn''t mean that His Majesty can''t have an heir in the close future.¡± Her eyes locked onto Blanche, which perfected the innuendo.

    The concubine''s eyes widened, and she felt a pang in her stomach that made her throat dry up. A cold shiver ran down her spine, which almost made her tremble despite her cheeks burning up with shame. Everyone knew that she was Theodore''s lover, however, officially she was merely a woman living in the palace. As long as the emperor hadn''t revealed their relationship to the public, the nobles couldn''t talk about it unless they wished to deeply offend the royal family, especially the empress. Why was Lucille doing this? Did everyone really want to see the concubine in shock?

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    Blanche barely managed to sort her thoughts as she pressed out her response. ¡°Lady Valerian, this is not something you should say. People might misunderstand.¡± She whipped her head around to reassure herself that no one else had heard Lucille. But what had she expected? She was never lucky.

    Despite Lucille''s low volume, all sounds seemed to have faded into absolute silence. Blanche didn''t dare to move when she realized that all the guests were staring at her. Stiffly, she turned her neck further to meet Seraphina''s gaze.

    The empress was upset.

    This was the only correct way to interpret Seraphina struggling to keep her composure. Describing her expression and body language differently was impossible. Her shoulders were visibly strained, and her fingers dug into her cup with so much force that her hands lost some of their color. Her jaw was clenched and closed shut while she bore her eyes into the concubine with murderous intent.

    Blanche sank into herself and hugged her waist as she lowered her head to focus on the table. Why was the heroine angry at her now? She hadn''t made such a careless comment, but the one who had, Lucille, wasn''t met with hostility.

    The following silence only served to thicken the tension in the air that began to feel like a sharp knife cutting into her flesh.

    Selena cleared her throat and broke through the quiet as she started to talk. For a moment, the concubine was the most grateful she had ever been and turned to the duchess, who attracted all the eyes now while speaking with a smile. ¡°After thinking about it more, I also have an addition to the news in the capital. As you have probably all heard, the most skilled artist on this continent is called Erneis. Recently, my husband has begun to speak of the man in glowing terms. Aside from the portrait of the royal couple, Claude also admired the stunning beauty of another work, which he had found in the palace. Not long ago, he joined a discussion with His Majesty and the ministers in His Majesty''s office.¡±

    The dread came back with full force. Blanche understood what the duchess was referring to. A part of her wanted to interrupt Selena, but wouldn''t that draw even more attention to the subject?

    A glance to the empress proved that the other woman was well aware of where this story was going as well. Nevertheless, Seraphina didn''t stop the duchess and kept her neutral expression, even though a catastrophe was approaching.

    So, Selena continued without anyone interrupting her. ¡°There, directly next to His Majesty''s desk, was a portrait of him and you, Lady Blanche.¡± She smiled at the woman next to her. ¡°My husband couldn''t quit talking about how gorgeous it was and how perfectly Erneis had captured your emotions on the canvas. He was describing it so vividly that I can imagine it in front of my inner eyes without even having to try. Naturally, I am disappointed that I most likely won''t have a chance to see it in reality. Well, maybe someday. Anyway, my husband and I are considered engaging Erneis to draw a painting of us since he is such a genius.¡±

    Blanche wished to disappear into thin air. No other person dared to speak up, which left the party in complete stillness once more. She drank the rest of her tea in one sip, and this time, the taste paled in comparison to the dim atmosphere.

    It took a few seconds before the empress addressed one of the less powerful noble ladies and asked her about her daughter''s engagement. The other woman stuttered a bit at first but then gushed about her future son-in-law. This enthusiasm saved the party from ending in a total nightmare for Blanche, but it was still quite close.

    If requesting permission to leave early wouldn''t amplify the weighting of the rumors that would unmistakably spread in less than a week, the concubine would have retreated into her chambers already. Sitting in the crowd that desperately attempted to keep a conversation going to avoid falling silent again made her want to run away, but she didn''t listen to her desire. She didn''t dare to move or utter a single word. She stayed frozen in place until Selena turned to her.

    Duchess Vasquez had put her hand to her cheek to emphasize her worried frown. ¡°Have I perhaps said something wrong? I did not mean any harm with my comment. Nonetheless, everyone seemed so startled to hear about the picture.¡±

    The concubine pressed her teeth together to hold back the growing anger that was bubbling in her stomach. Selena was well aware of the hidden suggestion behind her remarks. Lucille''s words had been enough to sour the mood already, but at least they had been speculative. But this painting in Theodore''s office really existed and proved that Blanche was an important person to the emperor. Only two months ago, she would have done anything to make the public recognize her relationship, however, now her life was at stake, which put pressure on her.

    Seraphina had been embarrassed in front of the members of all noble families in the capital. There was no way that she wouldn''t hold a grudge against her nemesis because of this, even if the concubine hadn''t voiced anything herself.

    While the Duchess of Vasquez was unaware of the severity of this situation, she had still put the concubine in a tough spot on purpose. She had definitely known about the reaction she would spark and intended to anger the empress by hinting that the emperor had a lover. What a treacherous plan.

    Blanche replied while struggling to keep her fury from oozing out of her voice. ¡°I''m sure that you didn''t expect the other guests to respond like this, Your Grace. Nevertheless, you brought attention to an unnecessary topic, and many will misunderstand.¡±

    Before Selena could open her mouth, Fiona chimed into the conversation. ¡°I agree. We have all noticed that His Majesty cares deeply about Lady Blanche long ago. But revealing such sensitive information might cause people to come to a wrong conclusion. We should avoid casting a bad light on the royal couple and their harmonious marriage.¡±

    Lucille nodded in approval and added to her friend''s words. ¡°It''s impressive how calmly Her Majesty handled this uncomfortable situation just now. She seemed so unaffected by the insulting rumors that could spread in the close future. Her emotional control is flawless. She truly deserves to be our empress, don''t you think? His Majesty couldn''t have someone with the self-control of a toddler as his wife after all.¡± Why was she saying something mean while looking so unhappy about it? She was much too quiet to seem confident and looked rather uncertain, so her trying to draw attention to this matter made no sense.

    However, no one pointed that out. The three women all stared at the concubine while expecting that she would become furious at that thinly veiled offense. But Blanche was too baffled to focus on that.

    Had the others really seen the empress as calm just now?

    Seraphina''s anger had practically seeped out of her pores. She might not have raised her voice, but the coldness of a blizzard in her eyes hadn''t been something the guests could overlook.

    Maybe Blanche had just witnessed the rage of the composed heroine often enough to identify the small indicators that remained invisible to the others. That was somewhat good and somewhat bad. On the one hand, she could easily use this to determine what the heroine was feeling. But then again, it also made Blanche worry much more often than it was good for her. Obviously, she didn''t say any of that though. She ignored the people around her in favor of distracting herself. She reached into the middle of the table and put a macaron from the big plate onto her own. Then she carefully ate it as the other''s eyes stayed on her.

    When she finished, Selena spoke up. ¡°I''m surprised by how quiet Lady Blanche is today. Normally, you are more talkative and the center of every interaction at an event.¡± That was a lie, but Selena continued without skipping a beat. ¡°Are you bored with the party, or could you be feeling unwell?¡±

    Now it was Blanche''s time to shine. She straightened her back and put on the most polite smile she could muster. ¡°Oh no, that''s not it. I recently started taking etiquette lessons with Marquess Leonard Astame as my tutor. We''ve been making rapid progress, and I''m more educated in the field of appropriate behavior in noble society now. I don''t believe that I won''t make any errors, but my conduct should be acceptable in the future. I apologize for all times that I disregarded the conventions and rules in the past.¡±

    Out of the three women, only Lucille was unable to conceal her surprise while the other two put on a smile and complimented Blanche on her improvement. Though their occasional praises of the empress'' perfect manners revealed that they still intended to make the concubine look bad in comparison.

    Despite Blanche''s growing urge to leave and her keeping her composure no matter what, she was trapped in the conversation with her neighbors. Like this, she had to spend at least an hour.

    When the first half of the party was finally over and the guests rose to separate into small groups, she finally got the chance to leave though. Blanche almost jumped out of her chair. ¡°I will have to excuse myself for a bit. My legs have become tired of sitting, so I''ll take a short stroll.¡± She needed to get away from all this gossiping, or she would lose her mind.

    To her dismay, Selena stood up as well. ¡°What a great idea. I hope you don''t mind if I join you?¡± Why would she ask that?

    Blanche forced herself to smile as she replied. She did mind, but a mere baroness rejecting a duchess was problematic. So, she gave in. ¡°Of course not. Please feel free to accompany me.¡±

    Selena saw that as her cue to act as if they were good friends. She approached the concubine and linked her arms with hers, which made Blanche stiffen. The duchess led the other woman away from the table. Slowly, they walked down a path that rounded around the labyrinth and wouldn''t take more than a few minutes to follow.

    For a moment, Blanche looked back and met the empress'' narrowed eyes. Seraphina was definitely uncomfortable with seeing her greatest nemesis alone with a member of the family that was opposing the emperor. The concubine herself also wasn''t happy about spending more time with the other woman though. She almost hoped that the empress would interfere somehow, but obviously, that didn''t happen. So, Blanche was left alone with one of the many people she didn''t trust.

    As soon as the women had put some distance between them and the terrace, they walked around for a while. Blanche tried to focus on the flowers, but she had no chance to do that the whole time.

    It only took two minutes or so before Selena patted the concubine''s arm and began speaking. ¡°Luciano told me about your meeting in the city. It was quite reckless of you to go out on your own. I''m glad that my son was there to bring you home safely. I don''t even want to imagine what could have happened if you had run into a despicable criminal. Please, be more careful from now on.¡±

    Blanche let out an embarrassed chuckle and scratched her neck with her free hand. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I will definitely pay more attention to avoid such dangerous actions. And I would like to express my gratitude to your son once more. He didn''t have to offer me a carriage ride and sacrifice his time to escort me back to the royal palace.¡± To be honest, she hadn''t wanted his help either, so she didn''t feel bad at all, much like she would still claim that the capital was rather safe to take walks in.

    The duchess waved her hand around in the air before she responded. ¡°You don''t have to mention that at all. It''s only natural to help others in need whenever you can. This has been a shared understanding of our family for decades. Anyway, Luciano spoke highly of you, so I assume that your exchange was a very pleasant one. What did you think of my son?¡± Posing such a question was unnecessary when only one answer was acceptable.

    ¡°He surely is a gentleman and very...¡± Unsettling. ¡°Charming. You have raised an upstanding young man.¡± Blanche looked to the side. She still hadn''t forgotten Luciano''s sudden change of personality at the end of their encounter that had cast a shadow over their whole interaction. She didn''t like that man.

    Selena laughed, and the smile on her face widened. ¡°Thank you. We are proud of our son as well. Though we''re still hoping that our next child will be a girl.¡± She stroked over her belly and raised her gaze into the distance, where the terrace came closer again. ¡°There is one thing I want to say before we mingle with the other guests once more.¡± She made eye contact with the concubine. Even though Blanche looked at her expectantly, she paused for a moment before she opened her mouth. ¡°You did well during the last months. Their marriage is falling apart.¡±

    As if Blanche was struck by lightning, she froze, which stopped Selena in her tracks.

    The duchess tapped the other''s hand again before she pulled the perplexed woman back to the crowd to end their walk prematurely. There she let go and left Blanche alone in her shock to join a chat with other ladies.

    The concubine remained motionless in her position until she shivered and freed herself from her paralysis. After having no contact with Sefare in months, she had almost forgotten what goal they had claimed to want her to fulfill.

    Breaking up the royal couple to become empress herself.

    Naturally, the Duchess of Vasquez knew what her husband was plotting with the help of his followers. But actually addressing this in public, even if they had been alone at that point, was risky. What was Selena''s intention in doing this? Was it to appeal to the concubine''s ambition and greed to encourage her to cause more trouble?

    Blanche''s eyes followed Selena for a while before she shook her head and turned around to move to an empty side of the venue, only to bump into someone. Before she could even identify the person, the clashing of porcelain on the floor sounded through the air. A short glance to the ground made her realize that the other party had let go of their teacup, which was now splintered into countless shards that were spread across the stone.

 Chapter 36: Tea Party (3)

    ¡°

    ¡°

    your reputation. I won''t keep my mouth shut while Mother''s dress is destroyed because of her inability to walk properly! This, this wh-¡± If the other guests hadn''t noticed what was going on, they surely had heard her booming voice now.

    she was here. Evelyn stood next to the concubine with a contemptuous smirk. The tutor shook her head in disappointment, but her grin didn''t disappear. ¡°Such uncivil behavior is exactly why our collaboration regarding your lessons ended so quickly. Now His Majesty is upset with me for not being able to do the impossible and teach you manners.¡±

    incomprehensible¡¯ because Your Majesty didn''t listen to my version of the story. Isn''t that what you are supposed to do to bring things to a fair closure? Your Majesty is always righteous and makes her decisions with great care. So, why don''t you attempt to do that this time too?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡®

    ¡°

 Chapter 37: More Distance

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    graciously got involved and wanted to make me apologize to that old hag that calls herself a paragon of good conduct. I refused and got send away.¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    more evidence that supported their conviction and made them spread their gossip in the empress'' presence. Blanche had to refrain from giving such talk a foundation with her behavior. She had known that she would have to attempt to seem inconspicuous before, but today''s events had proven that she needed to hold back even more. This included staying away from the emperor when he was in public, especially if he was accompanied by his wife. Though it would allow the fated couple to come closer without obstacles, which she would have to observe from a distance, it was a necessity.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°Great. Another member of the family that opposes me at every chance they get. They have an heir already, so that won''t change much, but if their son''s development is any indication, this child will be unbearable too. And since it''s my cousin, I''ll have to visit their baby party and spend time with these people as well. I''m overjoyed.¡± Theodore sounded more annoyed than anything else, which was quite calming.

    ¡°

    directly next to you. I mean, the table outside does have enough other chairs.¡±

 Chapter 38: Liar

    She had barely fallen asleep and already regretted it.

    Blanche was sitting at a small round table that was covered by a white cloth. At first, she was disoriented, with no knowledge of where she could be. She was only able to make out the surroundings after some time passed. Without a doubt, she was in her own chambers, so why would she have trouble identifying it? That was strange.

    She lowered her gaze onto the table, which was set with multiple plates, teacups and a steaming pot as well as a cake. The dishware was positioned to allow two people to eat together, but the chair across from her was empty. Before she could understand what she saw, her hand began moving without her influence. She grabbed the pot and poured tea into the other person''s cup and set it back onto the saucer before repeating the same thing with her own. The whole time, her fingers were shaking so much that she feared spilling the liquid all over the cloth and thus ruining it.

    She had put the porcelain down, and in that instant, a voice from across the table cut through the silence.

    ¡°What have you called me here for?¡±

    Again, Blanche''s body responded against her will. She lifted her head at a painstakingly slow pace to look at the person, who suddenly sat on the other chair.

    It was Seraphina. The empress was adorned by expensive jewelry and wore a gorgeous dress, but this majestic image was destroyed by the expression of pure hatred on her face.

    Without her ado, Blanche''s mouth responded in a quiet and trembling voice. ¡°I apologize if I inconvenienced you, Your Majesty. I merely wanted to enjoy a cup of tea with you.¡±

    The heroine''s eyes narrowed, but that didn''t conceal the flames of fury burning inside them. ¡°What makes you believe that I wish to bear the sight of your face for a second more than I have to? If you want to say something, do it now before I decide to leave.¡±

    The concubine''s grasped her cup tighter with both hands and remained silent for a moment. She only spoke when Seraphina moved to get up. ¡°I... I haven''t congratulated you on your pregnancy at all, have I? I sincerely hope that the royal heir will live a happy life without worries.¡± Her voice was even weaker now than before.

    That didn''t stop the empress from answering in a tone that was cold enough to freeze a sea of fire. ¡°Coming from you, that sounds more like a curse. Now, don''t make me repeat myself. Tell me what you wanted to see me for.¡±

    Blanche let out a shaky breath and felt how the fingers of her one hand moved to gesture towards the cups. ¡°Doesn''t Your Majesty wish to drink a little tea first? It''s chamomile flavored.¡± At the other''s indifference to her suggestion, she added something else. ¡°Or some cake? It was made with fresh lemon and blueberries.¡±

    ¡°I do not have time for your nonsense. Spit it out, or I will leave.¡± The empress'' tone didn''t leave any doubt that she was lying.

    Blanche''s arms moved down on their own, and her fingers dug into the fabric of her dress while her gaze was firmly trained onto her lap. ¡°If Your Majesty is asking me to, I will.¡± A short pause followed, in which her body closed its eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes again and continuing. ¡°I know that I''m not in any position to voice something like. I don''t even deserve that Your Majesty is listening to-¡±

    Seraphina cut her off at that point. ¡°I do not want to hear your hypocritical words. Is that all you wished to say?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± For the first time, Blanche''s voice had reached a normal volume, but it still cracked as she raised it. Another moment of silence followed before she finally opened her mouth. ¡°I have a request. I don''t want anything but one thing. Please, I''m begging you, don''t-¡±

    This time, the empress didn''t interrupt her, but the crashing of the door as it flew against the wall did. Before Blanche could realize what happened, knights rushed into the room and surrounded the women. All of them pointed their weapons at the concubine, who jumped up and took a step back, which caused them to move their swords closer towards her. She froze in fear, and her body didn''t dare to move, except for her eyes, which darted across the guards.

    Another hurried set of steps was audible from the entrance, which made her turn around. Theodore stormed into the chambers as well. For a second, their eyes met, and she thought that everything would be alright. He would protect her. But that hope got crushed and turned into a hollow feeling around her heart as soon as he ran to Seraphina. ¡°Did you eat something yet?¡± His question was filled with as much panic as it was filled with wrath.

    The empress replied as an expression of concern appeared on her features. ¡°No, I didn''t.¡±

    Immediately, the emperor''s face relaxed with relief as he scanned his wife for injuries and began muttering. ¡°I''m so glad. I thought that...¡± His voice cracked before he could finish. After that, he remained motionless for another few seconds. Then, without a warning, he turned around, and his eyes fell on Blanche. The relieved look on his face changed into a mask of pure rage. ¡°You...¡± He growled with such malice in his voice that the concubine took a step back despite her legs'' constant shivering. ¡°You truly lost your mind, haven''t you? You try to kill the empress and think that nothing would happen?¡±

    This sentence full of hatred was enough to destroy Blanche''s self-control. Tears streamed down her face as she began crying. ¡°Why are you... Theo, I-¡±

    The emperor didn''t even allow her to finish before addressing Owen, who was standing behind him. ¡°Throw her into a cell. Now.¡±

    Owen, who actually frowned for once instead of being emotionless, ordered his men with a singular wave of his hand. Within an instant, the guards were closing in on Blanche.

    Her attempts to back away were pointless from the very beginning. Thanks to her non-existing strength, the guards overwhelmed her in an instant. They tied up her hands behind her back and started to drag her towards the door. Her struggling didn''t do anything but cause her to get scrapes and bruises on her skin, and her wailing didn''t award her any sympathy. Even crying out her lover''s name didn''t provide any help.

    Theodore faced Seraphina and was busy listening to her low whispering.

    Still, Blanche yelled when her voice finally allowed her to be as loud as she wanted to. ¡°Why? Why are you doing this to me?¡± Though she quickly realized that she had made a mistake.

    Theodore made a small movement with his hand that caused the guards to drop her onto her knees. ¡°You''re asking me ¡®why¡¯?¡± He spoke without turning around. The blazing fury in his voice had disappeared and was replaced by one that gave the listener the impression of standing in the middle of a blizzard, which wasn''t much better.

    Though even Blanche''s hazy mind recognized the danger, she replied with a sob anyway. ¡°Yes!¡±

    As if time had stopped, Theodore moved to look at her with a blank stare. ¡°So, you''re saying that you don''t know what you did?¡±

    ¡°I don''t!¡± By confirmed his question, she had made the second irrevocable error, and Blanche vaguely noticed that. Yet, her body didn''t listen to her as she tried to make an attempt to redeem the situation.

    The emperor strode towards her as the knights sidestepped to clear his path. ¡°You really don''t? You have no idea?¡±

    The tears blurred Blanche''s sight so much that she could barely make out his expression and blinked multiple times to wipe them away. By the time she had finished that, Theodore was already standing right before her, and she had to look up to see his face. ¡°I truly don''t!¡±

    Theodore stayed completely silent.

    The rapid beating of her heart was the only thing that echoed in her head while she waited for his response.

    Then like a switch had been flipped, Theodore''s wrath flamed up again, and he raised his voice. ¡°How self-righteous can a person be? After everything you did, you still dare to say that you don''t know what you did wrong? Maybe this will help you remember!¡± He reached into his coat and pulled out something, which he threw onto the floor before Blanche.

    With a clink, the small item met the ground and slid towards her.

    She was only able to identify the object when it stopped. It was a little transparent vial without any liquid in it. Blanche didn''t recognize it, but then again, her brain wasn''t working well right now either.

    ¡°Does this seem familiar to you?¡± Theodore''s voice trembled with anger.

    Blanche hurriedly shook her head while trying to respond as loudly as possible. ¡°It doesn''t! I''ve never seen this before!¡±

    The emperor''s expression darkened even more. That wasn''t a good sign at all.

    She tried to stand up to approach her lover and pacify him, but the knights kept her shoulders in place. Though her shivering legs also wouldn''t have allowed her to stand either. Speaking was her only option, but even as her mouth moved without her desire, it didn''t help. ¡°I really don''t know what this is, so please let me-¡±

    The emperor cut her off before she could finish the sentence. ¡°You''re going to be lying to the very end, aren''t you? Convincing yourself that you are the victim and ignoring all the destruction that you have left behind on your egoistical quest for power. This...¡± He pointed to the vial that still lay before her knees. ¡°Is the empty container of poison that you put in Seraphina''s tea. I should already have known that you were a vile person after all that happened. But to try to kill my child and wife because of your twisted jealousy... Just how warped must your sense of morality be?¡±

    A realization dawned upon Blanche as she heard his accusations. This was the scene of the villainess'' condemnation at the ending of the novel. So, it had to be another dream. But this recognition, which should erase her fears, didn''t serve to dry her tears and calm quivering breathing. Nor did it stop her from feeling the cool floor below her legs and the tight rope, that was beginning to cut off her hand''s circulation.

    She remembered this chapter and knew that all the denials she voiced wouldn''t save her. Still, her body responded without her intention. ¡°What? I would never do something like that! How could I hurt your child? Theodore, I love you!¡±

    Her desperate objection only served to irritate the emperor even more. He gnawed his teeth and narrowed his eyes to slits as he stepped forward. He halted his movements directly in front of her and stared down at her.

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    Raw fear filled up her mind, and for a second, she really thought that he would reach for her. Would he hurt her? Every one of her muscles began trembling, no matter how much she tried to hold them steady. Except for looking into her lover''s hateful eyes, she couldn''t do anything but shrink in herself.

    Both of them remained quiet for what felt like an eternity until Theodore exhaled shakily and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°I''m so sick of you, and your sea of lies.¡± He didn''t even sound angry anymore, just disappointed. With these words, he spun around and returned to Seraphina''s side.

    His wife was quick to throw her arms around him. Unlike her husband, the empress didn''t have an expression filled with hatred but looked like a frightened rabbit instead. That was so unusual for her. She said something to her husband, which caused him to nod slightly.

    The longing look in Theodore''s eyes made Blanche nauseous despite the graveness of her situation. Yet, she could not speak. She could just let her body continue to cry while praying that this dream would be over soon.

    After a while of silence, the emperor turned around. This time, all the anger had disappeared and only left behind exhaustion. ¡°Arrest her.¡±

    The knights jumped to follow his order without acknowledging the concubine''s attempts at freeing herself or her screaming.

    Blanche wanted to stop resisting so badly, but her body didn''t listen to her. ¡°No, why are you doing this? I didn''t do anything!¡± It didn''t help either way.

    The guards lifted her up with barely any effort and began to drag her to the door.

    Theodore spoke in the typical serious tone he always used, but when met her gaze, his eyes looked like he was dead on the inside. ¡°We will investigate the matter and have a fair trial.¡± Why was he this composed when his lover was about to be judged for the attempted murder of the empress?

    Blanche would be executed for treason if he didn''t change his mind. She knew that that would be exactly what happened to the villainess, but still, her body didn''t give up the useless fight. ¡°No! Let go of me! Theo, tell them to stop! Please, Theodore!¡±

    However, once again, no one pitied her. Her former lover stood there and said something to Owen without sparing her a single glance while his wife clung to him. He didn''t turn around, even as the guards pulled Blanche out of the room and down the corridor.

    During the whole time, Blanche yelled his name and didn''t let her increasingly hoarse voice stop her. She repeated this until the very moment that she was thrown onto the cold floor of the cell.

    The impact knocked all air out of her lungs and left her breathless, but it also freed her from the invisible chains that controlled her.

    In an instant, Blanche''s body listened to her again, and she pushed herself onto her knees. She looked around with widened eyes.

    The white walls and expensive furniture proved that she had returned to her room.

    She inhaled the much-needed oxygen and took a few attempts to stand on her weak legs before collapsing back onto the floor. Her landing wasn''t as harsh as she had expected it to be since her blanket was lying below her. She gave up trying to stand and sat instead, with her back leaning against her bed. It seemed like she had fallen out of it again. Apparently, her struggling in the nightmare had caused her to roll over the edge once again.

    Blanche pulled her knees against her chest and hugged them. Why was fate this cruel and showed her the future in such a realistic vision? It wouldn''t help her to change it and just make her live through this scene twice in the worst case. So, instead of being granted a hint on how she could survive, why was she forced to witness her doom before it had even arrived?

    Maybe the gods just despised her and found it entertaining to see her suffer. Blanche let out a dry laugh as she buried her face in her arms and focused on keeping her breathing steady. Starting to cry now would only please whatever malicious entity had made it its task to torture her.

    For a moment, she thought that she could control her tears before the vivid image of Seraphina putting her arms around Theodore appeared in front of her inner eye. As salty drops streamed down her face, she couldn''t keep her mind in line anymore.

    Blanche was so full of hatred that she didn''t know how to deal with it. She resented the author, who forced her into this gruesome situation. She despised the heroine, who would take away all of her happiness just with her cursed existence. And most of all, she hated herself for being unable to do anything but sobbing alone in her room. Keeping herself from crying had never been her strength, and now she herself was frustrated with this. It was no wonder that Seraphina had often been annoyed by the concubine''s response to the slightest inconvenience.

    But that wasn''t her biggest problem by far.

    Why had the villainess been so keen on lying, even in the very end after all of her evil deeds were revealed? Had she really believe that the emperor''s love would protect her? That would be stupid. Instead of simply denying any accusations, the villainess should have begged for forgiveness and pleaded to be exiled. Then she might have survived. Without Theodore, but she would have been able to evade her execution. But instead of that, she had refused to admit her connection to the schemes against Seraphina, which only infuriated the emperor. How stupid had Blanche''s counterpart been to believe that she could get away with that without consequences?

    In her anger, Blanche felt the desire to destroy something, anything she could project her wrath onto. The first thing in her field of view was the cup on the nightstand. She grabbed and lifted it up with the intention to throw it across the room but stopped at the thought of Stella.

    Her maid would be the one responsible for cleaning this up. The servant would once again be forced to pay for her mistress'' lack of self-control.

    Within a few seconds, Blanche''s rage turned into despair. She lowered her hand and looked inside the empty cup for a while before setting it onto the floor beside her. She leaned her head back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling.

    She didn''t want to witness that scene in real life. She''d rather die, even if it sounded cowardly. Blanche was a coward. She wouldn''t endure going through all of that again. If this was her future, she would rather end it herself so that everyone else could be happy.

    She immediately pushed that stupid thought away again, but her resignation still made her paralyzed. She couldn''t bring herself to move for what felt like an eternity until a clinking from the door sounded. She turned her gaze towards the entrance, just in time to watch Stella entering,

    The maid froze as she spotted her mistress sitting on the floor and let go of the cart to rush over to her. ¡°My Lady, what happened?¡±

    Blanche considered rubbing her eyes to clear her sight but didn''t find the motivation when she knew that everything would be blurred just moments after that again. ¡°I had a nightmare.¡± She was too tired to mask the resignation in her voice. As Stella came closer, the concubine pointed to the cup in a minimal motion. ¡°Be careful. I didn''t put that back.¡±

    The maid made a wide step to avoid crushing the porcelain and crouched down next to her mistress. ¡°It''s alright. Let''s get you up first. You don''t want to stay on the floor, right?¡±

    Blanche huffed and stretched out her still-shaking legs. ¡°I don''t think I have a choice. My feet don''t work like they''re supposed to.¡± Her voice didn''t either.

    ¡°I''ll help, hold onto me.¡± Stella put an arm around the other woman''s torso and pulled her up slowly.

    Even though her legs wobbled below her and Blanche expected them to give in, she managed to sit on the bed with her maid''s help. She watched her servant pick up the blanket and the cup before Stella placed the items back onto the mattress and the nightstand respectively. In that time, Blanche managed to calm herself down enough to stop crying, but only because she forced the horrible memories to the most distant part of her mind.

    Stella took a seat next to her and observed her mistress closely before speaking. ¡°Do you want to tell me about it? About your nightmare?¡±

    For a couple of seconds, Blanche considered warping the narrative into a story that she could present to her servant. Though in the end, she didn''t find a way to explain the scenario without abstracting it completely. So, she gave the most basic summary that didn''t even include Seraphina. ¡°Some knights attacked me and imprisoned me in a cell in the palace. Theodore watched and didn''t care.¡± She glanced towards the maid, who gazed at her with such worry that she felt stupid for troubling her with something that Stella couldn''t change. ¡°I''m pretty childish for crying because of a bad dream, aren''t I? I''m sorry for scaring you.¡±

    The servant carefully put a hand on her mistress'' shoulder and rubbed small circles into her skin. ¡°That''s not childish. If something upsets you, it''s important to get it out of your system, even if it''s only because of a dream. Should I bring you some water?¡±

    Blanche denied the offer by shaking her head. ¡°I''m not thirsty, but thank you.¡±

    Stella turned to look outside and then stood up to pull open the curtains. ¡°It seems like it will be a beautiful day. Do you want to go out later?¡± Apparently, she wanted to take her mistress'' mind off this, which was very much needed.

    The concubine agreed weakly. She definitely had to distract herself from this dejecting experience, or she would dwell on it without a break. She wouldn''t bear that.

    Luckily, Stella seemed to have a good understanding of her mistress'' mind and began to tell a story of her vacation. She stayed by the other''s side until Blanche''s body had stopped trembling. Only then did the servant propose to get ready to leave for breakfast.

    There was only one little problem.

    The concubine was reluctant to meet her lover so soon after witnessing the side of him that was normally reserved for his enemies. She would like to postpone the meal for a few hours, in which she could fully process the second one of those fragments of her bad ending. But she didn''t have any magic powers to make this possible, and too much time had passed while she got soothed by Stella. If she didn''t want to be late and worry Theodore, she had to go now.

    So, Blanche got dressed with her maid''s help and stepped out onto the corridor while still being a bit uncertain. But after she had just walked forward a bit, she noticed something in the distance.

    At the end of the hallway, two figures were standing together in front of a window. They were hugging each other, as far as Blanche could determine it from a distance.

    She didn''t want to interrupt them in whatever they were doing, but she needed to reach the dining room. Normally, she would have taken a detour, however, that would mean circling around the whole palace. She didn''t have the time that this would require, so she was forced to pass these people if she didn''t want to arrive too late.

    As Blanche approached the figures, the silhouettes became more clear, and she was able to identify that they were both wearing maid uniforms like Stella.

    The figures were still immersed in their own world and didn''t notice the women coming closer. One of them had her arms circled around the other''s waist and pressed her against the window sill, while the second person playfully tried to push her away.

    The embraced maid squealed as the first woman stroked her lips against her neck. ¡°Not here! What if someone sees us?¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry, no one will find us. Just give me a short kiss, and I''ll let you go.¡±

    Her companion gave in after hearing this and returned the hug. ¡°Alright then. I don''t seem to have much of a choice.¡±

    Blanche stopped in her tracks as she recognized Darlene and Angelica, two of the servants that she had met in the kitchen. Those two apparently weren''t just friends, which made Blanche consider taking a detour once again. It would be really odd for her to interrupt them now. But the choice was taken from her anyway.

    The women moved their heads closer to each other, but before their lips could meet, Angelica''s gaze turned to the side, and she paled at the sight of the spectators. She pressed her hands against her colleague''s chest to shove her away carefully.

    Darlene realized that something was wrong and followed the other''s gaze. Her eyes widened, and she jumped away from Angelica. In contrast to her ¡®friend¡¯, she didn''t pale, but the blood rushed to her face as she stared onto the floor. ¡°This now was just... We weren''t...¡± She was unable to finish the sentence.

    Instead of her, Angelica spoke up in a voice that was just as frightened. ¡°We were only messing around. We often do strange things like this, but that doesn''t mean anything. Please, forget what you just saw.¡±

    Their panic made Blanche feel bad for deciding against avoiding them, so she quickly reassured them. ¡°Don''t worry. What you two do is none of my business. I won''t tell anyone.¡± She probably hadn''t sounded very cheerful thanks to her resignation, but she tried to sound as supportive as she could.

    Instantly, the maids'' shoulders sank down in relief, and Darlene looked up again. ¡°Thank you so much. Something like this won''t happen ever again.¡±

    The concubine gazed down the hallway to confirm whether they were alone before responding. ¡°As I said, I don''t mind what you do together. But if you don''t want others to notice, you should rather go into your private rooms for matters like this. The royal guards are patrolling the corridors constantly, so the chance of running into one of them after less than five minutes is pretty high.¡±

    Her answer wiped the last remained nervousness off the maids'' faces and turned it into surprise.

    Stella chimed in as well after her mistress had finished. She lifted her hand to imitated locking her mouth and throwing away an imaginary key while a bright smile formed on her lips. ¡°Naturally, my lips are also sealed. But you could have told me, you know. I was always worried about imagining things.¡±

    This caused the two women in front of the window to look at each other before Darlene addressed them with disbelief. ¡°So, the both of you don''t think that we''re...¡± She cut herself off before the end, but by the tone of her voice, it was clear that she had some derogatory word in mind.

    Blanche hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Why would we? Just be more careful if you want to keep it secret.¡± Her gaze wandered across the walls in search of a clock, but there wasn''t one in the hallway. This meant that she couldn''t check on the time and see whether she was late. She didn''t want to run away after this conversation, but she didn''t want to be late either. So, she turned back to the maids to bid them farewell. ¡°Maybe we can chat in the kitchen in the near future? I would love to talk, but I have to leave now, or I will let Theodore wait. Have a nice day.¡±

    Angelica blinked a couple of times before replying. ¡°Gladly. Goodbye. We hope that the two of you will have a nice day as well.¡±

    With a nod towards the maids, Blanche picked up her pace again and rushed down the corridor as fast as she trusted her legs to go without losing her balance. She reached the staircase and stopped for a second to turn back once more.

    Darlene and Angelica were walking in the opposite direction with linked hands, which painted a faint smile onto Blanche''s lips.

    Stella came to a halt next to her and began to speak. ¡°I would have to lie if I said that it never crossed my mind that these two like each other like this. But even after working with them for years and being friends the whole time, I didn''t notice that they were together¡­¡±

    Blanche climbed down the stairs to the lower floor while thinking about all the times that Angelica had played with her ¡®friend''s¡¯ hair and that Darlene had cuddled up against the other woman. There were surprisingly many occurrences of those two being close. Thinking about that was much more pleasant than worrying about her nightmare, so Blanche was quite content with remembering all of that. Now that she paid attention to it, there had been signs. ¡°That you didn''t notice must be because they didn''t want anyone to. I haven''t thought about it before either, but they are adorable together.¡±

    Stella turned away from the figures at the other end of the hallway to watch the stairs as she followed her mistress. Her face was also adorned by a smile. ¡°They really are.¡±

    But even that wasn''t enough to take Blanche''s mind off the nightmare and off the prospect of her needing to face Theodore.

 Chapter 39: Free Time

    Blanche tried not to think about her nightmare as she walked down the stairs with Stella trailing behind her, but it was hard. With every step, she came closer to Theodore, and her nervousness rose. Still, she refused to slow her pace and advanced like before.

    The women reached the dining room that was guarded by Owen and two other knights. This could only mean that the emperor was already present.

    When the concubine approached them, she averted her gaze to keep herself from making eye contact with the people that might drag her off to prison soon. ¡°Good morning, Sir Maillont.¡±

    Owen bowed his head. To her surprise, he also spoke in return. ¡°May you have a wonderful morning, Lady Blanche. I''m glad that you arrived safely. His Majesty already considered sending me to confirm your well-being.¡±

    His remark was enough to make Blanche even more uncertain. ¡°I didn''t mean to worry him. Is he inside?¡±

    Before the head knight could answer, the door swung open and confirmed her assumption.

    ¡°Owen, can you-¡± Theodore cut himself off as he spotted his lover, and the concern on his features was overtaken with a bright smile. ¡°There you are. I already wanted to make sure whether you were fine. I''m overly cautious, aren''t I?¡± He stepped into the corridor and lifted his hand to reach for her.

    Blanche''s first instinct was to close the remaining distance between them, but the image of him staring down at her with nothing but rage flashed before her eyes.

    And for a moment, she was filled with fear.

    Theodore''s devoted side was kind, but his hateful side was horrifyingly cruel. The image of him towering above her with that hateful expression had already done its damage.

    It was just a thoughtless impulse, but Blanche turned her head to the side and took a step backward to avert her eyes.

    But of course, this hadn''t been a good idea despite it only being a quick reflex.

    Her little motion was supposed to be barely noticeable, but Theodore caught onto it immediately. His beam was replaced with a frown in an instant, and he came towards her to grab her hand while cupping her cheek with the other hand. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±

    And in an instant, Blanche was reminded of how this world wasn''t the book''s yet. She had done something rather stupid a moment ago. It was true that Blanche had only evaded her lover''s affection when she was angry and sulked about it. Was that always so obvious to Theodore when she was mad? If so, she hadn''t been a good lover, had she? And still, her Theodore had put up with her for so long. His considerate behavior wiped away the terrifying images from her nightmare again and left behind her love for him. That her lover immediately noticed that something was wrong and wanted to help her proved that she actually didn''t deserve Theodore''s kindness at all.

    The heroine was a better person than her and matched the emperor''s intellectual level, so she was the more fitting partner for him without a question.

    But Blanche was still too selfish to accept that. She was unable to suppress her feelings when it truly mattered, and that made her weak. Even now her determination to keep her lover at a distance in front of others was fading as well. She leaned into his touch and stroked over the back of his hand. ¡°No, no. Everything is perfectly fine. I hope you didn''t wait too long? I took a lot of time to get ready this morning.¡±

    ¡°I''m relieved to hear this. I thought that something might have happened while you were in your room.¡± Theodore''s expression completely changed within an instant for the third time today as he smiled at her with relief. His emotions really seemed to alternate quickly, much like they had in her dream, but this time they were much more pleasant to witness. Theodore, who didn''t know anything about the turmoil of fears in her head, pulled his love into the dining room and closed the door behind them.

    Blanche eyed the room to make sure that they were alone, and when she confirmed this, she put her arms around his neck. She needed his comfort now, even though she couldn''t give him the reason.

    Theodore returned the embrace in an instant and allowed her to bury her face into his chest. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He spoke in a much softer voice than he had used before.

    ¡°I''m sorry for letting you wait.¡± Her murmur was almost inaudible since she was pressed against him so tightly, but he understood her words anyway.

    The emperor patted her head carefully before putting his arm around her back again. ¡°You don''t have to be. You were only late by five minutes. Normally, you are here before eight o''clock, so I simply worried too much. But since you are here now, let''s eat.¡±

    Once again, Blanche gave in to her emotions. She was unwilling to separate from him as if he would slip away if she let go. So, she shook her head.

    Her movement was restricted by his body, but he was able to identify her gesture and chuckled at her clinging to him. ¡°So, you don''t want to eat?¡±

    Without budging her arms, Blanche lifted her head to meet his eyes. ¡°I do, but I don''t want to let you go.¡±

    ¡°Then we don''t have a choice.¡± A wide grin was etched into his features when he moved. Theodore began walking backward until they stood next to the table. He loosened his hold on her to pull back his chair before sitting down. As he did this, he put one arm onto her back and one under her legs to lift her onto his lap. After a bit of shuffling around, she sat comfortably, and he rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered into her ear. ¡°Is this better now?¡±

    Blanche nodded as warmth flooded her heart. Theodore was always giving his best to make sure that she was satisfied even though this probably wasn''t comfortable for him. She was blessed to have such a wonderful lover. Unfortunately, the novel didn''t intend to let her live in this bliss for much longer. Of course, she refused to let that ruin her day and focused on the present.

    The emperor moved the chair closer to the table so that she could reach it, and she began to fill her plate with food. She happily lifted a croissant and bit off a piece, which caused Theodore to clear his throat. ¡°It seems like I can''t move my arms with you here. How will I eat?¡±

    For a moment, she considered teasing him but then decided that she wasn''t in the mood. ¡°In that case, I''m going to have to feed you.¡± She held up the croissant to his lips so that he could take a bite as well.

    After Theodore swallowed, he pressed a small kiss onto her cheek. ¡°Suddenly, everything tastes way better. We should do this more often.¡±

    Blanche took one of the strawberries off the plate and put the fruit into his mouth when he opened it. ¡°I don''t think me sitting on you is that comfortable. Wouldn''t cuddling on a sofa be more practical?¡±

    Her lover let out a snort. ¡°Should I ask someone to put a couch into the dining room? I think they might really believe that I''m crazy if I do that.¡± His words had been a joke, but he was actually right. The people in the palace liked to gossip about anything, especially things they didn''t fully comprehend. A confusing order of the emperor was one of the topics that would spread like a wildfire. Theodore wanting to have a sofa in the room that only he and his ¡®guest¡¯ used would make them assume that he intended to sit closer to the concubine. That would be interpreted as an obvious sign of an affair for sure.

    ¡°It''s better if you don''t do that.¡± Blanche turned her head to make eye contact with Theodore.

    He hummed in agreement and grinned at her. ¡°I won''t. When we want to cuddle, we''ll have to do that in another location.¡± He slowly moved his head to nuzzle his nose into the crook of her neck while whispering in her ear. ¡°How about I stay the night soon again? It''s been a while, and I think that I might be able to take an evening off next week so that I don''t have to work until past midnight.¡±

    Blanche tensed up as soon she heard his first sentence and understood what he was referring to. She quickly forced her muscles to relax again. ¡°It really has been a long time, hasn''t it? You simply work too much. You need to go to bed earlier, or you''ll damage your health.¡± Her attempt at changing the subject seemed to be successful as the emperor began complaining about this year''s amount of stress.

    ¡°I want to sleep more, believe me. I would, but as I told you already, every imaginable catastrophe comes true at the same time right now. I would love to postpone all of those negotiations and take a break from writing all of those letters and contracts, but I can''t. The only thing that keeps me sane is that all of this has to be over in a few months, and then we can go back to spending more time together.¡± By then, Theodore would definitely have less work. After all, the book described how he spent hours upon hours with Seraphina just because she asked him to. ¡°But don''t worry about my well-being. I''ve always needed less sleep than most others.¡±

    ¡°That might be true, but don''t overdo it.¡± Blanche took another strawberry and offered it to him.

    Theodore replied with a bright smile. ¡°I won''t.¡±

    Blanche spent the rest of the meal alternating between feeding her lover and eating while avoiding any thoughts about his plan for next week. She knew that she couldn''t keep him from wanting to visit her and didn''t really want to do that either. After all, they hadn''t gotten close since the day that the novel''s memories appeared in her mind. But spending the night with her lover in her current state was impossible. Being this intimate would only remind her of their wavering love, and Blanche would be reminded of the fact that he would share all of these emotions with Seraphina in the future instead.

    It seemed almost ridiculous to think about it like this, but in the end, the heroine would truly get everything the villainess had ever wanted. She would win the emperor over, be happy with her family and ruin all of her enemies. She would even have the child that Blanche had never been granted by the gods.

    That thought was so depressing that Blanche refused to acknowledge it. She pushed that to the farthest edge of her mind while feeding Theodore and letting him prep kisses all over her face, even more so than usual. The fact that the heroine had never had such a scene with Theodore in the novel was only a small victory that Blanche had, but as long as her lover held her close like this, she might be content with this much.

    After the couple finished their breakfast, Theodore let her stand up and kissed her goodbye. ¡°I will have to go back to the office. Leon is already in the middle of outlining a contract that we''ll have to get ready and sign by tonight. So, I don''t think that I''ll be able to join you for lunch and dinner today. I''m sorry.¡± He gave her an apologetic smile, which caused her to put her arms around him in response.

    ¡°I know that you''re busy, so don''t feel bad. We''ll see each other tomorrow, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will. Have sweet dreams later.¡± It would be nice if his words were enough to keep those traumatizing nightmares away.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°You too.¡± Blanche held still as he planted a kiss on her forehead and opened the door. For a moment, she saw his smile faltering before he walked down the corridor along with Owen and left her field of view after he rounded a corner. The prospect of working the whole day had to bother him more than he admitted.

    And for a second, Blanche considered being petty enough to steal the empress'' minister rule just to make sure that Theodore could have more free time a few months earlier. Then she remembered that she couldn''t just begin talking about politics like she had a clue about a law she had barely heard about and had to give up. She turned to Stella and made a small gesture to signal that she wished to move too.

    Her maid followed her command, and they walked away.

    When they had put some distance between them and the knights guarding the door, Blanche spoke. ¡°Theo won''t have time to eat with me today, so we''ll have nothing to do until the evening. Do you have an idea of how we could spend these hours?¡±

    Stella stepped closer to the window and looked outside for a moment before responding. ¡°Normally, I would suggest taking a walk, but it''s a little rainy today. The clouds also make it seem like that won''t change much for now.¡± The maid turned back to her mistress. ¡°Maybe we can go into the kitchen? You''ve baked a few times, but I don''t remember ever seeing you cook. Preparing warm meals is a little different from creating pastry. Still, it''s somewhat similar and can be pretty enjoyable. I can help you make something.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t think about that before.¡± Blanche had often helped her mother with cooking lunch and dinner as a child. While she had fun doing this, her true passion had always stayed baking. But varying her activities a bit seemed like a good idea. ¡°I''m going to have to ask the chef whether they''ll let me do that first though. I don''t want to disrupt the staff because I take up their work-space.¡±

    Stella nodded in approval, and the women steered towards the kitchen.

    Just when Blanche put her hand on the handle, the door was pulled away, and she was face to face with Clark.

    The servant was carrying a tray with fruits, which he grabbed tighter at the prospect of almost dropping it. Before she could say anything, Clark looked to the side and gave her a nod. Then he walked past her and rushed down the hallway.

    Blanche''s gaze followed him until he disappeared. She turned to her maid in confusion. ¡°Did I accidentally do something?¡±

    Stella shrugged. ¡°You didn''t. He always behaves a little strangely, so don''t worry. Maybe he is just in a bad mood. I''ve seen him like this often enough.¡±

    Either way, Blanche couldn''t do anything about it. She focused on entering the kitchen again and quickly found out what the issue might have been.

    Inside, Angelica, Darlene and George were immersed in a heated conversation. Normally, seeing them would have been a joyful occasion since the concubine could spend some time with them. However, today they weren''t alone, and they looked like they were quite angry.

    Harris, the male servant who had openly slandered Blanche just a while ago, was also present and involved in the discussion. Right now, he was the one speaking so that the concubine could hear him. ¡°How sensitive he is... Is running away always his strategy when something doesn''t go like he wants it to? That''s annoying.¡± The mocking tone in his voice revealed quickly who was responsible for upsetting the others.

    Even the normally peace-oriented George was balling his fists and seemingly struggling to keep his voice down as he snapped back. ¡°You''re the one who provoked him. From the very beginning, all of your remarks had the intention of making him angry. You''re attacking his weak spots and then expect him to stay calm?¡±

    Harris waved his hand around in the air in a dismissive motion. ¡°I didn''t start the fight. He refused to back down from demanding that I should euphemize it instead of stating the truth.¡±

    Darlene stepped closer to him, only to be pulled back by Angelica, who quickly spoke up. ¡°Don''t get angry. He isn''t worth it.¡±

    Harris pressed his hand onto his chest and faked a hurt expression. Still, the smug grin didn''t leave his lips. ¡°How cruel. We''re colleagues, aren''t we? I don''t understand why you hate me this much.¡±

    Darlene clenched her jaw at his taunting act but didn''t move from her spot again. ¡°We hate you because all you do is mobilize the others against a person who hasn''t done anything to you in ages. Get over your childish grudge, and behave like an adult for once! The thing you call truth consists out of nothing but insults, and you wonder why Clark tried to stop you? Do you only live to frustrate others on purpose? You''re disgusting!¡±

    The corners of Harris'' mouth lifted even more. His smirk already showed that his response wouldn''t be kind as he observed the people in front of him with a derogatory look. ¡°Disgusting? It''s pretty ironic, hearing something like this from you, isn''t it? You and your whole-¡±

    It had been more of an impulse than anything else, but Blanche rushed forward to cut him off. She stomped onto the ground loudly enough for them to notice her and whirl around.

    Immediately, Harris'' whole personality seemed to change. He put on a polite smile that seemed way too genuine and bowed down while waiting for her to raise her voice. Why did this seem so familiar?

    Blanche could have sworn that she had seen that smile often enough, but she didn''t remember it. For some reason, she didn''t want to get angry at this man, and that only annoyed her even more. She put her hands onto her hips and stared at him without trying to hide her frustration.

    For a moment, everyone was silent as Blanche gave her best to choke down any of the aggressive comments that had formed in her mind. Even if she was mad, she couldn''t lash out at that servant, or she would damage her previous efforts to increase her reputation. Though with every second, his strangely familiar face upset her more so that she could already feel her self-control breaking. She raised one of her hands and pointed at him. ¡°You. Get out.¡± She had voiced that in a somewhat calm tone, so it shouldn''t harm her reputation and had still done its intended damage.

    The look on Harris'' face was almost amusing enough to make the concubine forget why she was furious. Almost. At first, he appeared like he wanted to play the victim and talk back to her, but then he remembered who he was talking to again. Harris bowed once more before darting out of the room.

    Blanche waited until the door fell shut before she took a deep breath and turned to the other servants.

    Angelica gazed at her with amazement while Darlene''s face was adorned with a gleeful smile, and George relaxed his tense posture.

    Still, the concubine wasn''t able to calm down immediately. She crossed her arms and mumbled to herself. ¡°Such an unpleasant person. How does someone like him work here?¡± She was almost sure that Harris had messed up rather badly at some point. Were those memories from the novel? Perhaps. She couldn''t quite put her finger on it though. It couldn''t have been important, or she would remember.

    Darlene was fast to agree with the concubine. ¡°That''s exactly what we have been questioning as well! He should have been dismissed long ago. But except for us, no one seems to realize that he''s a hypocritical bas-¡±

    Angelic cut her off. ¡°Don''t say things like that.¡± She warned her colleague in an admonishing tone, which caused Darlene to purse her lips.

    ¡°I know, but he''s driving me mad with his self-righteous behavior!¡±

    Blanche had only witnessed Harris'' actions two times now, and still, she fully agreed with the others. However, that didn''t stop her from questioning why the relationship between them was so tense. Somehow, it didn''t seem logical for Harris to hate someone for no reason. ¡°I''m not sure if I understood this right. Did this happen more often already? He stirs up trouble and then puts on a submissive stance when your superiors come?¡±

    The others nodded in affirmation.

    Stella frowned at that. ¡°Really? I always had an unreasonable dislike for him, but I thought that I was being strange. He was always a very helpful person.¡±

    George leaned his back against the counter while being careful to not tip over the pot standing behind him before responding. ¡°To most, he might be. But unfortunately, it seems to be his idea of fun is to make some people despise him while he gets everyone else to adore him. When you complain about him, no one believes you, and neither the head maid nor the steward have ever seen his ugly side. They even believe the rumors he spread about the people he dislikes because he is so very reliable. We can only hope that he messes up soon. Normally, he is too perfect to let anyone notice, so it''s surprising that you managed to catch him in the act twice already.¡±

    Blanche sighed quietly and glanced at the door. Why didn''t she remember the part about Harris in the novel? By now, she was sure that he had done something bad for another person, as if we wanted to use the wrong method to help someone. Had he failed? She wasn''t sure, and that only made her more frustrated. ¡°I really do attract conflicts. For some reason, aggravating people like to appear wherever I go.¡±

    Her words had only been directed at herself, but the servants all seemed to ponder over them. They remained silent after hearing her, which quickly began to feel strange.

    So, Blanche decided to change the topic to a more positive one. ¡°Well, anyway. I actually came to the kitchen because I wanted to try cooking something. I have the whole day for myself, and learning a new skill might be more productive than wasting these hours. Are you very busy today, or can I claim a workplace without taking away your space?¡±

    The servants looked at each other before Angelica replied. ¡°I think the kitchen should be big enough for you to prepare a meal without being in anyone''s way. Are you cooking for the first time, or did you secretly master it like you did with baking?¡± The maid finished her question with a contagious smile that raised Blanche''s spirits again.

    ¡°I never cooked before, so I''m going to need some assistance.¡± That was only partly a lie. It had been a while since Blanche had been cooked after all, so she did need guidance. ¡°Stella was kind enough to promise to help me, but I still require some utensils and a recipe. Do we have ingredients for a delicious meal that even a beginner can make?¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡± George opened his mouth to continue, but his gaze fell onto the grandfather clock. Instantly, he jumped up and lifted a tablet with a handful of wine bottles. ¡°I almost forgot that I have to bring this to the steward. I''m sorry, but I''ll have to leave now!¡± He hurried out of the room and left behind a silver item that had slipped off the tablet.

    Darlene groaned at this and moved to the counter to pick it up. ¡°He didn''t only forget his duties, he also forgot the bottle opener. The steward is going to love this. I''ll bring it to him quickly, goodbye.¡± She waved at the group before following her colleague, only to return a second later to whisper something to Angelica and then left.

    Angelica rolled her eyes but began beaming. For a moment, she was lost in thoughts before she turned to the two visitors. ¡°Well, then. Should I help you with the ingredients? The storage area can be very confusing if you aren''t used to it.¡±

    Blanche thanked her and trailed after the maid when she began moving. They exited the kitchen through the back door and reached a long staircase, which led down into the cellar.

    Up until then, everything had been fine, but now Blanche froze. The cool stone walls and the dim lightning reawakened the memories of her nightmare, which she would have rather forgotten. She forced herself to put on a smile when Stella gazed at her inquiringly and continued to follow Angelica downstairs, even if she felt like the air had gotten much colder all of a sudden. To distract herself, she spoke up. ¡°Say, for no specific reason... Are there cells in this part of the palace?¡±

    Angelica had already gone to the bottom of the stairs and stopped to turn back. ¡°No, not here. These are located on the other side of the building. The only rooms that are here are storage spaces for food, weapons, cleaning utensils and similar things.¡±

    Blanche was a little relieved to hear this but still observed every detail of her surroundings as Angelica led her to a corridor with countless doors.

    The maid didn''t notice the other''s dismay as she explained where they were going. ¡°The different ingredients are sorted into categories, and each one is put in another room. This is mostly based on the temperature that is best for the food. In this one, most vegetables are stored.¡± Angelica unlocked the door and opened it to step inside.

    The concubine stayed directly behind her and squinted her eyes in an attempt to see in this darkness. She was only able to recognize the contents of the room when Angelica lit multiple of the candles on the wall. The chamber was filled to the brim with crates, barrels and jars. Wherever one looked, all kinds of vegetables were present. Of course, Blanche had known that a lot of food was kept inside the palace walls, but she would have never guessed that the amount was this big. For a moment, she was speechless before addressing the maids. ¡°How often do you buy new ingredients? This looks like it could sustain us for more than five years. Isn''t this only for the royal couple and their guests? You might need this much at banquets, but on every other day...¡±

    Angelica moved through the narrow spaces between the containers and picked up different vegetables, which she stored in a small crate. She interrupted her activity to grin at the concubine. ¡°Officially, it is. But naturally, all the guards and servants are being fed too. You know how many people work here, so that explains why we have to store and prepare so much. To answer your question, a shipment comes every two weeks, but we don''t always use up everything. If the chefs notice that some ingredients won''t be processed before they''re too old, they distribute them among the staff to avoid throwing anything away. Still, we check everything a hundred times before putting it in a meal. We can''t risk poisoning His Majesty after all.¡±

    Ultimately, managing such a great number of people was a great challenge that Blanche had never thought about. From her perspective, the food had simply been on the table when she arrived. Seeing all the work that was required to make sure that nothing in the palace went wrong made her admire the steward and even Gloria, the head maid, a bit more. But those thoughts were quickly lost as she was distracted by the other women.

    Surprisingly, both Angelica and Stella were competent and patient teachers. After they had collected the ingredients for a soup, which the maids had suggested since it was a simple dish, they returned to the kitchen and began cutting the vegetables up.

    Blanche had branded using a knife as easy in her mind, but in reality, she struggled the whole time. Maybe she had lost most of her skills over the course of the last four years, or she might have never had them in the first place. Either way, she had so much trouble that Stella begged her to let them cut the ingredients out of fear that her mistress would hurt herself. Blanche pouted but gave in anyway after Angelica agreed with her colleague.

    Around noon, more servants began working on meals, and the three women moved to the side to avoid disrupting them but could continue after a short break, in which they had a snack. The only problem was that there weren''t many tasks, and since the two maids didn''t trust the concubine with dangerous utensils, they did almost everything on their own. In the end, Blanche had only seasoned the dish and stirred it a few times.

    The soup came out very delicious, but Blanche had to admit that she liked baking more even now. Though her initial goal had still been fulfilled since she spent the whole day in the kitchen and had received a tasty dish as well.

    In the afternoon, Clark, Darlene and George had visited them. Clark argued that he still had some unfinished duties and ran away while the two others sat down with them at the table and ate a portion of the soup too. Over dinner, they mostly chatted about their work and their colleagues, of which some sounded like friendly and others like less friendly people. This image had confused a lot of the present servants, who had observed them with differing emotions.

    In the early evening, Harris entered the kitchen as well. His bewildered expression upon seeing the people he enjoyed making fun of eating with the emperor''s lover caused Darlene to grin the rest of the day.

    After they finished eating, Blanche and Stella bid the group farewell and returned to their chambers with smiles on their faces. The day had begun horribly, but it had become much more relaxed after that.

    Still, Blanche had been extremely worried about dreaming again, but she was lucky. When she lay down in bed, she fell asleep despite trying to stay awake for as long as possible, but no nightmare followed. She thanked all the gods she knew for allowing her to make it through the night without anything awful appearing in her mind.

 Chapter 40: Why Did You Let Go?

    To the concubine''s surprise, Theodore told her that he wouldn''t be able to meet her for dinner and lunch the next day again. She worried about his stressful schedule that made him skip meals now, but he assured her that he was fine, and she didn''t have any choice but to believe him. So, she tried to busy herself a bit.

    Blanche spent her time in the kitchen that day and attempted to make a layered cake with cream filling. This recipe was loosely based on her mother''s birthday present from seven years ago, so there were a lot of holes in her memory of the ingredients. She had to improvise, but the result was pleasing to the eye and mouth-watering, which only proved that she was more skilled at baking than at cooking.

    The following day, Theodore had another announcement. ¡°I have to tell you something after breakfast.¡±

    Immediately after hearing this, Blanche stopped her movements and set down the apple piece that she had wanted to eat. A frown formed on her forehead as she met his gaze and made sure that he listened before speaking. ¡°Theo, you know that I understand that you have to rule a country. I really won''t blame you for not meeting me as often. I don''t like not being able to see you, but I fully comprehend that you need to put Artias first. However, skipping meals for the third day in a row is only going to make you sick. You aren''t helping the nation by putting yourself into an early grave.¡±

    Her appeal caught the emperor by surprise. But his startled expression soon turned into a gentle smile. ¡°So, you''re worrying about me this much?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am. You might be royalty, but that doesn''t mean that your body doesn''t need any nourishment.¡±

    Her lover leaned his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands. ¡°Well, I can ease your worries by saying that I didn''t intend on letting you eat alone today.¡±

    Blanche relaxed for a moment before realizing that he had been talking about something else in that case. ¡°What did you want to tell me then?¡±

    Theodore''s grin widened. He picked up an orange and took his time to peel it before eating some of it. He only responded when she opened her mouth to get him to reveal his secret. ¡°Since I worked extremely hard for the last two days, I also finished a few of my duties for today. That means that I can stay with you until lunch. I thought that we could take a walk together.¡±

    Blanche stared at him in silence for a couple of seconds before ecstasy overcame her. ¡°Honestly? Even though you have so much to do?¡± She questioned that but was already beaming without awaiting his answer.

    ¡°As you said, I need to take a break sometimes too. I haven''t been outside for more than a few minutes for weeks, and I long for some fresh air. Spending time with you is beneficial to my health as well, so this is a perfect opportunity.¡±

    Going out on walks together had been one of their favorite activities before this year had begun to overwhelm him with a flood of duties. Theodore hadn''t accompanied her since then, and the prospect of enjoying the nice breeze with him made her more than blissful.

    Blanche could barely sit after hearing this and gulped down her food to finish breakfast sooner. Her lover grinned at her reaction before also clearing his plate.

    When they left the room, Blanche''s steps were much lighter than previously. She had to refrain from grabbing Theodore''s hand and pulling him to one of the side entrances since the guards were watching. But she followed her instinct as soon as they had rounded the corner. Stella and Owen probably had to hurry to not lose sight of them, but she couldn''t bring herself to care.

    Despite her eagerness, the emperor stopped and thus forced her to do the same. ¡°Won''t you change into a different attire before we go out today? Normally, you do that.¡±

    She spun around and faced her lover while attempting to tug at his hand to signal him to move further. ¡°I don''t want to waste time doing that when we only have until noon. Besides, it''s not that cold outside.¡±

    He looked like he had to hold back a laugh at her impatience but complied.

    The couple left the building through the nearest exit, and as she had always done, Blanche put an arm around Theodore''s without thinking about it. As they walked along the tiled path, she quickly realized that she was doing the exact opposite from what she had intended to do though. She should use this chance to let go of Theodore before even more others saw them, but she didn''t want to stop touching him. After so many weeks in which he only met her to eat, she finally had him for herself for a few hours and planned on enjoying those hours fully.

    Besides, the inhabitants of the palace already knew about their romance. There was no way they hadn''t understood by now. After all, Blanche had always initiated as much physical contact with her lover as possible. That the couple spent every bit of free time together, including having three meals a day by themselves, was pretty decisive evidence too.

    Theodore had never pushed his lover away or refrained from being close to her when servants were present either, just as he had held her hand in front of a whole crowd consisting out of members of the staff a little over a week ago. He only focused on not letting members of noble society know about his affairs, so it should be alright if she did the same, right?

    At balls or other events, Blanche could protect the empress'' honor, but keeping a secret from someone who knew about already wouldn''t raise her chances of survival. The concubine knew that she was searching for excuses here, but she refused to budge on that stance. In private, she wouldn''t avoid Theodore.

    She was content with her decision and leaned into her lover. This earned her a smile, which made her heart skip a beat. But her good mood was quickly ruined as they reached the terrace.

    Gloria stood by the labyrinth''s entrance and talked to somebody, who was hidden by the hedges.

    Blanche didn''t need to think twice to guess whom the head maid was attending. There was only one person that used the small fountain area inside the maze to sort their thoughts. The concubine stopped her movements and pulled Theodore backward. ¡°How about we use the other path today? We could take a look at the roses for a change.¡±

    Due to her barely non-existing strength, her lover didn''t budge despite her efforts. He only faced her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Of course, we can. But what''s wrong with the main path? It leads to the flowerbeds as well. Actually, it might even be shorter than the other one.¡± He made a vague gesture to the plants on the other side of the terrace.

    Walking this way would bring them even closer to the labyrinth than they were already. If they passed the terrace, Seraphina would definitely see them. They couldn''t go there.

    Blanche quickly refuted her lover''s words. ¡°Maybe. But I really want to visit a part of the garden where we aren''t that often. Let''s...¡± Her gaze trailed to the hedges, and she stopped trying to find an excuse mid-sentence.

    Gloria was looking in their direction.

    For a moment, Blanche still prayed that the head maid would stay quiet, but the other woman already turned around.

    Seconds later, the empress stepped out of the maze. Judging by her direct stare towards the couple, there wasn''t the slightest chance that she hadn''t noticed them.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Theodore let out a noise of recognition as he spotted Seraphina as well. Now he understood why his lover had wanted to leave, but it was too late.

    The empress approached the emperor without hesitation, which caused Blanche to unknowingly tighten her grip around his arms before she realized what she was doing.

    The concubine couldn''t cling to Theodore without the risk of evoking the heroine''s deadly wrath. She had to be polite and curtsy instead of flaunting the fact that she had an affair with the other''s husband. Despite her unwillingness, she forced herself to let go of Theodore and balled her fists at her side instead.

    Her lover''s gaze snapped to her, and he looked like he wanted to say something but refrained from doing that to address the people, who were about to reach them. ¡°Good day. It''s a beautiful day to be outside, isn''t it?¡±

    Seraphina''s face had returned to the stone-like expression she always showed in public as she responded. ¡°Indeed it is, Your Majesty. I hope you have been doing well these days.¡±

    Theodore responded as politely as always. ¡°As you know, there is a lot of work to done at this point in time. But otherwise, I cannot complain.¡±

    The empress glanced at Blanche for a moment before looking back at her husband. ¡°That is good to hear. We can only act with our nation''s well-being in mind and await the end of the chaos that currently evokes this unusual amount of issues. Especially in these tiring times, it is of the uttermost importance that Your Majesty stays healthy.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The cold tone of her voice made Blanche wonder how much the heroine truly hated her. Right now, it was quite obvious that the empress disliked her, which was odd in itself.

    Seraphina always seemed to have full control over her emotions and exhibited nothing but flawless conduct, but when it came to the concubine, she reacted differently. Others might not have noticed the stark contrast, but the empress had been furious during the tea party, and she had allowed that to cloud her judgment. That meant that Seraphina was certainly more emotional than she always pretended to be, and still, she managed to hide that from almost everyone.

    Though the tea party had been one of the rare occasions during which this had happened, it had branded itself into Blanche''s mind, so she might pay more attention to this now.

    Theodore replied without any especially strong emotions in his voice. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. Naturally, I can only wish for your vigor to stay as strong as it is now in return.¡±

    Seraphina remained silent at this as if she expected him to add something, but when nothing followed, she simply nodded. ¡°Then I do not wish to interrupt Your Majesty''s and Lady Blanche''s free time. Please enjoy your walk and excuse my leave.¡±

    Both Theodore and Gloria were taken aback by Seraphina ending the conversation so early. Normally, the concubine would have entered the interaction as well after being addressed by the empress, which was the exact reason why Seraphina wished to leave. This was the only way she could avoid talking to Blanche without being impolite in her husband''s presence. Even though she was hiding it more carefully now, it seemed like she was still upset about the tea party.

    Theodore looked like he considered delaying the goodbye a moment longer, but he quickly caught himself again and smiled at the heroine. ¡°We won''t hinder you from following your schedule. Goodbye.¡±

    This small smile was enough to cause stinging in Blanche''s chest, and she began to curse herself. Feeling hurt over these trivialities was idiotic. If she continued to be so sensitive, the future would crush her. She lived in a romance novel, which meant that the main characters would be very close in the future. The novel had held back with describing most of that in favor of focusing on the whole drama with politics and the war, for which Blanche was very grateful, but she knew that the romantic interactions would come anyway. And if a smile already caused her to be envious, how would her heart suffer when she witnessed their professions of love?

    The concubine made a small curtsy to bid the empress farewell. Then her eyes stayed trained onto Seraphina''s back until she and Gloria disappeared inside the palace.

    When Blanche finally managed to tear herself away from her depressing visions of the future, she glanced at her lover, only to notice that he was staring at her. A part of her squeaked with joy at this. He was looking at her, not the heroine. Most likely, he was only pondering about the empress'' hurried departure and tried to come up with a reason why she had run away. Nevertheless, Blanche was glad just to have his attention. As long as Theodore didn''t avoid her gaze like he would in the novel, she was happy. But her lover''s following sentence caught her off guard.

    ¡°Why did you let go?¡± Theodore seemed far too serious while saying that.

    Her eyes widened at his question. She hadn''t believed that he would take note of her distancing herself from him in Seraphina''s presence. ¡°What?¡± This was more of an attempt to stall for time than a question to make him repeat his words.

    Theodore''s frown deepened. His expression made it clear that this bothered him too much to drop the subject. ¡°When we meet her in the past, you never let me go. On the contrary, you normally get even closer to me. So, why did you do it differently today?¡±

    ¡°That...¡± Blanche''s voice trailed off as she tried to come up with an excuse, which only became harder under his unwavering gaze. ¡°She is still your wife, you know? So, me clinging to you in front of her is a little...¡± She began but quickly realized that this reason didn''t make much sense.

    The emperor pointed out this error in her logic before she could find the words to justify her argument. ¡°You never cared much about that before, so why would you worry now? Besides, she already is aware of our relationship. You are my lover. It doesn''t matter if she sees us together.¡± It did, but he couldn''t know that.

    Blanche turned her head to the side to avoid his eyes as she struggled to give an explanation that would satisfy him. ¡°Of course. But we don''t have to remind her every time she sees us. I''m trying to become more considerate of others, which you even praised me for. It''s especially because she knows about us that we don''t need to attack her pride for no reason when we can prevent it.¡±

    Theodore only stared at her for a moment. She already feared that he would insist on pressing the matter, but his expression slowly relaxed. ¡°You''re right. I was just a little surprised. Usually, I''m the one who pays attention to things like this. It''s new that you focus on the empress'' emotions that much. I''m not trying to say that this is bad. It''s actually really good... But you don''t always have to hold back to please others. She doesn''t care about our relationship, as it should be. We are happy together, and that is the one thing that matters.¡± He extended his hand towards her and then continued. ¡°Before we met them, you wanted to go see the roses, right? Let''s go there.¡±

    Blanche reclaimed her place at his side almost automatically, and they followed the path to their destination. This time, her lover intertwined their fingers, and it felt like his grip was a little tighter than it had been previously.

    <hr>

    The couple spent their time in the garden and admired the colorful flowers and blooming trees until noon. The fresh air seemed to help Theodore relax for once. Thus, Blanche was overjoyed to be able to not only distract him from his suffocating workload but also to finally spend time with him in the process. Even if she met him for three meals each day, that wasn''t enough. After the months in which he had been overwhelmed with duties, she had almost forgotten how much she longed for his presence whenever he left. Without him, she would always be lonely, no matter how many other kind people surrounded her.

    That thought made a sigh escape her lips.

    Theodore replied immediately. ¡°Are you getting tired already? We haven''t even circled the building yet.¡± His voice pulled her back into reality, and she looked up at his warm smile.

    ¡°I''m not tired. The one thing you don''t have to worry about is me getting exhausted. I have so much free time that I don''t know what to do with it. Though I recently started to bake and really enjoy doing that, so I''ll continue to visit the kitchen when I''m bored.¡± She leaned against him and gazed at the roses in front of the bench they had taken a seat on.

    Theodore tangled his fingers into her hair and caressed the back of her head as he replied. ¡°I''m glad that you found something that''s fun. In a while, I will hopefully be able to reduce your boredom, but right now...¡± His forced smile explained what he meant without him having to finish the sentence.

    Blanche moved backward a little to make eye contact and made sure that he saw how serious she was. ¡°You keep bringing that up. I already told you that you don''t have to feel bad about prioritizing our country. It''s only natural for you to do that. Artias is much more important than me.¡±

    The emperor almost seemed to wince at her statement. ¡°That''s not...¡± He hesitated and had to rearrange the words in his mind. ¡°You still have the most important role in my life. I just have to make sure that our nation stays peaceful and wealthy for now. I am responsible for all the citizens and can''t simply neglect governing. I''m really grateful that I have such an understanding lover.¡± While he talked, his hand returned to her face, and he gently pushed a lock of her hair to the side before continuing to massage her scalp, which made her skin tingle.

    She closed her eyes and hummed in bliss, which caused Theodore to laugh so quietly that it was barely audible. Instead of constantly worrying, she gave in and simply enjoyed his touch.

    For a minute, they both were silent before her lover spoke again. ¡°You still didn''t tell me why you sighed earlier.¡± So, he had noticed how she tried to avoid answering him.

    This was her first chance to relax at Theodore''s side, and she already had to find excuses again. How unlucky she was.

    Blanche bit the inner side of her cheek as her mind raced to find a logical reason for her dejected noises that wouldn''t make him feel guilty for working instead of being with her. ¡°I was only thinking about...¡± She recounted all of her recent memories when a conversation with her maid gave her the solution. ¡°The sea.¡±

    ¡°The sea?¡± The tone of Theodore''s voice proved that this reply had surprised him. He stopped stroking her hair before continuing when she opened her mouth to respond.

    ¡°Yes. Stella was at the northern coast during her vacation and gave me a vivid description of the ocean. I was curious before, but now I can''t wait to see it for myself.¡± If she ever had the chance to do that, of course.

    Thankfully, Theodore seemed to believe in her excuse. ¡°That only adds another point on the list of things that we can look forward to during our summer vacation. The residence in Ibela is beautiful and the beach next to it even more so. I definitely want to see your reaction when you first lay your eyes on the sea. Since that part of Artias'' coast is within a bay, the waves are mostly gentle with only a handful of rare exceptions when it''s stormy. This means that we can bathe together. I could even teach you how to swim.¡±

    That sounded too good to be true, and it just might be. The novel had covered the main characters'' stay at the summer residence. During those months, Seraphina and Theodore had spent their first night together. They had sat together while drinking the tea the empress had personally prepared for her husband, and then things had just progressed until they ended up in the bed together. That was how romantic Seraphina had described it afterward at least. That event would mark the earliest one of the countless nights they would spend in the other''s arms. Thankfully, that night was the only one that had been mentioned in the book, but that was already awful enough, especially since everything had gone downhill for the villainess from there on.

    The original Blanche had been in the summer residence as well. The emperor had actively avoided her at that point while averting his gaze whenever they met on accident. Around that time, he had probably started to recognize that he was in love with the heroine. Obviously, the villainess had been more than hurt upon seeing that her lover didn''t even look into her eyes anymore. She then had caused so many issues by initiating quarrels and sabotaging the spouses'' vacation that she was sent back to the palace two weeks before they followed.

    This marked the first occurrence in which Theodore had punished his concubine, which laid out the foundation for the ending. Naturally, it had also given the main characters even more time to bond.

    By the last day of the travel, Blanche''s fate of being abandoned had already been sealed. Thus, impatiently awaiting the vacation was truly foolish.

    Still, Blanche replied while clinging to the last shreds of hope. ¡°That would be nice.¡± A part of her wanted her lover to promise that he would be by her side when she saw the sea for the first time. She knew that she shouldn''t force him to make oaths that he wouldn''t be able to keep. Yet, she couldn''t stop herself from asking him anyway. ¡°I''m going to remind you of that when we''re there, so don''t forget it.¡± Blanche opened one of her eyes to observe his reaction.

    Except for a genuine smile, she couldn''t see anything on Theodore''s expression when he replied. ¡°I won''t. How would I forget when I anticipate the summer as much as you do? Only one problem could keep me from staying in the beach residence, and that is the escalation of our current conflicts, especially the one with Northern Ocrea. Then I would have to return to the capital despite my unwillingness. But...¡± He paused and grimaced momentarily. ¡°I don''t want to dare our fate by talking about that much. We can only pray that no military confrontations will be necessary to protect our territories at the border.¡±

    Of course the author had timed all the events so that they didn''t interrupt each other. A war with Ocrea would break out but only over a month after the main characters came back from the coast. Then everything would be awful.

    While the consequences for both nations would be disastrous, Blanche didn''t have to worry about Theodore though. Just when the situation would seem so dire that the emperor considered joining his army on the battlefield, Seraphina would plan out a strategy that secured Artias'' victory within weeks. This was one of the few things Blanche thanked the heroine for since it prevented Theodore from witnessing the terrors of war in person at that time.

    Though that didn''t protect or heal the countless dead, injured or traumatized soldiers and citizens nor had ending the war in the most violent way imaginable made Artias'' connection with Northern Ocrea peaceful. But what was Blanche supposed to do about that when she barely knew anything about politics?

    Every part of her wanted to push away that disheartening vision, so she complied. Instead of worrying, she attempted to ease her lover''s worries. ¡°I''m sure that you will be able to enjoy your vacation without any issues. We''ll finally have two months for ourselves, and I intend to spend as many hours by your side as I can. I will learn to swim with your help, we can take walks at the beach or visit the city. We could even ride a horse... Or maybe not. That might be dangerous.¡±

    A little chuckle by Theodore followed, which made her ignore the pleasant prickling feeling of his massage that had wandered down to her spine. She forced herself to open her eyes and was greeted by Theodore''s smile. He was beaming so radiantly that he almost seemed to glow, which made her freeze in awe. Within seconds, all other thoughts had been wiped from her head and the only one that remained was how much she adored him.

    She told him exactly this without hesitation. ¡°I love you.¡±

    He became stiff, probably since her sudden confession had startled him, but quickly processed what she had said and leaned forwards. His hands cupped the back of her head, and their lips met before she could react.

    A tingling sensation spread from the place where they touched and rushed through Blanche''s veins right into her heart, which beat so fast that it threatened to jump right out of her chest. She melted into the kiss and put her arms around her lover''s torso to pull him as close as possible. His hands moved from her head to her back to tighten the embrace even more. Without thinking about the damned novel, they clung to each other as her mind was filled with pure euphoria.

    This had to be what paradise felt like.

 Chapter 41: What If Someone Sees Us?

    Theodore seemed to be as unwilling to end the kiss as Blanche since it went on for an eternity. Eventually, they still separated their lips, but both refused to let go of the other.

    Blanche inhaled deeply to make up for the lack of oxygen during the last seconds, and only now her brain began to work again. Hadn''t she disregarded her own convictions once more? She had decided on limiting her displays of affection to when they were alone and already made an exception to exclude the servants and knights from that rule. But moments ago, she hadn''t even checked whether someone else was in their close proximity.

    The chance of an unannounced visit of members of nobility was rare, but there were cases in which ministers had simply appeared at the royal property. Most of them were acquaintances of the Duke of Duremont, Seraphina''s father. They would certainly tell him about what his daughter''s husband was doing outside his private chambers. If Henry Duremont didn''t completely differ from the concubine''s experiences with him, he would defend the empress'' honor until the bitter end, so he wouldn''t be pleased. This kind of gossip wouldn''t only lower Blanche''s survival but also put the loyalty of the emperor''s most important supporter at risk.

    Blanche tried to hide her movements from Theodore as her eyes darted across the garden in search of possible spectators. She didn''t spot any usual people, but her gaze stopped at Stella and Owen.

    The knight was politely facing the other way, while the maid stared at her feet with an undeniable blush spreading across her face.

    This sight reminded Blanche that she had forgotten that they were followed by their attendants altogether. Her servant''s constant presence had become so natural that she hadn''t remembered that they were being watched for even a single second. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and whipped her head back to her lover, who observed her with a smirk.

    ¡°They should be used to that already.¡± Theodore''s statement didn''t distract her from her embarrassment but rather made it worse.

    ¡°Well, they might have seen us kiss, but not...¡± Blanche struggled to find the fitting words. ¡°Like this. You always ask them to leave the room before we get this close.¡±

    Theodore''s grin widened at her reaction and responded in an almost teasing voice. ¡°Normally, I do. But right now, I couldn''t hold back. Is that bad? I remember you initiating things like this in front of other people very often in the past. It always made you quite happy when they realized how much I care about you.¡±

    It still did. Despite her uneasiness upon being watched, she also felt joy bubbling in her stomach. Theodore didn''t feel shame when he was seen with her and didn''t mind others knowing about their relationship. At least as long as no chatty aristocrats, who only waited for their opportunity to gossip about the emperor''s frivolous affair, were near. Of course that made her happy.

    ¡°Yes, but...¡± Blanche''s face became even hotter after admitting this and glanced at the roses to avoid eye contact. Should she tell him about her doubts? They were justified, so this seemed to be a good idea since he wasn''t aware of the trouble that he could stir up just by kissing her. It couldn''t hurt to warn him to be more careful, right? After all, being watched by anyone that had a connection to Henry Duremont would cause him political problems, which they could easily evade if he paid attention to it. ¡°What if someone else sees us? Like the ministers? They sometimes came here without announcing their visit first. It wouldn''t be good if one of them caught us in the act and told the empress'' father. Or if he came here himself. What would he say about this?¡±

    Theodore stayed quiet for a while after hearing this. In the meantime, his eyes were trained onto his lover without ever looking away. When he finally broke the silence, he was much more serious than he had been before. ¡°It''s very unlikely that one of them would come. If they did arrive here without sending a servant first, which they only do in emergencies, they would wait in the entrance hall like every guest.¡±

    Apparently, Theodore had never noticed that Allen directly went to his sisters'' room whenever he visited, at least if the empress'' brother found it without getting lost in the garden.

    But the emperor seemed to be absolutely convinced that he was right and spoke with utmost conviction. ¡°You don''t need to worry about this. The palace is your home, so you don''t have to restrict yourself here unless you attend a public event.¡± That caused her to open her mouth to refute, but he wasn''t done. He grabbed her hand and lifted it to his face to gently put his lips on her knuckles. ¡°But if it makes you feel safer, we''ll continue things like this in our chambers.¡± His expression lit up with a grin that made her heart skip a beat.

    Blanche was flustered as she raised from the bench. Theodore mirrored her motion, but she quickly moved on. ¡°We should walk a little now, or we won''t even walk around the estate once until noon.¡± She spoke with a slight tremble in her voice. This was an obvious attempt at distracting him from the previous topic, but seemingly, he didn''t mind it.

    ¡°We went outside to move around a bit, so it would be logical to do so. Then where shall we go?¡± Theodore bowed before her and offered her his extended hand, which she quickly took. They intertwined their fingers and began following the tiled path.

    This gave Blanche time to think, which wasn''t necessarily good. She was angry at herself for running away because her lover had suggested something related to spending the night with her again. This was the third time that she reacted like this after he mentioned the subject.

    But this wasn''t because she was unwilling to be with him. She wanted to be intimate with the man that she was completely devoted to. Of course, she did. She was madly in love with him and adored having his unconditional attention. She enjoyed being close to him.

    However, since she had gained the novel''s memories, she had been indecisive when it came to her lover. She couldn''t live without him and trying to stay his one and only was tempting, but all of that lowered her chances of survival tremendously. In the future, she would most likely have witnessed him falling for another woman. So, a part of her wanted to flee while the other one refused to give up the hope that she might remain relevant in Theodore''s life. At the same time, she wished to keep Seraphina away from him, even if she knew that this would make her the heroine''s enemy and thus kill her.

    Her uncertainty that made her consider sleeping with Theodore created a similar dilemma. She longed for his closeness and didn''t wish to reject him. But how could they engage in the ultimate proof of love while her mind pictured the moment in which he would leave her? She would cry again and trouble him because she couldn''t tell him the true reason, which she already had done too often in the last few weeks. But wouldn''t refusing to be with him without explanation also hurt Theodore?

    Sooner or late, Blanche had to make that decision but now was not the moment. She didn''t want to waste her precious time with her lover by being too absorbed in her thoughts to pay attention to him. She banned these troubles from her head and fully focused on the lighthearted conversation with him and enjoyed his presence.

    But as all good things come to an end, their walk couldn''t go on forever. Even though Blanche had talked with him way more than during the last months, she couldn''t help but sulk when noon arrived. After all, she was aware that she wouldn''t have another chance to be with him for so long in the close future.

    The emperor himself also didn''t look like he was ready to go back to his office. Why would he when all that awaited him was a never-ending list of work that needed to be completed? Being the ruler of Artias made him the most powerful man in the nation, but all of that influence was linked to a responsibility that forced him to sacrifice the biggest part of his life for the country''s sake. The only calming aspect was that the novel predicted that he would have fewer duties within the following months and eventually stabilize the continent of Eswen. This should prevent Artias'' involvement in further wars after the ones with Northern Ocrea.

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    Still, Blanche wondered why their nation''s form of government forced one person to shoulder most of the burden. Surely, her lover got assistance from Leon, and the empress also took care of smaller tasks, but otherwise, Theodore was on his own.

    Though this might have been because of the ministers, of which most only agreed with the emperor''s decisions without helping him much or even disagreed and thus hindered his work. This was a problem that Seraphina managed to solve in the second half of the novel. The heroine was incredibly good at convincing people of nearly anything as long as they listened to her for long enough, and she had used that talent for good for her nation. Thanks to her endeavors, the book ended with each of the ministers taking over a specific part of the economic or governmental businesses. This would result in the emperor having more free time, which he could spend with his wife.

    But until Theodore''s liberation, a few months would still have to pass. For now, the emperor had no choice but to fulfill all his duties and set back his personal interest.

    The hours with him were over in the blink of an eye, and Blanche already regretted that they would end soon as they left the garden. She considered telling her lover this, but that would only make him feel guilty about something that wasn''t his fault. So, she kept quiet.

    When they returned to the dining room, lunch was already served. They continued their last discussion while they ate.

    After finishing their plates, both were unwilling to leave and stayed on their seats until the emperor let out a deep breath. ¡°I would love to rest for the whole day and be with you instead of working, but... I don''t really have a choice.¡±

    He slowly stood up, and she did the same. At the door, they embraced each other for a long time.

    ¡°Don''t overwork yourself.¡± Blanche murmured to him while nuzzling her cheek against him. She looked up at him before continuing. ¡°How about I come to the office sometime and bring you a cake that I made? I assume that I will bake a lot in the near future.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice. I always look forward to getting to taste your newest creation.¡± He leaned down to kiss her onto her forehead and remained in this position for a moment. A few seconds passed before he finally breathed out something. ¡°I don''t want to go.¡±

    His whisper made Blanche hug him tighter. ¡°I don''t want you to go either. But you have to.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Theodore sighed and straightened his posture. ¡°I know. Still, I''ll miss you. At least I will return for dinner.¡±

    Blanche smiled at him. ¡°Until then.¡± She pressed herself against his chest and raised her head. Her hands tangled themselves into his hair, and she gently signaled him to lean down again. Theodore followed her request eagerly, and she put her lips on his. This kiss was much shorter than the one in the garden, and still, the same addicting warmth rushed through her veins into every bit of her body.

    The only difference was that it hadn''t come as a surprise, so she could think clearly, even if it required a great amount of energy to not get distracted. This wasn''t exactly an advantage. Now her mind was filled with warnings about the novel and her own ending. She remembered that there was one scene in which Seraphina kissed Theodore like this, which caused her to feel a pang in her chest. But luckily, it didn''t take long before all rational thought faded into the background with only her emotions mattering. Still, she managed to realize that she might get so absorbed that she forgot the time again.

    Before that could happen, Blanche separated herself from her lover and patted over his head a couple of times. ¡°I don''t want to make you late.¡±

    The emperor let out a half-loud groan before forcing himself to grin. ¡°Believe me, if Leon didn''t work without a break even when I''m away, I would postpone my duties and stay. I have to go now, or I will seriously consider leaving everything to him.¡±

    She reluctantly took a step back in an attempt to not make it harder for him. ¡°You really shouldn''t do that. He would pass out after a week at most.¡±

    They moved to the door and exited the dining room while Theodore gave her a half-sided smirk. ¡°He wouldn''t even last three days, much like I wouldn''t stand this without his help. I am more than grateful that he is my secretary.¡±

    When they stopped in front of Owen to bid each other farewell one last time, Blanche noticed that a few servants were already standing in the corridor without uttering a single word.

    Apparently, the couple had delayed leaving so long that the staff had become restless. Maybe the servants had guessed that the concubine had troubled her lover again, but still, they remained completely silent out of respect for their ruler. Though Blanche couldn''t confirm her assumption since they were currently bowing to the emperor, which made it impossible to read their emotions.

    Theodore faced her with a small smile, which she returned. ¡°Then we''ll see each other at dinner. Hopefully, your afternoon will be pleasant.¡±

    Blanche''s current circumstances weren''t nearly as stressful as his, at least if she ignored the novel, so she didn''t doubt that the whole day would remain calm. So, she only prayed for him to not encounter any problems that would increase his amount of duties even more. ¡°It''s more important that you don''t run into difficulties with any contracts. Until later.¡±

    The emperor nodded at Owen before giving her another smile. ¡°We''ll see, but if the other parties don''t suddenly back out of the plan, it should be fine.¡± These words probably were supposed to be voiced with much more conviction, but it sounded like he was very uncertain. Theodore left along with his knight to go back to his office.

    Immediately, after he had rounded the corner, servants began chattering and some entered the dining room to clean it. It was impressive how much influence the emperor''s presence had on other people, which felt strange to Blanche.

    Even at the very start of their relationship, she hadn''t been the slightest bit intimidated by Theodore. She had only maintained some distance because she had worried about ruining her relationship with him because of her sudden romantic interest. She had even called him by his first name from the very beginning since he had introduced himself like to her. After just a few days, she had begun to use his nickname instead too. If she remembered correctly, she hadn''t even asked for his permission before that.

    This was obviously an outrageous disregard of the proper way to encounter a member of the royal family and the ruler of the nation. Not even the empress could use the emperor''s first name without him explicitly allowing it. Surprisingly, Theodore hadn''t complained once about Blanche calling him ¡®Theo¡¯ though, probably because he had blamed her amnesia for her naivety. And obviously, since he had liked her at that point already.

    In reality, Blanche would probably not have been able to address the emperor correctly even if he had insisted on it. She had been born as a commoner, who could never dream of meeting the emperor and hadn''t learned about the demanded conduct when interacting with nobility. In her mind, royalty had always been connected to her childhood fantasy of becoming a princess and never to someone she couldn''t dare to offend. Even Marquess Sefare''s efforts at teaching her the most basic rules had been forgotten as soon as she entered the beautiful palace and was blinded by the gorgeous scenery of the garden. In hindsight, she could only thank Theodore for being so lenient with her. Despite her ignorance, he hadn''t pushed her away but made her his lover.

    But in the end, this difference in her treatment also caused her not to feel so intimidated by him. She didn''t primarily see Theodore as the man of the highest rank in the country but rather the person who cuddled her until she was asleep. Maybe this was part of the reason why the Blanche in the novel hadn''t accepted Seraphina''s superiority until her demise.

    The heroine had the highest status in nobility as well as the emperor''s true love and was incredibly intelligent. Trying to attack her was the same as committing suicide. So, it only made sense that the villainess had to have been unable to grasp the difference of power between herself and her enemy. Otherwise, why would she insist on antagonizing the empress even when she had already lost?

    Blanche once again cursed the author of that damned book for giving the main character unfair advantages but was distracted when she saw Stella from the corner of her eyes.

    Stella spoke up without even waiting for her mistress to turn to her. ¡°You took really long today, so some servants already asked whether you had left while we didn''t notice.¡± The maid evaded her mistress'' gaze in favor of observing her colleagues. It sounded like she was a bit embarrassed, and her refraining from asking why the couple had been so slow revealed why. Apparently, witnessing their kiss earlier had given her the wrong idea.

    ¡°We didn''t-¡±, Blanche began but interrupted herself. Addressing this without a reason would only make her seem unbelievable and put her in an uncomfortable situation. ¡°Well, that doesn''t matter. Anyway, let''s go to the kitchen. I have no recipe in mind, but I want to bake something. Do you remember something you made once and liked?¡±

    Stella also appeared to be relieved upon changing the subject and listed all of her favorite desserts, which mostly were simpler dishes.

    This gave the concubine enough ideas for the next weeks, which made her look forward to those days a bit more. While she still couldn''t see her lover as often as she wanted, she didn''t have to sit around doing nothing. In addition, her baking served as an excuse for her to visit her lover for a few minutes and grant him a small break, which she planned to make the most of.

    Though she didn''t wish to keep him from finishing his duties and thus having to work longer either. So, Blanche limited herself to bringing him pastries twice a week. This time, she actually managed to stay true to her decision and refrained from surprising him for the following five days.

    She spent her free time going on walks and baking in the kitchen, where she met Darlene, Angelica and George almost daily. Sometimes, Clark was also present and didn''t run away again liked during the last times. Still, he was tense at first and needed a couple of minutes to feel comfortable in the conversation.

    Fortunately, Harris didn''t appear while Blanche was there, for which she sincerely thanked her normally unreliable luck. His presence would only sour her mood and force her to deal with his unbearable attitude and his confusing existence.

    So, five days went by without any difficulties as Blanche just busied herself.

    And like this, her calm moments before the storm passed.

 Chapter 42: Forget About This Incident

    All in all, the last few days had been very enjoyable, but naturally, Blanche would rather be with her lover longer than for the short meals. After patiently giving him space for five days, she believed that she deserved to claim ten minutes of his time though. He had had enough time to work, right? This meant that she would go to him with a little gift.

    Today she had baked a strawberry tart and decorated it with so much care that everyone had realized what her plan was.

    ¡°Will you give this to His Majesty?¡± Darlene crouched down to inspect the cake from the side while asking that.

    Blanche crossed her arms. ¡°Is it this obvious?¡±

    All the servants nodded at her question.

    Blanche looked at her creation once more while admitting the truth. ¡°I do want to bring this to his office. Though I still have to cut it into smaller pieces before that. How big should I make it?¡± She held the knife above the icing and moved it around indecisively to figure out which size she should pick. After all, she didn''t want Theodore to eat more than his stomach or his work allowed him to just because he didn''t wish to hurt her by not finishing the piece. On the other hand, giving him something so small that it didn''t satisfy his appetite fully would also make her feel bad.

    Before she could touch the cake, Angelica took the knife from her hand with a swift motion. ¡°I can do that for you if you tell me where I should cut.¡±

    Blanche frowned slightly at that. During the past days, the servants had often cut the cake pieces, and normally, she didn''t have a problem with receiving help. However, since this was her gift for Theodore, it seemed wrong to let others get involved. ¡°Thank you, but you don''t need to do it this time. I can do that myself.¡±

    Angelica''s face became apologetic as she responded in a soft tone. ¡°I know. It''s just that you aren''t very skilled with a knife, so it''s safer if I do it. We wouldn''t want to ruin the icing because of a wrong slit, would we?¡±

    Blanche''s confusion only grew as Stella, George and Darlene nodded at their colleague''s words. She looked around as her frown deepened. ¡°Why wouldn''t I be able to do it today? Didn''t I already cut some of my cakes, and it worked just fine? ¡±

    Clark was quick to say what the others were thinking in his usual direct way. ¡°Yes. And you didn''t make a single clean cut even once until now. All the pieces were inconsistent in size and shape with wobbly sides. That in itself might not be a problem if you didn''t almost slice off your fingers in the process every second day.¡±

    Had it been that bad? Of course, Blanche had noticed that the knife often didn''t follow the lines she had imagined previously, and the servants also had intervened a few times when she had nearly hurt herself. But had she done this so regularly that they didn''t even trust her to try it anymore?

    The concubine wasn''t sure, so she pointed that out. ¡°Oh. I realized that I wasn''t a genius with knives, but I don''t think that I''m that clumsy.¡±

    The others'' grimaces proved that her assessment had been wrong.

    With a sigh, Blanche handed the knife over to Angelica, who let out a deep breath in relief and thanked her. Then the concubine stared at her dessert for a while before deciding that the normal eight pieces might be too small. ¡°I think six slices should have the right size.¡±

    Angelica nodded at her and began to work on the cake. The maid cut the tart into six flawless slices and put two of them on plates, which persuaded the concubine that she should allow the servants to do this for her in the future.

    The result was much better than anything Blanche had attempted before, so she was glad to have listened to the others. In fact, it looked like a professional had prepared this so that she wouldn''t have to be ashamed to give this to Theodore.

    ¡°This is perfect, thank you. He will love this.¡± Blanche gazed at her creation a bit longer before she turned to Stella. ¡°Could you hand me the covers? I don''t want the cake to fall off on the way.¡±

    The maid followed her request and placed the plates on a tray while making sure that the cake slices weren''t damaged.

    As soon as that was done, Blanche struggled to keep herself from storming into the emperor''s office. She had held herself back from visiting him for the last few days, and she was also extremely proud of her creation, so she couldn''t wait. She anticipated Theodore''s reaction so much that she walked towards the exit as soon as Stella finished. ¡°I will bring Theo the cake now. We''ll meet tomorrow again!¡± The words had barely left her mouth when she rushed out of the kitchen, with her maid trailing behind her.

    Due to her excitement, she grinned from one ear to the other one the whole way and ended up arriving at the office faster than she normally did.

    To her surprise, Owen stood in front of the door along with two other guards. If he wasn''t at the emperor''s side, it was mostly because Theodore had a guest and needed to discuss something in private or dealt with confidential matters.

    Blanche pouted as saw this. Why did someone have to be here at this very moment when she wanted to see her lover? She hadn''t visited him for five days, in which any outsiders could have met him, but for some reason, they had to arrive today. She already couldn''t wait to present Theodore her gift, and now she would have to be patient until the other person left. That was annoying. She came to a halt next to Owen and forced herself to greet the knight instead of directly asking who the emperor was talking to. ¡°Sir Maillont, how are you?¡±

    Owen nodded in her direction before giving a curt reply. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. I''m doing well, thank you for your concern. I assume that you are here to meet His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I can wait for a little. Who''s-¡±

    Before she could question him about the guest, Owen knocked on the grand wooden door.

    Theodore''s loud voice sounded from the room almost immediately. ¡°Come in.¡±

    The knight complied with his command but only took one step before stopping to announce the guest. ¡°Lady Blanche wishes to see you.¡±

    The concubine''s shock at his disregard for the visitor''s presence was quickly replaced with joy when the response followed after a short pause.

    ¡°Tell her that she can come in.¡±

    Owen turned back and held the door open for her.

    Without thinking much about it, Blanche went into the office. If Theodore allowed her to enter immediately, he probably didn''t have a guest at all, which raised her spirits after her initial disappointment and painted a grin onto her face.

    She should have paid attention to the fact that the door was closed behind her and that Stella hadn''t followed her, but she was too focused on the emperor for that.

    Theodore was sitting at his desk and wearing his formal uniform, but his usual aura of authority was missing. Most likely, this was the case because of his expression. He gave his lover an uncertain smile, which made her slow her pace. Normally, he was always ecstatic when she surprised him, so there had to be a specific reason for this. Had she come at an unsuitable moment and interrupted his work? If so, she could simply leave and return later.

    But when Blanche inspected his table, she saw nothing that would prove that he was absorbed in reading or writing anything. In fact, it was strange how empty his desk was. Instead of being covered by countless stacks of paper, the whole surface was visibly empty except for a tray with a pot and two cups.

    Blanche wrinkled her forehead at this. Did he have a visitor after all? A motion in the corner of her eye made her turn to the figure that she previously hadn''t noticed.

    Her whole body stiffened upon realizing that the other person inside the room was Seraphina.

    The empress stood a few steps in front of the desk with her typical flawless posture. Her expression hardened upon spotting the concubine, which only caused Blanche''s tension to grow even more.

    All the concubine''s muscles completely refused to relax, and she froze in place. Suddenly, Theodore''s reaction had become understandable. He knew that the women resented each other, so letting them meet would force him to deescalate any dispute that might develop between them. Naturally, he had been reluctant to allow his lover to enter, but sending the empress outside hadn''t been an option either.

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    Blanche''s eyes wandered to the emperor and back to Seraphina as she tried to hold back her resignation from showing on her face, but she was sure that she had failed from the very beginning. A hollow pain already spread in her chest at this scene. Theodore had met with his wife to drink tea in private. That could only mean that the spouses had gotten much closer in the last weeks than Blanche had realized. How much time had they spent together without her knowledge? Had they begun developing feelings for each other at this point? She balled her hands into fists to keep them from trembling but was unsuccessful. Her limbs were still shivering against her will no matter how much she attempted to control them. This meant that even running away would be impossible in her current state, even if her only wish was to flee from this location.

    Against her will, her gaze moved to the heroine, and they made eye contact.

    Though the empress'' expression remained rigid, her cold stare was more than enough to reveal her true feelings. The concubine hadn''t even had the chance to trouble the other woman yet, but Seraphina looked at her like she was an annoying insect.

    If it had been anyone else, this wouldn''t be alarming as long as they kept their distance, but this was the heroine. Right now, Blanche was actually scared. Seeing that the novel had progressed so much that the main characters already started to meet reminded her how powerless she was. This wasn''t just about being ridiculed at tea parties and unfair punishments. Should the heroine want her dead, she would die after everything that she loved was taken away from her. How should she compete with that when she didn''t have a chance from the very beginning? She felt helpless.

    Her legs threatened to give in and let her crash to the ground, which she only prevented by focusing all of her strength on her feet. Still, the floor didn''t give her the footing that she needed to be safe. She loosened her fists to grasp her dress instead. This didn''t actually give her any support, but it was better than having nothing to hold onto.

    Despite her discomfort, which had to have been obvious to anyone that was able to see, Seraphina''s expression didn''t soften. On the contrary, it seemed like the empress grew more irritated with every passing second.

    Blanche tried to evade this frosty stare and turned to her lover, who observed her shaking form with worry. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the heroine''s voice cut through the air.

    ¡°You will begin your act now? I was already wondering why you waited so long this time.¡± The empress'' tone made clear that she hadn''t addressed her husband but his lover.

    The concubine flinched at the hostility that was layered behind these words and forced herself to look at Seraphina again. If her body had obeyed, she would have asked what the other woman was calling an act. Though in all honesty, she probably wouldn''t have dared to speak up anyway. She wasn''t faking anything. She was truly frightened of the empress. In the past, she might have put on a fearful facade to coax Theodore into taking her side without questioning her first, but even then, her tears had been real.

    To a brave and determined person like Seraphina, it wouldn''t be comprehensible that Blanche actually cried whenever she was hurt. To the heroine, it probably seemed like the concubine evoked her wailing purposefully to be pitied, which had never been true.

    Even right now, Blanche fought against the pricking in her eyes, and it was impressive that she had been able to hold them back. After all, she had just learned that the emperor was meeting his future lover in secret. Though it was unlikely that the royal couple would understand why it bothered her so much that they drank tea together.

    Seraphina didn''t seem like she had expected a response and turned to Theodore, whose expression had become serious. ¡°I assume that you summoned me to discuss what happened at the tea party?¡± She spoke with a tone that indicated her annoyance.

    This made the concubine''s blood run cold as she understood what the heroine was referring to. In the past, there had been multiple instances at which the emperor had called them to the office to break up a fight and calm both parties. In all cases that she could remember, Blanche had demanded that he should force Seraphina to apologize, which he luckily had never done. Instead, he had asked them to describe the situation from their perspective and then attempted to find a diplomatic solution. That had mostly included distracting his sulking lover afterward.

    But this time, she hadn''t told him about the conflict at all. She had already been convinced that she moved past this incident without making the heroine even angrier by involving Theodore. Why did the empress have to bring it up now? If Seraphina had just listened like she normally did, the emperor would have continued to believe that nothing occurred at the event. Now he knew though.

    ¡°What?¡± Theodore''s voice had a much sharper edge to it than it normally did, and a deep frown appeared on his face. None of both women replied immediately, so he turned to Blanche. ¡°Didn''t you say that everything was calm at the party?¡± He had already forced himself to use a softer tone, but she could still hear that he was upset.

    ¡°That...¡± Blanche spoke much quieter than she had originally intended to and was unable to find the right words to finish her sentence. She only had to explain that she hadn''t wanted to trouble him with such irrelevant trivialities, but her vocal cords didn''t comply. Quickly, his accusatory gaze began to feel like it gouged holes into her, and she automatically lowered her head to avoid meeting his eyes. Inwardly, she was screaming at herself for doing that. This would only make her appear like she felt guilty, even though she wasn''t the one at fault.

    For a moment, it was silent.

    Then the empress'' voice sounded. ¡°You didn''t tell him?¡± Seraphina''s question made Blanche look up again. This was the first time that the concubine had ever seen the empress this surprised. The heroine''s forehead was covered in wrinkles, and she stared at the concubine with narrowed eyes.

    Was it really this strange that Blanche hadn''t complained to the emperor minutes after the quarrel? Even she had to admit that it was. The thought of her staying quiet about anything related to a fight with her nemesis hadn''t been imaginable before she gained the book''s memories.

    An unnerving silence followed, in which none of the present people moved from their position or uttered a single word. Blanche hadn''t expected that the atmosphere could become even more strained, but it had. It felt like the air weighed on her back and had thickened so much that breathing was harder.

    It took a while before Theodore raised his voice. ¡°What happened at the tea party?¡± Still, the women didn''t answer. Both of them didn''t want to be the one to start narrating the story until he repeated his question again, this time in a more demanding tone. ¡°I presume that something did happen at the tea party. What was it about?¡±

    Seraphina gave in at that. She began to explain the events in a composed manner that neither matched her previous confusion nor her behavior at the party. Blanche was almost jealous of her level of emotional control if she hadn''t been focused on listening to the biased version of the story and correcting the statements in her mind. ¡°About halfway through the party, I heard that Lord Bellfaux'' younger daughter was loudly complaining about someone destroying her late mother''s dress. When I approached her, I was informed that Lady Blanche had bumped into her and thus caused her to spill her drink on the attire. I ordered some servants to clean it and calmed Lady Bellfaux before asking Lady Blanche to apologize. She followed my instruction, but then Lady Lemares stated that she had been insulted by her during the argument.¡±

    Theodore''s mouth twitched when he heard Evelyn''s name, but he remained silent and listened.

    The empress resumed without hesitation. ¡°I asked Lady Blanche to apologize again, which she ignored. After that, she began to speak in a louder volume with no intention to put an end to the conflict. To not disrupt the other guests'' stay, I requested for her to step away from the party. After a few objections and thoughtless remarks, Lady Blanche left.¡± If she explained it like this, of course it would sound like the concubine had been at fault.

    Blanche gritted her teeth to hold back before she faced her lover, who was staring at his desk, in expectation. At first, she had been uncertain how he would react, but since Evelyn was involved, he would definitely take her side, right? He would allow her to tell the other half of the story and then criticize the empress'' rash action before declaring that the whole situation was based on a misunderstanding. She would only have to explain how it had really been, and then everything would be fine.

    The emperor let out a sigh and massaged his temples. He was quiet for a moment and then turned his head to Seraphina. ¡°I apologize for the fact that your party was interrupted. There has been a string of inconvenient events that followed right after each other. I will order the tailor to take a look at Lady Bellfaux''s dress. Naturally, I''ll provide the money that is needed to clean or replace it. As usual, the situation was very heated, so I would encourage if you were understanding enough to forget about this incident.¡±

    Seraphina affirmed that with a nod. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I didn''t plan on mentioning this again in the first place.¡±

    Theodore''s expression relaxed upon hearing this, and he put on a polite smile. ¡°Good. Then we don''t need to concern ourselves with this any further.¡±

    This was it?

    He really thought that the problem was solved with this? Blanche had been the one who was wronged, and he still apologized to Seraphina? In fact, he couldn''t even know that his lover was innocent since he hadn''t even asked for her opinion on the fight. Either he didn''t care about the truth and just wanted them to reconcile so that he could stop thinking about this matter, or he didn''t consider that the empress was giving a one-sided version of the story.

    This had to be a joke. Blanche stared at him speechlessly while waiting for him to open his mouth once more.

    But he didn''t do that.

    Theodore truly didn''t allow his lover to explain herself and didn''t ask about how she felt when she had been sent away by Seraphina. Was he this sure that she deserved to be humiliated in front of all the tea party''s guests that he didn''t even question it at all? Was he so convinced that she was the one who had to have caused trouble that he didn''t feel the need to hear a second version of the story? Even though Blanche had been responsible for each of the last conflicts, previously he had never stayed quiet when the empress had ordered his concubine to do anything. He always insisted that Seraphina had no authority over his lover and that he was the only one who could arrange a punishment, which he hadn''t done once until now.

    But that was different now. Theodore suddenly believed the empress without a second thought.

    A terrible realization made an icy shiver run across Blanche''s back. Theodore saw the empress as a righteous and composed woman, which was already influencing his judgment. This was exactly what would happen in the novel. The closer he got to his wife, the more he would trust her. At first, he would still believe that his concubine was innocent, but that belief would weaken with every incident during which his lover had provoked a fight on purpose. In the end, he would always side with Seraphina, no matter what the topic was.

    This change was already noticeable now. Even though he had only met the heroine to chat with her over a cup of tea, he was beginning to back her decisions without questioning them. Because of a few of the empress'' words, he believed that his concubine had had vile intentions and that his wife had only defended herself.

    Trust between the spouses and distrust between Theodore and his concubine had been the foundation of the main characters'' quickly growing romance. If those were already there, that meant that the novel was progressing faster than Blanche could have imagined.

    This wasn''t about the tea party. It was about the fact that the villainess was already declared the guilty one, whose judgment mattered less than the empress''. Once that impression had been made, it was over anyway.

    Flashes of her dreams of being arrested and executed filled her mind. In those scenes, Blanche had attempted to appeal to her lover too, only for him to ignore it. Would he begin to treat her with the contempt he had shown in these nightmares soon? This possibility cut through her heart like a newly refined sword.

    She had known that this moment, in which he would side with his wife and render her completely powerless, would come. She just hadn''t expected it so soon.

    Her blurry gaze landed on Theodore, who actually had the audacity to smile at her. His expression changed upon seeing her, but she didn''t stay to wait for him to speak up.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± That was the only thing Blanche managed to force out. If she said any more words than that, her voice would crack, and she would begin crying. She didn''t need Seraphina to see her break down now when this would certainly happen a few times in the future. She spun around on her heel and hurried to the entrance. She just wanted to be alone.

    ¡°Blanche!¡±

    Theodore called her name, but she ignored him in favor of opening the door. She let go of her dress to do that and realized that her fingers were numb because she had dug them into the fabric for so long. Along with her cloudy sight, this didn''t make it easy to grab the handle and push it down, but she succeeded after two attempts before running out of the room.

    Behind her, the emperor called after her once more, but she didn''t stop.

    She passed two figures that had to have been Stella and Owen. She couldn''t bring herself to care enough to check, not that she would have been able to through the veil of tears. Oh, how much she hated crying, and still, she started every single time despite her attempts to control it. It was no wonder that the readers had been as annoyed about this as Seraphina if even Blanche found it infuriating herself.

    Though being angry at herself only fueled her desire to weep.

 Chapter 43: Your Majesty

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    ¡°that dream...¡± He spat out this word with nothing but pure resentment. ¡°On that day, you changed completely. Since then, you started lying to me and keeping secrets. You began distancing yourself from me. And I was enough of an idiot to believe that this was only a phase that would pass quickly. I should have stopped it right after the first time you cried, but I thought that you would return to your carefree self again after a couple of days.¡±

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 Chapter 44: Reconciliation (1)

    ¡°So, after I listed all of this, do you still believe that you haven''t changed?¡±

    Blanche was quiet in response. She couldn''t state the opposite, but agreeing with her lover would only increase the pressure on her. What reason could she give that would justify all the things that he had explained? Despite her efforts to find the most logical solution, her excessive contemplating had never given her an advantage but only caused harm to herself and Theodore.

    She had worried him again and again over the course of the last two months. Her alternating between pushing him away and pulling him close without giving him an explanation or considering his feelings had hurt him so much more than she could have imagined. ¡°I...¡± She began, but her voice gave in.

    Theodore put one of his hands onto hers that still rested on his chin while leaving the other arm wrapped around her body. Even when he whispered, his voice was hoarse. ¡°So, please tell me. What happened that took away the trust you had in me? What made you doubt my love for you? Did someone hurt you? Or is this still about the dream?¡±

    Even after he had spoken for so long, Blanche didn''t know how to respond. It felt like nausea grew in her stomach with every second that passed with both of them remaining silent. This clouded her judgment even more than it had already been. She wanted to be honest, but she could never mention this cursed novel, the source of all of her problems. Blaming all of this on one dream wouldn''t serve as a satisfying reason either. She tried to come up with something that made sense, but her lover was too skilled at reading her expression.

    ¡°You''re thinking about an excuse again, aren''t you? This is exactly what you keep doing whenever I address this topic! You get quiet and evade my gaze, only to dismiss your concerns afterward. Then you say that you are fine or that you''re tired, but you have never been a good liar. I notice when you''re dishonest with me, and I hate it. You have no reason to withhold the truth from me. I want to ease your worries, but I can''t do that if you don''t tell me about them.¡±

    Blanche fought the urge to look away from him, but the tension made her eyes sting. She slowly retracted her hand from Theodore''s cheek to wipe her tears and was stopped when he guided it back to his face.

    ¡°Blanche, I love you more than my own life. I don''t want to lose you, so please...talk to me.¡± The words almost died in his throat, and he barely finished them before breaking down and pulling her into a crushing hug.

    She returned the embrace without hesitation. She pressed herself against his chest and took deep breaths to calm herself enough to speak for longer. At this point, she couldn''t even consider staying quiet anymore. As much as he feared losing her, she resented the possibility of living without him. Due to her withdrawing, he had misunderstood her feelings completely, and she couldn''t let him believe in that misunderstanding any longer. She loved him and would do whatever was in her power to protect him and their relationship from harm, even the emotional one that she had caused. So, she would tell him everything that kept her busy.

    However, she still would exclude one crucial part. The novel.

    ¡°That dream...¡±

    As soon as she uttered the first words, Theodore''s body relaxed at once, with only his arms remaining unmoved around her waist. Still, he didn''t interrupt her or make any noise. He even held his breath at her pause and only continued breathing when she resumed.

    ¡°That dream wasn''t the source of this...fear. It was more of a small idea that implanted itself in my brain and wouldn''t leave. I''m so scared of you leaving me behind.¡± Blanche moved her head away from Theodore to look up at him. ¡°Not because I doubt your love, but because of who I am.¡±

    She was the villainess. Destined to be abandoned by everyone and beheaded at her former lover''s command. Her only purpose was to obstruct the heroine to raise the stakes and be eliminated in the finale to satisfy the readers.

    Theodore reluctantly leaned backward to meet her gaze with a frown, but he didn''t speak up, which gave her a chance to explain her statement.

    Blanche had to stay quiet for a short moment to collect her thoughts before she could resume. ¡°Our relationship has always been...one-sided. You are the best lover one could ever have. From the very beginning, you were so kind. You took me in without demanding anything in return and provided me with food and clothes and everything I could need. You''ve always taken care of me and made me happy. Not just when you were bored but also when you were drowning in work. Even despite your duties, you never forget about me. You pamper me with so much attention and countless gifts, all while being the most considerate person I ever met. On the other hand-¡± She paused to swallow. ¡°I just cause problems that you have to solve in return. A big part of the reason for that is that I''m simply not a good person.¡±

    Theodore didn''t skip a beat before chiming in after that sentence. ¡°Don''t say something like that.¡±

    Blanche shook her head, which made him become silent again. ¡°You shouldn''t refute things that you know to be untrue. All the people in the palace can attest that I''m not that pleasant to be around. I behave like I own this place and don''t accept criticism. When something doesn''t go my way, I cry and complain until you get involved and make sure that the situation is resolved in my favor. But you''ve never seen me acting as bratty as the servants have, so I whine a bit, and you believe that they did me wrong. Because of this, I caused so many scenes and forced you to step in to protect me, even if I provoked the quarrel with my inability to show respect and understand the consequences of my behavior. You''re so mature and educated and kind, and I''m just...dependent on you. I''m unable to do anything on my own.¡± She stopped to wipe away a few tears that had begun to spill as she opened her heart to him.

    During her explanation, Theodore didn''t look away even for a split second, which made her feel even more insecure about her words. Would he think that she overreacted since she still couldn''t mention the full reason? Either way, she couldn''t base her narration on the book, so she would have to continue and wait for his reaction no matter what.

    ¡°When I realized that, I felt unworthy of being with you. And I tried to change to become a better person that deserved to be by your side. I gave my best to show you that I adore you with every fiber of my being. Looking at how deeply I upset you, it doesn''t seem to have worked out. But I intended to give back a little since you always offer me so much. I wanted to be a safe haven for you when you come out of your office, but I can''t keep myself from crying when I imagine a future in which you noticed how selfish I truly am. But I gave my best to prevent that! In some aspects, I managed to make a change too. I am friendly to everyone now unless they pick a fight with me first. Even then I attempt to ignore it without throwing a childish tantrum that forces you to deal with even more frustrating matters.¡±

    Again, Blanche paused to inhale and closed her eyes for a moment. She leaned her head against her lover and allowed him to pat her scalp. She sorted her thoughts before returning to meeting his gaze and resuming. ¡°But while I started to think about my actions and the perception of me that others have, I realized that the issue was much greater than I originally thought. You are the emperor, the ruler of Artias, and you carry the pure blood of the royal family inside you. And who am I, who is standing next to you? A commoner with an unknown background, who suddenly appeared in the palace and gained your favor due to some miracle. This is all I ever do, receiving the gifts you give me. And there is nothing but my love that I can return to you. But just with my presence I already cause more problems.¡±

    With every word, Theodore''s frown deepened. Even though his eyes shone with the desire to interrupt her monologue, his mouth stayed closed.

    Blanche waited for an objection, but when nothing followed, she continued her story. ¡°The people in the capital are aware of our relationship, even if it hasn''t been made official. They also noticed the stark contrast between us. Everyone wonders why you still put up with me, especially since you could have another wife or concubine from the most influential households to secure their support. Because of this, rumors spread that you let yourself be manipulated by me, which decreases your credibility. My lacking knowledge about etiquette in noble society also casts a poor light on you. Every singly one of my mistakes has harmed your reputation since people questioned why you didn''t teach me before showing me to the public. When you defended me, they assumed that your judgment was clouded by me, which only underlined their pre-existing opinion that was formed by gossip.¡±

    The emperor seemed like he struggled to let her resume but still didn''t interrupt.

    Blanche almost wished that he did. Now the most upsetting part would follow, and she hated talking about this so much. ¡°This is where the empress fits in. She can stand by your side without any consequences. No one would bat an eye if she was the one who was kissed by you in public. She is your wife after all. Her family gives her a prestigious background, which allows her to be on eye level with you. As if that wasn''t good enough, she is also composed and extremely intelligent. She has the qualities to be the ideal empress and rule over the country. She is perfect. People love her. She is everything I''m not. That''s why I''m scared of her. It feels like she could take everything away from me in an instant, especially you. She is married to you already, and your personalities are so similar. She doesn''t make mistakes or attracts the nobles'' mockery like I do, so you don''t have to be ashamed when you are seen with her.¡±

    Theodore''s self-control shattered at this statement. His hands moved to her face and tilted her chin upwards so that she was forced to meet his gaze. His grasp was almost tight enough to hurt and didn''t leave her any chance to turn away, even if she had put all of her strength into it. ¡°I have never, not even once, been ashamed of being seen with you. The only reason I didn''t announce-¡±

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    ¡°I know.¡± She cut him off in a gentle but firm voice while ignoring the fluttering of her heart at his words. ¡°You had no choice. Naming me as your lover would offend the Duremont family. I may have been unreasonable in the past, but now I agree with your decision. Everything else would have been foolish. But you can''t risk provoking them now either. The only time that the empress doesn''t seem untouchable is when our relationship is addressed. This is the singular topic that provides her enemies with a chance to strike, and they love to use it. To avoid any more gossip that could cost you Duke Duremont''s backing, I came up with a plan. If I stayed away from you in public, the nobles couldn''t take advantage of any interactions that would harm the empress'' reputation. That is why I let go of your hand in the garden and why I didn''t want to hug you in front of the ministers.¡±

    Theodore let out a deep sigh and put his forehead against his lover''s. ¡°You did this for that reason?¡± He breathed out shakily. ¡°I already thought that...that you didn''t want me to be close to you anymore.¡±

    Blanche quickly tightened her hold around his torso and responded. ¡°No way! Whenever all of this comes to my mind, I feel the need to cling to you, especially in front of others. I want to tell the whole world that we''re in love. But that would only make the rumors even worse.¡±

    Theodore gave her a weak smile, and he started caressing her cheek with his thumb. ¡°Thank the gods, I was so terrified of-¡± He didn''t finish his sentence and hesitated for a few seconds before putting his arms around her again. Then he took one step backward and pulled her with him. He guided her to his bed with a slow and steady pace. As soon as his legs touched the wooden frame, he collapsed onto his back on the mattress. This movement caused his lover, who was still trapped in his embrace, to let out a small yelp as she landed on top of him. He rolled onto his side with great care to not lay on any of her limps.

    Blanche shuffled around a bit until she found the best position for her body and nuzzled her face into his chest. She listened to the calming thumping of his heartbeat and his breathing that slowly began returning to its normal rhythm, which undeniably calmed her. Though her puffy eyes and sniffing still showed that she had cried, the tears in her eyes dried up within minutes.

    The couple remained silent for a moment before Theodore eventually spoke up. ¡°I''m blessed to have you here with me, and I never want that to change. I love you.¡±

    She moved her head slightly to meet his gaze. ¡°I love you too. I''m sorry. I never meant to hurt you with my actions. I only wanted to prevent you from losing some of your power because of me.¡±

    ¡°This wasn''t your fault. We should have talked about our feelings earlier. I shouldn''t have let it go in the very first conversation about your nightmare. I also shouldn''t have read something into your behavior without asking for your reasons. We both messed up, but in the end, there won''t be any negative consequences. We''re still together, and nothing will separate us. I don''t want anything to stand between us, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem. All the fears you listed will not influence my love for you. Still, they burden you, and we can''t leave it like this. So, we are going to discuss every single point you made, and I''ll tell you why it doesn''t endanger our relationship, alright?¡±

    Even if she doubted that this could ease all of her worries since the novel''s existence wasn''t erased by a couple of words, Blanche needed to hear his response anyway. These things had clouded her mind for too long, and sharing them had relieved her incredibly despite none of the problems being solved. Talking about this would pacify her anxious consciousness even more. Maybe her lover also had an idea how to evade a few of the issues they would have to face to be together. So, she nodded.

    Theodore lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her hair in a gentle manner as he reassured himself that she was still looking into his eyes. ¡°First of all, you are not a bad person.¡±

    She snorted quietly at this. Her character had literally been introduced to annoy readers and then amuse them with her doom. The author had mixed the most infuriating personality traits together to create the villainess of their novel. Still, the emperor was insisting that she was a saint. ¡°In front of you, I wasn''t bad. But you can''t watch me all the time. You only need to ask the servants, and most of them will be happy to list all the times that I overreacted and troubled them because of trivialities. You''ve never seen that, which allowed me to hide this side from you.¡±

    In response, a little grin began to form on Theodore''s face. ¡°You hid something?¡± The teasing undertone in his voice made it clear that he doubted her statement, even though she hadn''t said anything that wasn''t true.

    Blanche frowned slightly as she answered. ¡°Yes, I did. I''m a very self-centered person, you know? But I didn''t show that to you, so you never noticed. I don''t understand what about this is funny.¡±

    Theodore pushed a strand of hair away from her face, and his smile widened. ¡°Blanche, you are a terrible actress. I don''t believe that you ever managed to hide anything from me. After over a year with you, I''m good at reading you. I haven''t always addressed it, but when something is bothering you, I always notice it. If you don''t tell me about that topic, I stay quiet because I assume that you don''t wish to reveal whatever happened to me. Sometimes, I also might have given up too early even though I should have insisted on a conversation, but I was always very much aware of how differently you act when you are stressed.¡±

    To be honest, his explanation made sense. When Blanche got upset, it felt like all of her muscles were tensed and countless invisible pairs of eyes were observing her. How could she expect to interact with Theodore as if nothing was wrong while her body refused to listen to her? It actually would have been more surprising if he couldn''t guess her emotions since her face was like an open book in that regard.

    Theodore continued in a soft tone. ¡°So, don''t you believe that I would realize if your whole behavior around me was fake? I would have if that was the case. But it wasn''t. Plus, you aren''t selfish. You only like to be pampered by your lover, which is completely normal. You aren''t immoral when you accept my gifts since exchanging presents is part of a romantic relationship. Due to my position, I can give you more than others might be able to offer their partners, but that doesn''t change anything. I''m happy to fulfill all of your dreams. While some things remain impossible even for me, I will do my best to get you anything you could want.¡±

    Blanche agreed with most of this, Still, she had something to add. ¡°But it''s unfair that I don''t gift you anything in return.¡±

    Theodore shook his head to dismiss her worry. ¡°You give back more than you realize. Affection isn''t necessarily reciprocated through material means. Your support and presence in my life are what show me that you care. I don''t need gifts when I can talk to you and cuddle you at any time. Besides, I already have all the possessions that I require to live more than comfortably. Of course, I''ll gladly receive anything you give and cherish it, but you don''t have to look for a present because you feel indebted. Actually...¡±

    Theodore paused for a moment while his expression became a bit more serious. ¡°You feeling indebted is the last thing I want. I know that...my position and the fact that I am the one providing for you cause some sort of dependency. I worried about that a lot, especially in the beginning. But not because it''s bad that you accept my gifts or anything like that. It is the opposite. I was more worried about what this meant for your feelings. I never wished to trap you in a relationship with me or something like that, so... That is why I was hesitant. I never wanted to make you think that you have to be with me in return for my help.¡± There was something in his eyes that made it seem like he was truly concerned about that.

    Blanche didn''t like that at all. For some reason, it truly hurt her to hear that so much that it was almost overwhelming, so she hurried to refute what he said. ¡°I never thought that you were like that either. I love you, and I loved you from the very beginning. You didn''t force me nor did feel like being with you as a favor. You probably saw that too. I was overjoyed when you finally kissed me because I already loved you then.¡±

    Theodore watched her while she spoke before a faint smile came back onto his lips. ¡°I know. But I was just...insecure in that regard. Now I understood that you really are with me because you want to be my lover, so it''s fine. We don''t need to worry about that. I am not giving you gifts because I want to bind you to me either, even if some people speculated about that. That only proves how little we should listen to others.¡± For a moment, he didn''t seem like he was sure whether he should be angry or relieved before he noticed how much they had changed the topic. He quickly returned to the previous subject. ¡°Anyway, letting me indulge you doesn''t make you selfish. You''re not a bad person.¡±

    Blanche felt like there was a bit more to the topic he had mentioned before, but her mind was too focused on the rest of the conversation to think about that while she listened to Theodore. So, she concentrated on what he said now. She had to admit that her heart screamed in joy at hearing that he was so keen on defending her. Though it didn''t erase her perception of her past self. ¡°You think so? But I was pretty mean, especially to the empress.¡±

    ¡°You mean the woman with the greatest power in the whole country? She is more than capable of defending herself and should be used to others criticizing her. That your interactions were not very friendly is partly her fault too. The both of you disliked each other from the first time that you ever met, and she didn''t attempt to hide that at all. I mean, you didn''t either, but as an empress, she should have been able to conceal her emotions. Even during your first meeting, she was really impolite, so she''s also responsible. We had a conversation about this already. As I said back then, her judgment is clouded when it comes to you. She sees you as a person who purposefully breaks rules to upset her and won''t change her mind about that, even though you never were like that.¡±

    Actually, before gaining the book''s knowledge, Blanche had found it quite tempting to provoke the heroine at any given chance and often disregarded social norms to do that. Apparently, Theodore was as blinded by his love as the novel had described him, but she didn''t intend to speak up to remind him of that and just listened to him while he resumed.

    ¡°In addition, you might have had some troubles with the servants, however, you have never punished anyone. Whenever you involved me, it was because someone had made a grave mistake. And as far as I am aware, there haven''t been any occurrences during the last two months. In other words, ever since the day you decided to be more careful with your actions, nothing happened. You weren''t spiteful in the first place, and you became even kinder now. It''s calmer this way, but you obviously shouldn''t avoid conflict when someone is treating you badly. Fighting back doesn''t make you bratty or whatever you might call it. No matter what anyone might have said, you are a good person. You can trust my ability to read people. As the emperor, I had to interact with enough actors and flatterers to identify them after one glance. I''ve always been a deliberate ruler and made decisions that were best for Artias. So, you aren''t disagreeing with my judgment, are you?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± This was part of the reason why Blanche was bewildered by him being unable to see how his concubine had increasingly become viler over the course of the novel. Shouldn''t he have realized that she wished to harm Seraphina? There were also some other crucial things he hadn''t noticed, like her fake amnesia and her connection to Marquess Sefare. That was strange.

    Theodore resumed as soon as she had given her response. ¡°See? Then let''s address another topic. Your rank doesn''t matter to me. My feelings wouldn''t be different if you were a princess of a distant kingdom, a duke''s daughter or a commoner. I didn''t want you to gain a political advantage. Various royal families all over the continent like to take in wives and concubines as some sort of tool to get the backing of other influential people, but I would never think of us as something like that. I fell in love with you, not with a shallow title. Do you understand?¡±

    The fluttering of her heart almost made her forget how to talk. Blanche barely managed to nod and voice a small ¡°Yes.¡±

    Theodore, on the other hand, was already eager to resume his narration. ¡°Then the only thing that is left are the rumors.¡± He faltered for a short moment, in which he seemed to ponder over what he should say. ¡°As you said, they already know about us. So, we aren''t required to go to such great lengths to keep them from finding out. We shouldn''t overdo it, but you don''t have to pull away from my embrace in our own home either.¡±

    Blanche felt a pang of guilt at that. Even if her actions hadn''t been unreasonable, she had still kept her lover in the dark about her motivations and let him fill the gaps in her explanations. Naturally, he would come to the wrong conclusion because of that.

    Though it didn''t seem like Theodore had intended to remind her of this since he didn''t pause to allow her to think. ¡°It''s enough if we don''t kiss or hug too long in front of noble guests at events. I''ll speak to Owen and ask him to inform the knights that I won''t allow any unannounced visitors to walk around in the estate from now on. I will have to directly tell the ministers that as well. After all, they originally were supposed to wait in the entrance hall, a guest room or my office and not roam freely through the corridors. Seemingly, they forgot that, but once I remind them, we won''t have to worry about them interrupting us.¡±

    His idea itself was good, however, he hadn''t grasped the full gravity of the situation yet. But how could he when he hadn''t witnessed the extent of the latest gossip? Blanche would have to give him a small example, which should already prove that her worries were a bit more important than he assumed them to be. The tea party was the perfect piece of evidence.

 Chapter 45: Reconciliation (2)

    Blanche rubbed over her lover''s back before retracting one of her arms to rest her head on it. With a quiet sigh, she replied. ¡°It''s nice of you to calm me down. But we do have to worry a bit more from now on. The rumors considering a woman living in the palace and clinging to the emperor existing are one thing. But they were even voiced in front of the empress and all the guests at the tea party.¡±

    At those words, Theodore went rigid, and his eyes widened. ¡°Someone actually dared to do that?¡±

    ¡°In fact, multiple people did.¡±

    The emperor let his head fall onto the cushion and let out an elongated groan. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them, a deep frown was etched into his features. ¡°Will you tell me what exactly they said?¡±

    She moved around a bit to find a comfortable position, from where she could look at Theodore''s face without straining her neck too much. ¡°Well, you know that Sophia Ravillot is pregnant, right?¡± He nodded, which encouraged her to continue. ¡°She revealed how she will call her baby, and then the Duchess of Vasquez announced that she is expecting a child too. Lady Lemares thought that this was a good opportunity to ask whether the empress would have an heir this year.¡±

    Her lover''s face scrunched up at hearing this. ¡°That woman is even more foolish than I believed her to be.¡±

    Blanche shrugged as much as she could while lying down. ¡°That was my reaction too. As you can imagine, Her Majesty quickly evaded that topic, but it soured her mood anyway. Just when everyone was sure that the subject would be dropped, Lady Valerian made a joke about how you could still have an heir even if the empress wasn''t ready and looked at me.¡±

    Theodore sucked in air between his teeth and covered his eyes for a moment. ¡°That is...¡±

    She gave her best to ignore the stinging in her chest at the memory of her doubts about being able to have children and finished his sentence before he could. ¡°Terrible? Yes, it was. Especially since everyone, and by that I mean every single person at the table, heard it. But that wasn''t the end. They all stayed quiet afterward until Duchess Vasquez spoke up. She began talking about how her husband visited your office and saw Erneis'' painting.¡±

    The emperor groaned again, this time more loudly. He remained silent for a few seconds, in which the gears that were turning in his head were almost visible. ¡°So, the empress was right about someone gossiping about the picture...¡± He paused shortly before looking back into his lover''s eyes. ¡°In summary, they addressed our relationship without saying something that they could be punished for, since they didn''t lie or directly call you my lover.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Then the story with Lady Bellfaux happened. Only that I barely touched her, and while I should have been more careful, she didn''t accept my apology. I got a little angry when she wanted to insult me and talked back to her, but I didn''t say anything hurtful. At least until Lady Lemares also began making fun of me. I called her a liar, and then Her Majesty got involved. She made me apologize to Lady Bellfaux, which I did. But after that, Lady Lemares wanted an apology too. I didn''t offend her, so I refused. The empress interpreted this as ignoring her orders and was overly harsh. At first, I tried to get her to listen to my side and told her to be fair, but that didn''t calm her. In the end, she sent me away, and I left.¡±

    Theodore shook his head slightly as his exhausted expression was replaced with an annoyed one. ¡°Then she was the one who made the mistake. Should I make her apologize to you?¡±

    Blanche was quick to prop herself up onto her arms and brought her face right in front of his. ¡°What? No. You can''t ask the empress to apologize to anyone with a lower rank unless she committed a major error. Especially not when a commoner is involved.¡±

    Slowly, Theodore sat up and pulled her into an upright position as well. ¡°You keep insisting that you aren''t a noble, but you don''t actually know that, right?¡±

    The concubine raised an eyebrow before climbing onto her lover''s lap. ¡°If I was a noble, some member of that household would have recognized me by now. So, I''m pretty convinced that I''m a commoner.¡± Actually, she knew that for a fact. She might have lied about having amnesia, but her brain was very much intact.

    The emperor smiled at her and hugged her tighter again. ¡°As I said, I wouldn''t mind that.¡±

    Blanche returned the embrace and buried her face in his collar. She was so blessed to be with Theodore. Most nobles wrinkled their noses whenever people without an aristocratic background passed them while he allowed her to share his home and become his lover. Despite his good reputation due to his hard work for Artias'' well-being, a big fraction of the nobles in the capital had questioned his sanity for this. Even though he hadn''t admitted it, her presence by his side had already decreased the trust a part of his followers had in him.

    She didn''t wish to respond by bringing this up once more, but she couldn''t just ignore it. ¡°I''m glad that you don''t. Most aristocrats would. They already are disdainful because I live with you.¡±

    Her lover took this as his cue to pat her head and press a kiss onto her forehead. ¡°It''s ridiculous that they feel the need to comment on things that don''t concern them or influence their lives in any way. Luckily, that has nothing to do with us.¡±

    Blanche gave him a skeptical look. He couldn''t be unaware of the influence that the nobles'' opinions had on his reign. No matter how intelligent an emperor was and how many achievements he could present, he was dependent on aristocrats who were backing him. If he didn''t have that support, he might lose his throne overnight and be replaced with a more favored relative. This hadn''t happened for countless generations, and Theodore''s family had been untouchable for the last decades, but that didn''t mean that this couldn''t change. ¡°It has something to do with us. The rumors are damaging your reputation. The nobles fear that you have been manipulated by me and don''t think clearly anymore.¡±

    The emperor refuted that immediately. ¡°Still, no one is doubting my ability to rule the country. That would be dangerous, but they haven''t voiced anything like this yet. As long as that doesn''t happen, it''s fine. People have always been addicted to passing their time by talking about others, mostly those who are happier. They dismiss that happiness to distract themselves from the emptiness that they feel. So, they spend hours chatting about the smallest of things.¡±

    Theodore turned his head to stare at the closed door, through which they had entered, while continuing. ¡°This doesn''t only hold true for nobles but also servants. Even though they are careful to stop their gossiping when they see me, I still overheard a few conversations about our relationship. And I only heard a little portion of the things that are said. Leon and Owen interact with the servants and knights more often, and the others are less cautious around them, so they have many stories to tell. For example, many wondered why I was eating with you and complained that I should spend my time with the empress instead.¡± His eyes focused on his lover again, and he took her hands in between his before he gently wiped away the frown that had just appeared on her face.

    He hid it well, but the slight trembling of his voice betrayed his anger. ¡°Even though they aren''t involved in our relationship at all, they still have to have an opinion about everything. It''s frustrating. Nonetheless, we are unable to change this. We have to live with their constant whispering behind our backs.¡± He paused to lock his eyes with hers. ¡°But since their gossip will be there anyway, we don''t have to pretend to be distant in front of them. I am so incredibly thankful for your efforts to protect my reputation, but I don''t want you to push me away like this in the future. If you feel like others are watching us, please tell me instead of acting without giving me an explanation.¡±

    Blanche nodded. ¡°I promise that I won''t do that again.¡± She was already brimming with guilt after seeing him cry and didn''t intend on repeating her error anytime in the future.

    Theodore put his arms around her and pulled her back into a lying position. His face was directly in front of hers now, with their noses nearly touching while her whispered to her. ¡°I''m so glad that you talked to me. I was so scared that you would turn away from our relationship. I should have talked to you right at the start, but I dreaded confronting you. I thought that you might say that you don''t want to stay with me anymore.¡± He couldn''t know that she was trying to do the opposite right now.

    Blanche hurried to reply to that the best she could. ¡°I would never consider something like that in my wildest dreams. I can''t imagine a life without you.¡± In the case that they broke up, her lover would have to have been the one to make that decision. And if he ever did, she might not even have a chance, or the will, to continue living afterward.

    The emperor stroked over her head while responding. ¡°Then we are both on the same page. I''ll never want anyone but you.¡±

    An unpleasant memory resurfaced in Blanche''s mind. Apparently, she had grimaced at that thought since Theodore immediately noticed.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    For a second, she stayed silent and tried to put her words into a sentence that didn''t sound accusatory or overly jealous. Quickly, she discarded that idea since nothing seemed to work. After taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth. ¡°I...uhm.¡± A part of her felt embarrassed of addressing this triviality just after Theodore had spent so much time assuring her of his devotion. However, the other half of her needed to hear his response, or she wouldn''t be able to sleep at night. Still, forming a question was hard when her stomach felt like it was twisting and turning. She only gathered the courage to speak after her lover nodded and kept a hold on her with his piercing stare. ¡°I noticed the tray on your desk. Were you drinking tea? Alone with the empress?¡±

    Blanche regretted voicing this instantly. Even though they were her own words, they evoked tears that were pricking in her eyes and threatened to spill out at any moment. What kind of reply was she expecting? If Theodore denied it, he was obviously lying, which didn''t help her at all. If he agreed, it would only prove her suspicions about the novel''s development to be true.

    Theodore was quiet for a couple of seconds before brushing the backside of his hand over her cheek and answering. ¡°I was, but please let me explain. I didn''t call her in my free time to have a chat or anything like that. This was a diplomatic attempt to evade problems in the future.¡± He paused to see whether he had Blanche''s unrestricted attention before moving on. ¡°Earlier, you said that the empress and I are similar, but that is only partly true. We''re both stubborn, but we have differing opinions on many topics regarding our allies, enemies, Artias'' economy and numerous other topics. Because of that, we have been unable to come to a compromise many times. This hasn''t exactly made us friends...¡±

    That was the same as in the novel. In fact, the main character''s first interactions in the book consisted out of arguments, which usually stayed quiet civil unless the concubine was involved. Only in those cases, the discussions were prone to become more heated and even caused Seraphina to struggle to keep her composure. Yet, other arguments had appeared somewhat regularly as well and were often accompanied by freezing silence instead of a fiery conflict.

    ¡°Unfortunately...¡± Theodore continued with obvious annoyance in his voice. ¡°That also increases the chances that we''ll be unwilling to budge from our stance when we are taking care of almost everything. This naturally makes it harder to find a satisfactory solution. Of course, I could simply ignore her opinion, but I don''t believe that disregarding the empress'' political power would be a smart choice. Two weeks ago, we had a conversation in which we were trying to understand each other more, and I had an idea. If we had more of an insight into the other party, maybe we''d fight less. So, I was trying to improve our relationship a little bit while hoping that we would have an easier time working together after that. For this reason and nothing else, I invited her to drink tea with me. Though currently, I don''t believe that I wish to see her anytime soon.¡± As he spoke the last sentence, his expression darkened. He didn''t add any explanation, but it was clear that he was still upset about the events at the tea party.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Blanche, however, couldn''t focus on that. Her mind was occupied with recalling the scene in the office. ¡°Theo, there is something else I would like to ask.¡±

    Her lover responded without hesitation. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°You made Owen leave the room so that you could have a private conversation with the empress, right?¡±

    Theodore nodded and replied in a gentle tone to ease her worries. ¡°Yes. It would be disrespectful if I made her dismiss her servants and then let my personal knight stay inside. Even though Owen is there often when I deal with confidential information, I''m officially not allowed to share them with anyone except for the empress, Leon and sometimes the ministers. So, talking to her about that while he is there would be problematic.¡±

    Blanche had guessed that something like this was the logical explanation. Before, the doubts that were created by her jealousy had implied that the emperor just wanted to be alone with Seraphina, and these fears had definitely outweighed her rational thoughts. Now she tried to see this objectively. But even though this reasoning made sense, it arose another question in her. ¡°If you wanted to speak with her without anyone eavesdropping, why did Owen not ask me to come back later? He knew that the empress was inside but interrupted you anyway. And even more importantly, why did you let me in? From the very start, it should have been obvious that me showing up would destroy your chances of having a pleasant conversation with the empress.¡±

    Theodore showed her a small smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. ¡°That is because I told him to inform me of your arrival, no matter what. During a meeting with the ministers, the empress or anyone else, it doesn''t matter. I instructed him to ask you whether this is about an urgent matter, even when I can''t take a break. In the case that it was urgent, I would stop whatever I was doing to take care of you. I have to admit that I went pretty far with that since the ministers would probably feel offended for the next few centuries. But I was very worried about you during the past weeks, so seeing you had priority. And the talk with the empress wasn''t such an important or highly political discussion, so I have no qualms about interrupting it at all. It should be obvious, but I would never make you wait for her. The one time I did do that I had no control over it, and I still feel guilty to this day.¡± He paused for a moment, in which his dejected expression turned into a furious one. ¡°This is why I''m definitely not going to let the responsible person get away with that.¡±

    Now that he said that, Blanche remembered the incident during which someone had tampered with Theodore''s clock too. ¡°I almost forgot about that. Have you found some evidence in the past few days?¡±

    Theodore''s anger disappeared as quickly as it had come and left frustration behind. He let his head hit the cushion and groaned. ¡°No, there was nothing. Not a single clue. And believe me, I had people search for one. The only progress we made is a list with all the people that had a chance to enter the office on their own. Though, since it includes about a dozen of the higher-ranked servant, it won''t help much. It''s also embarrassing that one of the people I trust the most would tamper with my belongings just for fun. Maybe I will have to investigate all of them in the near future to sort out those who aren''t as loyal as I expect them to be.¡±

    Blanche lifted her hand to his face and carefully tangled her fingers into his hair. ¡°But it wouldn''t be good to punish the servants who aren''t involved either. So, you shouldn''t be too harsh in your judgment.¡±

    ¡°I won''t treat innocent people unfairly. But first, I have to make sure that they aren''t connected to any schemes and oppose me secretly. The traitors hiding between the inner walls of your home are the most dangerous ones, so you have to get rid of them before they become a serious threat. I''ll make sure to ask Leon to check whether they might have lost their obedience to the Estien family thoroughly.¡± While Theodore spoke, any sign of playfulness faded from his expression.

    Blanche felt a pang of guilt rushing through her body upon seeing how much these words meant to him. She herself was actually a traitor if one regarded her major role in Marquess Sefare''s plan to get the royal couple to divorce and harm the emperor. Just because she hadn''t been aware of the full extent of this plot, that didn''t mean that she wasn''t a tool that was supposed to be used against Theodore and even murder him. To disguise her uncertainty about this topic, she hurried to move the conversation along, but in the end, she couldn''t bring herself to change the subject.

    Her lover was so cautious in this matter, which wasn''t unusual for the ruler of a country. But going so far as to distrust all of his servants, who had attended him for years, because one of them changed the time on a clock stroke her as odd. Surely, that person deserved to lose their position for risking that the emperor missed important meetings for a joke. Still, the others didn''t have anything to do with that. Why would they be suspected of betraying the royal family?

    Blanche spoke up about that while trying to be somewhat careful. ¡°I know I don''t have any experience in that field, but aren''t you, well, exaggerating a little? I was the only one affected by that hoax, so it would be fine to just find the person who did it, dismiss them and forget about the incident.¡±

    Theodore''s response followed immediately. ¡°That you were affected is bad enough, but this about far more than just a servant playing a prank on me. This showed that a member of the staff has lost their respect for me. If I don''t punish this accordingly, others will follow that example and undermine my authority. In the worst case, it might not even be a joke but an attempt to disrupt my schedule and prevent me from doing my work by an outsider, who used this servant. That is a greater danger than most people notice, and my...¡±

    The emperor stopped in the middle of the sentence. For a moment, he only looked at her without changing his expression before opening his mouth again. ¡°My father never considered that his followers could turn their back on him someday.¡± He paused and observed his lover''s reaction.

    Blanche was holding her breath and didn''t dare to move. Theodore barely talked about his father, and when he did, it consisted out of vague comments about the accomplishments of the previous ruler. This was the first time that he had brought the deceased emperor up on his own, and given the fact that he was opening up about a topic that made him so vulnerable, she wouldn''t let out a single noise that could interrupt him.

    A couple of seconds had passed in silence before Theodore continued while staring into the distance. ¡°Father trusted his servants wholeheartedly, even the people that his wife brought in. This was his biggest mistake. Even though he was stricter than I am, he didn''t believe it to be necessary to regularly confirm the loyalty of the palace''s inhabitants. He hasn''t done that for his entire reign, at least I don''t remember him ever thinking about that. His negligence led to rather unpleasant incidents from my early childhood up until the day of his death. No, actually it caused problems for the next years too. I had to weed out all the traitorous, corrupt and unreliable people, and it took forever to do that since they had taken root throughout every part of the palace.¡±

    Theodore closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed before he added the rest. ¡°But I somehow managed to finish. This showed me that neglecting to clear out the palace sooner will only endanger our safety and leave chaos to the following generations. I don''t want our children to grow up in fear of being targeted by our family''s enemies like I did. I would rather exaggerate than constantly fear that there are people in the estate who want to hurt those I love.¡±

    The response Blanche had laid out was wiped off her tongue by his words. ¡°Targeted? What happened?¡± The moment that the question had left her mouth, she regretted it already.

    Even after over a year by his side, she knew as much of Theodore''s childhood as he did of hers, almost nothing. He had never admitted it, but it was obvious that he disliked talking about that part of his life, so he avoided mentioning it or answered with a generalized remark. If Theodore hadn''t elaborated more, it was because he wasn''t comfortable sharing the whole story with her, and pushing him to leave his comfort zone was the last thing she wanted to do.

    So, she hurried to correct herself. ¡°You don''t have to tell me! It''s completely fine if you-¡±

    Theodore stopped her by squeezing her waist. ¡°I don''t mind telling you. Though there isn''t really much to explain. When I was young, there was a time during which I frequently faced kidnapping and assassination attempts. They were all unsuccessful, but it was an unpleasant experience nonetheless. I still don''t know who was responsible, but I have an assumption that is very likely to be true. The only positive aspect is that it warned me to be more careful.¡±

    Blanche''s eyes widened in shock. How hadn''t she ever guessed that he lived through such a traumatic experience? This was the reason why he didn''t talk about his childhood and why he was so overly cautious now. She should have made that connection sooner. ¡°That is-¡± Her voice broke, so she cut herself off to start again. ¡°That is terrible. I can''t imagine how that must have been. I''m so sorry that you were forced to experience something like this.¡±

    ¡°You don''t need to worry about that. Since this happened so many years ago, I barely remember it. It''s alright now.¡± Theodore put on a small smile that wouldn''t fool anyone. It seemed like he wasn''t only lying to his lover to calm her, but also to convince himself. Still, the vacant stare that passed right through her betrayed him.

    It was no wonder that he hadn''t told Seraphina about this in the novel when he was struggling to process the disturbances of his childhood and suffered when he refreshed the memories. That even the perfect heroine hadn''t gained enough of his trust to get him to speak about it, while he had opened up to Blanche on his own free will, warmed the concubine''s heart. Unfortunately, this feeling was accompanied by her worrying about her lover''s mental health. Keeping all of this inside him with no way to vent had to have been painful.

    The emperor seemed to have read her thoughts off her expression since he smiled and tried to seem a bit livelier. ¡°Like I said, it only made me realize where the gaps in the palace''s security were. The royal estate is now safer than it ever was.¡± That didn''t make it impossible to sneak into though.

    The passage through the wall was just one of the ways that people could use to enter and leave in secret. Currently, only Blanche and Seraphina should know about it, but there were other possibilities as well. The book described one incident in which one of the heroine''s maids poisoned her mistress'' food, and Blanche had brought a toxic substance into the palace near the finale too. This meant that smuggling dangerous objects inside wasn''t out of the question, especially not if one could use the name of the empress or emperor.

    Naturally, Theodore didn''t know about these gaps in the palace''s defense, or he would have closed off those immediately. He wasn''t even thinking much about what he had said a moment ago and simply resumed. ¡°Consequently, our children won''t have to worry about being attacked or threatened by anyone. I will make sure of that.¡± His words banned all thoughts about the previous subject from the back of Blanche''s mind and filled her head with a different issue.

    Before she could control herself, her muscles tensed.

    With her lover hugging her, there was no way that he wouldn''t notice. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No...¡± Images of the tea part appeared before her inner eye and let the doubts from back then resurface. She couldn''t know for sure whether she would be able to get pregnant at all. Blanche and her lover had been sharing a bed for over a year, and nothing had happened. Her character hadn''t been written to have children in the first place, so was she even capable of giving birth?

    Unsurprisingly, Theodore picked up on her worry. He tried to read her emotions off her face as he asked again. ¡°Did you remember something?¡±

    Blanche was ready to deny that something bothered her but froze after opening her mouth. Just minutes ago, they had demolished the wall of lies that she had built between them, and she was already beginning to create a second one.

    She still wasn''t completely honest with her lover, for which she felt guilty, but she had no choice. No one would believe the story about the novel unless they experienced it themselves, and making him fear that she had become insane wouldn''t help either of them. However, while hiding that was necessary, keeping quiet now didn''t serve any purpose except for trying to avoid worrying Theodore, and refusing to answer would cause him to feel worse than that. It was better to speak now.

    Hesitatingly, Blanche began to explain why she was unwell. ¡°Uhm, you want to have children later, no matter what, right?¡±

    This took Theodore by surprise, which he showed on his face as well. ¡°We talked about that multiple times, and we both said that we did. Why?¡±

    She remained silent to find the words to express her feelings without becoming too emotional. She realized that she would fail only after a few seconds. The damned tears had already begun to form in her eyes, which only scared Theodore.

    He propped himself up and moved closer to her. ¡°Blanche?¡±

    She pulled him closer before pressing out the one question that could prevent her from having the family she always wished for. ¡°What if I''m not able to get pregnant?¡±

    Her lover immediately sat up with shock being painted on his expression. ¡°Why are you thinking about that? There is no reason to believe that you couldn''t!¡± He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a crushing hug.

    Quickly, she dug her fingers into the fabric of his clothes and buried her face in his neck. She wanted to stay like this, close to him in silence, but she couldn''t end the conversation here. She needed to get this off her mind, or she would be upset any time someone mentioned babies. ¡°We have been together for over seventeen months, and still, I haven''t shown a single sign of pregnancy. I don''t know why else it shouldn''t have happened by now.¡±

    ¡°Blanche, you''re only...¡± Theodore paused. ¡°We don''t know how old you are exactly. But you said that you think that you are twenty-two. We, especially you, are extremely young. We don''t have to worry about having a child at this point in time. That will come in the future without us having to feel pressured.¡± He moved away to cup her chin and looked into her eyes to emphasize how serious he was.

    She wished that this statement was enough to calm her, but it wasn''t. ¡°Age doesn''t change much. There are countless nobles ladies who give birth in an even earlier age.¡±

    The emperor quickly refuted her objection. ¡°That doesn''t mean that it''s healthy. Most marriages are decided for the sole reason of having an heir, so they don''t focus on anything else and ignore that the spouses are way too young. Neither their bodies nor their minds are fully developed if they end up in an arranged marriage before they are even considered adults. After their coming of age when they are sixteen years old, they can legally be married, but I am convinced that that is not desirable in the slightest.¡±

    Maybe that was why he hadn''t allowed having the wedding ceremony until Seraphina was twenty-four, which was a very unusual approach. The empress had been his fianc¨¦e from their early childhood onwards, and waiting for almost a decade after they were allowed to marry was unthinkable for most aristocrats. Most nobles were of the conviction that children should find a partner as soon as humanly possible to secure the birth of heirs and make connections with other influential households. It was surprising that Duke and Duchess Duremont had agreed with the emperor''s plan and hadn''t demanded compensation or the dissolve of the engagement.

    Theodore looked right at his lover as he continued. ¡°We still have numerous years to have children, so we don''t have to rush anything. We''ll live our lives as happily as we can, and when it''s time, our children will grow up in a safe environment full of love. You don''t need to stress yourself with such thoughts. Everything will be fine in the end.¡± Theodore finished his speech with the intention of easing her worries, but it had the opposite effect. He had only made her aware of another problem.

    Would everything really be alright after they had children, or wouldn''t even more issues arise? Blanche was almost sure that there would be another big problem.

 Chapter 46: The Consequences of the Fight

    Theodore seemed to be so certain that everything would be fine. Would it though?

    ¡°If I get pregnant, what are going to do?¡± Blanche took her lover''s hand between hers and squeezed it tightly.

    The question bewildered Theodore, and his frown revealed that he hadn''t understood her intention yet. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    If Theodore couldn''t admit that he was in a romantic relationship with Blanche without offending the empress and her family, he naturally couldn''t announce that he was the father of her children either. Even if every single noble would be aware of the truth, the children wouldn''t count as his unless he openly stated that they were. Consequently, they wouldn''t be recognized as a prince or princess and thus wouldn''t be royalty. They would receive the rank of a baron or a baroness from their mother if the emperor permitted it but would never qualify to be an heir to the throne.

    But as the ruler of Artias, Theodore needed to have an heir that would secure the nation''s well-being. If he didn''t have one, his closest relative would be the next one in line to the throne. This was his younger brother, the second prince, and Theodore definitely didn''t want that person to be his successor.

    The only way to prevent that was fathering a child and naming it as the future emperor or empress. But since that wasn''t possible with his concubine, he would have no choice but to have a child with his wife. The novel ended with Seraphina being pregnant, so Theodore would have an heir if everything followed the original story.

    But even though it was selfish, Blanche couldn''t bear the thought of that. It was necessary for him to have a successor, but how should she accept that he had to sleep with the heroine for that? Yet, putting all of this into words was impossible when her emotions were keeping her from speaking properly. Blanche barely managed to finish one sentence in a quiet voice. ¡°Even if we have a child, it can''t be recognized as your heir, right?¡±

    Her lover paused at her question. He took a short moment before responding. ¡°That is...something we will have to deal with in a couple of years too. But it''s still too early for that.¡± The uncertainty was seeping out of his words. It sounded like he was aware of the issue as well and simply avoided thinking about it by pushing it into the far future.

    She understood that this was the more comfortable option in comparison to pondering about the dilemma daily. Nevertheless, it wouldn''t help them one bit. A part of her had hoped that he might have a solution, but he was just as lost as she was. The dejection had to have shown on her face, which made Theodore grab both of her hands.

    He pressed small kisses onto her wrists before meeting her gaze. ¡°Still, I can promise you already that you and our children will be safe and live a carefree life no matter what may happen. I will make sure of that. And I will never love or desire anyone but you.¡± The look in his eyes left no doubt that he truly meant what he had said.

    And for a moment, Blanche forgot about the future that the novel had predicted, and believed him.

    Theodore was always trying his best to give her the protection and affection she desired without knowing that the greatest danger was what he chose to do. He could do the most damage to her sanity by leaving her and seal her fate by ordering her execution. But until this day, there hadn''t been a single situation in which he had hurt her purposefully.

    Even though he was the most powerful man in the country, he never forced her to do anything she didn''t want to, even during her tantrums. From their first meeting on, he had repeated that she was free to set boundaries and pointed out that their titles didn''t play any role in their relationship. Theodore had always put so much effort into assuring that he wouldn''t make any decisions for her and kept his calm even during unpleasant moments, even if it had been hard on him.

    While he paid close attention to what was best for her in every one of his decisions, Blanche had just been doing whatever came to her mind in the past. Even now, after gaining the novel''s memories, she hadn''t thought about acting without an impulse to alter his future for the better. Her mind had been occupied with plans to secure her own survival and possibly keeping him from beginning to hate her. But after all the time she had spent with him and this conservation, she didn''t believe that would need to fear his grudge if she didn''t become a despicable person.

    As long as Blanche managed to cut off all contact with Marquess Sefare and his intrigues and didn''t try to harm the heroine, Theodore wouldn''t resent her. His love for her might fade, but he wouldn''t turn against her.

    Unless, of course, the novel somehow overwrote this reality and forced the characters to act like their original counterparts, or Theodore found out about her background. Just minutes ago, he had expressed his attitude towards traitors, and if he realized that a follower of his mother had brought Blanche into the palace, all of his trust would disappear in an instant. He might even throw his lover out of the palace then. After all, keeping a potential danger next to him risked him getting hurt.

    Blanche froze upon thinking about that. Until now, she had only concerned herself with protecting her own life because the book promised a happy ending to the main characters. However, if she was able to change the story to save her life, wouldn''t it be possible for Theodore to be hurt in the process too? Before today, she had never considered that this might happen, and the thought was enough to make her panic.

    She couldn''t just stand by while her lover became the target of some power-hungry noblemen with no morals. But at the same time, she wasn''t in a position from which she could get rid of his enemies. She had no authority over the palace guards or anyone else who could fight, and attacking influential noble households without decisive evidence would only lead to her being put on trial. So, she couldn''t act on her own to eliminate these threats.

    But maybe that wasn''t necessary at all.

    These vile people didn''t have to be gone to not pose a danger to the emperor anymore. Theodore was a very cautious person, so one little hint was sufficient to make him keep his guard up. He already knew that the Vasquez family was backing his brother and didn''t trust them, but if Blanche reminded him that they were actively plotting against him, he would be even more careful. That would be enough for him to increase the number of defensive measures and lower the chances that his enemies actually managed to get close to him.

    ¡°Blanche?¡± Apparently, she had been silent for too long, and that had unsettled Theodore again since he called out to her.

    Quickly, she squeezed his hands, which were still holding hers, and replied. ¡°Thank you for always protecting me. As long as you are by my side, I know that I will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, you will. That is the one thing my position is good for. I can give you everything you want and keep you safe.¡± By pure coincidence, he had given her the perfect foundation to bring up her concern.

    She met his eyes and tightened her grasp on him. ¡°But being the emperor is also connected to a great risk. I worry more about you a lot more than about myself.¡±

    Theodore''s face lit up with a soothing smile. ¡°You shouldn''t. The palace has an incredible defense system, so no one can come inside unnoticed.¡± Knowing that this wasn''t the truth would probably make him build another wall around the estate and double the number of knights. And even that wouldn''t prevent greedy people from striving for power and destroying anyone they considered an enemy by using underhanded schemes and manipulation. Those people might be an even greater danger than someone who directly attacked the palace with an army.

    Blanche scanned her lover''s expression while she responded in a low voice. ¡°The palace is safe. I know, but...that isn''t exactly what I was talking about.¡±

    Her short answer had the desired effect on Theodore. His smile faded and left a frown behind as he moved closer to her to listen carefully. ¡°Do you have something specific in mind? Please don''t hesitate to tell me when something seems strange to you. It''s better to be overly careful than to ignore possible dangers.¡±

    Now that she was sure that she had his undivided attention, she took a deep breath before describing the events of the tea party in slightly revised narration. ¡°There is something that stroke me as odd. During the empress'' party, Selena Vasquez sat next to me, and the whole time, she gave off an unpleasant feeling. I didn''t talk to her much, but she insisted on accompanying me on a small walk later. Then she said some confusing things. She mentioned that your marriage wasn''t really stable because of me and asked who would become the next ruler since you have no heirs. I responded that I didn''t know, and she just smiled but in a way that unsettled me a little.¡±

    Theodore''s eyes narrowed more with every one of her words. Nonetheless, he didn''t interrupt her.

    ¡°Then she moved on to speak about Duke Vasquez and Marquess Sefare, who seems to be a good friend of their family. She didn''t say something about hurting you at all, still, I don''t trust her. I can''t give you any reasons why, but she is scaring me. Her husband too. At the last ball, he just addressed me once, and a shiver ran down my spine. It''s unreasonable, I know, but I feel like they are more dangerous than we think. Please be careful around them and their acquaintances too, especially this Sefare.¡± Due to her lover''s attentive personality, Blanche didn''t doubt that he would listen to her warning, though it wouldn''t have surprised her if he had questioned her more about what happened.

    But Theodore didn''t. For a moment, he just stared at her before fixating his gaze on the wall. It took a minute or so until he opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you for telling me that... You don''t need to fear them since I will protect you, but you should avoid interacting with them as much as possible. These people are unpredictable. They aren''t on our side, and they definitely aren''t our friends, no matter how kind they pretend to be.¡± The seriousness of his face was also reflected in his voice, which caught Blanche off guard.

    She rarely saw him with such a grim expression. When he was with her, he beamed. In public, he put on a polite smile or his authoritative face, sometimes he got angry at the ministers or servants. But there weren''t many cases in which he was this wary. It seemed like he had known that the Vasquez family and Sefare weren''t only opposing him verbally, so bringing this to his attention had been unnecessary. Still, she was glad to have done that. As he had said earlier, she would rather be prepared for all eventualities than be hit by an attack out of the blue. Reminding him of his enemies once more could never be a mistake.

    Blanche responded in a soft voice. ¡°I will keep that in mind. Though I doubt that I would become their goal.¡±

    For a short moment, Theodore shuddered, but within a couple of seconds, he regained control over his body. He looked back at her and let go of her hands to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. ¡°Some people would stoop low enough to threaten those I love to affect me. You would be the first choice for barbarians like that. But I won''t let anyone harm you.¡± His expression softened after he finished talking. He remained quiet for a bit and then continued. ¡°I assume that you don''t want to leave the room to eat dinner?¡±

    It was obvious that this was an attempt to change the subject, and still, Blanche complied. Now that she knew that he was aware of the gravity of the intrigues surrounding the royal family, she was content. She nodded at her lover, which encouraged him to stand up after kissing her forehead.

    ¡°Then I will ask for the food to be delivered here. I''m also going to make someone inform your maid that you''ll spend the night here. If that is alright with you, of course.¡±

    She nodded again. Reconciling with Theodore had been relieving but also exhausting, and she felt more comfortable not having to walk through the corridors and not meeting all the gawking servants. Surely, the hallways would be full of rumors already, and that would make going out more unpleasant.

    At that thought, Blanche grimaced. ¡°Everyone in the palace knows that something happened, right?¡± Anyone who hadn''t heard the emperor''s screams probably had been enlightened by one of their gossipy colleagues.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Theodore let out a sigh as he approached the entrance. ¡°It can''t be helped. This palace is full of nosy people that are bored with their own lives. I''ll take care of that quickly and come back directly after that.¡±

    She gave him a small nod. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Her lover opened the door and was greeted by Owen, who stood directly in front of the room. The men exchanged a few words that were inaudible to Blanche before Theodore turned to the side to address a second person, who seemed to have waited by the entrance. ¡°You can go talk to her until I come back.¡± After he said that, he turned around to smile at his concubine shortly and then left the room.

    Seconds after he did, Stella stormed inside and rushed to the bed. ¡°Is everything alright? You suddenly ran away, and...and His Majesty was yelling. I didn''t know what happened, and then that minister got into a fight with His Majesty, and you disappeared into this room. I followed you, but I couldn''t enter without permission! I was so worried that I didn''t even-¡± The maid was beside herself with agitation and stumbled on her words that continued to flow out of her mouth without a break. She only stopped when the air in her lungs was used up and she had to breathe, which caused her to stop in the middle of the sentence.

    Blanche felt a smile creep onto her lips upon seeing that the servant was this protective, but it quickly died down.

    Stella didn''t simply seem a little distressed, she looked like she was about to cry. The maid plopped down onto the mattress and dug her fingers into the blanket, which only proved that she was panicking.

    Hurriedly, Blanche waved her hands around in the air. ¡°No, no. Please don''t get sad. You can calm down, I''m fine now. Thank you for worrying about me, but you don''t have to. It was just a misunderstanding.¡±

    The shaking servant looked up with gritted teeth. ¡°What kind of misunderstanding would make you break down like that? It was that woman''s fault, wasn''t it?¡± Stella''s normally soft voice sounded unusually hostile towards the person whom she suspected of being responsible for the incident. Aside from Blanche, only Seraphina had been involved in the discussion in the office. But the maid certainly wouldn''t dare to speak so disrespectfully about the empress, right?

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    The wrinkles on Stella''s forehead deepened even more. She replied immediately. ¡°The empress! She came out of the room right after you and His Majesty. She bullied you, didn''t she?¡± This remark was more than bewildering when it came from the servant who would become the heroine''s close confidant later in the novel. But even if that hadn''t happened in this reality, Stella was always careful to address the royal couple by their correct title. What had caused her to be so angry now?

    Blanche glanced back at the door, which had fortunately been closed. Talking about the empress like this could cause big trouble for the maid, so it was relieving to see that no one could have heard it. Quickly, the concubine refuted the guess. ¡°No, no! She didn''t do anything.¡± That wasn''t entirely true since Seraphina had treated her unfairly at the tea party, but if she admitted that now, Stella would only get even more upset.

    But naturally, the short response didn''t satisfy Stella''s need for an explanation. ¡°If she didn''t offend you, what happened?¡± She looked at her mistress with round eyes.

    The concubine opened her mouth before closing it again. She did want to tell the truth, however, right now the timing was unfitting. The maid was too enraged to listen properly and judge objectively. Besides, Blanche had become tired from talking and thinking about everything that burdened her. Going through all the problematic topics that could possibly ruin her life didn''t leave her unaffected after all. So, she decided to be honest. ¡°I would like to explain that tomorrow. I''m pretty tired, and this might take a while, which means that we won''t be able to finish before Theodore comes back. But I can assure you that he and I had an extremely long conversation and talked about every single issue. Everything between us is fine now.¡±

    Stella visibly relaxed at these words, though a part of her dismay remained. She let go of the blanket but didn''t get up yet. ¡°Alright. But are you really feeling better now? Your eyes are still puffy.¡±

    Blanche let out an amused huff and moved the cushion onto her lap to rest her elbows on it. ¡°It would be strange if they weren''t. I did cry a lot today. But I do that every time a mild inconvenience comes up, so my body should be used to it.¡±

    That response didn''t raise the maid''s spirits. Stella''s face darkened again, though it wasn''t because of anger but concern. ¡°I saw you when you came out of the office. That was enough to show me that this wasn''t just about a triviality.¡±

    Blanche had been aware of that herself. Even in comparison to thousands of other times that she had sobbed, this was one of the worst incidents. All her whining had become significantly more meaningful after the novel gave her a real reason to cry. ¡°I must have looked pretty distressed, haven''t I?¡±

    ¡°You looked devastated. Like your whole world had come crashing down around you in that very moment.¡±

    As usual, Blanche''s face seemed to have been a mirror of her soul. Anyone watching her would have realized that she had had some kind of fight with the emperor, and his yelling hadn''t made that any more inconspicuous. While she fled from the office, her attention hadn''t been directed at her surroundings at all, so she didn''t even know how many people had seen her in that state, which worried her a little. ¡°Were there many spectators? I probably wasn''t lucky enough to not have run into anyone on my way.¡±

    Stella was quiet for a short moment, in which she fiddled with her hands, before she answered the question. ¡°There were a lot of people who noticed. We passed numerous servants and knights. Naturally, all of them had their eyes on His Majesty and you. And even those who weren''t present will have realized what happened at this point. The whole palace must have heard His Majesty calling your name.¡±

    Blanche covered her face with her hand and sighed. Of course the hallways couldn''t have been empty when she went through them. She hadn''t expected them to be, but the maid''s choice of words made it seem like there had been more people there than normal. Theodore had to be embarrassed about appearing in front of the staff without his typical stoic authority. She considered apologizing for that later but replied to her maid first. ¡°Well, we can''t do anything about that now. I''m sure the rumors have been spiraling out of control since the very moment I left the office. Did you hear some already?¡±

    Instantly, Stella''s anger returned. She narrowed her eyes and gazed at the still-closed door before speaking with bitterness in her voice. ¡°When Her Majesty came out after you had run away, she went to one of her maids, who had waited in front of the room. That maid barely looked at you and then asked whether you were ¡®throwing a tantrum again¡¯. She doesn''t have the slightest clue about the situation you were in and thinks that she can judge you anyway. If she had watched you for more than a lousy second, she would have realized how terrible you really felt. People like that are the worst!¡±

    Actually, it wasn''t unreasonable for that maid to assume that Blanche was an awful person. Seraphina''s attendants were the people who had to deal with the concubine''s explosive temper in most cases. Whenever the empress and Blanche had had a conflict, the servants had been present and experienced Blanche''s outbreaks from close proximity. It would have been strange if they didn''t think of her to be vicious.

    The concubine said just that too. ¡°She isn''t wrong about that entirely. I did overreact today. I still have to apologize to Theo for that.¡±

    As if he had waited for his cue, a knock sounded. Then the emperor opened the door and entered the room.

    Immediately, Stella jumped to her feet and stepped to the side to clear the path for him.

    Theodore stood next to the bed while alternating between looking at the women before addressing his lover. ¡°Did you tell her that you will sleep here already?¡±

    Blanche had completely forgotten to do that. She let out a small noise of realization and turned to her maid. ¡°I''m going to spend the night here, so you have the rest of the day for yourself. It would be nice if you could pick me up tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Of course, My Lady. Sleep well.¡± Stella bowed before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

    Theodore commented on that as soon as they were alone. ¡°You''re awfully polite when talking to your maid. You don''t have to ask her whether she is ready to follow your commands. It''s her task to do as you say.¡± He removed the jacket of his uniform and hung it on the rack by the door. After that, he climbed onto the mattress next to his lover.

    ¡°I know, but that doesn''t mean that being friendly is harmful. We get along very well, so it seems like she is content with being treated like this.¡± Blanche replied with a slight teasing undertone in her voice, but the emperor was serious when he responded.

    ¡°I don''t believe that this is the case here since I saw how worried she was about you, however, there are cases in which servants lose their respect for their masters when they are addressed with too much kindness. Even if you are friends, she shouldn''t forget that she still serves you. It''s not exactly the same, but for example, the empress'' maids are thinking too highly of themselves because they are under her protection. I have heard multiple testimonies about them saying things they shouldn''t. Unfortunately, they haven''t done so in front of me, so I can''t punish them yet. I''m just waiting for one of them to mess up.¡±

    Blanche scanned his expression for a moment. ¡°It''s unlike you to wish for someone to do something wrong so that you can punish them. They have the right to speak freely as long as they aren''t insulting you or the empress, right?¡±

    It wasn''t likely that those maids did that. Judging by the many conversations between Seraphina and her attendants had had, the maids were very fond of the royal couple. They might criticize Theodore''s lack of reflection when it came to his lover''s faults, but all in all, they believed him to be a competent ruler. Their words directed at the concubine, on the other hand, had always been less friendly. Was Theodore talking about that? Blanche couldn''t imagine him getting so defensive about another topic.

    Theodore didn''t specify whether she was right though. ¡°There is...a specific line that they shouldn''t cross, and I feel like it''s necessary to remind them of that sometimes.¡±

    Blanche didn''t have anything to add to that. Instead, she needed to address another topic. She remembered the conversation she had had with Stella just now and felt the need to deal with it before she forgot again. ¡°I see.¡± She paused for a little moment before resuming. ¡°Uhm... This has nothing to do with this subject, but I wanted to tell you that I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have stormed off without listening to you. I overreacted. Because of that, you lost your composure in public, and you never do that. Everyone who saw it will definitely run their mouths about us now. I should have pulled myself together until we were alone and shouldn''t have made guesses about your intentions. I''m sorry.¡±

    Even while she talked, Theodore began to frown, and the wrinkles on his forehead only deepened when she finished. ¡°Don''t apologize. You didn''t do anything wrong. I was the one who should have explained myself better. Expressing your emotions isn''t overreacting, especially since this was obviously so important to you. We''re only humans, so it''s normal for us to cry when we are sad. That''s why it doesn''t bother me that the servants saw me like that. As long as I return to my calm state quickly, it won''t make them question my authority.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I cry way too often. Whenever something bothers me, the tears come before I can try to hold them back. It''s annoying even to me. Especially since the empress always keeps her composure no matter what. When she gets angry, others don''t seem to notice.¡± Blanche did, but apparently, Seraphina''s expression was unreadable to everyone else.

    The emperor narrowed his eyes at the mention of his wife. ¡°And you think that that''s desirable? To me, it''s rather frustrating. When I argue with her and continuously get angrier, her face looks like it''s made out of stone, which upsets me even more. Being able to hide your emotions like that is intimidating.¡±

    The concubine paused for a short moment before replying. ¡°But you do that too. Whenever you are in public, you put on a stoic mask that only budges when you give someone a polite smile.¡±

    ¡°That might be true, but I can remove that mask while the empress seems to be unable to do so. Whenever she looks at me, I feel like she just sees me as the emperor and not as a human being. And when you fight with her, it''s almost like she begins picking apart your facade while figuring out what exactly she can say to...¡± Theodore stopped himself when he noticed what he was saying. He quickly forced himself to be a bit more polite again. ¡°In any case, I hate that stoic face. To me, it almost seems like she is so focused on being perfect that she forgets her own emotions in the process.¡±

    That wasn''t actually the case. Seraphina had no problems with revealing how she felt around the people she loved and put her faith in. This included her parents and sibling, as well as Theodore in the later parts of the novel. It wasn''t like she was always veiling her emotions, she only did that when she faced those she distrusted.

    Since the empress had more than enough reasons to keep her guard up around Blanche, her face remained almost motionless in front of the other woman. But the concubine could still read the empress quite well by now, which was rather helpful. Maybe that would give Blanche a clue on how to act in the case that the heroine insisted on causing the villainess'' downfall.

    A knock interrupted Blanche''s thought process, and she looked up to see that Theodore was observing her closely.

    He gently stroked over her cheek once before speaking. ¡°I don''t believe that you are overreacting, but I''m pretty sure that you tend to overthink often. You try to find out what everyone really wants to say when there wasn''t a hidden meaning in their words at all. You agonize about trivialities and blame yourself for things that either weren''t your fault or not that much of a problem. But you actually don''t need to do that.¡±

    He was correct about Blanche''s thoughts taking a life on their own, but in her current position, she couldn''t just ignore the dangers she would have to face in the near future. She didn''t say that though.

    ¡°Maybe you''re right.¡± Blanche was silent after this, and Theodore used that time to allow the person that had knocked to enter.

    Two servants with carts came in and began quietly setting the table by the window front.

    The emperor ignored them for the most part and only thanked them when they were finished. As soon as they left, he rose from the bed. He stretched out his hand to help Blanche onto her feet and lead her to her chair, on which she sat down. He moved his seat next to her and sat down as well. A smile spread on his lips as he lifted one of the covers to reveal the cake that she had made hours ago. ¡°Your maid slipped this into Owen''s hand in panic when I allowed her to come inside to meet you. You get better every time you bake. This looks like a confectioner could have prepared it.¡±

    The compliment made her heart flutter and painted a grin onto her face. ¡°Thank you. I didn''t do it on my own though. Angelica, one of the maids I talked to often in the last weeks, cut it for me since none of the people in the kitchen seem to trust me with a knife.¡±

    Theodore let out a quiet chuckle. ¡°It''s better like this. I don''t want you to hurt yourself, and seeing you fiddle with the utensils while eating already scares me enough.¡±

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes.¡± He laughed as she looked down to observe how exactly she was holding her knife. ¡°As long as you only cut the food on your plate, it should be fine, but you should let the servants handle the tasks that require a more steady hand.¡±

    Blanche was barely able to hide her grin as she faked a pout. ¡°I''m not that useless. And maybe I''d be better if you let me use knives more often so that I can learn how to do that without hurting myself.¡±

    Theodore stopped stirring the tea in his cup to show her how his teasing smile widened. ¡°I''m not sure whether that would help. We shouldn''t risk it.¡±

    To many other people, joking around directly after discussing such important and heavyhearted topics might have seemed inappropriate or like a distraction. But Blanche was very happy to have returned to the usual tranquility. Otherwise, she might have feared that this conversation had changed their relationship for the worse, and that was the last thing she wanted. No matter whether she would truly lose Theodore or could prevent this, she didn''t want him to be on edge in her presence. Ironic comments and playful banter were exactly what she needed right now.

    Luckily, Theodore seemed to feel similarly. During the whole meal, he continued to jest and bring up random subjects about last week''s occurrences in the palace and his work or complimented her baking skills. It helped them with getting all the problems off their minds, and still, it didn''t erase those issues all of a sudden.

    This became noticeable when the couple went to bed and said goodnight in each other''s arms. Their hold on one another was a little tighter than normal, almost as if they feared letting go for even a short moment.

 Chapter 47: A Meaningful Embrace

    The fact that Blanche made it through the night without another nightmare after facing her fears bordered on a miracle. This was thanks to her lover, who held her in the same position that they had fallen asleep in, she was sure of it. Waking up and seeing his face before anything else already lit up her day so much that it wouldn''t be odd if the gods felt the need to send her another catastrophe in the afternoon. But she didn''t want to dwell on grim visions, not when she was free to observe Theodore''s unmoving face.

    He was still asleep, which was out of the ordinary considering that he always left his bed before the sun even rose. This, along with the unwelcome gossip that the decision would have attracted, was the main reason why he had argued against her moving into his room after she had come to the palace. After all, he came back later than she did and went to his office earlier than she awoke, meaning that he would disturb her sleep and still be unable to interact with her in the morning or evening.

    Naturally, Blanche sleeping in the chambers of a married man was also worthy of a scandal, so they avoided her entering his bedroom. If they did spend the night together, they did it in her room. This way, they would still be alone together, but fewer eyes were directed at her chambers than at the ones of the emperor. Like this, one could use the excuse that Theodore was allowed to go into every room in his palace whenever he wanted to, even though that wasn''t a very convincing argument. Thus, they were always careful to not draw too much attention to them, which was nearly impossible since they were the most sought-after source of rumors in the capital.

    Nevertheless, her lover hadn''t spared a thought for what the nobles might say about them being together yesterday. He had grabbed her wrist in front of all the servants to bring her to his room to talk about their issues in private.

    A beam appeared on Blanche''s face upon remembering this. The situation had been more than a bit unpleasant, but it had once again proven that Theodore was ready to ignore everyone else to care for her. She gently reached out and brushed a strand of his hair away from his forehead, which caused him to move his head and let out a barely audible hum. She was forced to exhibit a great amount of self-control to refrain from giggling but managed to hold back to not wake him up.

    In the end, her efforts had been for naught since Theodore''s eyes flew open less than a minute after hers. He mirrored her smile. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    Blanche sat up to give him a small kiss on his nose before he pulled her onto him. With no desire to resist, she spread her arms and hugged him back. ¡°Good morning to you too. I was awake before you were. Don''t you usually rise much earlier? Am I starting to rub off on you?¡±

    After Theodore took his time yawning and cuddling her, he responded. ¡°I don''t think so. I woke up a few times during the night, which I do frequently. But I still slept a lot longer than normal. You being here seems to help me with getting my deserved rest for once.¡±

    ¡°I know I keep saying this, but you shouldn''t over-exhaust yourself. If you break down, you won''t be able to work either.¡±

    He kissed away the frown that had appeared on her forehead and rolled to the side, which made her lie next to him.

    Blanche quickly closed the small distance that had come between them and pressed herself against his chest.

    Theodore rubbed small circles into her back while replying. ¡°I know. That''s why I am going to stay here with you for a little more and take a break.¡± Before she could express her joy about that suggestion, a knock sounded from the door, and the emperor''s smile died down. ¡°Or not.¡± Now he spoke in a voice that dripped with annoyance. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and his lips formed a drawn-out sigh. He reluctantly sat up and spoke up in his loud, commanding tone. ¡°Who is there?¡±

    The answer came immediately. ¡°It''s me, Your Majesty. A letter from Northern Ocrea arrived. You need to read it as soon as possible.¡± The voice was easily recognizable as Leonard''s. He sounded just as frustrated as Theodore, but he still conveyed an undeniable sense of urgency.

    ¡°I''ll get ready.¡± Theodore said this loudly and then lowered his volume so that Blanche wouldn''t hear him, but she understood every word. ¡°By the gods, please. Don''t let them declare war.¡±

    Due to her knowledge of the book, Blanche already knew that this couldn''t be the beginning of the military conflicts yet. Those wouldn''t start until after their summer vacation. She couldn''t tell him about that but tried to assure him anyway. ¡°Until you read the opposite, believe that they won''t. Having bad thoughts is only going to make everything worse.¡± Even though she actually believed in this, she was rather hypocritical in this aspect since she herself mulled over all possible problems that might arise.

    Fortunately, Theodore didn''t point this out but gave her a tired smile. ¡°I hope so. It seems like I won''t be able to stay here despite announcing it earlier. I thought that I would be able to join you for breakfast at least. I''m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, it''s alright. Will we see each other at noon?¡± Her lover''s hesitation was enough to serve as an answer. ¡°Don''t worry, I understand that you can''t lose time and will have to deal with this as soon as possible. If you want me to come to the office to distract you for a few minutes, send a servant, and I''ll be there.¡±

    Her lover smiled at her and pulled her into a short embrace. He muttered a small ¡°Thank you¡± into her ear before forcing himself to leave the bed. He got dressed within seconds, which seemed like an impossible endeavor to Blanche. In her defense, he didn''t have to put on a corset and floor-length dresses or brush wavy locks that didn''t want to submit to their owner, but he was still surprisingly quick. Theodore put on his jacket in a hurry and returned to the bed to kiss her once more. ¡°I''ll try to meet you for dinner, but I really don''t know whether I will make it in time. Would you mind staying here tonight too?¡±

    This question caught her off guard. Blanche never slept in his room and had only done so today because it had been a state of emergency. ¡°Of course I would love to. But isn''t this a little risky?¡± Yesterday, he had said that they didn''t need to hide anything in the palace, however, the line might be crossed when rumors about them spending the night together in the emperor''s chambers surfaced.

    Theodore''s expression revealed that he didn''t care much about that. ¡°Something would be extremely wrong with the distribution of power in the palace if I had to justify where I allow my guests to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sure. Still, it would be slightly less obvious if you came to my room. More guards and servants watch your chambers than mine, so a smaller amount of people would notice when we enter my room. Naturally, it''s your decision, but...¡± Her voice trailed off as she expectantly gazed at her lover. She wasn''t disappointed.

    He nodded at her suggestion. ¡°It''s not only mine, it''s your choice too. So, I''ll come to your room when I''m finished with my work, which may...¡± He paused to groan quietly. ¡°Or may not be before midnight.¡±

    Slowly, Blanche pushed the blanket aside and placed her feet onto the cool floor. She tried to ignore the urge to shiver and stood up. ¡°You can wake me up no matter how late, or early, you arrive. It''s not like I have to leave the bed at a specific time anyway.¡±

    The emperor took a few steps forward and stopped right in front of her. ¡°I definitely won''t wake you. In fact, I''ll be as quiet as a mouse to not disturb you. If one of us has to get by with five hours of sleep each day, the other one doesn''t have to do the same.¡± Before she could complain about his lack of rest, he continued already. ¡°By the way, why are you getting up? You don''t necessarily have to leave already. You can sleep a bit more or stay here if you want to.¡±

    She moved towards him to put her hands around his neck, and he bowed down slightly to make this easier for her as she replied. ¡°It''s better to leave along with you. How strange would it seem if I came out of your personal chambers without any reason to be there since you were in your office? Besides, right now fewer servants will run around than at noon, and I don''t want to be watched so closely by that many people.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you insist, we can go together.¡± A playful grin that she couldn''t quite read spread across Theodore''s face.

    ¡°Good.¡± Blanche walked towards the door, only to be stopped by her lover.

    ¡°Haven''t you forgotten something?¡±

    She turned around with confusion. She hadn''t brought anything with her, right? A glance at the nightstand proved that she hadn''t left any object there. She didn''t remember taking anything to the office in the first place, so she couldn''t have placed it in any other spot either.

    Theodore observed her inspecting the room and looked like he held back a chuckle. He waited a few seconds before he gave her a hint. ¡°Are you really going out without dressing yourself first?¡±

    Blanche lowered her head to inspect her clothes, and seeing her under-dress reminded her that she obviously hadn''t slept in her normal attire. She really seemed to have been absentminded if she didn''t think about something this crucial. She was a bit embarrassed when she replied. ¡°Actually, I would have forgotten that. Thank you for telling me. Otherwise, I would have rushed out without checking whether I was dressed.¡±

    ¡°As if I would allow anyone else to see you like this. That sight is only-¡± Theodore approached her but stopped after one step and interrupted himself. ¡°If I hug you again, we''re going to let Leon wait even longer, and while there is nothing that I''d rather do, I can''t simply stay. I''ll help you dress, and then we need to go.¡±

    Blanche spun around and retrieved her clothes from the armchair. Despite not doing it too often, her lover managed to help her put on her corset and dress rather quickly, so they didn''t take more than five minutes before stepping out of his chambers.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Leonard and Stella patiently stood next to the knights guarding the door, and all of them bowed upon seeing the emperor.

    As usual, Theodore gave them a nod before turning his attention to his secretary. ¡°Did you read it already?¡±

    Leon immediately replied. ¡°I wouldn''t dare to take hasty steps without Your Majesty''s permission. Though I fear that we do not have much time to react, or the king of Northern Ocrea may not wait for a response before making his decision. But I would guess that they haven''t declared war.¡± Which meant that he had read the letter and could calm them by saying that the conflict hasn''t escalated yet.

    As he spoke, Blanche let her gaze wander to her maid to greet her with a warm smile, which Stella returned immediately. A small motion next to the other woman made the concubine look to the side, and she was met by a pair of eyes, which was staring right into her direction.

    One of the knights had lifted his head and was observing her with curiosity, but she couldn''t take note of his features since he instantly turned away after his colleague had nudged him with his elbow. That purplish hair was awfully familiar, but Blanche couldn''t focus on that.

    She had still the feeling that someone was watching her. So, she tried to be inconspicuous as she allowed her gaze to roam across the hallway, and within seconds, she found the responsible one.

    Or rather the responsible ones.

    At the end of the corridor, a crowd of servants and a few guards had formed. If they had even attempted to remain unnoticed in the first place, they had given up sometime in the last minutes. It was quite obvious that they only stood here out of curiosity.

    Next to the concubine, Theodore sighed, and a glance at him revealed that he had become aware of the unwanted spectators too. ¡°Don''t they have some work that needs to be done? Maybe the cells can be cleaned. We could add that to their schedule as they seem to have too much free time.¡±

    The knight that had looked at Blanche sounded like he had to keep himself from snorting at this. For him, seeing the emperor being bothered by the gossipy staff that was probably annoying him as well had to be quite amusing.

    Theodore inspected the man from the corner of his eye but decided to ignore this inappropriate behavior. Instead of commenting on this, he turned to his lover and addressed her. ¡°I have to go now. Until this evening.¡± Before she could reply, he already moved. He put his arms around her and pulled her into another embrace.

    Normally, Blanche adored this, but right now, she stiffened in disbelief. Unlike the countless times he had embraced her over the course of the last hours, they weren''t in private but in front of a group of numerous chatty servants. She had no way to deescalate the situation. Pushing him away wasn''t what she desired to do, and refusing the emperor wouldn''t make this any better but rather worse.

    ¡°Theo!¡± She whispered as quietly as she could. ¡°Not in front of-¡±

    Her lover chuckled beside her ear and whispered his response in a playful tone. ¡°It''s already too late. Leaving in the morning was a bad decision. If you had left in the afternoon, one might have been able to convince them that you were merely visiting me to have a chat. But everyone who sees you now will know that you spent the night with me. Have a nice day, my angel.¡± He didn''t give her a chance to reply. He let go of her with a grin painted onto his face and spun on his heel to walk down the corridor.

    Leonard hurriedly followed him after voicing a curt goodbye and left the speechless Blanche behind.

    She blinked a few times and held her hands in front of her cheeks to hide that they had been tinted in red already. Helplessly, she looked to Stella, who seemed surprised as well but quickly gave her mistress an encouraging smile as they made eye contact.

    Blanche tried to recreate this and failed miserably due to the feeling of countless gazes on her. She glanced at the end of the corridor towards the spectators. Most of them appeared to be just as shocked as she was, and it was reasonable that they would react like this.

    The emperor had always ignored the guards that patrolled the estate in pairs or the servants who happened to be in the same hallway to cuddle with his lover while they walked somewhere. But he had never been the one to purposefully initiate physical contact when they were being observed by this many people. He usually avoided coming too close to Blanche if he realized that a big group was in visual range of the couple, and that had remained true throughout the entire novel as well.

    Today, Theodore had done the opposite of that though. He had seen the spectators and still insisted on hugging Blanche in front of them. Maybe he had done it even because of that. With just one motion, he had interfered with her plans to keep him at a distance in public to protect her reputation and avoid the heroine''s hatred.

    Still, Blanche couldn''t bring herself to be mad. Not when her lover had proven that he didn''t mind that people knew about their relationship. In fact, he had encouraged others knowing by embracing her just after she had come out of his private chambers. He really wasn''t ashamed.

    Before Blanche had realized it, a beam spread across her whole face. ¡°Let''s go to my room, Stella. I need to change into new clothes.¡± Even her voice was full of glee now. Blanche began to walk down the corridor and had to keep herself from skipping. She didn''t even care that she had to pass by the group that was still standing by the corner. The patter of footsteps behind her confirmed that her maid was following her, but she didn''t pay attention to this.

    As soon as she reached the intersecting hallways, the servants stepped aside. They didn''t give way out of respect like they did for the emperor but rather because they feared conflict and only moved slightly. Still, it was enough to form an empty path that allowed Blanche to walk by without touching any of them. The servant''s murmur filled the air, but she continued to move forward. Many members of the crowd viewed this as their cue to leave the location as all the sources of entertainment had now disappeared.

    Blanche took a few steps forward before glancing over her shoulder to observe how many of them would decide to stay at the corner to chat about what they had seen.

    To her surprise, Stella had stopped directly next to the remaining people. A smug grin adorned the maid''s face, and she made eye contact with another female servant, whose expression was full of exasperation.

    That second maid was none other than one of Seraphina''s attendants.

    Stella was motionless for a moment and just grinned at the other woman before she turned back to her mistress and caught up with her, still with a satisfied smile on her lips. ¡°We should go now, My Lady.¡±

    Blanche agreed and complied with the request, so they walked away. When they had put some distance between them and the empress'' maid, she turned to Stella. ¡°Why did you stop back there? Did she do something?¡±

    Her servant''s grin faded. ¡°She did. I had a conversation with that girl yesterday, and it wasn''t very pleasant. After you allowed me to take the evening off, I went into the kitchen, and there I overheard her speaking to another member of the staff. Both of them said some mean things about you, and I couldn''t help telling them my honest thoughts. I might not have been as level-headed as I should have been, but she was so arrogant during the whole interaction. So, I reacted before my mind did and made a bet with her. And...¡± Stella paused, and the corners of her lips lifted into a taunting smirk. ¡°I just won.¡±

    That immediately awakened Blanche''s curiosity. ¡°What was it about? The bet, I mean.¡±

    The maid went quiet. Her gaze wandered to the end of the corridor before she replied. ¡°About that... It might be better if I don''t repeat it. In retrospect, I feel childish for even allowing her to provoke me. But I couldn''t just ignore how they ran their mouths like that! She was pretty upset because she lost the bet, but she deserved to be silenced for once. Being Her Majesty''s attendant doesn''t give her the right to act like she is worth more than the others.¡± For Stella, the dialogue about this topic seemed to be finished with that since she kept her mouth closed during the rest of their walk.

    Blanche was taken aback by her maid''s strange behavior, nonetheless, she stayed silent.

    If Stella didn''t want to open up to her mistress despite her unusual honesty, she had to have a valid reason to do so.

    Still, the concubine couldn''t deny that it made her curious. Since the fight had apparently taken place in the kitchen, other members of the staff would definitely have witnessed it. Maybe she could ask one of them for details later.

    On the way to Blanche''s room, more servants than normal seemed to pass them by, and even though that might have been her imagination, all of them appeared to stare at her. Thus, the sound of the door closing behind was more relieving than it usually was when she was finally in private.

    Stella immediately hurried to the wardrobe, possibly to avoid her mistress readdressing the previous subject. ¡°What would you like to wear today, My Lady?¡±

    Blanche stood next to her and let her gaze roam across the attires. The little girl in her soul still wanted to gush about all the gorgeous dresses and dance with joy at the fact that they were hers, which made deciding more difficult than it should be. She wanted to put on all of them, so she wouldn''t force herself to make that choice. ¡°I won''t have to go out today, so it doesn''t matter. How about you pick one?¡±

    Stella nodded and began inspecting the attires with an amount of care that wouldn''t have been necessary at all. She took a short moment before pulling out a dress. ¡°I don''t believe that you have worn this yet.¡±

    Blanche looked at the attire she was shown and pressed her lips into a line. Stella had chosen the one dress that was capable of causing a lot of trouble for her mistress. It was the navy ballgown that Theodore had bought from the tailor. ¡°I don''t think that I should put this on today. We already caused enough of a scandal. I really don''t need people to tell me that I''m impersonating the empress.¡±

    The maid turned her eyes to the piece of clothing in her hand again before meeting the concubine''s gaze. ¡°I didn''t think about that, I''m sorry. If I look more closely, this also might be a bit too elegant to wear on a normal day.¡± She slowly put the dress back into the wardrobe and was only successful after multiple attempts.

    ¡°Well, actually I''m going to have to wear it in my free time since appearing at a ball like this would make it even-¡± Blanche interrupted herself as she saw how her maid struggled with organizing the attires so that the doors of the wardrobe would be able to shut fully. That sight was more dejecting than it should be. ¡°It''s starting to get too full, isn''t it? I might have to give some dresses away.¡± The words had barely left Blanche''s mouth, and she already knew that she wouldn''t keep that conviction. She adored all the dresses, so even getting rid of one would physically pain her.

    Maybe she should have asked for a dressing room when Theodore had offered it to her. That way she would have a place to store her attires and could put them on broader racks or dress holders so that she could see all of them at once and prevent them from wrinkling as much. That would be the perfect solution, but asking for more luxury was exactly what she shouldn''t do.

    Blanche pondered over that in silence for a while before speaking up. ¡°Do you believe Theo would think I''m greedy if I ask him to give me another wardrobe?¡±

    Stella, who was in the middle of inspecting a different dress, turned to her mistress with a skeptical expression. ¡°Why would His Majesty think something like that? You need more space for the things that you own. That is completely normal. Besides, he was the one who gifted you all of this, wasn''t he? He would never be upset when his beloved is voicing a wish.¡± She seemed oddly keen on convincing the concubine that this demand wasn''t condemnable. ¡°In fact, even asking for a dressing room wouldn''t be exaggerated. That alternative might be better than placing another closet in here.¡±

    Blanche took another look at the overfilled wardrobe and let out a sigh. To survive, she couldn''t become a selfish villainess like she had been in the book. But could begging Theodore for another room really be that bad? She wasn''t sure about that. After all, she had to stray as far as possible from the intended path of the story, and to do that, she needed to be completely different from her original self. But thinking about this didn''t help her to come to a conclusion, so she pushed this decision off into the far future, along with all the other little dilemmas. If she was still alive at that point, she would have to deal with it then.

    After getting dressed with Stella''s help and letting the maid brush her hair, Blanche spent the rest of the day in her room and ate breakfast and lunch there. In the beginning, she had considered going into the kitchen to bake, but it occurred to her that showing up there after the tumult of this morning could lead to uncomfortable situations. If she evaded being seen by most servants for a bit, they might have forgotten about that incident or at least moved on to gossip about another topic when she came out again.

    For the next few days, she would stay in her chambers unless Theodore ate with her, and it was questionable whether he would be able to set aside enough time for that. Even though this was regrettable, finding a diplomatic solution to prevent a war with Ocrea was more important than her missing her lover for a bit.

    True to Blanche''s doubts, the emperor sent someone in the evening to deliver the message that he wouldn''t be able to join her for dinner. This allowed her to eat with Stella once again. Naturally, this wasn''t a replacement for Theodore''s presence, but Blanche was glad to listen to the maid''s lively description of her colleagues once again. It almost made her feel like staying up longer just to finish the conversation.

    In the end, she gave in and followed her desire in hopes that her lover would arrive while she was still awake. Nevertheless, he didn''t, and she went to bed without him. After Stella left, the concubine quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 48: Letters and Visitors

    A noise woke her up not too long after she had fallen asleep. Blanche peeked through her half-lidded eyes and tried to identify the silhouette next to her in the dim moonlight that fell through her window. She took a few seconds before her hazy mind was able to recognize him. ¡°Theo?¡±

    Her lover slowly sat down beside her and held his hand against her cheek. ¡°I was too loud, wasn''t I? I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to wake you up.¡± Even her clouded consciousness allowed her to notice how tired his voice sounded.

    She leaned into his touch as much as her lying position allowed her to. Then she drowsily patted the free space next to her and moved a bit to the side. ¡°Come sleep. It''s late.¡±

    ¡°Actually, it''s pretty early in the morning.¡±

    She ignored his reply and kept on pointing to the other side of the bed.

    Theodore didn''t wait for a third invitation and climbed onto the mattress. He pulled a part of the blanket over his body and cuddled against her before he whispered into her ear. ¡°Good night.¡±

    She didn''t want to fall asleep immediately so that she could talk to him about his day, but her consciousness already slipped away. Maybe that was for the better since he could sleep too.

    Much later, another creak made Blanche stir. She didn''t even manage to open her eyes this time. She felt a kiss on her forehead, but her brain was too clouded to react, so she fell back into a deep slumber.

    <hr>

    When Blanche awoke fully the next time, it was bright outside, and the spot next to her was empty. A pit of disappointment formed in her stomach. If she had fought her sleepiness for two minutes, they would have had a chance to talk, but now Theodore had returned to his office without exchanging more than a handful of sentences with her. Blanche lifted her head to look around.

    Stella was currently tiptoeing through the room without making a single sound. She seemingly hadn''t noticed that her mistress was awake already and set the table, which had to mean that they would eat here.

    Apparently, Theodore wouldn''t meet his concubine for breakfast either.

    Blanche sat up and leaned her back against the cushion. ¡°You''re really quiet, aren''t you? I didn''t even hear you prepare everything.¡±

    Stella whipped her head around to face the bed, and a smile replaced her surprised expression. ¡°So, you woke up on your own. I wasn''t sure whether I should give you a little nudge at the usual time. Yesterday, we went to bed later than normal, and you might have wanted to make up for that lost sleep.¡±

    The concubine stretched her arms in front of her chest and let out a yawn. ¡°No, I just need a few minutes, and I will be full of energy.¡± She lowered her hands back onto the mattress and used them to push herself onto her feet. She watched her maid arranging the plates for a moment before her curiosity got the better of her. ¡°Do you know whether Theo left very early? Did you even see him? And did he say something?¡±

    An amused grin adorned Stella''s lips, and she made a gesture towards the table. ¡°Another servant informed me that His Majesty was about to go back to his office and handed me this.¡±

    Blanche didn''t wait for her to finish her explanation and rushed to the table, on which an envelope was lying. She ripped it open without hesitation and pulled out the handwritten letter. It was shorter than what her lover usually left for her and thus stressed the content of the note.

    Apparently, Theodore had to focus all of his attention on negotiating with Northern Ocrea now and would have to contact his ministers to summon them to the palace. This meant that he wouldn''t be able to see her in the following days. As Blanche lowered the paper back onto the table, worry filled her mind. Of course, it was disheartening that she wouldn''t spend time with her lover, but she was more concerned about his health.

    Whenever a major issue came up, Theodore drowned himself in a troubling amount of work without taking a break. Since he refused to involve anyone aside from Leonard, the greatest portion of duties remained his. He always put the nation''s well-being before his own, and while that made him an ideal ruler, he risked damaging his body by ignoring his needs. No matter how young and vitalized he was, too much labor would take its toll on him. If he continued to act like this, he might get a chronic sickness just because he couldn''t estimate where his limits were.

    ¡°You''re so clever and such an idiot at the same time.¡± Blanche shook her head to push away these depressing thoughts. By the end of the novel in about ten months, Seraphina would propose splitting the workload and giving more tasks to the ministers. This would instantly grant the emperor much more free time, and due to the laws the heroine would recommend, he would still have full authority about all the final decisions.

    Until then, Blanche could only help him by allowing him to vent to her and distract him from the ever-constant flood of arising problems. But she wasn''t able to do that when he didn''t spend a single minute of his day with things other than working and sleeping.

    She plopped down onto the chair and rested her elbows on the table. Even though she didn''t know much about politics, she cursed the person who had come up with Artias'' form of monarchy. Forcing the ruler to take care of so many aspects of the country wasn''t efficient, and it surely wasn''t beneficial for the emperor.

    The concubine absentmindedly picked up her fork and pierced an apricot piece with it.

    Stella sat down on the other side of the table and spoke up. ¡°I''m sure His Majesty won''t refrain from meeting you for long. Solving this problem can only take so long.¡± Seemingly, her mistress being silent had given her enough information to guess what was going on.

    The concubine looked up. ¡°Was my expression that revealing?¡±

    Despite Blanche''s playful tone, her maid was completely serious. ¡°When His Majesty can''t wait for you to wake up, it''s always because he has to deal with urgent manners. Otherwise, he would never disappear without saying good morning. And your reaction showed me that his note must have contained an unpleasant message. Aside from not being able to see you due to political issues, he never wrote anything that hurt you even once, so I can imagine that this was about his work.¡±

    ¡°You''re right. His letters are always very sweet. His work is the only problematic part.¡± Blanche grabbed a croissant and began nibbling on it.

    Stella took some fruits as well and started eating. She stayed quiet for a moment before her face lit up. ¡°Ah! I just remembered that I went into the library on the evening that His Majesty spent with you. I found a whole section with books about cooking and baking. Most of the recipes sounded like they would be delicious. We could try them out if you want to.¡± That sounded tempting.

    Blanche had made one cake after the other for the last weeks, and new ideas were becoming sparse. Trying to create meals that she had never eaten would be a challenge but also pretty fun. Since Theodore wasn''t there, she had more than enough time to experiment with baking. Though she would have to enter the kitchen for that, which let the spark of excitement inside her die down again. ¡°I would love to, but... I think that I shouldn''t leave my room too often in the next few days. I want to avoid reminding the servants of what happened and let the rumors calm down for a little while. That I came out of the emperor''s room in the morning has caused quite the uproar, and I''m sure that they are still talking about it.¡±

    The maid grimaced and thus proved her mistress'' words to be true. ¡°Most people use their mouth more than they use their brain. You shouldn''t worry about them, My Lady.¡± Stella was quick to defend her mistress, which made Blanche smile.

    Even though their relationship had begun horribly, the servant had decided to forgive her mistress and granted her a second chance. The maid did almost everything for Blanche, and the concubine never even thanked Stella for that.

    That thought crossed Blanche''s mind, and she hesitated. Nothing was stopping her from voicing her gratitude, so why shouldn''t she do it now? It was better to say things abruptly than to stay quiet about it and regret it later. With that in mind, she gathered the courage to speak. ¡°Thank you for being here. I can''t describe how glad I am to have you as my maid. I don''t know what I would do without you.¡±

    Surprise flashed across Stella''s features before a bright smile appeared on her face. ¡°I''m glad that I am able to serve you, My Lady. I''m very happy that we are friends now.¡± Her grin faded as she continued. ¡°Before we started to get along, your only purpose seemed to be waiting for His Majesty. You often told me not to bother you, so I stayed away, like all the others. Mostly, you seemed as if you were annoyed the whole time, but sometimes, I caught a glimpse of another expression. You looked so lonely then. But then, one day...¡±

    Stella lowered her gaze onto the table and paused. The smile returned to her lips before she resumed. ¡°You woke up, and you were different. You changed the way you behaved and spoke. You were kind and opened yourself up to me. You stopped pushing others away. I don''t know what happened that night, but I''m so glad that it did. Because that was the reason that we became friends. And you found other friends too! You haven''t known them for very long, but Angelica, Darlene, George and Clark, even if he doesn''t admit it, care about you.¡±

    Blanche was quiet after her maid finished speaking. How was she supposed to react to these words when she was aware of how disrespectfully she had treated Stella in the past? Why was she encountered with so much patience despite her own inability to forgive others'' mistakes?

    Stella seemed to have misinterpreted the silence as she hurried to open her mouth and carried on. ¡°You seem closer to His Majesty as well....¡± That was true.

    The novel only added problems to Blanche''s relationship with her lover, but despite that, her memories had somehow resulted in them being more honest with each other. For the first time, she and Theodore had discussed their feelings without any reservations. They had been open about their lives from the very beginning, but a little bit of self-doubt had always been planted in her mind. The memories about the book had watered this seed until it grew into a blooming flower. Revealing this to Theodore hadn''t erased these worries, but at least trimmed the plant''s leaves. She should have done that earlier, then the situation wouldn''t have had to be this overwhelming to her and her lover.

    When Stella began to move around on her chair, Blanche realized that she should finally reply and quickly did so.¡°I think so too. It''s amazing that this happened, and I''m honored to be considered your friend. And I''m...¡± She shut her mouth for a moment before continuing. ¡°I''m sorry for treating you the way I did. You never caused any trouble and complied with all of my commands. Not only that, you also fulfilled any tasks I gave you perfectly, and I still complained. I don''t know why I acted so despicably around you. I shouldn''t have ordered you around and-¡±

    Stella cut her off by raising her hand in the air. The concubine paused, which gave the maid a chance to speak. ¡°You never were that bad. Sure, you might not have been the friendliest, but you only behaved so extremely...harshly in front of others. When we were alone, you made some snarky comments, but that was it. I think that that personality was some kind of protective wall to shield you from the people around you. And I can''t blame you for doing that. You were alone in the palace, and many disliked before you even met them because His Majesty brought you with him.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Partly, that made sense. But at this point in time, Blanche couldn''t understand her previous actions, no matter how much she tried to. Her arrogant behavior might have been supposed to veil her fragile ego, but it was unlikely that a villainess would have that much depth to her character. The antagonist in ¡°To Be Empress¡± was written to be hated by the readers, so giving her a reason to act evil was unnecessary. ¡°That still doesn''t give me an excuse to belittle others, who have shown me nothing but respect. That''s why I want to-¡±

    ¡°If you apologize again, I''ll take steal every single of your desserts for the next month.¡± The concubine froze in bewilderment at that threat, which caused Stella to grin. ¡°I''m not joking. You said you were sorry multiple times now, and I said that it was fine. I can see that you changed, so you don''t have to apologize over and over again. Alright?¡±

    Blanche took a couple of seconds before returning the smile and nodding.

    For her maid, the conversation was finished, and she began devouring the food on her plate, which her mistress observed in amusement.

    Blanche kept quiet until she saw how her maid took a huge bite of her croissant. That made her grin even more. ¡°You seem to be very hungry.¡±

    Though the remarks had been of mischievous nature, Stella froze as if she had been caught in the act of doing something forbidden.

    Quickly, Blanche raised her hands and made a dismissive gesture. ¡°I didn''t mean to say that this is bad. You can eat as much as you want.¡±

    The maid relaxed again but evaded her mistress'' gaze. ¡°Thank you. It''s just that I couldn''t swallow much in the early morning. I''m glad that I can make up for that now. But anyway... Did I tell you about the moving dunes by the ocean already? I don''t think I did. They were right next to the beach by my vacation quarters.¡± Just like that, Stella resumed blabbering about a different topic and didn''t leave any chance for the other party to intervene.

    Blanche ignored the sudden jump to another subject and listened to her maid for the rest of the breakfast. Did Stella feel uncomfortable admitting that she hadn''t eaten a lot with her colleagues, or was she just hungrier than usual? The concubine didn''t want to address this oddity if it made her servant unhappy, so she let it go despite her growing curiosity.

    Though she couldn''t help but notice that the maid ate as much as usual for both lunch and dinner. Stella''s appetite had just been bigger in the morning, which wasn''t absurd since she was usually present at two breakfast tables. Today might have been an exception if she truly hadn''t consumed much food during her first meal, which would leave her hungry now. But the servant''s reaction upon being made aware of that had seemed strange anyway.

    <hr>

    In the evening, a guard brought another note by the emperor to Blanche''s chambers. Unsurprisingly, it contained her lover''s sincere apologies for presumably not being able to meet her for the following days. After all, he was constantly discussing his strategies with Leonard and the ministers when they arrived.

    At this point in time, Blanche was already greatly worried about his health. She hadn''t taken a look at the clock last night, but her lover couldn''t have slept more than five hours at most since he had risen when the slightest ray of sun hadn''t even been visible. If things continued like this, he would work himself to death before the novel''s end. In hopes of cheering him up, she sat down and retrieved ink and paper from her desk.

    Blanche wrote a short note, wished him a good night and reminded him that she loved him. She noticed that the knight who had delivered Theodore''s message could possibly read it as well too late and chose to do something about it. So, she put the letter in an envelope and sealed it. As she did this, her gaze fell onto a handwritten sheet of paper that was resting in her drawer.

    The letter to Sefare was still here. The one that she would never send because that might incriminate her. She still needed to destroy it.

    A careful glance over her shoulder proved that she couldn''t tear it apart this time either since Stella was watching her. So, Blanche tried to seem as inconspicuous as possible as she covered the letter with the empty sheets of paper and closed the drawer. She returned to the door and handed the guard her note, and he immediately set off to hand it over to the emperor.

    The concubine went to bed with the conviction of throwing away the letter the next day, but she didn''t have an opportunity to do so. After Stella gulped down her breakfast again, she left to bring the dishware into the kitchen. At that exact moment, a knight knocked on the door and handed Blanche another note from Theodore. Her lover had assured her that he adored her and hoped that she would have a beautiful day in message with a handful of lines. Naturally, she wrote a response, and when she gave it to the guard, Stella had already come back.

    The gods had to have been playing tricks on her since the same thing happened for lunch and dinner, which made Blanche want to yell at those cursed deities. Out of fear that they, if they did exist, might resent her even more for that, she stayed quiet and planned to destroy the letter on the following day.

    At first, it seemed like she would be successful. The knight arrived before breakfast was served, and they exchanged the new notes.

    After eating, Stella announced that she would bring the dishes back. ¡°I should be done in five minutes. Since I''m there already, do you want me to bring anything else from the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°No, I''m fine. You can take your time. It''s not like we have to stick to a schedule.¡± Blanche anticipated her chance to finally get rid of that damned letter and waited for her maid to leave the room.

    But as soon as the door swung, open it revealed a group of three people.

    Angelica, George and Darlene were waiting in front of the door and jumped back a bit when they met Stella''s surprised gaze.

    For a moment, all of them were silent until Blanche stepped closer to the visitors. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The question came out differently than she had intended to. So, she hurriedly tried to keep the servants from thinking that she was hostile towards them. ¡°Of course I''m happy to see you. I didn''t mean to sound impolite. I was just taken aback by your sudden appearance.¡±

    Fortunately, none of them seemed to be offended by her remark. George smiled at her and replied. ¡°We didn''t interpret it like that. We actually wanted to-¡± Darlene nudged him with her elbow, which caused him to glance at her before continuing. ¡°There are a lot of...bored people that are roaming in the hallways. If you don''t mind it, it would be better to talk inside.¡±

    Blanche looked over George''s shoulder into the corridor, where a couple of other servants were walking around in addition to the two knights guarding her door. Without hesitation, she moved to the side to allow her friends to enter. ¡°Come in.¡±

    The visitors exchanged unreadable looks with each other before complying with her request. Stella closed the door behind them as they spun around to inspect their surroundings.

    Angelica muttered in awe as she stared at the ornaments on the wall. ¡°Your chambers are beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I like them a lot as well.¡± Blanche turned to Stella. ¡°Could you please get the chairs from the other room? We won''t have enough for everyone otherwise.¡±

    Stella disappeared behind the door that led to a smaller storage area and returned with the demanded chairs a moment later.

    In the meantime, the rest of the servants continued to look around. Darlene admired the double bed before she suddenly shook her head and spoke up. ¡°Weren''t we in the middle of explaining why we came here? So much luxury is really distracting.¡± With a different intonation, her words might have sounded derogatory, but the tone of her voice made it clear that she was impressed by the interior of the concubine''s room. She waved her hand around before she resumed. ¡°Anyway, what George meant to say is that we wanted to visit you because you stopped coming to the kitchen without a warning. For weeks, you baked a cake daily, and then you suddenly weren''t there anymore, no matter which time we checked. Then we heard about the...¡±

    Darlene paused, and it was obvious that the gears in her head were turning. Her voice got quieter when she continued. ¡°Discussion with His Majesty. It was impossible to not notice since everyone talked about it, and the next day, rumors about you spending the night with him arose. So, it seemed like everything between you two was fine again. We thought that you would return to the kitchen again because of that, but you didn''t. And that was strange, so we-¡±

    Angelica cut off her colleague''s monologue. ¡°We were worried about you and wanted to see how you were doing.¡± She gave Darlene a knowing look, which caused the other maid to cross her arms.

    ¡°Yes, that is what I was going to say too.¡±

    George chimed in. ¡°You weren''t.¡± He earned himself another nudge with this.

    Blanche felt a smile form on her face. For the longest time, she had watched the staff''s playful banter from a distance, but whenever she had approached them, they had been on edge. Seeing those three servants lowering their guard in front of her was always relieving. They had done so from the first time that they had met in the kitchen and were revealing more and more of their personality to her with every interaction. Just listening to their jokes was enough to lighten up her day. She was glad to have them in her life. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I''m doing well. I only wanted to wait for the gossip to die down before I run around in the palace. In a few days, I''ll start baking daily again.¡±

    The servant''s faces relaxed upon hearing that. ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± Angelica spoke with a soft smile. She glanced at George and nodded towards him, which caused him to speak up.

    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. This is for you.¡± George placed a small iron container on the table and opened it. Then he pulled out a cake, which he lifted so that the others could see it. ¡°Clark would have accompanied us, but he has to help the steward today. So, he made this yesterday as a little surprise to make up for not being here.¡± He carefully lowered the dessert onto the table and stepped away to let the concubine take a look at it.

    The petite tart was topped with swirls of cream and orange fruit pieces that gave it a somewhat cute exterior. It was the most adorable cake the concubine had ever seen.

    A grin spread on Blanche''s face. ¡°I can barely imagine Clark coming up with such cute decorations. Are you sure that he didn''t get any ideas from the girls?¡±

    Darlene quickly chimed in. ¡°He didn''t. He insisted on doing everything alone, no matter how often we offered to help him, and we did that numerous times. Clark did have some trouble with layering the cake and smoothing the cream, so he was cursing a lot. Still, he refused when Angelica told him that she could take care of that. He might not look like it, but when he wants to finish something, he puts all of his energy into that to create the best result.¡± This was obvious just from looking at the dessert.

    Despite having eaten breakfast only minutes ago, Blanche''s mouth watered upon staring at the present. A short glance in Stella''s reaction showed her that the maid had retrieved three chairs and placed them next to the table, which meant that they could sit. The concubine turned back the visitors. ¡°He was certainly successful in surprising me. I''m sure that the cake will be delicious. Please pass on my thanks to him. I will do that myself when I see Clark, but it is going to take a few days until I go out again. I''m relieved that you are here now. Staying in my room all day gets boring for Stella and me quickly. Since you brought the present, how about each of us eats a piece? We haven''t had a chance to speak for a while, so would you like to sit down for a bit?¡± She gestured towards the chairs.

    The visitors were quiet for a moment and exchanged a few concerned looks, which made Blanche uncertain. She hadn''t said anything that could be misunderstood. Did they not want to spend their morning here and didn''t dare to voice that? The silence continued for a while until it became unbearable to her.

    ¡°If you don''t-¡±

    Angelica opened her mouth at the same time, and the concubine interrupted herself to let the other woman finish. ¡°We wouldn''t mind doing that, but...we really shouldn''t sit at the table with you.¡±

    Blanche frowned and turned around to meet Stella''s gaze.

    Contrary to her mistress'' expectations, the maid confirmed that her colleague''s words made sense. ¡°Angelica is right, My Lady. As servants, they theoretically shouldn''t visit you without an invitation and join you at the table. Though since no one else is here, we can disregard that rule.¡±

    George spoke up, but his expression already revealed that he wasn''t convinced before he had even started. ¡°That''s not the problem. We don''t want to make it seem like we don''t respect you, so...¡± His voice trailed off, and he looked at the concubine as if he believed that she would affirm this.

    However, Blanche''s bewilderment only grew. ¡°I don''t understand why sitting with me is a problem all of a sudden. In the kitchen, we often did that too, and you never had a problem with it.¡±

    Angelica refuted that. ¡°Well, in that case, you visited our workspace on your own. Us coming to you and entering your room is a separate issue. Especially since a man is here too. We know that you nobles have a problem with that.¡±

    To this day, it remained incomprehensible to Blanche why unrelated people of differing genders spending time together was considered to be frivolous. While it wasn''t as frowned upon as it had been decades ago, many older aristocrats still wrinkled their noses when such a situation arose and advised the concerned nobles to stay away from each other to avoid ending up as unmarried. After all, they believed that no one would propose to a person who was known to interact with the opposite gender often.

    The concubine didn''t care one bit, much like the younger generation. ¡°That norm doesn''t even make sense. And it only mattered if two people were alone together in the first place, right? There are more than two people here, so we don''t need to worry about that. Plus, you aren''t nobles, and I don''t care.¡± Darlene wanted to reply, but Blanche didn''t give her a chance. ¡°As long as no one can accuse you of breaking a rule, you can do whatever you want. How could anyone watch us here?¡±

    Stella quickly added her own statement. ¡°When His Majesty isn''t here, I join My Lady for every meal and have done so for weeks without any problems. So, you don''t need to worry about it. Besides, it would be impolite to refuse your host''s request.¡±

    That seemed to stop the others from discussing. Darlene sat down first with a muttered ¡°Alright¡±, and Angelica mirrored her example after asking whether that was really fine. George was the last to join them at the table.

    For a short moment, they were all quiet until Angelica raised her voice. ¡°George? Would you hand me the knife, please?¡±

    He did as he was asked, and while Angelica began cutting the cake, Darlene addressed Stella with a grin on her face. ¡°The food Lady Blanche gets must be way better than the one that we always have. Of course, ours uses the same ingredients, but the chefs won''t make anything special for us. There has to be a stark contrast. And you are able to live in such luxury too, huh? Is that why you won''t eat breakfast with the others anymore?¡±

    Darlene''s remark had been made in a light tone, but that didn''t keep Blanche from freezing in place. After she caught herself, she stiffly turned her head to Stella. ¡°You aren''t eating with the other servants anymore? I thought you loved being with them.¡±

    The maid evaded eye contact, which proved that there was something more to this than her simply wanting to consume tastier food. Even after another moment of silence, she didn''t say anything, which made her mistress question her again.

    ¡°Stella? I don''t mind if you only eat with me and not a second time with the others, but why did you lie?¡±

    It took another couple of seconds before Stella finally replied in a hesitant voice. ¡°I didn''t want to worry you, so I didn''t mention it. But there is an...unpleasant person among the staff. They kept bothering me whenever I met them, and then they crossed the line a few days ago. I''m trying to avoid them, so I didn''t feel happy about being forced to see that sly grin early in the morning for breakfast.¡±

    George narrowed his eyes and spoke up. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±

    Stella replied with a snort. ¡°Of course not. He isn''t nearly as clever as he thinks he is. Though I fear that I might hurt him if I have to talk to that person one more time and he is careless with his words again. I get angry just picturing his ugly face.¡± Having such a strong dislike for someone was unusual for Stella, but seemingly, her colleagues knew exactly who she was talking about.

    The concubine would guess that she knew it too. There was just one servant that was hated this much.

 Chapter 49: An Unpleasant Person

    Stella sounded pretty angry as she talked about that unnamed, unpleasant person. ¡°Though I fear that I might hurt him if I have to talk to that person one more time and he is careless with his words again. I get angry just picturing his ugly face.¡±

    ¡°Who are you-¡± Blanche stopped mid-sentence. There was only one person that came to her mind when she thought about servants who encountered her friends with hostility. ¡°Was it Harris?¡±

    Her assumption was proved to be right when all the others nodded.

    Angelica replied first. ¡°He has always been unbearable, but since their fight, he has made it his task to provoke her at every opportunity. It''s infuriating that none of our superiors ever catch him in the act of stirring up trouble.¡±

    Darlene continued the narration after her colleague was finished. ¡°Harris doesn''t just insult people mindlessly. He picks on their greatest weaknesses until they snap and then blames everything on them. I saw him talk to Stella multiple times, but I wouldn''t have thought that he dares to attack a person that is ranked higher than him.¡± She crossed her arms and looked at the concubine. ¡°As your personal attendant, she has more liberties than the rest of us. I was sure that he would try to flatter her instead.¡±

    Stella placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on her palm. ¡°In some way, he did attempt that. The first time we really spoke to each other was months ago. He started the conversation by asking how stressed I must be because I''m forced to serve My Lady. When I told him that I wasn''t going to complain about my position, he seemed surprised but left me alone after that. I''m convinced that he talked badly about me behind my back, however, I didn''t care because he didn''t approach me again. And then, the thing in the kitchen happened.¡± She took a deep breath, which caused Angelica to put a piece of cake on her plate. Stella smiled at that and thanked her friend, but her visible frustration hadn''t disappeared.

    Blanche quickly chimed in here. ¡°Is that the same argument you told me about? The one with the empress'' maid?¡±

    Stella hesitated for a short moment before she nodded. ¡°I entered the room, and Harris was there with that girl. He asked about the incident with His Majesty. Apparently, he saw you running past him and His Majesty following you. He assumed that you were ¡®causing a scene to replenish your desire for attention¡¯ since you ¡®wouldn''t be able to go without having all eyes on you for more than a week¡¯.¡± Stella lowered her voice into a darker, nasal tone while repeating Harris'' words. She poked around on her plate as the annoyance became more and more present on her expression.

    George got a cake piece from Angelica as well and thanked her before chiming in. ¡°All of that played out right in front of us. Many of the others had actually observed the fight with His Majesty for a bit longer and felt bad for you since you looked like you were absolutely devastated. So, most didn''t agree, but since Darlene wasn''t there and those two were speaking to each other in the far corner no one spoke up. Well, Clark told Harris to be quiet, only to be belittled after that. And then, Stella came in.¡±

    Stella took over again. ¡°Harris addressed me and wanted to know whether I felt ashamed for having to witness your tantrums, as he called them, from close proximity every time. I then replied that your matters were none of his business. Her Majesty''s attendant made another snarky comment after that, and Harris also didn''t keep his mouth shut. So, I just told them to be careful with their words, which they ignored since they claimed that you didn''t have any authority over the staff. At that point, I only wanted to leave, but Harris insisted that I was running away from the truth like that. So, I replied that they could complain to His Majesty if they were bothered by his guest and ask him whether he thought that the servants should listen to you.¡±

    Obviously, none of the servants would dare to do that. That didn''t seem very calming to the maid though.

    Stella stabbed her fork into her cake with a loud clink. Her fingers that were grasping the utensil were getting whiter with every second until she loosened her hold. ¡°They didn''t care. They insulted you the whole time, but then that maid overdid it by claiming that His Majesty wouldn''t allow you to order the servants around. She said that he would try to deescalate the situation secretly because he would be embarrassed to let others know that you troubled the staff again.¡±

    Stella attacked her slice of cake once more before finally putting a small piece into her mouth and angrily munching on it. Though it didn''t help her ease her anger at all. When she finished, she resumed in a tone that was as resentful as it had been from the beginning. ¡°Then Harris added that His Majesty was ashamed of you either way and called you a... No, I won''t repeat that. But at that moment, I was so furious that I just wanted to wipe these smirks off their faces. So, I said that His Majesty cares more about you than about his wife.¡±

    Blanche could already imagine how the heroine''s maid had reacted to that. The empress'' companions always supported Seraphina and despised the concubine''s mere existence. Addressing Theodore''s affair would make their blood boil, and Stella had taken advantage of that.

    Stella seemed a little content when she continued, but her anger still remained. ¡°That didn''t make her very happy, so I got exactly what I wanted. She was too mad to speak properly. But Harris intervened and claimed that His Majesty only sees you as a plaything and won''t even show his affection in public to not embarrass himself for his ¡®low standards¡¯. Since I knew that this wasn''t true, I couldn''t help but say that he loved you and bet that he wouldn''t let the presence of others keep him from showing that. And...¡± A satisfied grin appeared on Stella''s lips. ¡°When His Majesty hugged you in front of a whole crowd, I won.¡±

    Angelica spoke up in a skeptical tone. ¡°Shouldn''t they have realized that they would lose that bet? His Majesty never hid that he cares for Lady Blanche.¡±

    That caused George to shrug. ¡°Maybe they were aware of that but too cowardly to back down.¡±

    Darlene gulped down some of her cake before adding her own part. ¡°That must have been it. Everybody saw how His Majesty and Lady Blanche act around each other, especially when they think they are alone.¡± Before the concubine could ask whether they had been watched secretly, the maid resumed. ¡°However, Stella screamed at them in front of half of the staff, so giving up would make them seem like the idiots that they are. Their fragile egos wouldn''t be able to take that. But since everyone heard about their lost bet, they will be embarrassed now too.¡±

    George grinned at that. ¡°They deserved it.¡±

    The other servants nodded.

    Only Blanche remained unsure whether that had been a good idea.

    Provoking Seraphina''s companions, who could possibly complain to the heroine, might cause problems in the future. If that maid wanted to trouble the concubine, she would be able to, and with the empress'' backing, she wouldn''t even have to fear being punished harshly. Though for some reason, Blanche didn''t see her as the major threat.

    The concubine had no evidence that supported her guess, but to her, Harris seemed more like he might do something unpredictable. He hadn''t done that in the novel, right? He had never been mentioned after all, which proved that his role had probably been rather unimportant. But she could swear that there had been something about him getting revenge. Was that related to Stella? No, Blanche didn''t think so. Since it hadn''t been in the novel, it couldn''t have been crucial to the story either. It was better to be careful though.

    The concubine wasn''t sure, but she spoke up while making eye contact with Stella. ¡°I''m grateful that you are defending me so strongly. But you don''t have to risk turning those people against you for me. You can simply let people like that talk and ignore them.¡±

    Darlene spoke up before Stella could. ¡°No, stopping them was the right decision. If I had been there, I wouldn''t have allowed them to run their mouths either. I only heard what they said from others, but that was enough to make me mad. Very mad. They keep repeating the same insults and manage to upset us anyway despite not even being the one they talk about. It''s almost ridiculous how easily they can play us.¡±

    To be fair, most of the troublemaker''s comments were probably true or at least had been true in the past. That didn''t justify their words, but it meant that Seraphina''s maid probably hadn''t intended to pick a fight with Stella and had only stated her opinion too.

    Harris'' case was completely different. Most likely, he had attempted to gain the sympathy of his colleagues by voicing what the greatest portion of them thought, and annoying a person in the meantime was just additional fun to him. Apparently, he had found the right people to satisfy his ever-constant need of infuriating others.

    Darlene and Stella had begun to list everything that was terrible about Harris, and both Angelica and George chimed in occasionally. Hearing them being so preoccupied with their anger proved that Harris had fulfilled his goal. Getting people to hate you was so much easier than getting them to forgive you, and Blanche had first-hand knowledge about that. Why on earth would Harris be content with being hated? She couldn''t comprehend that, but she would not amuse him by playing along.

    Blanche''s voice made the others stop their complaints. ¡°It''s obvious you dislike him a lot, and for that reason, you shouldn''t give him the satisfaction of showing him how much he angered you. Talking about him now is fine, but in public, you should be overly kind to him. That will probably upset him more than any of your rebuttals would.¡±

    Angelica agreed quickly agreed. ¡°We came to that conclusion as well. We believe that avoiding contact with such a person is better in any case. We shouldn''t waste our time with being mad.¡±

    George nodded, and he and Angelica of them looked at the second maid.

    Darlene let out an exaggerated groan and rested her chin on her hands. ¡°I guess you are right... But if he starts spouting nonsense in front of me, I won''t stay quiet.¡±

    Their gazes turned to Stella, who was lowering hers onto the table. ¡°I can''t promise anything... However, I also won''t act the way that he wants me to and fight with him, so I''ll interact as little with that man as possible.¡±

    This compromise was enough to make Blanche breathe out in relief. She was more comfortable with the thought of her friends staying away from Harris, even if it wasn''t guaranteed that he wouldn''t seek their attention anyway. To be honest, she was worried. After all, she could swear that this man had played a role in the novel, but she didn''t remember it despite everything else being clear. What had been his purpose in the story? No matter how much she thought about it, she didn''t feel like he had been close to the empress. Had he interacted with the villainess then? Probably. But she couldn''t remember a single scene with him. He had probably been a background character, so he shouldn''t cause too many issues. For now, Blanche had no choice but to keep an eye on him while continuing her original plans.

    The room was completely silent for another few seconds before Angelica changed the topic. ¡°We talked about that too long already. Let''s have a chat about more pleasant things. George is getting better at remembering numbers.¡±

    George laughed dejectedly. ¡°I was so bad in the beginning that this improvement still doesn''t change much.¡± He began talking about his last attempts at baking and how he had been able to guess a few ciphers out of luck, for which his friends continued to tease him.

    Fortunately, the rest of the conversation was about matters with similar lighthearted themes.

    Blanche had been so immersed that she was shocked to see that it was already past noon as she looked at the clock. While it wasn''t a problem for her to forget the time, the servants jumped out of their seats and stormed off to apologize to their superiors. The concubine had offered to excuse them for the three hours that they hadn''t worked, but they declined for the moment.

    In the second, that the visitors had disappeared, all excitement was gone with them, and it wouldn''t return for the rest of the day. Blanche didn''t leave her room and only opened the door to exchanged notes with the guard. Theodore''s texts were adorable as always and made her heart swell with love, which raised her spirits despite the boredom.

    <hr>

    The next day was filled with the same amount of inactivity, which caused Blanche''s patience to deteriorate with increasing speed. It was already evening when she lay on her couch and complained to her maid. ¡°Waiting until tomorrow will be enough, right? I won''t endure staying in this room for another whole twenty-four hours. It''s been five days since the fight and four since the staff saw me leaving Theo''s chambers. The rumors will have cooled down by now, won''t they?¡±

    Stella lifted her head and stopped sewing the piece of cloth in her hands to give her mistress a doubtful look. ¡°You care too much about gossip. Even if they talk about nothing else, that won''t be a disadvantage to you. You want to go out, so you should just do it.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The concubine started to think that she really should. Her attempts at limiting the rumors'' spread had probably been useless anyway. The emperor''s affair was the most interesting topic in the palace, so it was clear that people would talk about it at every opportunity they got. ¡°I will tomorrow. We could go to the library and take some of the board games you mentioned too. That-¡±

    A knock interrupted her, and both women jumped a little. Stella stood up from the armchair ¡°That must be the guard. I already wondered why he didn''t appear yet.¡±

    While the other woman opened the door, Blanche went to her desk to prepare a piece of paper. But her maid''s silence stopped her, and she turned around to the other woman bowing and stepping aside.

    Theodore entered the room, and in an instant, the concubine''s mind pushed away any other thought.

    ¡°Theo!¡± Blanche rushed to her lover and wrapped her arms around him, which was promptly returned.

    ¡°At least someone''s happy to see me.¡± Theodore murmured that in a tone that made him sound dejected.

    The door shut behind them, which signaled that Stella seemed to have taken her leave.

    So, Blanche turned all attention to her lover. When she looked up to see Theodore''s smile, her worries faded a little. The shadows under his eyes weren''t too dark, and he didn''t have trouble keeping his posture straight, so he was in a better condition than during other times in the past. He still didn''t appear to be completely healthy, but at least he didn''t seem like he could lose consciousness every second either.

    And after days of not seeing him, he was finally in front of her again. Though she didn''t understand why he was able to sacrifice time by visiting her when his duties had to be piling up. If he was here, maybe that meant that he had finished most of them. A little seed of hope appeared in her mind.

    ¡°Did you find a solution for the problem with Ocrea?¡± Blanche didn''t really believe that he had. After all, the conflict would end in a war, and she had no idea how he was supposed to prevent that.

    But despite this, Theodore''s weakening smile and that he shook his head made a pit of disappointment form in her stomach. If it weren''t for that conflict with Northern Ocrea, the emperor could take breaks, rest properly and focus on the other political issues in Artias. Then his lover could also claim greater amounts of his free time without feeling guilty for keeping him from getting his sleep. But sadly, the novel didn''t intend for that problem to be solved until in a few months.

    Theodore replied with a grim expression. ¡°Unfortunately, nothing has changed since the king''s letter came. I summoned the ministers, and they should finally arrive in one or two days. It took them long enough despite me announcing that it was an emergency. I guess that they had to sort all of their documents and take care of their household''s urgent business first. But they seem to forget that our country is on the verge of a war that could potentially ruin our nation. Sometimes, it feels like I''m the only one who truly wants to prevent that.¡± Unfortunately, he wasn''t fully wrong.

    One or two of the ministers weren''t opposed to involving the military in hopes of claiming new territories by the border. Only when they got their desired war, they would realize that they had wished for a catastrophe.

    Blanche scanned him with worry before she replied. ¡°Maybe you should remind them of the consequences that might have for Artias. If you show them a comparison between our and Ocrea''s forces, they should see that we have a very similar amount of weapons and soldiers. Winning a war will be nearly impossible for both parties. Once they know that, they won''t risk losing part of their wealth due to never-ending combat.¡± Hopefully.

    Her proposal made Theodore raise an eyebrow. ¡°Since when are you that invested in military topics? You''d have to have read a few books about Ocrea''s army to be able to estimate that they are on our level strength-wise despite their farmers'' poverty.¡±

    Blanche averted her eyes. ¡°Uhm, you must have mentioned that in the past. I don''t like reading, so I doubt that a book was my source of information.¡±

    Seemingly, her excuse had been convincing enough since the emperor smiled and ruffled her hair gently. ¡°You have a good memory. I would love to be able to repeat everything I heard once. That would make my work way easier. Though most likely, I would be too frustrated by all the things stuck in my head to do anything. I get annoyed just when remembering bits of a conversation with some narcissistic aristocrats.¡±

    ¡°I have a few people in mind who you could be referring to. You do have to deal with them way too often. Maybe you should simply avoid them in the future?¡±

    A smile appeared on Theodore''s face as slowly let go of her to hang his jacket onto the clothing rack by the door. ¡°It would be amusing if the emperor suddenly started to run away from a duke and some marquesses at a ball. They''d declare me insane, and I''d lose the respect of everyone present. But imagining their dazzled expressions almost makes me consider doing that. It would spare me a lot of nuisances.¡± He came back and stopped in front of his lover with a slight grimace. Being forced to talk to slimy liars daily still seemed to lower his spirits, even after he had taken over the throne years ago and should be used to it already.

    Blanche hoped to distract him a little and led him to the table while thinking about his problems. Obviously, the emperor couldn''t ignore members of noble society just because of his personal dislike for them. As the ruler, he had to control every aristocrat and treat them with respect. In return, they were required to accept his unrivaled power and pledge their loyalty to him, even though numerous people didn''t truly support Theodore.

    But no matter whether the emperor and the nobles liked each other, they still had to pretend to get along in public, and thus, interactions at events under the watchful eye of countless observers mostly passed by without open hostility. Since both parties had to stay calm no matter what and wanted to keep their flawless reputation, no one would stir up a big fight there.

    The discussions in the emperor''s office were a completely different matter. It wasn''t uncommon for even the ministers, with whom he got along rather well except for Duke Vasquez, to dismiss Theodore''s deliberate thoughts. Sometimes, just because of their own egoistic interest, a few ministers put their well-being above the nation''s. This had been the case for the luxury tax, which they had been opposed to since they weren''t willing to share some of their prosperity. Despite the emperor''s logical arguments and his level-headed approach, they often didn''t give him a chance to convince them and tried to persuade him to change his mind with unbalanced explanations and half-truths.

    Those discussions took their toll on Theodore''s patience as well and could actually be avoided as the novel''s ending had proven. Seraphina had pointed out that the constitution hadn''t granted the ministers as much power as they believed to have, meaning that their opinion on many subjects didn''t matter at all. Then she had proposed to hand a portion of the power to each of the ministers in return for a vow that they wouldn''t act against the ruler''s wishes.

    Thus, a new form of governing the nation was born, in which the ministers handled the affairs of the section that had been assigned to them. The final decisions, signing contracts and determining the general direction of the country''s development, were still the emperor''s task, but the ministers took care of the rest. Like this, they felt like they were having much more authority, and after an emotional speech of the heroine, they accepted that it was their duty to protect their country, which made them amenable to Theodore''s words. After all, they knew that he always had the best for Artias in mind.

    In just a few months, this system would be introduced and abruptly take away the biggest portion of the emperor''s duties and his stress. So, he would only have to endure it until then.

    Even though Blanche knew that, seeing his frustration worried her. It wasn''t healthy for Theodore to be upset constantly for the following ten months. ¡°It''s not possible to always avoid them, but you might be able to limit the time that you have to spend with them to the absolute minimum.¡± The words left her mouth before she could think about how she wanted to explain herself.

    Though her lover didn''t seem to be bothered by her naive stance. ¡°Unfortunately, it''s not simple.¡± Theodore lowered himself onto the chair and leaned his body against the backrest. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking at his concubine, who had taken a seat on the opposite of the table. ¡°I can''t take care of the government affairs on my own and their-¡± He cut himself off and let his gaze roam across the room. Then he focused on the empty chairs that were standing next to them. ¡°Say, did you have guests? Normally, there aren''t as many seats here, or am I wrong?¡±

    Apparently, Stella had forgotten to put the chairs away after the other servants left, much like her mistress hadn''t acknowledged that they were still there.

    For a second, Blanche hesitated. Would her lover be uncomfortable if she let random servants into her room? Theodore normally was of the conviction that the staff shouldn''t lose their respect, and he had already warned her to not let Stella get too close, which she had disregarded. Wouldn''t he express his uncertainty about her treating servants like friends again?

    Blanche considered hiding it for a moment but quickly reminded herself to stop overthinking. Last time, that had caused a huge problem, so she wouldn''t do it again. ¡°Yesterday, three servants visited me to see how I was doing. They are the ones I meet in the kitchen every time I bake, and we usually have many pleasant conversations there. I didn''t go downstairs for a few days, so I was happy that they visited me.¡±

    Contrary to her expectations, Theodore''s expression changed into a smile. ¡°I see. Did you have a nice conversation with them?¡± She affirmed this, which made him nod contently. ¡°That''s good.¡±

    She returned the grin and grabbed the pot with steaming tea from the table. ¡°Would you like some tea? It''s the one with apricot flavor. I can tell Stella to get you anything else from the kitchen too.¡± A realization made her pause. ¡°Oh, I didn''t even ask how long you were planning on staying here. Do you still have duties that you need to take care of today?¡±

    Theodore''s face answered before he could even speak up. His eyes lit up, and his grin widened. ¡°Actually, I worked a bit more for the last few days, which means that I can take a little break until tomorrow. Since the ministers aren''t here, I can''t do more than what I finished already. After they come, I will have to concern myself with other matters though.¡± He moved his cup closer to Blanche so that she could pour tea into it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Theodore took a sip before resuming. ¡°I''m almost a bit nervous about taking a break. I don''t want to lose too much time, but without the ministers, I can''t make the final decision. I still hope that convincing Ocrea''s king to prevent war is possible, so the response letter has to be perfect.¡±

    Both of them sat in silence for a couple of seconds while they drank some of their tea.

    Her lover finished his cup quickly, and Blanche filled it up again before speaking. ¡°You don''t have to pressure yourself. You always find the right words in your letters.¡± The corners of her lips twitched as she continued in a playful tone. ¡°The ones I get might not be about a war, but they are pretty convincing. You could sweetly ask me to do anything, and I would do so without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°If a letter is all that is needed to influence you that much, I should write more, shouldn''t I?¡± Theodore chuckled quietly at something he seemed to have imagined. He reached for her hand and brushed his finger across her skin. ¡°I did send you a lot of notes for the last few days. Was that enough to convince you to allow me to spend the night here, or do I need to add another dozen?¡±

    Blanche''s heart skipped a beat both out of anticipation and anxiety. Her lover''s gaze made his intention clear, and she was torn between her conflicting emotions. It had been over two months since they had become intimate for the last time, and she missed him. Of course they still cuddled regularly, but sleeping with him meant even more. To her, it corresponded with the ultimate act of love, and she wanted that. How could she not yearn for her lover''s embrace when so many issues had prevented an opportunity from coming up for so long?

    After Blanche had become aware of the storyline of ¡°To Be Empress¡±, she hadn''t been comfortable sharing all her love with Theodore. Not when she knew that he would give his heart to Seraphina. She still feared that she would begin to cry in the middle of it because she remembered how he would abandon her and that the heroine would claim her position at his side in the future.

    But more than that, she longed to be close to Theodore. She wanted to be in his arms and forget that their relationship had changed due to her knowledge just for a moment. Refusing him hadn''t been her wish either way, so it was good that her own desires overlapped with his in that aspect. However, no matter how much she pushed back the bad memories, they kept rushing back into her mind.

    Blanche gently squeezed Theodore''s hand and forced herself to erase all thoughts about that wretched novel to focus completely on her lover. She gave him a half-fake smile and began talking to keep him from noticing. ¡°I''m not sure. You haven''t reached the number of letters that I originally wanted. So, I have to think about whether I''m in a generous mood.¡±

    The emperor''s teasing smirk quickly took away the need to act. He moved her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on it without breaking eye contact. ¡°That means that I have to work a little harder to convince you. Do you have a suggestion?¡± He whispered in a tone that made Blanche glad that she was sitting. Otherwise, her legs might have given in.

    She quickly replied. ¡°There might be something that could make me decide in your favor.¡±

    ¡°And what could that be?¡±

    Her mind raced to come up with a small task that she could make him do for fun, which was nearly impossible when his eyes were still trained onto her. She could barely form a coherent sentence while being pierced by his unmoving gaze.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    Just as she was about to open her mouth to stall for time, a knock interrupted them.

    Immediately, Theodore''s expression darkened. ¡°I swear to the gods if that is-¡± He cut himself off and spoke up louder. ¡°You are allowed to enter.¡±

    The door swung open, and Leonard came into view. The secretary was out of breath and hurriedly bowed to the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, the ministers arrived.¡±

    Theodore''s eyes narrowed, and he let go of Blanche''s hand to turn to the man at the door. ¡°Now? First, they can''t come to the palace to protect our nation at short notice and don''t reply. Then they finally make some time and arrive after the sun has set without sending a note beforehand? Despite me specifically ordering them to inform me of their visit first? And let me guess, they expect me to cast aside whatever I''m doing to greet them? That almost makes me want to refuse to see them until tomorrow.¡±

    Leon shook his head, and only now Blanche noticed the terror that was painted onto his face. ¡°That isn''t the problem. Another letter is-¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The emperor jumped to his feet and slammed his hands onto the table in the process, which caused the dishware to clash. ¡°From the king?¡±

    Leonard nodded. ¡°Yes. The king claims that some of our soldiers that are stationed by the border ambushed a group of Ocrean merchants. We have to institute a meeting right now.¡±

    ¡°You''re joking.¡± Theodore muttered under his breath as he ran a hand through his hair. ¡°There is no way that our troops would attack them for no reason, especially not civilians! None of the commanders wrote anything about an incident. They wouldn''t keep quiet if something happened. Why is-¡± He stopped and closed his eyes to take a deep breath before he opened them again. He moved around the table and pulled Blanche onto her feet to hug her. ¡°I''m sorry, I have to leave.¡±

    Blanche was actually quite upset with herself for being any tiny bit relieved since this would give her a chance to think again before getting too close to her lover, but she couldn''t help it. She cupped Theodore''s cheeks and planted a kiss onto his lips. ¡°I know. Go meet them. I''m right here if you need me.¡±

    ¡°There will never be a moment in which I won''t. Sleep well.¡± Theodore reluctantly separated from her and hurried to the door. He and Leon rushed down the hallway and began discussing the letter on their way.

    Blanche stood by the door and looked after them while hugging herself. The situation was really terrible, wasn''t it? The war shouldn''t begin yet, but this still sounded alarming. It might not be so good that this had given her some spare time after all.

    Just at that moment, Stella stepped into her mistress'' field of view as she reentered the room. She seemed concerned while she spoke up. ¡°It sounds like it is rather serious this time. Hopefully, His Majesty will be able to calm Ocrea''s ruler so that we don''t have to go to war.¡±

    Blanche replied without removing her eyes from Theodore''s back. ¡°How much do you know about that conflict?¡±

    Her maid looked in the direction of the corridor as well. ¡°Only the rough summary. No one except for the people in political positions has access to confidential information like this. The staff is aware that the king of Ocrea sends distressing letters and threatens to involve the military and nothing more.¡±

    Blanche tried to stay quiet for a short moment, but she couldn''t hold back. ¡°I hope that I''m wrong about this, but I don''t believe that we can prevent it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Stella turned back to the concubine and was met with a dejected expression.

    If the novel progressed as it was intended to, military combat would begin in half a year despite all of Theodore''s efforts. He would be forced to declare war and send Artias'' troops after Ocrean soldiers had ambushed the villages near the border.

    Blanche pressed her lips into a line before replying. ¡°I don''t think that Theo can avoid engaging in combat if our enemies attack first, no matter how much he wants to.¡±

    Stella''s lips formed a small ¡°Oh¡± upon hearing this bad premonition. ¡°Still... Maybe they won''t attack. Then everything will be fine, right?¡±

    Blanche could only hope that her maid was correct in her assumption, but she wasn''t convinced of that at all.

 Chapter 50: A Short Walk? (1)

    It wasn''t a surprise that Theodore didn''t visit his lover during the following days. He had written one last note and apologized for not being able to send more in the foreseeable future after all. Apart from that, the concubine hadn''t been in contact with him, which filled her with melancholy. The only positive aspect of this was that she didn''t have to worry about hiding her fear of being replaced while getting intimate with him. Though that didn''t make her happier when all she could think about was how restless her lover had to be while she was sitting around and did nothing. It was pretty pathetic to miss him so much after so little time. If she wasn''t able to live without him for more than a week, how would she survive when he focused his attention on Seraphina?

    The weather seemed to mirror Blanche''s state of mind. It rained constantly, which made going outside impossible if one wanted to stay somewhat dry. Luckily, Blanche was still able to go to the kitchen and bake. Otherwise, she might have gone mad with boredom.

    Her strategy of staying inside for the last few days to avoid rumors seemed to have worked better than she had calculated. A couple of servants gave her an odd look, but no one acknowledged her presence more than on any other day. Apparently, the incident in front of the emperor''s office had become unimportant in the face of a possible war with Northern Ocrea.

    Even the concubine''s friends addressed that looming threat and asked her whether she knew more about it. Blanche gave them an explanation without many details to not disregard the trust Theodore had put into her when he told her about such confidential things. The others were understanding and quickly moved on to a different subject, which allowed Blanche to thank Clark for the cake she had received. The servant stuttered a bit and insisted that he didn''t need to be thanked and blushed more with every of his friend''s comments about how adorable the tart had been.

    Seeing these interactions made Blanche smile to herself, and fortunately, she had the chance to witness them more often now. When any person out of the four servants had free time, they joined her and Stella in trying out some recipes from the library. After that, they ate whatever dessert they had prepared together, for which all of them came when they were able to.

    In the end, Blanche spent most of her time baking until the sun finally broke through the clouds a couple of days later.

    Hearing the birds chirping and feeling the warmth from outside through her open window made her look forward to taking a walk again after she hadn''t done so for over a week. ¡°Ahh...¡± As soon as Blanche stepped out of the building, the rays of the sun caressed her skin and caused her to let out a content sigh. ¡°Finally, it stopped raining.¡±

    Stella, who was walking next to her, smiled at that. ¡°The plants need water. It has to rain sometimes, or they would die.¡±

    ¡°Of course, but too much water can kill them too. It has been pouring for almost a week. I''m surprised that no random priest appeared at the gate to warn the emperor about a great catastrophe that was sent by the gods.¡± While Blanche said that, the two women walked forward.

    They passed by the terrace and were about to follow the path around a corner when two men beat them to it. Blanche was barely able to refrain from muttering a dejected ¡°No¡± as she recognized them as Henry Duremont and Claude Vasquez.

    Those two were both ministers and currently stayed at the palace to attend emergency meetings with the emperor, so it was normal for them to be here. But why did Blanche have to be the one to run into the dukes? One of them hated her, and one saw her as a pawn to gain power. Both were her enemies, and she was all alone if one didn''t count Stella, who wouldn''t exchange a single word with these powerful nobles. Unfortunately, turning around and ignoring the men wasn''t an option either since they had seen her at the moment that she had noticed their presence.

    For some reason, Claude spoke up before the more influential duke and ruined the whole situation even more. ¡°Ah, Lady Blanche. What a coincidence! We were just talking about you.¡± His infuriating grin reminded her of his sons. It was just as unsettling and gave off the same aura of fake kindness as Luciano''s smile had.

    In contrast to that, Duke Duremont looked at the concubine as if she was the person responsible for every single mishappening in his life, which made her want to run away even more. However, that wasn''t possible since she would have to excuse herself and the person with the higher status had to acknowledge that before she could leave.

    That didn''t keep her from wishing that she could vanish into thin air though. They were one sentence into the conversation, and Blanche was already in a dilemma. The most influential aristocrat had to greet the other party first, and Claude had ignored that to address her. She would have to reply and thus disregard Henry''s right to speak up. Duke Vasquez had done the same thing with her and the empress at the ball, only that Theodore had been there to intervene and Blanche was on her own now.

    Paying attention to this order of ranks wasn''t as important in private interactions as it was at events. Still, it was part of the social norms, and not following the protocol would cause the by-passed person to feel displeasure. But if Duke Duremont''s expression was to be trusted, he didn''t intend to greet the concubine either way. Since her only other choice was staying quiet and evoking a nauseating silence, she didn''t truly have many options.

    Blanche struggled to keep her face straight at Duke Vasquez''s vague comment about her having been the topic of the conversation and put on a polite smile. ¡°Good day, Your Grace. That is surprising. I am not that special, so there isn''t much to talk about me.¡±

    Claude''s grin widened, which caused her to feel like she was in danger despite being in the royal estate and thus in the safest place imaginable. ¡°Oh no, Lady Blanche is a very interesting person.¡± He turned to the other duke. ¡°Don''t you agree, Your Grace?¡±

    Blanche followed Claude''s gaze. Thinking that making eye contact with Henry couldn''t be any more uncomfortable than looking at the other duke''s smirk had been wrong. She immediately regretted having turned.

    Duke Duremont''s eyes narrowed into the freezing glare that his daughter loved to show the concubine as well.

    Blanche suppressed a shiver and made a small curtsy to greet both men.

    Duke Vasquez reciprocated the gesture with a slight bow of his head, while the other man remained motionless.

    In reality, it probably had been seconds, but the following silence felt like minutes passed without anyone making a noise until Henry finally spoke. However, his booming voice carried a sharp edge with it, which seemed to let the temperature drop and wasn''t much better than the silence. ¡°I do not care for your ambiguous remarks. The reason for our visit to the royal palace was not to chat but to maintain peace between Artias and Northern Ocrea. If you do not state your business with me and won''t stop wasting my time, I will leave at once.¡±

    Claude grimaced at this, though that expression also looked fake. He turned to Blanche and made a dismissive motion with his hand. ¡°Please excuse Your Grace''s behavior. It seems like he is in a bad mood. You have to know that older men often have trouble remembering things. He didn''t even greet you properly.¡± His insult had been less hidden than normally this time. Most likely, because only the three of them were present, and he didn''t believe that Blanche would complain about his lack of respect towards a man who was one of her greatest enemies.

    Duke Duremont''s response followed immediately. ¡°I do not see the need to greet her.¡± He hadn''t in the past either. When the emperor wasn''t around, Henry would never dream of showing respect to the person his daughter''s husband had an affair with. In those few cases in which they had met accidentally, he had ignored her or warned her about not getting in the way of the empress.

    Blanche knew that but still almost flinched at the resentment that his voice was layered with. Today he seemed to be filled with even more wrath than he was normally. Had she done something wrong during the conversation? Or had she offended him at the ball already? She recounted her actions of the last days and came to the conclusion that she had baked for most of the time, so she couldn''t have caused many rumors either.

    But then a memory flashed through her mind, and the air around her seemed to freeze. That Blanche came out of Theodore''s room hadn''t been seen by anyone but the servants, so that wasn''t it. However, two people from outside had witnessed a part of her discussion with her lover.

    One of them was Marquess Bellfaux, Henry''s best friend. Of course, he would tell Duke Duremont about the uproar in the palace. And that uproar had been caused by Theodore running after his lover, yelling her name and then ignoring his ministers in favor of pulling her away.

    Blanche had to keep herself from voicing her initial reaction out loud in the form of a curse word. Why did she have to meet Duke Duremont directly after he had heard about something upsetting like that? This man was boiling with hatred for her, and the gods'' reaction was to make her run into him as soon as she went out? Only a small amount of people could be as unlucky as her.

    Claude''s presence didn''t serve to ease the tension in the air either. Henry probably liked Duke Vasquez as much as he liked the emperor''s concubine, and his icy stare while the other man talked revealed that didn''t attempt to veil that at all.

    Duke Vasquez didn''t care and just talked anyway. ¡°Oh my, that is quite rude, Your Grace. You shouldn''t say this to His Majesty''s esteemed guest.¡±

    Those words only infuriated Duke Duremont even more, and his face made Blanche fear that he would explode at any moment.

    The concubine tried to keep the situation from escalating and waved her hand around in a dismissive gesture. ¡°It''s fine, I do not mind. From the beginning, it wasn''t my objective to interrupt your conversation, so I should take my leave now.¡±

    But Duke Vasquez didn''t intend to allow her to retreat so easily. With fake concern written on his features, he scolded the other man. ¡°See? You offended Lady Blanche, and now she feels unwelcome. Is that how the most powerful duke of our nation should behave?¡±

    Henry glared at him in response. ¡°I do not care whether she feels unwelcome. I have no interest in being associated with her in any way.¡± The exasperation in Henry''s voice indicated that his fury was boiling directly behind the fragile facade of aloofness. When his eyes locked onto the concubine, every fiber in Blanche''s being screamed at her and pleaded her to finally spin around and put distance between herself and this hostility. But under his bitter gaze, she didn''t dare to move the slightest bit to not anger him any further. Their eyes met, and she wanted to look away more than anything else.

    Though before she could do that, Duke Duremont turned his attention to something behind her. Instantly, his rage-filled expression was replaced with a soft smile that made it seem like he had become a completely different person. Blanche didn''t even have to look to be sure who the person standing there had to be. Only Henry''s beloved daughter could make her doting father forget the presence of two people he despised from the bottom of his heart.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    This encounter couldn''t have proceeded any worse.

    For a moment, Blanche considered using this as an excuse to retreat, but not greeting the empress wasn''t a valid option. At least not if she didn''t want to antagonize the Duremonts even more. She held back a sigh and reluctantly turned around.

    Unsurprisingly, Seraphina was the one approaching them. Upon seeing her father, the heroine''s stoic expression softened, and a little smile graced her lips. Apparently, the joy of meeting him outweighed the annoyance at being forced to interact with her husband''s concubine and Duke Vasquez. The empress stepped forward, and the two attendants accompanying her fell back to keep some distance from the nobles.

    The maid that had fought with Stella stopped next to the concubine''s attendant, and the women exchanged aggravated gazes.

    Blanche would have loved to pull Stella away from the tension that seemed to build itself up between the servants, but that was beyond her power. She had to focus on not making an error while greeting the empress. She made a curtsy as the men bowed until Seraphina spoke up.

    ¡°Your Grace, it is a pleasure to see you again.¡± The empress was as perfect as always while she greeted her father.

    Henry neutralized his expression before replying. ¡°The pleasure is entirely mine, Your Majesty. I apologize for not arriving earlier. On my way here, I was halted due to some minor difficulties.¡±

    Blanche almost expected that Duke Vasquez would complain about being addressed like this and act hurt, but it seemed like that man had enough common sense to not talk unless the empress spoke to him first.

    Seraphina replied while seeming calm despite the unpleasant company. ¡°That is not a problem. Since I do not have many duties to take care of for the rest of the day, delaying our meeting for a short time will not change much.¡± The heroine took her eyes off her father to acknowledge the other duke. ¡°How are you, Your Grace? Are you enjoying the royal garden in its full beauty after the week of rain?¡±

    Claude affirmed that with a nod. ¡°You are correct. I was using my short break from the minister''s meeting to visit the capital''s most gorgeous landscape. It had been a while since I had the opportunity to do so. During my walk, I encountered Lord Duremont, so I fear that I am to blame for his tardiness. I didn''t expect to be blessed by Your Majesty''s presence, but naturally, I''m honored to have met you.¡± Claude''s speech was strangely formal and lacked the usual hidden insult. Maybe he had paid attention to Duke Duremont''s growing irritation and realized that provoking the other man wouldn''t be a wise decision.

    The empress remained as polite as the other man had been. ¡°I am pleased to hear that you have such high regard for me. Do not worry. As I stated before, I do not mind that my father arrived a couple of minutes later than intended. I, myself, was not ready at the appointed time, so I do not intend to scold him for that. Since you did not wish to keep him from being here purposefully, I will not blame you either.¡± After Seraphina finished, she remained quiet for a short moment, but it was enough to make Blanche shift her weight from one leg to the other.

    Would the empress ignore the other woman like her father had? If she did, this conversation would become even more strained than it already was. Normally, the heroine adored rules and followed society''s norms right down to the last detail, however, Theodore wasn''t here. So, it was her opportunity to disregard the concubine completely.

    But even though her personal feeling most likely told her to do so, Seraphina once again proved that she would never put them over the conventions of noble society. She looked at the other woman and spoke up. ¡°Lady Blanche. I wish you a good day. I hope that your week was pleasant.¡± The difference in how the emperor''s lover was addressed in comparison to the others was more than obvious.

    Nonetheless, Blanche wouldn''t complain. She was grateful that the empress had acknowledged her at all and that she wasn''t forced to stand by while the rest of the group talked. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty. It''s a pleasure to meet you. The past few days have been very relaxing, and there were no complications.¡± Since the heroine hadn''t said more, she wouldn''t respond with longer sentences or the more formal greetings either.

    Once again, silence filled the air until Seraphina began chatting with her father. This was a way to show the others that they wished to be alone, but it relieved Blanche. Excusing herself now gave her the chance to get away from the conversation without being disrespectful. She observed the two for a moment to avoid being too insolent and thought about how similar they actually looked and acted.

    Seraphina had inherited her father''s blue eyes and also copied his strict glare flawlessly. Their manner of speaking was also almost identical, which indicated that they had to have spent a lot of time together in the heroine''s childhood. Just this short interaction showed clearly how much Henry cared about his daughter. He would do absolutely anything to protect her, and that was why the concubine couldn''t dare to cause the slightest inconvenience for her.

    And the longer this discussion went on, the higher the chances of Blanche messing up were. She knew how sensitive the empress was when her husband''s lover was involved. A minor mistake could evoke the other''s anger. To avoid that, the concubine waited for a while until she decided that had stayed for the required amount of time to not be discourteous. She was about to open her mouth to ask for permission to leave when Claude spoke up before she could.

    ¡°It is truly wonderful to see how well Your Majesty and Your Grace get along. Not every child has such a beautiful relationship with their parents, especially not in the royal family.¡± It shouldn''t have been surprising that Duke Vasquez couldn''t stay peaceful for the whole conversation. He didn''t attack the empress directly but made remarks about Theodore instead.

    The emperor might have joined his father during many political meetings while the now-deceased former ruler was still alive, however, they had never been as close as Seraphina was to her relatives. Both Theodore''s mother and brother were even worse. They had attempted to kill him to make the second prince the ruler, and this naturally meant that they didn''t care for Theodore. Thus, he was left without support from his whole family since they were either dead or his enemies, which was the reason that he was so dependent on the Duremont''s support.

    It was cowardly to attack that weak point. That little comment was enough to make Blanche tense as she tried to hide her anger.

    Henry seemed to be a bit upset as well, but he hid it somewhat well and replied after a second of silence. ¡°We have always had a strong bond. No one in our family will hesitate to protect our relatives with everything that we have to offer.¡± Henry''s words sounded more like a threat than a statement, and it felt like it was directed at both Duke Vasquez and the concubine.

    Claude grinned at that. ¡°Oh, I don''t doubt that. What a lovely household you are. Though mine is in no way inferior to yours. How delightful it is that our capital is home to so many happy families.¡± He replied in a tone that was as filled with fake friendliness as it was with menace.

    Seraphina''s expression didn''t budge at this, and she addressed Duke Vasquez in her usual calm voice. ¡°Ah, now that you mention it. How is your son? I remember that he was sick during the winter ball. That was over two months ago, so I assume that he has recovered in the meantime?¡±

    Claude let out a booming laugh before answering. ¡°Of course he has! My son isn''t so weak that a little cold would keep him confined to his bed for more than an evening. He was feeling better only a short while after he began showing symptoms. I believe that he returned to his usual schedule after three days already, so it wasn''t anything alarming. Your Majesty probably isn''t aware of that, but Luciano is a very competent and intelligent young man, which is remarkable for his age. He takes care of some of my duties like collecting the taxes from some of the stores we have bought. To do that, he travels to the capital every week and-¡± He interrupted himself, and a bright grin lit up his face, but it still didn''t reach his eyes.

    Slowly, Claude turned to Blanche, and at that moment, she knew that whatever he said next would not be in her favor. ¡°That reminds me. Weeks ago, he came back after his usual visit and surprised us with the news that he had met Lady Blanche. What were you doing alone in the city? It is quite dangerous to go without any servants or guards. Luciano found you out of pure luck, but another person might have had less kind intentions.¡±

    This story elicited a reaction out of the Duremonts, who were previously keeping a straight face. Henry just furrowed his brows, but his daughter forgot to hide her emotions momentarily. Seraphina''s eyes snapped to the concubine, and her mouth opened, only to be closed again. That reaction had only been there for a split second, but it showed recognition. It had to have dawned upon her that there was only one way to leave the estate without being seen by the guards, and that was her secret pathway. Realizing that it was likely that her nemesis also used it was probably made the heroine fear that she would lose her chance to slip out of the palace. Nevertheless, she didn''t speak up.

    So, Blanche was left with no choice but to respond while hoping that the heroine wouldn''t address this. ¡°I remember. You don''t need to worry about that, Your Grace. I won''t be so reckless again, and I''m grateful to have met your son. It was very courteous of him to bring back to the palace, so I would like to thank him once more.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think that you need to thank him at all.¡± Claude spoke with an ominous grin that caused Blanche to shiver.

    Now she was convinced that the man still had an ace up in his sleeve, and it wouldn''t be to her liking. It was as if she was looking at a mountain of doom, which was slowly building up in front of her and would crash down onto her soon without giving her a chance to protect herself.

    Duke Vasquez happily continued while ignoring what she thought about this. ¡°I believe that your presence was enough to satisfy him. After Luciano came back, he couldn''t stop talking about you. He praised everything about you from your beauty to your speech to your politeness. Only your lack of care regarding going out without a knight unsettled him a bit. He was really worried. It seems like this one interaction was enough to cause him to be enamored with you.¡±

    Blanche would have been grateful if the gods allowed her to sink into the ground to avoid being forced to deal with Duke Vasquez''s infuriating games. Why was he so keen on putting her into uncomfortable situations? He had done so at the ball already, and now he was doing it again.

    She was a pawn in Claude''s schemes to dethrone Theodore. Ensuring that she was feeling unwell didn''t grant him an advantage but rather obstructed his own goals. He didn''t seem like a stupid person. No, he was intelligent, so it didn''t make sense for him to trouble her. Even his wife had embarrassed the concubine at the tea party. In that case, it had been done to anger the empress, but currently, Claude hadn''t voiced anything that would hurt Seraphina''s feelings. So, why would he do this?

    A dreadful thought appeared in Blanche''s mind. Maybe he wasn''t finished yet. Claude''s infuriating smirk could be seen as a hint that he would continue his little plot.

    The concubine attempted to take the wind out of his sails she replied with a nervous chuckle. ¡°You must be exaggerating, Your Grace. I haven''t exchanged more than a few sentences with your son during the carriage ride. How could I have left such a great impression on him in such a short time?¡±

    It should have been to be expected that Claude would continue his game anyway, and he did just that. ¡°Oh, I''m afraid I have to disagree. If you meet the right person, a couple of minutes are more than enough to make you fall in love. In some cases, seeing a woman cry and consoling her can be all that is necessary to get a man to ask her to move in with him.¡±

    That sentence knocked the air out of Blanche''s lungs. Her mind raced to find a reply that didn''t worsen the situation even more, but Claude wasn''t finished.

    ¡°And we all know that Lady Blanche has the abilities to enchant any man she wants. So, it isn''t surprising that Luciano is impressed.¡± That bastard.

    Why? That question was the only thing that Blanche''s brain came up with. She didn''t dare to look at Seraphina or Henry, who wouldn''t be pleased by the reference to how Theodore met her. Instead, she kept her eyes on Duke Vasquez. Did that man truly feel gratification at making her despair? What was his reason for doing that? Until now, acting like his words were a hoax might have helped, but at this point, she had to object, or it might get more awful.

    Blanche forced herself to reply quickly. ¡°Your Grace, don''t you think that your jokes are going a bit far? If you say something like this, people will misunderstand.¡±

    Any hope that Duke Vasquez would give up at that was crashed when he put on an expression of fake concern. ¡°I did not mean to offend Lady Blanche, but I wasn''t joking either. Is Her Majesty''s brother not the perfect example for that?¡±

    A gasp escaped the concubine''s lips before she could hold it back. In her irritation, she made the mistake of turning her head to see the other''s reaction. Both Seraphina''s and Henry''s glare reminded her of a glacier that threatened to freeze her to death. She quickly put her focus back onto Duke Vasquez and didn''t let her gaze roam again even when the empress spoke up.

    ¡°What is Your Grace talking about?¡± Seraphina''s voice was icy enough to be like a threat.

    The fake surprise on Claude''s face didn''t cover his satisfaction at the question. ¡°You truly didn''t notice?¡± He let his gaze wander between the three people around him before continuing. ¡°At the very beginning of the last ball, Lord Duremont went through the whole room to greet Lady Blanche. He only returned to his family when His and Her Majesty entered and continued to glance into her direction for the rest of the evening. It was very peculiar, so I assumed that everyone would have paid attention to that, but it seems that I was wrong.¡±

    Blanche felt dread rising in her stomach. ¡°No, no!¡± She already began as her mind struggled to form a coherent sentence that would put Claude''s narration in a more objective context. ¡°You are twisting the facts, Your Grace. Lord Duremont was merely thanking me for showing him the way to Her Majesty''s chambers when he was lost in the palace.¡±

    Claude acted as if her comment had been completely unimportant. ¡°But that doesn''t explain why he kept looking at you whenever he felt like he wasn''t being watched. Well, that isn''t important, is it? Let''s move on to another topic.¡±

    Unsurprisingly, Seraphina''s expression didn''t lighten up just because he had changed the subject. It appeared like her patience was wearing thin since she didn''t allow Duke Vasquez to finish. ¡°I apologize for interrupting you, Your Grace. However, my father and I arranged a meeting because our time alone together has been sparse in the last few months. I do not wish to offend you, but we would like to continue our conversation in private.¡±

    A wave of relief crashed over Blanche, and she almost let out a loud sigh. She could finally run back to her room and lock the door behind her. With a curtsy, she quickly excused herself. ¡°In that case, I will return to my chambers now. If Your Majesty excused me, I will take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Seraphina nodded at her. Finally.

    The concubine spun around without pausing for a single second.

    But after just one step, Claude stopped her. ¡°Lady Blanche, please wait for a moment.¡± By the gods, no. What did he want?

 Chapter 51: A Short Walk? (2)

    ¡°Lady Blanche, please wait for a moment.¡±

    Blanche almost whined in frustration. She didn''t want to talk to Claude, but ignoring a duke that had addressed her would be too offending. So, she reluctantly turned around and faced Duke Vasquez. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°If my words offended you, I want to apologize. It wasn''t my intention to make you uncomfortable in any way.¡± The imitation of worry on Claude''s face only served to frustrate her even more. Of course, he had purposefully said things that would upset Henry and Seraphina. It might not have been his objective to see her struggle trying to escape this situation, nonetheless, he had accepted that as a possible consequence.

    But still, she couldn''t show her anger. Though her atrocious abilities as an actress might have rendered her attempt at veiling her true emotions with a smile as useless. ¡°You can rest assured that I haven''t taken anything you said to heart.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad about that. I already feared that I wounded you.¡± Duke Vasquez made eye contact with Seraphina before he resumed. ¡°Naturally, I also do not wish to bother Her Majesty, so I will leave too.¡± The empress replied curtly and allowed him to do so, which caused him to follow the concubine. He stopped next to her and gave her another fake grin.

    Immediately, Blanche realized that she still hadn''t managed to escape from this catastrophic meeting.

    Claude didn''t intend to let her go. ¡°Since we both are free now, would you mind accompanying me for a short walk?¡± Yes, she did mind. How could he expect her to want to be in his presence any longer than she absolutely had to? Claude''s whole way of acting had unsettled her from the start, and his fondness for troubling her and Theodore made her dislike him even more. Besides, if the walk with his wife during the tea party was an indication of what would follow, he would only use this opportunity to encourage her to strive for the empress'' position.

    Blanche wasn''t keen on listening to her lover''s enemies rambling about their schemes against the emperor, especially since distancing herself from these plots was crucial to her survival. So, she would have to politely decline. ¡°I''d love to, but I fear that I don''t have any time right now.¡±

    Much like every of Duke Vasquez''s expressions, his regret also looked fake. ¡°How unfortunate. Can you truly not spare a couple of minutes?¡± Why did he keep insisting? Did he want to tell her something so badly?

    But Blanche didn''t care about that. Being alone with him was the last thing she would be content with, so giving up was out of the question. Still, she had no idea what kind of excuse would get him to let her leave. Could she somehow use the social norms of noble society to get rid of him? Unmarried people of differing genders spending time together alone was frowned upon, right? But they weren''t alone since Stella was there. So, she couldn''t name this as a reason either. ¡°I, uhm...¡± She tried to give a reasonable reply, but her mind was blank.

    Satisfaction formed on Claude''s expression. ¡°Surely, five minutes won''t-¡±

    Blanche panicked. Her mind moved on its own and wandered to the first thing she would have liked to do after this, which was baking. Unfortunately, she had hurried to interrupt Claude, and the response was pretty abrupt because of that. ¡°The cake is-¡± Both Duke Vasquez and Blanche froze at her reply as she cut herself off. She had simply voiced the first thing that her brain had been able to come up with, which just happened to be useless. Great. Now she had embarrassed herself in front of Seraphina, Henry, Claude and the servants and still didn''t have an excuse for rejecting the duke''s offer. She wanted to hit herself for her stupidity, but the look on Duke Vasquez''s face almost made it worth it.

    Her strange reaction had ripped down Claude''s mask and left behind the first honest expression that he had shown her today. For a moment, he was completely speechless before he repeated her words. ¡°The...cake...?¡± His voice sounded as confused as he looked.

    Blanche was ready to apologize for her outburst when a thought crossed her mind. This wasn''t such a bad excuse after all. A beam lit up her face. ¡°Yes! I asked the chef to make a cake for me, and it should be finished by now. I was only planning to go outside for two minutes, and meeting Her Majesty, His Grace and Your Grace already slowed me down. That isn''t a problem, but I can''t keep the cook waiting any longer since I originally asked him to finish the cake as quickly as possible. I don''t wish to bother the staff for no reason. I hope that you will forgive me for being unable to join you because of this, Your Grace.¡±

    As quickly as Claude''s mask had been torn down, he restored it. ¡°I understand. It''s unfortunate, but it can''t be helped. Enjoy your meal, Lady Blanche.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She made another curtsy before turning back around and hurrying in the direction of the palace. Out of fear that Duke Vasquez might see through her lie otherwise, she steered toward the kitchen instead of returning to her room. As soon as she entered the building and peered through the doorway to make sure that none of the people from outside could see her, a burden lifted from her shoulders. ¡°Finally...¡±

    Just at that moment, Stella caught up to her. The maid followed her mistress into the corridor and put her arms onto her hips. ¡°Her Majesty and her father really have an oppressive presence. I barely dared to move, even though I wasn''t involved in the conversation and didn''t hear what they said at all.¡±

    Blanche wiped a strand of hair away from her face and frowned. ¡°I''m glad that I''m not the only one who noticed that. And I am unlucky enough to keep running into them. Though the interaction didn''t end in a disaster this time, so I guess that this is progress.¡± She continued to walk toward the kitchen and quickly scanned the environment to confirm that no one was close enough to listen to them. ¡°Still, I''d like to avoid them as much as possible. Duke Vasquez as well. That man is up to no good, and the other two hate me. Just talking to them makes me want to disappear into thin air. That''s why I ran away as soon as I could and didn''t wait for you. I''m sorry about that. Did the empress'' maid bother you again?¡±

    Stella shook her head. ¡°No. But if looks could kill, I definitely would have been dead by now.¡±

    Blanche let out a snort and replied in a whisper, ¡°It seems that she is similar to her mistress in that regard. It always feels like the empress is thinking about a way to get rid of me. I can''t blame her since her dislike for me is mostly my fault, but it''s still scary. Especially since everyone I talked to described her a calm and composed while she looks as if she is going to snap to me.¡±

    ¡°I have to admit that I''ve always seen Her Majesty with a stone-faced expression as well. What unsettles me is only the tension that is present when she interacts with you. Why does she seem angry to you?¡±

    The concubine paused for a moment before trying to explain it. ¡°Well, she does control her facial expression almost completely, but there are small movements that she can''t always cover up. Though her eyes are the most revealing feature. If I pay attention to those, I can identify what level of resentment she currently feels for me.¡± Which was pretty useful.

    The women halted their conversation when they reached the kitchen, and Stella stepped forward to open the door for her mistress. For a change, the room was completely empty, which made them stop.

    Blanche was slightly confused at this display. The kitchen was always hectic, so why was no one here? ¡°Is there something special planned for today?¡±

    Stella looked around with a frown. ¡°No, I don''t remember anything that-¡± She interrupted herself as her face lit up with recognition. ¡°Oh, I do! Every year, there is a day on which all servants line up before the head maid and the steward, except for the personal attendants of course. That might be today. In that case, the kitchen staff probably prepared everything already so that they can rest later.¡±

    Blanche stiffened at that. ¡°Would the guests notice something like that?¡±

    ¡°I don''t think so. A few servants will always be ready to take care of the visitors. Normally, guests wouldn''t pay attention to what the other members of the staff are doing as long as their requests are fulfilled. So, I assume that they aren''t aware.¡±

    That meant that Claude hopefully hadn''t realized that the concubine''s excuse had been a blatant lie.

    At first, Blanche was relieved by that, but then she remembered that others had heard her too. ¡°But I assume that the empress knows, right?¡±

    Stella blinked before her eyes showed realization. ¡°Yes, most likely she would. Then she and her servants too...¡±

    Blanche ended the sentence. ¡°Noticed that I was lying to Duke Vasquez. At least she didn''t say anything. That would have been just what I needed, being humiliated in front of the whole group.¡± She let her gaze roam across the room and realized that all the workspaces were clean already. So, she wouldn''t be able to use the utensils without dirtying them again and giving the servants additional work. ¡°Anyway, it looks like we can''t even bake today. Are we going to return to my chambers? I don''t want to risk running around the palace and accidentally meeting Duke Vasquez.¡±

    Stella nodded but gave her mistress a regretful smile. ¡°If you want to avoid him completely, you may have to stay inside your room until the ministers leave. Otherwise, there is always the possibility that he moves in the same part of the building as you. Especially since he was very keen on going on a walk with you. He might ask again.¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Blanche replied as they slipped out of the kitchen. ¡°Hopefully not. I''ll have to prepare some better excuse for an emergency though. I really don''t want to be alone with him. But locking myself in my room for the rest of the week or even longer wasn''t my goal either. I mean, I was looking forward to this walk so much, and I couldn''t even enjoy it because the dukes showed up after I took ten steps.¡±

    Stella spoke up in a tone that didn''t make it clear whether she was joking or not. ¡°We could go out anyway. If we visit the garden very early in the morning and late in the evening, the chances of him being there are close to zero. Few people promenade around at night.¡± Her idea actually wasn''t a bad one.

    Blanche couldn''t hide her grin when she thought about that. ¡°That sounds rather fun. The garden looks mysterious in the dark, and I found that interesting for a long time. Though we are risking that the guards have a heart attack because they don''t expect another person to jump out from behind a hedge at midnight. So, maybe we shouldn''t hide in a bush to scare them.¡±

    ¡°We should not do that. I don''t want them to act on impulse and cut me open with a sword.¡± Stella giggled quietly while she closed the door behind her.

    Even though the maid still made fun of her own idea, her mistress was already enamored with it and couldn''t stop thinking about it the whole time.

    Just imagining the splendor of the gorgeous roses under the dim moonlight made Blanche impatient already. During the time at which she sat on her sofa and drank some tea, she regularly glanced toward the windows. When the sun finally set, she only had to look at her maid, and before she could even speak, Stella began grinning.

    ¡°You''re very predictable, My Lady. Are we really going outside now?¡± Stella seemed to understand quickly. Her mistress'' beam was enough of a response, which made the maid resume. ¡°Then we should put on coats at least. It might be warm in the sunlight, but the nights are rather cool.¡± She opened the wardrobe to retrieve a long shawl, which she wrapped around her mistress'' shoulders. For a minute, she disappeared into her own room before returning with a coat.

    Blanche''s smile didn''t fade the whole time, and in contrast to the previous nights, she didn''t feel any signs of tiredness. Apparently, the prospect of doing something unusual excited her this much, which made her realized that her schedule was pretty monotonous for the most part. Though it didn''t bother her as long as she was able to interact with her lover, her friends, bake and occasionally break those habits.

    To her, this was fine, but others might be more surprised about her sudden ideas.

    When she opened the door, the knights in front of it were torn from their conversation and flinched at the sudden sound. They spun around, and upon seeing the concubine, they relaxed again.

    Blanche quickly greeted them. ¡°Good evening.¡±

    One of the men spoke up immediately. ¡°Good evening, Lady Blanche. Is there a problem? If we interrupted your night''s rest, I apologize. We will be quiet now.¡±

    Blanche smiled at them. ¡°No, I don''t need anything. I didn''t hear you talking either. I was merely going to take a walk.¡±

    The guards weren''t as skilled in hiding their emotions as most aristocrats were. The men turned to look at each other in confusion before meeting Blanche''s gaze again. ¡°You want to go outside now?¡± She nodded, which made the knights frown. ¡°I don''t know whether that is a good idea. It''s the middle of the night. Are you sure that His Majesty is alright with that?¡± One of the guards attempted to make her change her mind, but the expectation of being given an irritated answer was painted onto his face

    Blanche was ready to surprise him with a calm reply when a realization dawned upon her. She paused to observe his features. Was this who she thought that he might be? Purple hair wasn''t very common among the knights, so the odds that this was Noah Aldis were pretty high.

    Noah was one of the secondary main characters in the novel. He was a young knight, who had arrived at the palace shortly before Blanche had received the book''s memories, and had great potential despite his small amount of experience. He trained hard and made quick progress, so he would be chosen as the empress'' personal guard after an assassination attempt that had happened while the heroine had been on her way to attend a birthday party. From that point on, the novel''s Seraphina and Noah had gotten along well, and it was even hinted that he had developed feelings for her but held them back since she was married.

    Until now, Blanche hadn''t seen him more than for a few seconds in the corner of her eyes, but admittedly, she also hadn''t looked for him. The guard wouldn''t play a big part in her life as long as she didn''t harm the empress.

    Noah began shifting under her gaze, which made her snap out of her thoughts.

    She focused back on the conversation and dismissed his concerns. ¡°It''s not that late. I would still call this the late evening and not the middle of the night. And the royal estate is always safe, right? So, the time I go out doesn''t matter.¡±

    Noah replied immediately. ¡°Of course, but it''s dark outside. You might trip over some branches and hurt yourself. The other knights might also be surprised at seeing someone in the garden and act before they realize that you aren''t a threat.¡± Noah didn''t seem to have the intention to give in, and if his characterization in the novel was to be believed, he wouldn''t until the very end. He should be far too overprotective for that.

    Blanche would only have two choices to get outside. She could either pretend to listen to him and climb out of the window, which she definitely wouldn''t attempt to do, or she could ask him to come along.

    The second option was how Seraphina had convinced him to let her leave whenever she wanted to go out to meet her brother in the labyrinth at night. By insisting that she would be in safe hands if Noah accompanied her, she had always been able to get him to allow her to exit the building no matter when as long as he followed her.

    The concubine would shamelessly abuse this knowledge now. ¡°Then how about you join us? You could protect us from whatever worries you.¡±

    The guards'' bewilderment was amusing to see. The second knight was quick to reject her offer. ¡°I fear that isn''t possible. We cannot abandon our posts without our superior''s permission.¡±

    Noah didn''t say anything, but the curiosity sparking behind his eyes was obvious. That man loved adventures and was easy to be enthused for new experiences, so refusing an unexpected journey at night had to disappoint him. Since he was unwilling to ignore a young lady in alleged danger, he probably wouldn''t want to stay here. Just a little push would suffice to convince him.

    The concubine would gladly give that push. ¡°Alright. We''ll go alone then. Come on, Stella, let''s leave.¡± Blanche moved past the knights and steered towards the stairs. After a few steps, a voice stopped her already.

    ¡°Wait! It really would be safer if we''d accompany you.¡± Noah turned to his colleague, who still seemed unsure. ¡°We''re supposed to protect her anyway, not the room. His Majesty said that very clearly. So, it doesn''t matter if we abandon our posts. It would be much worse if we ignored this and something happened to her.¡±

    Those words were enough to persuade the other knight. He sighed dejectedly and trailed behind Noah, who had already caught up with the concubine.

    Blanche was staring at him as she repeated to herself what he had said. For a moment, she hesitated before asking him the question that busied her mind in a quiet voice. ¡°Did Theodore really tell you that your task is to protect me?¡±

    Noah scanned her face shortly, and the corners of his mouth lifted. ¡°Yes, His Majesty did. He was very open about wishing for your well-being.¡±

    Immediately, the area around Blanche''s heart was starting to feel warm. Her lover had positioned the most promising of the royal knights in front of her room with the order to secure that she was safe. She could barely keep her happiness from clouding every other thought. Her face had to have been glowing with joy, but she didn''t care whether the others would notice. She walked down the stairs with a spring in her step, with Stella next to her and the knights following them with a little distance.

    While the other guards patrolling the hallways glanced at the group with slight confusion, they didn''t speak up to stop them. For a moment, it seemed like there might be a problem when the group arrived at a side entrance, where the men by the door exchanged questioning looks. However, one of them shrugged and then allowed Blanche to pass without inquiring why she wanted to go out.

    As soon as Blanche left the building, the cool air surrounded her body and made her hairs stand on end. ¡°You were right about the coats.¡± She glanced at Stella, who was pulling the fabric closer around her body. ¡°I''m glad I put one on. I didn''t think that it would be this cold. It''s freezing.¡± Blanche''s lips formed a mischievous smile. She leaned over to her maid and whispered in her ear. ¡°Reminds me of the empress.¡±

    This evoked a snort from Stella. She opened her mouth to reply, but her eyes fell onto the horizon, and she stopped to tilt her head back. ¡°My Lady, look.¡±

    Blanche complied and looked up at the night sky. It was almost completely dark except for the faint light that oozed out of the palace''s windows, which allowed the stars to occupy the center stage. Countless little glowing spots filled the black of the cloudless sky to form a breathtaking sight.

    They definitely should have done something like this earlier.

    Blanche lowered her gaze again and pulled her maid onto the pathway. ¡°If we go further away from the building, it will be darker so that we can have a better view of the stars.¡± She had the perfect place in mind. A few trees and bushes framed the tiled stone path behind the labyrinth, but otherwise, there was nothing. The maze''s hedges would obstruct the weak light coming from the palace, and since there were no additional sources of light, it would be pitch black there.

    Stella didn''t hesitate to follow her mistress, and they made their way to the concubine''s destination when a splashing noise made them stop abruptly. The two women looked at each other.

    Blanche hesitated before whispering. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± The maid nodded, which confirmed that Blanche hadn''t just imagined that noise. Before she could find out where it had come from, the knights reached them.

    Noah spoke up immediately. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± His hand already rested on the handle of the sword that was strapped to his hip. He was ready to enter combat right away if necessary.

    Blanche nodded. ¡°We just heard something that sounded like a person was moving around in water. We''re close to the terrace, so the source might be the fountain.¡±

    Instantly, the two knights removed their weapons from the sheaths and strained their muscles. They tiptoed to the bushes that were between them and the terrace and took positions behind them.

    The concubine followed them and stopped next to the men. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She gave her best to whisper as quietly as possible.

    The reply came in an even smaller volume. ¡°Please stand back, Lady Blanche. We have to confirm whether this person might be an intruder and could pose a danger to the inhabitants of the palace.¡± That was much obvious. But attacking them without even being sure that it was a trespasser with malicious intention was exaggerated as well.

    ¡°You can''t just-¡± Blanche''s objection was interrupted by a giggle that came from the fountain. Without a doubt, it was a woman''s voice, and it seemed strangely familiar to her.

    Stella appeared to have the same thought. ¡°Isn''t that...?¡± The maid didn''t acknowledge the knights'' attempts at stopping her and crouched down next to the bush to catch a glimpse of the person who made these noises.

    Blanche''s curiosity got the better of her, and she sneaked to Stella''s side.

    That seemed to make Noah panic. ¡°Wait! Be careful! You don''t know whether they are dangerous.¡± He hissed at them and followed them to keep the women from moving any closed to the fountain. However, that wasn''t necessary at all.

    The concubine''s position already allowed her to watch the two people playing on the terrace, and she realized why she had known that voice. From the balcony, light fell onto the ground and was reflected by the water''s surface, which allowed them to identify the two maids right away.

    Those were none other than Angelica and Darlene.

 Chapter 52: Stargazing

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 Chapter 53: A Gift for the Empress

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 Chapter 54: Our Political System

    As soon as they arrived at an empty guest room, Leonard shut the door behind them and began the lesson. In contrast to Evelyn, he actually saw the need to give Blanche a quick overview of the basic steps for the waltz and showed them to her before asking her to repeat them.

    Despite her genuine efforts to memorize them, she was unable to do so for the most part anyway.

    It was only after she had failed for the fifth time in a row that Leon made an offer. ¡°Maybe you aren''t good at imagining the movements in your head. We could try to dance instead of just mimicking the movements.¡±

    Anything would be better than repeating the same six steps another dozen times, so Blanche agreed.

    Leonard held his hand in her direction, and she took it while each of them put their arms on the other''s back. Even though his guidance didn''t turn her into the perfect dancer, it was easier to do the waltz with a partner.

    Her movements were still far from graceful, but after a few attempts, Blanche was able to go through all the steps without hesitating. It almost felt like magic to her. She beamed at that. ¡°I''m actually waltzing! See, I can do it with some help. I knew that Lady Lemares was just incompetent.¡±

    Leon snorted at her excited tone and continued to dance while replying. ¡°That''s very good. But this is the basic dance that every child of a noble learns. They are expected to be able to do that when they are around the age of ten, so it isn''t a great accomplishment.¡±

    ¡°I know. But for me, it is. Dancing wasn''t my specialty before, and well, it still isn''t. However, I can do a waltz without embarrassing myself now. I don''t believe that I will have to do it in public, but I could.¡±

    The secretary quickly replied. ¡°Oh, I wasn''t trying to make fun of you for that. Since you weren''t, or at least we assume that you weren''t, raised in an aristocratic family, it would be unusual for you to have learned how to ballroom dance. Even if that was the case, you wouldn''t remember because of your amnesia, right? So, don''t worry. For not having danced for over a year, you were able to accommodate quite fast. It doesn''t look like...¡± He paused when she almost tripped over his foot and cleared his throat before resuming. ¡°It doesn''t look like you have been waltzing since your childhood, but it''s good enough.¡±

    Blanche herself was more than content with her progress. She didn''t want to dance at a ball in general, so she didn''t mind making mistakes. As long as she could dance alone with her lover in private, she was satisfied.

    The lesson ended as quickly as it had begun, and Leonard didn''t seem to want to waste any time before returning to the office. Though his sense of duty didn''t erase his annoyance at having no opportunity to take a break. On his way out of the guestroom, he cursed in a muffled voice, which reminded Blanche of something she had never thought about. Not only Theodore was suffering because of this massive workload, his secretary was too.

    And in the end, the country would be negatively influenced as well.

    After all, the emperor didn''t have the chance to take care of the smaller issues that he would normally solve. His exhaustion also wouldn''t serve to make him more concentrated while he worked on his document. The more tired he was, the more prone he was to making errors that could possibly cause problems later. Surely, this would change at the end of the novel, but until then, there were still ten months left. During that time, many issues could arise. Wouldn''t it be better to try to unburden Theodore a bit, even if the concubine was helpless?

    Blanche spoke up without finishing her thought. ¡°Leon, before you go, I have a short question.¡±

    Part of her didn''t expect him to stay longer, but Leon halted his movement. ¡°Yes?¡± This meant that this was her opportunity to tell him something, anything that might lessen the suffocating amount of work the emperor had to face.

    Blanche should have laid out the words in her mind first, but it was too late now. She couldn''t let Leonard wait when he felt pressured to return to Theodore''s side as quickly as possible, so she stuttered around a little. ¡°Uhm... I don''t know a lot about politics, so this might sound stupid, but... Why are you two working so hard, and why do the ministers get to spend all of their time with their families when you don''t?¡±

    Leonard froze at her inquiry. Naturally, he wouldn''t expect her to criticize the monarchy''s system that had been active in Artias for centuries. It wouldn''t be strange for him to dismiss her interjection completely, but he didn''t. ¡°That is not a simple question. To explain that, I would have to give you a lot of background information. I don''t know whether you are really that interested in this topic. If you are, I wouldn''t mind telling you about it in the carriage tomorrow. We''ll have about two hours during the travel to the capital and back to the palace, so filling these with a conversation might not be a bad idea.¡±

    She gladly agreed, and seconds after he said goodbye, Leonard had already left the room.

    Immediately, Stella stood up from the sofa on which she had waited and hurried to her mistress'' side. ¡°A carriage ride? Are we going out tomorrow?¡±

    Only now Blanche noticed that she had almost forgotten that her maid didn''t know anything about their plans yet. ¡°Oh, I should have told you sooner. Theo allowed me to travel to the city with Leon and a few guards so that we can buy a present. We''ll depart at noon but won''t stay out long since Theo needs his secretary back as soon as possible.¡±

    A beam adorned Stella''s face upon hearing this. ¡°It''s been a while, hasn''t it? I can''t remember the last time that we went into the capital together. I leave the palace so rarely that it feels like the whole scenery has changed whenever we see Esora from afar. Aren''t you excited too?¡±

    Blanche couldn''t tell her that she had visited the city only a few weeks ago and didn''t expect that it looked very different in comparison to her memory, so she smiled. Luckily, she didn''t have to fake that expression because she anticipated the trip nonetheless. Her life in the palace was fulfilling, and she adored every day here, except for the ones during which she had to interact with unpleasant people. But still, a little variety couldn''t hurt. ¡°Of course. How couldn''t I-¡± Before the concubine could finish, she had to interrupt herself and turn away to sneeze. Her maid offered her a handkerchief, which Blanche rejected. After sniffling for another second, she continued her previous sentence. ¡°Where was I? Ah, I meant to ask why I shouldn''t be excited. The last time I went out was months ago. We should definitely go to bed earlier so that we are well-rested tomorrow.¡±

    Stella cheerfully agreed and seemed to be eager to skip to the next day while complaining that time was passing too slowly.

    For Blanche, however, the following morning seemed to arrive rather fast. She had barely opened her eyes when Stella already dragged her out of her bed. At first, she was irritated by that since they still had hours until the departure, but she quickly realized why her maid was so intent on rushing her. After eating breakfast and dressing in a long lilac dress with rose ornaments and loose tulle sleeves, which Blanche found to be too elegant to go out in, she was pushed onto the stool by the dresser.

    For this special occasion, Stella had decided to style her mistress'' hair in a complicated manner instead of leaving it open like usual. The concubine almost dozed away while the other woman was busy combing each streak on its own and fastening them with countless small clasps that would be invisible later.

    When Blanche focused on the mirror again, her maid was already finished, and the result had absolutely been worth the time. Her hair had been loosely braided and was now flowing down over her left shoulder in a way that looked way more graceful than she had ever thought was possible. After staring at her reflection in awe, she met her maid''s eyes in the mirror. ¡°You''re incredibly good, Stella.¡±

    The compliment was enough to make a grin appear on the servant''s features. ¡°Thank you, My Lady. I''m glad that you like it. Though I should have been a little faster. We''ll have to get ready to leave now.¡±

    ¡°That''s fine. We didn''t have to-¡± A tingle in her nose cut Blanche off. For a few seconds, she thought that the sensation would disappear again, but in the end, she couldn''t prevent a sneeze from coming out.

    Stella observed the clasps in her mistress'' hair with worry and was only calmed when she made sure that they were still in place. ¡°It sure seems to be dusty in the palace. The rooms are being cleaned almost every day, but it doesn''t appear to get rid of everything.¡± The maid stayed silent before adding another sentence. ¡°Maybe it was too cold when we went stargazing. You aren''t getting sick, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, I''m not. I just sneezed twice. That''s all.¡± Blanche pretended to be sure about that, but she was rather scared of that possibility. If she had truly infected herself with some kind of disease and started to show symptoms now, that would ruin the ball. Either she would have to go there while feeling terrible or stay in her room.

    Though there wasn''t much of a choice for her to make since she couldn''t afford not to attend the empress'' birthday party. Anyone else could excuse themselves, but Blanche would definitely be accused of lying to avoid having to bow to Seraphina. She had to prevent negative rumors of that sort in any case, or she could forget being able to survive the book''s ending. The tea party had proved that she would be punished just because the heroine loathed her, even if she was innocent. So, Blanche had to work hard to improve the empress'' opinion about her until the other woman, and also the rest of noble society, tolerated her.

    Choosing a gift that Seraphina liked would give Blanche an advantage in that regard. However, insulting the heroine by not coming might erase any progress that she had previously made. Any errors that could occur would also cast a bad shadow on the concubine, so she had to show her best side at the ball. That would be much more difficult to do while she was sick, which meant that she had to avoid catching a cold under any circumstance.

    After all, the ball was important in more than one way. The concubine also needed to tell Sefare that she wouldn''t support his schemes anymore, and leaving this opportunity unused would only risk that she was forced to wait for even longer. And time was the one thing she didn''t have in this race against the original storyline.

    So, even though it was warm outside, Blanche decided to take a coat with her in case that it would be colder in the afternoon.

    The women left the room at a time that made it impossible to be tardy and thus arrived in front of the palace before Leonard was there. Still, the carriage was already standing by the entrance, and five knights were waiting in front of it. Once again, Theodore had exaggerated in terms of the number of guards that he had assigned to his lover. In the past, Blanche might have laughed about that, but after being aware of the many times that the inhabitants of the palace were in danger, she was glad to be protected by numerous skilled fighters.

    A moment after the women looked around, Leon''s voice sounded from behind her. ¡°Lady Blanche, you''re here already.¡±

    Blanche turned around to greet him and opened her mouth, only to freeze at the sight of the servant that was accompanying Leon. Stella next to her had a similar reaction and let out an angry huff when she made eye contact with the other man.

    Why did Harris have to be the one attending Leonard? There were hundreds of servants in the palace, and still, the secretary had chosen him for some reason. Couldn''t it have been anyone else?

    Despite her irritation about seeing that servant, Blanche gave her best to maintain a neutral expression, even though she assumed that she had failed. ¡°Good day, Leon.¡±

    Leonard returned the greeting with a small smile. ¡°Good day. It seems like everything is prepared already. Shall we head off then? I do not wish to rush you, but I need to return to His Majesty''s side as soon as possible.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That''s understandable. Since all of us are here, I have no problem with us departing now.¡± The only real issue was Harris'' presence, but speaking up about that and forcing Leonard to sacrifice time to find another servant would make Blanche feel stupid.

    So, she didn''t say anything else while approaching the carriage. Still, it became increasingly harder not to narrow her eyes at Harris when he opened the door for her and offered her hand to help her climb into the coach. However, since rejecting this might make the situation more uncomfortable, Blanche accepted his assistance but refused to meet his gaze and didn''t thank him, even though this gesture made her stomach tingle in a strangely familiar way. Her dismay grew as she saw how Harris didn''t help Stella, who had to latch onto the door frame to not fall. The two women exchanged an annoyed gaze when the maid took a seat next to her mistress.

    Leonard was the next one to enter the carriage and sat down on the bench across from them, after which Harris did the same. Blanche couldn''t see the guards but assumed that two of them would stand on the footboard at the back of the coach while the other three accompanied them by horse. With this, they were all ready.

    Leon waited for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Do you have a specific store in mind? If not, I know some with more expensive items.¡±

    Blanche looked at her maid, who pulled out Luciano''s note and handed it to Leonard, which the concubine commented on. ¡°Someone recommended this store to me. It might be worth it to visit this one, but I''m not sure.¡±

    The secretary took a few seconds to read the address and nodded. ¡°I know this one. I''ve been there a couple of times. I don''t know much about it, but they have all kinds of jewelry for wealthier customers, so you might find what you are searching for there.¡± He turned around and pulled the curtain, which covered the window to the coachman, aside to pass on their destination.

    The carriage began moving, and they left the royal estate through the golden main gate, where a group of servants was positioned to open and close it again. When they drove onto the broader street that led to the city, the horses started to run faster, but still, the bumps of the road were unnoticeable.

    After a minute of silence, Leon spoke up. ¡°Now that we have some time, we could readdress the topic you asked me about yesterday. I can''t go into any details.¡± He glanced at the two servants that were with them. ¡°But I can still give you an overview about the way that our nation is being governed.¡±

    Blanche immediately nodded. She couldn''t let go of this chance when such a long conversation would normally not be possible with her teacher. ¡°That would be kind of you.¡±

    Leonard complied and once again proved how good he was at making inexperienced people understand something. He explained how the monarchy in Artias originally was established and how it had developed over the years in an astonishingly simple way. Surely, he used some complicated terms, but these were the ones he had defined for Blanche during the last lessons or ones that were common enough for her to understand them. Even though the concubine had been aware of the most important parts of the country''s history, her knowledge obviously hadn''t covered everything, so it was fascinating to learn more.

    For the last four centuries, most of the laws had remained unchanged, and Theodore''s grandfather had been the first emperor to make smaller changes, which his son and the current emperor had also been doing on a greater scale. Still, the basic rules would be hard to alter, but as far as Blanche knew, her lover didn''t intend to do so anyway.

    The current system bestowed the predominant part of the power upon the emperor and a smaller but nevertheless impressing influence upon the empress.

    Although some rulers required the support of at least one of the mightiest aristocratic households, this was only necessary if there were clashes within the royal family regarding the succession to the throne. Sadly, this was what Theodore had to deal with since his mother, the dowager empress, and his brother were opposing him and could attempt to overthrow him with the help of other nobles. Aside from the danger of losing their authority to another contender to the crown or a riot of a majority of the aristocrats, emperors were basically untouchable though.

    To prevent the emperors from abusing their power, the position of the minister had been implemented into Artias'' government. There were usually six of them, and they came from the most influential households, who were mostly residing in the capital. They were the ones to attend meetings with the emperor and could offer advice to him, voice criticism and give their approval or disapproval regarding the initiation of new laws. If more than half of them, in this case four, denied these laws, the ruler wouldn''t be able to establish them. For this reason, the ministers were often the people that the emperor believed to have similar political stances as him. There were other cases too though. Duke Vasquez, for example, had only gained this title because he had too much influence to be left out of the council.

    Leonard was ready to evaluate this system even more when Blanche interrupted him. He had moved the conversation to the exact direction that she had wanted. She could address the topic of the workload now.

    So, the concubine began talking. ¡°I understand how the power is distributed, and it''s good that Theo has most of it, but he also has to the greatest amount of duties. Without you, he wouldn''t be able to finish all of them, and still, he barely has time to sleep or eat.¡±

    Leon nodded, which she took as her cue to resume.

    ¡°And I know that it''s been like this for centuries, however, I doubt that the previous emperors sacrificed themselves to the extent that he does it. They simply didn''t make any alterations to the laws and lived their lives in luxury. For them, this system might have worked, but currently, you can see that it doesn''t work. Not for a ruler that cares about his country and tries to find the best solutions for every little issue despite already having to prevent a war. That means that some changes have to be made, no matter how long this form of government has existed.¡± Blanche knew that Seraphina would have to be the one to make that change eventually, but it couldn''t hurt to mention something like this a little earlier, right? After all, it pained her to see how Theodore and Leon wrecked themselves when she knew that there was a simpler option.

    The more she talked, the more Leonard''s frown deepened like he got lost in thoughts while staring into the distance.

    Blanche would have favored it if Harris did the same, but instead of looking away, his gaze was trained onto her, and that didn''t change during her whole speech. She attempted to ignore this and focused on her words. She was trying to propose a solution that would unburden her lover and his secretary. It should be similar to Seraphina''s but not the exact same so that the heroine could still introduce hers in the future. A simplified version of that plan, which Blanche could explain with her lacking knowledge, wouldn''t change the novel''s storyline too much, right?

    Well, even if it did, the concubine had already made a lot of alterations. She had gotten closer to Theodore after their reconciliation, warned him about his enemies and wouldn''t play her role as the villainess. At this point, she didn''t mind changing another aspect if it meant that she could help Theodore.

    Blanche took a deep breath before trying to explain it properly. ¡°You should have noticed it by now. We have to change something soon. The emperor can''t take care of as many things as he does right now. So, you would have to transfer a portion of his duties to someone else while still granting him full authority over everything. The ministers are the ones who seem to be most competent to manage a section of affairs of the state. Wouldn''t it be possible to make them more helpful like that? Right now, they only exist to complicate the emperor''s work by dismissing all of his efforts with a ¡®no¡¯. Of course, Theo would have to get rid of the ministers he doesn''t trust first before introducing this rule, but it could be helpful to make some changes. There has to be a way to hold the ministers responsible for a few more duties while still maintaining the emperor''s right to make the final decision, right? You could make them manage smaller sections of Theo''s task, like the military or economy, while still letting him sign the final documents so that he can still steer the general development. ¡±

    When she finished, Leon didn''t reply immediately. He kept staring out of the window, and only after a few seconds of silence passed, he turned to Blanche. ¡°We''ve...never considered something like that. I don''t think that this would work in a manner that is similar to what you are imagining. That would require a very complicated set of new laws.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Just like that, all of her thoughts were rendered futile. It should have been obvious that Blanche wouldn''t be able to convey this idea as convincingly as Seraphina, whose knowledge of politics was significantly broader than the concubine''s. She lowered her head to not let Leon see the defeat on her face. Her one attempt at making the situation for Theodore better was dismissed, and now she had no idea how to help him in any other way. It seemed like she truly had to leave that task to the heroine. Did she really have to watch him in silence while her lover was about to collapse from exhaustion for the next ten months?

    Just as she balled her hands into fists, Leon spoke again. ¡°It might not be possible like that, but...maybe we...¡± He muttered to himself before he lifted his gaze to meet hers and continued in a louder tone. ¡°It''s certainly an interesting approach. I wasn''t aware that you care about governing that much. How did you come up with that idea?¡±

    ¡°I...uhm...¡±

    On the one hand, Blanche didn''t want to claim the heroine''s accomplishments for herself. But now, she would have to name a source. She had never talked to anyone about politics except for Theodore, Leon and possibly Stella. Suddenly explaining that she chatted with other nobles about such crucial topics was almost out of the question since Leonard knew that she didn''t have any friends outside the palace. However, she also couldn''t tell him that she had read it in a book. He was well aware of how much she despised reading, and it would be hard for anyone around her to believe that she would touch a book about politics.

    So, Blanche had no choice but to state that she had come up with this concept on her own. The heroine would survive having one moment with a bit less glory than originally intended, so it should be fine for Blanche to say this. ¡°I just thought that Theo has to work too much and that the ministers were useless. The rest somehow appeared in my mind while you talked about our government''s history. These are stupid reasons to try to change the oldest laws in our nation, aren''t they?¡±

    Leonard''s lips formed a slight smile before replying. ¡°Actually, most laws are based on such simple thoughts. You notice that there is a problem and attempt to solve it. That''s how the whole constitution originated. So, these aren''t stupid reasons at all. It''s never worse to think about how to improve the world than to just accept it how it is.¡±

    These words created a warm tingle in Blanche''s chest and painted a grin onto her face. Her idea might not have been helpful, but at least Leon had praised it, which meant that it couldn''t have been completely unrealistic. Her beam didn''t falter even after her teacher had begun to talk and gave her a more detailed explanation of Artias'' form of government. This joy might have lasted for the rest of the ride too if she hadn''t had the constant feeling of a pair of eyes observing her.

    Sure enough, whenever she glanced over at Harris, he was still focused on her, which increased her annoyance quickly. Didn''t he have anything better to looked at? The carriage passed by countless different terrains ranging from a forest to a wide field, and the view was certainly more interesting than staring at the same person was.

    It also didn''t help that Blanche couldn''t turn away since she wanted to show Leon that she was paying attention to what he was saying and thus always saw Harris from the corner of her eyes. She gave her best to ignore the servant and concentrated on her teacher''s voice, but that was easier said than done.

    Consequently, Blanche was a little relieved when they arrived at the city gate and Leonard stopped talking so that she could focus on the view of the capital''s streets. The scenery didn''t seem familiar to her, so she assumed that they had entered the town through a different gate than the one she had used the last time. A surprisingly small amount of people crowded on the roads, and most of them were dressed in clothing that was more expensive than any commoner could ever afford. Seemingly, Leon had been right about the store being in a wealthy district.

    The carriage had no problem passing through the almost empty streets and stopped in front of a building with a cream-colored facade, which was decorated with countless ornaments. Massive display windows offered an unobstructed view of the items that were currently on sale.

    One glance was enough to realize that this store relied on selling jewelry to a few very prosperous customers since the greatest portion of citizens of Artias probably wouldn''t be able to buy the cheapest showpiece. This meant that anything that the concubine chose here would have the value that was required to not offend the empress, which relieved her immensely.

    The door of the carriage was opened from the outside by one of the guards. The two servants climbed out first, and Blanche followed them. Luckily, the knight was the one to offer her a hand, and she thanked him, which painted a perplexed expression on his face. She grinned at that, but as soon as Blanche let her gaze roam across her surroundings, the corners of her lips sank again, and her stomach twisted in a nauseating manner.

    Had they broken some kind of rule by halting in front of the store? Otherwise, it wouldn''t make sense for every other person on the street to stare at them.

    Leon, who had left the carriage as well, seemed to notice her uncertainty and moved closer to her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Blanche looked around once more to confirm that she hadn''t imagined it and spoke up when she saw that everyone''s eyes were still following them. ¡°Why are all the people watching us? We didn''t offend anyone by coming into this part of town, right?¡± That wouldn''t make sense since the stores needed customers to survive. And the spectators didn''t appear like they were angry either, just curious.

    Leonard took his time to look around once and then faced Blanche again. He wasn''t intimidated by the many gazes directed at them, or at least his expression made it seem like he wasn''t. ¡°No, I don''t think that they dislike us being here. They are simply excited to see someone from the palace.¡±

    ¡°How would they know that we''re from the palace? Because there are so many guards with us?¡±

    He gestured to decorations on the carriage. ¡°The royal crest makes it pretty obvious that we are connected to the royal family in some manner, and I assume that most of the people here are aristocrats. They are capable of concluding that a woman in extravagant clothes that comes from the palace and isn''t the empress might be the person they heard rumors about.¡± He was right.

    It was logical that the gossip about the emperor having an affair had spread into the lower ranks of nobility, to the people who didn''t necessarily attend the events in the palace and thus had never met Blanche. That was just great in terms of trying to limit the rumors.

    ¡°I see.¡± Even though these people didn''t mean any harm, Blanche felt unwell with knowing that they watched her every movement. She would rather enter the store quickly to be shielded from their gazes, and apparently, Leon had the same thought.

    He approached the building at a slow pace so that she didn''t have any trouble catching up to him. The servants and two guards trailed behind them while the other three knights stayed to protect the carriage.

    Leonard spoke up again before they had even reached the entrance. ¡°So, you think that five is a big number for guards that are accompanying you?¡±

    Blanche was a little taken aback by that and turned her head to see the small smirk that had formed on his face. ¡°Yes. I mean, we are only two people and two servants. Even if one knight attends one person, one guard still has nothing to do. And we are in a safe part of the capital, right? So, bringing this many people with you isn''t necessary at all.¡±

    ¡°You do know that our emperor doesn''t travel with less than twenty knights that are just there for his protection?¡±

    A frown appeared on Blanche''s face. What did Leon want to tell her with that? Wasn''t it obvious that Theodore, as Artias'' ruler, was in far greater danger than she was? ¡°Well, as you just said, he is the emperor. It would be reckless to go out without that much protection, and the empress is in a similar situation. I don''t have much political power, so I don''t have to worry about anything but a coincidental attack by bandits.¡±

    Her argument caused Leonard to let out a quiet huff, which made her pause. Had she said something funny? She wasn''t sure, and the secretary didn''t react to her confused expression. They arrived at the door, and Leon opened the door for her while he turned to her again. ¡°You can rest assured that your lover is more concerned for your well-being than you are. If I wasn''t here, there would be no way that you could travel without at least fifteen guards.¡±

    Blanched looked at him with bewilderment. She didn''t want to doubt his words, but how would anyone be able to replace ten of the most skillful knights in the whole country?

    Leon didn''t give her a chance to question him as he vanished into the store, and she hurried to follow him.

 Chapter 55: Jeweler

    The inside of the jeweler''s store was adorned with lavish furniture and a generous amount of decorations that only underlined the impression that the expensive facade had already built up. The center of the huge room was framed with many display tables that were covered with glass, which were filled with jewelry that glittered in the light of the extravagant chandelier.

    Immediately, Blanche felt the need to try on all the accessories she saw. Her eyes probably shone with admiration, so she wouldn''t be surprised if the vendor, a young woman in a neat costume, rushed over to them because she sensed an opportunity to make a profit.

    The vendor spoke up without skipping a beat. ¡°Welcome to our humble establishment. I hope that you will enjoy your stay. I will help you find anything that fulfills your demands to the best of my ability. Could I offer you some freshly brewed tea?¡±

    Normally, Blanche would have agreed without hesitation, but today she didn''t wish to spend more time in the store than she had to. Leonard had to return to Theodore''s side quickly. In addition, she already began to fall for every single one of the gorgeous accessories before even catching a glimpse of them from close proximity. She didn''t want to buy anything for herself, so she had to get out quickly. ¡°Thank you for the offer, but that isn''t necessary.¡±

    The saleswoman put on a polite smile that had to have been perfected over the years of working in a boutique. ¡°If the lady changes her mind, please do not hesitate to tell me. Is there anything I can assist you with? Are you searching for something specific?¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°No, I will look around on my own. I''ll inform you if I need anything else.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to take your time.¡± The vendor told her that in a soft voice before returning to the counter, where she had previously stood.

    Leon let his gaze roam across the whole room, which was being guarded by multiple knights that were positioned in each of the corners. He turned to the concubine. ¡°I will get an overview of the items as well. If you make your choice, let me know. I might be able to persuade them to lower the price.¡±

    Blanche froze in her place while the secretary began to circle the display tables. Usually, jewelers didn''t negotiate, especially ones with such financially strong clientele. What made Leonard believe that he would be able to convince them to agree to his bargain? Though on the other hand, he was the emperor''s advisor, which revealed that he had to be more intelligent than most others. He probably had a way with words.

    The concubine turned away from him and spun around twice to determine where she should start her inspection. Quickly, Blanche realized that she would have to fight her materialistic side unless she wanted to beg Leon to buy every item here. It would be best to not look at the things for too long, or she would risk falling in love with some of these accessories, and then she would struggle to leave them behind. She wasn''t here to get anything for herself but only for the empress, so she had to keep her calm during her examination.

    After forcing herself to pass by a few displays that seemed to hold necklaces and bracelets, which were begging her to buy them, Blanche began to freeze a bit. She turned to Stella, who was walking behind her. ¡°Isn''t it rather cold in here? In such a store, you would expect them to heat the premises at least a bit. Or is it better for the jewelry like this?¡±

    The maid looked at her with bewilderment. ¡°I don''t think that it''s that cold. Do you want to put on your coat?¡±

    Blanche accepted her offer with thanks before continuing to look at the displayed items. She finished examining the accessories in the main hall and entered the side room, where a considerably smaller amount of jewelry was stored. However, even without any experience, she could tell that these items were much more expensive than the other ones had been. In her case, that wasn''t dejecting but a good sign. A present for the empress had to be of a higher value, so she was in the perfect section.

    And as if destiny had guided her, Blanche''s eyes instantly fell onto the greatest display in the middle of that room. Something drew her towards it, and as soon as she looked at the accessories on it, she knew why. She had been extremely lucky for once.

    The glass covered a set out of multiple accessories, including a necklace, earrings and a tiara made out of gold with sapphires.

    ¡°It''s perfect.¡± Blanche couldn''t help but mutter in awe while she stared that the beauty that was directly in front of her. She couldn''t know without lifting it, but the tiara looked like it was rather light despite obviously having been created by someone with great craftsmanship.

    A little voice in her mind squealed at seeing this and encouraged her to try it on. It took all of her self-control not to listen to that demand, and the longer she inspected these accessories, the harder it became to struggle against that selfish part of herself. How fitting her personality was for a villainess. Which reader wouldn''t be annoyed by a materialistic brat that regularly attempted to steal the heroine''s possessions?

    Quickly, Blanche turned away and searched for Leon. Since she had found a gift now, he would only have to take a look at it and confirm whether it would be alright to hand this over to the empress, and they could leave. Though before she even reached the main room, she froze in her tracks upon noticing another isolated display. Curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped closer to find out what item was special enough to be put there.

    At the moment that she saw the earrings, she knew that she had made a mistake.

    Not only did Blanche want to own them under any circumstance despite not intending to buy anything for herself, they were also in the royal colors, which was the one thing that she should avoid. But her legs already refused to move from the spot where she stood and forced her to gawk at the jewelry even longer. Four little sapphires were embedded in a frame of gold that was skillfully processed and connected by gold chains that were so slim that they looked like threads. They were too exquisite to ignore them and would match with the necklace Theodore had gifted her so well. Blanche was interrupted before she could fall for these earrings even more though.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Leonard''s voice sounded from directly behind her.

    Blanche flinched and whipped her head around to meet his gaze. ¡°Ah... Yes, I did.¡± The secretary''s presence helped her to overcome her weaker self despite doing it with a heavy heart. She felt like a child whose sweets had been taken away from her as she took a last yearning look at the earrings before leading Leon to the other display. ¡°After pondering about it for a while, I remembered that the empress has a lot of massive headdresses but no lighter ones. So, I thought that this tiara and the matching set might be good for her. I wouldn''t know what else she could possibly like, and this seems to be a solid choice.¡±

    For a moment, Leon remained quiet and leaned forward to inspect the jewelry. ¡°I''d have to ask the vendor to take this out of the display to examine it completely, but at the first glance, it does seem to be well-made.¡± He lifted his head to meet her gaze. ¡°I didn''t expect you to actually put so much thought into it. I mean, I didn''t say that to offend you. It''s just that the empress'' gift for your birthday last year wasn''t very...kind. So, I assumed that you would return the favor.¡±

    It was true that Seraphina had gotten revenge for Blanche ¡®forgetting¡¯ to buy a present by handing an item with a double meaning to the concubine.

    Last year, Theodore had wanted to organize a small event with only a few guests and asked Blanche to decide which date she liked. Since she didn''t actually have amnesia and remembered her birthday, she just chose the real date, which had promptly been used. The party had been joyful, and Blanche hadn''t believed that the empress would show up. Though, naturally, the heroine hadn''t ignored the conventions that forced her to attend the birthday party of the emperor''s guest.

    When Blanche had gotten the box with the gift from Seraphina, she had been even more surprised. Still, she had remained cautious, which then had been proven to be the correct approach. At first, the gift had seemed like a stunning bracelet with a connected ring, but after some time, two things had become obvious.

    For one, the accessory might have looked like it was expensive, but that wasn''t the case. The light blue gemstones that adorned the silver weren''t actually real gemstones. Instead, they were made out of some mineral that was commonly found at the coast of Artias for a month every year. When these stones were freshly taken out of the water, they were beautiful, but the older they got, the more they lost their color and began to crumble away. This meant that the most valuable thing about them was their appearance, and they were only a temporary form of amusement. With such a gift, Seraphina had suggested that the new owner of that bracelet was similar to the accessory.

    Secondly, the ring was way too small to fit anyone that wasn''t a toddler. Blanche wasn''t sure whether that was supposed to hint that she behaved like a child or that she would never be Theodore''s wife or both. Either way, those suggestions had hurt her more than she would like to admit.

    In the end, the heroine had put an awfully big amount of thought into finding a gift that insulted the concubine, and Blanche would have to lie if she said that she wasn''t still a bit angry about that. After all, most of the guests had been aware of the hidden insult that the present veiled. Though she probably deserved it for trying to humiliate the empress in front of every aristocrat in the capital on multiple occasions. At least she hadn''t shown too much joy about the bracelet because she had doubted that Seraphina would simply give her something so gorgeous without a catch, so she hadn''t embarrassed herself.

    And ultimately, she was glad to have received that gift since Theodore had felt guilty and bought her a similar bracelet that wouldn''t fall apart. She loved that accessory and had worn it quite a few times in the past, admittedly also in front of the empress, just to remind her that the emperor had turned the provocation into yet another present for his concubine.

    Blanche didn''t explain any of that though. She just shrugged. ¡°Surely, that wasn''t nice of her, but I guess I wasn''t friendly to her either. It was her revenge for announcing that I forgot her birthday in front of everyone, so it was deserved. Repeating that cycle won''t do both of us any good. So, I decided to behave like a normal person instead of a sulky brat this time.¡±

    Leonard paused to scan her expression. That reaction was a little offending.

    Was it really that unbelievable that Blanche could try to avoid stirring up trouble for once? Her actions during the last three months should have proven that she had changed. But apparently, most people would take longer to truly believe her. Hopefully, they would take note of her change before she was doomed at the original end of the novel. Nine months didn''t seem to be so far away when her life depended on it.

    After realizing that the concubine wouldn''t add anything, Leon finally broke through the silence. ¡°You''re right. About not repeating the cycle, I mean. This gift seems to be a solid choice, so let me take care of it. I''m going to talk to the vendor now. It might require a couple of minutes to convince her to lower the cost a bit, so you can continue to look around in that time. In the worst case, we''ll have to pay the original price. It''s not like we don''t have enough, but...ten-thousand gold coins is still a hefty sum.¡±

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    Blanche almost choked upon hearing this. ¡°Ten-thousand?¡± She didn''t know a lot about Artias'' economy or money in general since she had never worked or earned anything on her own. But even she knew that that was a big amount. If she remembered correctly, a less wealthy citizen would earn about a total of a thousand gold coins in their lifetime. Paying tenfold for one set of jewelry seemed to be excessive. Though it was for the empress, the female head of a society that was based on spending your wealth on luxury items, so it was probably fine. Still, Blanche was a little bedazzled by that large sum, which caused Leon to raise an eyebrow.

    ¡°That isn''t even the most valuable accessories that the royal family owns. If that makes you speechless, you don''t want to know how expensive the crowns and thrones were. You also never asked how much the gifts that our emperor buys you are worth, right?¡± Leon was right. She hadn''t.

    In fact, Blanche had always been focused on her desire to possess dresses or jewelry and not on how high the costs for Theodore had to be. Being confronted with that made her feel a bit bad. ¡°I should ask for less, shouldn''t I?¡± Voicing that question was pretty useless when she knew the answer herself.

    However, Leonard''s expression didn''t turn accusatory. He just shrugged. ¡°Your lover can afford it, so I wouldn''t worry too much. If he couldn''t give you something, he would always be honest about that. That means that anything that you own was in line with the budget. Though I doubt that you''d be able to use up all the royal family''s funds, even if you bought everything you desired for your whole life. But I still can''t help wanting to lower the price when I''m able to. I''ll try to get it down to nine-thousand, but since the carriage shows that we are from the palace, I''m uncertain whether they won''t attempt to raise the cost instead.¡±

    With that, Leon steered towards the counter, where the vendor was already waiting for him with shiny eyes. She probably expected to make the sale of the year and was eager to sign the contract.

    Instead of following Leon''s advice and inspecting the rest of the displayed jewelry, Blanche walked to the waiting area and sat down on one of the fluffy, red sofas. The earrings from before had already burned themselves into her memory, and she wanted to buy them so badly. She didn''t need to add even more accessories to the list of items that she desired but wouldn''t allow herself to have. Because of this, she stayed put while trying to not look around too much.

    Fighting the side of her that wanted to possess everything, especially the things Seraphina had, was crucial. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to win later when her life depended on it.

    Unfortunately, others didn''t know that, which made Blanche''s lacking enthusiasm a bit strange to witness.

    Stella positioned herself next to the couch and let her gaze wander across the store before speaking up with obvious confusion. ¡°Won''t you choose anything for yourself, My Lady? I''ve seen so many beautiful hair ornaments that would match with a few of your dresses.¡±

    Blanche was almost tempted to ask whether there were some necklaces with amethysts that could go with her purple butterfly ornament, but she forced herself to decline. ¡°Actually, I wasn''t going to take anything. I own so much already, so I don''t necessarily need more jewelry.¡±

    Before Blanche was even finished, Stella began frowning. ¡°Well, you never really need jewelry. It''s more about-¡± The maid interrupted herself, and immediately, her body language revealed that something had soured her mood. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes at whoever had approached them.

    The concubine followed the other woman''s gaze and quickly felt the desire to imitate that expression. They had unwanted company.

    Harris had advanced towards them and was now standing directly in front of the sofa while staring at Blanche. Though being watched by him wasn''t as annoying as before. Instead, it was rather unsettling how he kept observing her despite seeing that she had noticed as if he was completely lost in thought.

    For a while, all of them were quiet until Stella became more and more frustrated and finally snapped at him. ¡°What are you looking at? Don''t you have something to do?¡±

    When Harris evaded her gaze and flinched slightly at the harsh tone, Blanche believed him for a moment before she remembered who the person in front of her was. He was an actor much like Claude and Luciano Vasquez were. The only difference was that he was acting in a way that no one would realize that he wasn''t being honest. The two others didn''t even attempt to hide that ill intentions were veiled behind their smiles. It was disturbing how genuine Harris'' expressions looked. If Blanche hadn''t heard about his twisted personality and witnessed it herself, she would definitely have been on his side.

    The hurt on Harris'' features really made it appear like he was shocked by his colleague''s anger. He bowed down before slowly lifting his head and meeting her gaze. ¡°I apologize for troubling you, Lady Blanche. That wasn''t my intention.¡± He replied in a weak voice that sounded as if he was the victim of Stella''s unjustified resentment.

    The concubine clenched her fists and attempted to keep her expression as neutral as possible. Most likely, she was failing since she was a horrible actress in contrast to him, but she still gave her best. She didn''t want to start a fight with him in public and cause trouble for Leon or the vendor after all. Being badmouthed by the manipulative servant with many connections because she angered him also wasn''t her goal since that could ruin her reputation completely. She had to be careful. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± She had spoken with all the calmness that she could muster, and surprisingly, the result sounded almost as she had intended it to.

    Harris glanced to the side and fidgeted with his fingers, which made his uncertainty seem so real that it actually scared her. How could someone, especially a servant, have such astonishing self-control over his whole body? It was like both his facial expressions and the movements of his limps were intentionally performed to create a flawless act. ¡°If Lady Blanche allowed me to, I would like to ask you a question.¡± He was probably pretending to be so submissive in hopes of pleasing the emperor''s lover, who had previously been known to strive for more authority than she had.

    In the last three months, Blanche hadn''t behaved like that, but right now, she felt like being a little arrogant was appropriate. She leaned against the backrest and crossed her legs. For a moment, she gazed at him, with her head being slightly tilted upwards so that she could look down on him a bit. But unfortunately, that was hard to do since he was standing, and she was seated. This wasn''t all that made her feel like she wasn''t intimidating at all though. Why could she swear that she had talked to Harris like this already? This didn''t feel new at all. Maybe Stella had acted similarly before. That had to be it.

    After letting Harris wait for a couple of seconds, Blanche replied while trying to seem as confident as possible. ¡°You may.¡±

    Slowly, Harris straightened his posture. He glanced at Stella before making eye contact with the concubine. ¡°I don''t mean to surprise you with this, but...today it seemed like you dislike me. A similar situation arose in the kitchen a while ago, in which you sent me away despite me being unaware of a reason. As a servant of the royal palace, it is unacceptable for me to have offended the esteemed guest of His Majesty, which is why I dared to disturb you. I would appreciate it if you were generous enough to inform me which of my actions upset you. I will immediately apologize and make sure that something like that will never happen in the future.¡±

    Blanche''s first instinct was to tell him that his mere existence was troublesome to her because she couldn''t figure out why she knew him. She felt like some part of her didn''t want to blame him despite him being so horrible, and that made her angry. His facade of fake innocence and her own indecisiveness filled her with more wrath with every passing second, but she bit her tongue. She couldn''t risk giving this manipulator ammunition that he could use against her later. Still, she couldn''t help but be annoyed at his pretense. How could he pretend not to know that his abhorrent treatment of her friend and his insults directed at her caused her to hate him? Blanche''s eyes narrowed, and she began tapping her fingers onto the armrest to distract herself. ¡°You truly expect me to believe that you are completely unaware of what you did to upset me?¡±

    The reply by Harris followed instantly, still with the same weak mask in place. ¡°I truly don''t know. I have never purposefully done anything to offend any person in the palace, be it a member of the staff or a guest. In particular, I wouldn''t deliberately trouble Lady Blanche. But I am aware of the fact that, most likely, someone has fed you lies about me.¡± That was a pretty daring accusation.

    At that point, Blanche''s anger became a bit greater than her confusion. If someone accused her friends of lying, she got grumpy. False accusations in general made her boil, so this wasn''t surprising. Hiding her growing irritation became harder with each word that came out of his mouth. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Even now her voice already sounded much more annoyed than she wanted it to.

    Harris still replied with an expression that would make him seem like the victim. ¡°During the last weeks, you repeatedly spend your time with four members of the staff. I heard other servants speak about it and have seen it for myself on a few occasions. It''s wonderful that you get along well, but those are the four people who happen to despise me. Three of them hated me since the first day that we met. The other one was my friend for years and suddenly decided to turn away from me to become closer to them. That group has made it their task to slander me behind my back and get every colleague of mine to resent me as well.¡±

    Blanche saw that Stella clenched her fists from the corner of her eyes. She felt similarly about the situation as her maid did. She was struggling to not explode upon being faced with such ridiculous statements but decided to wait until he finished. Once again, she was glad that she had witnessed Harris'' malicious side herself. Otherwise, his brilliant acting might have caused her to question her friends.

    And yet, a little voice in the backside of her head told her that this might just be a misunderstanding. That everything could possibly be resolved if the concerned people just talked with each other. But of course, Blanche didn''t say that. She kept quiet while Harris continued.

    ¡°Luckily, most servants haven''t fallen for their made-up stories. Still, I worry about them eventually ruining my life.¡± Harris genuinely seemed scared as he said that. ¡°They intend to harm me with their lies after all. That is why I am approaching you about that. I can''t do anything but ask you to not carelessly believe what they are saying. I''m not a bad person, even if they keep on stressing that.¡±

    When he finally stopped talking, Blanche opened her mouth, but Stella beat her to it. ¡°Are you joking? Did you forget what happened in the kitchen? You insulted My Lady in front of the whole staff, and everyone who was there can confirm that.¡± The maid sounded like she would rather have yelled at him, but her hissing was conveying her rage convincingly enough.

    Though that still didn''t cause Harris to drop the act. His fake confusion couldn''t be differentiated from an honest display of perplexity even after observing him closely. ¡°What are you talking about? I remember that we had a discussion with one of Her Majesty''s maids in the kitchen, but I never insulted Lady Blanche. Was that why you were so angry? Did you think that I was trying to offend her? You misunderstood! I would never do something like that. If any of my remarks made you believe that, I will gladly apologize for it a dozen times.¡± Now he pretended to be agitated by Stella''s words, which only served to increase the irritation of both the maid and the mistress.

    Stella couldn''t help but raise her voice. ¡°I misunderstood? Are you even listening to yourself? You don''t really believe those lies you are sprouting, right? How would I misunderstand it when you called her a whore? No matter what you say, that won''t justify those insults!¡±

    Harris'' eyes widened as if he was shocked to be accused of something like that. ¡°Lady Blanche, I never said something like that! I wouldn''t dream about be so insolent to voice such offending things about you. I don''t know why your maid wants to-¡±

    Blanche cut him off there. She had listened to him long enough and wouldn''t let him try to cast the blame on Stella. ¡°Maybe I''d be more prone to believe you if I hadn''t seen you saying things to my friend with the sole purpose of angering them.¡± Harris'' expression already told her that he would deny it again, so she didn''t even allow him to speak up. ¡°When I threw you out of the kitchen, you were about to insult Angelica, Darlene and George. I overheard a great portion of the conversation, so I know exactly that you provoked them and Clark. You did the same to him and George on the day Stella returned from her vacation just because they talked to me.¡± That certainly made it seem like he despised the concubine. Even if she could swear that Harris had done something in the novel, which made things seem a bit different.

    Realization crossed Harris'' features, and Blanche thought that he would finally give in. But in the end, that only proved to be part of his act. ¡°I have to admit that I....might have lashed out at them. I''m not proud of that, but...¡± He began and left a pause, in which he balled his fists. ¡°I snapped in those moments. These are the individuals that have been trying to make me lose all the people that I care about, you see? Of course, I can''t always control my anger around them despite my efforts. Especially when Clark is involved. He was my best friend for years! Then he started to argue with me every day, and then overnight, he decided to join the people who have done nothing but slandering me.¡±

    Stella had enough now. ¡°Stop playing the victim! You, you-¡± She interrupted herself just in time before an insult would come out of her mouth but still glared daggers at Harris.

    Blanche used the silence that followed to voice her thoughts while trying to sound calm despite her growing irritation. ¡°I heard that Clark and you were friends and had a fallout. You shouldn''t blame him for finding new friends nor should you act like others are the core of all of your issues. Did you never consider that your friendship might have ended because he realized how terrible your personality truly is?¡±

    Harris froze at that. He lowered his head for a moment, which made her believe that he would finally give up. Nevertheless, he spoke up with a slight tremble in his voice. ¡°Please don''t say that. Do you know why we had that fallout? It was because the person I believed to be my friend suddenly revealed that he believed rumors over facts and was overly hateful toward people he hadn''t even met. That began exactly eighteen months ago. Do you even have the slightest idea what event made us fight?¡±

    ¡°I don''t.¡± Blanche had no idea. Clark had never opened up about that, and his friends hadn''t revealed a lot either. She didn''t feel like she could ask questions here either since that was Clark''s story to tell. She wasn''t asked at all though.

    Harris stared at the floor while shaking with aggravation and continued without hesitation. ¡°We fought right after your arrival. Naturally, we didn''t separate solely because of that, but our regular arguments began because of your presence. It was because we had very different opinions regarding you, Lady Blanche.¡±

    It would be an understatement to say that Blanche was taken aback. How would she have been the reason for that? She took a couple of seconds to collect herself before responding when she came up with a possible reason. ¡°Oh, I can imagine. Small disagreements can make someone find out how mean the other person can truly be. I assume that you ran your mouth about me and insulted me in as many ways as possible while Clark defended me, right?¡±

    Harris stayed silent for a moment. Then he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. His eyes showed nothing but sincerity when he answered. ¡°The situation was like that. But it was the other way around. I was the one who defended you.¡±

    That seemed highly unlikely.

 Chapter 56: Lies and A Mysterious Gift

    Harris could have said a lot about being accused of slandering Blanche while Clark had defended her. But instead of denying that those discussions with his former friend had happened, he said something that was far worse with an expression that seemed almost too pained to be an act. ¡°The situation was like that. But it was the other way around. I was the one who defended you.¡±

    Blanche opened her mouth and closed it without saying anything. Harris had to be lying again. It didn''t make sense for him to have been on her side while Clark badmouthed her. Harris had voiced so many insulting things about her. Why would he go from standing up for her to hating her this much? And Clark had become her friend over the course of the last weeks. She couldn''t imagine that he would have been the party that despised her. Even though she expected that this was a lie, she couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by this statement. She paused to regain composure and still needed a few attempts to form actual words.

    Then, as if a memory had been reawakened by this sentence, she could swear that she remembered Harris'' role in the novel. But at that very moment, her thought process was interrupted, and the memory slipped out of her fingers.

    But before she could voice her disappointment, Leon, who had distracted her, already spoke. ¡°I managed to get it for nine-thousand. It took a while, but that was worth it. The set will be delivered to the palace by the day after tomorrow. Are you ready to leave, or is there something else you want to buy?¡±

    It had been unfortunate that he had spoken before Blanche could. Now she had forgotten what she had thought about a moment ago. That was so frustrating that she almost wanted to mutter some curse words, but she forced herself to calm down. And after a short moment, she realized that all of this might just have been Harris'' plan to confuse her. The few seconds of a break were enough to make her remember who she was talking to. She had truly been foolish enough to consider believing Harris for a moment. She had seriously thought about asking whether he remembered why she felt like she knew him, even though that was obviously a stupid idea. His acting skills were clearly the one thing about him that she needed to look out for. It would be best to avoid him as much as possible, or she might be completely confused by his web of lies.

    Blanche shook her head and exiled all thoughts of the previous conversation to the back of her mind. She didn''t have to concern herself with any of the words that came out of Harris'' mouth. She felt like she would need to face a lot of unpleasant questions if she did that. So, she distracted herself and spoke up. ¡°I don''t need anything else. We can leave if you''re done.¡±

    Leon scanned her with skepticism before nodding. ¡°Alright, then let us return to the palace.¡± He waited for her to stand up and walked to the entrance.

    Blanche followed him, with Stella directly next to her. From the corner of her eye, she had caught a glimpse of Harris trailing behind them, but she didn''t care enough to turn around. Instead, she tried to be happy about having found a gift to avoid worrying, but she was interrupted again.

    Just when they reached the door, the vendor raised her voice. ¡°Please wait for a moment!¡± The group stopped in their tracks and faced the vendor, who was hurrying towards them with a wooden box in her hands. She was careful not to move the container too much and came to a halt in front of the concubine. ¡°I apologize for delaying your departure. I couldn''t help but notice the royal crest adorning your carriage. In addition, your appearance perfectly matches the description I was given. Could you possibly be Lady Blanche of the royal palace?¡±

    A little jolt wandered through the concubine''s body at that question, and her heart skipped a beat. It might not be unusual for well-known nobles to be recognized in public and addressed, but she had never been identified. Some people had stared at her and probably been aware of who she was, but they hadn''t asked her to confirm their guess.

    She wanted to reply, but Leonard was faster than she was. ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡± His voice was layered with a surprising amount of caution, which didn''t seem to be appropriate for such a simple question.

    The vendor even flinched slightly at the sharp edge that had accompanied his words before she responded. ¡°The owner of this establishment ordered me to hand this over to her as a gift.¡± She held the box in Blanche''s direction.

    The concubine was hesitant to take it and stared at the container with a frown. She looked up at the vendor and then turned to Leon. ¡°But I don''t know anyone from outside the palace. Why would a stranger want to give me a present?¡±

    Momentarily, the secretary seemed to be as indecisive as she was. He examined the box from afar before speaking up. ¡°Take it.¡± After those two words, he remained quiet and left Blanche with even more uncertainty than previously.

    She didn''t want to receive an undefined object from an unknown person for no apparent reason and bring it into the palace. It also seemed suspicious that the ¡®owner¡¯ had planned for her to come here. How could they have known that she was going to buy jewelry in this store? Her doubts were definitely legitimized. On the other hand, Leonard had sounded like he was convinced that this was the right choice, and she trusted his judgment.

    Blanche sighed inwardly but extended her arms and allowed the vendor to put the container in her hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked down. The box was made from mahogany wood, and the lid was covered with flower ornaments that seemed to be gilded as they glittered in the light from the chandelier.

    The vendor, who made a small bow, replied quickly. ¡°I am only carrying out my duties. The owner sincerely hopes that you like this gift. Your purchases will be delivered to the palace by the day after tomorrow. If you are content with the items, please feel free to visit us again in the near future. Have a nice day.¡±

    Leon returned the greeting curtly before leaving the store.

    Blanche followed him slowly, with her gaze still focused on the box. She only looked away to go down the stairs and intended to inspect the present from up close, but Stella took it from her hands.

    The maid wasn''t quite serious but also not amused as she spoke. ¡°You should enter the carriage first, My Lady. We don''t want to drop whatever is inside.¡±

    Blanche held back her curiosity and agreed. She climbed into the coach and took a seat in the same place that she had sat on during the journey there. After Leonard and the servants followed her, Stella returned the box to her. The concubine didn''t even wait until the carriage was moving before opening the container.

    Inside was a necklace with numerous small emeralds and citrines, as well as ornaments that looked like flowers were entwining themselves around the thin gold chain. It was gorgeous. Within seconds, Blanche''s doubts were struggling against the danger of being washed away by her awe at seeing such a beautiful accessory. Her fingers reached for the necklace, but before she could touch it, the lid was closed.

    Leon ripped the box from her grasp. ¡°We are going to let an expert inspect it, and if nothing is wrong with it, I''ll return it to you. We can''t take any risks by accepting a stranger''s gifts without making sure that they harbor no evil intentions. I hope that you aren''t too upset because of that.¡±

    Blanche shook her head slightly. Her intention was more reminding herself to think clearly than responding, so she added her reply. ¡°No, I understand. I think that it''s odd that someone who doesn''t know me would give me such an expensive item. Well, I have no idea whether it is expensive, but it looks like it would be.¡±

    Leonard lifted the cover and observed the contents of the box for a while. ¡°This is definitely very well-made. It''s just a guess, but I would estimate the costs for this piece of jewelry to be as high as the price we paid for the set you chose for the empress.¡± That made this even more suspicious.

    ¡°Really? But giving away something like that for free is ridiculous.¡±

    Leon closed the box again and leaned his elbow onto the window frame of the carriage door. ¡°That might be an attempt to curry favor with His Majesty. Maybe they assume that gifting you an expensive present will make us owe them. The logic behind that is twisted, but that is a possibility.¡± He was quiet for another moment, in which he stared at the container in his hands. Slowly, he looked up at Blanche again with a serious expression on his features. ¡°Still, that is an awfully big amount of money that they just bargained away. Not everyone can afford that. Are you sure that you don''t know anyone that might be the owner of that store?¡±

    There wasn''t a person who had admitted to owning a jeweler''s shop, right? Blanche couldn''t remember conversing about that topic either. The only one who had talked about the jeweler''s store with her was Luciano. He had given her the address after she admitted to wanting to buy a present for the empress. She froze at that. Was he the owner of the store? That didn''t seem very likely given his young age. His family might be wealthy enough to have bought such a luxurious shop, but wouldn''t his more experienced father take care of the businesses then? She was pretty sure that Duke Vasquez had mentioned that his son was traveling to the city to collect the taxes from some of their stores. It wasn''t unimaginable that this one belonged to them too. That case was more realistic than a complete stranger handing presents to her. But how would she tell Leon that without explaining that she had met Luciano while being outside on her own?

    Blanche paused to lay out the words in her head before speaking up. ¡°I''m quite certain that I didn''t hear someone talk about owning a store. I only know that Lord Vasquez was the one who recommended me to come here to buy a gift for the empress when I coincidentally had a chat with him. Though I can''t be sure whether that means anything, him being acquainted with the owner would explain how they predicted that I would come here.¡±

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    ¡°Luciano Vasquez?¡± Leon spoke with a serious tone in his voice. When she nodded, he got lost in thoughts.

    The silence lasted for longer than Blanche would have liked. So, she was relieved when the secretary resumed talking. To her surprise, Leon didn''t continue their original conversation but moved on to politics again. Surely, it was compelling to hear about that topic, nevertheless, the sudden change of subject irritated her. However, after realizing that they weren''t alone, she understood.

    The Vasquez family was Theodore''s enemy. They strove to harm him and force him to give up his power to another person. Naturally, Leonard couldn''t reveal any detailed information about them in front of the two servants. He might have made an exception if only Stella was present, but Harris was here too. So, it had been a good call not to speak openly about such confidential issues.

    In any case, Blanche was thankful that Leon had taken the box for now. If that present really had been from Claude or Luciano, she didn''t want it. Conversing with them unsettled her enough already, so she didn''t feel the need to have something that came from them in her room.

    <hr>

    The carriage ride back to the palace went by as quickly as the one to the store had. The only thing that bothered Blanche a bit was the coolness of the air that seemed to have increased in the short time they had spent inside the store. Since she wore her coat, it wasn''t overly uncomfortable, but it still made her wonder how strange it was that the weather had changed so fast. Though she didn''t have much time to think about that when she hung on Leonard''s every word. She gave her best to understand even the more complicated aspects of the political system that he explained to her. This made the time pass by quickly.

    In the blink of an eye, they reached the royal estate and passed through the main gate. The carriage halted in front of the entrance, and all occupants left the vehicle.

    Blanche said goodbye to Leon and was prepared to leave when he gestured for her to follow him. They entered the palace and passed through the hallways until he opened a random door and ushered her inside while asking Stella to wait outside.

    As soon as they were alone in the room, Leon spoke. ¡°Right now, they are only spreading rumors to pave the way for their future goals. I don''t believe that they will do anything else for now, and even when they do, you shouldn''t be the target. But I still have to tell you something important. The Vasquez family is up to no good. If it''s possible, avoid interacting with them. If you can''t do that, act as clueless around them as you can. Don''t let them tempt you into spilling any piece of information that might harm Theodore, Her Majesty or the palace''s security in general. They will use anything they can get against us with no sense of guilt. They will hurt Theodore when they have the opportunity to do so. Don''t let your guard down.¡±

    Leonard barely took a breath while speaking. The worry glimmering in his eyes was too great for her to ignore. It was obvious how important that topic was to him, so she had to reassure him before he became even more restless.

    Blanche hurriedly nodded. ¡°Theo and I had a conversation about that already. I don''t trust them either. I feel like the duke and his son are dangerous people. The duchess not as much as them, but she is twisted too. You can believe me when I say that I''m already trying to avoid them.¡±

    ¡°Theodore told me about Claude Vasquez wanting to take a walk with you. Do you know what his goal in doing that might be?¡±

    Blanche was fairly certain that this was connected to her not sending any letters to Sefare anymore, but there was no way that she could say that. She hugged herself while speaking to warm her freezing arms a bit. ¡°No. If I''m honest, I don''t want to find out either. Luckily, I didn''t have to join him until now.¡±

    Leonard listened to her explanation with an unmoving gaze that was directed at the wall. He paused a few seconds after she finished before replying. ¡°I would favor it if you didn''t have to in the future either too. But in the case that you can''t reject them, remember what I explained to you. As long as you act ignorant, they won''t have an advantage because of you, and they can''t hurt you without revealing themselves to be traitors either.¡±

    Blanche nodded and opened her mouth to agree, but an itch in her nose stopped her. She turned around to sneeze, and this time, she gladly took the handkerchief that was offered to her.

    When the concubine and the secretary left the room, Stella was still waiting directly in front of the door.

    Leonard bid the women farewell and rushed down the corridor, without a doubt to return to the emperor''s office and continue his work.

    Much like the secretary''s ones had, the maid''s eyes betrayed what her real emotions were immediately. In Stella''s case, it was curiosity. ¡°What did you talk about, My Lady?¡±

    Blanche scanned the hallway on both sides. They were alone, but she didn''t believe that their dialogue would be safe from nosy ears. ¡°We should go to our room first.¡±

    Stella quickly understood, and they returned to the concubine''s chambers, where the maid immediately plopped down onto the sofa. ¡°Put me out of my misery. What did he tell you that was so secret that he couldn''t say it in front of me?¡±

    Blanche sat down next to her and pondered over how to start for a moment before she began her summary. ¡°You know that the Duremont family backs Theodore, right?¡±

    The maid''s nod encouraged her mistress to continue.

    ¡°While they support him, the Vasquez household is on the dowager empress'' side. The Duchess of Vasquez is her sister after all, so that makes sense. Well, Theodore''s mother wants to see her other son on the throne, and to do that, she needs to get rid of Theo. After she organized an assassination attempt, Theodore put her and his brother in confinement in the palace in the south of the capital. Ever since then, they have used their followers, including the Vasquez family, to harm him. For this reason, Leon warned me not to come close to them. We should avoid them, and under no circumstances can we tell them anything that they can mobilize against Theo or the empress.¡±

    Only after Blanche had finished, she realized that she had revealed more than she should have. Everybody knew about the basic story, but most things had never been confirmed. So, Blanche hurried to add the most important part. ¡°But all of this is extremely confidential. Please don''t tell anyone. And by that, I mean that absolutely no one can hear about this.¡± There might be trouble if there were rumors about the emperor thinking badly about one of the ducal families.

    Stella raised her hand to her mouth and mimicked locking it before throwing the imaginary key away. ¡°I knew the backstory, but now I think I understand even more. I swear on my life that I won''t tell a single soul. I will take this secret to my grave. Hopefully, I won''t do that anytime soon, but still.¡±

    Her maid''s joke painted a faint smile onto Blanche''s face. She was lucky that such a lovely person had been assigned to her when she entered the palace. Her whole life would be filled with much less delight if it had been anybody else. Stella had given her a second chance despite her previous behavior and had become the most trustworthy companion she could imagine. The maid stood up for her mistress whenever she could, they joked together, and when Blanche cried, her servant was there to console her.

    While Blanche observed Stella''s confusion at being watched so closely, her heart began feeling warm, and that sensation spread throughout her body. Slowly but surely, the emotions began to outgrow their vessel and began to flow out. ¡°I know that you told me not to apologize again, so I won''t. I''ll say something else instead. Thank you. Thank you for staying with me and being my friend. I couldn''t imagine any other person by side instead.¡±

    Stella didn''t reply. She just leaned forward and put her arms around her mistress.

    Blanche moved closer to her and returned the embrace. They remained in that position in silence so that only the sound of the women''s calm breathing filled the room. This small gesture reminded the concubine that she could have lost her maid to Seraphina if this world would follow the original storyline. That didn''t mean that couldn''t happen in the future, but it seemed unlikely. After all, Blanche wouldn''t give away her friend. As long as she didn''t order Stella to break into the empress'' room, the servant wouldn''t be caught nor be taken in the heroine''s care.

    Of course, Blanche shouldn''t feel too safe. Since the previous events hadn''t differed immensely from the novel''s version, it was still possible that everything returned to its intended path.

    She had made a change, but those were only small differences. She had gotten closer to Theodore through their reconciliation and built relationships with Stella and the other four servants. During the last three months, she had lived by most conventions and norms and exhibited adequate behavior.

    But that didn''t guarantee that she wouldn''t be treated as the villainess. If Seraphina and most members of noble society saw the concubine as the evil one, her ending would be benefiting of a wicked fiend no matter how much five servants like her.

    Her thought process was stopped by Stella letting go of her at a slow pace. The maid''s face was full of concern as she spoke up. ¡°About what Harris said earlier...¡±

    Blanche furrowed her brows at the inquiry. ¡°You are still thinking about that? I wouldn''t pay attention to anything he told us. I''m amazed by his acting skills. It''s not a surprise that he managed to convince the whole staff of his innocence.¡± She refused to read more into this, or she would seriously have to re-think a couple of matters.

    ¡°I know...but doesn''t it seem strange that he would tell a lie despite being aware of the fact that we wouldn''t believe him anyway? We''d obviously trust Clark more than him, so I don''t get what he was trying to accomplish.¡± Stella was right about that.

    It didn''t make sense for Harris to expect that they would be on his side. But then again, none of his lies were believable. From the very beginning, he had portrayed himself as the victim that suffered because of the other four''s unreasonable hatred despite knowing that these were Blanche''s friends.

    The concubine could only guess here. ¡°Maybe Harris is convinced that his acting will get rid of any problems that he faces. He always pretended to be the nice person, and admitting that he made fun of me would destroy that image, so he probably just had to stick to his story. The only thing I don''t understand is why he suddenly wanted to talk to me. From your dispute, it became pretty obvious that he looks down on me. Why did he attempt to make me pity him when he wasn''t interested in doing that before?¡± Was that connected to why Blanche could swear that she had already had a conversation with him before?

    Stella grabbed a cup of water, which had been left there since the morning, and took a sip before responding. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, he wants your influence? He has been known to cling to his superiors and basically anyone whose favor he would benefit from. You became friends with me and the others, and he saw us together multiple times. So, he personally witnessed that you don''t mind becoming closer to servants, even if it previously seemed like that was the case. Then His Majesty hugged you in front of a crowd after you came out of his room and proved that he is willing to ignore everyone else to show you his affection. That he is on your side probably makes you one of the most influential people in the place, right after him and Her Majesty. Harris could have interpreted this as a chance to get you to like him so that he can use you to gain advantages.¡±

    Her reasoning made sense for the most part. After the unapproachable troublemaker became kinder, it would be possible to try to curry favor with her. As the emperor''s lover, Blanche naturally had some authority in the palace, but since the biggest portion of the staff despised her, that wouldn''t help Harris much.

    ¡°What kind of-¡± A sneeze interrupted Blanche once again, which made her frown in annoyance. She really couldn''t afford to get sick now, not a few days before the ball.

    Stella immediately looked at her mistress with concern. ¡°Have you caught a cold? You have been sneezing more often than you usually do. And you complained about freezing multiple times too. Do you want me to call the royal doctor?¡±

    Blanche shook her head vigorously. ¡°I don''t feel bad, so we don''t have to trouble him with that now. I''m pretty sure that I''m not sick at all.¡±

    Stella handed the other woman a cup with water. While her mistress drank, she put her hands on her hips. ¡°I understand what you mean, but the doctor is living in the palace for a reason. He doesn''t have anything to do most of the time, and we were told to contact him even if we only suspect that something might be off. It wouldn''t hurt to make sure, right?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Blanche was quick to stop her maid. ¡°You know how worried Theo gets whenever someone has the most harmless sickness. He always expects the worst when the doctor comes. I don''t want to add another thing that burdens his mental health to the already never-ending list. I''ll be fine on my own. Until the ball, I''ll simply rest as much as I can, and then everything will be alright again.¡±

    Stella sighed but gave in nonetheless. Maybe she should have been pushier in trying to convince her mistress that day.

    But in the end, Blanche had been the one to mess up. In retrospect, thinking that she wouldn''t get too sick might have been a mistake.

 Chapter 57: A Sickening Choice

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    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

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 Chapter 58: The Empress Birthday (1)

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    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

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 Chapter 59: The Empress Birthday (2)

    would make numerous ones. During her lesson with Leon, she had somehow managed to perform acceptably, but there was no way that she could repeat that now with all the anxiety bubbling in her stomach.

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    ¡°you are the owner of that store.¡±

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    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

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 Chapter 60: The Empress Birthday (3)

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    had to take care of it. Continuing to work with Theodore''s opponents and the possibility of him finding out that she was a traitor at the end of the novel would ruin everything. She could only hope that Sefare and the Vasquez family didn''t intend to kill her when they realized that she wouldn''t help them anymore.

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    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about the suggestion that I made at, well, after the tea party. But if you would rather do that at a different time when you have recovered fully, I would understand.¡±

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    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

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 Chapter 61: Leave Us Alone

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    ¡°Leave. Us. Alone.¡± He emphasized every single syllable in his last sentence and never slowed his pace in the process.

    why?¡±

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 Chapter 62: What Worry Means (1)

    Blanche''s head was buzzing when she awoke for the first time. The whole room was dark so that she couldn''t make out anything except for a figure that was sitting next to the bed she was lying on. She didn''t have any energy to fight against her first instinct, so she called out her lover''s name despite not expecting a reply. It came out as a low whimper, but surprisingly, that was enough to grant her some relief.

    Theodore hushed her and intertwined the fingers of his hand with hers.

    She heard some paper rustling, but nothing followed after that. When he didn''t say anything even though some seconds passed, she called for him again.

    This time, her lover responded in a whisper. ¡°I''m right here, don''t worry. Go to sleep. You need to rest.¡± He lifted something from her forehead and replaced it with a cold, wet piece of fabric, which made her flinch.

    Though a few seconds after that, the coolness didn''t feel uncomfortable but rather pleasant. It stopped the pounding in Blanche''s head, and quickly, exhaustion overtook her. She barely noticed that her lover was carefully stroking over her head before she fell asleep.

    <hr>

    The next time that Blanche awoke, she didn''t feel sick anymore. She could breathe easily and nothing hurt, but she was still tired, so she didn''t move for a while. She dipped back into unconsciousness occasionally, and whenever she woke up, she listened to her surroundings. Someone was always walking around or speaking to another person, so it seemed like she was never alone in the room. When she finally felt a little more rested, she noticed that someone had been holding her hand for some time. The man, whom she could only assume to be Theodore, tightly grasped her and refused to let go for even a second.

    She remained unmoving in the same position for a bit before slowly opening her eyes. The light that came in through the windows was obstructed by some lighter curtains, but it still seemed unusually bright and made her squint.

    It didn''t take long for Theodore to realized that she was awake, and he leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Thank the gods. Are you feeling better? Should I get you water or food or anything else?¡±

    ¡°Water would be nice.¡± Her speech was slurred, so it appeared that Blanche had been sleeping for longer than she had anticipated. She slowly began to accommodate to the light as Theodore rummaged around on the nightstand before pouring liquid into a glass.

    ¡°Slowly.¡± He gently pulled her up so that she could lean her back against the pillow. Then he let go of her hand to hold the glass to her lips and tilted it slightly until she could drink.

    After the first careful sips rushed down her dry throat and Blanche didn''t feel the need to vomit anymore, she gulped down the rest as well.

    That made Theodore let out a low sigh. ¡°Don''t overdo it. You didn''t eat much in the last two days, so I don''t know whether your stomach will cause problems.¡± He took the glass and filled half of it again before moving it to her mouth.

    ¡°Two days?¡± That long? Blanche allowed him to assist her with drinking this time as well while keeping her gaze focused on his face.

    Theodore looked tired. He often did, but it had been over a year since he had had such dark rings under his eyes. She had only seen him this exhausted once, and that had been after his fight with her regarding his marriage with Seraphina. And once again, he was feeling miserable because of Blanche.

    Immediately, guilt formed a pit in her stomach. ¡°I''m-¡± She had opened her mouth and barely voiced the first word, but it seemed like her expression had betrayed her plan.

    Theodore interrupted her before he should have even been able to recognize her intention. ¡°Don''t apologize.¡± It was rather hard to refrain from doing that when he was looking at her with such fatigue in his eyes.

    Blanche couldn''t help wanting to explain that she was sorry. ¡°But you are so worn out. This is my fault, isn''t it? I think I remember you taking care of me while I was asleep. Were you here the entire time?¡±

    A little smile appeared on Theodore''s lips, but it didn''t even reach the rest of his face. ¡°It was my choice to stay here, so you shouldn''t worry about me. I''ve already gone on longer without sleep.¡±

    Blanche forced herself in an upright position despite her sore muscles complaining due to the sudden movement. She opened her mouth, but Theodore scolded her before she could speak up.

    ¡°What are you doing? Don''t move that quickly. You haven''t eaten more than a few bites and just woke up. You can''t afford to over-exhaust yourself.¡± He grabbed her shoulders and gently pressed against her until she was leaning against her cushion again. He was about to retract his arms, and she caught his hand just in time.

    Blanche intertwined their fingers and made eye contact with her lover. ¡°You didn''t answer my question. You didn''t leave, right? Have you slept during the last two days?¡±

    A pause followed, which would have been sufficient to reveal the truth, but Theodore''s reply did so even more. ¡°I took multiple short naps. I''m fine.¡± That meant that he had dozed off a couple of times for a few minutes, and this definitely wasn''t enough.

    Blanche quickly shook her head. ¡°No, you''re not fine. I can see how tired you are. You should go to sleep as soon as possible.¡±

    Her lover let out a small chuckle that lacked any amusement. He rested his elbows on the mattress and leaned forward to grasp her hand with both of his. For a moment, he hid his face behind their hands and pressed his forehead against them. ¡°You''re the one that is sick right now. Why are you thinking about me first? You constantly mumbled my name whenever you were awake for a few seconds too.¡±

    Blanche felt a small tug in her stomach after hearing that. ¡°Did you stay in my room because of that?¡± She already believed that she was whining too much, and if that had been the reason for Theodore''s exhaustion, she would be even angrier at herself.

    Theodore denied that though. ¡°No, I would have stayed anyway. I didn''t leave the room for more than a minute because I feared... I really thought-¡± He cut himself off to let out a silent sob that she only noticed because his shoulders were twitching. ¡°I thought that-¡± He didn''t finish on his seconds attempt either and lowered their intertwined hands to look at her. His eyes were so glassy that they reflected the light off the chandelier and made it obvious that he was crying.

    Blanche felt a pang at her heart at that sight. She leaned forward once more, but her attempt was stopped again. Still, her desire to calm her lover remained, so she raised her free hand to cup his cheek. ¡°I''m alright. It won''t get worse from now on.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, I know.¡± Theodore whispered, but his voice still sounded broken. ¡°I''m so grateful for that. I thought that someone poisoned you. I thought I''d-¡± He paused to wipe his eyes and slid off the chair to kneel down beside her before resting his head next to hers on the pillow. He took a moment to regain his composure as Blanche began to stroke over his hair while trying not to cry because of her lover.

    After a short while, Theodore straightened his posture to make eye contact. ¡°Did you eat or drink anything at the ball? Did someone offer you any other item that might have been tampered with?¡±

    Blanche shook her head. She knew that admitting the truth would cause him to become angry, but she would never consider lying in this situation. ¡°No. I was sick before the ball. I had a cold for a few days already, and it was getting better after I rested and took some pills. The event must have been too much for me in that state though.¡±

    As expected, the expression on Theodore''s face morphed into bitterness. ¡°I heard about that. Your maid and the doctor told me. I don''t know whether I should be furious with them for not intervening nor informing me of such a serious illness or with you for being so reckless and ignoring your health just to go to that stupid ball. Why did you think that this was a good idea in the first place? What was so important about being there?¡± He spoke in a harsh tone that only served to pressure her more.

    ¡°I...uhm...¡± Blanche tried to lay out her explanation in a way that wouldn''t make him ask why she cared about the public''s opinion so much

    But her lover spoke up before she could even come to a conclusion. ¡°You don''t have to reply. Your maid already told me.¡±

    She froze and dug her fingernails into the blanket until she realized that this would make him suspicious of the fact that she was hiding something. Surely, Stella hadn''t revealed the part about Sefare, right? If she had, everything would be over now. The servant should have been aware of that, but she might have given in after the emperor''s presence intimidated her.

    Blanche struggled to relax her hands and keep them from shaking. She stared in the direction of her feet to avoid letting her lover see the uncertainty in her eyes. ¡°She did?¡±

    Theodore hesitated for a little too long for her liking before responding. ¡°Yes, she told me about you being completely focused on not wanting to offend the empress and your desire to make up for the banquet. And still...¡± He stood up and sat down on his chair before moving closer to her and taking her hand in his again. ¡°I don''t understand why that seems so important to you. You explained that you don''t wish to destroy my relationship with the Duremont family, and I get that. However, no one...not the empress, not her father nor anyone else would have complained about you not attending. Some people might have made wild speculations, but it would have never damaged my or your reputation in the slightest. In fact, it was-¡±

    It was even worse now, wasn''t it?

    Theodore interrupted himself to evade his gaze and shake his head. He only looked back at his lover after taking a deep breath. ¡°No matter what others think, it can''t be a reason for you to neglect your health. You weren''t feeling well from the start, so you shouldn''t have left your bed at all, not to mention running around at a ball the whole evening, dancing for an eternity and not getting help when you can''t even stand upright.¡± His voice became more strained with every word and made her doubt her own judgment even more.

    In retrospect, it was true that Blanche''s decision had been reckless. She should have stayed in her room and sent Stella to bring the letter to Sefare while he was about to depart. That would have prevented her from having to endure hours of nerve-wrecking and exhausting things at the event. Though she couldn''t have expected that her illness would make her so miserable that she would collapse. It seemed almost impossible that her cold had been the sole reason for everything that she had experienced.

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    The intense agony in her chest and throat as well as the blood on her hands and the vision of Theodore couldn''t have originated from a fever, right? She had definitely hallucinated, but could that have been because of her sickness? And could her mind truly recreate such a realistic illusion of pain?

    Blanche lifted her free hand to her neck and felt the skin, but there weren''t any rough spots that could have indicated an injury or a scar. When she looked at her fingertips, they were clean too, even after she had touched every part of her neck.

    Theodore observed her movements with a frown for some time before he questioned her. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    Slowly, Blanche turned to him while thinking about how she could put her worries into words. ¡°That might sound odd...but are there any wounds on my neck? Or my chest?¡±

    The wrinkles of her lover''s forehead only deepened at that. ¡°No, the doctor didn''t find any signs of injuries during the examination, and I also couldn''t find any. Does anything hurt?¡±

    The growing flicker of concern in Theodore''s eyes immediately made Blanche attempt to calm him. ¡°No, I don''t feel anything out of the ordinary now. But at the ball, those parts hurt a lot, so I thought that... I must have been imagining that too.¡± It seemed unrealistic that her mind had made this kind of pain up, but it was the only logical explanation.

    ¡°About that...¡± Theodore began after a short pause. ¡°Your eyes were fixated onto something invisible in the distance for a while, and you seemed disoriented when I caught you. Did you hallucinate?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± No other reasoning allowed Blanche to make sense out of the things she had experienced. It was impossible for her to have suddenly stood in a different version of the ballroom without moving, so she had to have imagined that. She nodded to emphasize that she was certain of her response.

    Her lover squeezed her hand to reassure her before speaking up. ¡°You could barely stand up, and you looked like you were in pain and scared. Multiple people tried to talk to you, but you didn''t react at all. I saw that while I was dancing and stopped to find out what was wrong. When I walked in your direction, your eyes widened, and you were terrified. You said the word ¡®why¡¯ a few times and didn''t seem to recognize me. Then you almost collapsed, and I caught you. After that, you became conscious again but still looked around in fear and said some nonsensical thing about me not touching you because others were watching. You managed to answer my questions about where we were correctly, so I thought that you were getting better. But then you suddenly apologized and fell unconscious. What did you see that caused you to be in that state?¡±

    That was a difficult question.

    How could Blanche describe her vision to him without actually mentioning that her lover himself had been the most frightening thing about her hallucination? She didn''t want to make him believe that she was scared of him. After all, she didn''t fear him.

    The person that horrified her was the future version of Theodore that would despise her more than anything else and wanted her dead. How could she tell her lover that she had collapsed because she had imagined him threatening her? Without the background information of the novel, he would assume that her subconsciousness expected him to hurt her. That would pain him a lot. So, she couldn''t risk him misunderstanding her for even one second.

    Blanche looked to the side while she started to repeat what had happened without the part about Theodore. ¡°I felt a strange pain in my chest and couldn''t breathe. I didn''t know what was wrong, so I panicked. When I tried to speak, my throat hurt too, and I could only cough. Then blood was coming from my neck. And I was all alone in the room at first, and then you were there. But I couldn''t talk, so you didn''t turn around, which left me in that state for a short while. As you said, those hallucinations stopped after you grabbed my arms.¡±

    After she finished, Theodore''s eyes stayed on her face for another moment before he nodded and turned his head to stare into the distance. He didn''t say anything for a few seconds and only snapped out of his daze after she called his name. ¡°The doctor should examine you a few more times to make sure that you don''t have any serious ailments anymore. To feel such an intense pain that causes you to have trouble breathing for no reason isn''t normal. We can''t take any risks by being negligent now. I will summon him immediately.¡±

    That might be better, even though Blanche doubted that the royal doctor, who was an exceptional specialist in the medical field, would make an error that required multiple check-ups.

    She nodded, which caused Theodore to stroke his thumb over the backside of her hand. He reluctantly let go to rise from his chair and walk to the door.

    Blanche used these few seconds to look around. As expected, she was in her room. Nothing seemed to have been moved during the past day except for the chair, which had originally been from her desk and was now standing beside the bed for Theodore to sit on. Her gaze roamed across the walls before landing on her lover''s back.

    Theodore was talking to someone that was outside and took a step to the side before seemingly speaking to a third person. It quickly became obvious why he had done that.

    Within a second, Stella rushed into the room and stormed to Blanche''s side. She looked like she wanted to throw her arms around her mistress but forced herself to plop down onto the chair and settle for grabbing the other woman''s hand instead. ¡°My Lady...¡± She was almost wailing as she tightened her grasp on the other woman. ¡°I''m so sorry! I shouldn''t have allowed you to go out. I was so scared. You just collapsed and barely woke up, and I could have stopped that from happening. I''m sorry.¡± The maid''s speech was slightly slurred, and she sniffled every few seconds while big teardrops rolled down her face.

    Seeing that was enough to make Blanche feel awful. She had been at fault for this disaster, so she would have to take full responsibility. She couldn''t let Stella feel guilty.

    Blanche attempted to squeeze the servant''s hand with as much vigor as Stella used, but she lacked the strength to do so. Unsurprisingly, not eating for two days had weakened her more than she had previously noticed. So, her movement hadn''t done anything to calm Stella but only worried the other woman even more. The concubine saw how the maid''s bottom lips began trembling and quickly spoke up. ¡°I''m fine now, so you don''t have to be scared. You don''t have to feel guilty either. It was my choice to attend the ball, and I went despite your efforts to stop me.¡±

    ¡°Still...¡± Stella whined quietly before wiping her eyes. ¡°You were sleeping for the last two days, but I wasn''t permitted to stay here for longer than maybe three hours. His Majesty said that you only woke up to take a bite of some food or a sip of water, and then you fell unconscious again.¡±

    Blanche didn''t even remember that. She had been half-awake for a while, but she didn''t have any recollection of consuming anything before becoming fully aware of her surroundings. But she was thankful that she had eaten since her stomach was already constricting in hunger, and that would have been way worse if she hadn''t had any food during the last few hours. ¡°Well, I''m doing better, so you shouldn''t think about that anymore. Though I have to admit that I''m a bit hungry. Would you mind getting me something?¡± This would hopefully sate her hunger and calm her maid down since it proved that Blanche felt a bit better again.

    The plan worked surprisingly well. Stella immediately jumped up. ¡°Of course not! What do you want?¡±

    Blanche considered asking for salmon or macarons, but she doubted that her favorites would be good in her current state. She forced herself to put her quick recovery first instead of giving in to her desires. ¡°I don''t want to eat any oily food right now, so a bit of bread would be good. And some fruits, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Naturally!¡± Stella turned around, only to pause and face her mistress again. ¡°I''m so glad that you are awake. Please be more careful from now on.¡± The concubine assured her that she would with a nod, and Stella left. The maid passed Theodore, who was still standing by the door and leaned his shoulder against the wall while staring into the distance.

    When Blanche caught a glimpse of her lover''s expression, she froze.

    At this moment, Theodore felt unobserved and let down his guard, which caused him to stop pretending to be fine. He looked even more tired than before, but exhaustion wasn''t the only emotion that was reflected on his face. He seemed dejected too as if something terrible had happened.

    That was enough to make an uneasy feeling bubble in Blanche''s stomach, and she wanted nothing more than to rise from the bed and hurry to him. She had already folded back the blanket and planted her feet onto the ground when her lover noticed her movements.

    ¡°Don''t do that!¡± Within a couple of steps, Theodore was next to her and pressed his hands onto her shoulders to keep her from standing up. ¡°You are still too weak to run around. You have to eat and fully recover first, or you''ll just make everything worse again. You don''t want to get sicker in a few days, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Blanche would like to stop worrying everyone, so she would certainly have to pull herself together.

    Theodore used her response to emphasize his demands once more. ¡°See? That''s why you have to rest now. If you won''t do that for yourself, then at least do it for me. I don''t ever want to go through something like this again.¡±

    Blanche''s desire to move around, which was already small due to her missing strength, decreased even more at that. Without arguing back, she lifted her legs onto the bed and allowed Theodore to cover her with the blanket. Still, she raised both of her arms and extended them in his direction.

    Her lover understood her intention immediately and sat down on the mattress by her side to put his arms around her and gently pulled her into a tight embrace. He still seemed to be mindful of any possible injuries, but she didn''t care and squeezed him as tightly as she could.

    Blanche barely stayed quiet for a few seconds before she couldn''t contain the words anymore. ¡°I won''t do something this reckless again. It was stupid of me, but I didn''t think that it would be that bad. I''m sorry. I really, really am. It won''t happen again.¡±

    The emperor let out a quiet noise that sounded like a shaky sigh and finally grabbed her more firmly too. He buried his nose in her neck and took a few deep breaths before mumbling into her ear. ¡°Promise me that it won''t. You can''t ever put yourself in danger.¡±

    She didn''t let him wait for her reply. ¡°I promise from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    Theodore paused once more, this time for a bit longer. Still, he didn''t let go of her or loosen his grasp. He inhaled and exhaled deeply again before beginning. ¡°Promise me that you won''t put other people''s unimportant opinions before your health too. If you feel threatened, you have to tell me.¡± His voice shook slightly while he spoke.

    And even though his demand was reasonable, an unpleasant tingle in Blanche''s stomach reminded her that she couldn''t promise that without lying. The concubine had to pay attention to the empress'' and the public''s view of her. She couldn''t become the villainess, or she would die. But the even more crucial aspect was that there was no way that she would tell her lover about her connection to Sefare, the Vasquez family and thus also his traitorous mother and brother. He wouldn''t be able to forgive her for that no matter what she said. She despised lying to him, but if that was the only chance to save their relationship, she wouldn''t think about that twice.

    Blanche opened her mouth to reply, but Theodore already reacted before she could voice a single word.

    He slowly lowered his arms without taking his hands off her back and moved a bit away from her to meet her gaze. His eyes were filled with a seriousness that caused her heart to beat quicker.

    Blanche knew that getting uneasy so quickly wasn''t good, but she couldn''t help it. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± She reluctantly loosened her grasp on her lover.

    Unfortunately, no response followed. Theodore just stared at her and scanned her face.

    The silence was about to become unbearable, and Blanche called his name to get him to continue. ¡°Theo? Are you alright? Don''t just look at me.¡±

    That was the cue Theodore needed to finally start speaking, but his sentence almost made her wish that he hadn''t. ¡°We need to talk about something.¡± His voice carried a sense of severity that made her heart thump even louder in her chest.

    What could be so urgent that he felt the need to address it directly after she had woken up? Was Blanche much sicker than she had thought? Had Theodore learned about her involvement in Sefare''s intrigues? Had he begun to fall for Seraphina and wanted to warn his lover about the possibility of him leaving her despite his vows?

    Her fingers begun to dig into her lover''s clothes, and she forced herself to relax all of her muscles, which was difficult when her body wanted to cramp.

    Apparently, her panic had shown on her face as well since Theodore quickly put one of his hands against her cheek. When that didn''t help, he pulled her back into a tight embrace. ¡°Don''t be so scared. I love you.¡±

    Blanche desperately needed that affirmation. She held onto her lover without moving or daring to make a sound. She still had no idea what this was about, and that scared her. It didn''t help that Theodore took his time replying either.

    Both of them were silent for the next few seconds and clung to one another without moving. Theodore still didn''t attempt to distance himself again when he finally resumed. ¡°I fou-¡±

    The knock on the door cut him off in a manner that was almost too perfect to have been a coincidence.

    The concubine felt how Theodore''s shoulders relaxed when he slowly backed off to look at the entrance. ¡°That must be the doctor.¡± He spoke with an expression that made him seem even more worn out than before turning back to his lover. Despite his obvious exhaustion, he breathed out in relief and gave her a small smile. ¡°We''ll continue this alone later.¡± He rose from the bed and went to the door to open it while leaving her behind in confusion.

    Her lover had sounded so serious, but his grin just now contradicted this. If he was happy about postponing the conversation, the matter had to be unpleasant. However, in that case, it didn''t make sense for him to delay talking about an urgent subject, so it couldn''t have been that bad, right?

    Blanche didn''t have much time or energy to ponder about that since Theodore returned to her side with another person a couple of seconds later.

    The royal doctor was an elderly, chubby man with round glasses that were way too big for his small eyes. He seemed easygoing at first glimpse and had a soothing aura, which was great for handling patients, but that didn''t make him any less experienced. He had already worked in the palace during the previous emperor''s reign, which was undeniable proof of his skills.

    Upon seeing that the concubine was awake and sitting upright, the doctor showed her a gentle smile as he took a seat on the chair next to the bed and placed his bag on the floor. ¡°It''s good to see that you are up. Do you still feel pain somewhere? Even a tiny amount? Or does your breathing seem constricted?¡±

    Blanche shook her head at every question and watched the doctor as he leaned forward to take a handbook and a pen out of his bag to write something down. However, her attention was quickly diverted towards Theodore, who was carrying another chair from the table to the other side of her bed to sit down there. Her lover nodded in her direction and then focused on observing the other man.

    The doctor put his opened book onto the nightstand and announced that he would do a couple of different tests to check whether the concubine''s senses were working correctly. He asked Blanche to follow the pen with her eyes while he moved it around. Then he observed how she coordinated her limbs as well as similar things while Theodore was watching them. The doctor would have like to see whether she was able to walk again too, but the emperor intervened instantly and refused to allow her to leave the bed. The doctor accepted that with a sigh.

 Chapter 63: What Worry Means (2)

    In the end, the doctor examined the concubine twice, only to find no signs of inner or outer injuries anywhere. He took a few more notes before closing his book and putting it back into his bag. ¡°As expected, I can''t determine any problems except for the protracted cold that I had previously noticed too. Though in any case, it appears like you are getting better now. After resting for a few days, you should have completely recovered. I''ll prescribe you medicine with a strengthening effect too. That will help your body get rid of the illness soon. Still, you seem to be a little weak in general, so I would recommend going out more often and maybe taking walks within the royal property regularly.¡±

    Blanche was sure that she had actually been outside way more often in the last three months than before, but she nodded nonetheless.

    However, she couldn''t voice her response since Theodore was already speaking up. ¡°Well, the next few days, you shouldn''t go out at all. I won''t send you into the garden before you are fully recovered. We don''t need another relapse. And even though I pray for you to stay healthy, we have to remember to act differently next time. If you get sick again, you''ll tell me about your sickness and not go to an unimportant ball. And in the future-¡± He turned to the doctor and narrowed his eyes at him. ¡°You will inform me of the slightest signs of any illness that she might have infected herself with, no matter how meaningless it seems.¡±

    The sharp edge of his voice caused the doctor to strain his shoulders and let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°You already made yourself very clear in that regard, Your Majesty. From now, on I will give you a detailed summary of every examination of Lady Blanche.¡± It sounded like the emperor hadn''t overstated when he said that he had been angry with that poor man.

    Though Theodore didn''t pay much attention to how intimidated the doctor looked but made eye contact with his lover. ¡°Until you are doing better, he''ll check on you every day. After that, we should do a monthly examination, so we can keep an overview of your health. I know that you didn''t like that when I first asked you. But I think that doing one a year isn''t enough, especially since we saw how strongly this illness influenced you.¡±

    Blanche blinked at her lover a couple of times. She could vaguely remember rejecting such an offer only a couple of days after she had arrived in the palace. But she still knew exactly that monthly examinations were only done for members of the royal family. While the doctor was ready to treat anyone in the palace, servants only approached him when they had a problem that required his help. The regular check-ups, in the rare case that someone bothered to go through with them, were performed by the doctor''s five assistants, who were without a doubt skilled, however, they didn''t match their mentor yet. It wasn''t normal to insist that the specialist himself should take care of Blanche, and it was also exaggerated to do so because of this one unfortunate incident.

    Blanche was rather sure that her lover would insist on this though. Still, she asked. ¡°You mean that one of his assistants will check on me monthly, right? Because the doctor is only there for royalty.¡±

    The emperor frowned at that, but the doctor spoke before him. ¡°No, due to a request by His Majesty, I will take care of you. My responsibilities don''t only include treating the members of the royal family but also other people who hold special positions in the palace or are especially endangered. You do not need to feel uncomfortable with that. Besides, I have more than enough leeway to add another patient to my list. Currently, I only have two, which leaves me with a lot of free time.¡±

    Blanche glanced at her lover, and his expression already told her that he wouldn''t change his mind about that. She sighed inwardly and turned to the doctor. ¡°Alright. Then I have to thank you for all of your future efforts.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to thank me.¡± The doctor smiled at her before rising from his chair. ¡°During the next days, you should focus on consuming healthy food to strengthen your body again. I will return sometime tomorrow. Just send a servant to get me, and we''ll do another examination. I don''t want to disturb you any longer, so I''ll leave now if Your Majesty allows me to do so.¡±

    Theodore nodded at him, which caused the doctor to bow once more before taking his bag and approaching the entrance. Seconds after the man had left, someone knocked against the opened door.

    After the emperor told them to enter, Stella came into view. She was pushing a cart with multiple small bowls and plates. The maid bowed to Theodore and waited for him to give her instructions on where she should leave it, but he didn''t say anything.

    Blanche assumed that he didn''t know why the servant had retrieved food, so she explained it. ¡°I asked her to bring me something because I was hungry.¡± She pointed at the spot next to the bed while turning to Stella. ¡°Can you please put it here? I can reach it from the bed like that.¡±

    Theodore seemed to wake up from his daydream and quickly interrupted. ¡°No, move it over to my side.¡±

    The concubine was taken aback by that, but the maid listened to the order without hesitation.

    Just when the servant had let go of the cart, the emperor already dismissed her. ¡°Leave us alone.¡±

    Even though his tone hadn''t been harsh like in Blanche''s hallucination, hearing these words in his voice made a shiver run down her spine. They were actually directed towards Stella, who didn''t seem affected at all and left to return to her room, but her mistress was struggling to fight back the memories of Theodore threatening her. If her own mind''s imagination of what might happen in the future terrified her this much, how would she be able to stand him looking at her with that hatred in his eyes? Blanche shivered at the recollection of his glare and only realized that her lover was staring at her when she turned to face him.

    Immediately, Theodore''s palm covered her forehead. ¡°Do you have a fever again?¡±

    She let him check her temperature despite being sure that she was fine. ¡°No, I don''t think so. I don''t feel unusually warm or cold.¡±

    Theodore touched her for a few more seconds, in which he didn''t evade his gaze, before lowering his hand. He quietly nodded to himself while muttering a small ¡°Good¡± and then focused on the cart. He began to lift every cover and revealed the dishes, including a few fruits, bread and yogurt. Then he used a fork to move the food around to take a closer look at every single bit of the meal.

    At first, Blanche was grinning at Stella''s exaggerated buffet, but then her lover''s caution started to irritate her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Theodore glanced up at her shortly before continuing his meticulous task. ¡°I''m making sure that there aren''t any cherries here this time.¡± His statement left her in utter confusion, however, he didn''t explain himself any further until he had finished. Then he looked at her with an odd mix of annoyance and worry. ¡°Apparently, some servant messed up and put cherries in your food despite them knowing that you were allergic to them. That happened three months ago, and I just learned about that now because the doctor was intimidated after I scolded him for not telling me about your cold.¡±

    Blanche''s lips parted slightly as her brain pieced together what he was referring to. This was about her allergy outbreak, which had happened a few days before she had gained the novel''s memories. She opened her mouth to refute the subtle accusation that accompanied his words but realized that there was nothing she could argue about. So, she used the weakest defense that she could come up with. ¡°You knew about my allergic reaction. I asked a servant to inform you about it back then.¡±

    Theodore put down the fork with a clink and crossed his arms before replying. ¡°You did. You also asked them to lie to me though. I was informed that you yourself picked fruit from one of the trees in the garden despite your allergy because you thought that it wasn''t that bad. I was also told that your only problem was being hoarse for a few hours and that you just stayed in your room to calm down. But now, the doctor generously let me know that you were actually in pain for two whole days back then and that you could barely breathe through your swollen throat. And that only happened because a servant was stupid enough to not remember the one thing that you can''t eat. Even after three months, you never felt the need to enlighten me about what really occurred.¡±

    His response silenced Blanche for a moment. It was true that she had lied to him about that incident. She had ordered the servants who brought him the message to recite a false version. She had even been forced to do that by writing it down since she had been unable to speak in her state. Naturally, she had downplayed the severity to not worry her lover as she knew that her allergic reacting would only stay for a couple of days, like it had in her childhood.

    While she adored being smothered in affection and whining to be comforted, she had always resented troubling Theodore. Since she had rarely gotten infected with a serious illness, and he was always very busy, avoiding him for the short time had never been a problem. The doctor had covered for her without a single exception, so Theodore had never found out about that. It seemed like that would be over now though.

    ¡°I didn''t want to worry you.¡± Blanche felt a bit embarrassed while saying that.

    Theodore let out a huff in disbelief. ¡°I think that this here is a fundamental misunderstanding about what worrying about someone means. When you are sick, you aren''t doing something on purpose to make me feel bad. I worry when you are unwell because I care about you. That isn''t a reason for you to not tell me how serious an illness is. It''s the opposite!¡± He got a bit louder for a moment before lowering his voice again. ¡°You have to inform me so that I can do something about it to make it better. Don''t you think that I would feel much worse if you were to come to harm after I didn''t do anything in time because I didn''t know?¡±

    While he talked, Blanche had lowered a gaze, only to lift it after he finished. He was right about everything, but he had forgotten about one crucial detail.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Blanche pointed it out without hesitation. ¡°How can you tell me not to do that when you do it too?¡± Her lover froze at those words, which gave her a chance to resume. ¡°I can see how tired you are when you come out of your office. Of course, you can''t just ignore your duties, but you don''t have to lie to me about how you are feeling. You are already busy with so many tasks, so I can''t simply add more troubles to your giant pile of problems. I am only in the palace for you, so you should relax around me and admit when you aren''t feeling your best.¡±

    For a moment, both of them were silent and only looked into each other''s eyes. Though they didn''t endure that for long before Theodore moved onto the bed, and they fell into one another''s arms.

    He whispered to her in a barely audible volume. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to sound so angry. I was just feeling terrible about not having been aware of what happened. If you don''t tell me about things like that, it makes me believe that you don''t trust me.¡± That was enough to make her feel bad.

    Blanche hurriedly refuted it. ¡°That''s not what it means at all. I only want the best for you, so I always think that I don''t have to bother you with issues that you can''t solve.¡±

    Her lover slowly backed away after her reply to meet her gaze without letting go of her. ¡°I understand that part. But why weren''t you honest about the servant''s mistake? Why did you say that you yourself caused your allergic reaction? I would have made sure that something like this couldn''t be repeated and dismissed that person.¡±

    ¡°That''s exactly why I didn''t want you to know.¡± The emperor frowned at her statement, so Blanche continued to elaborate. ¡°This person made one error by putting a normally harmless fruit into a cake. It would be horrible if they lost their position here because of that. Even though I mentioned my allergy a few times, there is no way that the servants have time to pay attention to a small detail like that. Besides, I treated them like slaves, so it isn''t surprising that they didn''t care much for my countless complaints. Since I whine pretty often, they most likely thought that I was just exaggerating again.¡±

    Theodore wasn''t convinced by that at all, and his expression revealed that before he even began to speak. ¡°That small detail almost made you choke to death. No matter how busy they are, it can''t be an excuse for forgetting such things. And their personal feelings towards you also have nothing to do with their work. If you, as an inhabitant of the palace, tell them to refrain from putting cherries in your food, they have to comply without questioning your reasoning. Did you at least tell them about the severity of your allergy so that they''ll remember not to do it again?¡±

    Blanche might have planned to do that, but the novel''s memories had been more important than screaming at the cooks at that point. ¡°I didn''t.¡± Her lover sighed, so she added the full truth. ¡°Stella did. I think that she said something about her making sure that they''d refrain from repeating that.¡±

    Still, Theodore wasn''t satisfied with her response. He moved his hands away from her back to cup her cheek instead. ¡°I wish I could figure out who the responsible one was, but I fear that too much time passed. There is nothing that we can do about that anymore. I expect that you won''t agree to me going into the kitchen and informing the servants of my thoughts?¡± She nodded, which caused him to resume after exhaling deeply. ¡°Then there is only one comment that I''d like to add to this. Please let me know when you are sick. And don''t over-exhaust yourself by doing things like attending a ball while you can barely stand. You have to take better care of yourself. I love you, so I can''t bear the thought of you hurting yourself because you won''t take a break and get my help.¡±

    Blanche put her hands on top of his and looked at him with as much sincerity as she could muster. ¡°I know that going to the ball was a stupid idea, and I already promised that I won''t damage my health with rash decisions like that anymore. But you have to be honest too. Since I love you, I don''t want to see you suffer either.¡±

    Theodore gave her a weak smile as he stroked over her face with his fingertips. ¡°Then let me tell you the truth. I feel horrible. When you didn''t wake up for over a day, I thought that I was going to break down, and believe me, it was close. Then you finally reacted to being called and managed to swallow some food, but you didn''t stay conscious for longer than five minutes. I prayed to the gods every hour, despite usually never doing that. And after you opened your eyes for real, I was so happy that I can''t even put it into words.¡±

    He paused and leaned forward to kiss her forehead, which she gladly accepted. Then her lover backed off a little to make eye contact before he resumed. ¡°But I haven''t slept at all during the last two days. While I don''t regret sacrificing my sleep to keep an eye on you, my body isn''t too satisfied with it. I also feel terrible for not having thought about my duties once before you woke up. I completely ignored everything and left it all to Leon. He must be close to passing out, but I can''t bring myself to consider leaving you to help him.¡±

    Blanche frowned as heard his last words. ¡°You won''t work now. Just as you said, you are extremely tired. You need to sleep as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I will. After we get you fed and cleaned, I''ll allow myself to rest for a short while.¡± Hopefully, Theodore didn''t only mean a few hours by that. Judging by the dark circles around his eyes, he would have to rest for at least the whole night despite being used to working hard with little sleep. But for now, he didn''t seem to think about that. Theodore let go of Blanche''s face to pat her head instead before he turned around to the cart and began to sort some fruits and bread while asking her what she wanted.

    All the dishes looked tasty, and Blanche was hungry, so she would have loved to devour everything, but she was well aware that Stella had brought way too much for her alone. After some contemplation, she decided to take a small bite of almost all the food items. Her lover followed her demands and moved closer to her after she was done with listing everything. Her attempt to grab the spoon was evaded by Theodore taking it first, which caused Blanche to look up at him in confusion. Sometimes, they joked around by stealing each other''s food, but surely, he wouldn''t make her fight for her share now.

    Even though a small smile adorned his lips, Theodore''s expression immediately showed her that he wasn''t fooling around. He took the bowl with yogurt into his free hand and put a small portion pnto the spoon before lifting it to her lips. ¡°You''re still weak, so I''ll feed you.¡±

    Blanche lifted her hand to show that she could control her movements already. ¡°It''s not that bad. You don''t have to.¡± She said that but moved to sit directly in front of him and opened her mouth anyway. She was able to eat by herself, but why should she refuse when he was offering to do it for her?

    During the meal, she simply enjoyed spending time with her lover. Since they both needed to focus on more soothing topics, they chatted about some lighthearted themes. Blanche managed to get Theodore to consume a good portion of the food as well, which calmed her worries about his health a bit. They took longer than they would have normally, but that was to be expected since Theodore was extremely careful about not letting her eat too fast to not over-exhaust her stomach after the days of barely ingesting anything.

    By the time that they were finished, the sun was beginning to set. That only made Blanche aware of how much she had disrupted her lover''s schedule, and she wanted to hug him again to apologize for this, which she eventually did. Theodore didn''t seem to mind and returned the embrace with no intention of letting go in the near future. Unfortunately, they had to separate for a moment after Stella returned the cart to the kitchen and brought a basin with water and some cloths. Blanche dismissed her maid for the night and watched as she left the room.

    Her lover wasn''t willing to let her clean herself either, so he did it for her. In the process of that, the concubine noticed that she was still more tired than she had previously realized. Within a few minutes, she had already yawned multiple times, and her eyes were starting to feel heavy.

    Theodore observed her with a grin, which filled her heart with joy. He was beginning to look happy again after having seemed dejected from the moment that she had awoken. ¡°Someone is sleepy. Just five more minutes, and we can close our eyes.¡±

    Blanche yawned again before she replied. ¡°It''s weird though. I was the one who slept for two days, so you should be the tired one instead. You look like you should have passed out hours ago.¡±

    Her lover laughed at that. ¡°Thank you. You''re the one to talk.¡±

    His words reminded Blanche that she hadn''t looked into a mirror after waking up at all. She had no idea whether her sickness was still visible, but apparently, it was. ¡°Is it that bad? Can I see?¡±

    Theodore hesitated for a moment and scanned her expression. ¡°You weren''t conscious for days and just woke up, so it would be strange for you to seem unaffected. After you rested for a bit, you will be completely normal again, so you don''t have to worry about anything.¡±

    Blanche paused at that as well. Did he think that she would be upset about looking like she was sick? She had certainly paid a lot of attention to her appearance in the past, but she was still reasonable enough to understand that she wouldn''t appear as neat as she mostly did. As long as her lover didn''t push her away because she looked too scary, she didn''t mind. ¡°I won''t get frustrated. I only want to see my reflection once to check how awful it truly is.¡±

    Theodore wasn''t excited about the idea, nevertheless, he brought her a hand mirror and allowed her to inspect herself.

    Blanche froze at her image before letting out a little giggle. ¡°I look like a walking corpse.¡± It was true. Her skin was paler than a healthy person''s should be, which only made the dark rings under her eyes stand out even more. Her tangled hair seemed like it hadn''t been brushed in ages, and Stella definitely would take an eternity to get it back into its original state. The way she slouched her shoulder right now also served to stress the impression that she was about to fall asleep.

    Though all of that didn''t stop her lover from attempting to pacify her. ¡°You are exaggerating. It''s not that bad. Nothing that won''t be better after you sleep for a bit.¡±

    She handed the mirror back to him and pretended to pause to inspect his face before running her fingertips over his skin. ¡°At least we match now. We can have a contest, and the person with the darkest circles around their eyes is the winner.¡±

    Theodore snorted at that and left the bed for a short moment to put the hand mirror back into a drawer of the dresser and close the curtains. ¡°We should rather focus on getting rid of them instead of being proud of our exhaustion.¡± He returned to her side and undressed to lay down next to her.

    Blanche allowed her body to fall back onto the mattress as well and waited until he covered them both with the blanket to snuggle against him.

    Theodore put his arm around her. ¡°That''s why we should sleep now, and tomorrow, everything will be better.¡±

    Blanche was about to close her eyes and allow herself to fall unconscious until she remembered something. She lifted her head off the pillow to look at him. ¡°Theo?¡±

    Her lover hummed to signal that he had heard her and opened his eyes again to meet her gaze.

    There was something the concubine hadn''t forgotten about. She felt like she shouldn''t dismiss this now, even if she was awfully

    tired. ¡°Didn''t you still have something important to tell me?¡±

    For a second, Theodore hesitated, and seriousness showed on his face. He quickly covered his grimace with a neutral expression though. ¡°Did I?¡±

    His inquiry made Blanche hesitate. Earlier, he had seemed like the topic was urgent, and now he claimed that he didn''t remember it anymore and expected her to believe that. How was that logical? Momentarily, she considered dropping the subject since he had sounded like it wasn''t a pleasant one. If he didn''t want to talk about it, she shouldn''t push the matter. But then again, just keeping quiet about it wouldn''t be right.

    So, Blanche tried it once more. ¡°Yes, you did. Just before the doctor came, you said that we had to discuss something. Then he knocked onto the door, and you told me that we would readdress it later when we are alone.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a few seconds, in which he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he showed her a soft smile that made her heart flutter. ¡°I have a vague recollection of saying that, but I forgot what I was referring to. Apparently, it wasn''t that important. I''ll tell you when I manage to remember. Since I am really exhausted, I definitely won''t be able to do so today. We should sleep before thinking about anything else.¡±

    At first, Blanche had been convinced that he was trying to change the subject, but his expression didn''t look like he was acting at all. Maybe it had really been a minor problem, and he didn''t wish to bother her with that while she wasn''t fully recovered. In that case, it made sense for him to lie about not remembering. But then again, he truly didn''t look like he was lying, even though that might have been because she was too tired to pick up on anything too. Her brain was barely able to process the information that her senses were giving her, so she surely couldn''t read his expression well either. In fact, Blanche wasn''t even capable of having a discussion with him now either, so pointing out her confusion wouldn''t allow her to reach her goal. She would trust him in hopes that he would be willing to open up about it in the near future.

    ¡°Alright. If you do remember, don''t forget it again before you can tell me. We should really sleep. Good night.¡± They kissed once more and then closed their eyes. As soon as Blanche''s head hit the pillow, drowsiness began to overtake her. She only managed to hear her lover whisper before she had fallen asleep.

    ¡°Good night, my angel.¡±

 Chapter 64: You Didnt Leave?

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 Chapter 65: What Happened at the Ball

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    this serious. Seemingly, the both of us and the doctor underestimated how weak you actually were.¡±

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    yelled almost the whole time. I think the doctor was treated a bit more harshly than me, but I still got my fair share of scolding. I didn''t like His Majesty''s tone, but he was right about being furious. We truly shouldn''t have allowed you to go through with that stupid plan. And I understand that he was angry at us lying about your allergy three months ago too.¡±

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    so good at reading other''s intentions, would let the concubine correct her. In fact, Seraphina would just distrust Blanche while thinking that she had to protect her own maid. Most likely, the heroine would even see this as an attack and conclude that Blanche had vile intentions.

 Chapter 66: Fireplace and Burning Jealousy

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    hate hearing you say his name. You also don''t need to keep anything he gives you. Tell me whatever you want, and it will be yours, so you don''t have to wait for others to give you gifts.¡± He took her hand and lifted it to his face to kiss her fingertips.

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 Chapter 67: Preventing the Future?

    is angry. Stella told me that he wasn''t especially pleased when you picked me up, so you might have to prepare yourself to deal with his wrath now. The empress, however, seemed to have been quite calm. But I don''t understand how she is supposed to be responsible for me collapsing at the ball. I am to blame for not recovering properly before attending and then dancing with Lord Vasquez. So, the empress doesn''t have anything to do with my rash decisions.¡±

    a bit angry. ¡°At first, I planned on visiting her to apologize for the fact that the situation became this uncomfortable for her. But after I realized that she had directly evoked it by forcing you to stay despite having witnessed that you were stumbling around, I didn''t have the composure to meet her. Not while still being uncertain whether you would recover. For that reason, I haven''t talked to her since the ball, and honestly, I''m quite content with that. I wouldn''t have been able to keep myself from blaming her otherwise.¡±

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 Chapter 68: The Servants Apology

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 Chapter 69: Secret Meeting

    Sometimes, the only way to sort the turmoil in your head is to plunge into the darkness of the labyrinth of your own fears. Signed by ¡®S¡¯. The rest of the page and the backside are empty.¡±

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 Chapter 70: An Intelligent Decision

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    You need to learn to listen to other people. I just said that it was not a joke. I''m cutting off all contact with you. I won''t write you letters. I won''t tell you anything about my life. I won''t even talk to you except for the minimum that is required at social events. And most importantly, I won''t listen to your demands anymore.¡± She could pinpoint the exact moment that he scanned her face and realized that his tool wasn''t trying to entertain him.

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 Chapter 71: A Maids Intuition

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 Chapter 72: Guilt

    As soon as Blanche opened her eyes, she realized that she had failed at trying to stay awake and that she was now trapped in the middle of a way too realistic nightmare again. She was sitting on the cold stone floor of a dark room, with the only light source being a torch, which was in the hallway that was visible behind the iron bars that fenced off the room. It was freezing, and her thin dress didn''t give her much warmth to protect herself either.

    Though the churning of her stomach was worse than that. It felt like she hadn''t eaten for days, but that didn''t make any sense. After all, a bowl with food was standing on the ground only a few steps in front of her. She would just have to extend her arms, and it would be hers. However, it seemed like this dream was one in which she couldn''t control her actions again. Her body didn''t move despite her efforts, and she couldn''t speak either. This meant that she was stuck here until whatever she was supposed to witness was over, but she already felt her heart aching at that. It was obvious that this followed after the second nightmare, in which she had been thrown into a cell because of Theodore''s order.

    Blanche couldn''t imagine that she would just be able to sit here in silence until she woke up. Someone would definitely come and belittle her in her pitiful state. Maybe Seraphina or Allen. She didn''t care who it was as long as it wasn''t Theodore. She could endure any other person''s ridicule and hatred, but seeing her lover with that resentful expression broke her a little more each time.

    Faintly, the footsteps of multiple people could be heard in the distance, and Blanche felt how her muscles tensed. She prayed to every god whose name she could remember that none of those belonged to her lover. The noises paused, and she could make out a few voices that were barely audible. A moment later, the people got silent, and one person continued to walk toward her. Despite her desperate focus on the prayers, she became unconcentrated. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her that this was Theodore, which made the terror in her rise even more. The footsteps came closer and were only seconds away from reaching the bars, which caused her body to lift her head and look at the corridor right in front of the cell.

    It was only another proof that the gods detested her when the one to step into her field of view was Theodore. He was wearing his uniform and a navy cape, which suggested that he had been in the middle of working before he had come here. He didn''t seem angry right now, just tired, but that didn''t make his disappointed stare any better. ¡°You aren''t eating?¡± Now the full bowl despite her empty stomach made sense.

    The original Blanche had been refusing to consume anything. She couldn''t be sure of the villainess'' intention, but it might have been to lure Theodore here. If that had been the goal, it would make her question how stupid her counterpart from the novel had been. The emperor surely didn''t want to see her, and his gaze was sufficient to determine that. Why would she bother him even more when she already knew that he detested her?

    Without her doing anything, Blanche''s mouth opened, and she replied. ¡°Yes, I wanted to see you, and you never agreed to visit me. This was the only way I could come up with.¡± So, the original Blanche was truly desperate enough to wish to meet him despite his hatred for her. Great.

    A glint of something like annoyance appeared in Theodore''s eyes. ¡°I''m here now. What do want? Make it quick. I don''t have an unlimited amount of time.¡±

    It was quiet for a moment as if Blanche needed to collect her courage before she spoke up in a hoarse voice. ¡°Will you really put me on trial for treason? I''m going to be executed if the judge doesn''t realize the truth. You''re not going to allow that, right?¡±

    Theodore pressed his lips into a thin line. He took a step closer to the bars and looked to both sides before leaning forward and grabbing one of the iron poles. ¡°You will be treated like any normal person. I won''t interfere during the trial, which will leave the decision to the judge. If he proves your guilt, you will definitely be executed. However, there is another possibility.¡±

    She felt her breath hitch at that as her body tensed to listen carefully when he continued.

    ¡°You can appear as a witness and give us the necessary evidence to arrest the people you worked with. You''ll confess all of your evil deeds and admit that you are guilty. You will officially apologize for every one of your crimes and state that you haven''t been in the right state of mind back then and that you regret what happened deeply. Then I could bypass the laws and sent you into exile in a house far in the south.¡±

    It felt like Blanche''s heart shattered into a million pieces at these words, and a lump formed in her throat as she responded in a whisper. ¡°You still think that I''m guilty?¡± It sounded like her original counterpart had just realized that her Theodore didn''t love her anymore.

    The emperor let out a low sigh and massages the brink of his nose for a moment before he looked at her again. ¡°I don''t know how often you need to hear it again. I don''t think that you are guilty, I know it. That''s why none of your excuses, denials or lies will convince me to help you.¡± That should have been enough to make any sane person understand that they had lost.

    But seemingly, Blanche''s counterpart wasn''t very intelligent. Despite the feeling of acid burning through her chest, she straightened her posture to meet Theodore''s eyes. ¡°How can I be guilty when I haven''t done anything? None of the things you, or rather that damned woman, accused me of were true. Why don''t you understand that she had fed you lies and manipulated you from the very beginning? She is the vile one-¡± Insulting his wife also wasn''t especially clever.

    The emperor snapped at her before she could even continue. ¡°Do you think saying this will help you? You are insulting the empress, the mother of my child, so it should be obvious that this won''t get you any sympathy. The only thing that that will accomplish is infuriating me even more. Why can''t you stop blaming Seraphina? She has done nothing wrong. Her only problem is having to rule a nation full of political enemies and then needing to survive assassination attempts from the inside. Didn''t you ever stop to think why I am supporting her? She is an intelligent, compassionate and considerate empress that always does her best for her nation. But those seem to be traits that a narcissistic person like you can''t value.¡±

    These words had the same effect as a blow to the face would have had. It hurt and took the air out of Blanche''s lungs. Still, she kept trying to argue with Theodore. She moved to the bars and rested her weight on her knees to be closer to the emperor. ¡°Why are you saying things like that? Theo, I love you! Please don''t treat me like the bad one here. I truly didn''t do anything! I swear on my life that I never did anything to harm you or your child. It''s true that I haven''t been kind to the empress, but I also never intended to hurt her physically or even kill her.¡± She slowly lifted her hand in an attempt to reach for him.

    For a moment, Theodore froze. However, instead of reconsidering, he raised his hand and slammed it against one of the bars, which made Blanche jump back again. ¡°Stop lying!¡± He yelled at her, which was enough to finally let the tears that had been forming in her eyes spill out. That only upset Theodore even more. He glared down at her shaking form and tightened his grip around the iron rods so much that his hands became white. ¡°It seems like you don''t value your life a lot, do you? I''m being merciful enough to offer to send you into exile instead of executing you, and you just keep on blaming others. Will you really decline the chance to live a peaceful life just because of your twisted sense of justice? You tried to murder the empress. There is no way that you will get out of this alive unless you agree to this offer.¡±

    Blanche didn''t even need to wait for her mouth to answer to know what would follow. Even after gaining the novel''s memories, she had been unwilling to leave Theodore despite that being way safer than staying. Naturally, her original version would agree in that manner. ¡°I won''t confess to anything that I didn''t do! And how can you call sending me away merciful? A life without you is worse than every bit of torture you could threaten me with. I love you, Theodore!¡±

    It looked like the emperor was about to lose his composure. His hands were shaking, and his voice trembled while he spoke. ¡°Why won''t you stop saying that when it''s not true? It won''t give you an advantage. The only thing that is going to accomplish is making me angry.¡±

    Blanche''s body was moving to the iron bars again despite her mind screaming to stop provoking him even more. She slowly lifted her hands and brought them closer to his. ¡°I''m not saying this because I want something in return. I''m saying it because it''s true. I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world. I love-¡±

    Those words destroyed Theodore''s self-control completely. He jolted his hands away just before she could touch him and began yelling at her. ¡°I told you to stop saying that! I don''t-¡±

    No.

    She couldn''t hear that. She wouldn''t be able to listen to him saying that he didn''t love her. That would crush her very soul. The very thought made her want to scream out in anguish.

    So, she did scream.

    ¡°Don''t say that, please! That''s the one thing I don''t want to hear out of your mouth!¡± Just in time, Blanche had interrupted him in the same loud volume, with her words almost coming out as a sob.

    That silenced both of them. A while of absolute silence followed. None of them let go of the iron bars as if they were some kind of lifeline. Blanche just wanted this to be over, to awake in her bed and wait for her lover to visit her at noon with a smile on his face and not this nightmarish resentment, but no one would ask her. Instead, she had to endure this torture for no specific reason. She could only let her head hang forward while trying not to crumble because of the dull ache in her chest.

    A minute passed with neither of them speaking before Theodore opened his mouth again. ¡°That''s not what I...¡± His voice trailed off before he forced himself to speak normally again, even if he was more hesitant than before. ¡°I...don''t believe a word that comes out of your mouth anymore. If you cared for me, you wouldn''t force me to execute you. You would take the offer and leave. No one else is here. So, why can''t you at least be honest with me? Admit to your crimes just this once.¡± He looked so tired while he said that.

    Blanche wanted to cry and yell upon seeing this disappointment in his gaze, but her body just responded in a barely audible whisper. ¡°I am being honest.¡± Her voice was hoarse, more so than it should be, which proved how long she had to have cried. ¡°You are always fair in your judgment. Why aren''t you doing the same in this case? Since I didn''t do anything, there can''t be any evidence.¡±

    Theodore let out a sigh. ¡°I wouldn''t put you on trial because of nothing. Do you really need me to enumerate all the crimes you committed?¡± When he looked at her, and she didn''t budge, he narrowed his eyes and resumed. ¡°You bought the poison and put some of it in the empress'' tea. You also hired the assassins that were stopped while they tried to enter the estate. Both the pharmacist and the mercenaries described your appearance perfectly, which leaves no doubt about your identity. The traces of the poison in the empress'' cup serve as proof for the attempted murder too. That crime is the one thing that can''t be ignored no matter what, so arguing against the evidence won''t help.¡±

    ¡°But the evidence is wrong! These people must have been paid to lie. Someone could have easily given them direction on what to say before the interrogation. I didn''t go to a pharmacy, and I didn''t talk to assassins. I wouldn''t even know where to find either one of those. And I also didn''t put poison into anything. Just because it was in the cup, that doesn''t mean that it was me. Anyone else could have prepared the tea like that.¡±

    Theodore''s expression darkened at her excuses, but he didn''t get louder even as he resumed. ¡°Do you think that was it? There are countless letters that were exchanged between you and Evelyn Lemares, the despicable woman who drowned Lady Ravillot''s daughter. Those prove that you were working together and that you knew about the numerous twisted deeds that she had committed to hurt her sister, the Duchess of Duremont, and her children. But instead of telling someone about it to stop that monster, you used her by telling her that you would allow her to marry Duke Duremont eventually and watched while she hurt that innocent family.¡±

    At that point, Blanche should have understood that her excuses were more than pitiful considering that so much solid evidence had been found and that she only aggravated the emperor more with every denial. Still, her mouth opened despite her desperately trying to stop herself, and the words poured out. ¡°I definitely didn''t write even a single letter to her! You know how much I always hated her fake smile and her exaggerated politeness. Why would I suddenly work together with her? And do you seriously think that I would have contact with that person after you revealed that she killed that little girl on purpose? I''ve always liked children, you know-¡±

    Theodore cut her off. ¡°It seems that you won''t believe that you are cornered no matter how much evidence I present. Then maybe I show you something that makes you understand.¡± He reached into his uniform and pulled out a small object that still remained hidden in his hand. He stretched his arm through the iron bars and opened his fingers, which caused the item to fall to the floor.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Blanche almost tipped over to catch it in time and slowly lowered her head to stare at the thing lying in her hands. It was a purple wing that looked like it had been broken, and the other half was missing. Immediately, the realization cut through her heart. Before she could say anything, a sob tore from her throat. This was her butterfly ornament, the one that Theodore had gifted her for the first anniversary of their relationship. It had been her favorite accessory since her lover had adored it whenever she wore the clasp. And now it was completely broken.

    Yet, Theodore didn''t seem to focus on that all that much. Instead, he told her something else. ¡°Allen Duremont was a great help during the investigation. Do you know where he found this?¡±

    She looked up at him, still unable to speak due to the sobs that were forming in her throat. She wasn''t even trying to hold back the streams of tears that were rushing down her cheeks anymore since she had no chance of succeeding anyway. That didn''t get her pity though.

    Her silence made Theodore continue as he answered his own question. ¡°At the pharmacy where you bought the poison. Naturally, I recognized it instantly, which simplified finding out who the owner of this is. This is the half that was in your room. If you still have doubts about whether these pieces belong together, we''ll show that it perfectly matches with the one from the pharmacy.¡±

    In her mind, Blanche repeated that she should just give up and accept her defeat over and over, but her body responded against her will again. ¡°That''s impossible! How could my things be there when I never left the palace in the last few weeks? This has to be fake. Someone must have put it there. You said that Lord Duremont found it. Whose brother is he?¡± It was strange to hear her own voice speak with so much malice when she knew that it was just another excuse, but she couldn''t keep her body from resuming. ¡°Of course, he would say anything his sister asks him to, and he could have placed it in the pharmacy too.¡± She closed her hands around the butterfly and pressed it against her chest. She paused to sob once more when a thought made her freeze and filled her veins with burning anger. ¡°Was he the one who broke it?¡±

    Theodore closed his eyes at that and took a deep breath before looking at her again. ¡°I thought that physically present evidence would convince you to tell the truth, but it seems that I underestimated your self-justified worldview. You can''t accept that everyone knows what a terrible person you are now. Still, your only goal is to blame others who didn''t do anything wrong instead of apologizing for your misdeeds. Lord Duremont found the clasp like this, so you must have broken it when you left the pharmacy. Though what really baffles me is that you can claim to be innocent despite remembering all the harm you caused, and then you cry over such a stupid little object.¡±

    Blanche''s grip around the butterfly tightened as her gaze snapped up to the emperor. ¡°This isn''t stupid! Don''t you remember what this is? You gave it to me on-¡±

    He cut her off again. ¡°I know. But weren''t you the person who always wished for more? More dresses, more jewelry, more gold coins. So, it seems like you weren''t satisfied with any of my gifts. Why do you act like the world is going to end because of such a small accessory?¡±

    She sniffled and could feel how her original counterpart was trying to suppress her desire to scream and wail to be able to speak. ¡°That''s not true. I adore every single one of your gifts. I could enumerate all of them in the chronological order that you gave them to me. Of course, I like jewelry a lot, but the reason that this is so precious to me is that the man I love gifted it to me.¡±

    Apparently, she had said something that she shouldn''t have said since Theodore''s wrath returned immediately. It was the cold anger that gave him a murderous aura and made even her want to run away, but his glare kept her body from moving a muscle. Slowly, the emperor leaned forward without evading his eyes from hers for a second. ¡°You seem so keen on repeating that again and again. Did you say that to him too?¡±

    Those words made Blanche freeze for a moment before she slowly lifted one of her arms to grab one of the iron bars while still pressing the ornament against her heart. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Theodore let out a laugh without any amusement. He put on a fake smile that barely hid his fury. ¡°Oh, do you really think that I didn''t know about that yet? The person you kept visiting for the last eight months or so? At first, I was confused about why you suddenly left the palace regularly despite not having shown any interest in going out for such a long time. And with the empress'' help, I just recently found out where you went. Even then I wanted to trust you, only to be presented with a stack of evidence proving that I wasn''t the only man you fooled. If that wasn''t worse enough, it had to be that bastard too.¡± With every word, the fake glee in his voice died more until there was only bitterness left.

    For the first time, Blanche didn''t know what he was talking about. The villainess had never been friends with anyone outside so that she could visit them, and her leaving the estate regularly hadn''t been mentioned either. However, her original counterpart wasn''t as confused as she was. Instead, her body panically talked back. ¡°No, you misunderstood! I visited him often, yes, but I never saw him as more than a friend. When I was with him, we talked. That was all we both wanted. I don''t know what kind of evidence should prove the opposite. There can''t be any. I love you, and there has never been another person that was as dear to me as you are! I have never felt those feelings for anyone except you, so-¡±

    Theodore didn''t let her finish. ¡°I''m getting tired of your excuses. Even if you were speaking the truth, which you aren''t as countless letters, gifts and testimonies prove, that wouldn''t explain why you decided that it was a good idea to become friends with my greatest enemy. But in the end, that doesn''t matter. Your crimes still stand one way or another, and you will be judged for those. I wanted to talk to you once more in a composed manner, but that isn''t possible if lies are all you respond with. I''m giving the choice one last time. Confess that you attempted to kill the empress and her child on multiple occasions and testify about the people you were working with, specifically Julien Sefare and Evelyn Lemares. If you do that, you will be sent into exile and live peacefully until the very end. Or you can remain stubborn and insist on your lies. In that case, the judge will definitely sentence you to death due to the massive load of evidence against you. The investigation isn''t even finished, and we have more than enough proof to convict you already. Make your decision now.¡±

    Even though Blanche knew what would follow because of the novel''s ending, she yelled at herself. It was stupid not to give up since she threw away the chance to be left alive. But at the same time, she could understand the reply of her original self. The response was easy to find when her heart hurt so much that nothing could be worse. ¡°My reply should be obvious. Along with the fact that I won''t confess to anything I didn''t do, there is another thing that makes it impossible to agree to your offer. I love you more than my own life. If I can''t stay by your side and have to know that you despise me, I would rather die than continue to suffer.¡±

    The emperor narrowed his eyes at that and turned around. ¡°Then it seems like your wish will be fulfilled. Either you will be executed or starve because you refuse to eat. I don''t care. Tell Leon if you change your mind.¡± He didn''t even wait for her response and stormed away from the cell.

    When he was out of her sight, Blanche hesitated for a moment before jumping up and throwing herself against the iron bars. ¡°Theo, wait!¡± She pressed her head into a gap so that she could see him rushing down the corridor.

    He didn''t even slow his pace upon hearing her calling for him.

    But that didn''t stop Blanche from repeating his name over and over again. ¡°Theo, don''t leave me here! Please, come back. Theo!¡±

    Theodore''s silhouette disappeared around the corner, without him stopping or replying to her once. Blanche yelled a few more times before giving up and sliding onto the floor and sobbing uncontrollably. In her mind, she alternated between cursing the gods and the author of the novel, whose name she didn''t even know, and wasn''t sure whom she should hate more.

    What was the reason for this nightmare? Did someone want to show her how much Theodore would resent her in the future? She knew that already. There was no need to make her suffer again with every dream. This had been the fifth one, and that only served to remind her that she needed to change the outcome under any circumstance. She couldn''t say what she would do if she wasn''t able to do that and had to face the choice Theodore had just given her. Objectively, surviving was the most important, but living far away with the knowledge that he hated her and loved Seraphina seemed like torture.

    Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. ¡°My Lady.¡± Stella was the only person who addressed her like this, but whoever spoke had been male.

    Slowly, Blanche lifted her head, still not on her own will, and looked into the face of a brown-haired servant she would never have expected to be here.

    Harris was kneeling in front of the cell and grabbed her hands through the gaps between the bars.

    To her confusion, Blanche''s original self responded by holding his hands tightly and whispered to him. ¡°Harris... What are you doing here?¡±

    Harris looked around the corridor before facing her again. ¡°I volunteered for cleaning the cells. Naturally, I wasn''t allowed in this part, but I pulled a few strings and persuaded one of the guards to lend me his keys.¡±

    She let out a somewhat bitter laugh. ¡°That''s typical of you. No one even questions why you would need that key.¡±

    Harris gave her a grin. ¡°You know what I''m good at.¡± His smile faded after a few seconds and left behind a frown. ¡°How are you? Are the rumors about you refusing to eat true?¡± He really sounded worried. That was odd.

    Blanche nodded. ¡°I thought that he would meet me because of that. He did, but he doesn''t care. He told me that he-¡± She couldn''t bring herself to finish the sentence and sobbed instead.

    Harris squeezed her hands in response. ¡°You don''t have to say it. I was hiding in the next cell. I heard the whole conversation. Don''t cry. We''ll get you out of here.¡±

    Blanche let go of his hand to wipe some of her tears before putting it back into his. ¡°Do you think the royal palace''s cells are easy to break open? The locks are the best in the whole nation, and there are knights constantly patrolling the corridor. The only reason that there are no guards here right now is that Theo spoke to me. It''s impossible to bring me out unless you have an army on your side. Besides, it would be stupid to flee now after I just declined the offer that would keep me alive.¡±

    Harris turned his head to check the hallway again before looking back to her. ¡°It wasn''t clever of you to object, but we can''t change that now. And it''s not impossible to get you out. We''ll find a way. If I put some effort into it, I''m able to get rid of the knights for a few minutes, which would give us enough time to open the cell, climb up the stairs and hide you in one of the carriages. We can do that right before the cooks drive to the market and free you there.¡±

    Blanche''s irritation grew with every sentence that they exchanged. Why was Harris so keen on freeing her, and why did they act like they were friends? Had the villainess originally had contact with him? If so, the novel hadn''t bothered to mention it once.

    Her body shook her head and replied. ¡°And then? You''ll have to bring me out of the country. Where do you want to go? Northern Ocrea, where they hate all people from Artias because of the war? That doesn''t seem like a thorough plan. Even if we''d manage that, I would still be alone. I''m useless by myself. I''m lazy, and I haven''t worked for a single day of my life. How would I be able to survive?¡± She lowered her gaze onto her lap where the broken butterfly wing was lying.

    Barely a second passed before Harris addressed her again. ¡°Look at me.¡±

    She hesitantly complied.

    The man in front of her, who seemed uncharacteristically kind, spoke to her with determination in his voice. ¡°You aren''t useless. Don''t ever say something like that again. You aren''t alone either. Cedar and I are here to help you no matter what.¡± Cedar? Who was that? ¡°I might not have a lot of power or influence, but I''m inconspicuous enough to travel to another country with you. Cedar has the money and connections that are necessary to plan your escape and secure your stay in your new home afterward. He might even join us in the future. Or he will succeed in his goal and allow us to return to Artias. In any case, he will find a way to save you, and I will do anything to make that plan work.¡±

    Cedar?

    Those words only served to increase Blanche''s confusion. Who was Cedar? He didn''t seem to be another servant since Harris had claimed that he was wealthy and influential. He had to be a noble, but Blanche didn''t remember anyone with that name. Was he an aristocrat from outside the capital? That would explain why she had never heard about him. But what was her relationship with him? It sounded like Harris believed that this Cedar was willing to risk being marked as a traitor by the emperor to save her. Did that mean that she would still meet this person in the future? Her heart just hurt when she heard that name. So, this body had to care about this Cedar.

    Blanche remained quiet for a moment before responding in a whisper, still without her really wanting to. ¡°Whatever you do, don''t endanger yourself. Neither Cedar nor you can get caught, or Theodore will probably accuse you of treason. Just because I''m in a bad situation, you can''t ruin your lives too. Can you promise me that?¡±

    Harris'' eyes darted around, but seemingly, no guard had appeared yet. He held her hands a bit tighter while he replied. ¡°I''m sorry, I can''t promise that. I don''t care what happens to me. I won''t sit by idly while you get hurt.¡±

    In response, she gave him a weak smile. ¡°Thank you for your care. But I would still favor it if you would protect yourself first. Can you tell Cedar something when you see him?¡±

    Harris nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry for messing up. I should have listened to him when I had the chance. He was right about everything and...¡± With every word that she spoke, her throat ached more, and she had to stop to keep herself from crying, but it didn''t help. She broke down and started sobbing loudly again, with only one sentence leaving her mouth. ¡°I don''t want to die.¡± She didn''t want to live without Theodore either, but dying was just as terrifying. She had thought enough about her choices to be sure of that.

    Harris reached through the bars and gently pulled her into a hug. ¡°You won''t die. We''ll get you out of here, no matter what.¡± He sounded like he was fighting the urge to cry as well, which made Blanche feel a little bad.

    She knew how the story would end, so any promises that they exchanged would inevitably be broken. Blanche would get beheaded in front of the royal couple. At this point, her destiny was already determined, so they had no chance of altering it despite their efforts.

    The both of them remained in that posture for a while until she had calmed down a little again and then slowly let go of each other. Blanche took a deep breath before she spoke. ¡°If you don''t make it in time, don''t blame yourself. It''s my fault for not seeing this coming, not yours or Cedar''s. He warned me, and you did too. I should have left weeks ago when I saw how things were developing.¡±

    Harris shook his head. ¡°No, no one could have known that this would happen. And we definitely will save you. Cedar would never let-¡± He interrupted himself as the sound of footsteps began to echo from a distance. ¡°I''m sorry, I have to go now. But I''ll be back soon with a plan.¡±

    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±

    He nodded at her and rose to his feet, only to stop and bow down to her again. ¡°From now, on you will eat normally, alright?¡±

    Blanche gave him a smile, which he returned before sneaking away from the cell. Just when Harris left through the door at the end of the corridor, the guards entered through the other side. Seeing that he had escaped made her breathe out in relief.

    Blanche stood up on her shaky feet and stepped away from the bars toward the bowl with food. Surprisingly, she sat down there and slowly began nibbling at the bread and swallowed a few bites. The taste in her mouth and the pain of her neglected stomach felt so real that it seemed impossible that this was a dream. That became even more obvious when this body changed its mind again.

    After just a few bites, Blanche put the bread away again and stared at it as if she was uncertain. Would her original counterpart truly deny herself food despite the overwhelming ache of her stomach? It seemed like she was pondering, which made this whole scene seem even more realistic. But then again, the decision had already been made here.

    The villainess would reject any offer that could help her until she was standing at the execution site. There, she would die.

    But just as Blanche thought that, it was like she was falling with a nauseating speed. When she opened her eyes, someone was wailing next to her, and she was lying in her soft bed and cuddled with her warm blanket instead of sitting on the cold cell floor.

 Chapter 73: Nightmares

    Blanche didn''t have much time to orientate herself since a voice immediately sounded next to her ears after she opened her eyes.

    ¡°My Lady, My Lady!¡± This time, it was unmistakably Stella who was calling her.

    The concubine was still drowsy from just having woken up but jolted awake as her brain finished processing her dream. She sat up and met her servant''s teary gaze.

    ¡°Thank the gods!¡± Stella was half yelling and half wailing as she spoke. ¡°You were crying in your sleep, so I tried to wake you up. But you just didn''t respond. I yelled and shook you, and there was no reaction. You simply didn''t open your eyes, and then you whispered that you didn''t want to die. I was so scared because I thought that...¡± Stella didn''t finish the sentence but threw her arms around her mistress instead.

    Blanche''s mind was still racing because of the countless new pieces of information she had gathered through the dream, but she quickly decided to calm her maid first. She embraced the other woman tightly and replied. ¡°I was-¡± Her voice was already hoarse and cracked after the first two words. She coughed and reached for the glass of water on the nightstand. Stella noticed that and let go to hand her the water, which Blanche gladly gulped down. Her throat felt less sore now, but her head was still buzzing, and her face was full of dried tears. Apparently, she had cried along with her self from the dream, which wasn''t a great surprise considering how harsh Theodore had been with her. The only good thing about that was that she had stopped crying now, even if she still didn''t feel great.

    It seemed like the concubine took a bit too long while drinking since Stella stared at her mistress with round eyes as she waited for her to be done.

    So, Blanche carefully attempted to speak again and succeeded this time. ¡°I had a nightmare. I probably didn''t wake up because my brain hadn''t finished the dream, but I have no idea. Either way, I''m fine now.¡± At least nothing hurt badly enough to make her search for some kind of injury.

    Stella didn''t reply with any words and hugged her mistress again instead. Only now Blanche noticed that the poor woman was shaking. That her mistress hadn''t reacted had to have caused Stella to assume the worst, especially after the concubine had collapsed and refused to wake up a little over a week ago.

    Consoling her maid wouldn''t be the easiest task since Blanche herself wasn''t in the best state either, but she couldn''t just let the servant sob without trying anything. ¡°It''s alright. I''m awake now, so you don''t have to worry anymore.¡± Right after saying those words, she realized how ridiculous they were. Just because she wasn''t hurt, that didn''t erase all the worries that swarmed around in Stella''s head.

    It had been the same with Blanche and Theodore after he had found her crying in the pavilion. Surely, he had calmed her for the night, but that hadn''t gotten rid of the problems with the novel. She had only felt better after their very long reconciliation, and still, she was scared of the discussed issues.

    In this case, she also couldn''t tell her maid that everything was fine now when nothing had changed.

    Blanche could only attempt to calm Stella down and then address a possible solution. Gently, she began stroking over the other woman''s hair. ¡°Everything is going to be fine. I don''t know what happened, but it''s over now. We''ll call the doctor later so that he can check on me, and if something is wrong, I can get treatment. But nothing hurts, so I assume that it was just the dream that kept me asleep. Because of the meeting yesterday, many thoughts were rushing through my head, so that must have been the attempt of my brain to process it.¡±

    Stella buried her face in her mistress'' neck and inhaled shakily. Her grasp around the other woman tightened, but she didn''t say anything yet.

    Blanche continued to pet her maid''s hair while being completely absorbed in her thoughts. Even though the scene she had just witnessed hadn''t been in the novel, she was sure that this conversation had been from the original timeline. The way that Theodore had treated her matched the resentment that he would feel for her near the ending, and most of the evidence he had enumerated had been mentioned in the novel as well.

    However, neither the villainess'' relation to Harris nor the mysterious person named Cedar had ever been described in the book in even a single line. Blanche was now aware that the villainess knew those two vaguely, but her brain refused to cooperate when she tried to figure out more. Whenever she thought about this, her mind gave in, which meant that this couldn''t have been described well in the novel.

    Consequently, the nightmare hadn''t only made Blanche more scared of her lover''s hatred but also muddled her previous understanding of the future events. Clearly, there were things that she didn''t know despite having the memories of ¡°To Be Empress¡±, and that scared her. She couldn''t be sure whether protecting herself from the dangers that she knew about was enough to save her life. Apparently, the second novel was a bigger problem than she had believed it to be.

    A couple of minutes passed while only Stella''s crying and Blanche''s sniffling were heard. Both became quieter after some time before they had calmed down.

    Then Stella let go of her mistress to wipe away the dried tears on her face. ¡°We should get the doctor now. I don''t want to wait any longer since we don''t know whether you are in danger.¡± Actually, that wasn''t necessary.

    The concubine was fairly sure that being stuck in the dream had prevented her from waking, and since it was over, she shouldn''t have any problems. Disturbing the doctor in the middle of the night for that seemed exaggerated. However, she couldn''t prove that she was fine, and her maid definitely wouldn''t believe her and insist on an examination. So, she didn''t even have to try refusing. ¡°Alright. Will you get him while I wait here?¡±

    Stella nodded and jumped up. ¡°I''ll hurry.¡± She grabbed a candle before running out of the door.

    This allowed Blanche to finally let down her guard. She couldn''t stop fighting against the terror in her veins that made her shiver in fear. She hugged herself and repeated the dream sequence in her mind over and over again.

    What was she supposed to do with this new piece of information now? Should she try to find out who Cedar was, or should she rather avoid that person? The second option seemed to be the better one in this case. After all, anyone the villainess would have been acquainted with was probably connected to some intrigues. Otherwise, they would have been mentioned in the novel too. The only reason for hiding their existence that made sense was that this person would play a major role in the second book of the series. So, the concubine should refrain from meeting them or at least from spending a lot of time with them.

    But aside from this thought, Blanche also couldn''t stop pondering about Theodore''s words. Remembering them only hurt her, but she kept trying to find a little trace of remaining love in his expression. He had looked so hurt and wrathful, and yet, she desperately wanted to search for some hint of his lingering feelings. She wanted to find something that proved that he at least hadn''t been indifferent when the villainess was executed.

    However, that didn''t matter. Right now, Theodore still cared for her, and Blanche wouldn''t be hated this much if she didn''t attempt to kill Seraphina, right?

    Despite the protests of her trembling legs, Blanche forced herself to stand up while resting most of her weight on her hands on the head-part of her bed until it felt like she would be able to stay upright. Slowly, she let go and moved one foot in front of the other at a snail-like pace. As expected, she took a while to reach her destination.

    As soon as she was next to the dresser, she plopped down onto the stool to unburden her weak legs. Her hands were shaking too, but she managed to open one of the drawers after some fumbling.

    The purple butterfly was still lying there unharmed on the same spot that she had put it.

    Blanche let out a shaky sigh of relief and carefully lifted the clasp up to inspect it more closely. There were no cracks visible, let alone a missing wing. She enclosed the accessory with her hands and pressed it against her chest as she had done in her dream. Even though it wasn''t broken, tears were threatening to spill again, so she closed her eyes in an attempt to hold herself back. Putting the butterfly back into the drawer would probably be more effective, but she couldn''t bring herself to do that. Instead of that, she looked around in her room for a hiding place.

    No matter what happened, she wouldn''t let anyone destroy this piece of jewelry. Theoretically, it shouldn''t break if she wouldn''t visit this pharmacist that the emperor had mentioned, but she wouldn''t trust that. Even though it was unreasonable, she didn''t want anyone to know where it was. However, nearly every single spot in her chambers would be cleaned by Stella every few days, and Blanche couldn''t risk her friend stepping on it by accident. The only things the maid didn''t touch were the contents of her wardrobe, the desk and the dresser. This meant that Blanche had to hide it in one of those spaces.

    She turned around to open all the drawers and scanned what kind of jewelry was lying in each one. Quickly, she realized that the compartment at the bottom only held shawls and handkerchiefs. Maybe hiding the butterfly there would be perfect. No one would suspect a clasp between so many layers of cloth, and she barely opened this drawer, so she wouldn''t accidentally pull it out along with another item. And even if someone knew that she had hidden her clasp, they wouldn''t expect the accessory to be so close to its original location.

    Blanche carefully placed the butterfly in between the fabric pieces and covered it up before closing all the drawers again. Immediately, she felt childish for being so paranoid. No one would come to her room just to destroy her jewelry. She knew that. Still, she couldn''t bear the thought of seeing the clasp broken into two halves. She would rather be overly cautious than risk anything. Hiding the item hadn''t taken more than a minute, so she hadn''t wasted any time either.

    Just at the moment that she was finished, a knock sounded from the door. Blanche opened her mouth to allow them to enter but hesitated when she remembered that it was the middle of the night. There shouldn''t be any other people sleeping on this floor except for the royal couple, and they were on the other side of the building, but she didn''t want to accidentally wake the servants in their rooms below her. Even though the walls and ceilings in the palace were relatively thick, she didn''t have to challenge her luck.

    Instead of yelling, Blanche rose from the stool and moved to the door. Her legs were still refusing to give her the normal balance, but it was better than before, and she managed to reach the entrance without falling onto her knees. She pushed the door in the same second that the person outside pulled it open, which made her stagger a bit. She managed to let go of the handle just in time.

    Stella was standing in the corridor with the royal doctor by her side. The maid breathed out deeply when she saw her mistress and gestured for the man to go inside. ¡°My Lady, you scared me again when you didn''t answer. If this continues like this, I will have a heart attack by noon.¡±

    ¡°Please, don''t get so upset.¡± Blanche had a small smile on her lips, which her servant tried to imitate.

    The doctor, however, remained completely serious. ¡°I would like to examine you as soon as possible so that we can make sure everything is alright. Not responding to auditory and physical impulses, even while sleeping, can be a bad sign.¡±

    The concubine''s smile faded at the urgency that the man''s tone conveyed and stepped aside to let him in. Stella helped the doctor by carrying some of his equipment and brought it to the bed, with him following her. Blanche stayed by the door to close it and then trailed behind them. Immediately, the doctor made her sit on the bed and began by posing questions to ensure that her brain was responding properly.

    The concubine did a few tasks that included moving her limps in specific directions or catching a pen that was thrown at her. After that, the doctor examined her eyes'' reaction to light and used a stethoscope to listen to her breathing. Without complaining, she complied with the man''s demands for half an hour.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    As usual, the doctor took notes every few minutes and put the book away when he finished. ¡°I''m uncertain whether this is a good or a bad result. I can''t determine any sickness or physical ailments. Since you also said that no part of your body is in pain, we have to assume that you are perfectly healthy. Naturally, this is wonderful, but it doesn''t give us an explanation for you not reacting to being woken up. This is why I''m extremely worried that you might actually suffer from a condition that I cannot find. In the worst case, this might cause you harm later, so we''ll need to make sure that you are truly healthy, especially after the events of the ball. Is there anything that felt odd? Or do you remember something being strange when you fell asleep or awoke? You seem to have been crying. Are you positive that you weren''t in pain?¡±

    Blanche leaned her back against the pillow and thought about his words for a moment. She didn''t want to complain about the dream when the doctor couldn''t do anything about it. On the other hand, he was concerned for her health and needed every piece of information he could get to come to the correct conclusion. With a faint sigh, she began. ¡°I don''t mean to sound childish, but I actually...had a nightmare. A really, really bad one. Stella said that I voiced a line from that dream out loud, so I must have had it just before I woke up. That was what made me cry, and my chest hurt a little too. I suppose that that nightmare had to be over before my brain was able to process anything else.¡±

    The doctor shook his head slowly. ¡°Nightmares aren''t childish. In our dreams, our mind tries to deal with everything that happened during the day. Naturally, they could show the most terrifying thing that you can imagine too. I have never heard about people being stuck in a nightmare, but I''ll research this topic and tell you when I learn something new. However, I would still like to take measures to help you now. Do you suffer from nightmares often? Specifically, ones that scare you this much?¡±

    ¡°Usually, I don''t dream often at all. But in the last three months, I had three nightmares that I would call traumatizing and two upsetting ones. And the hallucination at the ball, of course, if that counts.¡±

    The doctor nodded and opened his book to flip through the pages. When he arrived at the desired chapter, he stopped and read a couple of lines before speaking up. ¡°I only have very few notes on anything regarding difficulties while sleeping, but I did write down what herbs are supposed to make you sleep more peacefully. They, apparently, calm the person down, and thus, their brain isn''t as strained anymore. That prevents your mind from expecting something bad in your dreams and consequently makes sure that they won''t develop in an unpleasant manner. I can get you some of these herbs for you to put in your tea. This is the one thing I can offer you.¡±

    As long as this wouldn''t harm her, Blanche would do anything to keep these nightmarish visions from appearing. ¡°Yes, please. I would be very grateful for that.¡±

    The doctor wrote something down and rose from the chair. ¡°I will have someone deliver them to you by next week. I would recommend you ingest some of these herbs every day in the afternoon or evening. As I promised, I will read a few books about this subject as well and inform you of any other methods of treatment that might help you. I apologize for not being able to do anything else for now. I wish I could offer you a more convincing solution.¡± He bowed down, which immediately made the concubine uncomfortable.

    Blanche quickly stopped him. ¡°You already helped me a lot, so I am thankful. It''s natural that you aren''t omniscient, especially not in a field that has nothing to do with your usual tasks. My nightmares aren''t your fault, so you don''t have to be apologetic.¡±

    The doctor straightened his posture again, but still, a deep frown was etched into his features. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Lady Blanche. I will give my best. The royal library will surely have some useful information. For now, I would recommend you rest and take it slow for the next few days. I will take my leave to not keep you from calming down.¡±

    With that, the examination seemed to be over. Despite the doctor''s and Stella''s protests, Blanche accompanied him to the door to see him off. She thanked the man again for his help, but he claimed that he hadn''t even done anything yet.

    The doctor wished her a good night before leaving. As soon as he opened the door, all three of them froze.

    Only a few steps away from them, three figures stood. The hallways within the palace were brightly lit at night, and the golden hair that reflected in the candlelight didn''t leave any doubt that this was Seraphina. The people next to her seemed to be two of her maids. The group was immersed in a conversation until they noticed the opened door and turned around. For a moment, everyone was quiet.

    To Blanche, it felt like the empress'' gaze was piercing her very soul, which made her want to hide behind Stella.

    If Seraphina saw that the royal doctor was present, she would probably think that the concubine was trying to get attention by acting as if she was sick. That would make her detest the other woman even more, which definitely had the potential of causing problems later.

    Blanche could only hope that Seraphina would forget about this soon, or she might lose the small progress that she had made with her gift. She attempted to stay completely still to not draw any additional attention to herself. Only when the doctor bowed down, she realized that she had to greet the empress. She cursed herself for being so forgetful and made a wobbly curtsy.

    Seraphina stared at her for another moment before speaking. ¡°Lady Blanche, how are you? I heard that you had recovered fully after the incident at the ball, but seemingly, that isn''t the case.¡± She sounded a bit tired, which was understandable since it was the middle of the night. Luckily, that also caused her voice to lose its usual sharp edge when she was talking to the concubine.

    Blanche tried to reply somewhat politely despite her current state, even though her voice was a bit nasal thanks to her crying. ¡°I wish a good night to you, Your Majesty. The doctor just determined that this is not serious at all, and it has nothing to do with the cold I previously had. I am in good health again, so this will pass quickly.¡± Blanche would have rather denied being sick completely, but that lie would cast a bad light on her since the royal doctor was standing next to her. Her statement would make it seem like she was bothering the poor man for no reason, so she had to be somewhat honest.

    The empress'' eyes roamed across the three people by the door before they landed on the concubine again. Even though the heroine was visibly tired too and just stood in the hallway without doing anything, she was gorgeous. The candlelight made her hair shine and illuminated her perfectly clear skin, which almost made her have an ethereal glow. Due to her exhaustion, she also didn''t seem as resentful as she normally did, which was probably the reason that Blanche paid so much attention to her beauty. That and the fact that the nightmare served as a reminder of the future that would come if the story wasn''t altered.

    Seraphina remained quiet for a few seconds and then finally broke the silence. ¡°It''s unfortunate to hear that you are troubled by something so soon after the last incident. May you recover quickly.¡± These were unexpectedly kind words. Most likely, the empress was too exhausted to focus on her dislike for the other woman and just wanted to end the conversation as fast as possible.

    In that case, Blanche had the same goal. She also wanted to limit the interaction with Seraphina to avoid making any mistakes since her head was still buzzing from all the things in her dream. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±

    The empress greeted the royal doctor, and he returned it curtly. After that, she spoke up again. ¡°I do not wish to keep you from resting, so I will leave now.¡± The concubine and the doctor bid her farewell, and Seraphina strode down the corridor along with her maids, which seemed majestic even in her tired state.

    Blanche would usually be jealous of that level of charisma, but right now, the nightmare made her think about other things. She turned to the doctor. ¡°Then I wish you a good night too. I apologize for disturbing you this late, or rather early.¡±

    The doctor shook his head before taking his second bag from Stella''s hands. ¡°Don''t hesitate to call for me no matter when, even if it should just be a minor inconvenience. I would rather make sure that everything is fine than wait until something bad happens. As you can see, I will be able to help you with the severity of your nightmare now, which I couldn''t have done before. Naturally, I''ll refrain from sharing this information with anyone except for His Majesty and my assistants, who could have some ideas too. Goodnight, Lady Blanche. Rest well.¡± He faced Stella. ¡°You too. You were in complete disarray when you came to me, so you should go to sleep soon.¡±

    The maid lowered her gaze but nodded.

    The doctor left after that and disappeared at the end of the hallway.

    Blanche ignored the guards that had observed the whole conversation with unveiled interest and went inside her room. She waited until Stella closed the door before speaking up. ¡°I forgot that he will tell Theo about this.¡± She should have remembered that. If she had, she might have refused to call the doctor. After all, he would repeat everything that she had said to the emperor, who would only worry about her for naught. Even as the most powerful man in Artias, Theodore couldn''t keep her from having a nightmare if the prescribed herbs didn''t work. Though the worst possibility would be him asking about what she had seen in her dreams that made her sob for so long even in her sleep.

    The concubine paused at that thought and turned to her maid. ¡°Did the doctor see that I was crying? When you came back with him, I had stopped already, right?¡± If that was the case, she still had that chance that Theodore wouldn''t be informed of how much the nightmare had affected her.

    But Stella quickly took that hope from her. The servant''s expression fell, and she bit her lips for a moment before responding. ¡°You didn''t cry anymore, but... I mean, you cried while you slept, and I don''t know when you started since I just woke up in the middle of it. And that the dream bothers you is obvious too. All of that shows on your face, so there is no way that the doctor hasn''t noticed. I think even Her Majesty did.¡±

    Blanche held back a groan at that. Not only had she shown her most vulnerable side to someone who would tell the man that she loved but also to her greatest opponent. She could only hope that Seraphina wouldn''t stoop so low to attempt to use that against her. She doubted that this would happen considering the heroine''s general behavior, but Blanche''s pride was still damaged. Maybe that was good though. After all, she had to be ready to crawl at the empress'' feet if that was the only way to evade the ending that she had seen in her nightmare. Even that catastrophic situation could have been saved by the villainess giving up after all.

    Even though that scene had shown Blanche so much suffering, there had also been one piece of information that should calm her. If everything followed the original storyline, she would still have a possibility to survive by accepting Theodore''s offer, confessing her sins and apologizing to Seraphina. Every fiber in her being refused to consider that alternative since it would mean losing any chance of ever speaking to her lover again. But since he would loathe her at that point, there wasn''t really another choice. She could only hope that she wouldn''t ever be forced to make that decision as long as she didn''t plot against anyone.

    The concubine let her body fall onto her bed before she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself.

    Her depressed mood had to have been visible on her face since Stella quickly sat down beside her. ¡°You said that nothing hurt, so I assume that you are thinking about that nightmare.¡±

    Blanche nodded weakly. For a moment, she hesitated to explain anything, but the pressure on her mind was already great enough. It felt like she would break down if she didn''t let even a little bit out. ¡°I dreamed about Theodore saying really mean things to me. Things that physically hurt my heart when I think about them.¡± Voicing this, along with her maid''s empathetic expression, almost made her tear up again, so she quickly forced herself to add a joke. ¡°Harris was there too. And he was nice. I think that was the worst part.¡±

    The corners of Stella''s lips lifted for a moment before they sank again. The servant lay down on her side in front of the concubine and began speaking softly. ¡°Of course, I don''t know a lot about what you dreamed, but I can still calm you. No matter what it is, if His Majesty said something and realized that it hurt you, and believe me, he would immediately notice, he would apologize without hesitating even for a second. Your dream didn''t show reality but something that your brain made up due to all the stress yesterday. I am no scientist, but even I know a bit about how this works.¡±

    Stella shuffled around a bit before continuing. ¡°If you are troubled, your mind will create some kind of scenario that matches that emotion in an attempt to process the things that bother you. Since you worried about what His Majesty would think about you if he found out about those secrets, your head mixed this into a nightmare. Your own brain knows what words out of his mouth would hurt you the most, so it made you dream about hearing those. It''s a strange concept that our minds are purposefully forcing us to go through bad things so that we get over them.¡±

    If this had been a normal nightmare, this explanation would have calmed Blanche. However, knowing that this scene wasn''t just fiction but could possibly become reality in just nine months naturally kept her from forgetting about the dream. She took a deep breath before replying. ¡°I''m not sure how to say this... I feel like it''s not just a nightmare but more like a vision of the future. And I''m scared of that coming true. All the dreams that I had during the last months were ones that added up to a story together. That story would end with me being abandoned by Theodore for another woman and him ordering my execution.¡± She had to choke these words out and already felt how a lump formed in her throat. She forced herself to calm down and balled her hands into fists. Then she closed her eyes while attempting to distract herself from the hollow ache in her chest.

    Stella grabbed her hand, which made her mistress open her eyes and look into her maid''s determined expression. ¡°That won''t happen. It might sound odd for me to be so convinced, but I''m certain.¡±

    Blanche wanted to object, but the servant didn''t let her.

    ¡°I''m not in His Majesty''s head, I am aware of that. However, I saw him while you were unconscious. From the moment that you collapsed until you awoke, he didn''t leave your side. He was in your room the whole time, and if someone wanted to see him, they would have to come to him, only to be rejected. He only let the doctor and me inside two or three times. I believe that Lord Astame was inside once too. Everyone else was forbidden from entering, and when I saw His Majesty sitting next to you, I knew why. Normally, His Majesty is a very confident person with charisma and an incredible aura of authority.¡±

    Stella paused and patted her mistress'' hands to underline the following words. ¡°But when you refused to wake up, he looked like an empty shell. The only thing he cared about was you opening your eyes. The world outside could have burned to the ground, and he wouldn''t have cared. He barely ate and slept directly next to you so that you could immediately wake him. I''m pretty sure that he cried a lot too. Naturally, he didn''t do that when I was in the room, but his red eyes gave him away. I have never seen him in such a dejected state. If he didn''t care for you with his whole heart, do you think it would have been like this? Of course, it wouldn''t have.¡±

    Blanche had seen him in that state too. Right after she had awoken, Theodore had looked like he hadn''t eaten or slept in weeks and was barely holding himself upright. But that didn''t mean anything for the future, right? She didn''t doubt that he was utterly devoted to her now, however, if the novel forced him to act like in the original timeline, those feelings would fade despite her efforts. She wanted to hope for her ability to change that ending, but she didn''t dare to. As soon as one began to hope, the despair upon being disappointed would be even greater. She didn''t know whether a person could die of a broken heart, but if she tried to stay with Theodore only for him to push her away anyway, she would be the first case of that happening.

    Naturally, Blanche didn''t say all of that. Only a small part managed to come out of her mouth. ¡°He loves me now, but that can change.¡±

    Stella shook her head. ¡°That all of his emotions suddenly disappear is fairly unlikely as long as he doesn''t have a split personality. No matter what, he will always care for you, so he could never execute you. If he lost you, I think that he would crumble into nothingness. He might survive but not as the same person that he was before. He would be broken after that. So, I cannot imagine any scenario in which he would turn to another woman and leave you, let alone kill you.¡±

    And even though Blanche knew that it was foolish, she felt a small spark of hope in her chest. She had changed a few events of the novel already. The main characters had missed a couple of interactions because of her, and thus, their relationship shouldn''t have progressed as it was intended to. After reconciling with Theodore, Blanche and he were closer too, and he had promised her that he would remain by her side forever. As long as she didn''t become the villainous woman that she was in the novel, he shouldn''t hate her in the future. If she continued like this, maybe he wouldn''t stop loving her either. But what if she began to believe in this, and everything still went wrong?

    ¡°Are you sure about that, Stella?¡± She asked that in a hoarse whisper, with her voice barely working.

    The maid put her hand next to her mistress'' onto the pillow and linked their pinkie fingers. ¡°I am. My intuition tells me that everything will end up being wonderful for you and His Majesty. And my intuition is always right.¡±

    Blanche wanted that to be true so badly. She didn''t say anything though and just squeezed Stella''s pinkie. They remained like this in silence for a while before the maid began to address her usual small talk, for which the concubine loved her at that moment.

 Chapter 74: None Of That Was True

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    that self-centered. The novel might have said so, but she had to disagree here. Of course, she relished in being indulged, but she had always cared for others. From the beginning, she had loved her family with all of her heart, and upon meeting Theodore, he had always been her priority. Now her friends were also incredibly important to her, so it was false to claim that she didn''t think about other people.

    just maybe, she could stay by his side as his lover. If she wasn''t as selfish as in the novel, he didn''t have to fall for another person at all. If she continued to spend time with him and strategically tried to prevent the story events from occurring, the main characters shouldn''t get closer to each other.

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 Chapter 75: An Enemies Fight?

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    Great. That''s going to magically solve every problem!¡± Seemingly, he was too upset to use his acting skill to cover his annoyance. Unfortunately, he was also loud enough to drown out Gloria''s voice since he showed no signs of surprise or uncertainty. There was just anger to be seen on his face.

    I''m sick of your existence in general.¡±

    you. Whenever I see your face, I want to throw up and leave the country!¡±

    you''re running away? I thought that I was a coward for doing that, and now it''s fine because you do it?¡± He sounded so upset that it was quite clear that the grudges that were held here were very personal.

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    Fine! You were the one that claimed that the only things that left my mouth were lies, right? Suddenly, they''re not when you want to use them against me. That''s awfully convenient. But alright. I''m here. I''m listening to you. What do you want to add?¡±

    Don''t interrupt me.¡± He hurried to resume after that. ¡°As you said, I changed my opinion about her as well, two weeks ago. For me, it was based on personal experience too and not just on some piece of pie. This leads to a strange comparison. When you change your mind, it''s giving a person a second chance, and when I do, it''s hypocritical? That seems pretty unfair to me. But you know what else is unfair? That it seems like you have nothing better to do than badmouthing me when you are in the presence of influential people. From a short conversation with some others, I picked up that they heard that I am the one that tortures you and your friends for fun. I''m not the most honest person nor very kind when it comes to you, but even then you should realize that you were exaggerating.¡± Near the end, he got faster and faster so that he almost tripped over his words.

    friends? You can''t tell me that that is not cowardly.¡±

    Will the both of you get a hold on yourselves already? You are both servants in the royal palace and have nothing better to do than insulting each other in a location where everyone can see you? This is blatant disrespect toward the people who employed you to ensure that His and Her Majesty have a convenient life.¡± She was quite authoritarian while she said that, so the received reaction wasn''t surprising.

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 Chapter 76: Complicated Relationships

    ¡°Now I feel even worse for triggering your allergy.¡± Clark seemed to be rather upset after hearing Stella''s version of the story that had led him to put cherries into the concubine''s cake.

    Blanche would have liked to assure him that it was fine, but she doubted that he would simply accept that. What could she say that would calm his guilty consciousness? It took some time before she came up with an answer that could possibly satisfy him. ¡°Then maybe working for your forgiveness will make you feel better. I''ll only forgive you under two conditions. One, you will never put cherries anywhere near my food again and also discourage others from doing that. And two, you have to make me a cake whenever I want to. That also means that you have to help me while baking whenever I ask you to. As long as you aren''t working.¡±

    Clark looked up and blinked a few times at the two fingers she was holding up before furrowing his brow. ¡°That''s not very hard to do.¡±

    ¡°Then you shouldn''t complain, right?¡±

    He kept quiet for a moment, in which he scanned her expression. ¡°You shouldn''t forgive people that easily. That might bring you harm in the future.¡±

    Blanche shrugged at him. ¡°You didn''t try to harm me specifically. Your intention was to get revenge for your friends after I had pushed you to a point at which all of you hated me. So, it''s not surprising at all that you listened to that maid''s story and then acted on an impulse. In your situation, I might have something similar. You aren''t harboring any evil intentions toward me now, which you proved by apologizing for this often, so I won''t punish you for anything. But don''t think that I would forgive others quickly if they have done something bad to me. I hold quite a few grudges.¡±

    The concubine had made sure to burn the actions of her enemies into her brain to prevent herself from falling into their trap later. She resented Sefare and the Vasquez family for using her, and she might even hate them more because they planned on hurting her lover.

    Though her feelings in that matter weren''t perfectly clear either. Theodore had been the person to abandon the villainess and order her execution, and still, she didn''t harbor any negative emotions towards him. She understood why he had made that choice at the end of the novel, and even if she didn''t, that would probably still be unable to lessen her love for him. So, she had to admit that her judgment was heavily flawed when it came to the people she cared for. That might be why she was so calm now too.

    Clark stared at her for long enough to make Blanche believe that her words hadn''t convinced him in the slightest. Then his eyes slowly moved to the table, and he inspected her cake roll while speaking. ¡°It''s good to keep in mind what people did to you. Even if you forgive them, you shouldn''t forget. But it looks like I have no choice.¡± A slight smile spread on his lips as he glanced over at her. ¡°If no one helps you in the near future, all of your attempts at cutting a cake will look like this. Seemingly, I will have to step in to keep you from giving everyone a heart attack with the way that you are holding a knife.¡± He turned the plate to show her all the spots that she hadn''t cut in a straight line but rather in a curvy one with some loose parts.

    Blanche was too happy that he had stopped frowning to complain about his attack on her knife skills. She handed him a fork with him a bright smile. ¡°See? You will have to teach me how to do it properly. But until then, you''ll have to ignore the appearance to focus on the flavor.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be pretty confident in your baking abilities. That will make me have high hopes. Aren''t you overestimating yourself with such a statement?¡± Clark lifted the fork and tauntingly held it above the cake without touching it.

    This caused Stella to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Well, the last time, her apple pie was good enough to bribe you into giving up your grudge overnight, so I assume that this cake will also surprise you. Though obviously, we can''t fully trust your words without confirming it for ourselves. We''ll have to taste test it too. Should I make two more pieces?¡±

    Blanche raised her hand to ask Stella to wait. She glanced at Gloria, who was still standing in one of the corners of the room, and attempted to decide whether she should offer her a piece or ignore her. The head maid had already expressed her dislike for the emperor''s lover numerous times, so inviting her to eat cake didn''t make any sense. However, not acknowledging her presence and moving on without her felt wrong. Besides, being rejected was most like the worst thing that could happen, so Blanche could at least try. ¡°Gloria, would you like something too?¡±

    The head maid looked over at her and made eye contact but hesitated for a while before responding. ¡°I still have to have a private conversation with Clark about what it means to be employed in the royal palace and attend the guests of His Majesty as well as about the fight just now. So, I have to wait until you are done anyway. Thus, I wouldn''t mind tasting a small piece. After all, the talk about Lady Blanche using the kitchen to bake has reached my ears too.¡±

    The concubine hadn''t expected that answer at all and paused for a short moment before regaining her composure. She turned to her maid. ¡°That means we''ll need three more pieces.¡±

    Stella stood up before her mistress had even finished the sentence. ¡°Of course.¡± She returned to the counter and quickly cut off another piece to form a roll, and Blanche followed her to do the same. They had barely begun when Stella already pointed out the issue. ¡°I think that your original plan to decorate the whole cake won''t work out anymore, My Lady. The diameter has become quite small already after we cut off so much off the side.¡±

    The concubine made a dismissive motion with her hand. ¡°It''s fine. It''s a way better idea to serve it like this anyway. It looks prettier and seems a bit different from the cakes we usually make. The same ingredients are still being used up, so it doesn''t change much.¡±

    Stella accepted that with a nod before she began to cut out the dough pieces, which resulted in them being evener with a consistent pattern in contrast to before. In the meantime, Blanche put the cream and fruits on it before rolling the whole pastry. Naturally, the results looked more appetizing now that a person that could actually cut straight lines had done it. They carried the plates to the table and placed one in front of every chair before taking a seat as well.

    Gloria sat down next to Stella. It quickly became clear how she was able to manage all the servants and maintain such an important position in the royal palace for years. Just with her stoic expression, she emitted an aura that made it clear that one couldn''t ignore her authority.

    Instead of shrinking into herself, Blanche tried to focus her attention elsewhere. She turned to Clark again, who, now that everyone was sitting, finally put a piece of cake onto his fork in a slightly stiff manner. She watched him for a while until he took the first bite, which earned her a roll of his eyes but made him relax a bit. Before he could say anything, she also put a small portion into her mouth to make sure that the cream wasn''t filled with solid spheres again. Unfortunately, she felt the small buttery pieces of cream on her tongue as soon as she took one bite.

    Surprisingly, it didn''t taste bad because of that but rather fit in with all the fruits that filled the inside of the roll. The fresh and slightly sour flavor mixed with the sweet cream and created the perfect opposite to the warm cake in a way that even she hadn''t expected. With glowing eyes, Blanche turned to Stella, who was grinning back at her.

    The maid seemed to be as happy as her mistress. ¡°My Lady, you have to make this more often. This might be my favorite yet.¡±

    Blanche nodded. ¡°That''s a good idea. Angelica mentioned that many fruits get too old before they can even be used, and we could process a few of them like this before they get thrown away.¡± She turned to Clark. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡±

    Clark paused for a moment and pressed his lips together before taking another bite and slowly chewing on the food. Then he hesitated again for a few seconds until he finally responded. ¡°It''s good.¡±

    Blanche waited to let him add something, but he kept quiet. ¡°That''s all? I thought you were thinking about how to phrase it in a more elaborating way. You didn''t need such a long time to come up with these words.¡±

    Clark''s eyes moved over her face before he spoke up. ¡°What would you say if I told you that it wasn''t good?¡± The corners of his mouth twitched and thus betrayed that he was struggling to hold back a smile.

    So, Blanche decided to play along. She crossed her arms and leaned against the backrest of her chair while raising her chin. ¡°I would know that you''re lying, obviously. Two people already said that it''s tasty, so you have been overruled.¡±

    Clark''s grin spread across his face as he opened his mouth to reply, only for Gloria''s voice to sound first.

    The head maid had cleared her throat, which made all the people at the table turn to her. ¡°I''m surprised that Lady Blanche is able to create something like this. Surely, the execution isn''t flawless or fully professional, however, you undeniably have some skill. For someone that has never worked in a kitchen before and only taught themselves how to bake without any help from other servants, as I have heard, that is impressive. Why did you decide to learn that?¡±

    Blanche was irritated by those unexpectedly kind words so that she had to catch herself before responding first. ¡°Thank you, Gloria. I just wanted to eat a specific cake one day and attempted to make it myself without asking anyone for help. While baking, I noticed that it was fun, so Stella and I searched out many cooking books from the library to recreate some recipes. Ever since then, I have visited the kitchen daily whenever I could, so I did have some time to practice. I''m glad if it was good for something.¡±

    Gloria nodded at that. ¡°Gaining a new skill can never be bad, especially if the activity brings you joy. I can only recommend continuing to do this regularly, and you will become even better.¡±

    ¡°That''s what I''m aiming for. Though knives will probably never be my friends.¡± Blanche took another bite and happily munched on the delicious sweetness that filled her mouth while observing how the other people also devoured their pieces. Little moments like this were the ones that filled her with glee despite them not being very special.

    But it was obvious that not everyone was as relaxed as she was.

    Clark had calmed down a bit while eating, and still, his hand was slightly trembling, and he kept looking to the side every few seconds as if he tried to avoid the others'' gazes. The less of his cake remained, the more stressed he seemed. At first, that appeared odd, but then it dawned on Blanche. Gloria wanted to have a conversation with him alone, and he probably feared being punished since the head maid had always been rather fond of Harris. Maybe Clark thought that he wouldn''t be treated fairly because of that and would have to deal with harsh consequences.

    Blanche would have loved to just stay there to support him, but she knew that this wasn''t possible. She couldn''t intervene in the matters of the staff without a good reason, and the head maid was eligible to deal out punishments however she saw it fit. This wouldn''t keep the concubine from helping Clark if a problem arose, but she would have to hold back until the result came before she could complain.

    So, Blanche rose when she and Stella had finished their pieces of cake. She put the dirty plates to the other unwashed ones before addressing Clark and Gloria once more. ¡°We will give you some privacy then. I hope you two will have a wonderful evening.¡±

    Clark remained silent and stared at his empty plate without looking up to meet her gaze once.

    Gloria nodded toward the women. ¡°Naturally, I hope that your evening will be pleasant too. Good night.¡± It was strange to hear her be so polite, but Blanche wouldn''t complain.

    The concubine saw this as her cue to exit the room. She walked to the door and already put her hand onto the handle when she was interrupted.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Clark had spoken to the concubine, only to address Gloria as soon as Blanche stopped. ¡°Would you mind delaying this conversation for five minutes? If it doesn''t bother you, I would like to accompany them into the hallway for a moment.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Blanche and Stella exchanged a confused look before carefully watching Gloria''s reaction.

    The head maid froze for a few seconds before nodding without letting a muscle on her stone expression budge. That gave her a rather cold aura, which she had to have copied from the empress. ¡°Don''t leave me waiting for too long.¡±

    Clark jumped off his chair. ¡°Of course.¡± He hurried to the door and opened it for the women to leave the kitchen first. When all of them, except for Gloria, were outside, he closed the door behind him. He turned to Blanche and began talking after taking a deep breath. ¡°I know that you said it was fine, but I''m still sorry for what happened. I should have never judged without viewing the whole picture. And even if you were a terrible person, which I now know that you aren''t, it wasn''t right to extort a great weakness like that. Back then, I didn''t think about the consequences that that might have for your health. I''m very sorry.¡± He bowed down deeply to underline his statement.

    Blanche held back a sigh as she attempted to find some words that might cause him to stop addressing this topic. She looked at him for another moment before seeing that his nose was still covered with powder. With a shrug, she began her response. ¡°I understand that me not being angry might confuse you, but you truly don''t have to mention it again. If you want to insist on remembering something like that, you shouldn''t forget that I already got revenge.¡± She lifted her finger and pointed at his face while trying not to show how she hesitated when she saw that his cheeks were still slightly wet. ¡°How many days was this ago? Either way, I slammed the door into your face twice, and you''re still affected by it. View that as me paying you back, and it''s fine.¡±

    Clark let out a snort and straightened his posture. ¡°It''s actually not that bad anymore. It just looks worse than it is. And now that we''re talking about this, your powder did help me a lot. Thank you for lending it to me.¡±

    Stella replied with a smile. ¡°You should keep it. We have about five other boxes there, and if she needs even more than that, My Lady will ask a servant, and they will bring it to her within a few hours. So, don''t worry.¡±

    Clark glanced at Blanche, who affirmed her maid''s words with a nod. ¡°Alright. Thank you. Then I will have to be the one to face Gloria''s anger now since Harris ran away. Good night.¡± He narrowed his eyes and turned around to grab the door handle.

    The concubine wasn''t sure whether any of her words could make the situation better for him, but she doubted it. Still, she wanted to say something to bid him farewell, so she simply voiced the first thing that she had come up with. ¡°I hope that Gloria won''t be too harsh with you. Good luck. But in the worst case, you can also tell me, and I''ll see whether I can do something.¡±

    Clark let go of the door and turned around to lean his back against the wall. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and his expression darkened. ¡°I appreciate your offer, but there is nothing anyone can do if Gloria is convinced that I have to be punished. Even His Majesty trusted her fully, so I doubt that he will suddenly get involved, especially since I really made mistakes. The fight with Harris will be a smaller issue in comparison to me triggering your allergy. Still, I can already imagine that the head maid will tell me how much of a kind person Harris is and how awful I am for not getting along with him anymore.¡±

    Blanche wanted to calm him about that, but she didn''t get to.

    Clark gritted his teeth before continuing. ¡°That bastard truly manages to manipulative such high-ranking staff members like her, so they won''t be bothered by him screaming at me nor will they make a decision that will harm him. That doesn''t mean that I won''t get in trouble though.¡± He breathed in and out a couple of times before leaning his head against the wall. ¡°It''s all just because of that moron. I despise him with every fiber of my being. I would be so glad if he just disappeared.¡± Was that really true? It would be much simpler if that was the case, but somehow, that seemed unlikely.

    Blanche responded before she could stop those words from coming out of her mouth. ¡°Are you sure? To me, it seemed like you can''t fully hate him.¡±

    Clark frowned at that and shook his head before gazing into the distance. At the first glance, he looked uninterested, but the tension of his body told a different story. ¡°Why would even you say that? Haven''t you realized what a disgusting personality he has? You should have heard how we spoke to each other just now too.¡±

    Blanche paused for a moment. It was true that she couldn''t read the servants'' minds, so she couldn''t be sure. And admittedly, the fight just now hadn''t been filled with kind words either. Still, it hadn''t seemed like a fight between two people who resented each other fully. Though it was clear that this was a very sensitive topic, so she didn''t want to overdo it. ¡°I didn''t wish to offend you with that. Harris was your friend for years, so it would only be natural for you to feel bad about him being your enemy now. Obviously, I''m not you, so I can''t know how you are feeling. But your quarrel seemed somewhat odd for being between two people who hate each other with their whole hearts. Because if you truly despised him, I don''t think that you would have been crying ever since the fight.¡±

    Instantly, Clark lifted his hand to his face and wiped at his eyes. When he saw that his fingertips were wet, he scowled. ¡°Oh, yes. I get emotional when I fight. It doesn''t matter with whom. I always cry, so this has nothing to do with Harris.¡± That was a lie. Clark fought with others often, and he never cried. The fact that he added another excuse proved that he was aware of that too. ¡°He was my...best friend too, and that makes arguing even more unpleasant. But other than that, there is nothing different from any fight I have ever had with anyone else. So, you don''t have to think about something that ridiculous. Well, it would be better for me to slowly go back so that Gloria doesn''t get any angrier. Goodnight.¡± He ended his sentence as abruptly as he could and whirled around to open the door, only for you to be greeted by the head maid who was standing directly behind it. Clark took a step backward, which allowed her to come into the corridor.

    Gloria turned to the servant. It almost seemed like she saw something on his face that made her have a little sympathy since she suddenly gave him space. ¡°Now I would like to ask you for some patience too. It won''t take longer than three minutes.¡± Had she said that because she wanted him to calm down before the conversation? Possibly.

    Silently, Clark nodded and disappeared into the kitchen before anyone could address him while making sure that his face was hidden.

    With slow steps, Gloria came towards the other two women and stood in front of them in silence for a moment before beginning. ¡°I hope that Lady Blanche does not mind speaking to me for a very short time.¡±

    The concubine quickly replied with a polite smile in hopes of not revealing her uncertainty. ¡°Of course. Go ahead.¡± In reality, she wasn''t willing at all. She could already guess that Seraphina would somehow be a part of the conversation, and she definitely wasn''t in the mood to think about that subject.

    Gloria began in her usual calm voice. ¡°I would like to discuss two topics with you. The first is about my behavior prior to the ball three months ago. Due to various circumstances, I was in a sour mood on that day and have overreacted in the matter regarding Stella''s interaction with you. Naturally, it was false of me to get involved in a conversation that wasn''t mine to begin with. Back then, I presumed that servants using simpler language in front of their master would lead to them becoming disobedient. However, after thinking about it more, I realized that there are multiple cases in the palace that include masters being friends with their subordinates, and there are no problems. So, I wish to apologize for troubling you with that unnecessary conversation.¡± She made eye contact with the maid. ¡°I would like to apologize for how I addressed you, Stella.¡±

    The maid was as taken aback by that sudden topic as her mistress was. Stella stammered for a bit before speaking. ¡°Thank you, Gloria. It''s alright. I...didn''t take it to heart. Everyone can have a bad day, so...we''re not upset.¡±

    Blanche nodded when Stella was finished. ¡°Naturally, we won''t hold it against you.¡± Maybe just a tiny bit. ¡°Thank you for your sincerity.¡± She said that, but inwardly, she was a bit skeptical. There was no reason for the head maid to try to please Blanche first unless the second message was more problematic. Most likely, this was supposed to make her less prone to anger upon hearing the other half. So, she listened while expecting the worst.

    Thankfully, Gloria continued quickly. ¡°Then I would like to address the second topic. This one is connected to Her Majesty''s birthday party.¡± That sentence was enough to make Blanche understand what Gloria would talk about, and the head maid delivered. ¡°There has been an unfortunate incident at that ball, and you passed out in the middle of the room. As you most likely heard, His Majesty didn''t act very thoughtfully at that moment. And while that isn''t your fault, Lady Blanche, I wish to give you a gentle reminder. Only because His Majesty forgets to follow the rules of our society, that does not mean that you can expect him to do that forever. No matter what, Her Majesty will remain by his side on the throne, and like everyone in this nation, you have to show them the respect that they are entitled to.¡±

    Of course, Gloria would have talked to the concubine to take Seraphina''s side. This was nothing more than a small warning for the other woman not to get too arrogant because Theodore had shown his favor for her so openly.

    Blanche hadn''t imagined a different reason from the very beginning. She didn''t want this lecture to go on any longer, so she hurried to agree. ¡°Of course. By saying that, you are actually asking me to not bother Her Majesty and to not cause any trouble for her, right? I don''t have the intention to do that, so you will not have to worry about that subject. I do not wish for trouble. I only want to stay by Theo''s side and have no desire for anything else. From now on, no issues will occur.¡±

    Gloria blinked at the other''s reply and stared at her for a moment, in which her stoic facade had made way for a surprised expression that looked like a normal reaction instead of her usual approach. Apparently, she hadn''t expected the concubine to point out her intention so quickly nor had she believed to be met with such a submissive stance. ¡°That...¡± She stopped at the concubine''s smile.

    Blanche forced herself to seem polite despite her growing annoyance with Seraphina''s whole entourage that still hadn''t understood that the concubine had changed. She quickly added a few other sentences in hopes of the head maid leaving her alone afterward. ¡°In fact, I already gave my best to not trouble Her Majesty in the last three months. There were unfortunate incidents that were mostly caused because others were involved as well, but I can assure you that I don''t mean to hurt Her Majesty, steal power or anything like that. I just want to stay here.¡±

    It only took Gloria a few seconds before she regained her composure and returned to her stern expression. ¡°I see. If you truly understood, it would be perfect. As a saying in Artias goes ¡®You shouldn''t value possessions more than words.¡¯ I look forward to seeing your appearances in public in the next months.¡±

    It was good that the head maid did because Blanche didn''t. Now that Sefare and the Vasquez family would view her as an enemy, she felt even more intimidated at the prospect of meeting a giant group of nobles again. If she remembered correctly, even though she wasn''t sure about the date, Duke Lamont''s birthday party would be next. Something strange, which she didn''t quite remember, should happen then. Blanche wouldn''t attend that event though. So, the next thing she had to prepare for was the hunting festival. And that would be one of the worst gatherings.

    On that day, Henry Duremont would pull her to the side to warn her to not upset his daughter, and the concubine would definitely be happy to avoid that. She doubted that she would be able to since not going there also wasn''t an option as long as her plan was to improve the public''s opinion of her. So, she would have to endure being threatened for ten minutes at a time and then go back to face the nobles while Theodore had to go into the forest to hunt. This meant that she would be all alone and forced to deal with all the guests without acting odd or offending anyone. Though she would have to prepare for that mess later and focus on satisfying Gloria now.

    Blanche tried to smile in a somewhat convincing manner while she replied. ¡°You can be sure that I have no desire to cause a scandal and instigate a fight whatsoever. It might be hard to believe due to my previous behavior, but I''m sure that you have noticed a difference already, and I intend to keep improving my manners.¡±

    The head maid stared into the concubine''s eyes again as if she hoped to find a sign of a lie there. For a moment, they were quiet before Gloria spoke up. ¡°I am happy to hear that. That is all that I wished to talk about. Thank you for listening to me, Lady Blanche. Then-¡±

    Blanche almost wanted to let Gloria leave, but there was one thing that came to her mind when she had the chance to speak to the head maid here. ¡°There is actually something I wish to ask of you too, Gloria.¡± She could see how the other woman tensed at that, so she quickly revealed what this was about. ¡°I''d like you to keep quiet about today''s events. No one necessarily has to hear about this small conflict, right? It was just a former friends'' quarrel, so this doesn''t have to influence their jobs in any way as long as they promise to not do it again.¡± She didn''t solely mean the discussion as a whole but mainly the fact that Clark had triggered her allergy. She didn''t need Theodore to find out about that, or he would end up throwing Clark out.

    It wasn''t clear whether Gloria noticed what the concubine was referring to. Surely, she was too loyal to even consider lying to the emperor in case that a matter was important. So, her response made it seem like she thought that Blanche had mentioned something else. ¡°I see.¡± She looked completely serious while replying. ¡°I did not intend to punish either participant of this fight, so there is no need to worry. Naturally, I will not spread personal relationships or let others get involved either. You can rest assured that this is not important enough for anyone to know. Is that all?¡± The relieved concubine quickly nodded, which prompted Gloria to reply quickly. ¡°Then I assume we needn''t discuss more. I wish you a good night.¡±

    That curt way of biding farewell was perfect for Blanche, who just wished to end the conversation now too. ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Goodnight, Gloria.¡± She turned around to leave when the head maid held her back once more.

    ¡°There is something I forgot.¡± Oh, no. This could only be something annoying.

    Blanche held back a sigh and faced her again while expecting a continuation of the unpleasant talk. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Gloria''s expression was as cold as usual, which made it impossible to read her intentions. That was more than unnerving until she finally spoke. ¡° I wished to tell you that I''m glad that you recovered after the incident at the ball. I apologize for not thinking about that earlier. I believe that I didn''t say this yet since you were already running around without any difficulties. Naturally, I am relieved to see that you are up and well again.¡±

    Blanche was rendered speechless for a second before she responded. ¡°Oh, it''s alright. The doctor already confirmed that I am fully healthy again, so there is no need to bring that topic up. Thank you for your concern though.¡±

    The women nodded at each other before Gloria turned away and reentered the kitchen.

    This left Blanche and Stella alone in the hallway. They stood there for another few seconds before returning to their rooms.

    After taking the first few steps in silence, Stella quickly spoke up, but she didn''t address the conversation with Gloria as the concubine had expected. Her expression was pretty downcast as she began. ¡°When you talked to Clark about your dream, the one that made you want to change, I heard about it for the first time too. I knew that it upset you back then and that made you reconsider your actions, but... I didn''t know that dreamed about being all alone and then being executed. I mean...you told me about the execution part once, but to think that you felt like others were cheering while that happened is awful. That must have been terrible.¡±

    Actually, it would have been better if it truly had been just a dream. Then Blanche wouldn''t have all the trouble that came with being a villainess in a romance novel about political schemes and trying to survive. Though, as she had previously told Clark, it was good that she had gained the book''s knowledge. Otherwise, she would still be steering toward her doom without the slightest clue that her perfect world would soon fall apart.

    Blanche gave her maid a little smile as she spoke. ¡°It was awful at first. I wanted to just forget everything and continue to live my life normally. But since it was that bad, I couldn''t just ignore it. That made me repeat the dream countless times in my mind, and then I realized that it wasn''t that different from the real world. So, I knew that I needed to become a good person. And that was a wonderful decision. After all, everything became better since I made an effort to change. I got a bit closer to Theodore. I didn''t antagonize the empress any further and was able to exhibit acceptable manners in public. Plus, I managed to befriend a group of wonderful people, now that I stopped building walls between me and everyone else.¡± She gave her maid a slight nudge with her elbow at that.

    Immediately, a radiant smile spread across Stella''s face. ¡°I''m glad that you are happy. I''m sure that the future will only become more beautiful.¡±

    Blanche felt a twinge in her heart at that statement. Of course, she hoped for a wonderful life with Theodore at her side, and the development of the novel was currently slowed down tremendously due to her meddling with some events. However, she could never be truly sure, could she? At some point, the book could simply take over and force everything to return to its original storyline. If that happened, she was ruined.

    But in the end, she had no way of knowing if either one of these extreme possibilities came true or whether her future would contain a mix of good and bad things. So, thinking about it was rather useless before she had more information or a clearer picture of the danger Sefare could pose. Still, she couldn''t help but long for her own happy ending.

    ¡°I hope that your intuition is right. I really do, Stella.¡±

    Especially since Blanche''s stomach was churning as she thought to the future. Something unpleasant would happen in just a short while, she was sure of that. She didn''t remember something she should, and that only made it a hundred times worse.

 Chapter 77: A Pleasant Meeting In the Midst of Ugly Times

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    had spoken to Sophia, which was a great advantage now. As long as the young mother didn''t trust her aunt, she would also be careful with handing her child to Evelyn.

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 Chapter 78: Waltzes and Handkerchiefs (1)

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 Chapter 79: Waltzes and Handkerchiefs (2)

    The thoughts of the hunting festival, where Seraphina might hand over her handkerchief to Theodore were too depressing to ignore them. Blanche hoped that she had hidden that somewhat well, but she doubted it.

    ¡°Is something wrong? You''re so quiet.¡± Theodore gently reminded her that she hadn''t replied to his mention of the festival yet.

    Blanche attempted to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke. ¡°No, I''m fine. I just thought that you will definitely win again, as you always do.¡± Her efforts didn''t pay off. It was obvious how uncertain she was even to herself.

    It was clear that Theodore didn''t believe her. His hand wandered to her chin to tilt her head upwards, but she didn''t budge.

    She simply pressed her face into Theodore''s chest and tightened her grip on the back of his jacket. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Those words were as much for him as they had been for her. She needed to calm down now, or her composure would break as soon as he spoke to her. If she looked into his eyes, she would end up revealing the truth about her worries, and she couldn''t do that. She was so close to asking him to reject Seraphina''s handkerchief to prevent the romantic story event, but that would equal a public humiliation of the empress.

    Of course, Theodore didn''t stay quiet though. ¡°Blanche.¡± He called out her name, which only caused her to stiffen.

    Blanche couldn''t move away from him, not now that she already felt how her self-control was wavering. She had to keep hiding her face. Especially since her resolve was breaking apart. She couldn''t demand that the emperor ignored a century-old tradition for her, right? But she really didn''t want him to spend time with Seraphina that day. She had done so well keeping the main characters'' romance from progressing. She couldn''t risk messing up now. However, how was she supposed to intervene here? Her grim thoughts almost threatened to overtake her brain completely.

    Theodore began to rub circles into her back and carefully rested his chin on her head. Only now, she managed to relax a bit. Her lover took that as his cue to speak up again. ¡°Tell me what''s-¡± He was cut off by a knock. Immediately, he breathed out in frustration and slouched his shoulders. ¡°I assume that that is Leon.¡± He stopped spinning to turn to the door and raised his voice. ¡°Yes?¡±

    As he had expected, Leonard was the one replying. ¡°Your Majesty, I retrieved the documents regarding the matter you asked me to investigate.¡±

    Theodore didn''t seem pleased to hear that, and yet, he didn''t decline. ¡°I''ll be there in a minute.¡± He faced Blanche again, which made her slowly lift her head.

    The concubine would have liked to stay quiet, but she knew that she had to speak now. So, she tried to sound as unaffected as possible. ¡°You have to go now, don''t you?¡±

    Theodore frowned upon seeing her face and gently stroked his thumbs over her cheek. Luckily, he didn''t address her expression though. ¡°I''m sorry, but I have to leave. These documents are...very important. We can...talk about this matter tomorrow.¡±

    Blanche could basically hear how unwell he seemed, so she didn''t want to bother him for any longer. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him goodbye, and he leaned forward to meet her halfway. ¡°Until tomorrow.¡±

    Theodore took her hands in his and squeezed them. He opened his mouth, only to close it again and stare at her for a moment. Then he voiced a curt goodbye before leaving after he waved her from the door.

    Seemingly, the matter was truly urgent. Normally, Leon had to wait at least five minutes until the emperor had finally forced himself to let go of his lover, and this time, Theodore had disappeared almost immediately.

    When the door shut, Blanche felt a bit empty. On the one hand, she was glad that her beloved hadn''t asked about her worries, but at the same time, it was odd for him not to insist on hearing it despite her unwillingness. If her lover truly had been persuaded to leave it alone for now, whatever Leonard researched had to be a pretty serious topic, and that unsettled her. There were few things that would force Theo to go while she was obviously in such a horrible mood. So, it appeared that an issue that endangered the royal family or even the whole country had arisen.

    In that case, it would probably be connected to Northern Ocrea. The king shouldn''t have declared war yet since Theodore would be the one to do so after Ocrean soldiers had attacked villages near the border. That would only be a month after the summer vacation, so it couldn''t have happened now. Still, it was possible that Ocrea caused problems again. Why were they so keen on engaging in battles with Artias when they had nothing to gain except for a brutal war? Blanche couldn''t imagine that the king didn''t have any advantages in mind, otherwise provoking a neighboring nation didn''t make any sense.

    Knowing that Theodore was giving his best and would still not be able to prevent a war in the end made her feel awful. With a sigh, Blanche plopped down onto the sofa.

    Seconds later, Stella was at her side. ¡°Why are you this dejected? Nothing bad happened, right?¡±

    Blanche made a dismissive motion with her hand. ¡°It''s alright. I just thought about something unpleasant.¡±

    But the maid didn''t give up that quickly. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? It might be good to take this off your mind for now. I''ll just listen to you if you don''t need a response.¡±

    Blanche took a deep breath before leaning her head onto the backrest and staring at the ceiling. Maybe Stella was right about the fact that speaking about her worry might help. She wasn''t completely sure, but in the end, her jealousy of Seraphina wasn''t a secret. She didn''t like admitting it, however, everyone who had watched her during the last eighteen months should have realized that she was envious of the empress by now. She had even told Theodore about it, and he was the last person she wanted to know about how strongly that emotion influenced her. Stella was her closest friend and unmistakably the most loyal companion that she could have. So, telling her maid about it without including the details wouldn''t have any negative consequences either.

    Stella already seemed to expect her mistress to decline when the other woman finally gathered enough courage to voice the truth. ¡°You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to.¡±

    The concubine hurriedly corrected that guess. ¡°No, it''s better if I get this off my chest. Did you hear us mentioning the hunting festival?¡±

    The maid was quiet for a while, which made the concubine open one eye to glance at her.

    ¡°Stella?¡±

    Stella sat down next to her mistress but averted her eyes. ¡°Yes, I did. It''s just that... I didn''t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. But there was nothing else to do, so...¡± She looked up with a regretful expression. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±

    Blanche gave her a small smile to calm her. ¡°It''s fine, I would have done the same.¡± She paused and breathed in deeply as her smile faded. ¡°The festival is in about two weeks. First of all, I don''t look forward to sitting or standing around there alone while Theo is gone, but I could endure that despite all the unpleasant encounters I might have there. But there is also another...well, not a real problem. It''s just an uncomfortable matter for me. Nobody else will mind. You surely know about the tradition about the women bringing a self-made handkerchief?¡± She opened both eyes to observe the maid''s reaction.

    Stella didn''t seem surprised. ¡°Yes, but that isn''t bad, is it? I assumed that you wanted to make one for His Majesty too.¡±

    Blanche pressed her lips into a thin line and bit her tongue to force down the sadness that surfaced inside her upon being reminded of that. She hesitated to speak up again but did so anyway after a couple of seconds. ¡°That''s the problem. I could make one, however, that would be useless. The men can only accept a handkerchief from their wives or relatives. That means that I can''t give Theo mine, and I also won''t give it to anyone else. So, I can do without putting all of that effort into making something that will only lie around here. But the actual problem is that I will have to watch when the empress gives Theodore her handkerchief. It''s such a little gesture, and they have to do it because everyone is watching, so I shouldn''t be this upset, but I can''t help it. I know I''m overreacting, but I-¡±

    The concubine interrupted herself and tilted her head back again to avoid letting her maid see her face. Surely, Stella had to be irritated by how sensitive her mistress was. It was just a handkerchief, whining about that didn''t make any sense. Her servant didn''t know about the events that might follow because of that small interaction, so Stella probably wondered why the concubine was exaggerating this much.

    Blanche was about to apologize for bothering the other woman when Stella took her hand. She looked down again and made eye contact with the maid.

    Stella''s expression didn''t show any signs of mockery or annoyance. Instead, she gave her mistress a serious look. ¡°You''re not overreacting. Anyone would hate to see how the person they love accepts an item that represents a romantic relationship from another person. I wish I could change that, but I fear that there is nothing we can do. However, that doesn''t mean that you have to sit by idly. You can still make a handkerchief that is more beautiful than everything His Majesty has ever seen and give it to him after or before the hunt so that no one sees it. He adores everything that comes from you, so he will be overjoyed to receive a gift like that.¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Blanche let out a laugh that was half amused and half dry. ¡°You do remember how much trouble I have with knives, right? I''m unable to keep my hand steady even while doing nothing, so what makes you think that I could sew something pretty? I assume that Theo would say that it''s great to not hurt my feelings and then hide it somewhere where no one sees it. Even if he would really like it, he would probably only do so because it''s a present from me, and he still couldn''t show it anywhere in public. The emperor can''t just have such unskillfully-made items without it being seen as odd.¡±

    Still, the idea of making a small present for her lover had already ingrained itself deep in Blanche''s mind. Theodore would most likely be happy about this, and she could calm down a bit due to the knowledge that she had gifted him a handkerchief as well. In any case, it was better than leaving Seraphina the chance to be the only one to hand him a present.

    Blanche glanced at Stella, who was obviously trying to come up with a reply, and spoke up again after a short pause. ¡°But maybe I should do it anyway, just so that I can give him a little gift after he wins. The only issue is that I have never sewed something in my whole life. I think that most noble ladies actually ask their servants to make the handkerchief for them, but I do want to sew it myself if it''s for Theo.¡±

    A smile grew on Stella''s lips and replaced her previous concern. ¡°I''m good at sewing. I would be happy to teach you how to do it. We still have over two weeks until the hunt, so you can take your time and practice using the needles a bit before working on the handkerchief.¡±

    Blanche felt how her tension lessened a bit after hearing this. If she managed to create a somewhat beautiful result with Stella''s help, she would definitely be more content. Just allowing Seraphina to monopolize Theodore''s attention on the day of the festival wasn''t an option, so it would be great if Blanche could give him a present after he won. By telling him that she had something for him after the competition, she might even be able to encourage her lover to end the conversation with his wife early to see her. She wouldn''t change the whole scene, but maybe she had the chance to alter the crucial part and prevent the main characters from bonding like that.

    A small smile appeared on Blanche''s lips at that thought as she became more determined. ¡°Then I''ll have to ask you to take care of me. Please teach me how to sew so that I can make a handkerchief that I can give Theo without being ashamed.¡±

    ¡°Gladly. We have the whole afternoon to begin if you would like to. I just have to get the utensils, and you are free to try out a couple of things already.¡±

    Blanche quickly agreed to that. Not only would she learn how to sew, but she could also pass the day by doing something useful despite not being able to visit the kitchen, which was perfect. And just like that, a stressful afternoon full of attempts at sewing began. Blanche followed her maid''s instructions with a lot of motivation. As always, her will wasn''t the weak point, her skills were. Even though Stella''s movements looked very easy, and the concubine had memorized what to do, her hands didn''t allow her to imitate the other woman''s grace.

    Blanche''s fingers trembled the whole time no matter how many breaks she took. She was unable to insert the thread into the needle without help, and each pattern she attempted to make came out completely differently. During her countless attempts, she almost pricked herself with the needle many times and actually left a few little wounds on her fingers, which made Stella panic. Despite this, she kept on trying until the evening, and the setting sun increased the difficulty of sewing even more.

    Still, Blanche felt like she had made a little progress and looked forward to the next time that she could try improving herself. She would have to take a break the following day because of Sophia, but she could continue the lesson every other day, so she didn''t worry too much about having failed miserably her first time. She was still thankful for not having dreamed about needles that night though.

    <hr>

    The following day was exceptionally beautiful. The blue sky was clear with not a single cloud being in sight. It was warm as well due to the sun shining ever since the early morning.

    Blanche couldn''t wait to enjoy that wonderful chance to go out to the fullest. Before lunch, she took a short walk in the garden before eating with Theodore. Apparently, it was even warmer than she had expected since she was already sweating without doing anything. After a long hug with her lover, she went back to her room to change into a lighter dress.

    After some contemplation, Blanche''s gaze fell on the navy-blue gown that she still hadn''t worn yet. If she didn''t choose it now, she also wouldn''t have another opportunity to wear in for the next week since she intended to sew and bake in that time and didn''t wish to risk dirtying or destroying the dress. Surely, Sophia wouldn''t care about something like this, right? The concubine didn''t intend to put on any golden accessories after all, and theoretically, blue dresses weren''t a problem.

    Only Blanche''s exaggerated carefulness had caused her to be reluctant to wear it in fear that someone might think that she was going out in an attire that was too similar to the empress. But Seraphina didn''t wear the royal colors that often aside from the public events and favored simpler designs. The concubine adorned gowns with more ornaments, so they shouldn''t even remotely look like they had similar clothes.

    In the end, Blanche''s desire to finally put the dress on overshadowed her caution. She changed into it with Stella''s help and stood in front of the mirror in awe. The dress was as gorgeous as it had been before. She couldn''t stop beaming as she walked down the stairs and felt the soft skirt fall around her legs.

    This time, Blanche had decided to place the tea table outside. Like this, they could enjoy the ideal weather while eating, and the pregnant Sophia didn''t have to walk to the third floor anymore. The concubine had asked the servants to prepare the venue on the terrace before and now gave them a few instructions while they decorated the table. Seeing how the staff members brought the pastries, which looked too delicious to be real, made her hungry quickly, so she was glad when it was finally four o''clock.

    Once again, she walked to the palace''s entrance to welcome Sophia, and like last time, the countess was not a minute too late.

    Sophia climbed out of the carriage with the help of her maid before giving the concubine her usual bright smile.

    Blanche didn''t want to let her wait, so she hurried to greet the countess. ¡°Lady Ravillot, it''s wonderful to see you again so soon. How are you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing changed in the last two days, Lady Blanche. So, I can''t tell you many exciting things. Still, I''m happy to be invited again.¡±

    The concubine didn''t intend to make Sophia stand around for long, so she gestured to the tiled path next to the palace. ¡°Since the weather is so pleasant today, I thought that sitting outside would be nice. The table is on the terrace. It''s not the most private place but the one with the most beautiful view. Would you kindly follow me so that I can show it to you?¡±

    Sophia immediately agreed. ¡°Naturally. I have seen the royal garden a few times already, but I''m still impressed by how hard the gardeners must be working. Perhaps we could take a walk later too.¡±

    ¡°I would be overjoyed to do so.¡± With that, the concubine began walking.

    Blanche led the other woman around the building until they reached the terrace. The table still looked exactly as she had left it, which calmed her consciousness that always expected the worst. The only thing that had been added was a light blue parasol that was shielding the table from the direct sunlight. The concubine made a mental note to thank the servants for that later as she offered Sophia to sit.

    This time, the countess chose a green tea while Blanche decided to have one with apple flavor. For a while, they waited for a servant to bring the drinks while chatting about different topics including Sophia''s husband, who didn''t seem to be pleased by his wife''s visits to the palace.

    Sophia didn''t hold back her complaints about his overprotectiveness nor did she try to hide the affectionate tone in her voice when she spoke about him. ¡°Whenever I tell him that I have made an appointment, Charles gets overly worried. He insists on repeating that I''m heavily pregnant and that the child could come at any moment, but that won''t confine me to the house. After all, he isn''t home today either way. Even if I gave birth today, he wouldn''t have been there. But should I tell him that, he would definitely feel bad, even though I gave him my permission to meet with the merchant. Though I believe that the fact that I''m visiting you is what truly worries him. You see, he isn''t very trusting when it comes to people he doesn''t know. Unfortunately, that includes most people. He is a bit shy, so he often has trouble speaking to strangers. He even took a year and countless meetings to get to know my family. Especially my siblings.¡±

    In the end, Sophia always managed to move the conversation to her family. It didn''t seem like she was doing it purposefully. She genuinely sounded like she adored her parents and siblings and spend such a great part of her life with them that she couldn''t imagine a world without them.

    That made Blanche wonder why Sophia had come here despite knowing that Seraphina despised the concubine even more than before. But she couldn''t bring herself to interrupt the other woman, who was beginning to praise her siblings with shining eyes again. So, she just let the countess ramble on after their tea had arrived.

    Sophia gladly talked about her sister and brother with obvious joy shining in her eyes. ¡°The both of them aren''t very talkative if you don''t approach them directly. They only participate in the dialogues at events that are absolutely necessary, and otherwise, you will have to repeatedly address them, or they won''t open up to you. I promise that, no matter how cold they seem, they are actually very kind. They just need a while to learn to trust new people. It''s odd that both are similar in that regard and that I''m so different. I love talking to new people. It''s refreshing to hear new opinions and give yourself a chance to get to know other ways of living.¡± Sophia paused and hid her mouth with her hand as her smile faded to leave behind slight surprise. ¡°Ahh, it seems like I was doing it again. I apologize for my rambling. I didn''t mean to keep you from talking. I do that too often, so know that you are free to interrupt me when I go on for too long.¡± She looked like she was a bit embarrassed about that.

    Quickly, Blanche made a dismissive motion with her hand. ¡°Don''t apologize, Lady Ravillot. I don''t mind. It''s wonderful to hear how close you are to your family. As long as you feel comfortable sharing so intimate stories with me, I''ll gladly listen.¡± That wasn''t quite true.

    In reality, the concubine was torn. On the one hand, it was adorable how sweetly Sophia talked about the people in her life. This way, the concubine also got information that might help her get a general idea on how to act around Seraphina without infuriating her.

    On the other hand, it was painful to be reminded of what a happy family looked like. Blanche didn''t think about her parents and siblings daily anymore, but they were still a vital memory that was burned into her mind. She would never give up that last part of them that she held dear, and yet, it hurt. Every single story about the Duremonts made her remember something that had happened in her childhood. It seemed like their families were pretty similar after all.

    There was only one major difference.

    The Duremonts were still happy while Blanche''s parents and siblings were dead.

    Each time the concubine noticed a similarity, she felt a sting in her heart and ate a snack to distract herself, but she couldn''t deny the jealousy that was rising within her. She wanted to share such stories about her family with a loving expression too, but she couldn''t. Despite that, she didn''t even think about interrupting the countess though. She was unwilling to let others suffer because of her grief, so she kept her mouth shut.

    Sophia had already moved on to the next narration about her childhood without being aware of the other woman''s inner struggle. ¡°Did I tell you about the party of my fourteenth birthday yet? I don''t think I did. That day, a marquess, who was at least thrice as old as I was back then, wanted to dance with me. Unfortunately, I forgot his name, but I would probably remember if I saw his face. I felt uncomfortable when he approached me since he came way too close to me, but of course, I couldn''t refuse. I was about to cry by the first half of the dance. When the music piece was finally over, I was so happy, but he didn''t let go of me.¡±

    Sophia''s eyes shone when she continued and mentioned her beloved relative again. ¡°Then my sister rushed in like she was sent by the gods to save me. She took over immediately. During her dance with the marquess, she stepped onto his foot. It was quite a funny sight to see how quickly a grown man began to yell because of a young lady. Apparently, Seraphina was a bit too harsh and sprained his ankle, but everyone within the room made fun of him after that, and he didn''t bother me again. When I thanked my sister, she insisted that it was a mistake on her part. However, I saw her dance a hundred times, and she never made a single error. She must purposefully have used all of her force to make sure that this marquess wouldn''t dance with any other girls anymore.¡±

    Blanche had to grin at that story. She could imagine how Seraphina had done something like that after seeing her younger sister being scared. The heroine had probably apologized with her usual unmoving expression, which would make anyone think that she had only grazed the man''s foot lightly. It was a clever way to embarrass that marquess in front of all guests without offending him or exposing herself to ridicule. ¡°I wouldn''t be surprised if the empress did that to protect you. She is one of the few people that are capable of coming up with such an intelligent plot on the spot. Did the marquess complain about that incident later?¡±

    Sophia didn''t get the chance to reply as someone else spoke first.

    ¡°He did not.¡±

    The concubine''s blood froze in her veins when a third voice chimed into their dialogue. Little by little, she turned her head to the side and looked up at Seraphina''s aggravated expression.

    By the gods. This was an issue.

 Chapter 80: Family

    And just like that, Seraphina had appeared, and she wasn''t in a good mood.

    Blanche stared at the empress'' frown and swallowed, which proved to be a complicated endeavor due to her dry throat. She grasped her teacup tighter and couldn''t keep herself from shrinking in herself upon feeling the anger that was oozing out of the heroine''s aura. ¡°Uhm... Good day, Your Majesty.¡± Blanche wanted to hit herself the next moment. In her shock, she had forgotten that she had already made a mistake by greeting the other woman first. Wonderful. Now the situation was ruined. ¡°I''m...sincerely apologize. I didn''t mean to...¡± She averted her gaze to focus on anything but the fuming empress.

    Sophia seemed to be tense as well. Apparently, she was more nervous about her sister catching her in the act of meeting with Blanche than she had previously shown. Of course, she wasn''t terrified like the concubine though.

    Naturally, Blanche was more intimidated than anyone else. She didn''t dare to move a single muscle in fear of drawing the heroine''s attention towards her. She hadn''t done anything wrong, right? So, she shouldn''t have to expect to be punished, but she had thought that at the tea party too.

    A few seconds passed, and Seraphina had regained a bit more of her composure. She had neutralized her face so that she hid her anger behind her mask of calmness, but she couldn''t control the effect her frustration had on others. She spoke up in a rather cool tone, which made the others lower their heads. ¡°Please stay seated. May I ask what led you here, Lady Ravillot? It''s unusual for you to come to the royal palace without informing me of your visit.¡±

    Sophia wasn''t as fearful as the concubine, but her nervousness was still obvious. She was fiddling with her hands as she replied to her sister. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty. I...usually tell you. I was meeting with Lady Blanche to drink some tea, and I normally would have visited you before that. But you said that you were busy, so I didn''t wish to keep you from working.¡±

    That sentence made Blanche think about the empress'' workload for the first time. She hadn''t seen Seraphina walking around for longer than usual, and the last time, the heroine had seemed very exhausted as well. It would make sense that the empress was in her office the whole day and didn''t appear outside as often because of that. When the emperor had more duties to fulfill, his wife also took care of more tasks than she normally did to unburden him. It had been stupid of Blanche to not have thought about that earlier.

    But that little detail also made her realize something else. The empress couldn''t make as many decisions on her own as Theodore did, so Seraphina would often have to ask him for permission or get his signature. In general, political subjects required the spouses to be on the same page and exchange their opinions on most documents. That meant that they probably worked together fairly often.

    Blanche''s heart clenched at that thought. What if Theodore was spending the biggest portion of his day with the heroine because of that? During that time, the main characters had enough opportunities to talk to each other without needing to eat together. Thus, their relationship could already have developed much further than the concubine had anticipated. Were all of her presumptuous thoughts about keeping the main characters apart useless because they would find a way to get closer either way?

    That question made Blanche freeze in place, and it felt like the temperature had dropped. She tightened her hold on the cup to keep herself from shivering and only let go when she feared that she would crash the porcelain. Now that she didn''t have something to grasp, it was even more difficult to push back the nightmarish thoughts about Theodore and Seraphina. For that reason, she was actually glad when the empress addressed her, but the icy tone quickly made her reconsider.

    ¡°Lady Blanche. I would like to ask whether I understood this correctly. You invited Lady Ravillot to the palace to drink tea and chat about our family?¡±

    The concubine hurried to respond. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Majesty. You are correct about that. I did not wish to speak about your family specifically, but I did invite Lady Ravillot. She and I had a conversation during the ball on your birthday. We were unable to continue our talk back then, so we arranged a meeting.¡± Her reply didn''t soften Seraphina''s expression.

    The empress'' face had returned to its stoic mask, but her dismay was still visible due to the flicker of anger inside her eyes. ¡°This is unexpected. I didn''t think that you would get along.¡± Her voice was dripping with contempt and the clear hint that Sophia shouldn''t engage with her greatest enemy. Apparently, the empress wouldn''t let this slide. She finally let her gaze roam away from Blanche and glanced at the table. ¡°I see that you have prepared a quite cozy seating arrangement. Would you mind if I joined you?¡±

    The concubine''s heart almost stopped at that. Seraphina couldn''t be serious right now. There was no way that someone could refuse the empress, especially within the royal estate. They had no choice but to agree. Blanche didn''t understand why the heroine would want to sit down with them though. She wouldn''t have batted an eye if Seraphina had sent her away to speak to Sophia, but this wasn''t logical. The empress despised Blanche, so why would she insist on drinking tea with her nemesis?

    Sophia was more composed than the concubine. After the initial surprise, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Of course. We wouldn''t dream about refusing. It would be our pleasure to have you with us.¡± Not really.

    Blanche desperately tried not to show her resignation on her face and held back a sigh. ¡°Naturally, we would be honored by Your Majesty''s presence.¡± She hoped that this hadn''t seemed too impolite due to her slightly dejected tone.

    Seraphina showed them her typical emotionless expression as she turned to her maids. ¡°Ask one of the servants to bring me a chair.¡± It seemed like she was really serious. Now no one could prevent anything anymore.

    One of the attendants, who seemed to be Kate at first glance, immediately bowed and then rushed toward the building while the other two were glaring at the concubine.

    Blanche did her best to not roll her eyes at that and focused on not embarrassing herself by accidentally tipping over the tea. At the same time, she also tried to calm herself to avoid showing her unease during the following situation. It was hard to keep her cool when she knew that she would drink tea with the empress though.

    Within a minute, Kate returned with a male servant that was carrying a chair. He set it down next to the table and turned to leave before making eye contact with the concubine. Blanche relaxed a bit after she recognized George and gave him a bright smile, which he returned. He nodded towards her and bowed to the empress before going back to the building.

    But this interaction didn''t help the concubine either.

    Seraphina sat down in the most graceful way imaginable and then addressed her maids again. ¡°I would like to a cup of the tea that Lady Ravillot has.¡±

    Again, one of the maids hurried away within seconds. It was unmistakably visible that they not only cared for their mistress but also respected her from the bottom of their hearts. Except for Kate, of course, as that woman would poison the empress for money later.

    Blanche didn''t focus on her though but on the uncomfortable tension that surrounded the terrace now that the heroine and the villainess were at the same spot. It was strange to sit at the table with the empress, and it certainly made Blanche feel like she was lacking the necessary manners to even deserve being here. She would be thankful if she could sink into her seat and disappear into the ground, but she forced herself to keep a straight posture.

    Fortunately, Sophia behaved like an angel again and raised her voice to cut through the unnerving silence. ¡°Say, Lady Blanche. Did you know that servant as well? You already greeted the maid last time and the man just now too.¡± That was a lighthearted topic, perfect to strike up a conversation despite the thick atmosphere.

    Without thinking about it, Blanche replied. ¡°Yes. I met them and two others in the kitchen while I was baking. Ever since then, we''ve talked regularly, and they eat whatever I made on that day, which is great since there aren''t any leftovers like this.¡± Only when she finished, she realized that befriending servants might seem a bit odd to nobles. But she knew that Sophia didn''t care and Seraphina was close to her attendants as well, so none of them should complain. She hadn''t really expected them to pay attention to the story in general. Apparently, they had listened though.

    Sophia''s eyes began shining as she heard the other''s words. ¡°You are baking? On your own, without any help?¡± She said that as if this was a great feat. Did she think that the concubine was a confectioner?

    Blanche quickly tried to paint a more realistic picture. ¡°Well, I do everything on my own, except for the cutting. I can''t seem to keep my hands steady when it comes to working with sharp objects, so one of the servants or my maid help me. I''m not making anything extraordinary though. I do not make art out of my food like other people do. I just create a simple cake by mixing together the fitting ingredients. Baking is very easy once you have done it a couple of times, so that''s not very special.¡±

    Sophia seemed to have a different opinion on that and visibly got excited. ¡°When you''ve never done it, it is special! Seraphina and I always tried to help the kitchen staff when we were little and ended up causing more chaos than anything else. I''m pretty sure that they considered banning us from that part of the house at one point. So, we''ve always admired it when people learn how to bake or cook, especially when they don''t have to. There was one day when Seraphina-¡±

    The empress cleared her throat, which made Sophia stop.

    After a moment, Sophia realized what her error had been, and her eyes widened. ¡°I apologize. I was talking about Her Majesty. Please forgive my insolence.¡±

    Seraphina''s expression didn''t budge when she nodded at her sister. ¡°It was only a small mistake in front of few people. I assume that no one will hear about this, so we will forget that it happened. Please be more careful in front of others.¡±

    It felt like those words were supposed to tell Blanche to keep quiet about this, not that she had ever had the intention to gossip about it in the first place. The concubine was a bit irritated at that but forced herself to not reveal her emotions. Naturally, Seraphina treated her sister differently from her nemesis, but Blanche was sure that she would have been threatened if she had made such an error. Instead of frowning at that, she concentrated on keeping her teacup steady as she lifted it to her mouth to take a small sip. The sweet apple flavor did little to calm her. She was still on edge and feared that she would pour the tea over herself if she wasn''t careful.

    Just when the silence began to feel strange again, Seraphina''s maid returned with the tea. It was unsurprising that the heroine''s way of holding the cup emitted more elegance than it would have been the case with any normal person. But that was to be expected of the female main character of a novel. She was perfect in everything she did. Except when it came to cooking, apparently.

    But that didn''t make Blanche feel better at all. The empress had no need to learn how to prepare meals since she would never even be allowed to touch the kitchen utensils. None of the servants would stand by while a member of the royal family attempted to do work that was considered to be lowly by other nobles.

    The concubine kept observing Seraphina from the corner of her eyes while pretending to stare at her tea. Now that the heroine was here, Blanche couldn''t relax at all. That was rather unpractical since she had looked forward to eating some delicious pastries, but she definitely wouldn''t be able to swallow a single bite while the empress was watching. After a last longing gaze at the cake pieces in the middle of the table, Blanche fully concentrated on Seraphina.

    For a change, the empress was wearing a navy-blue dress today, and her neck was adorned by a necklace with sapphires. She was breathtaking for sure.

    But Blanche paid attention to something else. She needed to turn her head and stare at the accessory for a while before she could be sure. That necklace was definitely the one that Blanche had gifted the empress. In her mind, she cheered at the realization that Seraphina was pleased enough with the present to wear it in her free time. She didn''t dare to say anything though and just hid her grin by drinking another sip of her tea. However, she didn''t seem to be as good at veiling her emotions as most others. When she looked to the side again, the heroine was staring at her.

    Seraphina looked at the other woman with the typical stoic expression that revealed that she simply didn''t feel the need to show a more happy expression. ¡°I assume that you noticed that I am wearing a part of your gift. At the ball, I did not have the chance to thank you properly, and while I did so through my letter, I would like to express my gratitude again. You truly chose a magnificent present. I was taken aback by that, so I must have been too astonished to put my thoughts into words.¡± By saying this, she emphasized that she hadn''t expected the concubine to be able to be polite for even a single day. She really was in a bad mood, wasn''t she?

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Blanche ignored that part and showed the other woman the brightest smile she could muster. ¡°I''m overjoyed that Your Majesty deems my gift to be acceptable enough to wear it. It looks gorgeous on you, so I''m glad to have made the correct choice.¡± She didn''t miss the way that Seraphina''s eyes narrowed at her politeness.

    The empress replied in a tone that was a bit colder than before. ¡°Thank you, Lady Blanche. I have to say that your attire is also very pleasant to look at.¡±

    The concubine was irritated at the sudden compliment and needed a few seconds before she understood the full extent of those words. The realization made her freeze, and it felt like ice was creeping through her veins. She was wearing the navy dress today, and of course, she had to run into the empress as soon as she had gathered the courage to put on such a risky gown.

    Hopefully, the heroine wouldn''t think that Blanche was doing this purposefully to imitate her, but she always seemed to feel attacked by the concubine, so it was no use hoping. The fact Seraphina even addressed it could only mean something unfavorable. In the worst case, this could underline the empress'' view of Blanche as a power-hungry person that would pose a danger to her. If the heroine thought like that, the villainess'' chances of survival would decrease exceedingly.

    Blanche couldn''t afford to let that happen now that she had already lost a quarter of her time until the novel''s end. In a panic, she replied. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. Now that you mention it, I fear that this dress might make it seem like I had intentions that I wasn''t even considering before. I apologize if I accidentally offended you. If you give me permission to excuse myself for a moment, I will change into a different attire this instant.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for that.¡± Seraphina''s expression didn''t budge, but she still didn''t seem calm due to the frosty look in her eyes. ¡°You made it clear that you didn''t have any veiled intentions by choosing this gown in particular. I am content with that. The power of the royal family is not so unstable to make me sensitive about such a matter. Though others will assume that you were aware of the scandal you might cause by wearing this in public, so I would recommend not appearing with a dress in this color at an event. For the sake of your reputation.¡±

    Due to the sharp edge, these words sounded more like a threat than a well-meant piece of advice. The empress had pointed out her influence and stressed that she wouldn''t back down easily as well. She had definitely seen this gown, which technically shouldn''t be an issue at all, as a personal attack. Of course. She always felt like everything was somehow connected to her.

    Quickly, Blanche responded while trying to keep her resignation and her slight annoyance from showing up on her face. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. I never intended to wear this attire anywhere outside the palace, and I will not change my stance in this regard.¡± She wanted to add another apology, but the glint of irritation in Seraphina''s eyes made her close her mouth.

    Again, the women were quiet, which left them in an unnerving silence once more.

    Sophia kept alternating between looking at the two others, while apparently being unsure about how to ease the tension. After a few seconds, she finally spoke up. ¡°It''s been a while since we spoke about the incident on my fourteenth birthday. I told Lady Blanche just a few minutes ago, so it came to my mind again. Your Majesty still remembers that marquess too, correct?¡±

    The empress gracefully drank from her teacup before setting it down carefully. ¡°Of course. Due to my mistake, he was hurt, so I naturally feel ashamed while thinking about it to this day.¡± It seemed like she truly didn''t wish to admit that she had purposefully strained that unpleasant man''s ankle.

    But her reply was enough for Sophia to strike up a conversation about past events at birthday parties. The countess gave her best to involve Blanche too, but the concubine tried to stay out of it to let the sisters talk. Even though the siblings were clearly not as relaxed as they would be when they were alone, it quickly became obvious how close the two were. Despite Blanche''s presence, Seraphina couldn''t keep herself from smiling when Sophia began rambling about her child and husband.

    It would have been a lie to claim that seeing this didn''t evoke conflicting feelings in the concubine.

    While it was sweet to watch two sisters caring for each other this much, it also reminded Blanche that she would never have the chance to show the same feelings again. Her siblings had been executed for something that couldn''t have been their fault before even reaching an age with two ciphers. Otherwise, Noel and Nelly would definitely be this intimate with their older sister as well.

    After getting over her initial jealousy after a few weeks of her mother''s pregnancy, Blanche had adored the twins before they had even been born. After the birth, that she had pampered them with every resource that she had found in their home. She had participated in their games and reenacted any role that they wanted her to play, whether that had been a bloodthirsty warlord or a meek princess waiting for her knight to save her.

    Until the very end, Blanche had anticipated seeing them grow up and become wonderful people, only for her father''s crimes to prevent all of that. He hadn''t wanted to betray the nation nor wished to fuel a war, he had only broken the law to increase his wealth by trading weapons with harmless citizens in Northern Ocrea. He hadn''t deserved to die for that, and even if the court had chosen to punish him with the death penalty, it was unfair to blame his wife and children too.

    Blanche''s memories of being imprisoned back then were very vague, but she remembered her parents pleading for the guards to release the children. Of course, they had been ignored. Only one of the guards had shown empathy and purposefully dropped a key. But after the initial joy of being able to flee, they had realized that this key only opened Blanche''s chains. Despite her parents telling her to run away alone, she had refused countless times until she had finally given in while hoping that she would be able to get someone''s help. She had rushed through the town while trying to speak to every person that looked like they could have the slightest bit of influence.

    Accidentally, she had run into Marquess Sefare, who had taken pity in her and had taken her to his house. She had told him her story, and the next day, he had traveled to the prison, only to return with the news that the execution had already been conducted. Blanche remembered how she had fallen to her knees and broken down completely. Then Sefare had consoled her for hours and promised her that he would protect her in the future.

    In hindsight, it seemed more than obvious that none of those events could have been a coincidence.

    As a marquess, Sefare had probably been able to bribe someone to gain all the knowledge about the current investigations. He had just seen his opportunity to find a marionette he could use to harm the emperor. He had to have paid the guard to place the one key to allow the daughter whose age was closest to Theodore''s to flee. Sefare had known that this young woman would be helpless without her parents and vulnerable to manipulation after losing her family. He had grasped the opportunity and pretended to be her savior.

    And all of those years, Blanche had believed in his lie.

    How foolish she had been to trust the man that would have probably been able to intervene and save her siblings, if not her whole family, but hadn''t because he wanted to use her to gain power.

    Blanche was surprised that she was able to keep her emotions under control despite that realization. She assumed that her wrath was just as great as her grief now so that her brain was too confused to let her show her emotions. Thus, she was in a daze and very much relieved when Sophia announced her departure.

    Both Blanche and the empress accompanied the countess to the main entrance.

    The sun was already setting and tinted the surroundings in an orange light, which seemed to please Sophia, whose mood still hadn''t been ruined. ¡°The royal garden truly looks even more beautiful like this. I have to take a walk during the sunset next. Though I shouldn''t lose sight of my older objective. After all, I didn''t get a chance to visit the kitchen today either. It appears that I must come to the palace in the near future to finally catch a glimpse of the famous chefs.¡±

    Seraphina showed her sister a warm smile, which seemed very unusual to Blanche considering the cold glare she normally got. ¡°Naturally. Let us make plans for that in the near future.¡± The empress hugged her sister for a long time before stepping away. ¡°You are free to visit any time, Lady Ravillot. Have a safe carriage ride.¡±

    Sophia nodded at her. ¡°I will. Until the next time, Your Majesty. May you have a wonderful evening.¡± Then she turned to the concubine. ¡°I hope that you have a pleasant evening too, Lady Blanche. Thank you for welcoming me here today.¡±

    Blanche gave her a bright smile, which definitely would have been less strained if the heroine hadn''t been there. ¡°I was honored by your visit. As Her Majesty already said, please come home safely.¡±

    Sophia assured them that she would be protected by a knight that was accompanying the carriage before climbing into the vehicle with the help of a servant. She waved while driving off, and the concubine mirrored this, which felt a bit odd since the empress didn''t do anything. Maybe even such a small gesture was considered to be unladylike.

    However, Blanche didn''t care about that. She only wanted to say goodbye to Seraphina and leave immediately. Unfortunately, the heroine''s intentions seemed to differ from hers.

    Without looking at the concubine, Seraphina spoke up. ¡°How often did you meet her in private?¡±

    Blanche hesitated before turning to the other woman, only to find her still staring at the carriage in the distance. She wasn''t able to complain about Seraphina''s manners both due to their ranks and her own behavior in the past, but she still had to hold back a sigh. Who was the impolite one now? ¡°This is the second time that Lady Ravillot visited the palace to have tea with me, Your Majesty.¡±

    Still, the empress didn''t face the other woman. She just began talking with great care to pronounce every word clearly. ¡°Let me remind you of something. Not all people are as naive as you think them to be. Changing your behavior for a short while will not allow you to gain anything. Sophia is too gentle and forgiving for her own good, but she isn''t stupid. You won''t mobilize my sister against me, no matter how hard you try.¡±

    Blanche felt a flicker of annoyance inside her. Why was the empress so sure that every of the concubine''s actions was an attempt to harm her? Admittedly, Blanche had given her best to trouble Seraphina in the beginning, but she had been a completely different person for over three months. At some point, people had to notice that her intentions had changed, right? But seemingly, the empress wouldn''t forget the past that easily. Great. This had been to be expected, but it was still upsetting.

    Despite her frustration, Blanche replied as calmly as possible. ¡°It was never my goal to mobilize anyone. I spoke to Lady Ravillot after the events at the tea party. I was very fond of her kind nature, and we had a pleasant conversation. We did not have much time then, so we decided to continue the discussion later over a cup of tea. Your Majesty can rest assured that I have no desire to intervene in your relationship to your sister.¡±

    Finally, Seraphina turned to the other woman, and Blanche immediately regretted her wish for eye contact. The empress'' expression was a display of pure wrath with traces of contempt. Her voice was filled with the same emotions as she responded. ¡°Until now, I accepted that you kept on troubling me at every opportunity and allowed you to play your games, but this is where I draw the line. The empress'' position isn''t as empty as you think it to be. If you attack my family, I won''t stand by and let you do as you please. Have you understood?¡±

    All of Blanche''s confidence seemed to vanish into thin air. Her plan to deny the other''s accusations was quickly destroyed by the aura of rage that surrounded Seraphina. In all of this time, she had never seen the empress getting this upset. Now Seraphina was furious, even though nothing problematic had happened today. But Blanche couldn''t voice her fear nor her complaint about how unfair this accusation was. Instead, she just replied with a shaky voice. ¡°Yes. I never attempted that.¡±

    ¡°For your own sake, I hope that your words are true.¡± The empress spun around on her heel and rushed to the building, with her maids trailing behind her.

    In an instant, the tension in the air disappeared, and Blanche felt drained. She almost fell onto her knees but could keep herself upright with all of her power. What had made Seraphina this aggravated? Was simply meeting with Sophia enough to make the empress plot a murder? In any case, it was important to stay safe. Blanche wouldn''t approach Sophia anymore despite her disappointment about that. She couldn''t risk antagonizing the empress because of a few meetings for fun.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°My Lady?¡±

    Two voices called out to Blanche at the same time. When she looked up, Stella and George, who had to have been the servant helping Sophia into the carriage, were standing in front of her.

    The maid was quick to voice her frustration. ¡°What''s wrong with that woman? Just because she is the empress, that doesn''t mean that she can threaten others just like that. Nothing happened except for her ruining your evening!¡±

    George shushed his colleague looked around to confirm whether they were alone. ¡°Keep your voice down. No one can hear you talking about Her Majesty like this. Though it''s true that her behavior just now was odd. Why did she feel like her family was endangered?¡±

    Blanche took a deep breath and forced her knees to stop shaking before answering. ¡°I can''t be certain, but I assume that she thought that I was trying to use her sister against her in some way. I just wanted to have a nice chat with a kind person, but seemingly, I will have to miss out on that in the future, or I will be executed.¡± Her words might seem like an exaggeration to the others, but they were the disturbing truth to her. If the heroine saw her as the villainess, that could be enough to make sure that the novel progressed like it originally did. As an antagonist, Blanche would meet a terrible fate then. Along with her suspicion that Theodore might have to work with Seraphina daily, that definitely lowered her chances of preventing her doom.

    But the concubine couldn''t cry in front of the servants because of that. She forced herself to straighten her posture and shook her head. ¡°In any case, I should avoid the empress. She doesn''t like me much, and due to our past, I understand that. Still, I would like to avoid being the target of her hatred because of that.¡± Stella opened her mouth with a frown, but Blanche interrupted her with a wave of her hand. ¡°Let''s talk about something else. I don''t want to go to bed with such unpleasant thoughts.¡±

    Otherwise, a nightmare wasn''t out of the question, and she couldn''t risk that. After all, the doctor''s herbs hadn''t arrived yet.

    Stella looked like she wanted to refuse but didn''t complain.

    George was the one who spoke up. ¡°Then I have something that might interest both of you. I found out why the steward gathered us in the kitchen yesterday.¡±

    That did make Blanche curious. ¡°What happened?¡± Hopefully, this would be interesting enough to distract her.

    George''s expression became serious as he continued. ¡°Apparently, one of the servants disappeared for a couple of days. No one really wanted to give me a name, but I''m pretty sure that it was Harris. I didn''t see him for a while and only did so today. After he entered the kitchen, everyone stared at him, and he was immediately sent to the steward. I don''t know what happened, but it sounds like no one could find him after his fight with Clark, and he returned after taking a few days off. Maybe someone finally found out what a horrible person he truly is and will get him dismissed.¡±

    Blanche didn''t believe in that. After all, Harris was a phenomenal actor. She didn''t doubt that he would be able to convince unknowing people of almost anything just by talking for a bit. He only seemed to lose control of his emotions while fighting with Clark, and even then he might have been acting to provoke his former friend. But she didn''t speak up to crush George''s hopes. She was too worried about why she felt like Harris wasn''t even the greatest actor she would meet.

    The rest of the evening was pretty relaxing.

    George insisted on bringing the women back to their room and wished them a good night by the door.

    Blanche and Stella returned the sentiment and got ready to sleep. Luckily, the concubine wasn''t plagued by a nightmare that day, but the realizations of the afternoon still made her ponder as she was lying in her bed.

    The heroine''s hatred might ruin everything, and it was possible that Theodore and Seraphina were already closer because they were working together without Blanche''s knowledge. Both of those facts had the capability of eliminating her chances of having a happy end completely. And on the same day, Blanche had understood that Sefare had sacrificed her entire family to make her his pawn.

    It had been a while since a few realizations had made her feel this awful.

 Chapter 81: Passion and Cakes

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    did seem like Theodore had a lot to do today, much like he had for the last few weeks. ¡°In the case that you are busy, I can just leave the cake here, and you''ll tell me how it was tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    no one else tampered with it while she wasn''t paying attention. Everyone knows that you would eat everything she gives you. Keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 82: Another Way?

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    second one? You already know about another passage?¡±

    hadn''t included all the facts in the first installment. There could be secrets that could harm the villainess.

 Chapter 83: Forgetting Something Important

¡°

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°need to see him.¡± She repeated her words louder than before and with as much strength in her voice as she could muster.

 Chapter 84: More Than Anything Else

    The doctor''s office was more spacious than Blanche had imagined it to be and actually consisted of multiple chambers. The doctor''s assistant led her to the biggest room, and after rounding a curtain, she finally found her lover.

    The emperor was lying on a bed, and the royal doctor and the other three assistants were busy preparing the treatment. But in contrast to her assumption, Theodore wasn''t conscious. The men around him had to change the posture of his arm to reach the wound, so it didn''t seem like he was responsive. His eyes were closed, and his face was contorted in pain, which only served to make the pit that she felt in her stomach even more nauseating.

    The doctor looked up when he heard the group enter and gestured to the chair next to the bed as he spoke with a sense of urgency in his voice. ¡°His Majesty is in a stable condition right now, but he is very restless. He kept calling your name in his sleep. He needs any support that he can acquire so that he will stay still. Please take a seat there.¡±

    Without hesitation, Blanche complied and sat by the bed while Leonard stayed next to Owen, who was standing in the corner of the room. The men began quietly talking in a serious tone, but Blanche couldn''t care less about their topics.

    Theodore was sweating, his eyes tightly squeezed shut. His muscles occasionally jerked so that his head fell to the side or his arm moved. It didn''t look good. In an attempt to calm him, Blanche enclosed his hand with hers and began mumbling about how he would definitely be fine and that it would be over soon. She might have imagined it, but it appeared like he was a little better after she had done this for a minute.

    At that point, she dared to gaze at her lover''s bare chest. She flinched upon seeing the deep cut that adorned Theodore''s left shoulder. The wound looked like it was deeper than any injury she had ever seen from up close. Blood continued to stream out, and the doctor gave his best to stop this by building up pressure on the area around the cut. This worked after some time, but there was no break. The assistants disinfected the wound already, and the doctor began stitching it. This should be safe and much better than the quick treatment on a battlefield would be, but that didn''t make it much better.

    One look was enough for Blanche, and she quickly lowered her gaze to her lover''s face. Though seeing him grimacing in pain despite his unconsciousness wasn''t much better than the sickening sight of a needle being inserted into his flesh. This only made her feel more miserable. Surprisingly, she had stopped crying and suspected that her tears for the day were used up already. That didn''t mean that the dread that was making her stomach churn had disappeared though.

    When Theodore murmured her name for the first time, the concubine''s heart almost stopped beating.

    Immediately, Blanche tightened her hold on his hand and stroked over his hair in a way that wouldn''t obstruct the doctor. ¡°I''m right here by your side. I won''t leave until you wake up.¡± Her words only made Theodore repeat her name a little bit louder. Again, she assured him that she was there and pressed a kiss on his hand.

    Her lover became calmer after that and stayed still for a while so that the doctor could continue the treatment without a pause.

    Every time that Blanche thought that she had calmed down, Theodore stirred or called her name once more, which always made her tense. It felt like a nightmare.

    A few times, the assistants left to bring a new thread or a clean utensil, but other than that, no one in the room moved away from their spot. Leonard and Owen discussed something in the neighboring chamber, and aside from their voices, it was almost completely silent. The only occasional noises were the doctor''s instructions, Theodore''s low groans, which made Blanche''s heart sting each time, and her reaffirmations that she was still here.

    Stitching the wound took the medical staff an eternity, so the concubine let her shoulders slouch when the doctor finally put away the needle to wrap bandages around the emperor''s wound. It felt like she had held her breath since entering the room and could finally let air into her lungs again.

    The doctor seemed to have been in a similar state. He also sighed when he removed his gloves and asked for a glass of water. He only spoke up after drinking a sip. ¡°The injury is deep, but no tendons have been cut. His Majesty will have to rest for a while and shouldn''t move much for the next weeks, but other than that, he should be unaffected. A scar will remain, but it''s more important that he won''t have any other remaining damages. The only thing that worries me is him being unconscious. I assume that this was either because of the shock or because of the pain. In either way, it won''t be a problem if he wakes up by the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Blanche tensed at these words. ¡°And if he doesn''t?¡±

    The doctor looked at her in silence for a moment before responding. ¡°We have to hope that he does. Otherwise, we''ll have to find a way to forcibly wake him up, and that would weaken his body, which is something we should avoid.¡±

    Blanche could only nod at that and focused on Theodore''s face again. It was a bit better than before, but he was still obviously in pain. She lifted her head to meet the doctor''s gaze. ¡°Do you have something that could lessen his sensitivity to pain a little?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I already gave him a dose when he came in. In an hour, we''ll give him another one.¡± This meant that the emperor had been in even more agony before getting the medicine. That realization increased the concubine''s nausea once more.

    Blanche didn''t complain to the poor doctor about that though. She thanked him for his work before gazing at Theodore again. He looked so vulnerable in this state, and she hated every second of it. Knowing that he was hurting while she sat next to him but was unable to do anything about it was the worst feeling she could imagine at that moment. He had to have felt like this too after she had refused to wake up after collapsing at the ball. She could only hope that he wouldn''t make her wait for two days, like she had done it to him. But still, she would wait as long as it took him to recover just to see his smile again.

    As she had promised, she didn''t leave Theodore''s side until the evening. Stella had come in twice to bring her food, but Blanche hadn''t been able to swallow more than three bites each time.

    When the sun was about to set, the doctor told the concubine that she could leave, which she refuted no matter often the assistants reminded her that it was fine. Blanche suspected that they worried about her having a breakdown if she continued to sit here, and their concern wasn''t unreasonable. Whenever her body allowed her to cry again, she did until no tears were there anymore. She didn''t need a mirror to guess how she looked right now. But did it matter when her lover was in a coma?

    No, it didn''t.

    That day, Blanche only left Theodore''s side once after being pushed by the doctor to take a relaxing bath. She didn''t even do that but only freshened up in the bathroom in the doctor''s office for a minute before taking a seat on the chair by the bed again.

    The doctor and his assistants weren''t pleased about that. Still, none of them attempted to send her away again. They didn''t even ask her to leave overnight but immediately gave her an overview of their plan. The assistants, except for the missing one who was tending to the empress, would sleep in shifts so that one of them would always be awake in the neighboring room to check on the emperor each hour. In addition, servants and knights would constantly be waiting by the door so that she could ask for help at any time.

    Blanche agreed to that and insisted on staying right next to her lover despite them offering her a bed in the neighboring room. In the end, a few servants moved a small sofa next to the bed. Blanche thanked them with a weak smile and kept silent about not planning on sleeping anyway to not waste their efforts.

    Leonard left shortly before midnight after he promised to take care of the emperor''s most urgent tasks and the investigation regarding the attack. Owen, on the other hand, stayed in the doctor''s office too. He announced that he would sleep in another room next door, but the concubine doubted that he would lie down for more than three hours.

    As soon as the remaining people left Blanche alone with Theodore, the current circumstances became even more unbearable. With every passing minute, she hated herself more for being unable to remember this scene of the book. She could have prevented her lover from getting hurt if she had just recounted the chronology of the story events properly before. Why had her mind let her down in this exact situation? Why had that strange fuzzy mist that sometimes showed up at the most awful times kept her from remembering this? Forgetting all the other scenes might not have been a problem, but those had stayed intact in her memory. Instead, she had forgotten this one, which was the only one that had truly endangered Theodore. Why had that happened? Had that been just because her brain had wanted to forget that stupid kiss? Did the gods want to make fun of her? It didn''t make any sense unless the whole world was truly out to see her suffer.

    But there was no one here that gave Blanche an answer to her questions. The silence only reminded her that her lover wouldn''t respond no matter what she tried. Still, she began to mumble about anything she could come up with, more to distract herself than to tell Theodore anything. In between, she sent prayers to the gods over and over again in hopes that they would listen to her just once.

    Theodore was the hero. He always had to be happy and safe. He had to.

    A few hours later, Blanche''s eyelids became heavy, and she fought against her exhaustion for a while until she couldn''t anymore. She didn''t believe that she would sleep for more than an hour at a time anyway, so she allowed herself to lean forward and rest her head on the mattress. Her eyes fell shut, and within seconds, she slipped away into unconsciousness.

    <hr>

    When she awoke, it was still as dark as before, and a look at the clock showed Blanche that she had only slept for forty minutes. The doctor came to check on the emperor and retreated quickly, which left her alone again. She stood up for a moment and stretched her aching muscles before sitting down and repeating the cycle. After talking to Theodore for a bit, she closed her eyes for a while.

    She didn''t know how many times she had done this until the first rays of the sun shone through the window. She gazed at her lover without lifting her head off the mattress. He needed to wake up soon, or she would fall apart.

    Blanche gently ran her fingers over his face and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill for the hundredth time in the past ten hours. She closed her eyes without taking her hand off his cheek. Another wave of worries filled her mind and threatened to take over all she could ponder about, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted. When she felt something move under her fingers, a rush of energy flooded her veins. She jumped up and tipped over the chair with that, but she only focused on her lover.

    Theodore was still lying there unmoving. Yet, she was sure that the muscles of his jaw had just tensed. Of course, that didn''t mean anything. He could have just twitched involuntarily again like during his treatment. Nevertheless, she began hoping.

    Blanche fell onto her knees next to the bed and grabbed his hand. ¡°Theo?¡±

    For a moment, the room was completely silent so that one could have heard a pin drop.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    A feeling of utter disappointment formed a pit in her stomach, but she attempted it one last time. ¡°Theo, can you hear me? If you can move, please show me that you are fine.¡± Again, nothing followed. She was already preparing to pick up the chair and sit down to wait another ten hours as she swallowed her dejection.

    But just before she gave up, Theodore slowly opened his eyes, and it was like she was paralyzed. Her lover was staring at the end of the bed with a hardened expression. His eyes seemed a bit darker than normal, but that might just have been because his gaze seemed to be different from usual. He had just survived an assassination attempt, so it made sense for him to have such an exhausted and cold look though.

    A few seconds passed, and Blanche''s mind finally processed that he was truly awake. She let out a low gasp and tightened her grip on his hand. ¡°Theo... You woke up. I''m so glad. I was so scared, I thought I was going to die out of fear.¡±

    As soon as those words had left her mouth, Theodore tensed. It looked like every one of his muscles was strained as he turned his head to her at a pace that almost made it seem like he was reluctant. When his eyes locked onto her, his expression became completely blank, and his mouth opened slightly without him saying anything.

    Was he not fully awake yet? Even though that would be normal after having to process an unexpected ambush and a fight for his survival, the concubine was worried.

    Blanche''s stomach churned as she saw how he stared at her without moving. ¡°Don''t scare me like this. Please say something, Theo. Should I call the doctor?¡± She was about to do that no matter whether he would respond.

    Theodore still only stared at her, so she opened her mouth to yell for help, but at that exact moment, he spoke. ¡°Blanche?¡± He called her name in a hoarse voice and nothing else. It wasn''t much at all, but that was enough to make sure that he was fully conscious and able to recognize the people around him.

    Tears were rushing to Blanche''s eyes before she could think about holding them back. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It''s me. I''m here next to you. We''re in the doctor''s office right now. He took care of your wound. It only needs time to heal, and you will be fine in a few weeks.¡±

    Her lover''s eyes widened at that. ¡°Blanche?¡± He repeated his question in an even more hazy tone, which made her worry again. He barely seemed to be awake despite the medicine he had been given.

    She stood up and sat on the side of his mattress so that her whole body was in his field of view and not just her head. ¡°Yes. I''m right here. See? I won''t leave.¡±

    Before she could even take another breath, Theodore suddenly sat up. He repeated her name again, this time with utter disbelief painted onto his features.

    Blanche immediately panicked. ¡°What are you doing? You''re hurt, you can''t just-¡±

    Her attempt at calming Theodore was shut down by his arms circling her body and pulling her to him with such strength that she basically fell on top of him.

    This made the concubine even more scared. ¡°Theo, your wound will open again! Let go of me. We have to call the doctor!¡± Blanche tried to loosen his grasp around her body halfheartedly to not graze his injury, but that only made him tighten his hold on her.

    In fact, Theodore was using way more strength than he usually did. It almost felt like he was about to crush her chest with his embrace, but she wasn''t concerned about herself right now.

    ¡°Theo!¡± When he ignored this objection too, Blanche stopped her efforts and just returned the hug lightly to not hurt him.

    Only then Blanche realized that her lover was pressing his face into her neck and that his body was jolting every few seconds as low sobs reached her ears. In between, he muttered something, of which she didn''t understand the most part. Mere syllables were comprehensible, but Theodore definitely kept repeating the same things again and again while clinging to her.

    ¡°Theo...¡± Hearing him cry broke Blanche''s heart too, and she was about to join him in sobbing, with the only thing keeping her body under control being the concern about accidentally brushing over his wound. ¡°Don''t cry. I''m here, and you are safe. Everything is fine now. I love you.¡±

    That caused Theodore to loosen his grasp on her, just enough to bring his face in front of hers. For a second, he met her eyes with his wide pupils, which showed so much fear that she thought that her heart would stop beating this instant. Had the attack horrified him so much that he was in this state? But before she could ask him or voice any soothing phrases, her lover brought a hand to the backside of her head and moved her to him.

    His lips crashed onto hers, and she was about to pull away to remind him of his injuries, but the way that he desperately clung to her made her reconsider. She could barely breathe through her nose while he kept her so close. Yet, she held still. Her lover only ended the kiss after an eternity, and by then, Blanche was panting. While she was trying to catch her breath, his expression suddenly changed completely.

    The fear in Theodore''s gaze disappeared, only to be replaced with a radiant smile. He didn''t leave her any time to fill her lungs with air again or raise her voice. He pulled her into an embrace once more and grinned at her. ¡°I love you.¡± He pressed a kiss onto her forehead. ¡°I love you.¡± He touched her nose with his lips. ¡°I love you.¡± Then he kissed her cheek. Her lover repeated this so many times that the concubine lost count of how often it had been. He told her the same three words and covered her face and every other part of her that he could reach with kisses.

    Blanche worried about his wound but kept her mouth closed. This euphoria was better than him being petrified. The current display was pretty good to witness too. She could be sure that her lover was well enough to move without any pain now. After all, Theodore hadn''t flinched once despite pressing her against his chest, so the cut didn''t seem to cause him unbearable agony. The doctor would come in half an hour at most, and it was enough to check on the emperor after he calmed down. So, Blanche allowed Theodore to continue his kissing for as long as he wanted. The only thing she did was occasionally repeating that she loved him too and pressing a kiss on his face before letting him take over again.

    After some time passed, Theodore slowly calmed down a bit and eventually stopped showering her with declarations of his devotion. Then he smiled at her with the softest smile that she could imagine and massaged her head with one hand until her scalp began to tingle. At that point, he finally seemed like he could listen to her reasoning, so she spoke up.

    ¡°I''m very happy that you are awake too. And it''s great that you aren''t in too much pain, but you still need to be careful. The doctor stitched your wound, and the thread might come out if you move around too much.¡±

    Her words made Theodore look down for the first time. He stared at his bandages for a moment and then began pressing his fingertips onto the spot where his wound should be. Before Blanche could protest, he lifted his head again and shrugged while responding in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°It hurts a bit, but I''ve been through worse. The doctor already took care of it, so it should be fine.¡±

    Blanche didn''t like that response at all. She didn''t know whether to be offended or stay serious, so she mixed both. ¡°Still. It was awful. While you slept, you were definitely in more pain, and you were out for a couple of hours. Don''t overdo it. I don''t want you to make it worse again after you just got better. And you shouldn''t even think about working for the next weeks.¡± She pouted while voicing the last sentence, which painted a gentle smile onto her lover''s face again.

    Theodore stroked over her head again and slowly moved his hand to her cheek. As usual, she leaned into him, which seemed to make his grin even wider. His expression neutralized after he glanced down at his chest though. ¡°What exactly happened? I remember...¡± He paused and frowned for a moment as the gears in his head were turning. ¡°I was in a carriage in a forest... I think there were guards with me too.¡± That question proved that he was a bit confused no matter how much he tried to act like nothing was wrong, possibly because he had been drugged.

    Blanche made a mental note to confirm whether his memory was only affected right now or whether she had to inform the doctor later since this medicine might cause issues. Quickly, she responded. ¡°Yes, you went on an outing with the empress to visit-¡±

    His frown deepened, and he interrupted her. ¡°Why?¡±

    That question took the concubine by surprise. It was normal for the emperor to go out with his wife for an important event for which invitations were sent. In those cases, Blanche, as a baroness and well-known troublemaker, didn''t receive an invitation most of the time and thus couldn''t attend. Logically, Theodore would only travel with Seraphina then. He almost sounded indignant while asking about the reason though, which didn''t make much sense.

    But Blanche didn''t wish to unnerve him by remarking that his memory was a bit off at this moment, so she gave the quick summary. ¡°You were on your way to attend Duke Lamont''s birthday banquet when you were ambushed. For some reason, you didn''t tell me about you going there before though. I just found out today when I searched for you, and you weren''t there.¡±

    The emperor frowned at that and stared into the distance for a while. Just when Blanche was about to call out his name, he whipped his head back to her with shock written onto his features.

    Immediately, she moved closer to him and cupped his chin. ¡°What''s wrong? Should I get the doctor?¡±

    Theodore shook his head. ¡°No, no. I''m alright. I remember again. It''s just, you...¡± Her lover paused to pull her closer again and gave her another kiss. This one wasn''t as long but just as breathtaking as the first one, even though he was gentler. When he released her, he stared into her eyes for a moment while caressing her cheek with his hand. ¡°I should have told you more often. I love you more than anything else in this whole world. I won''t allow anyone to ever stand between us. No matter who attacks us, I will always come back to you.¡±

    That declaration was sudden, but Blanche wouldn''t complain. ¡°I love you too, Theodore. I''ll be by your side forever.¡± Or at least until he didn''t want her anymore, but she didn''t have any time for those depressing thoughts now.

    Her lover looked like he was about to cry again for a second, however, he caught himself fast. He took her hands in his and stroked over her skin carefully. ¡°What day is it today? Did I sleep for long?¡±

    ¡°No. You drove to the banquet yesterday and were unconscious for the whole afternoon and the night. I didn''t leave your side during that, so I know that you didn''t wake up in between, but it''s only...¡± She glanced at the clock. ¡°A few minutes before half-past five. So, you didn''t sleep for more than twelve hours. By the way, the doctor or one of his assistants will come at six to check on you.¡±

    Theodore seemed to take this as his cue to cover her whole hand with countless small kisses. ¡°Of course, you stayed with me the whole time. You always do when I need you. And since there will never be a moment in which I don''t need you, you will have to be by my side forever, like you promised.¡±

    Blanche squeezed his hands in response. ¡°I would love to. As long as I make you happy, I won''t ever think about leaving.¡± And as her last nightmares had proven, she would also refuse to go if he didn''t want her to stay.

    Her words caused Theodore to kiss her lips for the third time. It was a very short kiss, but his expression showed that he was very serious about it nonetheless. ¡°Forever means forever. I won''t ever let you go, my angel.¡± His features softened a bit when he waited a few seconds before continuing. ¡°You said that you wanted to meet me yesterday. Did you want to tell me something?¡±

    It was surprising that he still remembered that. Blanche had already forgotten everything she had voiced a minute ago. Her mind was in utter disarray right now, so that wasn''t unexpected though. After all, she was torn between being overjoyed about Theodore, who seemingly wasn''t too affected by the wound, being awake and being worried about his health anyway. Still, it was good that he had reminded her.

    For a moment, she considered keeping quiet about the issue to not make him fear for the palace''s safety while he was hurt, but she doubted that he would let her get away with postponing this conversation.

    Blanche prepared the words in her head to not accidentally let it slip that she had known about the secret passageway for weeks because a novel''s villainess had tried to use it to send assassins inside. ¡°I wanted to warn you about a gap in the palace''s security measures.¡± When her lover didn''t speak up and only scanned her expression in return, she continued. ¡°By coincidence, I found a hole in the walls behind a tree and a bush during a walk. It is big enough for an adult human to go through easily, so it might be better to close it off and look for other cracks in the walls as well.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a couple of seconds, which was enough to make her heart beat faster. Had he believed her lie? Or would he question how she had seen such a hidden passage by chance? In any case, she had expected that he would become distressed by the news in an instant and hurry to call a knight to close it off.

    But her lover was just staring at her.

    By now, Blanche had realized that this look in his eyes meant that he would kiss her, so she was prepared when he pressed his lips onto hers.

    When Theodore pulled back, he tangled his fingers into her hair and began massaging her scalp. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I will take care of that matter this instant. I''ll be back in a minute.¡±

    That made Blanche freeze and snap open her eyes, which she had previously closed to enjoy the massage. ¡°You don''t intend to leave now, right?¡± He had been wounded only yesterday. Even if it didn''t hurt, it was reckless to risk reopening the cut just because he wanted to walk around. Surely, he had to be clever enough to figure that out by himself, so he had to be joking.

    Theodore''s expression was completely serious when he replied though. ¡°I have to go see something for a moment. If I''m up already, I can tend to this matter at the same time.¡±

    Blanche opened her mouth to object, but the words died in her throat when she remembered the novel. The Theodore from ¡°To Be Empress¡± had done that too. He had rushed to Seraphina''s room despite his injuries and checked on her. After the heroine had thanked him for saving her life by jumping in front of her, they would be ecstatic about surviving. The empress would hug him and then kiss him.

    If there was one thing that Blanche had to prevent from happening, this was it.

    The first kiss the empress and the emperor shared was the catalyst for the main character''s romantic attraction to each other and thus the death sentence for the villainess. This scene had been a one-time thing, so this kiss had definitely caused the beginning of the end for Blanche. She didn''t claim that being forced to watch her lover falling for another woman was more painful than the execution itself though. Her heart already felt like it was speared by a dozen swords at the prospect of the main characters getting that close. She had to keep her lover from leaving now, or the novel would follow its original course and destine her to be doomed.

    But while she had been in a daze, Theodore was already moving his feet off the bed and tried to stand up. He needed two attempts before he rose to his feet, seemingly without any pain.

    If she didn''t stop him now, he would really leave.

    In a panic, Blanche jumped up onto her knees and threw her arms around his waist before he could step away. ¡°Don''t go! If you go now, you''ll...¡± She had yelled louder than she had originally wanted to, but right now, the only thing that mattered was keeping her lover here. But she was already trembling after just having said those few words and cursed herself for being unable to choke out anything else.

    This hadn''t been enough, had it?

 Chapter 85: Ill Stay With You

    ¡°Don''t go! If you go now, you''ll...¡±

    Fortunately, the fact that Blanche was desperately holding onto him was enough to make Theodore turn around. Upon seeing her expression, he was thunderstruck, and immediately, his arms circled her body. ¡°Blanche? What''s wrong? I''m alright, so it doesn''t matter if I walk around and-¡± He cut himself off upon seeing how hard she was crying and tensed. ¡°You...¡± He paused again and simply pulled her close. Despite his injuries, Blanche was now leaning against his chest, and when she opened her mouth to complain, Theodore''s fingers tilted her chin upward, and he silenced her with another kiss. When he lifted his head again, he rested his forehead against hers. ¡°I know that you''re worried about me. But I''m perfectly fine. I can go the few steps to-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Blanche interrupted him and shook her head rapidly. ¡°How can you be fine? Some man cut open your shoulder with a sword! You haven''t even rested for a full day nor given your body time to regenerate. You''ll make it worse again and hurt yourself. No matter what you can''t go to...¡± Seraphina. Blanche stopped just in time before she revealed what her other issue with him leaving was. She pressed her face into his chest and tried to calm down by focusing on her breathing.

    Theodore''s hand wandered to her cheek again. At first, he brushed over her skin lightly before gently guiding her to look up at him. ¡°It might sound odd of me to say this, but I truly don''t feel that bad. The doctor did his work phenomenally, so the threads will stay in place. If they didn''t, I would have started bleeding again because I hugged you so fiercely after waking up. I will just go to my office and tell Leon to take care of two things. Then I''ll immediately return.¡± He was lying. He couldn''t just not be troubled by his wound. The novel had proven otherwise since he had even been in pain during the hunting festival in two weeks still.

    Blanche shook her head once more. ¡°Why aren''t you just telling a servant to get Leon? He will come here without complaining, and you won''t have to go out.¡±

    Her lover was quiet upon hearing that and didn''t move for a few seconds, with his expression staying the same as well. That was enough to convince her that he wouldn''t listen to her. Theodore was as stubborn as always. When he had foolishly decided on ignoring her warnings, he wouldn''t reconsider no matter what. Especially since he had dismissed all of her objections by saying that he didn''t feel much pain.

    So, when his hand began stroking over her head, Blanche braced herself for his refusal to comply with her demands. She buried her face in his chest to hide her despair, and when he spoke up, she tensed, only to be left speechless by his response.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Blanche moved her head away from him to look up at his serious expression in absolute shock. ¡°What?¡±

    Theodore seemed to be sincere about his response. ¡°You''re right. I don''t have to leave now. I''ll send someone to fetch Leon and do the rest later. Just because it doesn''t hurt as much, I shouldn''t disregard my injury. You said that I was attacked with a sword, and I think I vaguely remember how it happened too. It''s not a dangerous injury, but if I keep reopening it, it might get infected and confine me to bed for even longer. So, I''ll listen to your thoughtful advice.¡±

    It was almost too good to be true. Blanche stared at him with widened eyes and kept silent for a while, but when he didn''t take his words back, she spoke up. ¡°Really? You will stay with me?¡± This would literally be her salvation.

    Theodore nodded and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I won''t leave your side. I will ask for a person to get Leon now, and then I''ll lie down again.¡±

    A third voice chimed in. ¡°I can inform Lord Astame.¡±

    Blanche whipped her head to the side to see Owen standing in the doorway to the neighboring room. In an instant, she remembered all of the displays of affection that she and Theodore had exchanged just now and felt how her cheeks flushed. ¡°Since when have you been there, Sir Maillont?

    Instead of the head knight, Theodore responded. ¡°He''s been standing there for a while now.¡±

    Blanche turned to him with dismay. ¡°You noticed him already? Why didn''t you say anything? Then we wouldn''t have...you know.¡± She was reluctant to say any more, but her lover had understood her intentions already.

    ¡°He doesn''t watch when he knows that we aren''t in danger. He probably came running after you tipped over the chair.¡±

    She froze at that. Hadn''t that happened while her lover''s eyes had still been closed? ¡°You were awake at that point already? So, I didn''t imagine you moving back then.¡±

    Theodore gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°I''m sorry for not responding immediately. My mind was a bit hazy, so I was convinced that I was dreaming for a moment.¡± He stroked over her cheek again before turning to Owen. ¡°Would you please tell Leon to come here this instant? He needs to bring a book and a pen as well. Or since I''ll have to write down quite a bit, two books, three pens and a few separate sheets of paper might be better. Oh, and you should maybe change your clothes before coming back.¡±

    Only now Blanche noticed that the head knight''s uniform was splattered with red spots all over. She didn''t even want to think about how many people had gotten hurt today just because of someone''s greed for power, but Owen appeared to be unaffected. He didn''t hesitate before nodding and walking out of the door.

    As soon as the head knight was gone, Theodore gazed at his lover again. He loosened her hold on him a bit so that he could sit down on the bed before pulling her onto his lap so that they were facing each other.

    At this point, Blanche had given up protesting and just paid attention not to touch the bandages around his shoulder. She looked up at him, and seeing his blinding smile made her heart skip a beat. Why was her lover so happy? She had been the one to worry the whole time and was overjoyed now that he was awake. Though she had to admit that being attacked by a group of unknown men without a chance to prepare himself had to have been traumatizing. It was logical that Theodore was glad that he had survived. To know that the fact that she had been with him when he woke up had made him this euphoric caused the concubine''s lips to form a smile.

    But that wasn''t even the only good thing.

    Theodore had promised that he wouldn''t leave for the day. This meant that he wouldn''t visit Seraphina. The main characters wouldn''t kiss, and they wouldn''t fall in love any time soon.

    This was the best Blanche could have asked for. Now she was overjoyed and couldn''t help but cling onto her lover tightly, of course without grazing his wound.

    For a while, they were quiet and just enjoyed each other''s presence before Theodore eventually spoke up again. ¡°If the banquet was yesterday, the hunting festival should be in a few weeks, right? My wound might not be healed until then.¡±

    She nodded at that. It appeared like her lover was still a bit disoriented, so she would gladly give him a small overview. ¡°Yes, the festival is in about two weeks. Though you won''t be able to participate now. Just like you said, your wound won''t be closed by then after all.¡±

    In the novel, Theodore had done so anyway but only because it was a tradition and because not hunting would reveal how badly he was hurt. Then he had been forced to endure the pain during the whole competition, which was why Seraphina had taken her time to praise him in the end.

    Theodore''s response made it clear that he intended to act similarly to his counterpart in the novel by participating despite his wound. ¡°We''ll see.¡±

    They wouldn''t.

    Blanche wouldn''t allow him to do something so reckless. If he was already attempting to run through the palace one day after the incident, it was obvious that he would try to hunt in two weeks. She would have to stop that and most likely needed the doctor''s and Leon''s help for that. The two men would be on her side, and Theodore couldn''t just ignore all of them.

    But before she could argue with him, Theodore addressed another topic. ¡°I''m still a bit drowsy, so I have trouble sorting my thoughts.¡± His smile faded. ¡°I remember you collapsing at the last ball. That did happen, right?¡±

    Blanche paused for a moment. If that was one of the first things that came to her lover''s mind despite still being affected by the medicine, he truly had to worry about that incident. She didn''t know whether to be happy about him caring so much or whether she should be concerned about him troubling himself despite being injured. In any case, she didn''t want him to think about such serious topics right now. ¡°Yes, that happened. But I''m perfectly fine now. I slept for two days, and you stayed with me during that time to feed me whenever I awoke. I was a bit weak at first, but after a couple of days, I recovered fully.¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Theodore stroked over her back while nodding to himself. ¡°We went onto many walks so that you wouldn''t be so prone to sicknesses. Then we sat in front of the fireplace and talked about...¡± He grimaced at that memory. ¡°An unpleasant person. And a few days later, the doctor came to you again because your maid wasn''t able to wake you up during a nightmare...¡± His voice trailed off, and he made eye contact as if he wanted her to confirm this story.

    So, Blanche spoke up despite not wishing to talk about her past issues now when he was the one who needed to recover. ¡°Yes, but he didn''t find any problem with my health, so he left. Since I had a few of those dreams in the last months, the doctor prescribed me some herbs that I can drink as tea in the evening. They will help me calm down so that I have fewer nightmares. In the morning after that last dream, you came after he told you and comforted me for a few hours, and the herbs arrived two days ago, so I''m fine now.¡±

    Theodore lowered his head after she finished and rested his forehead against hers. He was quiet for a moment before responding. ¡°I hope so too. But if you ever have another nightmare or something that resembles one, tell me, and I''ll run to you no matter when.¡±

    Blanche gently pinched his cheek at that. ¡°Oh, in the near future, you won''t run at all. I''m glad that you aren''t in pain, but seemingly, the doctor gave you too much of the medicine. It is supposed to make it hurt less and not numb the area completely. If you aren''t feeling anything, you will ignore the wound and just move around like you normally do. That will only hurt you more. It might be better to give you a smaller dose next time.¡±

    Theodore turned his head to look at the doorway that led to the neighboring room, where the assistants were staying. ¡°I''m pretty sure that you can tell him that directly. I heard a chair scrape on the floor, so I assume that someone finally woke up. That took him long enough. We were chatting for a while already after all.¡±

    Before she could remark that his ears definitely were better than hers, one of the assistants stepped into the doorway. He yawned and opened his eyes, only to freeze. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Immediately, the man turned around and rushed back into another room, where he loudly announced that the emperor was awake.

    Theodore groaned at that and nuzzled his nose into his lover''s neck. ¡°Great. Now they''ll create an uproar at six o''clock in the morning. They probably made every single person in the palace worry about the incident by keeping quiet about the wound not being life-threatening. I bet people are already going to gossip about what would happen after my death.¡± He let out a low chuckle. ¡°A few individuals will be disappointed to hear that it was nothing serious.¡± Before Blanche could comment that a flesh wound caused by a sword during an ambush on the emperor could not be called ¡®nothing serious¡¯, her lover continued. ¡°I hoped that the doctor would leave us alone for a bit longer, but I doubt that he will be kind enough for that. He will probably scold us for hugging already and ask me to let go.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow. ¡°Can you blame him? He would definitely be right about that. Someone tried to kill you. That was an assassination attempt on the emperor and the empress of Artias, so you shouldn''t downplay it too much.¡±

    Theodore''s expression darkened, and he muttered something to himself before giving her a slight smile. ¡°It''s actually better to emphasize the events to some extent.¡±

    A frown appeared on Blanche''s face. Surely, she wasn''t very experienced in the field of politics, but she was doubtful. ¡°Won''t that encourage others to try something like that too? This incident showed them that the royal family is vulnerable in some rare cases. Your opponent could attempt to attack you the next time that you leave the palace as well.¡±

    Her lover began smirking. ¡°As you just said, the ambush was successful, but the assassination only remained an attempt. So, everyone can know that those men didn''t defeat us despite being prepared and able to creep up on the royal guards. They had the advantage of surprise and still didn''t manage to kill any of us, and I''m pretty sure that I''m the one that got hurt the most. Admittedly, that was more because of my negligence than the enemies'' skill though. I definitely shouldn''t let down my guard like that in the future. But the public won''t hear about that. They will only find out that the carriage was attacked with no causalities on our side while all of our opponents are dead.¡±

    ¡°The knights killed all of them?¡± In hindsight, Blanche should have expected that. After all, one would have been able to get a testimony from the attackers otherwise, but the novel hadn''t mentioned that.

    Theodore nodded in response, even though he didn''t look too pleased with the topic. ¡°Yes. In case of an attack, the main priority is protecting the members of the royal family. If the enemies are keen on threatening me, they will be killed as soon as there are doubts that the knights might be able to catch them alive. It''s better to get rid of them instead of risking that one person runs away with more knowledge of our fighting style and starts another attempt. I would rather avoid further incidents like this in general though. Still, it is regrettable that we didn''t manage to arrest at least one man. Even though I already have a pretty clear picture of who is behind this, I would have liked to get a testimony.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, this leaves me with nothing to use in a trial now. We''ll still have an investigation, but I doubt that there will be a single piece of decisive evidence.¡±

    Blanche didn''t need that to guess who had paid those mercenaries either. It had to have been one of the followers of the dowager empress. The most likely suspects were Duke Vasquez or Marquess Sefare. Both of them had the political motivation to get rid of Theodore and the necessary money to convince people to accept such a dangerous mission. If they were careful enough to use multiple messengers and didn''t leave any proof behind, there was no risk for them to try something like this either. Theodore couldn''t just accuse a high-ranking noble without presenting definitive evidence, which wouldn''t be found here as the novel revealed, so his hands were tied.

    Blanche pulled her lover closer at that thought. She hated how she knew who was attempting to hurt him but was still unable to interfere. It would be so much easier if they could just get rid of anyone connected to these intrigues immediately. Though she herself was also entangled with Sefare, so thinking like that might not be best. ¡°That''s awful. I wish we could just put the people who did this on trial and prove that they-¡± She was cut off by footsteps and turned her head to see the doctor rushing into the room with his assistants.

    The doctor''s hair was messy as if he had just come out of bed, but he was already fully awake. ¡°Your Majesty! With all due respect, you can''t just sit up already. I must ask Lady Blanche to let go of him this instant. We can''t risk reopening the wound.¡±

    The concubine prepared to comply when Theodore tightened his hold around her torso. He faced the doctor and spoke up with no hesitation. ¡°No.¡± Then he looked straight at his lover. ¡°I won''t allow you to let go, so you can ignore his words.¡± He pressed a kiss onto her forehead before turning to the men, who were as irritated as Blanche.

    One of the assistants quickly began arguing. ¡°But we have to check the wound, Your Majesty!¡±

    The second one attempted to convince the emperor by explaining it as well. ¡°We have to replace the bandages and disinfect the cut again! We cannot risk you getting sick!¡±

    The doctor was just staring at the emperor with dismay before making a noise that allowed him to vent his annoyance. ¡°If that is Your Majesty''s wish, we can''t do anything about it. Still, I''ll give myself the right to repeat that it would be much safer to let us have a look at the injury for five minutes. We don''t want something to go wrong at the last moment.¡± When he finished his comment, he made eye contact with the concubine, which was enough to tell her what he hoped for.

    Blanche cupped Theodore''s cheeks with her hands and narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You can''t neglect your health like this. You barely sleep and work all the time, so an infection is the last thing you need. How is anything supposed to function in Artias when the sole ruler is confined to bed because he didn''t allow his personal doctor to examine him?¡±

    Her lover pretended to pout at that. ¡°I''m not forbidding it, I just want to do it later. We can do that in a few hours when-¡±

    Blanche was a bit louder now. ¡°Theo! In the beginning, the wound has to be disinfected multiple times, and they need to confirm whether the thread is positioned correctly.¡± She could basically feel how the doctor''s assistants judged her for speaking with the emperor in this commanding tone, but her lover''s deep breath was enough to make her ignore that.

    Theodore''s serious expression told her that she had succeeded. ¡°Will that make you feel better?¡± She nodded, so her lover loosened his grasp on her. He put on a grin again before speaking up. ¡°Alright. You''ll have to hold my hand the whole time though.¡±

    ¡°I thought you weren''t in pain.¡± For a short moment, Blanche was filled with concern, but her lover''s quiet laugh quickly wiped that away.

    Theodore lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles until it began to tingle too much, and she pulled away. ¡°I''m not in pain. I just refuse to let go of you.¡±

    She rolled her eyes at that but began smiling as well. Yet, one glance at the doctor and the assistants, who were averting their eyes in embarrassment, made her blush, and she hurried to climb off the bed. ¡°You''ll have to give me one second. I''ll pick up the chair and hold your hand again.¡± Blanche attempted to move away but was stopped after a step due to Theodore not letting go. She looked at the chair, which was a bit too far to reach from her position, and then at her lover. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    Theodore''s taunting smirk told her everything before he even opened his mouth. ¡°Yes. I just survived an assassination attempt. Be a little patient with me.¡±

    With a sigh, Blanche gave up on the chair and sat on the mattress next to him again. As long as her lover was healthy, she had no problem dealing with his jokes. If she had to hold his hand for him to allow the doctor to treat him, she didn''t mind staying at this spot for the next weeks. She interlocked their fingers and stroked her thumb over the back of his hand. ¡°Normally, you''re the one who is patient with me, so I''ll manage for a few days. I will play along with all of your requests under the condition that you accept the doctor''s advice and let him treat you whenever he asks you to.¡±

    Theodore didn''t seem convinced. ¡°Even though it''s unnecessary?¡± She turned her head to him and narrowed her eyes, which made him chuckle. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± He nodded toward the doctor. ¡°You can begin.¡±

    Immediately, the men in the white coats rushed to gather their utensils and returned to the bed. They carefully rolled up the bandage to take a look at the wound. The patient himself seemed to be calmer than everyone else in the room. He didn''t flinch once when the doctor disinfected the cut again and even asked for a hand mirror to inspect the injury properly.

    Blanche, on the other hand, felt nauseous knowing that her lover should be in agony due to the size of the wound when he didn''t seem to feel any of it. Still, she kept quiet until the doctor rearranged the thread and Theodore remained unmoved despite a needle piercing his flesh. ¡°Say, about the pain medicine. Did you perhaps give him too much? It''s good if he doesn''t feel pained, but this is a bit...¡± She turned to her lover. ¡°Do you feel anything around the injury at all?¡±

    The emperor quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, I already checked, but the area isn''t numb. I do notice the pain too, it''s just very faint.¡±

    The doctor and his assistants seemed to be speechless at that. They exchanged confused looks, and one of them even retrieved the bottle with the medicine to confirm whether they had used the right kind. After wrapping Theodore''s shoulder up again, they discussed while whispering for a moment until the doctor addressed Blanche. ¡°To be honest, we are a bit worried too. I gave him a dose of the medicine, and it was smaller than what I would usually inject an adult man since these substances tend to make you tired and we needed him to wake up. We cannot explain why he is this insensitive. Even if the sword coincidentally cut some nerves, he should be a little more affected by this.¡±

    Despite the concern that was written on everyone''s features, Theodore made a dismissive motion with his hand. ¡°I''m fine though. You can rest assured that I will say something if it gets worse. So, don''t focus on me that much. You should take a look at the knights too. Just to be certain that none of them has an injury and forgot to inform his superior. Any wounds need to be disinfected this instant.¡±

    The men were hesitant to retreat when their ruler was hurt, but after the emperor insisted on them leaving, they sent two assistants out to approach the knights.

    Theodore seemed to be content with that. ¡°Good. That should be taken care of with that. Now we just have to wait for Leon. He sure is being slow today.¡± A wide grin appeared on his lips as he turned to move his face closer to his lover''s. ¡°But in the end, that gives us more time for ourselves, doesn''t it?¡±

    That was the cue for the doctor and the remaining assistants to excuse themselves to leave the room. It was easy to see that none of them were enthusiastic about letting the usually so careful emperor stay here to cuddle with his lover, but they had no choice.

    Theodore ignored the others'' opinions quite openly. He ignored all of the doctor''s previous requests and acted like he was completely healthy as he pulled his lover close. Just when Theodore was about to press his lips onto Blanche''s again, someone knocked on the door though. He looked annoyed for a moment before settling for a short kiss and then telling the person to enter. ¡°You can come in, Leon.¡±

    It was surprising that he had figured that out based on the knock alone, but somehow, Blanche wasn''t too taken aback by the fact that her lover had guessed correctly.

 Chapter 86: Preparations For the Future

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 Chapter 87: Greed

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    had noticed that he hadn''t put the assassination attempt behind him. She needed to make sure that her lover would process this properly now. Blanche was quiet for a while before replying. ¡°In some way, he did survive a war. He was just attacked by a group of mercenaries without having a chance to prepare himself. Then he had to fight for his life despite not being very experienced with a sword. Something like that is traumatic, even if you are the emperor. He won''t forget that any time soon.¡±

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 Chapter 88: Inseparable

    Theodore seemed rather calm when he continued the story about his childhood. ¡°I told you the summary but never the details, did I? There were some people that tried to hurt me back then. They bribed servants into putting poison in my food, purposefully made me trip on the stairs and sent mercenaries on multiple occasions. After my coronation, I got attacked too, and those had been the attackers with the most skill and the best plan until now. I nearly broke my arm that day, and the only ones protecting me from certain death were Owen and Leon. The incident in the forest a few days ago, on the other hand, was rather ill-conceived. But it might have been good that it happened. We know that someone is targeting us now and can prepare the needed measurements against that.¡±

    He had said something about the current situation, but Blanche could only focus on his story about the past. Her lover had addressed that topic very slightly a while ago, but hearing more in greater detail made Blanche''s heart ache. How could anyone bear to hurt an innocent child just to grasp power that wasn''t theirs? She could imagine how much he still had to suffer because of that even now. If he claimed that an assassination attempt didn''t upset him because he had experienced worse things, his mental health had to be in terrible condition.

    ¡°That''s horrible. How...¡± She swallowed and ignored her pained throat complaining. ¡°How old were you when that began?¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°I don''t remember the first times. By the age of ten, I was already used to not trusting anyone except for my father and my nursemaid, the woman who raised me and was basically my real mother. She told me that I had already been targeted as an infant, and due to the huge amount of corrupt people in the palace back then, I can believe that. She said that people pressed pillows on my face, dropped me purposefully, left small things lying around for me to choke on and put things in my meals that are harmless to adults but dangerous to babies. It''s a wonder that I only have a few barely visible scars, but seemingly, I had a guardian angel that works really hard to make me happy. Though I have to admit that my father and my nursemaid also were the ones protecting me, she more than him since he was too blind to see his faults during his reign. But I would still like to thank my guardian angel. They brought me to you after all.¡± He conveyed that positive ending in a happy tone, which didn''t serve to make Blanche feel better in the slightest.

    Theodore had just admitted to having been through one of the most traumatic childhoods one could imagine. Why wasn''t he concerned about that at all? He shouldn''t try to change the topic like this and seemingly dismiss his own past pain by talking about it in such a careless voice.

    Blanche couldn''t simply get over that no matter how strangely unaffected he appeared to be. She opened her mouth to say anything that might help him, but she didn''t know what. There was nothing that could just undo all the terrible things he had faced before even being an adult. He was the one that had to be desperate because of that, and yet, she was the one being much more upset about it. ¡°Theo...¡± She whispered his name and extended her arms to hug him, only for him to be faster.

    Her lover pulled her over onto his lap and let her bury her head in his chest. He shushed her before he whispered into her ear. ¡°You don''t have to be sad for me. I''m safe. Now that you are here, there is nothing left that can hurt me.¡±

    Just at that moment, someone knocked on the door.

    Theodore stroked over her head and muttered something under his breath before whispering again. ¡°That''s a bit inconvenient now. That should be the steward and the head maid with our dinner. I would like to let them inside to tell them something. Is that alright with you as long as you can stay like this? They won''t see your face, and we don''t have to let go either.¡±

    Blanche sat upright to make eye contact and reluctantly loosened her hold on him. ¡°Isn''t it better if I go into the neighboring room for a moment? They won''t necessarily like to see us cuddling.¡± And she also really didn''t want to reveal that she was about to cry again.

    Theodore shrugged again. ¡°That''s a sight they should get used to. I don''t plan on acting in a way that they enjoy while they enter my chambers. Besides, they shouldn''t question anything right now. It''s only natural for us to be more clingy after being petrified by the fear of being separated. I, for my part, don''t want to stop hugging you.¡±

    At any different moment, Blanche might have refused anyway, but in her current state, his arguments sounded pretty reasonable. She didn''t want to let go either, even if it was just for a few seconds. ¡°Fine.¡± She rested her chin on his unhurt shoulder to not allow the others to see her.

    Theodore pressed a kiss onto her hair before raising his voice. ¡°You may enter.¡±

    The door was opened immediately, and two sets of footsteps echoed through the room along with the sound of a cart, similar to the one Stella was using, rolling across the ground.

    Theodore turned his head to meet the gaze of the people who had entered. ¡°Good evening to both of you.¡±

    The steward, an elderly man with a rather kind voice, replied first. ¡°Good evening, Your Majesty. We are overjoyed that you are already able to leave the bed again. The whole palace sincerely wishes you a fast and painless recovery.¡±

    Then Gloria added something. ¡°I can only agree to that. We were all relieved to hear that Your Majesty was not hurt too badly. If there is anything you need the servants to arrange, we will swiftly convey that order.¡±

    Theodore didn''t stop patting his lover once during the time that they were talking. ¡°I''m grateful for your kind words. Right now, I don''t need anything special. I will give you some orders later, but that can wait. Something else comes first.¡±

    After that, silence followed. This went on long enough to make the concubine uncomfortable as well, even though she wasn''t looking at the people at all. A few more seconds passed before Theodore gently nudged her side. Seemingly, the emperor had just been quiet until the others properly greeted his lover, which evoked a warm feeling around her heart. Blanche swallowed quickly before speaking up. ¡°I wish you a good evening too.¡±

    The steward began again. ¡°Good evening, Lady Blanche. We hope that this incident didn''t worry you too much. We were all quite shocked, so it is a great relief to see that His Majesty is better again. Now it seems to be fine, but the doctor will be here to help at any time in case that something appears strange. If you require any advice, you can call for him at all times.¡±

    Like before, Gloria was the next one to speak. ¡°Naturally, the same offer applies to all other servants as well. If there is anything that makes you feel unwell, please do not hesitate to contact us. The staff of the royal palace will do its best to fulfill all your wishes.¡±

    Blanche took a deep breath in an attempt to stabilize her voice enough so that it wouldn''t break before replying. ¡°Thank you very much. I will remember your kind words. I apologize for not turning around. I know it''s disrespectful not to greet you properly, but right now, I''m a bit...¡± She paused to find better words that didn''t include that she had been pondering about her lover''s traumatic childhood moments ago. ¡°I''m not in the best state. Being seen now would be rather inconvenient.¡±

    Gloria responded. ¡°We do not mind, Lady Blanche. We all know that this is a hard time right now. That is why we will give everything to move past this incident as fast as possible. All the servants are ready to help you at any hour of the day.¡±

    The concubine hadn''t expected so much understanding from the people who disliked her. She voiced a curt ¡°Thank you¡± before focusing on breathing in and out again.

    Theodore took over at that point. ¡°Since the two of you are here, I assume that you read the notes Leon was supposed to give you. Did you read them carefully and burn them as I instructed you?¡±

    Both of the visitors replied with a ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡± simultaneously.

    Theodore resumed without skipping a beat. ¡°Good. Then I can guarantee you that the things I wrote on that paper are extremely important, and I expect you to take care of them immediately in the case that issues arise.¡± The emperor made a short pause before continuing. ¡°Gloria, I can see that you are struggling with your orders. Voice your concerns.¡±

    Gloria hesitated for a short moment, which was rather unusual for her, before she responded. ¡°Very well, Your Majesty. I don''t question the part regarding the second person you pointed out. I had been suspecting that for a while already. However, the other person... Naturally, I won''t disobey your orders. Still, I haven''t been able to understand the reasoning behind this.¡±

    Despite this reply, Theodore didn''t change his mind. ¡°That''s why I didn''t order you to interfere for now. Keep an eye on those two people and report any suspicious action of them, or anyone else for that matter, to me. I won''t force you to act against your morals unless those people give me a reason.¡± Theodore''s voice sounded completely calm while he spoke despite having addressed a topic that even seemed problematic to the head maid, who had worked under pressure in the palace for years.

    Gloria didn''t speak up again, so it appeared like she had agreed. With that, the conversation seemed to be over.

    Theodore moved his hand, most likely to gesture to the table. ¡°If the both of you don''t have any questions, I would ask you to set the table.¡±

    It was rather unusual for such high-ranking staff members to take care of such tasks, but the visitors didn''t complain. How could they when the emperor had ordered them to? Quickly, a pleasant fragrance began filling the room, and Blanche had to remind herself why she couldn''t turn around and look at the food yet. Her mouth was watering at whatever dish just had been served. It smelt like salmon was in there as well, and that was her favorite.

    After a while of quiet clinking of porcelain against the table, the noise stopped and the two servants were dismissed.

    As soon as the door fell shut, Theodore addressed his lover. ¡°We''re alone again. You can lift your head if you want to.¡±

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    Slowly, Blanche leaned backward without letting go of her lover. His blinding smile quickly appeared in her field of view, and she couldn''t help but imitate this expression.

    That made Theodore kiss her for a short moment before he pulled her waist closer again. ¡°That''s the face I want to see. You stopped crying already. So, those two interrupting us did have an advantage.¡±

    Blanche sniffled one last time and furrowed her brows. ¡°That doesn''t make your situation better though. The short story you gave me before was bad enough, and I just heard the rest of the cruel details. How could anyone hurt you only because you were the emperor''s son? Those people are terrible, horrible, they don''t deserve-¡±

    He gently silenced her with another kiss. He only pulled back after she had already begun melting into him and cupped her reddened cheeks. ¡°That''s why I got rid of them. Anyone who attempted to harm me or targeted other innocent people has been dismissed or punished depending on the severity of their crimes. Servants that accepted bribes or voiced their dismay regarding me becoming the emperor at such a young age have been thrown out of the palace as well. I''m not as careless as my father, and I will make sure that our children won''t have to deal with even a portion of the things I had to go through.¡±

    The topic of pregnancy still brought Blanche a small amount of discomfort due to multiple reasons. Those included but weren''t limited to the questions of whether she was infertile and how having children that Theodore couldn''t introduce as heir would work out. Blanche gave her best not to show that to him though. Her lover was the person that had been hurt, so she shouldn''t expect him to console her.

    To distract herself, Blanche turned to the table and gawked at the dishes that appeared to be as delicious as ever. It didn''t take long until she had found the part of the meal that she had looked forward to the most. ¡°I knew that I smelled salmon.¡±

    Theodore grinned at that. ¡°I thought that you might be happy about that, so I made Leon go to the kitchen to request it. He accused me of forcing him to run around for my own amusement, but as long as you are smiling for me, his frustration was worth it.¡±

    She couldn''t help but beam at the way that he gazed at her. After Theodore had calmed her because of her nightmare, he had claimed that he knew that she loved him because he could see the love in her eyes. Back then, even though she never doubted that her face lit up whenever he came, she hadn''t had a clear image of how that would look in mind.

    Now, however, Blanche could be sure of how Theodore''s eyes conveyed his emotions. She couldn''t even describe it. There was some glow in his gaze that just showed how enamored he was with her, and she adored how happy he seemed to be right now. She threw her arms around him and thought that she was about to tip over the chair with that, but Theodore had balanced them out.

    Her lover pressed a few short kisses onto her cheeks before speaking up with a smirk on his lips. ¡°It seems that you will have to stay on my lap for the meal. My shoulder is hurt, so you can''t make me eat on my own, right?¡± His voice was dripping with playfulness.

    For a moment, Blanche considered teasing him a bit, but she had no desire to do anything but pamper him with affection right now. ¡°Of course. I''ll have to turn around for that though. I can''t cut off a piece for you behind my back.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Theodore kissed her forehead again, which made her giggle.

    Blanche enjoyed that fully, but she commented on it anyway. ¡°You truly can''t keep your hands off me, can you? We have always been unbearable for anyone around us, but ever since this morning, you have already used up all the kisses planned for the next week.¡± She had been joking, but her lover was more than serious.

    ¡°How could I refrain from doing that when you are right here in my arms? In my room, no one can stop me from kissing you as often as I want to, so I won''t hold back. You should get used to that.¡± That seemed like a rather pleasant thing to get used to, so Blanche didn''t mind much.

    She stood up slowly, and her lover reluctantly let her go so that she could turn around to face the table and sit down on his lap again. Immediately, his arms circled her waist, which made her worry about his injury. ¡°I won''t run away, so you don''t have to hold me that tightly. I don''t want you to strain your left arm for a while, otherwise, it won''t heal. Doesn''t moving it hurt?¡±

    Theodore lifted his left arm off her and raised it for a moment before putting it back into its original position. ¡°No, not even a little bit. Apparently, you are more concerned about that small amount of pain than I am.¡±

    Blanche would like to simply believe that it didn''t hurt, but she was far too uncertain for that. ¡°Well, apparently, the cut looked worse than it actually is. I thought that it was a pretty deep flesh wound, but it sounds like you were lucky enough to have been injured in a less sensitive area.¡±

    It really seemed like Theodore wasn''t in agony. Hiding that for a long time would be almost impossible, but he hadn''t flinched or grimaced after he had woken up at any point. Either he was a phenomenal actor, which Blanche doubted since he wouldn''t be able to dismiss his pain completely even then, or the wound truly wasn''t that bad.

    The worst option was that Theodore was simply used to such pain, which would crush her heart.

    But in the novel, he had complained about the wound occasionally like after the hunting competition, so it seemed like he would voice it when the pain got worse. At least she could depend on that.

    Blanche leaned forward slightly to grab a fork and a knife and moved two pieces of salmon onto their plate. She repeated the same with all the vegetables before starting to cut them into smaller bites. After piercing the first piece of fish onto the fork, she lifted it to Theodore''s lips while holding her other hand under the salmon to prevent anything from falling. When her lover happily began chewing, she also got herself a bite at a way faster pace. As the delicious flavor filled her mouth, she couldn''t help but close her eyes to enjoy it to the fullest. This dinner would definitely take a while.

    <hr>

    As Blanche had expected, they almost spend two hours at the table before letting servants in to take away the dirty plates. A maid brought her a tea made with the doctor''s herbs, which she quickly drank while the table was being cleaned. After that, it was already time to go to bed, and for once, she insisted on lying down immediately.

    Theodore had to get as much sleep as possible, so it was natural for her to push him into the bathroom directly after the servants left. Since Blanche had bathed already, she only needed to brush her teeth, and the rest of the time was spent helping her lover. She suspected that he enjoyed her washing his back and massaging him enough to draw it out, but she didn''t complain and only made sure that he was clean. The only spot on his torso that she left out was the part that was covered in bandages, which she avoided with great care to not hurt him and to not get dirt into his wound.

    After that, Blanche pulled her lover to the bed, made him sit down and walked around to extinguish the remaining candles. She blew out all except for the singular one on the nightstand, which now served as the sole light source of the entire room, before taking the last few steps to the bed.

    Theodore already welcomed her and pulled her down to lie next to him as he covered her with the blanket. His bent arm made her frown, but he didn''t seem too uncomfortable in that position despite his injury, so she let it be. She expected her lover to put out the candle instantly, but he just propped his head on his right hand and smiled at her.

    After a while, in which they were silent, Blanche spoke up. ¡°What is your plan for tomorrow? It sounded like you wanted to work again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will do that. I prepared a few things today and have to finalize them. But as I promised you, I won''t overdo it. Actually, I will try to take it slower in general. I can''t immediately throw away all of my work, but I''ll definitely give myself a bit more free time. Of course, I will spend that time with you.¡±

    This kind of news was wonderful. It had been long overdue for Theodore to relax a bit more and delay some of his suffocating duties.

    Blanche''s stomach began to tingle from happiness. Her lover would finally stop burying himself in his work and pay attention to his health more. At least she hoped that, even though his behavior despite his injury decreased her trust in that. ¡°That''s a good idea. Everyone was already worried that you might pass out from that much work. While I''m glad that you want to be with me more, you should also consider sleeping for longer. That would be more beneficial for your health.¡±

    ¡°I''m pretty sure that being with you is the best thing I can do for my mental health. But if you really insist...¡± Theodore leaned forward so that his face was closer to hers. ¡°We have to connect those two needs somehow. It seems like you will have to sleep in my room in that case.¡±

    Blanche glanced at his shoulder in worry, but it appeared like he still didn''t feel much pain despite his movement. Only when she was sure of that, she carefully put an arm around his neck and smiled at him. ¡°I don''t have a problem with that. You have a huge bed with more than enough space and soft blankets. And then my lover will hold me in his arms for the whole night? That sounds tempting. As long as you don''t have to rush out early.¡±

    Theodore''s face lit up with a beam that looked like he was reminiscing. ¡°I always woke you when I did that, didn''t I? If I really have to go, I''ll try to be quieter from now on.¡± He had promised that multiple times and never succeeded.

    Blanche wasn''t angry at him though. She didn''t have to wake up at a specific time and could just lay in bed longer while he had to dress in the dark without making a single noise to disturb her light sleep. It was easier for him to just get ready and tell her goodbye so that she could wish him a good morning and close her eyes after he left. ¡°You know that I don''t mind you being loud. I''m just sensitive to sounds while I''m asleep, so it''s almost impossible for someone to move without waking me up. Except for Stella, of course. She seems to have magic powers that allow her to juggle porcelain and set the table without making a single noise.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment, and a slight frown appeared on his face. ¡°Your maid, right? Do you remember her ever dropping something?¡±

    That question caught Blanche off guard. ¡°Uhm, I don''t think so? When we first met, she did drop one item, which made a big mess. I was pretty annoyed then. And I snapped at her whenever she woke me too early, so she perfected moving silently under pressure. She stopped waking me unintentionally only a few weeks after she was assigned to me. Now that I''m much kinder, we are very close, so I wouldn''t scold her for an accident anymore, but nothing like that happened in the last...¡± She paused to think about it for a moment and realized that another month had almost passed in shock. ¡°In the last four months, she didn''t drop anything either. She really is lucky.¡±

    Blanche wasn''t thinking about her maid anymore at that point. Her awakening had been almost four months ago, which meant that she had reached the end of a third of the time that had been covered by the novel. Her time was slowly but surely running out. However, her circumstances weren''t too bad right now. She still needed to carefully keep the main characters apart and make sure that Sefare wouldn''t hurt her, but that should keep her safe.

    ¡°Blanche?¡± Theodore pulled her back into reality.

    She jolted at that, and her gaze snapped to him. ¡°What? I just got lost in thoughts. What did you want to say?¡±

    Her lover gave her a questioning look but didn''t comment on her being distracted. ¡°If she does end up dropping anything, tell me.¡± Before she could voice her confusion about that statement, he was already leaning in to kiss her.

    From the spot where their lips touched, small tingles seemed to spread through Blanche''s entire body. She put her arms around his neck to pull him closer, and he gladly complied. When they separated after a while, she realized that he was above her and using his arms to hold himself up, which immediately scared her. ¡°Theo, your shoulder!¡±

    He countered her concern before she could even voice the rest. ¡°It doesn''t hurt, so it can''t be that bad.¡± He didn''t let her object but leaned down to her and pressed his lips onto the side of her neck and slowly moved down to her collarbone.

    It felt like all air slowly oozed out of her lungs as she held her breath. Blanche only managed to open her mouth when Theodore glanced at her with a look that could only mean one thing. ¡°Theo, you''re hurt.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Theodore let out a quiet groan and nuzzled his nose into her shoulder. He remained in that position for a moment, which made her nervously gaze towards his bandage. Then he lifted his head to make eye contact. ¡°I won''t be able to convince you even if I ask very nicely, right?¡±

    Blanche lifted her hand to caress his cheek and hid the conflict of anticipation and nervousness as well as she could. She wasn''t ready yet. In only a few weeks, during the vacation, she could be sure about whether she was able to change the novel''s development, and if that was the case, she could finally embrace Theodore again. But right now, the uncertainty about whether his love for her would fade and be directed to Seraphina would be too big for her to not get distracted if they got intimate. Plus, he was truly hurt, and she refused to let him do anything that could re-open his wound. ¡°I''m sorry, but I don''t want to risk it. You have been fortunate to come back with only a single cut that seems to be almost painless. However, that doesn''t mean that it can''t get worse if we overdo it. What you need now is rest.¡±

    Theodore leaned down to kiss her forehead and stroke over her hair. ¡°Don''t apologize for that. We won''t do anything you aren''t keen on doing at the moment. Besides, you''re just giving me more motivation to get better quickly.¡± He slowly moved to the side and turned around to blow out the candle. Then he lay down again.

    Even though the room was almost pitch black except for the light coming in from the slit under the door, Blanche knew that he was facing her, and his warm breath confirmed that. She was careful not to touch his upper body too much as she moved closer to him until he put his arm around her. ¡°Goodnight. I love you.¡±

    Her lover replied immediately. ¡°I love you too, more than anything else. Have sweet dreams.¡±

 Chapter 89: A Soothing Morning

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    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

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 Chapter 90: Visiting The Empress

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    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

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 Chapter 91: When It Comes To You

    The door was opened with so much force that it flew against the close next to the frame.

    Blanche whirled around to see the person that was insolent enough to break into the empress'' chambers while trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. She took a few seconds to realize that this person wasn''t standing in the doorway anymore but already was directly in front of her. She raised her head to see their face and almost forgot to breathe. ¡°Theo?¡±

    Theodore looked at her with an icy expression. Just a glimpse of that angry face was enough to remind her of a scene she''d rather forget and make her shrink in herself. But within a second, her lover''s expression neutralized. When he spoke, he didn''t accuse her of poisoning the empress nor did he threaten to throw her into a cell but instead sounded strangely calm. ¡°Thank the gods. So, you were here. I was already worried when the guards just said that you disappeared.¡± He gave that explanation as if it was fine to come in here like this while giving everyone a heart attack.

    All the other people in the room were as startled as the concubine. They sat or stood by the sofa and were frozen in place. Noah had already gripped the handle of his sword and slowly let go of it while the maids appeared like they were about to cry due to the shock.

    Even Seraphina''s usual composed facade had vanished as she looked at Theodore with wide eyes. ¡°Your Majesty? How come you...¡±

    The emperor only turned to them when she spoke up and replied quickly. ¡°I apologize for intruding. I didn''t mean to surprise you. Something important came up. We''ll take our leave then.¡± Blanche could only see his face from the side, but even with this perspective, it was obvious that he was showing them a smile that didn''t reach his eyes as he said this. He gave no time for a reaction either.

    Before the concubine or anyone else in the room could say anything else, Theodore grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the door. She was too shocked to fight against him, much like all others were too surprised to complain about his disrespectful appearance.

    Theodore shut the door behind them exaggeratedly slowly before moving on without giving Blanche a chance to process what just happened. Was he angry? He definitely seemed like he was angry. Maybe something upsetting had happened in the office, or he had received a terrible letter. But why would he act like this? Normally, he would control his fury as long as he was in public, so this didn''t make any sense. He couldn''t be angry with Blanche either, right? She hadn''t done anything special, and her lover only got mad when she truly did something stupid. The emperor led her into his own room just a few steps away before she managed to put any of her thoughts into words.

    Blanche waited until he shut the door before she finally pressed out her first thoughts. ¡°That... Theo, what was that just now? You don''t normally...act like this.¡±

    Theodore turned to her with an expression that revealed nothing but exhaustion. She hated seeing that, but in any case, it was better than his anger that made her shake even after one second. He didn''t leave her any time to react when he stepped forward to trap her between his body and the door. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He muttered to her before nuzzling his nose into her neck. He didn''t say anything after that and left her with no hint as to why he was so upset.

    That could only mean that he was feeling too awful to explain anything.

    Quickly, Blanche returned the hug and began stroking over his back. ¡°It''s alright. You just scared me for a moment. I really thought that something bad was going on before I saw you.¡± Like some royal guard coming in to accuse her of harming the empress. Blanche was relieved that this wasn''t it. ¡°What happened? This is the first time that you...stormed in like this.¡±

    Theodore moved around a bit while covering her neck in tiny kisses before replying. ¡°Politics. A whole mix of issues with the assassination attack and lacking evidence, Ocrea and the fact that I can''t find anything useful in some old documents. I don''t want to think about that now. To be honest, that just stressed me, and I searched for you. The guards couldn''t tell me where you were, and I had to ask at least a dozen people until I found out. I was a bit nervous at that point, forgot to knock, and then my hand slipped off the door handle. I didn''t mean to rush in like that. Sorry for startling you. Why were you with her?¡±

    Blanche was stunned at this for a bit. Seemingly, some rather stressful matters came together here. Of course, it was connected to the assassination attempt and Northern Ocrea. In that case, it would make sense for her lover to be so infuriated. And the first thing on Theodore''s mind upon needing comfort had been searching for her. Her heart felt warm at that thought but also clenched when she remembered how desperate he had been. She pulled him closer and hurried to answer his question despite the sudden mention of the empress. ¡°I heard that she was having nightmares ever since the attack, so I brought her some of the herbs the doctor gave me. I wanted to check whether she was fine so that I could try to sate my curiosity and distract her from the incident at the same time.¡± Possibly, more to keep her lover from needing to check than for her own entertainment.

    Theodore let out a huff at her words. ¡°Since when do you worry about her? She isn''t really in a position in which even more people have to care for her. It''s kind of you to help, but she has three maids, a new personal guard and the head maid that often visits her too. She could ask either one of them to search for the doctor, or she could make him come to her. If she was truly suffering, she would have gotten some medicine already.¡±

    Thinking like this made sense, but Seraphina''s appearance made Blanche question that. The novel had touched upon the heroine being affected by the attack, but the concubine hadn''t believed that it was this bad. The empress had looked very shaken by the recent events, so most people would agree that she had to get help. However, Seraphina was a proud person. It might be one of her biggest flaws that she didn''t wish to let others solve her problems but wanted to do everything on her own. Near the ending, she had started to rely on Theodore, but right now, she was still of the conviction that she, as the empress, had to be independent and wouldn''t accept others'' criticism. So, she might have refused to see the doctor despite being unable to sleep because of that.

    Blanche didn''t know whether the empress would even consume the herbs that she had brought, and she hoped that the other woman wouldn''t, just to avoid another poisoning accusation. But at least she could rest assured that Seraphina had the chance so that Theodore wouldn''t have to get involved. ¡°You''re right. But I believe that she might not go to anyone despite feeling terrible. She might be too...¡± She stopped to search for the right words, and her lover chimed in.

    ¡°Arrogant?¡±

    The concubine frowned at that. ¡°You think that she''s arrogant? I mean, she is confident, but I''ve never seen her as overbearing or something like that.¡± Maybe. It wasn''t like she completely denied that since there were moments in which the empress was too certain about her own stance without considering that she might be wrong. But if the emperor viewed his wife as arrogant, it would be a bit hypocritical. After all, he had pointed out that Seraphina''s confidence was one of the things he admired about her in the novel.

    Theodore pressed a short kiss onto his lover''s shoulder and responded without lifting his head. ¡°I have to admit that I sometimes feel like she thinks too highly of herself. No, actually, I don''t just feel like it. It''s a fact. Just because her family spoiled her as a child, she can''t expect anyone else to do so too.¡± His words were rather harsh, which surprised Blanche.

    ¡°Actually, she does most things by herself, doesn''t she? She isn''t that spoiled.¡± At least the empress was less dependent on others than the concubine was.

    The emperor was quiet for a moment before he spoke up. ¡°You don''t need to defend her. I''m aware of that. That wasn''t what I meant in the first place, but it''s hard to explain. I just don''t think that she is the type of person we can get along with in this situation.¡± He slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with his lover. His expression showed that his previous disdain hadn''t disappeared fully and that he was barely keeping it under control. ¡°In fact, I''m convinced that she won''t do us any good, no matter how kind you are to her.¡±

    Blanche''s heart began to beat faster at the serious look in his eyes. ¡°That almost sounds like you don''t trust her.¡± Which didn''t make any sense since Theodore was supposed to respect the heroine for her political knowledge from the very beginning.

    But his sharp response proved that this might not be the case. ¡°I don''t.¡± Theodore paused shortly before adding the other half. ¡°Not when it comes to you.¡±

    In Blanche''s head, joy and irritation fought for the rank of the strongest emotion. As long as Theodore thought like that about the empress, he wouldn''t have the desire to get closer to his wife, which was definitely a great scenario for the concubine. However, it was also strange for him to suddenly feel that way. Had Blanche changed the relationship between the main characters this much already? ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Theodore looked to the side for a short while before meeting her gaze again and responding with a slight tremble in his voice. ¡°You should know that. There were...multiple occasions on which she didn''t act fairly because you were involved. The tea party is one example. Another one is the ball. She didn''t let you speak despite seeing you stumbling around and thus is at fault for you collapsing there. And that is just the beginning of a long list. As long as I''m there to protect you, it''s fine. But if you''re alone with her, she could just lie afterward, and most people would immediately believe her story. So, I would be reassured if you avoided being alone with her.¡± The longer he spoke, the grimmer his expression became, which made his dismay even more apparent than the irritated tone of his voice.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    His words were rather easy to understand, but their meaning changed a lot.

    The things he had named had only happened because Blanche behaved differently than she would have in the original storyline. Had she truly been able to influence him this much by creating these scenarios? If that was true, didn''t that mean that her world was changing according to her actions, not only through direct but also through accidental meddling? Blanche hadn''t planned on making Theodore suspect that the empress treated his lover unfairly and hadn''t purposefully shown him anything that would make him this angry, but this development had still happened.

    This change was surprising, however, it was rather helpful as well. If Theodore was on Blanche''s side and thought that Seraphina''s judgment was clouded, he would be able to intervene if any of the novel''s situations appeared despite the concubine''s efforts to prevent them. The emperor would support her in that case, and she wouldn''t have to be scared of being condemned for something she hadn''t done, like at the tea party. He also wouldn''t wish to interact more with the heroine and would consequently not fall in love with his wife.

    Ultimately, this accidental change was perfect.

    Blanche put her arms around her lover''s neck and pulled him down to her with a wide grin. ¡°If that is your worry, I can calm you. I don''t spend time with the empress unless I absolutely have to. I don''t think that she wishes to harm me, but she is intimidating nevertheless, so I didn''t plan on meeting her privately either way. Today was an exception. I''m actually already giving my best to avoid her, and I will continue to do so.¡± When her lover didn''t speak up after a moment of silence, she added a short extra bit. ¡°I promise.¡±

    Theodore exhaled deeply when she said that and gently put his hands upon her cheeks. ¡°It''s better like this, believe me. But if something still goes wrong for some reason, you can be certain that I will step in and make sure that the result is in your favor. You won''t ever have to worry about the empress.¡± He leaned down to kiss his lover gently. His lips brushed over hers, and she carefully grasped his hair to pull him closer. He only seemed to have waited for that and deepened the kiss. With every second that passed, he became more passionate.

    Blanche seriously considered going further than this today until she unwillingly leaned against her lover''s chest. In an instant, she remembered his wound and abruptly stopped. ¡°Wait.¡± She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. ¡°We can''t move that quickly. You''ll hurt yourself.¡±

    Theodore sighed at that and pressed his nose into her hair before slowly breathing in. ¡°I shouldn''t have gotten hurt. The worst thing about this is you not allowing me to touch you. By the end of this week, I''m going to be insane. How long does a cut like this take to heal?¡±

    Blanche stroked over his hair in a halfhearted attempt to straighten it again. ¡°I don''t know, but I''m pretty sure that it depends on the concerned person. If the doctor says that the wound closed, you can move around normally again. But that won''t happen any time soon. A month might be the least amount of time that your body will take to recover. It has only been two days since you received that cut, so it''s too early to complain. You should be happy that it doesn''t hurt. Or did you have any difficulties after lunch?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing. In fact, the pain is even less noticeable than yesterday.¡± Theodore said that as if this issue wasn''t a truly worrisome matter.

    She tilted her head back to look up at him. ¡°You''re joking.¡±

    He gave her a small smile and shook his head.

    Blanche could only blink in disbelief at that. ¡°I understand that you were lucky. And maybe your shoulder is really insensitive. But this is just ridiculous. How can a flesh wound not hurt? Are you even human?¡± Was the main character so much more enduring that he had an unfair advantage against anyone else? The novel had made it seem like the emperor had been in pain though.

    Theodore chuckled quietly in response. ¡°Aren''t you the one always reminding me that I''m human when I work too much? If my plan succeeds, you won''t have to worry about that anymore though. I just have to fight with the ministers a bit first, but that still has time. I will take care of that after our vacation. Let''s plan that before anything else. Until our departure, there is only a month left, so you can begin to look forward to seeing the ocean.¡±

    Blanche''s eyes widened at that. One month? That was so close. At that point, she would be able to confirm whether she had changed the novel. If the main characters didn''t show any desire to spend their first night together, she could be sure that their romance hadn''t progressed secretly. Right now, it didn''t look like that had been the case either, so could she truly have a chance to go against the original story? Her heartbeat quickened, and she unwillingly tightened her grip on her lover.

    When he opened his mouth, she was already sure that he would do so to ask her what was wrong, so she put one of her hands on his head and guided him down to her. She pressed her lips onto his and couldn''t help but smile into the kiss.

    Theodore quickly went along with her plan and held her close enough that she was worried about his wound again.

    When they eventually separated, Blanche was still beaming and met his gaze. ¡°I can''t wait to see the ocean with you. You promised that you would teach me how to swim, you remember?¡± She felt tears pricking in her eyes, and for a change, it was out of happiness. She could really look forward to that without having to fear that her lover would abandon her without a reason. He would never hate her as long as she didn''t harm anyone he cared for, she was sure of that.

    Theodore leaned his forehead against hers and smiled back at her. ¡°Of course. And I intend to keep every promise that I gave you until now. Understand?¡±

    She nodded ecstatically and enjoyed the warmth of his hug for a moment. Quickly, it became clear that none of them wanted to let go.

    Her lover eventually turned them around so that he could look at the clock before speaking up. ¡°It''s already time for tea. That means that it''s way too late for an injured man to work. Will you spend the night here again?¡±

    The answer was more than obvious. ¡°Whenever I have the chance, I will. You know that the only reason that we don''t always sleep together is that you come late and leave early and that you used to wake me up every time.¡±

    ¡°Luckily, I have a bit more time now. And if everything goes well, it will stay like this.¡± Theodore sounded serious here, which promised something they hadn''t been able to hope for before.

    The concubine couldn''t help asking. ¡°You mentioned a plan already. Is that really going to give you more free time?¡± If so, that would be wonderful, both for his health and her desire to cling to her lover, even if this was yet another difference in comparison to the novel.

    Theodore raised his hand to his mouth and held his index finger in front of his lips. ¡°It will work. I just need some time to prepare it. For now, I can''t say anything, but it will be great.¡± He slowly let go of her after that. ¡°Since we decided that you will stay already, you can also get your clothes now so that you don''t have to run around when it''s dark. I''ll bring some documents from here to my office and put away some papers in the meantime, alright?¡±

    She nodded immediately. ¡°I will. But I won''t hurry, so you should take your time. I won''t allow you to run with your wound.¡± She skeptically narrowed her eyes at him to emphasize her statement, which made him laugh.

    ¡°Fine, you convinced me. I won''t run.¡± Theodore gave her a short kiss on the forehead before moving over to one of the cupboards and beginning to sort a few books.

    Blanche saw that he was already hurrying now and rolled her eyes before leaving the room. When she turned around to close the door, she prepared to wave, but she caught a glimpse of her lover''s expression and froze. The same cold glare from earlier had appeared on his face again, and he was just standing there and staring at the documents in his hand. She couldn''t help but take a step back, and she only snapped out of her trance when the door fell shut.

    The concubine hugged herself. This had nothing to do with the resentment Theodore had felt for her in her nightmares. Of course, his anger would always look similar since he was still the same person, but there was no need for her to be reminded of those horrible scenes. Right now, Theodore was merely upset because of some problem with his work. He wouldn''t ever hate his lover if the concubine stayed clear of the novel''s developments.

    Blanche shook her head before she turned around and approached Stella, who was sitting on one of the chairs in the hallway and almost seemed to be sleeping. If she was less tense, which she wasn''t because of her stupid tendency to overthink, she would have smiled at that. Now Blanche could barely bring herself to push down bad memories and clung to the first chance she got to distract herself. Maybe using Stella for that would be best. The concubine crept closer and leaned down in front of her maid before whispering a low ¡°Hello¡± into her ear. The servant jumped up, and Blanche barely managed to step back in time to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, even Stella''s adorable reaction didn''t get rid of her concern fully. Still, she laughed a little, just to make it seem like she wasn''t currently intimidated because of something that didn''t mean anything.

    Stella stared at her mistress with widened eyes and unwillingly raised her voice a little as she began to scold the other woman. ¡°My Lady, you can''t do something like that! I might have a heart attack. It was bad enough that His Majesty just pulled you away without any warning! I thought he was going to kill someone when he rushed into Her Majesty''s room with that look in his eyes.¡± At least others noticed that too, not like the empress'' expressions that seemed to pass by most people.

    Blanche stopped laughing and wiped away imaginary tears while ignoring the irritated stare of the guards by the emperor''s room. ¡°I was surprised as well. He didn''t want to talk about it, but apparently, there are a few issues of political nature.¡± The thought of that worsened her already dim mood again.

    Stella shook herself before repositioning the chair that she had almost knocked over. ¡°How scary. I don''t want to be his enemy.¡± Admittedly, she was right about that. Theodore''s anger was horrifying enough, but since he was the emperor and the main character of a novel, he was also sure to win. So, opposing him wouldn''t lead to a good ending for that reckless person.

    Blanche just hoped that she could stay by his side, and the same held true for her friends. ¡°Well, that''s why you work for him. We are doing the opposite of fighting against him. Anyway, I will spend the night with him again, so I would ask you to help bring my clothes here. After that, you can have some free time until tomorrow morning.¡±

    Stella crossed her arms at that and suddenly began scolding again. ¡°My Lady. I know that it''s not my place to meddle with this, however, you need to hold back. His Majesty is hurt after all. Visiting him every night might make his wound worse again.¡±

    Blanche felt her cheeks burn up at that and hastily shook her head. ¡°No, I''d never risk-¡± She cut herself off when she saw her maid grin. ¡°Ah. That was your revenge for the scare, wasn''t it?¡± She had wanted to pretend to be offended, but she couldn''t help but smile at the other woman''s cheeky smirk.

    Stella shrugged in response to her assumption. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    The concubine prepared herself to reply, but she glanced back at the door to Theodore''s room and saw that he was leaving right now. This time, her lover wasn''t furious but showed her a gorgeous smile. She waved toward him, which he returned before walking down the hallway. She turned back to her maid after he had disappeared. ¡°We should go now, or he will end up having to wait for me.¡±

    Ultimately, her guess was proven to be true. The women searched out a nightgown and a dress for the next day before going back, and seconds after Blanche had said goodbye to Stella, her lover came back.

    Blanche addressed him in a playfully accusing tone. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to hurry?¡±

    Theodore responded by pulling her into his room and embracing her to cover her face with small kisses. ¡°I didn''t run, as I had said. Other than that, we didn''t specify how fast I can go.¡±

    She rolled her eyes at that but didn''t say anything.

    After eating dinner, which was as delicious as always, they changed into their clothes for the night and lay down in bed.

 Chapter 92: Thinking Clearly For the First Time

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    even more unbelievable. Both Theodore and the empress only had one set of chambers. Surely, those were bigger than Blanche''s, but still, it would be irritating to give a guest more rooms than the household''s master and mistress. Considering the strained relationship between the emperor and Duke Duremont, piling up even more reasons for Seraphina''s father to feel like his daughter was losing power was unnecessary. It might even cause a dispute.

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    annual. That means that you can still participate the next fifty times. If that isn''t enough for you, you can also arrange another hunt at any given time. There is no need for you to exhaust yourself now. Besides, you never liked the competition since they will let you win no matter what. So, you don''t have to force yourself because of some ancient tradition.¡±

 Chapter 93: The Emperors Laws

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    really have to worry about their position is Claude Vasquez.¡±

    that rumor about you to fight back if you do decide to dismiss him.¡±

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    anyone. I''m right by your side and won''t let anyone, no matter who they are, harm or insult you. Alright?¡± The way that his eyes pierced into hers as if he was looking right into her soul made her nod immediately. Theodore began smiling softly in a manner that made her heart melt. ¡°Good. And you asked about that fake smile, right?¡±

    very annoying. In fact, I have met people who did the same. They all smiled for different reasons, but it''s infuriating nonetheless.¡± Like Evelyn, Fiona and Harris put on a polite smile to curry favor and appear friendly or submissive while having vile or selfish intentions. Or how Claude and Luciano Vasquez were grinning to intimidate the other party.

 Chapter 94: The Hunting Festival (1)

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    never smiled unless he was in the presence of the family he adored so much. Hadn''t the book mentioned that even his fianc¨¦e had only ever seen his annoyed, cold or emotionless expression too? If the mysterious author had taken their time to emphasize that, why was Allen smiling in such a situation when he was meeting the mistress of his sister''s husband? Seemingly, he was in a very good mood, or he would have glared at her already.

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 Chapter 95: The Hunting Festival (2)

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 Chapter 96: Center of Attention (1)

    ¡°Did someone offend you?¡± Theodore''s question didn''t quite allow an easy response.

    While it was true that Lucille had insulted the others, she had seemed so dejected just now. She was very young and the only daughter of the Valerian household too. If the emperor got involved because of her insolent words, that girl might end up not being able to marry and thus not having a legitimate heir to the family. Was it really necessary to risk ruining the whole household just because a person that could almost be called a child was careless once? Surely, Lucille would have to learn to behave, but being rebuked by Allen would give her enough motivation to do so.

    So, Blanche wouldn''t be too harsh with her words. She also wouldn''t lie though. ¡°The younger Lady Bellfaux apologized to me for overreacting at the tea party because of her late mother''s dress. That reminded her of her loss, and she began crying. Lord Duremont consoled her, and at that moment, Lady Valerian came. She must have misunderstood and carelessly voiced some things that are probably connected to many rumors that are circulating about me. Thus, she accidentally insulted everyone present as well as the empress and indirectly you too. As you can imagine, Lord Duremont was upset because of that, and since he is rather scary, Lady Valerian was quickly intimidated. After Lady Lamont calmed it down, we agreed to forget about this. As you can see, it was a typical day in the society of nobles, which is the main reason why I hate events like this.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment before replying. ¡°I see. Are you alright with that? Forgiving such an obvious insult too easily might result in people believing that they can be impudent as long as they apologize later.¡±

    Blanche shrugged. ¡°She is just a little girl. Ruining her chances for marriage because of this is unnecessarily harsh. At first, I was angry too, but in the end, she said nothing that I didn''t hear being whispered behind my back already. I feel bad for Lady Bellfaux though, the younger one. I think she took those words to heart and looked devastated. Luckily, her fianc¨¦ doesn''t have a reason to break off their engagement. Lord Duremonts keeps scolding her when she ignores the proper etiquette, but he was the first one to hug her when she cried.¡±

    ¡°That doesn''t make him a good fianc¨¦ though. In fact, I would say that he only proved that he is nothing but a coward again.¡± The emperor''s voice didn''t give off even a hint of amusement. He was completely serious, which irritated Blanche a bit.

    ¡°What do you mean? He seems pretty scary to me, much like his father.¡±

    Theodore frowned at that. ¡°I told you that you didn''t have to fear anyone, right? Especially not him. Lord Duremont might have an intimidating glare, but as soon as someone argues against him, he gives up to avoid conflict. If someone offended his fianc¨¦e and even hinted that he might break up with her, he should insist on punishing such behavior. Of course, only if he truly cares for her. He loved stirring up unnecessary trouble when his sister was involved, so I wonder why he was so meek today.¡±

    It was true that Allen would definitely not have let this go if Blanche had been the one to offend Seraphina. Though, that was a little different since the concubine had often provoked arguments in the past while Lucille had messed up for the first time.

    Before she could voice that, her lover already continued. ¡°I will remember this incident so that we can talk about it later in private. But enough about that for now. You look gorgeous.¡±

    Blanche''s cheeks began to heat up at his soft smile, and she quickly covered her face with her hands. ¡°Don''t say things like that when people could hear us.¡± Luckily, it seemed like no one could eavesdrop since they stood in an area that was a bit more remote, but she wouldn''t risk anything.

    Theodore didn''t seem to think about all of that in the slightest though. He didn''t even look around before replying while continuing to beam. ¡°But it''s true. I mean, it''s always true, but when I see our butterfly ornament, I can''t help but be ecstatic. Be careful that it doesn''t fall out of your hair.¡± In fact, that was one of her greatest worries today along with meeting Henry and the people plotting against the emperor.

    Blanche had to hold herself back from adjusting the ornament again as she replied. ¡°I made sure that it''s fastened tightly about four-hundred times in the last hour. Due to my request, Stella also pays attention to that.¡±

    ¡°That''s good. But wouldn''t it be better not to move around too much then? You were running around in circles the whole time. Don''t you want to sit down at the table?¡±

    Blanche''s face scrunched up before she could control herself. She quickly gave her best to neutralize her expression, but Theodore was already raising his eyebrows at her and crossing his arms. She hurried to respond in a way that would hopefully cover her dismay at that thought. ¡°Well, as you know...most of the people there are rather unpleasant, so I wanted to avoid sitting for as long as possible. It''s not like any of them will miss me anyway.¡± She already knew how her lover would react before he spoke up.

    ¡°Oh, I know that you aren''t fond of them. That''s why I offered you your own table, and you still declined. It would have been better like that, wouldn''t it?¡± Theodore gave her a patronizing smile.

    That made Blanche roll her eyes. ¡°I gave you my reasons, didn''t I? Every noble family, which I don''t have, by the way, has a little table. But the only people really using theirs for the whole time are the empress and the individuals she invites to sit with her. Everyone else takes a seat at the big table during the hunt and only returns to their tent when the victor has been announced. Taking a stroll around the venue out of curiosity is the only reason I can bring forward to protect myself from that fate. Unless someone asks me to sit with them. Then I am ruined, but I don''t think anyone here has the desire to spend time with me.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Theodore grinned at her, which made her heart skip a beat.

    She almost wanted to tell him that she loved him but looked around as she remembered where they were. This was a public event, so the emperor chatting with a baroness and no one else had already attracted unwanted attention. No one dared to stare at them, but one or two people glanced at them once in a while, which made Blanche sigh inwardly. She couldn''t even talk to her lover without revealing that they were in a relationship. Officially, they were close friends, which should be enough to justify having a conversation, but she knew that this would only fuel the rumors that she needed to prevent. So, as much as she disliked it, she couldn''t speak to Theodore for too long.

    Blanche replied in a low volume so that no nosy aristocrat could listen to them without stepping closer. ¡°I want to spend time with you too, but if you take a look around, you would see that we are already being watched by some guests here. I fear that we can''t talk right now. The hunt will begin soon too, so you should prepare.¡± She had hoped to be met with at least a little seriousness, but her lover didn''t seem to have that intention.

    Theodore lifted his hand to his chest and pressed it against the spot where his heart was before speaking up in a dramatic voice. ¡°Are you really this cruel to send me away after I told you that I wanted to stay with you? That''s mean.¡±

    Blanche scanned the people around them and purposefully met some of the spectators'' gazes so that they would look away. Then she turned back to the emperor, who was still grinning at her, and carefully stroked over her hair to make sure that it still stayed in the position that it should have. ¡°Normally, I appreciate your jokes, but you should know why I''m worried. Talking to me instead of the other guests for too long will seem odd. After the event is over, you can immediately come to me, but right now, too many eyes are directed to us. You don''t want to dismiss all of our efforts to keep this secret just for a chat that we could have later too, right? At this point, I''m sure that Duke Duremont is glaring at us already.¡±

    Theodore turned his head slightly to the side before his smile widened. ¡°He is.¡±

    Blanche cursed inwardly. Now Henry would only be even angrier, and if she wasn''t able to avoid him, he would be scarier during the confrontation later. She didn''t dare to turn around to confirm how upset he was and just stiffly kept her eyes on her lover.

    Though, Theodore didn''t seem to be half as nervous as she was nor did he notice her concern. He faced her again before giving her a bright smile. ¡°Should I wave towards him?¡±

    The blood in her veins almost froze upon imagining that. ¡°Are you insane? He would behead both you and me for that! Are you sure that the wound in your shoulder isn''t clouding your judgment?¡± She was a bit louder than she had intended to and quickly shut her mouth and looked around in a panic. Luckily, no one seemed to have heard her. Otherwise, they would be outraged about how she spoke to the emperor.

    Theodore laughed quietly but at least had the decency to hide his mouth behind his hand. ¡°That was a joke, don''t be so angry.¡± He stopped chuckling and gave her a soft smile that made his whole face light up. How could anyone be aggravated when he had this look in his eyes? He paused for a short moment, in which he just scanned her, before resuming. ¡°You don''t have to worry. I need to leave for the hunt soon. There are just two things that I have to discuss with you before I go.¡±

    Blanche nervously let her eyes roam across the guests again. By now, it seemed like some of them had lost interest in just watching two people talk, so it should be fine. ¡°Go ahead. It just shouldn''t take too long.¡±

    Theodore''s expression slowly became more serious as he began. ¡°This is still connected to the incident with Lady Valerian. I just wanted to remind you that you deserve to be respected and have the right to rebuke anyone who doesn''t seem to care for that. If people are unfriendly, you are free to reply in the same manner. You don''t have to accept someone insulting you because you pity them. No matter what, I will always support you, so you don''t have to keep quiet during fights either.¡±

    Blanche blinked at him a few times. She was both touched by that statement and a bit taken aback. Had her lover really been so blind not to see that she had stirred up countless arguments in the past? Why did he still believe in her? The last four months of behaving like a well-mannered person had apparently made him forget anything from before. Or had he truly not understood how bratty his mistress had acted and thought of her as a saint as the empress had described it?

    Even then, giving her so much leeway was risky. Since Blanche was his guest in the palace, her misdoings would also cast a bad light on him. She was pretty sure that Theodore had been a little more careful with his comments in the past too, since he was aware of how many problems she could cause. But now he had basically given her permission to ignore all social conventions and promised to protect her afterward. That wasn''t only reckless, it bordered on insanity. After all, his support by the Duremont household was already hanging by a thread because of his affair.

    Thus, while his words warmed her heart, they also made Blanche worry. ¡°Theo, do you feel strange? Are you dizzy or something like that? Or is your wound hurting?¡±

    He shook his head with a bright grin. ¡°No. I''m feeling great, and I meant every single thing I said.¡±

    She frowned at him before responding. ¡°Sometimes, I think that you hit your head on the day of the attack and that your mind is a bit hazy now.¡±

    That made Theodore laugh again. ¡°It''s something similar to that. I already told you that that incident woke me up, so my mind is more clear than ever before.¡±

    Blanche crossed her arms at that. ¡°If you say so. Still, I''m not sure whether you are capable of hunting in your current state. Are you sure that you want to take part?¡± She had been quite worried about him when he had told her about his decision to participate and still had her doubts.

    Theodore hadn''t complained about his injury once nor flinched when the doctor had touched the wound to pull out the threat. So, it was likely that he didn''t feel any pain. However, that didn''t get rid of the cut. It was still there, and reopening or infecting it could be worse than the initial injury. Though, her lover didn''t seem to care about that. He was way too confident that everything would be fine and kept repeating that every time the topic came up.

    Even now Theodore was giving her a smile, which was supposed to be calming, and responded without a sign of hesitation. ¡°It will be fine, I can guarantee you that. Actually, the competition is the second thing I wanted to talk about.¡± He made a small pause, in which his grin became more playful. ¡°What score do you think I will get?¡±

    Answering this kind of question wasn''t really fair. Blanche knew the answer because of the novel after all. The hunting competition went on for two hours, and each participant got points based on the animals they caught. Smaller and slower ones were worth one point. The bigger, faster or more aggressive an animal was, the higher their value was, with the highest one being three points. Since the forest wasn''t too rich of possible prey, the scores were typically rather low in general. Last year, Theodore had won with a score of seven, which was about the same he got every year.

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    The emperor wasn''t an exceptional hunter and usually didn''t have much motivation to exhaust himself for such a useless victory, so he was always waiting for someone to be better than he was. There were more than enough great archers among the guests after all, and they could surely win with ten points if they gave their best. However, none of them wished to offend the emperor despite his countless reminders that he wanted a fair competition and didn''t dare to get more than six points.

    Thus, Theodore wouldn''t have to overdo it this year either. It would be fine if he just got the score of the novel, which had been eight points. He would win with that despite him struggling against the pain for the entire hunt. Blanche didn''t really want him to force himself, but now that he had decided to participate, he wouldn''t back out anymore. Even though he would get Seraphina to praise him for that, the concubine couldn''t interfere.

    The thought of that was enough to make Blanche''s heart sting, and she hurried to respond to distract herself. ¡°You normally get seven points, right? But you''re hurt this year.¡± She hesitated for a moment and hid her mouth behind her hand while pretending to ponder about this. ¡°Then I would say that you will win with...eight points. But you shouldn''t risk reopening your wound just to get that. If you feel any pain, you have to stop.¡±

    Theodore continued smiling despite her repeatedly reminding him of the injury. ¡°That''s such an ambitious goal for a person with a barely functioning shoulder. I have to rely on just one of my arms, you know.¡±

    She rolled her eyes at that and couldn''t help but smile at his joyful attitude. ¡°Stop complaining. You were the one insisting on competing. Now you have to deal with me assuming that you''re able to use a bow. But like I said, if it hurts-¡±

    Her lover cut her off with a dismissive motion of his hand. ¡°It won''t, I promise.¡± His smile turned into a self-assured one. ¡°Aside from that, I can also promise you that I will get at least eight points. But you should expect me to get more than that.¡±

    Blanche crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°No, you shouldn''t overdo it. You know that. If it gets worse and you miss out on work again, Leon will kill you.¡±

    The secretary had been one of the people, along with the doctor, who had been against the emperor participating and was the most vocal one about his opinion. Leonard had made it very clear that he wouldn''t be pleased about being forced to secretly reign the country by himself for the second time this year.

    Theodore hadn''t seemed very impressed by that back then and just shrugged. Now he also wasn''t as affected by the other man''s threat as he should have been. He just let out a low chuckle. ¡°You have a point. Leon is scary when he is angry, but I''m still the emperor. What is he going to do? Refuse to take care of everything so that the economy and citizens might suffer? He is too kindhearted to do that. So, I wouldn''t worry. I won''t get sick either way. But of course, this event is going to drain my energy quite a bit.¡± He pressed his hand against his chest again and closed his eyes while continuing in an exaggerated dramatic tone. ¡°You see, an injured man like me will probably have to struggle just to walk by the end of the hunt. I don''t want to risk giving up in the middle and making my servants carry me back to the tents. For that reason, I will need something that motivates me enough to come back. Like a charm.¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that phrase. They normally used the word ¡®charm¡¯ to describe a kiss to wish the other person good luck. However, it was obvious that she couldn''t show such an intimate gesture right now. Not when everyone could see them. ¡°Do you mean when you win? I''ll gladly give you as many charms as you want when we are home.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I meant-¡± Theodore interrupted himself when his eyes locked into something in the distance. His face fell before he returned to a neutral expression. ¡°It seems that we don''t have as much time as I would have liked.¡±

    The concubine slowly turned around while trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. She immediately saw whom her lover was referring to.

    How could one not spot the empress with the most graceful but also intimidating atmosphere around her at one glance? Seraphina had left her table and was currently striding toward the couple. She appeared to have decided that the couple had chatted in public for long enough and would ask them to separate. In the process, she would probably also hand over her handkerchief to Theodore while Blanche was watching, just to remind the other woman of whom the lawful wife was.

    The concubine felt her stomach churn at that thought, and flashes of the memories from the novel appeared in her mind. She balled her hands into fists and gave her best to maintain a neutral expression. Since the main characters weren''t as close as they should be at this point, the empress might not praise her husband, and he might not blush at that, right? Even if Blanche couldn''t be sure of that, there was no way to prevent the emperor from accepting the empress'' handkerchief without causing a huge fight and attracting the spectator''s ridicule. All Blanche could do was search for Theodore later to give him her handkerchief as a present for his victory and praise him herself in hopes that he wouldn''t talk with Seraphina for too long.

    By now, Blanche''s fingernails were digging into her palm, and she forced her hands to relax to not leave any marks on her skin. She was about to turn to her lover to ask him to meet her after the hunt when the heroine stopped.

    The people that approached the empress and began a conversation with her were easy to recognize too. These were Allen and the Bellfaux sisters. Seraphina definitely wouldn''t leave her brother, his fianc¨¦e and one of her best friends after a few words, so this gave the concubine some time to talk to Theodore before they were forced to part ways.

    Blanche whipped her head around to her lover to find him staring at her, but she didn''t let the surprise about that silence her for long. ¡°I have a gift for you. You remember me telling you that, right? Would you come to me after the competition, or rather after the event is over, so that we can take our time?¡±

    A smile spread on Theodore''s lips. ¡°Of course I remember that. I was looking forward to it ever since those words left your mouth. And naturally, I''ll gladly spend time with you in the afternoon. We need to celebrate my victory together after all. However, as I just mentioned, I can barely wait for your gift. Can''t you give it to me now? Please?¡± His expression and his pleading tone made it almost impossible to refuse.

    Under different circumstances, Blanche would have definitely given in after teasing him for a moment, but there was no way that she could do that now. Her present wasn''t just a random item but a handkerchief, which played a specific role in the hunting festival. ¡°That... I can''t do that, Theo. I''m sorry, but it''s something that I cannot hand over to you during this event. I''ll show it to you as soon as we are back in the palace.¡±

    For some reason, Theodore didn''t seem to be too surprised about that. He pretended to sulk for a moment, which made her add another ¡°I''m sorry¡±. Then he spoke up with a smile. ¡°How unfortunate. In that case, you have to promise me to agree to something else.¡±

    Blanche hurriedly nodded. ¡°Of course. What is it?¡± Her lover wouldn''t ask her to do anything reckless anyway, so she didn''t need to hear it before replying.

    Theodore''s grin widened at her response before he answered the question. ¡°I would like you to give me your handkerchief.¡±

    Momentarily, the world seemed to stop around Blanche as thousands of thoughts rushed through her mind. She only voiced one of them though. ¡°I''m sorry, I think I didn''t understand you correctly. What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I''m asking you to offer your handkerchief to me.¡± Theodore continued to smile at her, as if he had just voiced an innocent request and not something that could potentially ruin his relationship with all of his political supporters.

    Giving a handkerchief to a participant of the hunt was a way to signal that you wished for that person to win. For younger girls and unmarried women, this was a male member of their family, like their father or one of their brothers. Married or engaged ladies could do that too but usually gave that little gift to their husbands and fianc¨¦s. Thus, handing over a handkerchief to a man was a sign of either kinship or a romantic relationship. Obviously, Blanche wasn''t related to the royal family or the Duremonts. She wasn''t young enough not to understand the conventions behind this tradition and just give a handkerchief to a man she liked either. So, it was clear that her reason for handing over this present was of romantic nature. Did her lover not realize that this would signal that they were a couple, especially if he accepted her gift? This hadn''t happened in the novel either, so she had no idea how awful this scene could get if she messed up.

    Slowly, Blanche felt how the blood began to flow to her cheeks. ¡°Theo, this isn''t funny. What are you saying? You know what that means.¡± She bit her lip to not carelessly add anything else and hurriedly looked around to make sure that no one stood close enough to hear them.

    Despite her obvious discomfort, Theodore didn''t seem to comprehend anything. ¡°It means that you are hoping for my victory. That''s not wrong, is it?¡±

    Blanche was about to lose her composure at that. She gave her best to stay quiet as she hissed at him. ¡°Please tell me that you are joking. You know that it means something else too. We''re not blood-related, so this is the easiest way to throw all of our efforts to keep us a secret away. This is an obvious mistake that we can''t afford to make unless you want the empress and her family to snap and turn on you. Who will secure your reign and back your decisions with their influence then? You should be more careful than me because of those risks! I used to ignore every single rule and convention of our society while you had to clean up my mess afterward. Why have we switched roles now? You keep saying things that seem like you didn''t think about it for one second. The attack didn''t damage your head, did it?¡±

    Even after her aggravated speech, Theodore was still calm. At least he had stopped smiling, but his serious expression only made her question his sanity more. ¡°I know what you mean. But how could I offend someone just by not hiding my relationship with the woman I love? I''m not insulting anyone nor do I run around while showering you with kisses. I''m not even touching you, even though I want to hug you so badly. We''re not formally announcing anything either, and even if we did, no one would have the right to complain.¡± That statement was so wrong that it physically hurt.

    ¡°Of course, it''s insulting to the empress if you have an affair, especially one with a person without a noble background! It''s bad enough that I live in the palace. But if we admit that we are in a relationship by doing something like this, it would be a disgrace to both the Duremont and the royal family. Besides, the empress is your wife, so she will give you her handkerchief. Why do you insist on taking mine? I will gladly hand it over to you when we are alone in the afternoon.¡± Blanche could barely keep herself under control, but luckily, she managed to press her lips together before anything else came out.

    Finally, Theodore seemed to be a little more serious too. He frowned slightly while responding. ¡°First of all, don''t say things like this. You aren''t an affair. You are the only woman I love. And then, you shouldn''t phrase the rest like this either. It sounds like you believe that my relationship with you is worthy of mockery in some way, which it isn''t. It should be obvious why I don''t want the empress'' handkerchief but yours. I love you, so I naturally treasure your gifts more than anything anyone else could ever give to me.¡± He said very dangerous words in public here.

    Blanche quickly looked around when he continued, but fortunately, no one had heard that statement.

    Her lover didn''t even pause though. ¡°And I need your handkerchief now because it will bring my luck for the competition. You shouldn''t worry about anything else but giving me a little present so that I''m motivated to win. If anything bad happens, which won''t be the case, it''s my fault since I asked you to hand it over, and no one can punish me. You don''t have to fear any consequences either. Who could blame someone for obeying the emperor?¡±

    Blanche clenched her jaw as her mind raced to go through her choices. She could either continue to refuse, which would probably end in her stubborn lover insisting until she gave in, or just fulfill his wish, which she couldn''t do. So, the only way out of this mess was to lie, even though she hated doing that. ¡°You see, the problem is that I didn''t make one.¡± Her voice came out stiffly, but she still gave her best. ¡°I didn''t expect you to accept mine because of the obvious consequences that would have. Naturally, I don''t have anyone else to give something to either. So, I didn''t buy a handkerchief nor did I ask my maid to choose one.¡± Announcing that, only to give him the allegedly not existing item later, wasn''t the most clever thing to do, but she had no other way.

    In the end, she knew that she wasn''t a good liar, but that Theodore raised one of his eyebrows and crossed his arms immediately after she began speaking was surprising too. He gave her a mischievous smile before replying. ¡°Ohhhh. I see. Are you sure about that? Because earlier, you mentioned that it was odd for me to want your handkerchief and discussed handing it over for so long. That made me think that you had prepared one. In fact, I would bet that you made one yourself.¡±

    His certainty made Blanche hesitate for a moment before she managed to reply with a halfhearted excuse. ¡°What makes you think that? I just misspoke.¡±

    Theodore took one step closer to her, and his smile widened as he gestured to her hands. ¡°Don''t lie to me, Blanche. During the past few days, you had so many small red points on your fingers. That could be an allergic reaction, but I would assume that these were little pricks from a needle.¡±

    Before Blanche could force herself to keep calm, she lifted her hands to look at them more closely. A few red dots were still visible, but she hadn''t expected him to notice that. When she lowered her hands, her lover''s triumphant grin greeted her. She pressed her lips into a thin line, which only caused him to chuckle before he resumed speaking.

    ¡°See? They are still there. So, either you just admit it now, or I''ll have to ask your maid.¡±

    Blanche tensed at that. She slowly turned her head to Stella, who was fiddling with her fingers and looking at the floor. It was clear that a servant couldn''t lie to the emperor, no matter what. The concubine gave up with a sigh. ¡°Alright. I made one so that I could give you a present after you won. It''s not especially pretty or well-made, but I gave my best and suffered quite a bit to finish it. I couldn''t bake in the last few days at all, you know.¡±

    ¡°I knew it. I''m sure that it will be wonderful. You just have to give it to me now so that I can tell you how great it is.¡± Theodore was an idiot right now, and the concubine almost told him so.

    In the end, she held back though. Without saying anything, Blanche walked over to her maid, who was currently carrying the handkerchief in her apron. After Stella handed the carefully folded cloth over to her, the concubine quickly hid it between her hands and looked around.

    Most women were immersed in their own conversation, and the hunt would begin in fifteen minutes, so the men were busy preparing themselves. Seemingly, the couple just standing there and talking hadn''t been very interesting as not many people observed them anymore. Except for some occasional glances, few eyes paid attention to their movements, meaning that if she managed to hand it over fast, no one would notice. Surely, Theodore would be intelligent enough to take the gift inconspicuously too.

    However, Blanche''s hopes were crushed when she turned around, only to find her lover extending his hand towards her. She narrowed her eyes at him for that and came closer. ¡°This is your last chance to gain some common sense and do this later.¡±

    The corner of Theodore''s lips only raised more at that. ¡°Trust me. I know what I''m doing now. My position won''t be swayed by a piece of cloth when even insanity couldn''t. Don''t underestimate the emperor''s power.¡±

    She let out a sigh, but instead of drawing it out more, she just laid the handkerchief onto his palm. ¡°There you go. Obviously, you won''t get a gift afterward anymore now. Just pray that no one saw us.¡±

    But Theodore didn''t get that hint either. He didn''t put the cloth away quickly like she had hoped but slowly unfolded it before spending a few seconds inspecting it.

    Blanche felt how she became nervous and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She wasn''t sure whether she was distressed because of the future issues this might evoke or because she was scared that he wouldn''t like it even though she had worked on it for so long. But at the moment that Theodore''s expression was filled with awe and a radiant beam appeared on his face, she stopped worrying completely.

    Why was her lover this wonderful? It wasn''t fair that one man could probably end a war by just smiling like that and making all the spectators fall for him. Whoever had blessed Theodore''s birth had really overdone it with his charm. It even dumbfounded a person who had lived with him for over one and a half years.

    Theodore lifted his gaze to his lover before speaking up and pulling her out of her trance. ¡°It''s beautiful. I knew that you would create something great, but this is even more incredible than I could have imagined. Even though you sewed for the first time, it''s perfect. You took some inspiration from the fan, didn''t you?¡±

    She hadn''t been able to help herself. Both the handkerchief and the accessory had the same colors, a dark blue background with golden ornaments. Since the flower decorations on the fan had been so stunning, Blanche had imitated a few of the patterns that wouldn''t be called too feminine by people who wished to insult the emperor. Though, she hadn''t believed that he would catch on within a couple of seconds. She was a little embarrassed as she nodded and gazed to the side before making eye contact again.

    Theodore was still showing her such a bright smile that her heartbeat quickened, and she had to restrain herself to not throw her arms around him as he spoke again. ¡°That means that we can have matching accessories in the future.¡±

    Even though Blanche wearing an attire that she could combine with a fan in the royal colors was rather unlikely, she didn''t deny that but just relished in his happiness. He liked her gift. So, all the hard work had paid off in the end. She couldn''t help but beam at that too.

    Until Stella coughed behind her. The concubine turned around to find her maid tilting her head to the side to give her mistress a sign.

    Blanche faced the direction that the servants had indicated and immediately sucked in a deep breath. Most people hadn''t seen them. Otherwise, a loud murmur would have already filled the venue. Two or three ladies and men showed a shocked expression at the event in front of them and would certainly gossip about this later, but none of them were the ones that had the right to cause a scene here and now.

    However, the empress had seen the couple too. And she could definitely confront her husband about exchanging a sign of a romantic relationship with another woman.

 Chapter 97: Center of Attention (2)

    Blanche already regretted giving in to Theodore''s nagging and giving him her handkerchief. Now they had a serious issue.

    Seraphina normally hid her feelings rather quickly, but this time, it was visible how she circled through the different emotions. At first, her eyes widened in shock, then her whole body tensed in anger before everything was over, and she just glared at her husband and his mistress in frustration before turning to her brother. Was she really going to ignore this? Of course, discussing with Theodore now would only draw more attention to the situation, so it might be better for her to.

    While Blanche was thankful that the heroine didn''t confront them, another problem arose.

    Seraphina stood at a spot that was both visible from the hunting podium and the grand table so that most people could see her. As soon as the empress pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her brother, the crowd was silenced. The guests looked from her to the emperor and Blanche, and most of them were probably able to figure out what happened from that alone. These new rumors were surely going to accuse the concubine of bothering Theodore until he gave in and took her handkerchief, which ultimately offended his wife.

    So, Blanche was one step closer to becoming the villainess now. It was only a little gossip in a midst of more unpleasant talk, but every bit of failure could bring her closer to her doom. Especially since the empress was fuming now. Blanche sighed at that and glanced at her lover, who had watched the empress too and now turned to her.

    Theodore gave her another smile. ¡°See? It''s not a problem.¡± It was one.

    Blanche returned the smile as well as she could. ¡°Not for you. It''s different for me. Since this is your fault, you have to protect me if people are against me now.¡± Her voice was much too uncertain for her liking, but she couldn''t prevent that. As long as the heroine and the public saw her as the villainess, only her lover could save her.

    Theodore seemed to be pretty confident that he could do that. ¡°Naturally. No one will ever harm you as long as I''m by your side.¡±

    ¡°Well, then it''s great that you have to leave to prepare for the hunt now.¡± She couldn''t help but slouch her shoulders at the thought of being alone and having to run to avoid meeting Henry so that he couldn''t lecture her.

    Theodore turned around to look at the other participants, who were already gathering by the podium, before responding. ¡°Unfortunately. I have to leave now, but that doesn''t mean that anyone can attack you. Remember what I previously said. You are free to defend yourself against anyone, no matter who they might be. In any case, I''ll be back soon and take care of the situation. Wish me good luck so that I get more than eight points.¡±

    Blanche shook her head to herself and held back a groan. ¡°You''re not supposed to over-exhaust yourself. But I still wish you good luck. Come back safely.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± With that, he turned around and walked to the other participants, only to be stopped after a few steps.

    Fiona approached the emperor with her typical gentle smile and curtsied. One glance at her posture was enough to prove what she intended to do. She was currently holding something between her hands and hiding it from view. That was definitely a handkerchief.

    Theodore didn''t seem to pay attention to that though. He turned his head toward her and showed her the same stoic expression that he mostly had in public to underline his authority. ¡°Yes, Lady Lamont? I do not mean to offend you, but I do not have much time to prepare for the competition, so please be direct.¡±

    That was a rather distant answer but all that Fiona needed to begin her act. She put on a shy smile and even blushed a bit while fluttering her eyelashes. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. It was not my intention to be impudent. I merely could not help myself and observed your interaction with Lady Blanche. Since you were generous enough to accept her handkerchief and thus proved that you do not mind non-romantic gifts, I wanted to offer you mine as well. I do not have any audacious thoughts with this, I just wish to give Your Majesty mental support so that you can be sure to win.¡±

    Blanche inwardly cursed Fiona at that. That woman was definitely trying to maneuver Theodore into a situation in which he couldn''t decline. After all, he had just taken the concubine''s handkerchief, and to prove that this gesture had nothing to do with a relationship, he would have to accept others'' ones too. If he did that, he could fight against future rumors and calm the situation before it had escalated. Consequently, it was only logical for him to grasp that opportunity to protect his bond to the Duremont family.

    However, the only reason that Blanche wasn''t boiling with anger and jealousy already was that she could read her lover better. She knew that Theodore would find a tactful way to decline. After all, he had only ever loved two women, the villainess and the heroine, and rejected any attempts by Fiona or anyone else. He had always done so respectfully and calmly, so the concubine she didn''t doubt that he would do so again.

    Thus, his reply startled her.

    Theodore gave Fiona a small smile. ¡°Thank you for your offer, Lady Lamont. However, I have to refuse. It appears that you misunderstood the part about the handkerchief''s intention. I, unfortunately, cannot accept your gift because of this. I apologize, but I have to join the hunt now.¡± Without waiting for a response, he moved on to the podium and left behind a completely confused woman. He hadn''t even given an excuse but just directly refused, which was even more amusing to watch.

    For a moment, Fiona''s mask fell, and she frowned in confusion at being rejected, which made Blanche grin gleefully. It was satisfying to see that this amazing actress noticed that her skills wouldn''t ensure that everyone played along with her plan no matter what. It wasn''t good to be happy about others'' misfortune, but since Fiona had attempted to provoke the concubine first, Blanche didn''t feel bad.

    Unfortunately, Blanche''s joy didn''t last long.

    Another person stepped in front of her, and their tall frame made it obvious that this was a man that would have no problem intimidating her.

    She didn''t even need to look up to confirm who that had to be, but she did so anyway to avoid being disrespectful.

    Henry glared down at the concubine, even though she hadn''t spoken a single word yet and looked in his direction for the first time today. For a moment, their eyes just met, and both were silent. Blanche had to force herself not to shrink in herself under his piercing gaze. After all, he had always been angry at the concubine for being scared of him and accused her of acting to gain sympathy when she began to cry. Apparently, he hadn''t ever looked in a mirror while being upset to see how terrifying he was when he threatened others.

    Even without the novel''s memories, Blanche would have been able to guess what he wanted, but with their help, she even knew the exact lines Henry would voice. At least up until the point at which the original Blanche had spotted Theodore and ran to him while crying, which had caused another argument between the two men. She didn''t have the intention of repeating that and worsening the relationship between them. Hopefully, this small sacrifice would prevent a few fights later on, but she doubted it. After all, she had just given the emperor her handkerchief and basically made fun of his wife with that. If Duke Duremont had noticed that, she could only pray for her survival.

    ¡°Lady Blanche.¡± Even Henry''s voice was laced with icy resentment. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    It took all of Blanche''s self-control not to shiver at the freezing atmosphere around them. She would have loved to spin around to run away or to pretend that she was sick to leave instantly, but she didn''t have a choice here. ¡°Good day. What do you need, Your Grace?¡±

    ¡°I would like to discuss this matter in private.¡± Of course, he did. Henry had said that in the novel as well, and the villainess had declined, which Blanche could very much understand. While being glared at like this, everyone would fear being killed and buried in the ground at the next chance the other party got.

    Even though the concubine knew that that wouldn''t happen, that she wasn''t in danger, she wasn''t keen on being alone with the man who hated her more than anyone else, one who would definitely yell at her. She would stick to the original answer but reply in a more respectful tone. After all, telling him to spit it out and inquiring why he suddenly stopped ignoring her wouldn''t raise his spirits. ¡°I do not wish to anger you, Your Grace, but I would like to kindly decline. No one is in our vicinity, so you are free to speak here without anyone listening. There should not be much that is so confidential that it requires even more privacy.¡±

    Seemingly, her polite reply annoyed Duke Duremont too. He narrowed his eyes at her before speaking up. ¡°If you do not wish to leave, then I don''t care. I merely wanted to give you the chance to converse without being observed by anyone present and revealing even more of your abhorrent behavior.¡± Again, those were the exact lines from the book.

    Instead of trying to reply like her original counterpart, Blanche just stayed quiet to avoid being interrupted by the fuming Henry.

    He was already continuing without waiting for her to voice her opinion. ¡°I have been lenient for long enough and accepted that His Majesty was blinded by you. But I won''t sit in silence while my daughter is being-¡±

    ¡°What?¡± A third voice chimed in, and Blanche stared at the person who stepped out from behind Duke Duremont with widened eyes. She definitely hadn''t expected that. The order was all wrong.

    Henry seemed to be as surprised as she was and almost jumped back when he saw the emperor standing directly next to him. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±

    Theodore was giving him the same fake smile that he had shown when Henry was in his office. ¡°Yes, Your Grace? What did you want to say about your daughter?¡±

    That hadn''t happened in the novel. In the story, the emperor had been completely immersed in his preparation for the hunt and had almost had a heart attack when Blanche ran into him with full force to cling to him. Now he had come here on his own before Henry had even been able to begin his lecture. Blanche could just stare at her lover in awe and felt how the tension around her slowly faded away. As long as Theodore was here, Duke Duremont couldn''t yell at her and had to hold back to not insult her with his words.

    The emperor met her gaze, and his smile became genuine for a second before he turned to Henry and put on his polite but also intimidating smile again. ¡°Well, Your Grace? Did you forget what you wanted to say?¡±

    Duke Duremont clenched his jaw at that but maintained his composure. ¡°No, I still remember everything very clearly. I was just taken aback by Your Majesty''s sudden appearance, that is all. Isn''t the hunt about to begin? You intended to take part, correct? Then you should prepare to set out.¡±

    Theodore made a dismissive motion with his hand. ¡°Two hours are more than enough time to shoot a few arrows, so I don''t need to hurry.¡± Then his smile faltered a bit, and he stared at Henry with a cold gaze that rivaled the duke''s. ¡°Besides, I believe that I have the right to join this conversation. You were talking about me just now, weren''t you? In the case that you wish for a serious discussion, in which all participants are able to voice their view on the situation, everyone should be present. So, that would include me and your daughter as well. It irritates me that you wished to speak with Blanche alone.¡± He left out the title again. Naturally, his lover didn''t mind, but Duke Duremont would care.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    As it was to be expected, Henry''s face only scrunched up more at this. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± His tone had a warning edge, which was somehow understandable since he was fuming but also rather audacious since he was talking to the emperor. When Theodore didn''t reply to that and just crossed his arms, Duke Duremont resumed in a tone that wasn''t any kinder. ¡°It''s only natural to address the root of a problem first. Haven''t I reminded you that I won''t ignore it when my daughter''s reputation is destroyed by your careless actions multiple times?¡±

    Theodore put one of his arms on his hip and glanced to the side while staying quiet for a moment. That would only serve to infuriate Henry, and it was obvious that both men were aware of that. Theodore demonstratively looked around before finally responding when the atmosphere had already thickened to the point that made it seem like they would begin fighting any second. ¡°I remember you putting pressure on me a few times. To quote your words from earlier, ¡®I have been lenient for long enough¡¯. After all, attempting to force the emperor to comply with your demands and threatening to withdraw your political support should he not spend his free time in a manner that you approve of is...quite insolent. Don''t you agree?¡±

    Henry gritted his teeth at that. He probably had many complaints about this event being public and not part of the emperor''s free time. He didn''t get to say any of that though.

    Theodore didn''t give him a chance to speak up and immediately continued. ¡°Though, I believe that you will disagree with me on that topic. So, I''ll give you an argument that you might understand. If you were truly worried about your daughter''s reputation, you wouldn''t seek out a confrontation in the middle of a social gathering. What do you assume will people think about a duke who intimidates a helpless baroness of less than half his age while she has no chance but to listen to his insults and baseless accusations? Since his daughter is the reason for this discussion, it might cast a bad light on her too. If you cared to look around, you could see that most of the guests are currently watching us. If you wish to discuss this matter when your family''s name isn''t on the line, it might be better to postpone this.¡±

    It was obvious that the gears in Henry''s head were turning when he let his gaze roam across the venue. Of course, he noticed that most of the aristocrats were holding their breath and gawking at the argument between the emperor and the most influential duke in the nation. His response was clear before he opened his mouth. ¡°It appears that a conversation at a later point in time is absolutely necessary. I will take my leave now, Your Majesty.¡± He glared at Blanche for another second, which was enough to make her shrink in herself, before turning around and moving toward the other end of the venue.

    As soon as he was gone, Blanche relaxed and let out a deep breath. Slowly, the chatting between the guest got louder again, and the people were focusing on their own matters again. Still, a bit of concern remained.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Theodore stepped a bit closer to his lover, and she had to restrain herself from hugging him when she saw his worried expression.

    Blanche quickly nodded. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± She would have liked to kiss him for that, but she couldn''t even talk to him properly now. After all, Theodore was still in a hurry. Blanche glanced over at the podium, on which a man was currently announcing the beginning of the hunt. ¡°I''m sorry that you''ll be late now because of this. How did you see me from over there?¡±

    ¡°Don''t apologize. The one to blame is only the person that began the fight.¡± Not really, but Theodore didn''t seem to think about that much. Her lover let out a quiet huff and shook his head before a little smile appeared on his face. ¡°Besides, I promised you that I would come to your rescue whenever you needed me, and I intend to keep that promise. So, I wouldn''t have cared even if I had been too late. But I still have more than enough time to win, so you don''t have to ponder about that.¡± His expression darkened again. ¡°I''m just glad that that man left you alone. The only problem is that I will go into the forest now, so I won''t be able to keep an eye on you anymore. If he approaches you again, I wouldn''t be able to interrupt, so it might be better for you to have a safe haven.¡± He gestured to a little tent that was close to the trees with only a few guards, who wore their navy uniforms for going out today, standing in front of it. ¡°Do you see that green tent?¡±

    She nodded, which he took as a sign to continue.

    ¡°Some decorations are being stored in there, but the odds that they will be used are close to zero. That''s why I put a little table with two chairs and some tea in there. The guards will only allow you to enter, so you can retreat into the tent if someone or just the event in general annoys you.¡±

    This was perfect. As long as no one could see Blanche, she couldn''t be accused of being impolite because she refused to sit with the other ladies. She wouldn''t have to chat with anyone or risk running into any pleasant people like Sefare or Duke Vasquez. Blanche stared at the relatively secluded area for a moment before turning back to her lover with a bright smile. ¡°You really know how to lift my mood. Thank you.¡±

    Theodore showed her a just as happy expression. ¡°That''s what I''m here for.¡± He glanced at the podium again before resuming. ¡°Though. I fear that I don''t have time to show you the tent myself. I''ll have to join the hunt now.¡±

    While she would like to speak with her lover for a little longer, it was definitely better for him to go. After all, they had already been alone together for some time, and that, along with the handkerchief, would already ruin the concubine''s hopes of not creating any new rumors. So, Blanche just bid him farewell for now. ¡°Good luck. I''m sure that you will win. Give your best, but don''t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll make sure to impress you.¡± Theodore turned around with these words and waved her goodbye after taking a few steps, which made her cringe. Why did he have to emphasize that they were close to each other today? They had already given the nobles the foundation for a year''s worth of gossip, so they should at least hold back now.

    Halfheartedly, she waved back and sank in herself while looking around to see who might have noticed. Luckily, most people focused on the competition that had begun seconds ago and the hunters that were currently mounting their horses, so Blanche could relax. Now that she was alone with Stella, no one would care as long as she stayed quiet in a secluded area of the venue while the men were doing the interesting things. So, she had time to go over the past and future events and could get an overview of the problems that she would have to face now.

    But as soon as Blanche remembered the part about Seraphina giving her handkerchief to Allen, she couldn''t concentrate on those issues anymore. Instead, a soft smile that wasn''t quite too joyful spread across her face. She was torn.

    The heroine hadn''t been the one to hand a gift over to Theodore. In fact, the empress was probably furious now and certainly wouldn''t praise her husband for winning. This meant that the scene from the novel wouldn''t happen.

    If causing a mass of rumors and ruining the concubine''s reputation kept the main characters apart, she wouldn''t mind doing this over and over again. As long as her lover wasn''t angry of course. Otherwise, clinging to him would only annoy him and make it more likely for him to spend time with Seraphina.

    However, at the same time, this action today had come at a risk. Maybe Henry didn''t know about the handkerchief yet, but when he found out, Blanche didn''t know what would happen.

    Stella''s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. ¡°What are you thinking about, My Lady?¡± The maid stepped closer to her mistress and gave her a curious look.

    Blanche forced her smile to get brighter as she tried to be positive. ¡°I just remembered how happy Theo was when I handed over the gift. He really-¡± She cut herself off as she made eye contact with yet another person that was walking in her direction.

    Unfortunately, this was even worse than before.

    Sefare had a fake smile on his lips when he approached her. As soon as he spoke to her, a baroness would be trapped in the conversation. She couldn''t just ignore a marquess after all. But Blanche didn''t have the nerves to deal with him now. She had been already been involved in two arguments in the little time that she had spent at the festival. This was enough drama for today.

    Without thinking twice, Blanche spun around on her heel and hurried toward the tent Theodore had shown her. ¡°Come, Stella.¡± Her maid was barely able to follow her, but Blanche didn''t slow down. After she had set one foot inside the tent, she could just claim to rest since she was feeling unwell, and Sefare couldn''t simply demand of her to come out or enter. She still had to walk for a few seconds before she would be safe. But as long as she didn''t hesitate, the man wouldn''t catch up to her without running, which he definitely couldn''t do in public. This meant that nothing could stop her unless someone else got involved.

    In the end, thinking like this proved to be a mistake.

    Another person stepped in front of her, and Blanche could barely come to a halt before crashing into them. ¡°Lady Lamont! Please forgive me, I didn''t expect you to suddenly appear like that.¡± The concubine scanned Fiona, who gave her a typical fake soft smile, and sighed inwardly. Meeting this woman wasn''t pleasant, but it was better than running into Claude or Luciano, who would force her to speak to Sefare.

    Fiona curtsied without letting her happy expression falter. ¡°My apologies, Lady Blanche. I didn''t mean to surprise you. I merely wanted to stop you without having to raise my voice. I feared that you would not notice me otherwise and simply pass by.¡±

    The concubine forced herself to smile at the other woman before glancing over her shoulder.

    Sefare''s expression had darkened, and he stood a few steps away from the women, probably hoping to address her as soon as Fiona left.

    Blanche hadn''t ever believed that she would be thankful that the other woman was bothering her. Now she was. In fact, she would keep the conversation going as long as possible so that Sefare couldn''t interrupt. She could just hope that the other woman wasn''t resentful because Theodore had rejected her handkerchief. ¡°Oh, no. You don''t have to apologize. I should not have moved that quickly. Is there something you wished to speak to me about?¡±

    Fiona nodded with the same angelic smile. ¡°Yes. I noticed that you were walking in circles the whole time. I thought that you might not be comfortable taking a seat at the table all alone. I know how awful it is to hear how the noble ladies gossip while you are bored and wished to spare you that fate. So, I wanted to offer you to sit with me. We could use that opportunity to have a long chat for once.¡±

    Blanche doubted that Fiona''s motives were that kindhearted. The other woman would probably trouble or provoke her in some manner that was supposed to make herself seem a good person. Naturally, the concubine wasn''t keen on that. But if the other option was facing Sefare, she was happy to accept. ¡°How considerate of you, Lady Lamont. If I don''t bother you with my presence, I would be honored to join you.¡±

    Fiona pretended to be taken aback at that. ¡°Oh my. I hadn''t expected you to agree. This is certainly a pleasant surprise. Please allow me to lead the way.¡±

    Blanche stuck to the other woman''s side after glancing at Sefare, who was glaring at her in a manner that made shivers run over her body.

    Fiona brought her to the grand table and took a seat at one of the less frequented parts. She gestured to the chair next to her. ¡°We can talk a bit here without being disturbed too much. Though, I still feel like events like this are just too loud, don''t you agree?¡±

    The concubine sat down and looked around. They were in the middle of the venue now so that everyone could see them if Fiona attempted to stir up another fight again. However, it should be fine as long as she didn''t play along. ¡°I do believe that it is quite exhausting to spend a day with this constant chattering in the background, but it can''t be helped. After all, many people are here, and all of them wish to talk. Naturally, their voices will reach the other end of the table as well. We can''t blame anyone for wishing to exchange some words with their friends, whom they might not have seen for a few weeks. By the way, now that I mentioned friends... Isn''t Lady Valerian with you? You normally spend a lot of time together.¡± Blanche had just meant to direct the conversation in a random direction to keep the other woman from addressing an unpleasant subject.

    So, she hadn''t expected Fiona to avert her eyes with a dejected expression.

    Fiona immediately covered up her initial reaction with her perfect mask of politeness, but it was too late. ¡°Naturally. Lady Valerian is my close friend, so she will come back in a few minutes so that we can use the rest of the hunt to chat. Right now, she is only discussing something with her father. As soon as she is done, she will join us without a doubt.¡± Fiona let her gaze roam across the venue before making eye contact with the concubine again. ¡°But let''s not dwell on that before she is back. There is actually something that I wish to inquire about. During this event, I noticed that His Majesty is behaving a bit strangely. As his acquaintance, who also lives in the palace, you surely must have realized that too, haven''t you?¡± That depended on what Fiona was referring to.

    Of course, Blanche had been irritated at Theodore''s carelessness in public, but she wouldn''t speak about that now. Anything related to her lover had nothing to do with the other woman, so the concubine used a typical excuse. ¡°I feel like he was rather stressed today. Organizing such an event while governing the nation must be very hard on him. After the attack two weeks ago, he had to take care of many things and was busy almost the whole time. It''s understandable that he would not be as carefree today as he might normally be.¡± This wasn''t a lie. She had just left out the fact that Theodore had worked way less since the assassination attempt.

    Fiona received a tea from her maid and slowly sipped on it before offering Blanche a cup too, which the concubine declined. Then she showed a concerned expression and stared into the distance for a moment before making eye contact again. ¡°That does sound like His Majesty is burdened by a lot at this point in time. I can''t help but worry about him, but as long as nothing bad happened, it should be fine. After all, he is the most powerful man in the nation and capable of holding himself back if he was hurting. I just feared that something...unpleasant had occurred.¡±

    Blanche almost didn''t want to ask since she was sure that this was some kind of trap. However, she was too curious not to question the other woman. Knowing how the aristocrats saw Theodore would help her later if she had to regulate her actions depending on his reputation. ¡°What made you think that?¡±

    Fiona put her hand on her cheek and tilted her head to the side while maintaining her graceful posture. ¡°Well, I couldn''t help but notice that His Majesty''s gaze was...colder than usual. I thought that he was angry at someone the whole time. Of course, that could just have been his normal expression. He always had an authoritarian aura. But today he seemed even more intimidating, if I may use that words without sounding offensive. I was sure that you had to have seen that too, but apparently, I was just a bit more observant.¡± Before Blanche could become annoyed at that veiled provocation, Fiona continued. ¡°However, that might also be the case because he changed his expression whenever he engaged in a conversation with you. I felt like he was always smiling while you talked to him. It''s great to see that you are such a great friend and a pillar that supports him, but you should not do something like this too often. Her Majesty might misunderstand.¡± Well, Seraphina actually had the right idea, so this wasn''t the issue. The emperor''s behavior was more problematic.

    Blanche recounted the moments, in which she had talked with Theodore. It was true that he had smiled more than usual during their talks, especially when she had given him the handkerchief. It should have been obvious that someone would notice the difference between his polite and his genuine smile. If people saw that he kept grinning at her, it would certainly fuel the rumors.

    Though, there was no way that Blanche could admit that she worried about that in front of Fiona. ¡°Oh, well. You know how quickly people begin to gossip. He must have been relieved upon not having to be so formal around me in contrast to when he is around other guests.¡± Only when she finished, she realized that this made it sound even worse. ¡°Naturally, I didn''t mean to say things that could be misinterpreted again. I only wished to point out that he does not need to fear forgetting any conventions or norms around me. As his acquaintance, I would not blame him for being lenient after a long stressful day.¡±

    Fiona folded her hands together and gave her a bright smile. ¡°How kind of you. His Majesty has to be glad that he got to know someone as considerate as you. It has always been known that you do not care for the proper etiquette as much as others do, which is truly a refreshment in this society. That''s such a wonderful attitude. I wish I could be as relaxed as you in that matter. However, I fear that I am too scared of any rumors that might circulate afterward. Luckily, it seems like you are a little different from me.¡±

    Blanche forced herself to keep a neutral expression. As expected, the other woman was keen on insulting her in some way, but she wouldn''t allow Fiona to provoke her. ¡°I do not find gossip pleasant either, especially if it consists of lies. Though, there isn''t much to do against that, unfortunately.¡±

    Fiona seemed surprised at that. ¡°Oh, but there is something that you could do. To prevent rumors, one must prove the accusations wrong by doing something that contradicts them. In your case, Lady Blanche, that would be marrying.¡±

    She couldn''t be serious.

 Chapter 98: A Forced Conversation (1)

    ¡°To prevent rumors, one must prove the accusations wrong by doing something that contradicts them. In your case, Lady Blanche, that would be marrying.¡±

    The concubine almost choked on air at that. ¡°What?¡± She couldn''t keep herself from grimacing. Had she heard this wrong? There was no way that Fiona would actually propose something like this. But apparently, there was.

    Fiona lifted her hands and showed her palms to Blanche. ¡°I did not mean to offend you with that. I merely voiced what would bring those rumors about His Majesty and you to an end. Naturally, the best option would be you having a lover and getting engaged and married to that man.¡±

    Blanche bit her tongue to not remind Fiona that she was in a happy relationship with Theodore in a harsh tone. There was no way that she could just blurt this out. Not when that would be the ultimate proof for the emperor''s affair. So, she gave her best to stay calm and just frowned at the other woman. ¡°I know that you did not have any ill intentions. Still, I would like to ask you not to voice such things. There is no man close to me at this point in time, and I doubt that that will change anytime soon. I don''t have the desire to get married to a stranger nor do I have the background or wealth that would make anyone interested in me. So, that is plainly impossible.¡±

    Fiona widened her eyes and put her finger against her lips as if she was pondering. ¡°Oh no, Lady Blanche. There would be plenty of men that would be interested in you if you gave them the chance to speak with you. You are a beautiful young lady, so they would be honored to just be allowed to kiss your hand and fall for you immediately. You shouldn''t deny that you will marry in the future just because you haven''t met the right person. After all, you are at a marriageable age. You can''t just stay in the palace forever. At some point, His Majesty''s hospitality and his will to pay for your expenses and to deal with rumors that could ruin his marriage will come to an end. You do not want to wait too long and die on your own, correct?¡±

    Blanche was about to stand up and walk away to hide in the tent but then remembered why she had decided to sit with Fiona at all. Sefare was waiting for her, and while the duke''s daughter wasn''t pleasant, she wasn''t a threat like him. The concubine refrained from glaring at the other woman and shrugged. ¡°I would rather die alone than be trapped in a loveless arranged marriage with my only purpose being producing heirs. Besides, you are only slightly younger than me, and you do not have a fianc¨¦ either, correct? In fact, it seems like many young men and women aren''t engaged at this point.¡± Normally, many marriages were arranged before the children''s coming of age when they were sixteen years old. So, it was rather unusual for so many people in Blanche''s age not to be engaged. Her frown deepened at that. ¡°Now that I mention it, it is odd, isn''t it?¡±

    Fiona nodded at her before drinking some of her tea. ¡°Unfortunately, the political tension makes it hard for aristocratic households in the capital to establish bonds to other families. There are those who support His Majesty, then some do not support him so much, and others are neutral. Some are even in between these categories. The households in those factions, especially the most influential ones, tend to favor forming relationships with sympathizers, which would reduce the number of marriageable candidates by a lot. Thus, there are quite a few young people, including me, who have not found the right person. I believe that it is our responsibility to make ties that link our families with others though, which means that-¡± She cut herself off before she could say anything else that might have revealed more of her view on the situation. Instead of continuing her act, Fiona''s mask seemed to fall, and she stared at the person that was taking a seat on the side of the table across from them with both worry and disbelief. ¡°Lucille...¡±

    The concubine turned her head too to see the girl sitting there with her head hanging low.

    Lucille took a moment before she looked up and greeted the two women in a quiet and shaky voice before immediately averting her eyes again.

    Fiona clenched her fists before she covered up her expression of rage and began chatting about random lighthearted topics. That sudden change was so confusing that the concubine was dumbfounded for a while. What had infuriated Fiona this much? Had she been angry at Lucille for coming here unannounced? That seemed unlikely since they were friends. Or did Fiona just use the girl for her goals? Even then she shouldn''t be this angry at Lucille for sitting down across from her.

    Blanche''s gaze wandered to the other girl, who was still keeping her eyes on the table in front of her and didn''t dare to raise her head. It seemed like Lucille was also trembling a bit, which caught the concubine off guard. What had intimidated the girl like that? Had Allen pulled her to the side to scold her? Probably not. After all, he took part in the competition and didn''t have much time to do something like this now. Blanche couldn''t have scared Lucille either as she hadn''t done anything except for sitting here and listening to Fiona ramble. So, she kept watching to find out.

    Lucille had just received a cup of chamomile tea from her friend''s maid and was quickly drinking it. One couldn''t see much of her face since the girl often lowered her head. But when the sunlight managed to shine onto her skin, only one thing seemed odd. One of her cheeks was slightly lighter than the other one. This seemed like she had put on powder in a hurry and forgotten to spread it across her skin. Though, only powdering one cheek was strange as well. The only time that people might do something like this was if they had to cover up some pimple, but Lucille hadn''t worn any powder before.

    Blanche could only come up with one other reason that someone might cover a spot while the rest of the face was left alone. Clark had done that to hide his reddened nose. Had Lucille somehow hurt herself too? Before the concubine could think about this for longer, a male voice sounded next to her.

    ¡°What a wonderful day it is. This is the perfect weather for a hunting festival, isn''t it? It''s a pleasure to meet you here, Lady Lamont, Lady Valerian, Lady Blanche.¡± That person was easy to recognize just by listening to them speak, and she wished that she hadn''t been able to do that.

    Blanche turned around stiffly and faced Luciano, who was giving her his wide carefree grin, his eyes being glued onto her even while he was addressing the other women. She waited until the other two had greeted him before speaking up. ¡°Lord Vasquez, how are you?¡± She didn''t doubt that her tone sounded just as unmotivated as she was right now.

    Luciano just seemed to find that amusing. ¡°It almost appears like someone is bored. If that is the case, would you mind me abducting you for a second?¡±

    Of course, Blanche did. Her conversation with Sefare should have made it more than obvious that she didn''t wish any contact with him or the whole Vasquez family. ¡°My apologies, but I''m currently in the middle of-¡±

    Before she could finish her sentence, Luciano grabbed her hand and bowed down to hint a kiss on the backside of her hand. While doing that, he looked up at her with a mischievous smile, which made her heart flutter. ¡°Please? An old friend really wants to meet you.¡± That was never a good sign, and that he already touched her just made this worse. He would probably make most ladies fawn over him with gestures like that, but she wasn''t impressed.

    Blanche was actually scared of what could follow now. She didn''t need to speak to this man when all she had said should make her stance clear. ¡°No, I really don''t-¡± She didn''t get to finish.

    Fiona chimed in without a warning and used a much too cheerful tone. ¡°Oh my, Lady Blanche. This matches with the topic that we talked about earlier, doesn''t it?¡±

    Blanche turned her head around to glare at her. But since Luciano still hadn''t let go of her hand, which made her increasingly nervous, it was probably more of an imploring gaze.

    Fiona''s smile didn''t falter as if she wasn''t watching the other woman being led to her certain demise. She didn''t care at all. At least it seemed like this before she spoke up. ¡°Lord Vasquez, it''s a surprise to see that you are here. Aren''t you participating in the competition?¡±

    Luciano slowly let go of Blanche and raised his hands in a rejecting gesture. ¡°Oh, no. I''m not very fond of aggressive activities like that. I favor busying myself with more sophisticated things like managing a business. Though, I have to admit that it is fun to watch the hunters enjoying themselves.¡±

    Fiona nodded at him. ¡°What a coincidence. My opinion is the exact same. While I would like to elaborate on that, Lady Blanche and I, as she wished to say just now, are currently speaking about an important subject. Would you mind being patient for one minute so that we can finish our discussion?¡±

    Luciano didn''t fail to respond with a just as confident tone. ¡°Naturally. I didn''t mean to interrupt. I will give you some privacy so that you can finish. Don''t forget me in the meantime, Lady Blanche.¡±

    The concubine ignored that and watched him when he turned around and walked away to wait a few steps away from them.

    Immediately, Fiona moved a bit closer to Blanche before speaking up in a surprisingly serious tone but without letting her smile drop. ¡°You can''t refuse. The difference in your ranks is too great for that, and you don''t need gossip about you avoiding the second duke''s family unless you want rumors about His Majesty hating them. Go with him but insist on staying where people can see you because of gossip that might surface if you are alone. If he argues back, you can at least make him accept that your maid will remain by your side. Stay calm and smile as much as possible. If you show that you are scared, people will allow themselves to cross the line without much thought. Listen for a few minutes until you find out what he wants and pretend to feel dizzy then. Just say that you are still sick from the ball and stumble around a bit. Then speak to a servant so that they can bring you to a place where you can rest and remind them that you want to come here. No one can hurt you with all those guards around. Remember that.¡±

    Blanche was rendered speechless by this sudden list of tips and could just stare in return. She didn''t manage to press out a single word before it was over.

    Fiona leaned against her backrest again and sipped on her tea before adding the rest. ¡°And that is the story of how I met my cousin for the first time. He is a rather brazen little boy, isn''t he? Luckily, he didn''t make an appearance at a ball in the capital yet, or he would have destroyed our family''s reputation.¡±

    Blanche stared at her in disbelief until Fiona spread two fingers over her lips to signal her to smile. The concubine did her best to do that, but it was rather hard when her distress upon being forced to meet with one of her greatest enemies mixed with her irritation about the other woman''s wish to help her. Before she could say anything though, she felt how someone''s stare was piercing her back. She turned around to make eye contact with Luciano, who was watching her in a manner that gave her a chill to the bone.

    Unfortunately, Fiona was right. Declining the offer of a duke''s son as a baroness was almost impossible without a good reason. Saying that she was sick would be fine, but doing so just a second after Luciano had shown up might be a much too obvious lie. Besides, people would just see Blanche rejecting him from afar and then might assume that the emperor''s relationship with the Vasquez family had worsened so much that the people of both sides didn''t want to interact even in public anymore.

    So, Blanche was forced to play along with his games, much like she had been at the ball already. She muttered a small ¡°Thank you¡± to Fiona before raising to her feet as slowly as possible and walking over to Luciano while trying to steady her shaky legs.

    Luciano met her halfway so that she had to face him earlier than she had wanted to. That he was looking down at her was enough to make her feel even smaller than she was. He didn''t even give her a second before beginning to talk. ¡°Lady Blanche, I''m glad that you managed to sacrifice some of your valuable time. We haven''t met each other since the ball. It was quite a surprise to see you suddenly collapsing, and I couldn''t help but blame myself. After all, you tried to decline my offer to dance, but I insisted on you joining me even though you were sick. Was it very serious? And have you recovered fully by now?¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Blanche didn''t like how polite he sounded. That was usually an indication that she wouldn''t enjoy what would follow. At least they were currently being surrounded by servants carrying some rather big chests around. He couldn''t hurt her around all of those spectators. If he did, she could easily use that to ruin his family''s reputation, so she doubted that he would be so stupid. Still, that didn''t serve to calm her much. She let out a nervous chuckle and averted her eyes when his piercing stare got too much. ¡°I''m perfectly healthy, if still a bit dizzy, which is why I will not be able to stay for long either. Thank you for your concern, Lord Vasquez. You don''t need to worry as I am the one to blame for attending despite being ill.¡±

    In contrast to her, Luciano didn''t have any trouble remaining tranquil while ignoring her hint at being unwell. He linked their arms before she could do anything about it and began escorting her across the glade. ¡°I see. That''s a relief. Though, I already expected as much. You have always been a beautiful woman, but today you seem to glow even more.¡± He stopped smiling to put on an exaggerated expression of regret. ¡°Still, I can''t deny that I influenced your health negatively on that day. So, I would like to make it up to you. Please allow me to invite you to my family''s tent so that we can enjoy a relaxing cup of together there.¡± No way.

    Blanche definitely wouldn''t do that. She tried her best to stick to Fiona''s advice and keep her expression from showing her uncertainty, but she doubted that she was succeeding. She attempted to make him let go of her arm, but he didn''t give in, so she couldn''t continue to struggle. If she moved even more, people would notice that something was wrong, and she didn''t have to think twice to know that Luciano would manage to blame her for that in some way.

    So, the concubine tried it in a different way. ¡°Naturally, I do not mean to offend you, however, I will have to politely decline. After all, we are still a man and a woman. Thus, we cannot be alone together without causing unnecessary gossip that might ruin your chances for marriage later. For that reason, you should also let go of me.¡± She hadn''t ever thought she would use that stupid norm to her advantage, but as long as it protected her, she didn''t care about how ridiculous it was.

    However, Luciano didn''t give up that quickly. He maneuvered her through a group of servants so that she wouldn''t collide with anyone before moving forward again. ¡°I would never demand you to risk your reputation for me. It''s completely normal for a man to escort a close friend when he leads her somewhere. Within our tent, there are enough servants that will stay with us the whole time, and the entrance will stay open as well.¡± His polite smile returned. ¡°Besides, you didn''t mind sitting alone with me in the carriage when I brought you home after you were carelessly running around in the capital. So, you have no reason to refuse now.¡± She did.

    Just being with him was enough of a reason to wish to run away. But Blanche couldn''t do that without causing an uproar since she would be offending a duke''s son and behaving inappropriately at an event. She even doubted that she would be strong enough to wrench her arm out of his grip. The only thing she could do was make him stop acting like her friend and get him to spit out the truth. She looked to the sides, but aside from some occasional glances, there was no one watching them. They were a few steps away from other guests, so she could quietly speak without being heard.

    Blanche took a deep breath before she began. ¡°With all due respect, I attempted to decline your offer back in the city too, but you kept insisting. Regarding your family''s tent, I highly doubt that there would be many others inside with us. After all, you surely have to discuss a confidential matter with me, right? Otherwise, you would have spoken to me in front of Lady Lamont and Lady Valerian. I can imagine what this is about, so I would appreciate it if you were honest. This pretense of being worried about me won''t do anything but use up time unnecessarily.¡±

    Luciano acted like he was hurt by those words, but his arrogance remained, which only made it even more obvious how superior he thought himself to be. ¡°I''m wounded by the fact that Lady Blanche thinks about me like that. I am your friend. I told you that already, right? So, it''s only natural for me to care about you and your health. But if you insist on not coming to our tent, we can talk somewhere else as well. We''ll just go to a location that is a little more secluded.¡±

    She didn''t trust that either. She couldn''t be sure whether he only wished to speak in private about Sefare''s intrigues or whether he intended to use this opportunity to get rid of her. In both cases, more so in the second, she didn''t have the desire to be cornered with no one to help her. In fact, they had already reached a spot that was too far away from most of the guests for her liking, even if it was just a few steps away. Luciano had led her behind the tents in which the servants were storing the food and drinks for later. She could only see the rest of the nobles through the few gaps between the tents.

    Blanche slowly began to panic and tried to argue. ¡°The problem of us being alone and causing rumors isn''t solved with that. In the end, I would also argue that there isn''t much to talk about. I told Sefare what was on my mind multiple times. It''s his fault for not acknowledging that my decision was final. I was rather clear about not wishing for any further contact with him or you, so I don''t know what you wish to achieve with this conversation. I won''t come with you, and I would like to ask you to let go of me. I''ll yell if you don''t stop.¡±

    Luciano sighed. ¡°Well, then I have no choice but to leave you alone.¡± He let go of her arm.

    She took a few steps back and blinked in confusion. Could it really be this easy? Had she been able to make him understand that she wouldn''t change her mind? After he had been so demanding before? She doubted it. ¡°Really?¡± Her voice was laced with skepticism, and seemingly, this had been justified.

    In an instant, Luciano''s smile dropped. ¡°No. Do you think this is a game?¡± His expression turned cold, and he stared at her with a freezing glare that rivaled the empress''. Why did the author have to give anyone the ability to intimidate the villainess, who was supposed to be the main antagonist, with one look? It was just ridiculous at this point.

    Blanche took one step backward, only for the man to return to his neutral expression again.

    ¡°Oh, I''m sorry. Did I scare you? Hopefully not. I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself if I did. Still, there is no way that you can just leave now. But you didn''t truly think that I would allow that in the first place, did you? We''ll have a little conversation with Sefare now. He will come to our meeting point soon, so you will have to be patient until then. For now, just don''t cause a scene and follow me. No one will hurt you. This palace is flooded with guards, and there are countless possible witnesses in audible reach after all. Surely, you can see the many people around us. Do you think anyone would try something strange here? It would be a loss for us no matter what happens.¡±

    Blanche clenched her teeth as she imagined all the responses she could give to that. The most logical thing was to run away, but that would mean that the other party would still have the desire to speak to her. After all, Sefare hadn''t believed her last time. She had to make it clear that she wouldn''t help them from now on. Only if they understood that, she would be able to distance herself from their intrigues. Luciano had been right about not having a chance to harm her with all the other people being present. If something did happen, Sefare and Luciano would be arrested immediately, so they surely wouldn''t take the risk. Shouldn''t she use this opportunity then? After all, she might not be in a safe environment next time. She took a deep breath before responding. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Luciano''s smile returned at that. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± He stepped closer and raised his hand to offer her his arm again, as if his general behavior wasn''t creepy enough.

    She backed away just before he could touch her and glared at him. ¡°But I don''t trust you in the slightest. I just want to end this once and for all. We''ll stay close to the venue, and Stella will come with us. She can stay out of earshot, but she should still be able to see me from afar.¡±

    Luciano raised his eyebrow at that. ¡°Your maid? The one we lost in the crowd?¡±

    Panic shot through Blanche''s veins as she whipped her head to the side and spun around, only to find Stella standing a few steps behind her with a concerned frown. Immediately, her fear turned into anger, and she turned around to voice some rather harsh words. But as soon she was met face to face with Luciano, she forgot that and stumbled back instead.

    Luciano, who had definitely stepped closer to scare her, almost seemed to find that funny. ¡°I apologize for that.¡± He snorted again and pretended to wipe tears of amusement from the corners of his eyes. ¡°I couldn''t help scaring you when you look like this. Really... I don''t know why you distrust me that much in public. We are friends, right?¡±

    ¡°We''re not.¡± Blanche pressed out her reply between her teeth and balled her fists to keep herself from saying anything worse that might upset him.

    Luciano lowered his gaze to the floor in a pretense of being hurt. ¡°Oh. How mean of you. I was the one who volunteered to accompany Sefare because I know that he and my father would be less kind to you. So, I thought that you would be thankful or at least a little happy to see me. Well, then. I guess I can''t do anything for now. We''ll see how much you like me when Sefare is standing in front of you. Would you grant me the honor?¡± He extended his arm towards her.

    Naturally, Blanche wasn''t comfortable with the thought of having to link arms with him again. ¡°I can walk by myself.¡± She looked over her shoulder to scan the venue next to them.

    ¡°Someone is feisty today. Reminds me of myself when I was younger. Just be careful in front of the others with that. They don''t like people who talk back very much.¡± Luciano dropped his arm. ¡°Very well. Then let us move so that we won''t make Sefare wait.¡± He turned around and began walking around the venue but luckily without moving away from it.

    Blanche stayed a few steps behind him and glanced at the knights that were positioned in the vicinity again. She was definitely in their field of view. If anything did happen, she would just have to yell one word, and they would circle the responsible ones.

    After a couple of seconds, Stella caught up with her and leaned closer to her mistress to whisper. ¡°My Lady, this is suspicious.¡±

    The concubine held back a sigh. ¡°I know. But I have to take care of this matter now, or it will continue to haunt me. If I don''t resolve this and make Sefare understand, it might ruin my life later.¡± She furrowed her brows slightly while adding the rest. ¡°If they try anything, I can call a guard and use this as a reason to never speak to them again. So, it''s better to do it now.¡± Even if she hoped that it wouldn''t go that far. Either way, she wanted a protective measure, which was why she quickly turned to Stella again. ¡°They won''t want you to listen and I don''t want to risk you being a target, so I''d like you to step aside now.¡± She gestured toward the closest tent. ¡°Go there and then walk alongside us with some distance. You won''t be able to hear me then, but if I lift my hand high up, I need you to ask one of the guards for help. Alright?¡±

    Stella''s expression already told her what she thought about that. ¡°My Lady, what-¡±

    Blanche couldn''t argue now. ¡°It''ll be fine. Just do it.¡± She managed to say that just in time before she was interrupted.

    Luciano looked over his shoulder and gave Blanche a smile, which silenced her. To her dismay, he slowed his pace until he was walking next to her. He looked like he was about to say something, but she had no desire to let him address some weird topic.

    So, Blanche quickly spoke up first and picked the first subject that came to her mind. ¡°I heard that you fought with Her Majesty at the last ball.¡± She hoped that this would give her maid enough time to position herself correctly.

    Luciano''s expression didn''t change at all upon hearing that. ¡°I did.¡± For someone who was awfully chatty most of the time, he was rather quiet now, which only made her curious.

    ¡°What was it about?¡±

    He glanced at her for a few seconds before looking in the direction of their destination again. ¡°Let''s just say that I miscalculated. I expected her to react a bit differently.¡± He paused for a short moment. ¡°But I have to admit that this is also fun. Despite her stoic facade, she is easy to provoke whenever you are involved. She seems very insecure about her position. I could talk about that even longer, but it seems like we reached Sefare.¡±

    Blanche''s gaze flickered to Stella, who had managed to reach a tent that was maybe about thirty steps away. It wasn''t far, and she could definitely get help from there. Perfect. Blanche quickly looked back to hide that, and her eyes wandered to the meadow in front of them.

    Indeed, Sefare was standing there. He was staring into the forest before turning to them when they approached him. He was frowning, which posed a stark contrast to Luciano''s polite expression. ¡°Lady Blanche. Seemingly, your manners have returned. I thought that you might run away again.¡± He had nerves to say that.

    Blanche crossed her arms and stopped a few steps away from him. ¡°After your threat last time, I think my caution is logical. To be honest, I thought that there wasn''t anything that we would still have to discuss. I made my stance very clear, didn''t I? But I''m here now. What do you want?¡±

    Luciano put a hand on her shoulder to push her a bit closer to Sefare, which made her take a step to the side to avoid him. That didn''t cause him to get angry though. He just stayed calm and confident like before. ¡°Don''t be so hostile. We are trying to have a civilized conversation, so it''s crucial to listen to each other before being so upset. I promise that all so-called threats from Sefare were just misunderstandings. He would never harm you. We are all on the same side, remember?¡±

    Blanche let out a snort at that. ¡°I thought this was exactly why you wanted to meet me. I''m not on your side, and I never was. You lied to me in the beginning, and I was naive enough to believe you because you had saved my life.¡± She pointed at Sefare while trying to suppress the anger that welled up inside at the thought of him possibly letting her family die on purpose. ¡°Now that I found out what your real goal is, I won''t do a single thing for you anymore.¡±

    Sefare glared at her. ¡°It seems that you are truly serious about this. Are you really going to ignore my warning?¡±

    The concubine''s response to that was clear. ¡°The one that allegedly wasn''t a threat? Yes. I will have to ignore that. I know your real goal, and I believe that I made it clear that I wouldn''t stand by while you hurt Theodore.¡±

    Luciano chimed in at that. ¡°It''s a bit harsh to accuse my family of attempting to harm His Majesty. After all, he is not only the esteemed ruler of this country but also my cousin. You see, my mother is-¡±

    Blanche cut him off. ¡°I know. I am very much aware that the Duchess of Vasquez is the dowager empress'' sister. But that doesn''t mean that you''ll support Theo but rather his mother. She happens to favor her second son, the one you are much closer to as well, and by putting him on the throne, you hope to gain power. After all, your parents are quite resentful for only being the second most influential dukedom in Artias, even though you are related to the dowager empress.¡±

    Luciano''s polite facade still didn''t fade. He just turned to Sefare and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°So, she really does know most things about our family. Though, there is one thing that she fundamentally misunderstood.¡± He eyed Blanche without turning to her, a neutral expression that made it seem like he was voicing facts on his face. ¡°We have no intention of risking our prosperity and power for a vague promise of gaining influence. Do you know how hard killing the emperor would be? It would be so dangerous that the second-ranking family would definitely not be desperate enough to try that. We have little to win and everything to lose. That would be a bad deal, wouldn''t it?¡±

    If Blanche hadn''t been aware of the novel, she would have doubted her own judgment at his convincing argument, but now she didn''t hesitate for a single second.

 Chapter 99: A Forced Conversation (2)

    Blanche was already fed up with her enemies'' lies, but she didn''t bother stopping them. She couldn''t help looking around to determine whether the royal guards were still close and was relieved to see Stella cautiously watching her. Only when she was sure that she was secured, did she focus on the conversation with Luciano and Sefare again, even though she knew that it was pointless when they kept lying.

    Even though Blanche''s expression didn''t budge, Luciano just continued without a pause. ¡°Like I said, my family is the second-ranking one in Artias. We couldn''t risk our position to go up one spot. It is true that more power is always good, but we wanted to do that in a subtle, legal way that won''t harm His Majesty. So, all of your worries are completely useless. Our true goal is making you the empress so that you can help us out in return.¡± While he spoke, he stepped closer to her and put his hand on her back.

    This time, Blanche was too frustrated by their repeat denials of the truth to hold back. She backed off and smacked his hand away. ¡°Stop touching me.¡± For a moment, she thought she might have overdone it when Luciano suddenly looked rather annoyed.

    But he didn''t hurt her. Luciano just stared at her and shook his hand that was reddened from the rather harsh impact. ¡°Ouch.¡± Then he forced his polite smile onto his face, but it wasn''t as gleeful as usual and just made Blanche take another step back. ¡°Why are you so on edge today? I just wanted to remind you that we have the same goal. To make you the empress, we will have to get rid of the woman currently holding that position though. We can only achieve that by creating a scenario in which His Majesty has to choose between you and her. Me touching you worked like a charm to inflame his jealousy, didn''t it? That was enough to make him abandon his wife in the middle of a ball to take care of you. Repeating something like that will be necessary to end their marriage.¡±

    Sefare spoke up when the other man finished. ¡°Exactly. We will plan out everything, so you don''t have to think. Just continue to play your part. Be the emperor''s little pet, send us the new information you received, get rid of that woman and become empress yourself. Nothing about that should be bad for you, correct? But if that doesn''t convince you, I can be a little more direct too. I don''t know what caused you to believe that you can suddenly defy us and go your own way, and I don''t care. You should remember that you are only in your position because of our help. As quickly as you gained your comfortable life, as fast you can lose it again. I assume that you don''t want that, right? Then don''t make us your enemies.¡±

    With every sentence, Sefare came closer to the concubine, which made her back away. That was completely useless since the marquess was faster than she was. Blanche was about to turn around and raise her hand to alert Stella when Luciano stepped between them.

    Luciano stopped Sefare by extending his arm in front of the other man before speaking up with his charming smile that had fully returned now. ¡°Don''t scare Lady Blanche. Being mean won''t do anything about this situation. Especially since it seems like she isn''t as naive as we thought she would be.¡± He faced the concubine. ¡°You don''t believe a single one of our words, do you?¡±

    Blanche nodded. ¡°I know that you back the dowager empress. You can drop the pretense.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Luciano lowered his arms after he was sure that Sefare wouldn''t move before turning to her. ¡°Then let''s be honest for once. You caught us in the act. You know what we really want to do. I don''t know how you managed to find that out since no information in your vicinity should allow you to come to such conclusions, but apparently, we just underestimated you. So, now the problem is that you know a lot of things that could possibly harm us. We haven''t done anything that we could get convicted for yet, but this would still ruin our reputation, and His Majesty would certainly dislike this plot too. At the same time, we don''t want to hurt you. After all, you lived with Sefare for two years. He loves you like he would love a real daughter, and we have grown fond of you as well.¡±

    Blanche let out an unamused laugh at that, but Luciano didn''t let her interrupt him.

    ¡°This means that we are in a dilemma. In the end, the best solution would just be to persuade you to rethink your decision. The main reason that you don''t want to help us is that you love His Majesty, right?¡± That was a surprisingly simple question.

    Blanche replied with conviction. ¡°Yes. And that''s why I don''t need to ¡®make you my enemies¡¯ either. You have been my opponents from the moment that you decided to harm Theo.¡±

    Luciano closed his eyes and sighed before waving his hand in the air. ¡°That''s the problem. You see, you don''t love him. You love the influence and the power that he gives you. That''s almost the same but not quite.¡±

    Blanche froze. She was caught off guard by that and took a few seconds to process that ridiculous statement before her anger set in. ¡°What?¡± She almost yelled as her mind already jumped to the most horrible thoughts she could have. Why did everyone keep doubting her love for Theodore? Even he would do the same if the novel progressed as intended, and Blanche couldn''t stand that thought. She balled hands into fists to keep herself from doing anything rash. ¡°You don''t know anything about me. How can you dare to say something like that? You-¡±

    Luciano cut her off with a frown. ¡°Don''t be so sensitive. It''s better this way. After all, you''ll only get hurt if you love the tyrant emperor. It would be a shame to lose your head just because he blames you for a little misstep.¡±

    Immediately, Blanche''s fury calmed down and left behind pure confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? Theo isn''t a tyrant.¡± She despised the very mention of this title anywhere close to her lover''s name. ¡°He is the righteous ruler of Artias and never did anything unnecessary cruel. The nobles and citizens love him, and he gives his best to improve our nation''s situation. He never once treated me with malice either.¡± She was sure of that, and still, she felt the blood drain from her face.

    A wide grin grew on Luciano''s lips at that, and it was the most terrifying one he had shown her yet. ¡°Oh, you don''t know? Of course, he would hide that from you. Both the aristocrats and the commoners call him the tyrant emperor behind his back. There are a few reasons for that. His harsh treatment of people he deems traitors and accuses of treason for example. Or how he cold-heartedly insists on group punishment. Does that ring a bell with you? It should. But the most crucial reason for that is the rumors that he is responsible for his fa-¡± At the very moment that Luciano was about to say the most important thing, a woman began yelling almost as if it was a bad joke.

    ¡°Lady Blanche! There you are.¡± All the three present people whipped their heads around to see Sophia rushing towards them. That was something neither of them had expected.

    Luciano blinked at her before speaking up. ¡°Lady Ravillot?¡±

    Sophia came to a halt in front of them and quickly made a curtsy. ¡°Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, but it''s urgent. Her Majesty wishes to see Lady Blanche, so she sent me to get her. I apologize, but we can''t lose any time.¡± That statement was very surprising, but she didn''t even leave a second for anyone to think about this. She linked her arms with the concubine''s and led her away while repeatedly apologizing to the dumbfounded men they left behind.

    When they had put some distance between them and the others, Sophia looked over her shoulder before speaking up. ¡°Please forgive me for interrupting like this, but you seemed so uncomfortable that I couldn''t help myself. My sister said that those people are not to be trusted, and I believe in her judgment. Are you alright?¡±

    Blanche took a few seconds to get over her speechlessness before replying. ¡°Yes, thank you. That was exactly what I needed.¡± She glanced over her shoulder. The men were still glaring at her, but she could finally relax now. She had repeated her decision, which put her in danger but finally made her side clear. From now on, she didn''t have to explain herself anymore. With that in mind, she turned back to Sophia. ¡°How did you even find us?¡±

    ¡°I saw you by accident when I wanted to take a look at one of the prettier tents. Or rather, I saw your maid standing by the tents while looking rather distressed.¡±

    Blanche whipped her head around. She had to search for a moment before she found her maid by the tents that were the closest to the forest.

    Stella was about to cry and almost lost her self-control when her mistress returned. ¡°My Lady.¡± She whimpered a bit while trying to calm herself. Sophia offered her a handkerchief, which the maid refused since she managed to hold herself together just barely.

    Blanche quickly attempted to console the servant. ¡°Thank you for helping me, Stella. As you can see, nothing bad happened, so I didn''t need you to do anything. We''re both fine, so everything is alright. Thank you very much.¡±

    Stella sniffled quietly before she replied. ¡°I wanted to follow you, but you told me to wait. And I wanted to tell a guard the whole time, but you didn''t give me a signal. I thought that you would get hurt, I really did. Don''t do that anymore, My Lady.¡±

    Blanche hurriedly nodded. ¡°I won''t. I said all I needed.¡± She remembered that Sophia was there and quickly added something else. ¡°To be polite. I don''t have to show more consideration.¡±

    Sophia just watched that with a frown before addressing the concubine. ¡°Say, did these people bother you in some way? If so, you should inform His Majesty so that he can punish them accordingly.¡±

    Blanche hugged herself and averted her eyes. ¡°They bothered me a little. It''s nothing severe. They are merely a bit...pushy, and I do not favor them very much. This is something I will have to deal with myself. I can be sure that they won''t do something reckless for now though, so don''t worry. If the situation got worse, I would tell Theo.¡± Would she? She wasn''t certain of that herself. She still had to figure out whether losing Theodore or facing the Vasquez family was the bigger threat.

    Surprisingly, Sophia accepted that answer. ¡°Alright. If you need help, you are free to send me a letter, and I will assist you to the best of my abilities.¡±

    For a moment, they were silent. That was enough to make the concubine remember Luciano''s baseless lies that still bothered her to some extent. How could he say something so awful about such a great emperor? She was tempted to ask whether Sophia was aware of gossip like that but decided against it. Those alleged rumors couldn''t be very well-known, or she would have overheard people talking about it a few times already. So, that title was probably completely made up to make her question her commitment to her lover, no matter how familiar it sounded. She cursed Luciano inwardly for that but gave her best to stay calm to not irritate the other women.

    Blanche let her eyes roam across Sophia to confirm whether she succeeded. At that moment, she noticed a big difference and wondered why she hadn''t noticed that yet. The countess wasn''t pregnant anymore. It made sense since Seraphina had mentioned that, but this was the first time that Blanche had seen Sophia again after the birth. She made eye contact with the other woman before speaking up. ¡°It''s almost embarrassing that I only remembered this now. How is your baby? Did the birth go through without any difficulties?¡±

    Immediately, Sophia began to beam. ¡°Yes. But even though it''s been two weeks, I could cry out of happiness every time that I see our angel. Both your and my intuition was right. Our Grace is a healthy little girl.¡± The young mother''s bliss was contagious.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Blanche couldn''t help but grin as well. ¡°Congratulations. Is it safe for you to run around here already? An event like this is rather exhausting, and your daughter can''t stay without you for long either.¡±

    Sophia made a dismissive motion with her hand. ¡°I''m perfectly fine. I haven''t been this energized in a long time. And my daughter is here too. At the moment, she is sleeping peacefully next to my sister. When she wakes up, I have to be there, so we should go there now. Otherwise, those unpleasant men might notice that you aren''t meeting the empress at all.¡± Before the concubine could refuse, Sophia linked their arms again and led her across the venue.

    Blanche glanced to the side to scan the countess and addressed a random topic to keep herself from thinking about her upcoming meeting with the empress, who was probably still boiling due to a specific handkerchief. ¡°You just gave birth, so don''t over-exhaust yourself. You almost ran over to me earlier, and I''m not sure whether your body is ready to do that so soon.¡±

    Sophia rolled her eyes, but her soft smile didn''t fade. ¡°You sound like my husband. I am a healthy young woman, so I can deal with walking around for a bit. I''ve been sitting around for so long, and now I can finally move normally again. I won''t ignore that opportunity. But don''t worry. We will leave as soon as the competition''s victor is announced so that Grace can rest.¡± She kept chatting about how happy she was to be able to act freely again, which sadly didn''t keep Blanche from getting nervous.

    They passed the grand table in the middle, and the concubine used that opportunity to make eye contact with Fiona, who nodded in her direction before turning to Lucille again. Seemingly, the duke''s daughter wasn''t a completely awful person and had worried about the concubine to some extent. That didn''t make her sympathetic, but at least she didn''t seem to be a completely self-centered villainess.

    Though unfortunately, Blanche couldn''t distract herself with that for long. With every step, she began to panic more, no matter how hard she tried to calm herself. The pit of uncertainty within her stomach grew with every passing second so that she worried about becoming nauseous for a moment.

    What did the empress want from her? If Seraphina went as far as to call her nemesis to the royal family''s table, she was probably so furious that she couldn''t wait before scolding the other woman. This might be because of the handkerchief or because of the discussion with Henry. Or because of Theodore''s endless conversation with his lover or the unfavorable argument between Allen and Lucille.

    In fact, Blanche had given the empress more reasons to be angry than to be relaxed today. Even though none of that was really her fault, she doubted that Seraphina would care about that. She unwillingly tightened her grip around Sophia''s arm when the royal family''s tent came into view.

    Sophia patted her hand for a moment before glancing over her shoulder and whispering. ¡°They are keeping their eyes on us, so we have to meet my sister. Don''t worry, she will be nice to you.¡±

    The concubine let out a nervous chuckle at that. It was obvious that Sophia wouldn''t know how icy her sister could become when she met people that had antagonized her. Blanche reluctantly lifted her gaze and made eye contact with the empress.

    As expected, she was met with the same frosty glare that the heroine seemed to have reserved for her.

    Elaine and Evelyn, Seraphina''s mother and aunt, were present as well. The duchess managed to keep the most neutral expression of all of them. At the same time, Evelyn stared at the concubine with a mocking smile that quickly disappeared when she realized that Sophia was leading Blanche to them.

    The concubine would have liked to disappear into thin air as they approached the royal family''s table, especially since it seemed like everyone at the venue had turned around to observe them. This was only logical. After all, they were in the middle of the glade so that most people from the grand table and the other spots where nobles gathered to chat had an unobstructed view of the empress'' seat. So, in contrast to the conversation with Theodore, Blanche couldn''t depend on their rather secluded location to avoid being watched. Naturally, she couldn''t run away though, no matter how much she wanted to do that.

    So, Blanche just focused on keeping her legs steady as they approached their destination. She used the minute of silence to remind herself of what she could say to be polite and avoid causing another scandal today. After what felt like an eternity, they reached the little wooden platform on which the table stood.

    Sophia led her up the stairs and let go of her to curtsy, which the concubine immediately imitated.

    Seraphina calmly took a sip from her tea in a graceful manner that might have seemed peaceful if she hadn''t had this cold look in her eyes. Slowly, she set down the cup on the table and turned her head to the women. ¡°Lady Ravillot, welcome back. Lady Blanche, what brought you here?¡± Her dissatisfaction with the concubine''s presence was painfully obvious, and she didn''t even attempt to hide it. But since she had asked her sister to fetch the other woman, that didn''t make any sense, right?

    Blanche was a bit irritated as she glanced at Sophia, who was chuckling nervously.

    Sophia straightened her posture and interlocked her fingers while giving the empress a sheepish look. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. I saw that Lady Blanche was feeling very uncomfortable as she was speaking with some rather unfriendly men, so I stepped in. I might have used your name as an excuse by announcing that you had wished to see her.¡±

    The concubine felt how her blood froze in her veins and stared at Sophia, who smiled at her in a supposedly encouraging manner, with shock. How could someone, even if they were the empress'' sister, give false information about the royal family? Abusing the rulers'' name was insolent and bordered on an open insult.

    Thus, it wasn''t surprising that everyone at the table lost control of their facial expression for a moment. Elaine buried her face in her hand while Evelyn directly spoke up. ¡°How can you dare to-¡±

    Seraphina cut her off with a wave of her hand. She massaged her temples before asking one of her maids to come to her and whispering something to her, which made the servant nod and hurry into the tent.

    All of them were silent after that so that the tension in the air thickened with every passing second.

    Blanche took a few seconds to get over Sophia''s carelessness before she tried her best to deescalate the situation as much as she could. Since the empress had already addressed her, in a very cold manner but that didn''t matter, she had to greet her anyway. She curtsied again and spoke up. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty. I sincerely apologize for this uncomfortable situation. I thought that you had asked Lady Ravillot to bring me here. That was the only reason why I was so disrespectful to approach you.¡±

    Before she could add the other thing she wanted to say, Seraphina interrupted her. ¡°If I wished to speak to you for some reason, I would have done so in private and would have sent a servant instead of Lady Ravillot.¡± That was true, but her tone was unnecessarily sharp. The heroine hadn''t even looked in the concubine''s direction while speaking, so it seemed like the previous events had upset her so much that she didn''t even care about politeness.

    Blanche bit her tongue and refrained from rolling her eyes. It wasn''t like she was to blame for these circumstances, but naturally, she had to stay calm. She took a deep breath before replying. ¡°Yes, I should have thought about that before, but considering whether I should decline Your Majesty''s request didn''t cross my mind. I apologize for that. Since this was just a misunderstanding, I will take my leave now if you would-¡±

    She was interrupted by a servant that carried a chair and placed it in between Evelyn''s and Sophia''s seats.

    When she glanced at Seraphina, the empress just gestured to the chair. ¡°Please sit down.¡±

    Before the concubine could help herself, she was already frowning. Why would she sit when she was clearly not wanted here? She couldn''t refuse now, and that was rather unfavorable.

    Now the empress finally looked toward her and explained. ¡°We are already being watched. If you leave now, they will only talk about this even more. Sit down.¡±

    Blanche hadn''t planned on rejecting the empress''s demand either way. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± She gave her best to hide her dejected expression and took a seat on the chair while being extremely careful not to trip or plop down too quickly.

    Instantly, one of Seraphina''s maids came to her side. ¡°Would you like some tea, Lady Blanche?¡± The attendant was a bit more friendly than normal, but her smile seemed forced.

    Though, the concubine wouldn''t complain about that. She was struggling to put on a polite expression as well. She was about to decline to avoid getting green tea, which was too bitter for her, but after noticing that the other woman all drank from their cups, she gave in. ¡°Yes, that would be very kind of you.¡±

    The maid didn''t even ask what flavor she wanted and just turned around and disappeared into the tent.

    This left the whole table in silence, which only served to make everything more uncomfortable. Why couldn''t the other women just talk about some unimportant things so that it wouldn''t be this quiet? Blanche didn''t even want to be included, she just hoped to endure the few minutes that she had to sit here to keep appearances. The only person that didn''t seem bothered by her presence was Sophia, and maybe Noah, whom she had spotted standing in the tent a few steps behind the empress, so trying to chat with the others would just be stressful.

    Blanche gave her best to mirror Noah''s smile, but the continuous quiet made her feel even more out of place than before. She tried to stay there without making a sound or moving too much. At the same time, she glanced at the other women from the corners of her eyes without really looking at them for longer out of fear of being caught. Still, she found herself staring at Seraphina, or rather, at the tiara on top of her head. Blanche quickly lowered her head when the empress turned to her to hide the hint of satisfaction she felt.

    The heroine was wearing her gift again.

    That could only mean that Seraphina liked the accessories more than she hated the concubine, which gave Blanche some feeling of victory. Even though the rest of the birthday ball had been awful, she had at least brought the best gift by far. Hopefully, that would make the empress resent her a little less. It didn''t seem that way when Blanche cowered under the heroine''s watchful gaze, but she could still hope.

    Only a little while passed, but it felt like it had been an eternity had gone by before a maid came out of the tent but not with tea but with a bundle of blankets in her arms. ¡°My Lady, the little mistress is awake.¡± She approached Sophia and carefully handed the bundle over. Only now the concubine realized that Grace had to be hidden inside these blankets.

    Sophia''s face lit up with a radiant beam when she pulled the baby closer and spoke up. ¡°Have you slept enough, my sweet girl? This is all very exhausting, isn''t it? Still, you''re so calm and composed. You''re really our little angel.¡± She seemed like she was completely immersed in her own world, which was extremely adorable.

    The only thing that was even more lovely was how Grace made some undefinable noises and a small hand rose from the blankets to reach for her mother.

    Blanche felt her own lips form a grin at that, and she wasn''t the only one. Both Elaine and Seraphina began smiling as well, even though the latter one''s was barely visible. Evelyn lifted the corners of her lips too, but she did that after almost glaring at the infant, which no one except for the concubine seemed to have realized. That threatened to ruin Blanche''s mood quickly. How sick could a person be to be angry at a baby because of their envy of the child''s grandmother? She couldn''t voice her disgust in any way though, so she tried to distract herself.

    The concubine watched how Sophia made high-pitched noises at the little girl, which made Grace let out some quiet sounds as well. She was content just with doing that, but the other woman soon lifted her head to smile at her. Blanche immediately knew what the countess would propose and opened her mouth to refuse, but Sophia was faster.

    ¡°Lady Blanche, do you want to hold her? You haven''t seen Grace, and she doesn''t know you yet, so we can solve both of those issues at the same time.¡±

    Blanche still wanted to reject the offer, but seeing the other''s beaming smile, she couldn''t risk being at fault for making it fade. It had been a long time since she had held a baby, so she wasn''t completely averse to this either. Though, she didn''t even have time to reply.

    Evelyn had chimed in before anyone else could even open their mouth. ¡°You shouldn''t give your child to strangers, Lady Ravillot. As a mother, you have to be a little more cautious. Your carelessness is only going to hurt Grace. I taught Lady Blanche the basics of etiquette before she, well, became discontent with my criticism... Let''s just say that she was rather clumsy in those lessons. She could drop your baby.¡±

    Blanche attempted to hold herself back, but the other woman''s audacity made that impossible, and she snapped back before she knew it. ¡°I don''t mean to offend Lady Lemares, but if I remember correctly, it was different. You were dismissed because Theo entered the room while you were in the middle of voicing some rather unkind things about me. I do admit that I might have been clumsy as well since you tended to use a bit too much force to put the books onto my head for posture training.¡±

    Sophia''s eyes widened at that. ¡°Really? Aunt, you did that with me too when I was younger. You need to control your strength a bit more.¡± It was odd how she still believed in Evelyn''s goodwill despite her aunt''s vile intentions being so obvious. Evelyn looked like she wanted to respond, but Sophia just resumed. ¡°Either way, you don''t have to be so cautious around Lady Blanche. She isn''t a stranger. We met for tea two times already, and Seraphina, I mean, Her Majesty joined us the last time too.¡±

    Elaine raised her eyebrows at that. ¡°You did?¡± She glanced at the empress, who drank some of her tea before replying.

    ¡°I coincidentally passed them while I was on a stroll and thought that I could use that opportunity to speak to Lady Ravillot again.¡± It should have been obvious that Seraphina would emphasize that that had been an accident.

    Sophia didn''t seem to be fazed by that though. ¡°Yes, and then we had a chat about the marquess at my fourteenth birthday. The one that Seraphina stopped by-¡±

    The empress cut her off by clearing her throat.

    Sophia paused for a moment before her grin returned. ¡°In any case, Lady Blanche isn''t a stranger, and I know that she likes children. We had a long discussion about that before.¡± She turned to the concubine. ¡°Right? I''ll introduce you to Grace now.¡±

    Blanche shrank a bit under the skeptical looks of the rest of the women while Sophia turned her chair to move closer to her. Maybe it would be better for her to refuse after all, or the others would blame her if something went wrong. So, she spoke up after letting out a nervous chuckle. ¡°I don''t know, Lady Ravillot. Grace is rather young, so it would be best not to make her uncomfortable. She can''t get used to too many people at the same time, and she might not even like me.¡± If Grace resembled her aunt or uncle or grandparents, she certainly wouldn''t. ¡°Besides, I didn''t hold a child for years, so...¡±

    Sophia just faced the other''s concerns with a beam. ¡°Our angel is very calm and loves to meet new people. It''s almost a bit scary how calm she is. She has never disliked anyone either, so don''t worry about that.¡± She leaned forward before the concubine could refuse and slowly moved the bundle over to the other woman''s arms.

    Blanche was caught up in her admiration immediately. Grace was just too adorable.

 Chapter 100: An Important Question

    Blanche''s instinct kicked in immediately. She had often held one of her twins while her mother had taken care of the other and still remembered exactly how she had done it back then. Grace safely landed in her arms, and she looked down at her, only to freeze. She had been prepared for a cute child, but Grace was so adorable that her heart melted even though the baby was just lying there with closed eyes. ¡°She is beautiful.¡±

    Sophia moved even closer and leaned her head over her baby. ¡°Yes, she is. And she is as graceful as her name promised.¡± She continued in a higher voice. ¡°Look, Grace, this is Lady Blanche. She lives in the palace along with aunt Seraphina.¡± She paused for a moment before turning to the concubine and resuming normally. ¡°I still can''t believe that she is finally here no matter how long I admire her. My husband is the same. He didn''t want to take part in the hunt at all since he would have to spend two hours without her.¡±

    Blanche definitely understood that. She wouldn''t want to let go of her child either. But she actually didn''t want to think about that at all for multiple reasons. Holding Grace not only reminded her that she wasn''t sure whether she could become pregnant even after fighting for her future at Theodore''s side. It also woke up unwanted memories of her siblings.

    She still loved Noel and Nelly. Even if almost four years had passed since their death, she teared up anytime that she thought of them. During her everyday life, it was easy to bury the sorrow underneath a mountain of other worries, like her survival despite her fated doom. But now holding a baby like she had held her twins made Blanche want to cry. Her bottom lips trembled, and she barely managed to compose herself. She hadn''t even listened to Sophia, who kept babbling in the background, anymore. At some point, Blanche shook her head to remind herself that she was in the present at the hunting festival and not in her sibling''s bedroom in her family''s old home.

    Maybe that motion had irritated Grace, who was slowly opening her eyes just a little bit before reaching up with her tiny hand.

    Sophia let out a noise of realization at that. ¡°Watch out, she''ll-¡±

    Before she could finish, the baby''s fingers raked through a curl of Blanche''s hair that was hanging above her and were stuck there.

    Immediately, Sophia tried to direct her daughter''s arm away gently. ¡°I''m sorry, she tends to do that often. I should have warned you.¡± Then she continued in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Is our Grace a troublemaker? You like soft things, don''t you? But you have to let go, or you will mess up Lady Blanche''s hair.¡±

    The concubine, however, wasn''t concerned with anything like that. She just stared at the little girl, who was lying in her arms with half-opened eyes and seemed like an angel without even doing anything. ¡°It''s fine.¡± As long as her ornament didn''t fall, she couldn''t care less about her hair.

    Sophia still wanted to prevent even more disturbances. She managed to loosen Grace''s fingers, and the girl''s little hand sank down before the baby closed her eyes again. Then Sophia slowly took her daughter back into her arms. ¡°She fell asleep again. This event is probably very tiring to her, so I''m glad that she is so calm.¡± She held her daughter for a while before talking to her maid, who took the baby to bring her back into the tent. Sophia spoke up to explain her actions a moment later. ¡°It''s quieter inside. I hope she can sleep there.¡±

    Blanche barely paid attention to that. She had to remind herself that she was currently sitting at the table with the empress and couldn''t just doze off. But that wasn''t so simple when her mind was swimming with thoughts of how much she wanted to be a mother too. Would the gods be gracious enough to grant her that wish, or would they laugh at her misery and force her to be executed like in the novel? She couldn''t know that until the very end.

    Just as she thought that, Sophia grinned at the concubine and addressed her. ¡°Grace must have liked you a lot if she immediately reached for you.¡±

    Blanche snapped out of it and hurriedly replied. ¡°This surely wasn''t about me. I think my hair was more important to her than anything else.¡± She said that with a soft smile while reaching up to her head to make sure that the butterfly clasp was still fastened tightly. The ornament hadn''t moved at all, so she could let her arm sink again in relief and focused on the conversation.

    Sophia beamed at her and took a sip from her cup of tea before responding. ¡°No, Grace usually only does that when she is around my husband and me. She trusts you enough to be courageous enough to do something like that. That must mean that she likes you. Seemingly, you are very good at handling children. You didn''t have any problems holding her like you feared either.¡±

    Blanche made a rejecting movement with her hand. ¡°Well, it appears that my motherly instincts took over, so it''s nothing special. That''s rather calming. I''m happy if Grace doesn''t dislike me too. That''s the thing I always worry about the most when I interact with children. Now I can be calmed and don''t need to be too uncertain in the future if I have to hold a baby again.¡±

    For some reason, the other women only stared at her in response, which caused Blanche to wonder whether she had said something wrong. Had she been too informal with her speech? She had just replied to Sophia in a similar tone, but it was possible that this bothered them.

    Luckily, a maid came out of the tent just in time to interrupt the unnerving silence. She put down a cup of tea in front of Blanche and frowned when the other woman thanked her before stepping away to give the ladies at the table privacy.

    The concubine scanned her cup skeptically. Surely, the maids wouldn''t have put anything weird in there because they hated her, right? They wouldn''t be stupid enough to do that in front of the empress. Still, she wasn''t happy about drinking this now. The tea would probably be as bitter as the one at the tea party. Though, refusing to drink it would be extremely disrespectful too, so she didn''t have much of a choice. She braced herself for a revolting taste as she lifted the cup to her lips and took one careful sip.

    To Blanche''s surprise, apple flavor washed over her tongue. She paused for a moment in disbelief before drinking a bit more. This was definitely the sweet apple tea that she sometimes had in the palace, and she was more than grateful for that. Now she couldn''t just finish a cup and be polite without having to force herself, but she could also enjoy the tea. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and relished in the wonderful taste before she opened her eyes again, only to find the other women still staring at her. Quickly, she put the cup down. ¡°This tea mouth-watering. Thank you for letting me try some of it, Your Majesty.¡±

    Seraphina just nodded at her but stayed quiet while seeming like she tried to take the other''s expression apart, which made the whole interaction even more unpleasant.

    Blanche held back a sigh and glanced to the side to see whether something special had happened, but everything was still calm. The nobles were happily chatting while waiting for the return of the hunters, so she couldn''t even distract herself. When she turned back to the table, she met Evelyn''s gaze, and the other''s fake grin immediately proved that this woman was up to no good. Blanche hurried to grab her cup and drank to have an excuse to look away, but that didn''t help.

    Not more than five seconds passed before Evelyn spoke up in her exaggerated polite tone. ¡°This silence is only going to continue like this if we postpone addressing the issue. Lady Blanche, every person here is curious about something. There was a rumor regarding you recently, and I believe that we should address it. While this is about a private matter, it would greatly influence all of us at the same time, so please forgive me for asking so carelessly.¡±

    Elaine spoke up to stop her, but it was too late. ¡°No, you will not-¡±

    Evelyn finished with a malicious grin. ¡°Could there be the possibility of you being pregnant?¡±

    As soon as these words had left her mouth, all the other women called out in outrage at the same time.

    ¡°Aunt!¡±

    ¡°Evelyn!¡±

    The concerned person just shrugged with a smile and sipped her tea. ¡°I merely voiced what every single one of us was thinking.¡±

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    The empress scolded her for addressing such matters, and Elaine was very clear about her anger at such insolence too. But the damage had already been done.

    The question barely reached Blanche, and she already choked on her tea. She began coughing so much that Sophia even began patting her back.

    Sophia turned to Evelyn with a frown. ¡°Aunt, you can''t say things like that. We can''t pressure Lady Blanche into speaking about private issues. It''s her choice when to reveal important matters like this.¡± That almost sounded like it was a fact that the concubine would admit to being pregnant. The others'' prying gazes only seemed to underline that, but this didn''t make any sense.

    Blanche just had to deny that baseless assumption, and everything would be fine. The only problem was that she was too shocked to come up with a coherent sentence and still hadn''t been able to stop coughing. When Sophia handed her the cup of tea, Blanche drank half of the liquid and managed to soothe her throat a bit. That didn''t mean that her mind was calm though.

    Why had Evelyn asked her something like this, and why weren''t the other women surprised about that question? All of them seemed extremely interested in the response. What kind of rumor had spread so far during her ignorance?

    Blanche felt how the blood drained from her face as she alternated between looking at the four others, who were staring at her expectantly. She turned to Seraphina and began stuttering. ¡°I...don''t...¡± There was nothing that she could say with her mind being completely blank even though she only had to state that she wasn''t pregnant. She hadn''t even begun explaining, and the heroine already cut her off.

    ¡°I apologize for this inexcusable faux-pas.¡± The empress glanced at Evelyn, who struggled to hide a malicious grin behind her hand, before continuing. ¡°Lady Lemares should have known better than to address private issues in such an insolent way. Naturally, I expect her to apologize as well.¡±

    The concubine was about to breathe out in relief since this unnerving exchange would end soon, but the empress wasn''t finished.

    Seraphina looked back at Blanche and resumed. ¡°However, I would like to ask you to be honest as this matter would certainly influence the royal family greatly. Sooner or later, we will find out about it in one way or another, so it would be better for you to speak freely now.¡±

    Blanche''s face fell she as gazed at the empress'' serious expression in pure disbelief. One glance at both Sophia and Elaine proved that they were waiting for her to answer too. Did they truly think she was pregnant? ¡°Why are...¡± She just sat there in shock and didn''t know what to say. She turned to Seraphina, whose gaze was glued onto her, and opened her mouth a few times before closing it without saying anything. What was she supposed to respond with? Such a question wouldn''t just come out of nowhere. Had she done something that could have been misunderstood? Slowly but surely, she began to panic while the logical part of her brain was screaming at her to just deny that ridiculous assumption. Unfortunately, Blanche''s brain refused to work correctly, which put even more pressure on her. The longer she didn''t reply, the more the others would assume that she was hiding something. ¡°I...¡± She helplessly made eye contact with the empress, who finally ended the quiet that was only filled with Blanche''s occasional stammering.

    The empress spoke in an emphasized calm tone, and even her expression was less cold than normal. ¡°Either way, I can assure you that I will not be angry. Be honest.¡±

    The concubine felt her heart skip a beat at that. Seraphina was definitely convinced that the other woman was pregnant. Blanche finally managed to silence the uproar in her head enough to shake her head and speak a few words. ¡°No, no! I''m not... I''m not pregnant.¡± In the end, she was grateful that her voice didn''t come out as loudly as she had intended it to. Otherwise, most of the other guests would have heard her as well.

    As soon she had said that, the women around her relaxed. Elaine seemed to be pleased, which was the only normal reaction the mother of the empress should have when the emperor''s mistress was not carrying a child.

    The others'' reactions were the abnormal ones.

    Sophia just nodded at that before stirring her tea. But since she had the best relationship with Blanche and said that she would be a good mother, it would make sense that she didn''t fear her pregnancy.

    Evelyn''s slight frustration at that was somewhat understandable as well. The concubine having a child before the empress would be the ultimate humiliation for Seraphina. Evelyn hated her sister''s children, so she had probably hoped for that scenario.

    Only the empress'' reaction was the one that absolutely had no logical reasoning behind it. To others, her facial expression might have looked stoic, but Blanche had seen the little flash in Seraphina''s eyes that almost looked like a bit of disappointment. Obviously, the concubine had to have seen that wrong. After all, the empress wasn''t stupid. If the emperor''s lover had a child, it would only lead to problems. For her, for the royal family and the Duremonts and even for the whole nation. Naturally, this would reveal that Blanche was in fact Theodore''s lover and not just a guest or acquaintance too. Due to the concubine''s lowly background, this would be a huge insult to Seraphina.

    Being offended was one thing, but then having to deal with the consequences of the birth of a child out of an affair was even worse. The baby would have the right to be the heir to the throne unless the emperor had any other descendants in the future. However, Theodore couldn''t make that child the crown prince or princess without ridiculing the Duremont household and all the other nobles by putting the descendant of a commoner on top of them.

    No matter how one looked at it, there would only be problems if Blanche got pregnant. So, shouldn''t the empress be beaming now because she wouldn''t have to face those issues?

    The silence began to become oppressive when no one spoke up. Most likely, all women were still a bit embarrassed for assuming something that wasn''t true in the slightest, and the concubine would have liked to drop the topic as well. However, judging by the way that the women had been convinced that she would admit to carrying a child, they had to have had a reason.

    Blanche pressed her lips together for a moment and gathered the courage before clearing her throat and speaking up. ¡°That...was an oddly specific question. If I may ask, what made you think that?¡±

    The others didn''t reply and just lowered their gazes except for Seraphina, who didn''t seem to mind responding. ¡°I would once again like to apologize for Lady Lemares'' rash actions. My aunt should not have spoken carelessly. You must be confused now. Thus, I will naturally explain why that rumor arose. You do not have to fear that it spread far since only my family is aware of most of those things.¡±

    The concubine let out an inward sigh at that. She could only thank the gods for that. If the other noble families had already begun gossiping about her alleged pregnancy, she would have gone insane. Being cornered so that she had no choice but to reveal her relationship to Theodore and destroying his political bonds wasn''t her goal. Despite being relieved, she still wondered what had made them believe in that rumor though.

    So, it was fortunate that the empress resumed speaking without needing to be asked again. ¡°There are a few things that seemed to have been adding up to create that assumption. First of all, the herbs that you brought me, which were supposed to help you sleep more calmly. You said that you had used them too. I''m not sure if you are aware of that, but the mixture you brought me consists out of many plants that are usually given to pregnant women. It is supposed to raise the chances of the baby being healthy and makes it easier for the mother to sleep. Both the Duchess of Duremont and Lady Ravillot saw them in my room and were able to identify them immediately since they had taken them themselves during their pregnancies.¡±

    Blanche quickly shook her head as she felt how the blood finally came back to her face. Though, she would have liked to postpone that a bit more since she felt how her cheeks became flushed now. She hurried to deny the heroine''s words. ¡°I didn''t know that! The royal doctor prescribed them to me after my maid couldn''t wake me up from my nightmare while I was sleeping. I told him that this was the fifth one in a few months, so he gave me those herbs to calm my sleep.¡±

    Seraphina nodded at that. ¡°Well, as a person who hasn''t dealt with many mothers, you would not be able to know. I am also not condoning you for using them. If they help pregnant women, it doesn''t seem too strange to assume that they would help you sleep in general. The doctor handed them to you, and I fully trust him, so they definitely have some positive effect on your health. Now that I am already talking about him, I can also add that the doctor was one of the other reasons that some people assumed that this rumor might have been true. During the last few weeks, you have visited him extremely often, and he came to your room almost every day too. The events at my birthday ball also led me to believe that you might have a condition that is a little more severe than a cold. You collapsed without a warning after being nauseous for the whole evening. I believed that you wouldn''t have come if you had been sick. So, I guessed that it might be something chronic that would restrict your free movement for a long time if you stayed in your room until it was gone.¡±

    Blanche felt a bit embarrassed to admit that she had been stupid enough to attend the ball while being ill, but she recounted her view on the things anyway. ¡°During, or rather before, Your Majesty''s birthday I was sick and had barely recovered when the ball came. However, I had bought a gift already and wished to hand it over personally. So, I went to the event thinking that it would be fine. Unfortunately, I felt dizzy then and my fever got worse, which is why I fainted. The doctor examined me a few times after that to make sure that I was completely fine. A little later, I had this nightmare and couldn''t wake up for a few minutes despite being called and shaken by my maid. Since the doctor couldn''t find any sickness and couldn''t explain why that happened, he insisted on repeating the examination a few times to make sure that everything was alright. After the...incident on the day of Duke Lamont''s banquet, Theo went to the doctor many times as well, and I was there too... Sometimes.¡± She only realized that the others might not have wanted to know that when she had finished that sentence. So, Blanche jumped back to the older subject to distract them before they could get angry. ¡°I don''t believe that I voiced my regret about being careless at the last ball yet. I sincerely wish to apologize for not being aware of the severity of my condition and collapsing in public like that. I did not mean to ruin the party.¡±

    Luckily, the empress didn''t get angry. ¡°You were not at fault. Though, that had also been one of the main causes for that rumor. Ever since the ball, and beginning on that evening, His Majesty had the tendency to...¡± Seraphina paused and scanned the concubine''s expression with her cold eyes before continuing. ¡°Stay very close to you, even more so than before. I assumed that that might have been connected to you passing out and him fearing that it might happen again. All the things I named, as well as the fact that you have been behaving strangely in the last four months, made the conclusion that you might be pregnant seem likely. Still, I will apologize for making assumptions without relying on any facts. This is not something a courteous lady should do.¡± Yet, Seraphina tended to act based on guesses like this, which wasn''t always good. In this case, it at least hadn''t done any severe damage except for evoking the concubine''s embarrassment.

    Blanche could somewhat understand how the others had concluded that she was pregnant, especially because of the herbs that seemed to often be used by expecting mothers. However, all the other things were so ambiguous that she didn''t know why this had been enough to convince them. Luckily, she didn''t have to respond though.

    Seraphina already turned to her aunt and spoke up. ¡°Lady Lemares, I believe that I haven''t heard an apology yet.¡±

    Evelyn''s dismay at that was painfully obvious, but she covered it up with a fake polite smile. ¡°Naturally, Your Majesty.¡± She turned to the concubine with a glint of hatred in her eyes that made clear that she despised every single person at this table. ¡°I sincerely apologize, Lady Blanche. My mouth merely reacted before my mind did, and I have to admit that all of us were too curious to keep quiet. I hope you do not hold any grudge because of that.¡±

    Blanche bit her tongue to not curse Evelyn out loud. Now that she had met Grace in person, she would do anything in her power to save the baby from her grandmother''s envious sister. Having seen the adorable little girl had only made the concubine resent Evelyn even more, even though she hadn''t believed that to be possible. She would have liked to just accuse that woman of treason so that this witch could rot away in prison. But that was, unfortunately, impossible.

    No matter how much she hated it, Blanche would have to be polite in return now. Even if that was enough to make her feel like a bitter taste clung to her tongue.

 Chapter 101: Rumors and How True They Are

    a lot of power. She is also very sensitive. She apologized for trivialities countless times even though I told her that it was fine. In the end, she only stopped when someone else came and said that she didn''t need to worry as well.¡± That should have been enough to remind the empress of the situation at the first ball of this year.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

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 Chapter 102: One-motion Solution

    The fact that the emperor left the forest before the end of the hunt was surprising enough. That his entire shoulder was covered in blood made it much worse though.

    It was the most stupid thing to do in that situation, but Blanche couldn''t hold herself back. Her body moved on its own as she grabbed her dress to lift the skirt and ran to her lover as fast as she could. Her shoes weren''t appropriate for moving this fast, and her legs were shaking, but she didn''t stop until she reached Theodore. She barely managed to suppress the impulse to jump into his arms because of his injury, but seemingly, he had read her mind.

    Theodore held his arms towards her so that he would have been able to catch her if she had decided to run into him with full force. Luckily, he didn''t have to.

    Blanche had just run for a short distance, but her heart already felt like it would give up, though she wasn''t sure whether that was just the case because she was afraid for her lover. As soon as she had stopped in front of him, she grabbed his arms. ¡°Theo, you''re...¡± She couldn''t even finish that one sentence, and it felt like she could barely breathe. She raised her head and stared at him with wide eyes. Then she saw that he was smiling down at her, and her panic died as the horrible images of him lying on the ground bleeding left her mind again.

    Theodore allowed her to dig her fingers into his sleeves without pushing her away and replied in a calm voice. ¡°That''s not my blood. Don''t worry, I''m perfectly fine.¡±

    That only made her stutter more. ¡°I thought, I thought...¡± Slowly, the rest of the nightmarish scenarios she had come up with faded from her mind as she fought the urge to pull Theodore into a hug. Everyone was watching them already, and her running to him had been worse enough. She had to hold back.

    Theodore didn''t seem to pay attention to the crowd though. He didn''t look away from Blanche once as he slowly bent his arms so that he could grab hers too without having to loosen her hold on him. ¡°Do you want me to console you? I didn''t want to ask first, but you might get angry if I just pull you close in front of everyone here.¡±

    Blanche wanted to ignore the others so badly, but she couldn''t. She hurriedly shook her head out of fear that she might change her mind otherwise. ¡°I''m fine. I just need a few seconds.¡± She scanned her lover''s whole body, but no part of his uniform appeared to be ripped or looked like he had been injured in any other way. He also didn''t act like he was pained, so he had to be telling the truth. She directed her eyes at the bloody spot on his torso that was slowly growing as the liquid drenched the fabric. She was no expert at estimating how much blood an animal had, but this seemed like it was a lot. ¡°This...is so much blood. What happened? What kind of animal is this big?¡±

    Theodore gave her a warm smile like he didn''t have a care in the world. ¡°I''ll tell you later when we are alone. For now, let''s just say that I got too close while killing that animal, so everything came down on my uniform. Say, can I really not hug you?¡± He was definitely in a far too good mood if he was joking around like this.

    ¡°Theo, this isn''t funny! If you were in danger at any point or got hurt, we need to get the doctor to check on you.¡±

    The emperor shook his head. ¡°No, I''m unharmed, and anyone with me can confirm that. I did not lose control of the situation for a single moment.¡±

    Blanche looked away from him for the first time and glanced at the people that were accompanying him. That didn''t serve to calm her though.

    The guards were quietly discussing something with varying levels of concern on their faces. The concubine had never seen Owen''s expression change for even a tiny bit, and now he was frowning, which couldn''t mean anything good. The worst reaction, however, came from Madeleine. The young woman was standing there and stared at the emperor with terror in her eyes while she was shaking as if something horrible had happened.

    Theodore just seemed to notice that too and turned to her. ¡°Are you alright? I can send a servant to take care of you.¡±

    Madeleine shook her head and replied with a stutter. ¡°No, I... I''m fine. This was just...just a bit much.¡± Just when she finished, more people arrived by their side.

    The first person to rush to Madeleine was Briana, who frantically hugged her sister even after she was repeatedly told that everything was alright.

    The next people to arrive were the empress and her relatives. Seraphina stepped closer with a concerned look on her face. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Blanche contemplated letting go of her lover to avoid issues now, but she couldn''t bring herself to do that. Though, it seemed like she didn''t have a say in that matter either way. As soon as she loosened her grip on his arms, her lover tightened his around hers.

    Theodore turned to the heroine for a moment and responded with a smile. ¡°I just won the hunting competition.¡± He focused on his concubine after that one sentence and continued. ¡°Do you want to guess how many points I scored this time? It''s more than eight.¡±

    Blanche furrowed her brows. ¡°That''s not important right now. You could have gotten hurt and-¡±

    ¡°Thirteen.¡± That was physically impossible.

    The concubine froze in place. ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    Theodore''s grin widened. ¡°I counted three times, and I''m sure that I will get thirteen points. Not including the bear since it apparently doesn''t count because there isn''t a score assigned to it.¡±

    Blanche stood there in silence and stared at her lover in disbelief before she finally pressed out her response. ¡°That can''t be true. You didn''t...did you?¡±

    That was absolutely impossible. How could a person that had always gotten seven points and was supposed to get eight this time score thirteen points? During half of the time? While being injured? Even if Theodore had been more motivated than usual, such a stark difference was unthinkable. No one had ever gotten such a high score. And since when were there bears in this part of the forest? Normally, the most dangerous animals weren''t anywhere close to the glade.

    Theodore didn''t appear to be baffled by that though. ¡°I didn''t cheat if you wanted to ask that. I hunted all animals fairly with my bow. The bodies are being transported by the guards. The only one that is missing is the bear since it was too heavy. You could take a look at the rest if you wished to be sure. I wouldn''t recommend that though since animal carcasses are not very pretty. It would be enough for you to ask Owen or one of the guards. They were with me from the beginning to the end and did not interfere in any way once. Naturally, none of them helped me either.¡±

    The people around them, including some nobles who had walked to them by now as well, were as irritated by this as the concubine was. They began to murmur until Owen, who was still a bit shaken, spoke up. ¡°We would never attempt to ignore the rules of this competition. I can confirm that His Majesty was the one that shot all the animals that we brought here.¡±

    Theodore let go of one of Blanche''s arms to tap his finger onto her nose. ¡°See? I won fairly, or at least I will win when all the others are back. I only hunted the more dangerous animals too, so you don''t have to feel bad for them either. You mentioned that you didn''t like endangering innocent animals, so I avoided rabbits and such, even though I met dozens of them.¡±

    That only made all of this even more ridiculous. How could he have scored so high in so little time while also avoiding the animals that he found very often in favor of hunting the rarer ones? Blanche bit her tongue to not blurt out how odd it was for him to act so differently from the novel. In the end, that was confusing but didn''t matter. The only thing that was important was the fact that Theodore was alright. He hadn''t been hurt, and his old injury also didn''t seem to bother him.

    Blanche pressed her lips together for a moment to avoid speaking up while the empress was still standing only a few steps away from them. She wasn''t able to stop herself for long enough though and just tried to be quiet. ¡°I''m so glad that you are fine. When I saw all of that blood, I thought I was going to die...¡±

    Theodore became serious when she finished. ¡°Don''t say things like that. I promised that I would come back safely and offer my victory to you. So, you had no reason to question my return at any time. I had no trouble dealing with any of the things that happened during the hunt. But we should show that to the others too. Let''s go back to the venue.¡±

    She nodded and slowly let go of him.

    Theodore still teased her. He refused to loosen his hold on her until she attempted to pull away multiple times. This made him pout at her.

    Blanche barely managed to refrain from rolling her eyes at that as they moved towards the podium. She tried to slow her pace a few times so that she wasn''t closer to Theodore than the empress, which had always been countered by her lover slowing down. So, she resigned and walked beside him until they reached the venue. It felt like the gazes of the spectators were even more piercing before, now that she had accidentally revealed her close relationship to the emperor for the fourth time today.

    Blanche didn''t care anymore. It wasn''t like she could do anything about it now, and she still waited for Theodore to tell her what really happened. Even though he wasn''t hurt, she wouldn''t allow him to keep quiet. The expressions on the knights'' faces had told her enough to know that something unusual had occurred. Apparently, that had been bad enough to make the stoic Owen show emotions and traumatize the normally so confident Madeleine so that she was close to crying. It didn''t make any sense for the emperor to be completely calm and give his lover a smile whenever they made eye contact.

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    Theodore approached the marquess that would announce the results later and let the man count the carcasses, only to leave without an explanation when the other party''s mouth fell open. He came to his lover and put on his grin again before becoming a bit more serious. ¡°Judging by your expression, you are worried about what happened. I''ll tell you after I finish one little thing. You can go to our tent already along with the people that were present while I dealt with that issue.¡±

    Blanche halfheartedly nodded and followed the guards to the tent but stayed by the entrance to watch her lover.

    The emperor talked to one of the knights for a moment before suddenly taking a detour to the other end of the crowd to speak to Claude and Luciano. Unfortunately, her lover wasn''t facing her, so she couldn''t see his expression and only the ones of the others. So, Blanche would have to come to a conclusion with that alone. She observed how Theodore put his hands on one shoulder of each man before talking. He could have only said a few sentences, but that was enough for Luciano to stop smiling and for Claude''s face to scrunch up.

    Then Theodore turned around and left the men behind while they stared at him in disbelief. He reached the tent quickly and greeted his lover with his calming smile. ¡°You were so impatient that you had to wait for me right by the entrance?¡±

    Blanche nodded, which made him pat her head. She let him do that after they had stepped inside since there shouldn''t be anyone except for a couple of guards in the tent. However, when she turned around to sit down at the surprisingly big table, she realized that both Seraphina and Madeleine were inside as well. She quickly hid her face and took a seat in hopes of being less visible like that. That was immediately rendered useless by her lover sitting next to her instead of on the chair at the shorter end of the table next to the empress, where the emperor usually sat.

    For a few seconds, Theodore remained quiet, even though everyone was already silent to listen to him. Then his expression turned into his usual cold mask, and he began. ¡°All the things I will tell you now are confidential, and no one will utter a single word about this incident to anyone else. I will inform the rest of the royal knights when we are back in the palace, but for now, you will be the only ones knowing the truth. Understood?¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    Only then, Theodore continued. ¡°I do not want to hear a single complaint about how what happened would be impossible. The people that were with me can confirm that I am speaking the truth. Despite our heightened security measures, there was an unknown person within the hunting grounds. Apparently, they followed us for quite some time by climbing around in the trees. They wore dark green clothes that blend in with the plants and covered their face with a mask. They were moving around while barely making any noise. This behavior and attire indicate that they were a professional. We have to assume that they worked for someone who had hired them to keep an eye on me.¡±

    The temperature seemed to drop when he explained that, and Blanche began trembling slightly. How could that be? The hunting grounds had been circled by royal guards, and they had searched the area for suspicious individuals for the last week so that no one could lay out traps. The concubine felt dread creeping up her spine when she imagined how skilled a person had to be to bypass all of those experienced men. Had they attempted to hurt Theodore, or had they just watched him to give information to someone? Either one of those options was terrifying.

    This hadn''t happened in the novel either. Why was so much changing without her direct influence? Her actions couldn''t have caused the enemy to send a person to monitor the emperor, right? Maybe her interactions with the Vasquez family had somehow encouraged them to spy on her lover. While Blanche was lost in thoughts and pondered about whether there had been a hint about this in the novel, some of the guards prepared to stand up, most likely to search that suspicious person.

    As soon as the emperor lifted his hand, everyone sat down again.

    Theodore continued when the murmur died down. ¡°We do not have to find that intruder anymore since they are already dead. I managed to identify them, but unfortunately, the person that sent them is someone I cannot investigate for now. But we can be sure that the intruder will not pose a danger to anyone anymore. That doesn''t mean that we can relax though. It appears that we must be even more careful than before to avoid repeating something like this again. That is all I will tell you for now. I will dispatch a group of guards to take care of the body, and the rest of you will continue to protect the guests with even more caution than before. Tell the others to be more careful without letting the nobles hear you and explain that I will give them the reason later. You may leave.¡±

    The knights jumped up at that and rushed out, seemingly eager to fulfill their task. This only left behind Theodore, Seraphina, Owen, Noah and Madeleine as well as Blanche, who felt like she was about to throw up. Her lover was way too calm, so it almost seemed like she was the one taking over his nervousness. Theodore just grabbed her hand underneath the table and squeezed it in an attempt to calm her, which only scared Blanche even more.

    All the people inside were completely quiet with the exception of Seraphina consoling Madeleine, who was still shivering a bit but was a little more tranquil now. That tensed the atmosphere even more until it became unbearable.

    A few seconds passed in silence, and then the concubine couldn''t keep herself from asking. ¡°You spotting that man wasn''t all that happened, right? How did that person die?¡±

    Theodore turned to her and made eye contact for a while before replying in a quiet voice. ¡°I killed him.¡± He paused to read her expression before adding an explanation. ¡°I knew him from before, so even if he hadn''t attacked us, I could be sure that he would be a danger later. But he jumped down to kill me, so...¡±

    Blanche squeezed his hand. ¡°You don''t have to justify that. I know that you wouldn''t just kill someone for no reason.¡± That just made Theodore tighten his hold on her hand.

    Madeleine spoke before he could though. ¡°That... It all happened so quickly. We met accidentally and walked together for a few minutes. His Majesty suddenly stopped and looked up at the trees. He then called out a name without us even noticing anyone. Then he said some other things until that man jumped out of the tree onto His Majesty, but he just...¡± She had gotten faster and louder with every word, so she cut herself off to calm down a bit before resuming. ¡°His Majesty knew that this was how the man would react. He lifted his sword, and the man just fell onto...¡± She interrupted herself again, and it sounded like she was choking back a sob. ¡°It hit his neck, and he gurgled, and...His Majesty turned the handle. One second, and it was over.¡± She lowered her gaze onto the table and stared at it while Seraphina hugged her.

    It sounded like Madeleine had recounted the events to get them off her mind rather than to inform the others, but that was understandable. After all, she had just watched someone die in front of her for the first time. Apparently, it hadn''t been a peaceful death either. Still, Madeleine looked like she was angry at herself for beginning to cry and pressed her lips together as she fought to keep her composure.

    Theodore spoke up after giving the woman a few seconds for herself. ¡°I would like to apologize for making you witness that. I would have postponed luring him out, but I couldn''t risk losing that opportunity as that person was very dangerous. Still, it wasn''t my intention to kill him. I merely hoped to hurt him enough to immobilize that man so that we could get information out of him. Unfortunately, that did not work out.¡±

    Madeleine weakly nodded. ¡°You told me not to look. It''s my fault.¡± She didn''t say more than that as she was most likely too close to crying to speak.

    Blanche just tightened her grip around her lover''s hand. He was oddly calm after just having killed someone. Had that been the first time that he had taken a life? If so, it was strange for him to accept it without any problems. But on the other hand, the concubine hadn''t ever met that intruder while Theodore had known him. Maybe that man had been extremely dangerous so that it had been necessary to get rid of him immediately. If Theodore had been hurt by that person in the past, it was only logical for him not to ponder about the decision of whether to defend himself even if he risked killing the intruder with that.

    Despite this, reacting a bit like Madeleine would have made sense. At least for a normal person.

    But it seemed like Theodore''s childhood had either made him numb to fear or taught him how to hide his emotions. Blanche scanned his face in search of any indications of distress that he might try to veil, but she couldn''t find anything.

    After a few seconds, Theodore noticed and turned to her to give her a little smile. ¡°I''m fine. The worst thing about this is that I wasn''t able to interrogate that person. I would have liked to learn something about the goals of the people he worked for. At least he won''t trouble us in the future though, and I sent those people an indirect message as well. I just would have favored it if I had been alone with Owen at that moment, but I can''t change that now.¡± He stared into the distance for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle. ¡°This situation reawakens old memories. Doesn''t it, Owen?¡±

    Owen''s expression still hadn''t returned to its usual stoic appearance even though he was a bit calmer now, which worried Blanche a bit. He looked at the emperor and replied in an aloof voice. ¡°Somewhat. Back then, Your Majesty did not behead an attacker with a single tilt of the sword.¡±

    Theodore shook his head. ¡°I didn''t behead anyone. I merely misjudged the angle at which he would...¡± He interrupted himself and glanced at Blanche before changing the topic. ¡°Well, in any case. Everything was a little different, but it reminded me of that event anyway. Now we''ll just have to wait for the rest of the hunters and go through the victory ceremony, drink a bit with the nobles and then leave.¡±

    Seraphina spoke up immediately after he finished. ¡°Your Majesty, with all due respect. Continuing the festival after there was an attack on you by an intruder would be careless. There might be others here that could endanger the hunters, so we need to prepare. I would argue that it''s best-¡±

    ¡°You can argue as much as you want to.¡± The emperor cut his wife off without even looking at her.

    Both the empress and Blanche froze at that unfriendly tone. No matter how much Theodore disagreed, he couldn''t just dismiss the empress like that.

    Seraphina''s glare became icy, and she tensed as she replied. ¡°Your Majesty, this kind of-¡±

    Again, Theodore interrupted her, this time in a calmer voice. ¡°I did not mean to phrase it like this. Today, I noticed a very unpleasant person had followed me for a while without my knowledge, and when I addressed him, he just attempted to kill me. Thus, I''m not in the best condition right now, so do not feel offended. However, I can assure you that my decision is logical. As I already stated, I knew that man. His only intention was to monitor my actions, most likely to get an overview of my abilities with a bow and sword. He always worked alone, and it wouldn''t make sense to take more people with you if you have to move silently. So, you can be certain that no one else is here with the goal to hurt anyone.¡±

    Even if that was the case, Blanche understood Seraphina''s worries. After all, there had been an assassination attempt just two weeks ago, and now something had occurred again. This made it seem like the emperor was being targeted specifically, so protecting him would be the first logical step.

    The empress appeared to be convinced of that as well as she began to speak again. ¡°I accept your apology, Your Majesty, but I still worry. If we won''t interrupt the festival, will we at least inform the guests or end the competition earlier? We could use the excuse that Your Majesty has gained so many points that no one will be able to score that high.¡±

    Theodore shook his head. ¡°No matter how good someone was, we never ended it early unless there was an emergency. If we tell the hunters to come back, everyone will be able to guess that something happened. Along with my appearance when I arrived, it would be obvious that I was involved in some fight. I can justify that by saying that that was the bear''s blood, but meeting an animal isn''t a reason to end the hunt. If we reveal that there was an intruder shortly after the other attack, every person here will panic, and the trust in our security measures and the royal guards will decrease. That might lead to even more attempts to harm the inhabitants of the palace.¡±

    Seraphina didn''t seem convinced, but she patiently waited for the emperor to finish.

    Theodore paused for a moment before continuing in a perfectly calm voice. ¡°I can guarantee that the man I killed was one of the very few people that would be able to breach our defense system without us noticing it, but no one will believe that. We don''t need the uproar that the information about this attack might cause, so I want all of you to keep quiet. We will say that I was attacked by a bear and that I stabbed it while it was standing directly next to me, which would explain the blood. Lady Bellfaux was shocked upon seeing such a huge animal attempting to kill us, and nothing else happened.¡±

    Owen and Blanche simply nodded. Madeleine did the same, but she was still cuddling herself into the blanket that the empress'' maid had given her by now.

    Seraphina was the only one to open her mouth with a frown, most likely to argue, before reconsidering. She kept quiet for a moment and then shook her head slightly. ¡°I understand. In that case, I will stay here with Lady Bellfaux. May I invite my relatives inside?¡±

    Theodore rose to his feet and replied in an emotionless voice. ¡°You are free to do that. We shall take our leave.¡± He made eye contact with Blanche, who stood up as well, before walking to the entrance. His lover and Owen followed him.

    Blanche stopped when they were about to leave the tent. She examined the emperor''s bloody clothes again. ¡°People will worry if you run around like that. Aren''t you going to change first?¡±

    Theodore smiled and gently poked her cheek. ¡°That''s what I will do now. Originally, I wanted to do it in the royal tent, but it appears that the empress wishes to have her afternoon coffee party here now. So, I will have to go somewhere else. Remember the little tent I showed you? We''ll go there.¡±

    Before Blanche could voice her confusion about the fact that she should accompany him, Theodore continued moving, and she hurried to catch up to him. The piercing stares were basically burning in her back, and she glanced over her shoulder, only to meet Henry''s gaze. She immediately turned around again and was thankful when Owen coincidentally walked behind her, which shielded her from some of the most persistent spectators. She didn''t doubt that the Vasquez family and Sefare were glaring at her too, but she didn''t search for them to confirm that.

 Chapter 103: The Victor

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    really angry. I would like to see his face when he notices.¡± He lifted his head to look at his lover. ¡°Or rather not. I hate that person. Though it might be fun to see his smile fade. If that even works, that is.¡±

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 Chapter 104: Who Truly Is On My Side

    Blanche glanced over her shoulder again and made eye contact with the empress, which made her turn around immediately. ¡°Theo, you have to leave with her.¡±

    Theodore looked at the Duremont family again, still without moving in their direction. ¡°That''s why I waited here. The empress can come over here, and then she can walk with us. She has a pair of legs, doesn''t she? I surely won''t pick her up. I''m wounded, so I can''t move too much. Everyone knows that. I could also just go now without anyone being able to blame me for not crossing the whole glade to get to her. I doubt that it even matters. After all, most of the guests here are already too drunk to notice anything. If she doesn''t decide to join us, we''ll leave in a minute.¡± It was unfavorable to claim that the empress could accompany her husband and his mistress as if Seraphina was the one that didn''t belong.

    Before Blanche could open her mouth, Theodore turned to her again and gave her a grin. ¡°Besides, I can use that opportunity to tell you something. Since I won with your handkerchief, I''m devoting my victory to you. That means that I will have to hand over a present to you later too. It will still take a few days, so you have to be patient for a bit longer. Until then, I will compensate you with some smaller things. The tailor will come in a few days, which is very convenient too. You can choose as many dresses as you want to when she arrives.¡±

    Blanche frowned at that. ¡°You don''t need to give me anything for supporting you. We already talked about me owning so much so that I don''t even have enough space to store more dresses.¡±

    Her lover rolled his eyes. ¡°It wasn''t a good idea to put them in the wardrobe in the first place. Some gowns are very voluminous. No matter how big the wardrobe is, it was obvious that it would be full sooner or later. Besides, dresses are usually stored a bit differently, and we can just do that from now on. But we''ll take care of that later when we are alone.¡± He turned his head directly after saying that and gave someone a smile that was too sweet to be real.

    The concubine followed his gaze and froze when she saw Seraphina.

    The empress was accompanied by her three maids, and they looked just as furious as their mistress.

    Just at the moment that the heroine opened her mouth, Theodore spoke. ¡°You''re finally here. Good. Let''s leave.¡± He spun around without allowing Seraphina to reply.

    For a moment, it looked like the empress would lose her composure as she clenched her jaw and glared at Theodore''s back.

    One of her maids faced the others and whispered something loud enough for Blanche to hear. ¡°How can he treat you like that, he... How can you stay this calm, Your Majesty?¡±

    The concubine turned around to hide the expression on her face that would have betrayed her irritation. The empress was fuming. How could Seraphina look like she was calm to anyone? Hadn''t the empress'' maids learned how to read their mistress'' emotions by now? Blanche had no idea why no one could see that Seraphina''s eyes were the mirror of her true feelings. Maybe reading the novel had just allowed her to understand the heroine more. That would explain why it was easy for her to know that the empress would be wrathful upon being shut down like this. It was understandable to not want to be ignored, but the concubine didn''t have the desire to deal with the empress'' anger now.

    Blanche just shook her head to herself and followed her lover. She didn''t turn around and swallowed her uncertainty about Theodore walking next to her once again. On the one hand, it was concerning to see how he had completely disregarded his reputation today, which made her worry about the future. She would antagonize the heroine if it continued like this, and dying as the villainess had originally not been her goal. However, at the same time, she had to admit that being favored by her lover calmed her. Maybe she had the chance to change her fate and not only survive but also keep his devotion.

    Right now, it didn''t seem like Theodore would fall for Seraphina any time soon, and that was the thing that mattered most. As long as that didn''t happen, the concubine wouldn''t end up abandoned and executed. That thought made her want to cling to her lover, but she couldn''t cross that line in public. So, she did the thing that let her be as close to him as possible without being insolent.

    Even though Blanche should attempt to stay behind the emperor to not take the spot by his side that was the empress'' one, she didn''t have the intention to slow down. It wasn''t like Theodore would allow her to distance herself anyway. She wasn''t hurting anyone with that either since Seraphina wouldn''t want to accompany the emperor now anyway. So, it was fine, right?

    The way back to the palace wasn''t long, but it was nerve-wracking. It felt like the empress'' mood affected everyone except for the emperor, who was still grinning while they passed through the gate of the royal estate. All the servants acted like they were scared to take one wrong step and made sure not to come too close to Seraphina, and even the knights appeared to keep their distance. Seemingly, most people couldn''t read the empress'' stoic expression, but at least they noticed the tension between the royal couple.

    Blanche felt that as well, especially since the empress was staring at her and Theodore the whole time. She just gave her best to be as inconspicuous as possible to not attract the heroine''s anger even more. She shrank in herself and quietly walked next to her lover while not daring to turn around.

    The group entered the palace, and the emperor dismissed the guards, naturally except for Owen. The concubine was a bit relieved to know that this exhausting day would come to an end soon. When she was finally in her room, or rather Theodore''s room, she wouldn''t have to deal with other people looking at her. Being forced to maintain an appropriate exterior the entire time was tiring and extremely stressful. The worst part, however, had been the arguments, which unfortunately seemed to have surrounded the concubine completely. Blanche finally wanted her peace now.

    When Theodore began climbing up the stairs to the second floor, he extended his arm to Blanche and intertwined their fingers before leading her up. She was about to breathe out in relief as they would be alone in a few seconds, only to tense when she noticed that Seraphina was following them.

    The empress looked grim and pressed her mouth into a thin line, which could only mean that she was holding back the things she really wanted to say. As soon as they were on the second floor, she spoke up. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Her tone was as icy as her expression, which made a shiver run down the concubine''s spine.

    Theodore let out a quiet sigh before stopping and turning around without letting go of his lover. ¡°What is it?¡±

    The empress straightened her posture and made eye contact, seemingly without being intimidated by the emperor''s rather sour reply. ¡°I would like to speak to you. In private. This is an urgent matter, so I would ask you to come to your office now.¡±

    For Blanche, it was extremely uncomfortable to stand in between these two authoritarian figures that were clearly about to have another fight. Recently, it had appeared like the main characters had been able to work together without any problems and with fewer arguments, but now this had changed. Obviously, that had been Theodore''s fault, but in the end, he hadn''t done anything illegal and just ignored the social norms that were not necessarily contemporary. This wasn''t what an emperor should do, but the only people that would truly be dissatisfied with this were the Duremonts.

    Seemingly, Theodore thought so too since he made eye contact with the fuming Seraphina and didn''t show any signs of regret. ¡°If you have something to tell me, you can do so here.¡±

    The empress narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Your Majesty, I just said that it was a private matter.¡±

    ¡°There''s no one here besides my lover and my personal guard. If you don''t scream, no one else will hear it. Either you speak up now, or I will leave.¡±

    Blanche looked up at her lover in shock. He had been reckless the whole day, but now he truly seemed like he wanted to provoke his wife. What would doing that gain him? Wouldn''t it just cause problems with her family and worsen his relationship with both the empress and Duke Duremont?

    Seraphina didn''t flinch though. She kept quiet for a moment, most likely to hold back the resentful responses that had to fill her mind. It looked like she forced herself to relax before she opened her mouth. ¡°In that case, I will be brief. No matter how much your emotional state is disturbed by the events two weeks ago or the incident today, you, as the emperor of Artias, cannot simply act as you please. There are standards-¡±

    Theodore didn''t want to hear any of that. He didn''t even allow the empress to begin her lecture properly and gave one instead while being so quick that Seraphina couldn''t even interrupt him. ¡°What did I do that was so awful? Talking to Blanche? I spoke to others for a long time too, and no one complained. Accepting the gift she had worked on for weeks in a secluded location? No one would have noticed if you had just given me your handkerchief, but you had to hand it over to your brother while standing at a spot where everyone could see you. Leaving earlier because of my injuries and not wishing to force you to go back already? I thought that you would like to spend some more time with your family since you can barely meet them. None of the things I have done came with the intention of upsetting you. Don''t feel offended because of trivialities that never meant to insult anyone.¡± When Theodore finished, he just glared at Seraphina and waited for a reply.

    The empress had been rendered speechless by that and clenched her jaw while staring at the emperor. She took a few seconds to come up with a response, but she didn''t manage to speak up before Theodore continued.

    ¡°I admit that my intentions might not always be obvious, but that''s why it is important to ask other people before making assumptions about their goals. I might also have looked extremely unapproachable today, but that was the case because a few unfavorable things happened at the same time. Your father also was involved in that. He seemed to believe that it was necessary to instigate a fight in front of all guests, and when I intervened, I was accused of staining your name or something like that. He had threatened to withdraw his political support a few times in the past already and now hinted that again, for which I called him insolent. After that, he ignored me for the whole festival and glared at me. Seeing that grown man act like a hateful child also frustrated me, which might be why I''m not in the best mood right now.¡±

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    Seraphina''s eyes widened slightly when the emperor mentioned her father, and she hurried to raise her voice but still made sure to sound cold. ¡°If His Grace was being audacious, I will apologize in his stead. However, I cannot imagine that he would have discussed with Your Majesty without a reason. The Duremonts always backed you, so it is clear that we are on your side. Thus, no member of my family would wish for trouble if they weren''t of the conviction that it is necessary to speak up.¡± She glanced over at Blanche after ending her sentence, which made the concubine take back a step.

    Why would Blanche be blamed now when she had tried her best to avoid any trouble? She hadn''t acted on her own today at all.

    Theodore squeezed his lover''s hand and made eye contact with her before replying. ¡°If all of you are on my side, then how do you explain your indifferent reaction to me almost getting killed by that intruder?¡±

    The empress sounded like she was becoming more and more irritated with every of her husband''s remarks. ¡°When you returned from the forest, no one knew what had happened. Except for asking Your Majesty about what happened, what would we have been supposed to do?¡±

    The emperor didn''t let the other''s annoyance concern him. ¡°It''s not about the attack itself. I came out of the forest while being full of blood. Any normal person would have concluded that I was hurt. Did anyone from your family worry enough to walk over? No, you waited by the tents. Blanche was the one that ran to me. You only followed after noticing that I wouldn''t immediately go to the podium. That alone should suffice as a sign of who truly is on my side. I don''t think that there is anything else I can say about this matter.¡± He spun around on his heel and pulled his lover with him. They had already climbed up half of the stairs when Seraphina spoke again.

    ¡°I wished to thank you for saving my life.¡±

    Theodore froze at that and stopped his movements. ¡°You''re welcome.¡± He replied curtly in a much too cold tone without turning around and then continued to move forward. He dragged his lover with him, and she barely managed to keep up with his pace. When they were out of earshot, he began muttering to himself, and she only heard some of his words but not enough to understand what he was saying.

    Just when she thought that she might be able to make out a full sentence, Theodore stopped and spoke up louder. ¡°I bet you didn''t want to see that. I''m sorry. But I just didn''t have any energy to sit down in my office now while she lectures me. She will definitely bother me again tomorrow. I should tell Leon to say that I''m gone when she comes. I''m really not in the mood to deal with her stubbornness because she begins arguing whenever I act in a way she doesn''t like. Why can''t she just let me do whatever I want with my life?¡±

    To be honest, Blanche was torn. She could understand why Seraphina was upset because of Theodore''s actions. After all, he had obviously accepted proof of a romantic relationship from his lover despite being in public and being watched by his wife. No matter how much one argued that his private life and his responsibility as the emperor could be seen separately, that he had a concubine with no noble background was offending to the empress. So, it would be odd for Seraphina, who had the second most powerful position in the nation and came from a very influential family, to keep quiet about her reputation being stained.

    However, at the same time, Theodore''s explanations for his actions made sense. If one put it in the words that he had used, he had done nothing condemnable. Taking his lover''s handkerchief was the only thing that might have been inappropriate, but he had done so at a place where not many people had seen them. So, Seraphina handing hers to Allen had actually caused the scandal since that had directed the guests'' eyes onto the emperor and his concubine. In the end, that meant that Theodore hadn''t made many mistakes and that the empress'' reaction possibly might have been a bit exaggerated.

    Possibly, even if it was doubtful.

    Blanche didn''t know how to feel about this interaction. On the one hand, fights between the empress and Theodore would prevent the main characters from becoming a couple, which was her goal. On the other hand, it might strain Theodore''s relationship with the Duremonts if the conflict remained unresolved or escalated. It was frustrating that everything nowadays seemed to be a double-edged sword. Why couldn''t anything be simple for once?

    The concubine was tired of having to balance on the thin line between keeping the main characters apart to stay with her lover and not risking that the emperor''s influence suffered because of that. She just wanted to be with Theodore. Was that too much to ask for? That was the goal she wished to achieve.

    Today, she had been able to confirm that she was able to change her fate both directly and indirectly. That could also cause new dangers to arise, but it was her chance to avoid the original ending. A chance, she was willing to reach out for.

    With newfound determination, Blanche grabbed her lover''s hand tighter and hurried to walk beside him. ¡°At first, I also thought that you had overdone it today. But after you explained those things, it didn''t seem to be so bad at all.¡±

    That made Theodore stop. He stepped in front of her and gave her a soft smile while gently stroking his knuckles over her cheek. ¡°I might have used the wrong words just now. I promise that you don''t have to worry about any of this. Even if I don''t explain anything to the public, no one will be able to trouble me. The position of the emperor is more powerful than most nobles imagine it to be. In short, I can spend as much time with you in public as I want to. Of course, I won''t do anything that would be impudent now, but you''re free to let me pamper you. Alright?¡±

    Blanche hesitated a bit but then nodded. She trusted Theodore. He wouldn''t do anything that would endanger his reign and increase his brother''s chances to ascend to the throne. She could be sure of that.

    Her lover''s grin widened. ¡°Good. Then let''s go to my room before anyone else wants something from me.¡± He led her through the corridors to his chambers and held open the door for her. Seemingly, she would sleep in his room today again. She certainly wouldn''t complain about that. Just when they entered the room, the emperor froze though. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. I need to write a report about the incident. It would be best if I did that today since my memory is still fresh. Would you be angry if I disappeared for ten minutes?¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°Of course not. It''s extremely important that you collect all information about what happened so that your people can investigate the matter properly. After all, we need to prevent something like this from occurring again.¡±

    ¡°It definitely won''t happen again. There was only one person that would try something like that. It''s a surprise that he was disposed of so quickly, but it''s a pleasant one. One of our enemies'' best men is dead, so we should celebrate. Should I stop by the kitchen on my way and ask for a grand buffet?¡± Theodore caressed her cheek with his thumb while still grinning from one ear to the other.

    The concubine exaggeratedly shook her head. ¡°We won''t have a buffet for two people. Too much food will go to waste. You should just ask for a salmon filet, and I''ll be happy.¡±

    ¡°Alright. That will take a while, but you can already look forward to it.¡± Theodore turned back to the door and opened it. ¡°Owen will stay here with you for a few minutes. Your maid can get your nightgown in the meantime.¡±

    Stella hurriedly nodded at that before leaving to fulfill the request.

    Owen didn''t seem to be too pleased about this though. He had returned to his emotionless face by now but still seemed tense. ¡°Your Majesty, as your personal guard, I may only leave your side to wait in front of the room or in an emergency. This-¡±

    Theodore cut him off with a swift motion of his hand. ¡°You can''t guarantee that there is no danger within the room I''m in either, and you leave for a few hours to sleep every day. But that''s beside the point. You saw me fight today, didn''t you? Against the bear and that man, even though the latter case wasn''t a real fight. That should convince you that I''m able to defend myself. As long as I''m within the palace, that would suffice. As you can see, I have the sword right here.¡± He put his hand on the sheath that was tied to his waist.

    Owen remained quiet for a moment before nodding. ¡°This is an exception, Your Majesty.¡±

    Theodore shrugged before leaving the room. He waved to his lover once more before turning around and walking down the corridor.

    This left Blanche alone with the head knight. Even though she had endured a longer and more nerve-wracking silence many times in the past, it still felt awkward to stand there without saying anything. She cleared her throat and addressed the first topic that came to her mind. ¡°So... Theo really killed a bear in a fight? I thought that was just an excuse for the bloodstain.¡±

    Owen shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately not. We have not found a single bear in that forest for the past years. But then His Majesty chose a direction and led us directly to a cave, in which it seemed to have lived. That beast attacked him on sight, but he managed to lure it into a trap and then finished it. I have to admit that I was surprised by his skill. His Majesty never tended to enjoy hunting. As far as I know, he also never trained archery or sword-fighting recently, but seemingly, he did so in secret.¡±

    That was definitely a subject that interested Blanche. She congratulated herself for having chosen this way to start a conversation. Like this, she could find out more about how Theodore had suddenly scored thirteen points. ¡°Why do you think that he trained?¡±

    ¡°During the hunt, he did not misaim once. All of his arrows hit the target even while his horse was moving, and he killed some animals in one shot as well. His abilities to wield a sword have also increased significantly. His Majesty did not have any problems causing a fatal wound to a bear in a few blows. That shows that he was not only able to handle the weapon perfectly but also that he knew where he had to aim. His Majesty''s movements were much more refined in comparison to what they had been only last year. As you heard, he also killed the intruder by reading his movements and then positioning the sword correctly within a second. It''s impressive that he even noticed that man since none of us had. Even though I would say that I am very skilled and have trained since my early childhood, I didn''t spot that person while His Majesty did. All of this leads me to believe that he had to have trained. Though, I am unaware of when he would have done that since I didn''t notice.¡±

    That did seem odd. Owen, who proved that this matter bothered him a lot since he talked about it so much, never left the emperor''s side except for when they went to sleep But Theodore could not have reduced his amount of rest even more to train, right? Before the assassination attempt, he had barely slept five hours. How would he have been able to sneak out without anyone seeing him, practice using a bow and a sword and then work during the day without getting any rest? He had never been interested in fighting and hunting as well, so this was even more confusing.

    Blanche pondered about that when another question appeared in her head. ¡°Theo said that he knew that intruder. Who was that?¡± The head knight seemed to hesitate at her inquiry, so she added another bit. ¡°Only if you are allowed to tell me, of course. I won''t be angry if you can''t.¡±

    Owen lowered his gaze to the floor and remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°I''m afraid that I can''t give you any personal information about him. I can only say that he was a promising trainee for the position of a royal guard. I remember instructing him, and His Majesty must have met him a few times too. But then this man decided to work together with the wrong people and used his skills to fulfill their desires. He left the palace, and I didn''t see him for the last six years. I never felt bad about that since I believed that this man had always been rather power-hungry, but I wouldn''t have guessed that he would dare to attack His Majesty. That situation was extremely unpleasant, so it is odd that His Majesty doesn''t intend to push forward an investigation immediately.¡±

    The concubine was quiet after that. A former royal guard was following the emperor in secret? How did that add up? The knights in the palace were expected to risk their lives to protect the members of the royal family. Either that man had to have been disloyal from the very beginning and had only wished to get the rather generous pay of a royal guard, or he had been influenced by his new employers.

    Blanche didn''t have more time to think about that since Stella came back with her clothes for the next day and a nightgown.

    Theodore didn''t take much longer either. He returned after finishing his report, and the rest of the evening only consisted out of cuddling and eating the salmon filet that her lover had ordered. It was strange to see that such a tiring day was ending like every normal one, but she was glad that this was the case.

    When they eventually lay down in bed and closed their eyes, Blanche wasn''t able to fall asleep immediately. She used the time to think about the events of that day and what they would mean for her future and came to the same conclusion. She could change the novel, but she had to be careful.

    Otherwise, she might steer away from one danger, only to crash into another one. The incident today just reminded her of that.

    That night, Blanche''s sleep was uneasy. In her dreams, she kept seeing blurry faces she couldn''t quite recognize, and the people''s strangely distorted voices didn''t help her either. A man with light blue hair seemed to be talking to someone, someone who gave off an ugly feeling. When that unpleasant second person began a duel shortly after, Blanche just knew that something bad would happen. She hated every second of that and was relieved to wake up in Theodore''s arms.

    When she fell asleep again, she managed to get a bit of rest.

 Chapter 105: How To Pamper Your Lover

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 Chapter 106: Althea

    It was new that her lover spoke about a person named Althea, who seemed to have been his father''s concubine and had raised him. Of course, Blanche listened from the very beginning to make sure that no word remained unheard.

    Theodore bit his lip and looked down for a moment before continuing with a voice that was dripping with resentment. ¡°I was born to the dowager empress, who only saw me as a tool to stabilize her husband''s power. Althea, who truly wished for a child, appeared to be infertile, and that crushed her.¡± His expression softened, and a warm smile adorned his lips. ¡°Then my father did the one thing I will forever be thankful for. To him, it didn''t matter who raised me. He just wanted to make the person that he cared about happy. So, he gave me to Althea.¡±

    That was an awfully strange way of handling children, but Blanche wouldn''t complain. She knew that the dowager empress was horrible, so she was glad that Theodore had stayed safe from her.

    Theodore squeezed his lover''s hand and made eye contact with her. ¡°I was close to my father, but not in the way that a parent and their child should be close to each other. We did see each other as family, but I think we focused too much on our status to ignore our roles. I saw him as my mentor, and he saw me as the future emperor, whom he had to educate so that the country would flourish during my reign. I spent a lot of time with him, but that was mainly to learn about my duties later. That doesn''t mean that I didn''t love my father. I am merely a bit disappointed since I disagree with his constant attempts to push all emotions away, which resulted in him making many mistakes regarding his lover as well as me and my brother.¡±

    It was hard to imagine how the former emperor had been, but upon seeing his portrait when she had first arrived here, Blanche had deemed him to be stern. She could believe that this had quite the negative impact on someone''s children if their parents were as cold to them as the emperor might seem to others. Certainly, neither of the princes had had an easy time with that. Yet, it felt strange to hear Theodore mentioning his brother, possibly because Blanche had never heard much about the second prince, at least not from her lover. She only listened more closely and tried to ignore how her stomach churned with uncertainty,

    Theodore left a small pause and resumed after taking a deep breath. ¡°Father supported me a lot, but the person that showed me real affection was Althea. She took me in as her own child and gave me the love my father had never thought to be necessary to raise an heir. She didn''t mind showing affection. Like I mentioned during our conversation about my childhood, she always protected me from all kinds of dangers to the best of her ability. She even fought with my father a few times because he didn''t do anything about the staff being full of corrupt people. I was happy with her and my father''s lessons despite all the kidnapping and assassination attempts. But unfortunately, it wasn''t this easy.¡±

    Blanche already thought that what she had heard wasn''t easy, but she forced herself to stay quiet not to interrupt her lover.

    Theodore''s expression darkened. He paused and directed his gaze onto the table. Blanche began to stroke her thumb over the back of his hands when he continued in a bitter voice. ¡°The dowager empress was furious about me growing up with Althea as my mother. It didn''t matter much since my father didn''t care about her complaints, but she caused problems over and over again. Rumors say that she had violent fits in which she hurt servants and pushed some down the stairs, and I fully believe that. All memories I have of that woman are horrible, even the ones from when I was barely four. At that time, she demanded to see me regularly, and Althea was too kind and felt guilty about taking away another woman''s child, so she allowed it. The dowager empress always pretended to be close to me during those meetings and wanted me to act as if I had been raised by her. I was extremely young back then, so naturally, I was disturbed by that unknown person suddenly hugging me and telling me to call her Mother. So, I cried and hid behind Althea, whom I addressed as Mother. That made the dowager empress angry.¡±

    Blanche''s expression had to have given away how upset she was to hear that, even though she hadn''t even witnessed that scene.

    This made her lover stroke over her hands for a moment. A grim chuckle escaped his throat before he resumed. ¡°Very angry. I still remember how she yelled at me and told me that I deserved the worst in the world for betraying her. I think she hated me ever since the day that I chose Althea over her. She had already been resentful about her husband making that choice, so her biological son doing the same must have infuriated her.¡±

    It made sense for the dowager empress to lose her temper. Most people would be furious upon losing their child to someone else. Hating the concerned child for that instead of the person that had made the decision, the former emperor, was absolutely nonsensical though. Blanche wanted to tell Theodore that his behavior as a toddler had been to be expected, but she held back once again. This time, it was much harder to keep her mouth shut, especially since it pained her to see her lover so vulnerable.

    The corners of Theodore''s lips formed an uncertain smile that showed that he was only half-amused. ¡°Unfortunately, the dowager didn''t keep quiet about that. She troubled Althea again and again and blamed her whenever something had happened to me despite never making any attempts to protect me herself. She began doing everything in her power to hurt my mother with the pettiest schemes you could come up with, but it got even more dangerous. It even ended with her ordering someone to put broken glass into Mother''s food, which eventually just underlined why Father had deemed her to be unable to raise me. However, he was too weak to stand by his decision. My father, as cowardly as that was, had enough one day and believed that his wife would keep quiet if she had a child herself.¡±

    Blanche could already tell what would happen. ¡°So, he...decided that she should raise your brother? Even though she had already shown that she was willing to hurt Althea so badly?¡± Somehow, the thought stung.

    Theodore''s expression as he said the rest just made it worse. ¡°Yes. That is one of the most cowardly things my father did. Back then, I was just five, so I barely noticed, but it soon went downhill. My brother was born, and since I was hated by the dowager empress, she gave her best to raise him into an heir that would surpass me. If he wasn''t such a despicable person, I would have felt pity upon seeing how she forced him to study night and day. Though, I shouldn''t have expected the dowager empress to be able to raise a good person in the first place.¡± Something in his gaze made it seem like he might actually have some pity, but he didn''t dare to say it. He was quiet for a moment and met his lover''s gaze before resuming in a softer voice. ¡°I''m glad that I didn''t end up with her. I would have become someone that was unable to love in that case, and then I wouldn''t be with you.¡± He lifted his lover''s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss onto her fingertips.

    After waiting for a few seconds, Blanche could be sure that he was finished and spoke up quietly as she gave her best to ignore how much her chest hurt. ¡°This is the first time that I ever heard about that. I''m glad that you got away from that horrible woman as well. To think that she would dislike you for acting like a child when you were one and that she would even go as far as to wish for your death just so that the other son can rule Artias... How twisted can a person be? It''s obvious that toddlers wouldn''t recognize an unknown woman as their mother when the one that raised them is standing right behind them.¡± She made a small pause.

    She knew where the dowager empress and the second prince were. Currently, they were being confined in a small palace at the other end of the capital for their connection to the assassination attempt on Theodore after his coronation.

    The former emperor was already dead, which explained where he was too. But another person had been mentioned in this story, and there was no trace of her in the palace.

    Blanche had heard about the past a few times, but Althea''s name didn''t seem familiar to her. If that woman had basically been Theodore''s mother, why wasn''t she here now? The concubine had a bad premonition about that, so she didn''t want to ask, but she was curious. She glanced at her lover, who was observing her carefully. She opened her mouth, only to close it immediately. There was no way that she could address something that could possibly make him remember some terrible things.

    But Theodore had already noticed that she was holding herself back. He put his hand onto her cheek and brought his face directly in front of hers. ¡°Please don''t keep quiet about whatever is on your mind. I want to hear what you are thinking.¡±

    Blanche bit the inside of her cheek. ¡°It''s just... I''m unsure whether that wouldn''t only hurt you to think about.¡±

    His expression didn''t change while she said that. ¡°Ask about what you want to know.¡±

    She took a deep breath and posed her question so quietly that it was barely audible. ¡°Althea... Where is she now? Is she...¡±

    Her lover gave her a sad smile. ¡°Yes, she isn''t with us anymore. I wanted her to stay in the palace with me after my father''s death, but we didn''t have much time left together. It''s been over a...¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°No, it happened exactly seven years ago. At the hunting festival.¡± He took a few seconds to breathe in and out, seemingly to keep his rage from overflowing. ¡°Did you know that we were attacked twice that day?¡±

    She felt how the blood drained from her face at that. ¡°Twice? You mean in the forest and one more time?¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°During the hunt, we were attacked by a group of mercenaries that had jumped out of the trees without a warning, and that was the assassination attempt that started everything. After coming back from the forest with me and the guards being covered in wounds, I asked my mother to get into a carriage and told the coachman to bring us to a manor that belongs to the royal family. I did that because I knew that the dowager empress was responsible for the attack, so I didn''t want to spend the night in the same building as her.¡±

    He let out a humorless laugh. ¡°I thought I was being so clever, but the dowager empress had anticipated that. The carriage was ambushed only a few minutes after we had entered it. The door was opened, and a masked man with a sword stormed towards me.¡± Theodore pressed his lips into a thin line and tightened his hold on his lover''s hand. ¡°That was the last time that my mother saved me. She just jumped up and stood in front of me. Of course, she had no armor or weapons, so she only managed to slow him down for a few seconds. That was enough for me to run away. It was...too late for Mother though.¡±

    Blanche saw how tears were glittering in her lover''s eyes and felt like her heart broke even though she had never met the woman that had raised him. She barely managed to press out the following words. ¡°What happened after that?¡±

    ¡°I was grieving and too wrathful to think clearly. And that made me ruthless.¡± Theodore''s eyes became colder, and he stared into the distance while speaking. ¡°It was obvious that they wouldn''t leave behind any evidence, but I still wanted to give them the worst punishment that I could legally sentence them to. After the first investigation, which had only brought up vague clues that supported my assumption of whom was responsible, the second one ended with Count Besseta being framed and executed. I barely managed to pardon his family due to the pressure from the other nobles, but that situation gave me an idea. I began to lay out traps with Leon''s help, and we created the evidence that had been missing before. That took some time, and during those weeks, I won the dowager empress'' trust.¡±

    Theodore''s lips formed a small smile, but his eyes remained as filled with hatred as they had been before. ¡°Until this day, it disgusts me to say that I called her Mother and pretended to want her affection and protection. I think that she believed me so much that she might have considered keeping me alive if I had signed a contract that would make my brother the next emperor. But then we had prepared enough proof to have another trial, and I tricked her by promising that I trusted her before it began. She was interrogated in front of the court, and I asked where she was during the second attack. A murmur went through the crowd, but she just calmly replied that she had been returning to the palace at that time.¡±

    Theodore''s smile widened a bit. ¡°She only noticed that she couldn''t have known about the fact that there was a second assassination attempt since we hadn''t made it public when it was too late. Along with the subtle evidence that we had faked, that was enough to link her to the incidents and put her in confinement. My brother lied flawlessly, as always, and was far too young to be punished seriously, but he joined the dowager empress without even questioning it. It might have been better like this. I know that I told you about the summary of the trial already, and back then, I said that I felt guilty about falsifying proof. But now I''m actually frustrated that I didn''t come up with enough to execute the dowager empress. Even though it''s hard to sentence members of the royal family to death, it was the best opportunity to get rid of her, and I didn''t use it. Now I have to wait while knowing that she and my brother won''t sit there quietly. They are definitely already preparing something to harm me in this very moment.¡± He let out a sigh as his smile faded. ¡°We can only hope that they will act as recklessly as the man that attacked me during this year''s hunt. If so, I won''t have any trouble fighting back.¡±

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Blanche just sat there and tried to process all the information that she had just been given. She had known about the issue with the Besseta family, and she was aware of the falsified evidence. But before this day, her lover had never spoken about Althea, the second attack or how he had tricked his biological mother. The clearer the whole picture got, the more gruesome the dowager empress'' action appeared to be. How could that woman harbor ill feelings because a little child had refused to play along with her facade of being a loving mother despite rarely meeting him? Being sad about that would have been logical, but the dowager empress had become so bitter that she even tried to kill her own son because of this.

    The concubine felt anger bubbling in her stomach and gave her best to suppress that. Theodore knew how horrible his birth mother was, so ranting about that would only make him feel even worse. Right now, she couldn''t get emotional but had to be his anchor. She had to stay calm and allow him to cry, not the other way around. Gently, she put her hand on his cheek and kept silent for a few more seconds to regain her composure before speaking up. ¡°I...don''t know what to say. I support your decision from back then fully, and it''s good if you don''t regret it because it was right to send those that attempted to kill you away. I don''t need to voice what I think about the dowager empress since it should be obvious by now. I''m glad that you managed to confine her and your brother. But of course, it''s awful that it had to come so far first. And...I''m sorry for your loss.¡±

    She felt unpleasantly upset after she finished. Even though she had only heard Althea''s name a few times today and had never met her, she was dejected to know that this woman was dead. If Althea had raised Theodore, she had to have been a wonderful person, and that was enough to make Blanche want to grieve. She gave her best to hide that, but her lover read her expression too well.

    Theodore leaned forward and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs while cupping her face. ¡°Don''t be sad. I miss her, but it''s been a long time.¡±

    Blanche let out a small chuckle while making eye contact with her lover. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m not the one that should grieve. But just because it happened in the past, that doesn''t make it insignificant. Even if a hundred years pass, you won''t be able to get over losing someone you love. You think about it less, and other people play more important roles in your life, but you don''t forget them. And when you remember them, it feels like heaven, and at the same time, it stings so much that you want to break down. I-¡± She cut herself off when she realized that she was summarizing her own feelings about her family. She didn''t need to think about that now, or she wouldn''t be able to hide her dismay. It wouldn''t be fair for her to ponder about her own problems when Theodore had just opened up to her.

    Her lover moved his chair even closer to her and extended his arms towards her. She climbed onto his lap without hesitating and cuddled up against him. For a while, they sat like that without saying anything and with the only noise being their quiet breathing until they, especially Theodore, had calmed down a bit.

    Theodore was the one to speak again first. He slowly stroked over her hair before whispering. ¡°I know how it feels to lose someone because I wasn''t able to protect them. It was my biggest mistake, and I won''t repeat it. That''s why I can assure you that no one will ever harm you as long as I''m here.¡±

    ¡°You have to protect yourself too. I can''t imagine a life without you.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I don''t intend to ever spend a day more than absolutely necessary without you.¡±

    She hoped that they would be able to fulfill that desire despite the issues the novel and the emperor''s enemies forced upon them. They loved each other more than anything, so they deserved that, right? Today had once again proven that they had become closer than the main characters ever had been in the original storyline. Neither Theodore''s childhood nor Althea''s role in it had been described in the novel. This meant that he hadn''t felt such a strong bond to Seraphina that he would want to tell her.

    But he had told Blanche. This made it obvious that she had been able to make him trust her more than in the past. She had to have influenced their relationship so that they were more likely to open up to each other. If that was the case, she had earned the right to have a happy end with him, hadn''t she? Even though that knowledge made her cheerful, she was also a bit scared. Theodore trusted her, and if he ever found out about her connection to Sefare, who was backing that despicable dowager empress, he would be heartbroken. She couldn''t risk him hearing about that.

    As long as Sefare kept quiet to protect himself from possible consequences for him, Blanche was safe. But if that man decided to reveal everything, she couldn''t do anything about it. In that case, her only chance would be explaining how she had believed Sefare since he had saved her life and that she had never intended to harm her lover. Maybe that would make Theodore refrain from throwing her out of the palace, but his trust in her would still disappear. So, she could only hope that Sefare was too cautious to publish any information that could make her seem like the emperor''s enemy.

    Otherwise, she might be led to the execution site again.

    After a few minutes, Blanche forced herself to push those thoughts away to focus on her lover''s breathing, which sounded normal again. Of course, he had been able to calm himself faster than she did, even though he had been the one sharing his painful past. After that, he made it his task to console her, no matter how often she repeated that she was fine.

    The rest of the meal consisted out of Blanche and Theodore hugging each other while feeding one another some snacks. By the time that they finished, it was already time for dinner, so they ate a bit more of the pastries and skipped the savory meal before going to bed.

    <hr>

    The couple continued the routine that they had implemented during the past few days, with the only change being their new eating location. They woke up and ate in the dining room. Then they spent the time until noon together and ate in the winter garden or, if the weather was appropriate, in the pavilion. After that, Theodore left to work during the afternoon since he had increased his workload a little bit again. Blanche used that time to take walks, bake and interact with her friends. For dinner, they met in the winter garden again, and she brought a piece of whatever dessert she had created on that day. They spent the evening together and then went to bed, only to repeat the same thing the following days.

    It was a simple but relaxing and pleasant schedule with few problems that could arise. With the only exception being Theodore''s conviction to fill her new dressing room to the brim. Blanche wasn''t even able to act like she didn''t like the presents, since that would be a lie and would also hurt her lover, so her wardrobe slowly but surely grew against her wishes. But was the only little issue that would have to live with.

    She was just happy to be with Theodore and her friends without having to meet any unpleasant people for the next time while anticipating the upcoming vacation. Though, it appeared to be a bit more stressful for the servants that needed to prepare the baggage for a two-month trip to the coast. The emperor would be accompanied by many servants and guards, and all of those would have to take something with them as well, so countless carriages and horses were needed.

    Whenever Blanche saw people in the entrance hall, they were carrying boxes and brought them to the coaches, which would leave earlier with the staff members that would prepare everything in the summer mansion for the emperor''s arrival. But other than that, she had to rely on her friend''s complaints about how they had to transport things from the storage rooms to the carriages the whole time. That was enough to give her a rather clear picture.

    ¡°I swear to the gods. If that girl whines about how I stack my baggage one more time, I will get seriously mad.¡± Darlene plopped down onto the chair and leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling.

    Clark looked up from the cake he was currently cutting for the concubine and raised an eyebrow at his colleague. ¡°What are you going to do then? Threaten her? I think you''re two heads smaller than her.¡±

    Darlene glared at him without showing any intention of moving. ¡°What did you say? I may not be as tall as you giant, but I''m still average.¡± She glanced at the other side of the room, where Angelica was sitting and peeling fruits along with Stella and George. ¡°But I''m alright with that if it means that I''m at the perfect height to receive forehead kisses.¡±

    Angelica met her gaze and gave her a wide grin. ¡°We''ll see what we can do about that.¡±

    Blanche watched the exchange with a smile before going back to stirring the cream. This time, it seemed to be in perfect condition and wasn''t filled with small buttery pieces, so she was content. She put the whisk away and grabbed a spoon to begin spreading the mass on the dough pieces that Clark had already prepared. ¡°I think the fruit rolls might be even better than last time. Today everything works out like it''s supposed to.¡±

    George came over to her and inspected the cake for a bit. ¡°I don''t know how the result looked like last time, but this already seems tasty, even though it''s not even finished.¡± He extended his hand to one of the pieces that only needed some fruits before it was done, but he was harshly reminded to be patient.

    Clark smacked his hand away. ¡°Hands off. We''re not finished.¡± George pretended to sulk, but his colleague didn''t pay any attention to that. Clark just eyed how Blanche put the cream onto the next dough piece and spoke up with a smirk when she met his gaze. ¡°It might be better this time because someone that can actually use a knife is here to help. Even after baking for... How long has it been? Three months? Anyway, it''s been a while, but your hands are still as unsteady as always.¡±

    The concubine turned around and tossed back a strand of her hair in an exaggerated motion. ¡°I don''t know what you could be talking about. During the time I didn''t come here, I made a handkerchief for Theo, and it looks oddly good for someone with unsteady hands. Stella had to teach me, and I took a few attempts, but in the end, the effort was worth it.¡± The others paused at the mention of the emperor, and for a moment, they exchanged a few looks with each other, which made her wonder. ¡°What''s wrong?¡±

    Angelica was the one to reply after a few seconds of awkward silence. ¡°It''s nothing bad. It''s just that we aren''t sure whether we should mention that. It won''t influence you in any way, so it might be better not to-¡±

    Darlene cut her off. ¡°I still think that we should tell her. It''s related to her, and I would like to know something like that if I was in her situation too.¡±

    The concubine looked at them in confusion until George spoke up. ¡°I''m uncertain. It might come across wrong if you only tell half of it, so...¡±

    Stella put her hands onto her hips at that. ¡°Please be honest. Keeping secrets is completely unnecessary.¡±

    Clark set down the knife with a sigh and turned around to lean his back against the counter. ¡°I agree. We should just be direct, or this will take a few more days until you mentally prepared yourselves.¡± He made eye contact with the concubine. ¡°It''s actually not a big issue, so I don''t know why they are acting like this. I''ll just tell you for them. A few days ago, Gloria informed us that His Majesty wished to talk to us in private.¡±

    Blanche frowned at that. ¡°He went out of his way to send the head maid to get you? What did he want from you?¡±

    Clark glanced at his colleagues, who seemed a bit nervous, before continuing. ¡°When we entered His Majesty''s office, he asked us whether we were the people that you were meeting in the kitchen regularly. At first, I feared that he had somehow found out about the cherry incident, but that wasn''t it. He just spoke to all of us for a bit and posed a few harmless questions about us, our work and our free time before dismissing us.¡±

    George let out a humorless chuckle when his friend finished. ¡°Yes, and that was all His Majesty needed to do to make us shiver in fear. I thought I was going to lose my job in the palace or even my life. Of course, it''s good for the emperor to have an intimidating presence, but that was a bit much for me.¡±

    Blanche smeared some cream on another piece of cake while glancing up at her friends. ¡°I understand that. In front of others, he''s very authoritarian. Sometimes, I find it odd how different he can be when there aren''t any spectators. But why did he call you to his office? I can''t imagine that you committed any errors that were so severe that the emperor had to address you personally. Did he say why he wanted to see you?¡±

    Angelica shook her head. ¡°He just asked many questions and then sent us away again. We don''t know why he would be interested in our private life, so we only have one explanation for that. He wanted to make sure that we were good people so that he doesn''t have to worry about you spending time with us.¡±

    That did seem like a logical reason. In any other case, it wouldn''t make sense for Theodore to show interest in random servants and to coincidentally pick out the four Blanche was close to. Maybe that was why he had asked about her friends only a few days ago.

    To bystanders, such care might seem exaggerated, but it made sense to Blanche. Her lover had told her that his father hadn''t cleared the palace of traitors so that he had been forced to suffer from many disloyal people during his childhood. It was only natural that he would still be more careful than many others might be.

    Naturally, Blanche couldn''t say that without revealing secrets that Theodore had trusted her to keep, so she remained vague. ¡°Well, that understandable. There could also be people among the staff that don''t have the best intentions. This was the only way for him to feel as safe as he could about me meeting you. It must have been scary for you though. Being called to the emperor for no known reason can be stressful. Did you not tell me immediately because of that?¡±

    Clark shook his head. ¡°I wanted to be honest the next day, but those two were reluctant.¡± He gestured towards Angelica and George, who were still cutting some fruits.

    Angelica stopped upon being called by name and gave the concubine an apologetic smile. ¡°Please forgive us for not being certain about telling you. I feared that you might misinterpret His Majesty''s caution as meddling in your decisions and get angry at him. Luckily, that isn''t the case.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I would never react like that without asking him about it. Communication is the key to-¡± Blanche was interrupted by the door opening. Her eyes narrowed when she turned around and saw Harris, who was entering the kitchen hesitantly.

    All the people inside stared at him like he was an unknown object with expressions that ranged from mild annoyance to pure frustration. Especially Clark appeared to be quite irritated upon seeing his former best friend and crossed his arms in front of his chest while frowning at the other man.

    Blanche felt like this could get unpleasant.

    Harris didn''t make eye contact with any of the other servants and bowed for a moment. ¡°Lady Blanche, His Majesty requested your presence in his office.¡±

    Theodore usually never sent people to pick his lover up. That was enough to make Blanche panic.

 Chapter 107: A Cool Night To Stargaze

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 Chapter 108: Why Would I Blame You?

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    she had bad intentions, so he didn''t have a reason to believe her like this.

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 Chapter 109: A Long Awaited Vacation (1)

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 Chapter 110: A Long Awaited Vacation (2)

    As always, the concubine seemed to be unlucky. Upon reaching the entrance hall, she had barely met her lover and already saw people bowing. There was only one person that would have to be greeted like that when the emperor was already present.

    Blanche wanted to spin around to face the other woman, which was stopped by her lover keeping her hand in his. She narrowed her eyes at him before quickly looking over her shoulder. Her premonition was proven to be true when she saw Seraphina on the staircase.

    The empress climbed down the stairs with an unrivaled amount of grace. Even her rather simple traveling clothes were gorgeous, so she was certainly worthy of the praise her husband had given her in the novel. For once, she didn''t even have an icy expression on her face but only a neutral one. That might change quickly though.

    Blanche squeezed Theodore''s hand two times, which still didn''t make him look back, so she muttered to him. ¡°Theo! The empress is there.¡±

    Theodore only turned around when she said that but took her with him so that she walked a few steps around him before coming to a halt while facing the heroine.

    Blanche attempted to let go of her lover''s hand and make a curtsy, which was prevented by him tightening his hold on her. Curtsying while interlocking the emperor''s hand with hers would probably look like she was trying to provoke Seraphina on purpose, but she couldn''t just ignore the empress'' presence. So, she began to lower her upper body, only to be stopped by her lover lifting her hand and pressing a kiss on it. Her face fell as she met his calm gaze. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Theodore looked directly into her eyes, and it felt like he was piercing her soul with that as well. ¡°You don''t have to bow when she hasn''t even acknowledged you yet. Especially not when she just arrived and already ruins everyone''s day with her sour mood.¡± Hopefully, that wasn''t true.

    Blanche focused on the empress again, and unfortunately, her lover had been right.

    Seraphina''s expression had changed from neutral to the usual frosty gaze that she always had when she was close to the concubine. But this time, it might have been Theodore''s fault for showing his mistress affection while they were directly in front of his wife.

    Blanche felt an icy shiver run down her spine and gave her best to keep her face emotionless to not make the heroine think that a polite smile was supposed to mock her.

    The emperor waited until Seraphina had reached the bottom of the staircase before addressing her. ¡°Good morning. I take that you prepared everything for the departure?¡±

    The concubine had to refrain from showing her confusion at that cold greeting. In the novel, Theodore had complimented his wife for her beautiful attire, but seemingly, the fact that they weren''t close was enough made him completely disregard that. Upon realizing that, Blanche almost grinned in joy about her lover''s distance from the other woman. She tried to hold back. She wasn''t sure whether she had succeeded since the empress'' maids were glaring at her, but they didn''t necessarily need a reason to do that anyway.

    Seraphina replied with a nod of her head. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. I have finished all my preparations. Are there any complications with the departure?¡±

    Theodore looked through the entrance hall before shaking his head. ¡°No one complained until now, so I believe that everything is fine. The servants said that they only need a few minutes before we could leave.¡± He paused for a moment before resuming. ¡°We thought about departing a bit earlier so that we can arrive earlier too. Would there be a problem with that?¡±

    The empress glanced at the last pieces of baggage that had to belong to her and turned back to her husband again. ¡°I do not think that there is any reason to delay our journey in that case. Have you already informed the servants of your plan?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet. There is actually one more thing that I would like to discuss with you before we leave.¡±

    Seraphina''s expression didn''t budge as she replied. ¡°What is it, Your Majesty?¡±

    Theodore leaned over to his lover and lifted their interlocked hands before she could object. ¡°Blanche and I naturally want to share a carriage. It might be uncomfortable for you to sit with us too, so I would offer you a separate one.¡±

    The concubine whipped her head to the side to look at the emperor. Had he lost his mind? How could he propose something like that? That she wanted to be with him was true, but then they would be the ones in the wrong because she couldn''t just sit in the carriage with the royal couple. So, if someone had to enter a different vehicle, it would be the two of them. Right now, Theodore was basically telling the empress to make way for his mistress, which would definitely offend Seraphina.

    However, against the concubine''s expectations, Seraphina''s expression remained neutral. ¡°I would appreciate that, Your Majesty.¡±

    That left the concubine even more bewildered than she had already been. Had the empress just agreed to that? Obviously, Seraphina wouldn''t like to be trapped in a small vehicle with the woman she hated most and her unfaithful husband. But still, it was surprising that the empress hadn''t insisted on her right to travel in the royal carriage.

    Theodore seemed to have anticipated that response though. He gave his wife a little polite smile. ¡°Good. If you want to, your maids can also enter the same carriage as you.¡±

    Seraphina considered her options as she glanced at her attendants before nodding. ¡°I will accept your offer. Will you instruct the servants, or should I speak to them?¡±

    Theodore looked around the room. ¡°I will do that in a few minutes when everything is a bit emptier in here. You should make sure that all of your baggage is ready in the meantime. The servants might have forgotten something.¡± Hadn''t he just indirectly told Seraphina to go away?

    Seemingly, the empress didn''t mind though. ¡°I will check one more time.¡± Her face still didn''t budge as she turned to the concubine. ¡°Lady Blanche. I wish you a nice day.¡±

    Blanche felt like this day wouldn''t be nice at all when the empress was already being provoked so much, but she gave her best to save the situation. ¡°I wish you a wonderful day as well, Your Majesty. May your journey be relaxing.¡± She made a tiny curtsy to avoid upsetting the empress.

    The empress didn''t react much and just gave a slight nod. Then she passed by the couple and steered towards the entrance door while looking like she wasn''t bothered by any of this. Her maids'' faces, on the other hand, were quite expressive as they stared at the concubine with a mix of shock and anger before hurrying to follow their mistress.

    Blanche immediately turned to her lover. ¡°You must be out-¡± She couldn''t even voice her extremely insolent comment before Theodore replied.

    ¡°Don''t be so tense. She can''t do anything against my decisions, and as you can see, she has no desire to do so unless she unnecessarily feels threatened. Just to calm you, we won''t ride in the royal carriage either. Due to the two recent assassination attempts, I decided that it would be better to lead possible attackers astray by not marking their goal. The carriage with the many ornaments will be completely empty so that they can''t accidentally hurt someone else, even in the unlikely event of an ambush.¡±

    The concubine''s nervousness decreased at that. So, she wouldn''t offend the empress by staying by Theodore''s side and could simply enjoy spending more time with him. Aside from that, knowing that security measures were taken made her feel better too. She might have the novel''s memories and didn''t remember anything happening during the trip to Ibela, but last time, she hadn''t been able to foresee the attack either. So, it definitely calmed her to be sure that her lover wasn''t careless.

    ¡°That''s very clever. Did you come up with that plan?¡±

    Theodore showed her a grin at that. ¡°Will you reward me if I was the one that did that?¡±

    Blanche glanced to the side, and upon seeing that Seraphina wasn''t in sight, she stepped closer to him and hugged him. ¡°I''m going to reward you even if you do nothing. I love you after all.¡±

    Theodore seemed to be momentarily stunned by that before returning the embrace. ¡°Can I choose what kind of reward I will get then?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. That depends on how much you pamper me before. You said that this would be our vacation, right? You promised that you would observe my reaction when I first see the ocean and teach me how to swim. You said that the city there is wonderful too. And you mentioned an old tree on the estate. I want you to show me all of that, and then I might be generous.¡± The concubine didn''t mind using this to get him to spend all of his time during the vacation with her. In fact, she would still have to convince him to sleep in her room every day so that she could be sure that he wasn''t visiting Seraphina. This meant that she had to use every resource that she had to be certain that he didn''t suddenly change his mind for some reason.

    Theodore appeared to be happy to play along with her game. ¡°Of course. I always indulge you and shower you with affection, don''t I? Now that I don''t have to work, I will cling to you all day and night. I intend to keep all of my promises, so you don''t have to worry about me concerning myself with anything but you. I might have to instruct the servants a bit about where to put some things, but they should already know. After all, we''ve been on vacation each year since I can remember. The only exception was last year because the ambassadors from Travuan and Clatos came at that time, and I needed to mediate between them. But I won''t accept any hindrances this year. We will finally bring you to the coast so that you can admire the sea while I admire you.¡±

    Just when she was about to respond, she heard a sigh next to her and looked at Leon, who was massaging his temples. The secretary was already complaining again. ¡°I can''t believe it. Owen, didn''t I just tell them not to ignore me, and they do it again?¡±

    Owen just shrugged at that. ¡°I doubt that we have the authority to make decisions regarding His Majesty''s and Lady Blanche''s actions. You may have to get used to that or meet other people so that you can do the same as them.¡± Hearing the man that always looked emotionless joke was rather strange, but it was pleasant too. After all, it seemed like he was less reserved in front of Blanche. Ever since she had given her best to improve her behavior, he had spoken a few sentences more, which made a great difference for someone that barely talked.

    Theodore wasn''t surprised. He disregarded his secretary''s complaints and waved toward the steward, who was currently marking something on a list, without letting go of his lover.

    The other man rushed over to him and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, is there anything I can assist you with?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I would like to depart as soon as possible. Nothing should be missing by now, correct? Please tell everyone to make the last preparations.¡±

    The steward nodded and immediately hurried to instruct the members of the staff.

    Blanche looked up at her lover and raised her eyebrow. ¡°Shouldn''t you also inform him about the carriages? About us riding together and the empress staying with her maids?¡±

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    Theodore gave her a small smile. ¡°I have to confess something. I already told them to do that since I knew that she would agree. There is no way that the empress would voluntarily sit in front of us for two days while we are cuddling. Her response was obvious, so I didn''t even wait for it.¡±

    Blanche began frowning. ¡°What would you have done if she had declined? Then you would have problems hiding that the baggage was stored in the wrong carriage.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I knew that she couldn''t go against my expectations. But in the unlikely case that she had done that, I would have pretended that her carriage was the one that we were supposed to sit in and told her that I would accompany you. Then she would have been happy about defending her place and kept quiet. So, there never was a dilemma here in the first place. It''s better that she listens to my reasoning though. That way, we won''t have to deal with her at all and can leave without any issues.¡± Theodore ended the hug and grabbed her hand instead before slowly guiding her to the entrance. ¡°Let''s see whether everyone is done with their preparations.¡±

    The entrance hall was emptier than it had been at first, which made it seem like the members of the staff were outside already. The few servants that still stood inside stepped away so that the emperor could pass by. Like this, the couple quickly managed to leave the palace.

    The square in front of the building was full of carriages that were being loaded or were already being brought to the main gate of the royal estate. Dozens of knights accompanied the convoy on their horses. That sight made it obvious how much planning had to go into the yearly summer vacation, in which hundreds of people had to transport all of their baggage through the country while also paying attention to the security. The troop couldn''t be vulnerable at any moment, so the guards had to circle the vehicles and look out for danger at all times.

    In contrast to that, sitting in the carriage was relaxing. In fact, it would rather be boring, or at least Blanche had thought that that would be the case. After all, she had believed that her lover would travel with the empress, as he had done in the novel, but he was staying with her. This meant that they could use the next two days to cuddle and talk to each other without any interruptions. They had done so for the past month, but now Theodore wouldn''t have to work, so it was even more pleasant.

    But the most important thing was that Blanche could keep an eye on him and control whether he began to act strangely because of the novel. Knowing that she had him for herself for the duration of the carriage ride made her grin while they approached the vehicle. Still, she didn''t let that distract her from the last few stair steps that she would have to climb down and slowed her pace to get to the ground safely. When she finished that, her grin widened.

    She had been able to prevent getting hurt and leaving too tardy, so she had already changed the novel''s version of the journey. If everything went according to her previous meddling, the next two months would prove that she would be fine despite the original plot.

    Theodore observed her confident grinning with a smile before turning to Leon. ¡°It seems like we can depart now. Take care of yourself. I leave the nation to you.¡±

    Leonard returned the smile. ¡°So, you decided to acknowledge my presence anyway. You probably just want to feel better about forcing me to deal with all of your duties while you are gone. If I overwork myself, you are to blame.¡± He paused for a short moment before continuing in a more serious tone. ¡°Be careful. We don''t know what they might have planned.¡± He turned to the concubine. ¡°You too. Stay close to Theodore or any of the guards that seem familiar. Don''t trust anyone you don''t know.¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that but quickly nodded at him. ¡°Of course. I''ll keep my guard up.¡±

    Leonard showed her a smile. ¡°Good. After all, we need to return to our lessons when you come back. We neglected that in the past month, even though I had free time.¡± Now that he mentioned it, it actually had been a while since he had taught her something new. But that might have been better.

    ¡°It''s alright. My mind was focused on other things, so that was very fitting. Let''s resume again once I return. Stay safe. We''ll see each other in two months.¡±

    Leon gave his best to imitate a stern expression, but the corners of his lips twitched and showed that he was holding back a grin. ¡°Don''t forget the basic things in the meantime. I fear that your lover''s influence might turn you into a little brat.¡± Hearing him joke with the concubine surprised her too. She had always believed that the secretary still had some reservations about her, but now that seemed to get much better.

    Blanche gave him a bright smile. ¡°I''ll give my best. But if I''m worse than before, you have an excuse to make Theo do some work by himself while you teach me.¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Don''t give him ideas. I won''t give up any second of my free time that I can spend with my lovely angel.¡± He gently nudged her cheek before turning to Leon again. ¡°I''m sure that you can deal with everything on your own. The next two months should be relaxed, and after that, we''ll do what I proposed and quarter our workload. But I''ll still give you the same advice that you gave us. Be on guard. Especially with the people from my lists. And don''t forget to write down every little thing that might become an issue later.¡±

    Leonard nodded. ¡°Of course. I''m not careless. I''ll send you letters about our situation every week. Regarding Ocrea, even though that should be calmer now, and everything else.¡± He leaned to the side to glance over Theodore''s shoulder to the carriages. ¡°It seems like Owen got his horse, and the coachman is ready. I will pray for good weather at the coast.¡±

    Theodore turned around to confirm that before replying. ¡°Thank you. We will leave then.¡± He made a small pause. ¡°Goodbye, Leon. Don''t do anything stupid.¡±

    Leonard rolled his eyes. ¡°I would never dream of doing something like that, Your Majesty.¡± His voice was laced with sarcasm, but the other man was content nevertheless.

    Theodore smiled at his friend once more before offering Blanche his hand and leading her to the carriage. She climbed inside with his help and plopped down on one of the cushioned benches before moving to the side to make space for her lover, who promptly followed her inside. To her surprise, Stella also came in and sat down on the bench across from them. Apparently, the emperor had given the maid permission to join them, even if the concubine doubted that watching the couple''s interaction would be fun for a long time. But Stella was used to that, so it would be fine. Blanche didn''t hold back and immediately rested her head on her lover''s shoulder.

    The carriage drove off a few seconds later, and they joined the vehicles that were already waiting in front of the main gate. The rest of the coaches followed soon so that the convoy was ready to leave. The golden gate was opened, and they began moving towards their destination, which was enough to make Blanche''s stomach churn.

    She was this close before being able to believe in a future with Theodore. That thought unwillingly made her dig her fingers into his clothes while her mind only focused on hoping that she would be able to beat the novel.

    That was her only chance for happiness.

    Of course, Blanche didn''t reveal any of those depressing thoughts. She just tried to act as if she was without a care as she leaned her head against her lover. She was quickly distracted though.

    Theodore had been quiet for a moment, but now he suddenly moved back a bit so that he could meet her gaze and addressed her in a tone that was a bit too serious for her taste. ¡°We will only reach our midway stop in the evening. We should have enough time to talk a bit now.¡± The fact that he said it like that already revealed that he had something specific in mind. Theodore seemed really uncertain though. He looked away for a few seconds before swallowing and beginning in a lowered voice. ¡°There is something I would like to apologize for regarding what...happened last week.¡± He meant the day they had met in the middle of the night while he was discussing the treatment of a criminal.

    Blanche only needed to remember how scared her lover had been about her judgment back then, so she didn''t hesitate before looking him right in the eyes while giving her honest response. ¡°You don''t have to apologize for anything. I don''t mind it at all when traitors get what they deserve.¡± At least when it wasn''t about her since she had never wanted to betray her lover. ¡°He committed treason, and you need to ensure that he talks about his connections, right? There is no discussion necessary in that case. I will trust you fully.¡± She could tell that this view meant that she was morally gray, but she didn''t care. The emperor''s enemies tried to murder him, so Theodore wouldn''t win by softly scolding anyone that attacked him. As long as the concerned people were truly guilty, Blanche didn''t care enough to get angry no matter what.

    Theodore somehow still didn''t seem comfortable with the topic, even though her opinion should have been obvious. ¡°It''s still...a difficult subject.¡± He barely dared to meet her gaze.

    Blanche couldn''t deny what he had said either, but this didn''t change her reply. ¡°I fully agree. But you only ordered someone to be harsher with that criminal because you wish to keep away more harm, correct? Because you saw this as the best option?¡±

    Theodore hesitated for just a second as if he hadn''t expected the question but knew exactly what he would respond with. ¡°Yes.¡± That settled it.

    ¡°Then you are sure that this is the right way, and I won''t argue with that. You don''t have to worry about my personal judgment either. I will never view you with anything but love. I already saw all sides of you, so you couldn''t push me away with anything no matter what.¡±

    That comment should have made Theodore happy, but he didn''t seem enthusiastic. Instead, he seemed almost sad as he closed his eyes. ¡°I know.¡± He was silent for a moment in which Blanche already wanted to speak up, but he began again while slowly opening his eyes to gaze at her. ¡°I don''t like methods like this either. I just resolved to...threatening him because the man we arrested was connected to a bigger scheme we will slowly unveil now. He was merely a messenger, so he didn''t steer anything, but we will have to find the one that controlled him.¡± That was awfully vague, at least more vague than most things Theodore told his lover.

    Blanche knew that this meant that he had a reason to keep quiet. For some reason, she didn''t even feel the need to ask what this was about. Yet, simply ending the conversation here would feel strange, so she forced herself to ask it just a single time and already swore to give up after. ¡°You can''t tell me what this is about now?¡±

    It was silent for a few seconds before Theodore began. ¡°You don''t know him, but that man is...¡± It almost sounded like he would reply, but then a mix of uncertainty and something like hurt flashed on his face. He changed his mind. ¡°I''m sorry. It''s... I can''t tell you yet. It would...make you...¡± Theodore forced himself to meet Blanche''s gaze as he slowly moved his arms around her body again and pulled her closer. ¡°Just know that I am working hard for our future and for the entire nation. I will tell you as soon as I can, but I need a bit more time. When I fully figure out what is going on, I will explain everything. But the fact that I stopped this intrigue before it really began is truly wonderful. Anything else would have been catastrophic.¡±

    Blanche had expected that. She was still not sure what this was about, but she knew that Theodore would masterly deal with any dangers within the time frame of the first novel. She probably wouldn''t need to worry. Blanche shifted around a bit to sit more comfortably and hugged Theodore back while she leaned against him and reached up to stroke over his cheek. ¡°It''s good that you avoided that. You always do your best with things like this. I''m proud of you.¡± She smiled at him for a moment before closing her eyes and leaning her head against his chest. ¡°Tell me what this problem was whenever you''re ready. No matter what it is about, I''m always on your side.¡±

    Theodore''s hold on her tightened. ¡°I know.¡± He was more than unwilling to end the hug and just pulled her closer and closer while he rested his chin on her head and muttered the rest in a barely audible volume. ¡°I know, I know. And I swear that I will always be on yours too.¡±

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    Traveling was as exhausting as Blanche had imagined it. Sitting the entire day was frustrating, even though it had to have been worse for Stella. After all, the concubine and her lover sometimes rested their heads on the other''s lap so that they could lie down with tucked-up legs while the maid had to sit upright the whole time. In general, the couple''s constant cuddling had to be infuriating, but Stella didn''t complain once.

    Aside from chatting with Theodore and hugging him, there wasn''t much to do. Blanche was glad about that since it meant that there weren''t any occurrences that could put them in danger. It was a bit boring, but the evening came eventually, even if it felt like it took a bit longer than usual. Naturally, all of them were relieved when they arrived at a mansion that would serve as their stop along the way and were able to stretch their legs.

    The carriage ride of the next day was just as uneventful, but for some reason, it passed faster. That might have been the case because Blanche had slept for a few hours in between since she had spent her time at the mansion looking around in the luxurious garden rather than sleeping. Her lover didn''t seem to mind resting only for some hours, but she had to catch up on the lost sleep. She did so by making herself comfortable with a blanket, a few pillows and Theodore''s lap. Even though the carriage couldn''t cushion all the bumps of the road, she had no problem sleeping there.

    Blanche only woke up when her lover began pressing kisses onto her face. At first, she groaned a bit and tried to turn around to make him stop, but he continued until she opened one of her eyes slightly. ¡°Good morning. Are we there yet?¡± She mumbled her greeting in a drowsy voice while looking up at her lover.

    Theodore''s radiant smile greeted her, and that was so beautiful that she thought about whether she was dreaming right now, but the emperor''s hand that was stroking over her face felt real enough to convince her that this was reality. He let out a chuckle when she intertwined their fingers. ¡°It''s not morning, Sleepyhead. It''s almost evening. But we will arrive soon, so I thought it would be good to wake you up. There is something you can''t miss after all.¡± He gestured towards the window, which made her stomach tingle with anticipation.

    ¡°Is it the sea?¡± Blanche sat up in an instant and quickly rubbed her eyes before moving to the window.

    Her lover followed her and hugged her from behind. ¡°Yes. We''ll reach a road that is on top of a cliff any moment, and you will be able to look at the ocean from there. The sun isn''t setting yet, so we will have to postpone seeing it when it''s tinted red, but it might be better to get a picture of how it normally looks first anyway.¡±

    Blanche glanced over her shoulder to observe Theodore''s gentle smile and then hurriedly turned to the window while waiting for the carriage to arrive at the spot he had described. Slowly, the trees that surrounded them became fewer and fewer, which gave her an unobstructed view of the broad acres that were lining the street. Then suddenly, the landscape began to lower itself so that she had to look down to see the fresh grass, and without a warning, the ocean came into sight.

    She couldn''t refrain from putting her hands against the glass of the window as she stared at the waving mass of deep blue in awe. It was beautiful and exactly like what she had imagined to the point at which she could swear that she might have seen it already before. But that was probably because she couldn''t help but be reminded of something that she had already seen hundreds of times.

    The soft waves drew little lines onto the otherwise even water, on which the glistering rays of the sun were being reflected. The image looked so simple, and yet, it appeared to be richly adorned by all the shallow movements of the sea. The longer she observed it, the more it pulled her in and made her want to dive into the soft blue. There was no doubt that this was something that no skilled craftsmanship could create but only nature. Yet, Blanche would say that the color made a completely different image much more perfect.

    She turned back to her lover. ¡°It looks like your eyes.¡±

    Theodore blinked at that before his bedazzlement faded and his radiant beam returned. ¡°You think so? I wouldn''t mind seeing you look at me with such admiration.¡±

    ¡°I do that every time I meet your gaze. No matter how often I see you, I still can''t believe that I''m lucky enough to have you in my life.¡± Blanche put her arms upon his, which were hugging her waist. ¡°Maybe it''s not that obvious, but I''m always in awe when I am with you. I can''t help but be completely smitten with you.¡±

    Theodore didn''t give her a chance to prepare herself when his mouth landed on hers, and he kissed her with so much passion that she thought she was going to faint any moment. When he finally gave her a minute to catch her breath, she turned around fully and threw her arms around him. Her lover returned the embrace for a while until the concubine noticed that she was missing the opportunity to look at the sea a little longer.

    After some tugging, Blanche managed to turn around in his arms so that she could enjoy both the view and Theodore''s closeness. To her pleasure, he began planting small kisses onto the upper part of her neck while telling her how much he loved her, to which she always responded by assuring that she was even more devoted to him. That had to have been awful for Stella, but Blanche didn''t care, not when she was filled with so much euphoria that she wanted to run around and take on the world.

    They were here on vacation, and right now, she had the role of the heroine.

 Chapter 111: The Summer Residence

    The wonderful and encouraging feeling of euphoria Blanche had felt upon seeing the ocean didn''t disappear even when they arrived at the summer residence. From the window, she had seen that the beach was directly next to the estate, so she was eager to rush there. She wanted to feel the sand under her bare feet and smell the salt of the ocean.

    When Theodore climbed out of the carriage and offered his hand to her, she almost jumped onto him with a wide grin. One look at the summer residence only served to raise her spirits even more. The mansion was big but not as much as the palace. It looked like the house of a normal noble family. Still, it was on a greater scale since all the servants and knights had to have their own rooms as well.

    The members of the staff had already gathered in front of the manor when the carriage had arrived and were now bowing to greet the emperor. The empress seemed to be in one of the other coaches, but Blanche didn''t think about searching for her at that moment.

    The concubine just grabbed her lover''s hand and scanned her environment in awe while taking a few steps towards the residence. The garden of the mansion was as neat as the palace garden, which proved that people were working hard during the whole year just to make sure that the royal family could spend their vacation here. The building itself looked like it was being taken care of as well. None of the countless ornaments of the facade had faded, and all the windows were clean so that she could look into a few of the rooms.

    That was enough to make Blanche curious so that she was in a dilemma. Did she want to walk around the residence, or did she want to see the beach first? It was the late afternoon, so she didn''t have more than two hours until the sun would set. She didn''t have enough time to do both today. Blanche took a short moment before realizing that she wouldn''t make that decision on her own anyway. She would stick to Theodore the entire time to be certain that nothing went wrong now that she was on the right path.

    In the novel, the emperor had shown Seraphina the residence first, so he would probably offer his wife that he could give her an overview of the manor.

    Naturally, Blanche wouldn''t leave them alone, so she would have to come along with them. She turned back to her lover, who was watching her excitement with a soft smile. ¡°What are we going to do now? It''s late already, isn''t it?¡±

    Theodore walked over to her and glanced at the sky to check how low the sun had already sunk. ¡°We do have some time left, but I wouldn''t go to the beach today. After all, I want to teach you how to swim, and I can guarantee you that your hair won''t dry in the few minutes that we''d have left after getting cozy in the water. So, I propose that we go there tomorrow right after breakfast. For now, I will show you around so that you know where the most important rooms are.¡±

    It would be better for her to be aware of the general layout of the building. In the novel, the villainess had been forced to look around on her own and had encountered problems trying to find her destination. The confusing hallways of the extra wings of the building had ensured that she had actually gotten scared of getting lost completely, and the servants that mostly supported Seraphina hadn''t been a great help. That had led to Blanche being too late and thus giving the main characters more time to bond on multiple occasions. Not that it had mattered at that point anymore.

    By the time that Theodore had begun to avoid the book''s Blanche and only encountered her with shame, it had been decided that he would set her aside to be with Seraphina. And that was exactly what she had to prevent now.

    Blanche closed the remaining distance to her lover and hugged his arm while looking up at him with a pleading gaze. ¡°Alright. You have to stay close to me though. I get lost easily, and I don''t want to stray around helplessly.¡±

    Theodore cupped her cheek with his free hand. ¡°Don''t worry about that. I''ll be with you the entire time, so you can''t get lost at all. But I''ll show you everything anyway. The layout of this residence is a bit confusing if you don''t understand it from the very beginning, but it''s not that bad.¡± He led her to the entrance of the house, and the servants opened the door for them to step inside.

    Blanche was about to mentally note that the empress wasn''t even here yet when she heard footsteps behind them. The couple turned around, and there was Seraphina following them into the foyer.

    Noah was standing behind the empress and gave the concubine a bright smile, which she returned.

    In contrast to him, the empress'' maids looked more than sour. They were glaring at Blanche, who fought the urge to ask her lover for a kiss just to show them that she wouldn''t give up that easily.

    Unwillingly, Blanche tightened her hold on her lover''s arm, which made him stroke his hand over hers.

    Theodore was quiet for another moment before greeting the empress. ¡°Good evening. Did the trip go by without any issues?¡±

    Seraphina eyed the way that the concubine clung to the emperor but kept a neutral expression. ¡°It''s good to see you, Your Majesty. My carriage ride has been pleasant. I hope that you did not run into any problems either.¡±

    Theodore nodded at the empress. ¡°Nothing unusual happened. We enjoyed the beautiful sight of the sea though. Taking a detour to visit the cliffs was definitely worth it.¡±

    The concubine lifted her head from his arm and stared at him with widened eyes. She had believed that they would pass by the cliffs anyway, but he had just chosen that route so that they could see the ocean. Theodore had truly made such an exception for her.

    Her lover grinned down at her and gently ran his fingers over her skin, which proved her assumption true.

    Luckily, Seraphina didn''t seem to be angry because of their displays of affection. She was only a bit annoyed, which most people wouldn''t have picked up on at all. She maintained a polite attitude. ¡°I have to agree that the view was wonderful.¡± Her eyes wandered to the concubine, and it was obvious that was arguing with herself about something. A few seconds passed in silence before she spoke up. ¡°Lady Blanche, are you doing well too?¡±

    The concubine quickly took that chance to show that she was still respectful even though she was clinging to Theodore right now. ¡°Good evening, Your Majesty. It''s good to hear that the trip was not especially stressful for you. Luckily, I cannot complain about anything either.¡±

    Hopefully, that was enough to pacify the empress so that she wouldn''t be too mad about Blanche hugging the emperor the whole time. The concubine knew that she should let go to avoid conflict, but she couldn''t bring herself to do that when it would be equal to making way for Seraphina to get closer to Theodore. Blanche wouldn''t challenge the heroine in any way and wouldn''t cause trouble, but she also wouldn''t step aside from her lover, not now that she was right in front of her goal. If she wanted to stay with him, she would have to take her place at his side whenever she could. The only exceptions that remained would be public events, but at any other point in time, she would cling to Theodore to make sure that the empress didn''t get any ideas about coming between Blanche and her lover.

    The concubine didn''t want to admit it, but grabbing Theodore''s arm in front of his wife while he didn''t push her away made her extremely happy. It helped to calm her raging jealousy of the other woman. Right now, the emperor didn''t favor Seraphina but Blanche, and she would make sure that this wouldn''t change during the vacation.

    The empress gave the other woman a polite smile that wasn''t any warmer than it had to be. ¡°In that case, we can be thankful that the journey has been so uneventful. May I ask Your Majesty what the plan for today is?¡±

    Theodore looked down at his lover to signal that he was talking about her and himself. ¡°We wanted to take a look around before setting up our room.¡± He turned back to Seraphina and continued. ¡°I suspect that you do not want to walk around with us. I can send a servant to guide you, or if you don''t want that, you can try to orientate yourself alone.¡± The latter was clearly not a valid option in this confusing house, and the fact that he refused to even introduce the empress to the servants here, who had never seen Seraphina before, was a huge insult in itself.

    The empress'' maids seemed to be so shocked that their mouths fell open.

    But their mistress, the empress, appeared to be rather calm. ¡°Thank you for your offer, Your Majesty. I would like to request a servant''s help.¡±

    Seraphina''s response only served to make her maids look even more bedazzled, but that quickly faded and left behind expressions of barely contained rage.

    The emperor didn''t pay any attention to that and just waved toward one of the men standing in the corner of the room.

    The servant came over to them, and to Blanche''s surprise, she recognized Clark. He nodded at her with a slight smile before bowing to Theodore, who quickly gave him some instructions.

    ¡°You will guide the empress through the mansion. Show her the most important rooms, like the dining room, the kitchen, her and her maid''s bedrooms and anything else that might be relevant to her. Answer her questions if any should arise. That should be all.¡±

    Clark replied curtly. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± Then he moved over to the empress and bowed again.

    Theodore glanced at the servants that were currently carrying all the baggage inside the foyer before turning to his lover. ¡°Then that issue should be resolved. I''ll need to instruct the members of the staff about where they should bring some of the suitcases, and we can look around after that.¡± Blanche nodded at him, which made him give her another bright smile before he faced the empress again. ¡°We won''t hinder you any longer. Hopefully, the mansion is to your liking, and if anything is upsetting, all servants will naturally be happy to help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. We will take our leave then.¡± Seraphina nodded towards Clark, who began leading her and her maids to the door that led out of the entrance hall.

    Just when they were about to exit the room, Theodore addressed them one last time though. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot something. I cannot make that decision for you, but I would recommend not letting your maids accompany you when the ruler of another nation visits. I''m sure they mean well, but it would still be unfavorable.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Seraphina and her attendants turned around and stared at him with obvious irritation. The empress showed it less than the other women, but a small frown was etched into her forehead as well. ¡°If I may ask, what do you mean by that?¡±

    The emperor gave her a bright smile. ¡°Some sovereigns consider people glaring at them and their partners a l¨¨se-majest¨¦. So, I would advise your maids to keep their emotions to themselves.¡± With that, he turned around to lead his lover to the entrance door and left the women behind.

    Blanche had just caught one glimpse of the maids'' expression, and that had been enough to see the utter shock. She felt similarly about her lover''s statement. Yet, she wasn''t sure whether her heart had skipped a beat because she feared that this would anger the empress or whether she was ecstatic to be called his partner. In any case, it made her nuzzle her check against the emperor''s arm for a moment before she quietly spoke up. ¡°So, you did notice that they always glare at me.¡±

    Theodore stopped his movements and let her step in front of him so that he could stroke his knuckles across her cheek. ¡°Of course. I thought about reminding them of their position in a less friendly way, but that would have created difficulties with the empress, and I assume that you wouldn''t want that. I can''t promise that I will stay so lenient if they continue like this though. If they play any foul games, I won''t let them resume.¡± He turned his head to the side so that the concubine couldn''t see his expression before looking back at her with a smile. ¡°But don''t worry. I know how to deal with impudent people, so I don''t mind that. I just thought that starting our vacation with them would be unfavorable. Anyway, let''s finish why we are still here and wander around the house after that.¡±

    Blanche was still a bit surprised by any of this, but she didn''t say it. Despite quietly worrying about the empress, she didn''t turn to check on Seraphina and told herself that it was logical to criticize servants for glaring at a guest. Surely, the empress would be able to view this objectively enough to see it that way, right? But then again, Seraphina had never been objective when it came to the concubine. Blanche shivered at the thought and quickly clung to her lover''s arm again.

    Theodore looked at her for a moment before walking over to the head maid, who was currently checking off things on a list. ¡°Good evening, Gloria. You seem to have organized everything wonderfully once again. Did everything go according to plan so far?¡±

    Gloria looked up from her book and bowed to the emperor before replying. ¡°Good evening, Your Majesty. All the listed pieces of luggage appear to be here, so there is no need to worry. Shall I ask the servants to bring them to the same rooms as usual, or are there any changes this year?¡±

    Theodore glanced at the stack of suitcases before extending his arm to the head maid, who handed the notebook over to him. He skimmed over the list before returning it to Gloria. ¡°It''s good that everything is in order. But it''s rather obvious that there will have to be a small difference this year. There are two new people here. The empress will use the biggest guest bedroom on the second floor. There are multiple smaller ones directly next to it, so her maids can sleep there.¡± Even though it should have been obvious that he wouldn''t want to share his room with Seraphina due to their distant relationship, it was extremely calming to hear it from his mouth. Especially since the guest rooms shouldn''t be directly next to the master bedroom.

    Gloria wasn''t surprised either. She nodded at that and scribbled something down on her list. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. Then I assume that their baggage should be brought there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after you went through it to confirm whether everything is in order. Don''t unpack it without her supervision though. You know how the rest of the things should be stored, but you definitely need her to instruct the servants in her room.¡± That would take a long time, so servants usually did that themselves, but since Seraphina was here the first time, that might be normal. Theodore didn''t even think about that much as he already turned to his lover. ¡°It would be fine if your clothes are already put into the dressing rooms though, right?¡±

    Blanche nodded before processing what he had said. ¡°Wait, dressing rooms? Is the mansion that big? Normally, the guest rooms don''t have a separate chamber to store clothes, or they just have one. They shouldn''t have multiple dressing rooms.¡± At least not in summer residences, which were typically smaller than the main houses.

    Theodore let out a chuckle. ¡°They don''t have that in this manor either. But what made you think that you would sleep in a guest room? You''re obviously going to share the master bedroom with me.¡±

    A small crack sounded from Gloria''s pen, which made it seem like she had pressed it down with too much force. She slowly looked up from her book and stared at the emperor.

    Theodore, however, was completely focused on his lover''s shock. ¡°Shouldn''t that have been clear from the start? You said that you want to be with me during the whole vacation, and naturally, I share that sentiment. You already slept in my room in the palace so often that you could basically move there. There is no reason not to directly bring your baggage into the master bedroom. Otherwise, your maid would have to run around to get your clothes every evening. That would only force her to work for longer than she would actually have to.¡±

    Blanche was aware that she should probably refuse since sharing a room would be like an official statement acknowledging their affair. But then again, no one in the residence didn''t already know about them. She wouldn''t take away something from the empress either since Seraphina wouldn''t have slept in the same room as Theodore anyway. Spending the nights with him just gave Blanche more time with her lover and allowed her to keep an eye on him so that the novel''s events wouldn''t be repeated. So, there were no disadvantages but only benefits.

    Quickly, Blanche was filled with happiness about her lover''s desire to be close to her at all times and grinned up at him. ¡°You''re right. I don''t mind if they unpack my things already. As long as they don''t break anything and just store it properly, they can begin.¡± She finished when something else came to her mind. ¡°Ah, but I''ll open the smaller suitcase that was in the carriage with us myself. There is a fragile accessory in there, and I don''t trust anyone with touching that.¡±

    Theodore nodded and turned to Gloria. ¡°You heard her. Please tell the servants to be careful with everything while they bring the baggage there and to leave the small suitcase on one of the chairs.¡±

    Gloria clenched her jaw at that but otherwise maintained a seemingly unaffected expression. ¡°Your Majesty, I do not have a fraction of the authority that would be required to question your decision. But I still would like to voice my doubts. Is it really a wise choice to be so open about Lady Blanche staying in your room with you? Naturally, the members of the staff will not be surprised, but if gossip spreads after this vacation, it may damage your reputation.¡±

    Theodore rolled his eyes so that only his lover could see it before responding. ¡°You mean, the empress'' reputation. That''s what you''re really worried about. Even though I gave you some information about that topic already.¡± Gloria opened her mouth to object, but he didn''t pause to let her talk. ¡°That doesn''t matter much though. Tell me, how can rumors damage someone''s reputation when they are true? Wouldn''t that just cause people to know more about someone else''s private life? If so, it shouldn''t be troublesome for them to find out that the empress and I don''t share a room. That should have been obvious from the very beginning since we aren''t close at all. No one would sleep in the same bed as a stranger they don''t get along with. Besides, there shouldn''t be any rumors in the first place. I surely hope that none of the servants are so communicative that they have to babble about what happened during our vacation to outsiders. Is there anything else?¡±

    Gloria was quiet for a short moment before shaking her head. ¡°No, Your Majesty. I will make sure that the servants follow your orders and prepare everything for when you return. Do you wish to eat all meals in the dining room at the usual time?¡±

    Theodore''s smile widened at that. ¡°Good. For now, we will eat in the dining room. I would ask you to instruct the staff so that even the new people know where everything is inside the residence. I don''t want anyone to wander around aimlessly. Ah, and put the baggage of Blanche''s maid into the room that is closest to the master bedroom so that she can attend her mistress.¡±

    Gloria just nodded and waited for further requests, but the emperor was done.

    Theodore thanked the head maid once more before he gently pulled his lover to the corridor that bordered on the entrance hall. He waited for a moment before he began speaking in a lowered volume. ¡°You should ignore everything Gloria ever tells you regarding the empress. For some reason, she idolizes that woman, so she will be biased in her judgment in that matter.¡± When the concubine nodded, he gave her a bright smile and focused his attention on telling her about the manor. ¡°Then let us begin with the tour of the summer residence. This is the main part of the building, which is the one that has an easy layout. The east and west wing are completely different but look similar at first glance, which can be very confusing.¡± And like that, they began to walk around.

    <hr>

    At first, Theodore''s guidance made it seem like it was easy to orientate yourself in the mansion so that Blanche wondered why her original counterpart had been too stupid to find the rooms.

    But as soon as they entered the east and the west wings of the residence, which had the same general style as the main building so that the change wasn''t visible at first sight, the layout didn''t make any sense anymore. Some corridors led around in a circle while others were similar to spirals. There were multiple doors to some rooms, and Blanche could swear that some walls had so few doors that it appeared like there were inaccessible rooms behind them. It only became a bit simpler to get a basic overview of the layout when her lover showed her that some of her confusion was based on a misunderstanding of where in the building they were. Still, she doubted that a sane person had built this house. She had remembered that it was bad, but upon standing here, she was only reminded of how nauseous these corridors made her.

    Blanche held back for a while before she commented on it. ¡°You know, I don''t want to offend the architect or you for choosing this manor as a summer residence. But I would like to get an explanation of what they thought while creating this.¡± She extended her arms and gestured to the hallway around them. ¡°This is a nightmare for anyone to orient in.¡±

    Theodore let out a chuckle at that. ¡°It was their intention to confuse.¡±

    ¡°Why? Shouldn''t a house be designed to be convenient to use? To reach some of the rooms, you have to circle around a couple of corridors because the door is on the other side. Some chambers aren''t even accessible from the hallways, and you need to pass through five other rooms first. Why would anyone want to live in a manor that is this strange?¡±

    Her lover opened one of the doors and showed her a small square room that had one door on each wall, which made Blanche grimace. ¡°To be honest, the east and west wings aren''t actually supposed to be used by anyone but the servants that have to clean them. We''ll stay in the main building for the most part too since everything important is there. The reason that these wings exist is...¡±

    He led her to the chimney in the corner of the small chamber while speaking and began knocking against the backside of the chimney, which caused a hollow echo. He pushed against the wall there more forcefully, and it gave in with a squeak. This revealed a ladder leading down into the darkness.

    Then Theodore continued. ¡°To make sure that outsiders won''t find any rooms. The building was created for people who had to fear being attacked. They lived normally in the main building, and if it seemed like they were in danger, they came here. The west and east wing are full of secret passages, which allows you to flee from any intruder without them even noticing you. The irritating layout would naturally slow down the movements of outsiders so that the owners of this mansion would have no problem leaving through one of the backdoors. There are also a lot of hiding spots like this one.¡± He pointed into the pitch-black shaft and then closed the hatch so that the wall looked like it held no secret again.

    Blanche stared at the wallpaper, which was colored in a pattern that perfectly covered up the small door, in awe before gazing at her lover with widened eyes. ¡°That''s amazing. No one would expect something like that to be here. That architect must have been a genius. A little bit odd too, but they were definitely clever.¡±

    Theodore nodded and pulled out a handkerchief to clean his hands of the soot from the chimney. ¡°This is exactly why the emperors of Artias have come here for their vacation for a few generations already. I believe my great-grandfather''s friends sold this place to him. The security measures obviously can''t be as developed as the ones at home. The walls aren''t as high and thick here, and the estate is also quite small in comparison to the palace. We also don''t have as many guards since many had to stay behind to protect the royal estate. Still, this building is perfect if an emergency arises. We could hide somewhere until help arrives, flee through underground tunnels or simply hide the knights so that they can ambush any possible attackers. Thus, the senseless layout makes sense. Of course, we won''t be here often. We''ll stay in the main building where our bedroom, the kitchen, the dining room, the servants'' rooms and the storage areas are.¡±

    Blanche was relieved to hear that. Even though she might be able to find a way out of the building by putting her hand against one of the walls and following it like in a labyrinth, regularly going here to find a specific room would be exhausting. She intertwined her fingers with her lover''s as they stepped back into the corridor. ¡°I''m really thankful that you showed me this. Still, I don''t remember most of the layout, so I''m not going to come here alone. I think I might get lost in here and die of thirst without anyone to guide me.¡±

    Theodore led her down one of the circular staircases, which she could have sworn hadn''t been there before, while speaking. ¡°That''s why I won''t leave you alone for even one second. If you feel like I step away too much from you, you just have to grab my hand. But I doubt that that will be necessary. You will probably have to push me away so that I don''t suffocate you.¡±

    A smile grew on Blanche''s face. ¡°That sounds like a nice death. It wouldn''t be so bad if my last memory was lying in your arms and looking at you.¡±

    Her lover wasn''t as amused about that as she was. He abruptly stopped, which made her collide with his back. Luckily, he didn''t fall forwards because of that but turned around and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Don''t joke about that. If something bad ever happened to you, I would follow after you seconds later.¡± His tone was suddenly a bit too serious.

    Blanche didn''t like hearing him say that with so much conviction but didn''t know how she should react to that. So, she lifted herself up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss onto her lover''s nose. ¡°I didn''t mean to upset you. It was just a joke. I won''t speak about that again if you don''t do it either.¡±

    Theodore quickly nodded at that but still insisted on cuddling her for another minute before departing.

    They reached the entrance hall again, from which he brought her to the second floor, where the master bedroom was located. Being in the main part of the building was relaxing since the layout finally appeared to be normal again. The concubine could easily remember the route she would have to take to get to their chambers, which satisfied her a lot when her mind had been worried about getting lost in the corridors while being unable to find the dining room.

    When they arrived in front of the door, it was closed, which made it seem like the servants were finished unpacking the suitcases already.

    Theodore ignored the guards that were postured by the door and opened it slowly as if he wanted to make his lover more excited. ¡°This is our room. I can guarantee you that you will love it. Especially the view from the bed.¡±

    They stepped inside slowly, and it immediately became clear that the emperor had been right about her liking the room a lot. Blanche just saw it for the first time, and she already loved it.

 Chapter 112: The Ocean and First Attempts To Swim (1)

    The master bedroom actually consisted out of multiple chambers, like it was usual in the palace. It had a similar size to Theodore''s chambers back at home, with the main room, which they had just entered, already being very spacious. Still, it seemed cozy, which might have been the case because of the many plants and bookcases that were spread all across the room. The large windows also allowed the weakening light of the setting sun to illuminate the whole room so that it was bright enough to not need any candles until the sun had completely disappeared.

    What truly caught Blanche''s eye was the huge round bed that stood on a slightly elevated part of the room though. The blankets and pillows were light blue and looked so fluffy that she wanted to jump onto them and cuddle into the mattress. When the door fell shut behind them, she immediately rushed to the bed, slipped out of her shoes and climbed onto the mattress to let herself fall forward onto the soft blanket. She almost sank into the dozens of pillows that were lying there and let out a pleased sigh. Sleeping here would feel like she was resting on clouds.

    Theodore grinned upon seeing her like this and sat down next to her, which made her roll onto her back. He leaned forward and brought his face directly in front of hers. ¡°You like the bed, don''t you? If you told me that you love cushions that much, I would have already bought a few for you. Maybe we should take some of these with us when we leave.¡± He sat up after that and slowly raked his fingers through her hair.

    ¡°If we have enough space, I wouldn''t complain about that.¡± Blanche grabbed one of the pillows that were lying next to her. She dug her fingers into it before loosening her hold to see how the cushion returned to its original size within seconds. It was soft enough not to hurt even if you hit someone. A grin grew on her lips, and she lifted the pillow over her head. Her eyes locked onto her lover, and she moved her arm to the side to build up momentum before throwing the pillow at him.

    To her surprise, Theodore caught it before it even came close to his face and immediately pounced on her. She barely managed to let out a shriek before he was already above her and began tickling her. Naturally, she wasn''t strong enough to push him away, so she had to endure the tingling and laughed until her stomach ached.

    Her lover stopped at that point but didn''t make a move to get off her. He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed down at her with an affectionate smile that caused her heart to flutter. ¡°I love you.¡± He told her that without a warning, which made her feel a warm sensation in her chest.

    Blanche didn''t hesitate a second before throwing her arms around him and kissing him. He instantly returned that while his hand moved to the backside of her head so that she wouldn''t even be able to retreat if she wanted to. Her fingers tangled into his hair to hold him down until she couldn''t hold her breath anymore. She was panting when he slowly lifted his head.

    Theodore began pressing small kisses onto her neck, which made it even harder to breathe. During that whole time, Blanche could only think about two things. About how much she loved him and about how he was here with her and not with Seraphina. Despite her attempts to hold back, Blanche felt how tears formed in her eyes, and she gave her best to blink them away. She couldn''t interrupt this wonderful moment by crying and not being able to name a reason.

    But as soon as her lover lifted his head and met her gaze, he saw what she was trying to conceal. His hands wandered to her face, and he gently wiped away her tears. That just made her tighten her hold on Theodore so that he didn''t get any wrong ideas.

    Looking into his eyes made Blanche melt. The hypnotic sea of blue of his irises seemed to make her heart squeal in joy just because he was paying attention to her. She slowly loosened her grip a bit to not hurt him by pulling on his hair but refused to let go nonetheless. ¡°I love you so much that I can''t think about anything else. See? I''m even crying out of happiness because you''re here. If you''re with me, everything is fine. I would accept any catastrophes if that meant that you won''t leave my side.¡± Those words came out of her mouth before she could hold them back. She would annoy him if she continued to bring something like this up over and over again without him understanding her reason for that, so she worried already.

    But Theodore didn''t look frustrated. He still stroked over her face and scalp without averting his eyes for even one second. ¡°I''m glued to you, and that''s exactly why none of those catastrophes will happen. I will prevent all of that and give you the happiest life you can imagine. Don''t think that you ever left my mind from the very moment I met you. I will make sure that we can be together and that no one dreams of coming between us. I don''t care about what I''ll have to do to assure that everything will go smoothly. I''ll be wiser this-¡± He was cut off by a knock. That made him groan and bury his face in her neck. ¡°Would you reply?¡± His voice sounded hoarse when he whispered to her.

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She replied in a whisper before continuing in a louder volume to address the person by the door. ¡°What is it?¡±

    The response came immediately. ¡°Dinner has been prepared in the dining room due to His Majesty''s request.¡±

    Blanche glanced at the clock and let out a sigh before stroking over her lover''s back. ¡°It''s time for dinner. We need to go to the dining room.¡±

    Theodore replied without looking up. ¡°Going out now is a bad idea. Ask them to bring the food here, please.¡± It might be better like that. After all, the both of them wouldn''t look very neat with their hair being completely disheveled due to their passionate kiss.

    The concubine also didn''t want anyone to see that, so it would be unfavorable to step outside now. She turned her head to the side to not yell into her lover''s ear while instructing the servant. ¡°Would you please tell the kitchen staff to bring it here?¡±

    ¡°I will do so immediately.¡± The person outside said that and was quiet afterward, which made it seem like they had disappeared.

    Theodore still didn''t lift his head but rather cuddled himself even more against his lover. Blanche began running her fingers through his hair and planted a few kisses onto the side of his scalp until he used his arms to push himself up at some point. He remained in that position above her for a few seconds and scanned her expression before leaning down to put his lips upon hers. The kiss was sweet this time and didn''t take long, but it filled them both with bliss.

    When she opened her eyes again, Theodore was smiling at her before slowly sitting up and pulling her with him. ¡°We didn''t look out of the window yet. I promised you a great view, so you have to check whether I''m right.¡± He moved over to the wall, and she followed after him. ¡°From here, you can see the beach behind the estate, which we will visit tomorrow.¡±

    Blanche waited for him to open the window before sitting down directly next to him and staring outside. Her lover hadn''t exaggerated when he had said that the view from the master bedroom was wonderful. The manor was circled by a stone wall and meadows with some trees. But at some point, the grass became sparse and was replaced with sand that was so light that it almost appeared white.

    The truly breathtaking thing about the beach was the sea though. As far as the eye could reach, the blue mass softly swayed back and forth. Every wave hit the sand and washed onto the land before retreating into the ocean. Seconds later, a new wave arrived, and it always looked a bit different.

    Blanche rested her elbows on the window sill and admired the sea in silence. It was incredible how much water was visible from her position, and it had to reach much farther than what she could even see. In comparison to the entirety of reality, her world that consisted out of the palace and the capital was so insignificantly small. That made it hard to believe that all of this was a novel, something that a singular person had come up with. And even though that unknown author had written everything in a way that they imagined the world, their words weren''t final. They had described Blanche''s personality falsely a couple of times when mentioning that she was pretending to cry for attention or claiming that she hadn''t been affected by her family''s death. Maybe those little inaccuracies were what gave her the chance to change her fate now.

    Blanche reached for her lover''s hand, and he immediately intertwined their fingers. When she turned to him, it became clear that he wasn''t looking at the view at all but just observed her the whole time. The soft beam on his lips made her want to kiss him again, but she held herself back and just smiled back at him. ¡°You were right. It''s beautiful. And we''ll look at it from up close too.¡±

    Theodore let his eyes roam across the ocean before directing his gaze to her again. He stroked his thumb over the backside of her hand as he explained. ¡°We will do that tomorrow. I promise you that nothing will keep us from going out together. We''ll take a stroll on that beach and then follow its course until we reach the cliff by the other end of the estate. Then we can bathe in the sea. The area here is remote, so no outsiders are close. If we send away our servants, we are hidden from any spectator''s eyes and can take our time to swim there.¡± That sounded very good. The concubine would be uncomfortable with anyone else watching her first attempts to move around in the water and swim.

    Blanche looked out the window while her lover spoke and scanned their surroundings. It truly didn''t seem like anyone else was anywhere close to the estate. There weren''t any visible people, houses or streets apart from the single road they had used to get here. That would certainly make it easier to spot any possible threats from afar. There weren''t any movements around them aside from the wind that rustled through the bushes and trees. Even in the dim light of the setting sun, which was beginning to color the sea red, one could tell that much. So, their trip should be secured, which meant that they would go no matter what.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Still, Blanche wanted to tease her lover a bit and came up with an issue she didn''t even believe in. ¡°What if it rains? You can''t guarantee that it won''t, and then you wouldn''t be able to keep your promise.¡±

    Theodore gave her a confident smirk. ¡°It won''t rain.¡±

    Blanche turned her whole body to him and put her arms around his neck before leaning forward until she was only held upright by him. ¡°How are you so sure about that?¡±

    His grin only widened at that. ¡°I just know it. Tomorrow there will be perfect weather to bathe. It will be warm, and the sun will shine, not enough to sting, but it will make sure that the temperature is pleasant. My guess about the weather the last week was correct too, wasn''t it? Trust me.¡±

    Her reply to that was obvious. ¡°I will always do that. No matter what.¡±

    <hr>

    Once again, the emperor had been right with his assumption. The next day proved to be perfect since the early morning.

    Blanche had slept without any issues while lying in her lover''s arms and being engulfed in soft pillows. She woke up slowly when the sun fell onto her face. Theodore already had been awake and had spent his time watching her rolling around to turn away from the sun rays. Before sitting up, they cuddled for a bit until a servant informed them that breakfast had been prepared. Theodore told his lover that he was too lazy to go to the dining room, and so, they ate in the bedroom again. They fed each other while sitting on the soft bed and giggling when the other party''s face was covered with pudding before cleaning it. As soon as they finished, they prepared to depart, and Theodore asked the kitchen staff to prepare a picnic for them at noon so that they wouldn''t have to return to the mansion to eat.

    The sandy path to the beach was already pretty enough with the flowers growing around them. That made Blanche''s eyes glow in awe before they even reached their destination.

    But when they climbed up the last dune and stood on top of the hill, Blanche froze in place. Even though she had seen the ocean from afar a few times, it was different to be directly in front of it. ¡°This is...¡± She couldn''t even finish the sentence and just stared at the display of nature''s beauty. A mild breeze made her hair flutter in the wind, and she breathed in deeply. This was unmistakably the smell of salt that accompanied the sea. It was just like before but much nicer. She opened her eyes with a beam and turned to her lover, who was observing her again. ¡°Theo, this is wonderful! It''s so unfair that we didn''t go here last year already.¡±

    Theodore gave her a soft smile that made her knees feel weak. ¡°In return, we can have our vacation here every year from now on. We could also go to the south and look at the mountains though. I will show you whatever you want to see.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I want to see you every single day of my life.¡±

    Theodore grabbed her hand and put a kiss on it. ¡°Your wish is my command. But you should stop being so sweet, or I might get too distracted from our original goal. You wanted to learn how to swim, right? The goal was not to make me want to pull you back into our room.¡± He had lowered his voice so that Owen and Stella, who were following them with a small distance, couldn''t hear him.

    Blanche showed him a playful grin before turning back to the ocean. The waves were so small that she should be able to take the first steps to get used to the water without being tipped over by the force of the tide. She felt excitement bubbling up in her stomach and quickly pulled her lover down the dune.

    When they reached the beach, she immediately took off her shoes and let her feet sink into the sand. Even this trivial feeling made her beam as she moved around to relish in the new sensation.

    Theodore picked up her shoes and gave them to Stella before scanning the area around them. ¡°There will only be one problem now. Owen, what do I need to do to convince you to stay at this exact spot while we go over there?¡± He gestured towards the other end of the beach, which was far enough away so that one would have to walk for five minutes or so to reach it.

    Owen''s reply was obvious. ¡°Your Majesty, I can stay a few steps away from you, but that is too far. In case of an emergency, I would not be able to intervene and protect you or Lady Blanche. It was already a risky decision to only let me accompany you, so we do not need to heighten the risk even more. From over there, I don''t even have an overview of the area so that I can''t warn you if someone was approaching us.¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°That''s exactly why you are supposed to be a bit further away. I don''t want you to look. We''re inside the fenced-in estate, so nothing will happen. If it calms you though, you could go up there.¡± He pointed at the highest part of the dunes. ¡°You would still keep some distance to us and overlook the whole area, but you won''t be close enough to see more than our silhouettes. Alright?¡±

    Despite Owen''s unmoving face, it was clear that he wasn''t happy with that. His voice was full of uncertainty when he spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, are you sure? I cannot disobey your orders, but I fear that-¡±

    Theodore interrupted him with a movement of his hand. ¡°It will be fine. The biggest danger here is running into some people in an awful mood in the mansion. We''ll go to find a nice spot for our blanket now, and you two can go to the dune.¡± He didn''t accept any further objections as he took the basket and the blanket from Owen''s hands and walked over to the beach.

    Blanche waved to Stella before spinning around and following her lover. She stopped occasionally to pick up some seashells, which were sparkling in the sun, and hurried to catch up to Theodore. She quickly realized that he was waiting for her with a beam on his face each time.

    When they found a spot that was close to a singular tree, which provided shade to the area around it, the emperor set down the basket and spread out the blanket. ¡°The tree is directly between us and the dune, so it might shield us from unwanted spectators.¡± He told her that before placing the basket in the center of the blanket and pulling out some towels.

    Blanche stepped to the side to see the head knight and Stella in the distance and grinned at that while setting down her seashells on a pile. ¡°They are so far away that they won''t even attempt to watch us. They never do that even though they always follow us around. So, I wouldn''t worry too much.¡±

    Theodore gave her a taunting grin. ¡°Normally, we aren''t naked in front of them either, but we certainly won''t go into the sea with our clothes.¡±

    She put her arms onto her hips at that. ¡°So, you didn''t take any clothes that we could wear to swim with you? That raises the suspicion that you did that on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Theodore stepped closer to her and put his arms around her. ¡°We''ve already seen every part of each other''s body, so covering up now would be useless. Besides, bathing clothes are rather uncomfortable. When they get wet, they are heavy and make swimming even harder. For you, as a beginner, wearing that would be a horrible idea.¡±

    A smirk crept onto Blanche''s lips as she let her fingertips wander over his neck. ¡°You''re right. But are you sure that you didn''t have any ulterior motives?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I''m an honorable man.¡± The amusement was basically dripping out of Theodore''s voice when he said that.

    She lowered her arms and stepped away from him. ¡°I see. Then I don''t have to worry about anything but learning how to swim, right?¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°Yes. Though, I would recommend that you just walk around for a bit before doing anything else. The water isn''t too high near the shore, so you will be able to stand. I will stay directly next to you to make sure that you don''t trip anyway. I don''t want to let go of your hand for even a second after we go in.¡± It might be better like that.

    Blanche glanced at the sea again, and now that she was about to swim for the first time, she became a bit nervous. As long as her lover was there, she was safe. But she still didn''t want to lose her footing and be unable to find the surface, which had happened to some people in stories that she had heard.

    Theodore came closer to her and took her hand in his. ¡°You don''t have to worry. I''ll be there the whole time. We will just put in our feet first. We can go as slow as you want too.¡± He took off his shoes and put them next to the blanket before leading her to the water. He rolled up his trousers a bit, which she took as her cue to lift the hem of her dress.

    They took one more step, and the cool liquid engulfed her feet, which almost made Blanche pull her foot back. After a few seconds, she had gotten used to the temperature though and went forward a little bit so that the water reached her ankles. This felt completely different from the hot baths she took in the palace. The gently swaying water and the loose sand below her toes, along with the knowledge that she was touching such a little part of the giant ocean, created a completely different sensation than stepping into a bathtub. If that already filled her with such excitement, she wanted to experience how swimming in the sea would feel like.

    That curiosity was enough to make Blanche pull her lover away from the sea. ¡°I want to go inside now!¡±

    Theodore softly smiled at her and let her guide him back to the blanket. ¡°I knew you would like it.¡±

    ¡°How could I not? It''s a bit cold at first, but after a while, you don''t notice that anymore. It feels so strange in comparison to the water I bathe with. Even now my feet are still a bit sticky. Is that the salt?¡±

    Her lover nodded. ¡°And the algae. They aren''t very visible in this part of the sea, so the water looks blue, but other regions have coasts with green water because of different plants. You might even step on some seaweed when we go in now. So, don''t be scared when you touch something slimy.¡± Blanche shook herself at that thought, which made Theodore chuckle. ¡°Well then. We should get ready, shouldn''t we?¡±

    She nodded and turned around to show him her back. ¡°You need to help me undress. The frilly dresses, as you called them, are rather impractical when you don''t have your maid with you since she has been exiled onto a dune.¡± She glanced over her shoulder and saw her lover grinning at her.

    ¡°It can''t be helped. This honorable man wants you for himself after all. So, how could I refuse your request?¡± Theodore stepped closer to her and pressed a kiss onto her shoulder before undoing a button. His lips wandered to another part of her neck before he took care of the next one and continued to do that until the dress slipped off her shoulders.

    This required more time than doing it without the kissing, but the concubine wouldn''t complain. Instead, she let out a quiet hum and enjoyed her lover''s affection while thinking about how she could repay him. After the dress and her corset had landed on the blanket, Blanche turned around to him. ¡°I assume that the honorable man needs some help too?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I am in dire need of assistance. Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself, Young Lady?¡± Theodore''s smirk made it impossible for her to even consider not helping him.

    She got rid of his shirt in the same way as he had done it with her dress and took her time planting kisses onto his chest and collarbone. She relished in the way that his cheeks began to turn slightly red, even though the warmth of her face betrayed that her skin had to be flushed by now too. She didn''t let that stop her and interrupted her work only to give him a kiss on his lips.

    Now it seemed like they would be ready to go into the sea, and Blanche couldn''t keep herself from getting even more excited.

 Chapter 113: The Ocean and First Attempts To Swim (2)

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    <hr>

 Chapter 114: I Only Have Eyes For You

    The tree on the hill was truly a sight to behold. The trunk was broad enough that there could be four people sitting on each side without noticing the others. One couldn''t even see the top since the crown of the tree was so thick that the leaves completely obstructed the view of the sky. Thus, the area around it was perfectly protected from the sun.

    ¡°This would definitely be a good place for a picnic on a hot day.¡± Blanche watched as her lover put down the blanket and basket while she couldn''t help admiring the surrounding area.

    ¡°We can do that later too. For today, I would choose a different spot though.¡± Theodore paused for a moment and stared at the tree before resuming. ¡°If I remember correctly, there is something else here that will make you like this place even more.¡± He grabbed her hand gently and led her around the massive trunk.

    Blanche was getting more and more excited every second that she didn''t see anything out of the ordinary. She only realized what he meant when they reached the side of the tree that was facing the coast. Standing in front of the ocean was wonderful, and viewing it from afar from a carriage or the window of their room was impressive, but that didn''t make this new view any less breathtaking. They were so high up that they could look down at the ocean and admire the blue water that covered everything until the horizon.

    She made one step toward the sea in awe, and Theodore immediately stopped her. ¡°Be careful. This side of the hill is the cliff that you saw earlier. The terrain plunges without a warning. Don''t wander too close to the edge.¡±

    Blanche halted her movements at that and glanced down at the ground. She didn''t see the edge yet, but she wasn''t courageous enough to get closer either. So, she just admired the ocean from her position. She turned around after a while and gave her lover a bright smile. ¡°It''s beautiful.¡±

    Theodore returned the grin. ¡°Isn''t it? But that''s not all. Do you know what else could be here that makes this place even better?¡± He patted an object next to him, which made her pay attention to the thing that was slightly swaying in the wind for the first time. Two ropes, which were connected with a wooden board, were knotted around one of the thicker branches.

    Blanche couldn''t help but breathe out her response in awe. ¡°A swing.¡± She walked over to the tree before she put her hands onto the plank and pressed it down. The construction didn''t give in even when she applied more pressure. She looked up at her lover with shining eyes. ¡°Is it safe to use?¡± It had been ages since she had used a swing. Her last memory was of her discussing with her siblings about who should go first at the old tree close to their house. She couldn''t help wanting to relive those memories a bit, even though she might be too old for this now.

    Theodore''s grin widened. ¡°Yes. We should be careful at first, but the ropes are still relatively new.¡± He scanned the swing with a gentle look in his eyes. ¡°Althea asked someone to make this for me years ago. During vacation, my father had some free time for once and wanted to spend it with her. They insisted on taking me along, and we often ate up here. They took longer than me, so I was quite bored after that. So, my mother told a servant to make a swing. I could pass my time like that while they talked by the table. Even though I haven''t used it for years, the servants were instructed to replace the board and the ropes every year. It''s just a plaything that was meant to distract me, but it still holds sentimental value to me.¡± He stroked his fingertips over the ropes, which made Blanche hesitate.

    She had wanted to use it, but that seemed wrong considering that this had been his gift from Theodore''s mother. It had probably not been intended to carry the weight of an adult, and she didn''t want to risk breaking it. In addition, it might seem odd to him that she wanted to use a swing like a little child.

    Blanche slowly lifted her hands off the wooden board and took a step back. ¡°I see. It sounds like Althea was a wonderful person.¡± She would have liked to meet her, but regretting this now was useless. She hadn''t even known Theodore when Althea had died.

    Her lover gave her a sad smile. ¡°She was. Thanks to her, I learned what love was. So, in that aspect, she is the person that showed me the right way. Without her, I would have ended up like my father, a man that only lives to do his work and doesn''t care about anything but his duties, or my brother, who tries to gain others'' appreciation so much that he seems to have forgotten what he himself likes. I''m so glad that this isn''t the case.¡± He stared at the swing for a moment before his expression lit up again, the previous signs of grief making way for a bright beam. ¡°Because you appeared one day. Since then, my life has been fulfilling. I''m thanking the gods or whatever brought us together in this world, but more than that, I thank you for being here.¡± He let go of the rope and was quiet for a bit.

    Blanche stepped closer to him at that and reached up to stroke his cheek. ¡°I''m grateful for you being with me too. So much that I can''t put it into words.¡±

    Theodore chuckled quietly. ¡°I think you voiced your devotion for me so often that Leon has to be having a mental breakdown each time that he hears the words ¡®I love you¡¯. But I don''t think I will ever have had enough of that. I will say it back as often as you wish to hear it and even more often than that.¡±

    The longer he spoke, the wider Blanche''s grin got. ¡°Have you noticed? We''re doing it again. I''m glad that Leon isn''t here to scold us.¡±

    ¡°As if that would stop us. He can whine as much as he wants to. He will have to get a lover himself, and then he can take his revenge by doing the same things we always do. But in contrast to him, I have authority in my office, so I could tell him to leave. Well, let''s not talk about him so much. Other things are more important.¡± He gestured towards the swing with a smirk. ¡°Didn''t you want to try it out?¡±

    Blanche began fiddling her fingers. ¡°Oh, I don''t know. Maybe it would be better not to do it. I don''t want to accidentally break it because I''m too heavy. This was made for a child, so...¡±

    Theodore raised an eyebrow at her before taking a step to the side and plopping down onto the swing. She almost flinched in fear of the ropes tearing, but nothing happened. Her lover grinned at her reaction. ¡°I said that the components are replaced every year, didn''t I? Do you really think that the royal family would accept playthings of low quality for their children? This would probably even carry us both at the same time, even though I doubt that sitting like that would be pleasant since the board is rather small. But this should have proven that you can sit on it without a problem.¡± He stood up and bowed while extending both arms towards the swing. ¡°Everything is ready for you, My Lady.¡±

    Blanche hesitantly stepped forward and turned around in front of the swing before slowly lowering herself onto the board. She only lifted her legs up when she had been sitting for a few seconds and nothing had happened. Due to her movement, she swayed forward a bit, and quickly, her worries disappeared. She lifted her head to look up at her lover with shining eyes.

    Theodore responded before she even opened her mouth. ¡°Yes, I will push you.¡± He walked behind her and gently put his hands on her back. At first, he only pressed against her a bit so that she gained momentum, but soon, she had reached the height that allowed him to push with more force.

    It had been years since Blanche had last used a swing, but she quickly remembered what had been so fun about making her parents help her while seesawing. The wind brushed through her hair, which fluttered around her head each time she descended again. The view of the sea whenever she reached the top made this even more rewarding as well as the tingling in her stomach upon rushing back down.

    It made sense that the twins had always yelled in joy upon being pushed on the swing as well, no matter whether their parents or their sister had helped them.

    Blanche couldn''t help but be filled with happiness upon thinking about that memory. She let out small noises of glee as she dug her fingers into the rope to not fall. She enjoyed the swing to the fullest until her muscles began to ache from grinning this much, and she thought about Theodore, who had to work the whole time just so that she could have some fun. So, she asked him to stop and let the swing come to a halt before meeting her lover''s gaze. Even though she had been the one playing and giggling, his smile rivaled hers.

    Theodore stepped in front of her and leaned down. ¡°I had a premonition that you might like this. So?¡±

    Blanche nodded happily. ¡°You were right. It''s been so long since I did this the last time. This place is wonderful! You can see the ocean while soaring through the air and feeling the wind in your hair.¡±

    Theodore grabbed the ropes and brought his face down even more so that he could press a kiss onto her forehead. ¡°We can come here as often as you want to. We are on vacation after all. But maybe we could need a swing in the palace too.¡±

    She tilted her head backward to meet his eyes and smirked at him. ¡°How will you justify this? The esteemed emperor of Artias, the successor of the proper Estien family, wants to seesaw in his free time? Or Lady Blanche, the guest in the royal palace that clings to the emperor, is childish enough to make him build her a swing?¡±

    Theodore chuckled. ¡°You got something wrong. You aren''t a guest, you know? You''ve lived with me for over one and a half years and share my room. I think that qualifies you as an inhabitant of the palace. Aside from that, you shouldn''t think about what others say too hard. They don''t matter. I don''t see how having fun would be childish either. But if you don''t want to admit that it''s for us, we could say that this will be for our children later. They need to have some things to do. The royal palace is quite boring otherwise.¡±

    Blanche blinked at him for a while as her mind processed what he had just said. She felt a tingle in her stomach at the mention of their future children. Maybe she would be able to get pregnant. If this world wasn''t dependent on the novel, her being the villainess might not have anything to do with her body''s capabilities. Both of them were young, so they had a lot of time. For a moment, she just pushed away the problems that would arise since Theodore couldn''t announce his mistress'' children as his and that he would still need heirs that were birthed by the empress. She just focused on her happiness about being here with her lover, even though the book had foreseen a different world.

    She let go of the ropes and raked her fingers through Theodore''s hair before gently pushing his head towards her. He complied without any hesitation, which allowed her to brush her lips over his in a soft manner. Theodore let her continue like this without pulling away or deepening the kiss and just allowed her to show him how she felt right now.

    The wind rustled through the leaves of the tree and made Blanche''s hair sway. Along with the salty breeze from the sea, this made it seem like a romance novel, in which she finally wasn''t the antagonist who needed to die to give the main characters a happy ending.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Blanche took her time relishing the kiss until Theodore suddenly pulled away. She gazed at him questioningly and froze at the annoyed expression that he showed her as he stared behind her shoulder. ¡°Theo?¡±

    When Theodore looked at her face, a little smile spread across his lips, but the previous irritation hadn''t completely disappeared. ¡°We have company. Unwanted company. Don''t pay attention to them.¡± With that, cupped her chin with one of his hands to keep her from turning around and pressed his lips onto hers in a much more passionate manner.

    Blanche didn''t care for the servants that were probably watching them from the corner of their eyes. She allowed her lover to take control this time and simply enjoyed his affection.

    Theodore only stopped when a voice reached them.

    A man coughed, and even this short tone betrayed that he was extremely uncomfortable making noise, which was natural considering the situation that they were in. If that person thought it was necessary to alert the emperor despite having a lower rank, he had to have been standing there for a while without being noticed.

    That realization tinted Blanche''s cheeks red as she whipped her head to the side and scanned the servant that was standing there. It was Clark. This only made her sink in herself even more. Clark was averting his eyes now, but he would definitely tease her because of this later. She restrained herself from making a comment about him being better off not mentioning this again.

    Theodore finally acknowledged the other man. ¡°Yes?¡±

    Clark was careful not to meet anyone''s eyes as he bowed to the emperor. ¡°I apologize for disturbing you from the bottom of my heart, Your Majesty. A letter from Lord Astame with the information you asked for arrived, and I was instructed to notify you immediately.¡±

    Theodore''s frustration at being interrupted was obvious, but he perked up at the mention of the letter. ¡°I see. Thank you for your service. I will take a look at it this evening, so tell someone to bring it to our room. You may leave.¡±

    Clark nodded and stormed off before Blanche could see his face. It was understandable though. The emperor''s annoyance wasn''t very pleasant. Plus, the situation in itself had been quite uncomfortable.

    Now that they were alone again, Blanche breathed out in relief, but Theodore still didn''t relax. He mumbled to himself a bit and shook his head before glancing up at her with a loving gaze again. ¡°These people can''t read the mood, but I won''t wait for them to leave. Now, where were we?¡±

    Blanche frowned at that. ¡°Who are you talking about? Is there someone else-¡± While speaking, she looked around and cut herself off as soon as her eyes fell onto two people that were taking a stroll on the hill by the cliff. Her body didn''t know whether to be fearful or frustrated, so these emotions mixed. Her heart beat a bit quicker, and she wanted to hide behind her lover while still being annoyed.

    Why did the heroine have to appear every time that Blanche had a wonderful moment today? Did Seraphina do that on purpose? That was impossible since she couldn''t have known where the couple would interact. Was the novel steering the empress towards the man that was supposed to be her destined partner? That might be possible, but the concubine desperately hoped that it was just a coincidence. Before she could panic about what she should do now, she made eye contact with Noah, who was trailing behind the empress and gave her a soft but definitely forced smile.

    Seraphina, on the other hand, had a completely neutral expression, which relieved the concubine a bit. Since the empress hadn''t spent any time with her husband, she shouldn''t be interested in him nor should she be jealous because of this, right?

    Blanche didn''t have any time to worry about that though.

    Theodore grabbed her chin and pulled her back to face him. ¡°Ignore them. They are taking a walk and will cross the whole hill without acknowledging that someone else wants a little privacy. They''ll be gone soon. If not, it''s their problem. We were here first.¡± He leaned forwards and captured her lips in a kiss again.

    At first, Blanche was a bit hesitant. She knew that the empress was watching, and provoking her wasn''t a wise choice. But her lover was right about them having claimed this spot first.

    If the empress felt the need to stroll around next to them, it was her own fault for doing so. She had the choice to look away if she didn''t want to see this, so she couldn''t blame the couple for being affectionate.

    Blanche relaxed her tense muscles and leaned into Theodore''s embrace. She would enjoy this as much as she normally did or at least she attempted to do that. But being watched still didn''t make her happy. So, she checked again. When she opened her eyes to glance over her lover''s shoulder, she saw that Seraphina didn''t face them but was focused on walking and not tripping by the edge. Good.

    Noah, on the other hand, was looking at the couple every few seconds before averting his eyes. He only stopped doing that when the empress turned to him and said something before he followed her down the hill.

    When the two disappeared from Blanche''s view, she hummed into the kiss and closed her eyes to focus on her lover again.

    After a while, Theodore let go of her and looked around. ¡°They''re finally gone. Thank the gods.¡± He directed his gaze up to the sky. ¡°But it seems like it''s time for lunch already. What do you think, should we picnic here?¡±

    She nodded without a second thought. ¡°We should sit at a spot from where we can see the ocean. Over there would be good. Should Stella and Owen join us?¡±

    Theodore let out a huff. ¡°No. I gave them their own basket with food so that they could eat alone. I don''t think that they''d enjoy a meal that consists out of us feeding each other and cuddling. We can eat with them later, but for now, let''s stay alone.¡±

    ¡°You''re right about that.¡± Blanche slowly rose to her feet with her lover''s help and examined the area around them. She found a spot that was close to the edge of the cliff but not so much that one would have to fear falling and pointed towards it. ¡°Let''s go to that place.¡± From there, they could see the sea and also eat at the same time. It was perfect.

    <hr>

    The couple almost spent the whole day outside the mansion and only returned in the evening. Upon arriving at the residence, Theodore announced that they would eat in their room again before pulling Blanche into their chambers and closing the door behind them.

    He placed the basket onto the table and skeptically eyed it. ¡°I know that we put it on top of a blanket, but I would still bet that there is a lot of sand in this. I don''t want to spread any dirt across the whole room. Maybe I should have left it downstairs.¡±

    Blanche sat down on the armchair and cuddled into the soft upholstery. ¡°I told you to do that. We should have taken the watermelon out and brought it here by itself. We could have just eaten it in the dining room too. What purpose does the room have if we don''t have our meals there?¡±

    The emperor pulled a few clean plates from the basket and put them onto the table. ¡°The room is being used. That''s exactly why we won''t go there. Or do you want to see the empress every breakfast, lunch and dinner? Us three eating together would be annoying.¡± He let out a sigh and paused his movements. ¡°But I fear that we won''t be able to avoid that for much longer. The servants don''t have a service lift here, so they can''t use a cart and have to carry all the things separately. I don''t want to trouble them for the rest of the vacation. It''s a wonder that nothing broke until now, and I would like to prevent anyone falling down the stairs.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Still, Blanche didn''t really want to join Seraphina. The novel had summarized a few of those meals during the summer vacation. They had always consisted of the concubine being late and then watching Seraphina chat with her husband until Blanche had enough and stirred up a fight. That had always ended with Theodore taking his wife''s side and his lover being forced to retreat to keep the peace, which had been a first in the book. Blanche didn''t have any interest in experiencing a similar scenario. If one looked at it objectively, that was unlikely considering that the emperor didn''t care about the empress at all, but she wouldn''t risk it. If they ate together, she would stay quiet and do everything to prevent a fight.

    Even though observing how Seraphina and Theodore had a friendly discussion would upset her due to its similarity to the novel.

    A small pause followed before a small grin grew on Theodore''s face. ¡°Maybe we should just make her want to eat in her room. If we''re lucky, us showing up downstairs together is enough to annoy her so much that she''ll retreat to her chambers. If not, we have to get creative.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow while trying to hide the little bit of satisfaction that she felt upon hearing that Theodore didn''t have the desire to talk to his wife. ¡°So, sending away the empress is your choice? That might be a little¡­¡± She paused upon noticing a white envelope that was lying next to the basket from the corner of her eyes. She leaned forward to pick it up between two fingers and showed it to the emperor. ¡°Look, the letter is here.¡±

    Theodore took it from her and lifted it to read the sender''s handwriting. ¡°Leon is awfully quick.¡±

    The concubine lifted herself onto her knees to look over his arm and catch a glimpse of the envelope. ¡°What is this about? Didn''t he want to send you weekly summaries of the events in the capital? This is a bit early for that. We only departed four days ago.¡±

    Theodore put the letter to the very edge of the table before continuing to unpack the basket. ¡°Yes, this isn''t about the capital specifically. It might be connected to that in a very vague sense though. I requested important information a few weeks ago, and this should be the results of the investigation. Naturally, you can''t write something like this in a normal letter, so everything will be coded. Which means that I''ll take an eternity to read this. I should have asked him to store the simpler version in my office until I''m back.¡±

    Blanche glanced at the envelope in curiosity. Her lover didn''t show any intention of opening it even though he had said that the contents were important. So, it couldn''t be urgent, right? ¡°When are you going to read it?¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°I don''t know yet. Maybe I''ll start decoding it tonight while you sleep.¡±

    A frown appeared on her face. ¡°You shouldn''t lose sleep during your vacation, you know. Wouldn''t it be better to just do it while we sit together? I can also give you a bit of privacy if you prefer-¡±

    The reply came before she had even finished the last word. ¡°No.¡± Her lover met her gaze with determination. ¡°I promised that we would spend every minute of the vacation together, and I meant that. If I decode something directly next to you, it will be boring, and I refuse to ignore you for even a split second. I''m used to sleeping less, so I can just work for an hour every night, and you won''t even notice it.¡±

    Blanche hesitated for a moment before replying. She had intended to cling to him for every second of the trip to avoid him getting close to Seraphina, and she still didn''t want to make way for the empress to somehow impress the emperor. But she also didn''t want Theodore to pressure himself to postpone crucial activities. ¡°I know we said that we would be together the whole time, but you don''t have to take it literally. I''m glad that you want to be with me. However, I won''t be angry if you leave my side for a few minutes to take care of important matters.¡± She gestured towards the letter.

    Theodore''s expression made it obvious that he wasn''t convinced, so the concubine pondered about ways that would link both of their goals.

    Blanche stood up from the armchair as an idea appeared in her mind. ¡°Wait for a moment. Let me check something.¡± She walked over to one of the doors that was connected to the main room and opened it. So, she had remembered it correctly. There was a small kitchen here that even had a little furnace. It might take longer to use it than the bigger one on the first floor, but it would still work out. She moved back to her lover and leaned against him so that he had to catch her. ¡°How about you decode this letter tomorrow? During that time, I will bake you a cake of your choice in the kitchen there. I don''t know why the master bedroom would need its own kitchen, but it''s simpler like this. I''ll go out for five minutes to get the ingredients with Stella, and then I will return and prepare a gift for you while you work. That sounds good, right?¡± After all, it would ensure that he didn''t get closer to the empress in any way.

    Theodore glanced over at the kitchen, and a smile spread across his face. ¡°That''s a perfect idea. You must be a genius.¡± He patted her head, which made her grin despite the exaggerated compliment. ¡°I''ll look forward to a chocolate cake then. Oh, and if you''re interested, the kitchen is here so that the inhabitants can barricade the master bedroom in an emergency and still live without any restrictions. There is a secret ladder from here to the real kitchen, so you could get your ingredients by climbing down there. But I would recommend using the stairs. They will be more comfortable.¡±

    Blanche let out a chuckle. ¡°Naturally, it was my first thought to climb down a tight dark shaft into the kitchen when I could use the brightly lit and wide staircase. Though, it is surprising that the architect put this much thought into everything. The commissioners truly must have feared for their lives.¡±

    ¡°Or they just didn''t like other people and wanted to eat without having to meet anyone.¡± Theodore grinned but became a bit more serious after that. ¡°Actually, I believe that I heard that the commissioner was the head of an underground association that smuggled everything that was illegal. In that case, it would have made sense for him to need to protect himself. Since that association is gone now, we can use his building to protect ourselves from having to be apart for more than five minutes though.¡± His smile returned as he wrapped his arms around her and brought his face in front of hers.

    Just at that moment, someone knocked on the door, and they sighed. They would have to postpone their kiss until later.

    Dinner went by slowly with the both of them feeding each other alternatively so that it was already dark when they finished. Due to having spent the whole day outside, Blanche was exhausted, and Theodore seemed to share that sentiment. Knowing that she had prevented him from staying up late to work despite that made her a little proud. After dinner, they immediately went to bed, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 Chapter 115: Getting Rid Of Unwanted Company

    ¡°

    ¡°

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°

    she will be the one regretting that. After all, we didn''t do anything that could justify her being angry. We were in private with no one there that didn''t know about our relationship. We were overly considerate of her from the moment that you moved in with me to not instigate a fight with her strong-willed father, but there is a limit to that. We''re in the middle of our vacation far away from the capital. No noble will see us here, so we are free to do whatever we want. If she has a problem with us, I don''t care. I never cared about that in the first place, and the more time passes, the more I feel like ignoring Duke Duremont''s unreasonable fury completely. So, you don''t have to concern yourself with that family either.¡±

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    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 116: A Chocolaty Gift

    Seeing Clark was normally a nice occasion, but last time they had met each other, Blanche had been busy kissing Theodore until she couldn''t breathe anymore. Discussing this would definitely be unpleasant.

    Blanche gave her best not to let her embarrassment show on her face and forced herself to smile when the servant reached them.

    Stella was less reserved than her. ¡°Good morning. We haven''t seen each other for a while. How has work in the summer residence been? Do you have more or fewer breaks than in the palace?¡±

    Clark shook his head and pretended to be disappointed, but the smile on his lips betrayed him. ¡°This is the first time we meet, and you ask me about is work, really? Is that the only thing you are interested in? That''s unfortunate. But I can calm you by saying that I have more than enough free time. George and I wandered around the beach for a bit to busy ourselves. The girls are currently using all of their time to be together, and it''s exhausting to watch them be romantic, so we ran away. It seems like Stella knows that feeling though.¡± He glanced over at the concubine with a smirk.

    Stella let out a chuckle at that. ¡°I certainly do. His Majesty and her are-¡±

    Blanche cut her off by waving her hand around. ¡°I get it. You don''t need to repeat yourself.¡± Then she gestured towards Clark. ¡°And you don''t have to pretend that you weren''t just as uncomfortable in that situation as me. If I had known that you were there, I obviously would have behaved normally and wouldn''t have made you see that.¡±

    Clark made a rejecting gesture with his hand. ¡°I''m just teasing you a bit. I don''t mind a couple spending their time together. I definitely don''t want to be present while you are busy cuddling, but yesterday, it couldn''t be helped. There are other things here that are way more annoying.¡±

    Stella perked up at that. ¡°What do you mean? Is it a specific person?¡±

    Clark shook his head. He looked around for a moment, and when seeing that the only guards in the corridor had some distance to them, he lifted his hand and showed three fingers. ¡°There isn''t just one person. Two other people managed to frustrate me already aside from the usual suspect, even though I spent an hour with them at most. As you saw, I was instructed to show Her Majesty around the residence, and I didn''t mind that. But back then, I didn''t know that her maids were this infuriating. They kept gossiping the whole time and said some extremely unkind things. Their level of impudence reminded me of our favorite colleague, but since one of them already got along with him before, that should have been to be expected.¡± If Clark was annoyed enough to compare Seraphina''s attendants to Harris, they had to have enraged him a lot.

    Blanche could imagine whom those maids had spoken about after Theodore''s display of their relationship after the arrival here. ¡°I presume they gave you a detailed overview of why I am the vilest criminal in this world.¡± She didn''t care about those women''s opinions, but the two servants in front of her were livid.

    Stella balled her hands into fists and lifted them as if she was ready to fight while glaring at the people that weren''t here at all. ¡°Of course they would do that! I knew it! They just can''t shut their mouths even after I won a bet against one of them. What did they say?¡±

    Clark crossed his arms. ¡°I don''t remember everything anymore, but Lady Blanche was spot on. They voiced the usual things. That His Majesty was manipulated and how awful he is for treating his perfect wife like this because of another woman. That Lady Blanche is offending Her Majesty with her presence and wants to grasp her power.¡± A little smile appeared on his lips. ¡°It''s also quite amusing that they said that you were bribing the servants with cake.¡±

    The concubine let out a snort at that. ¡°They truly used the same words as you did?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the exact same ones. When I noted I was one of the people that had tasted that cake and that you give it to the staff because there will be too many leftovers otherwise, they became strangely silent.¡± Clark shook his head. ¡°They''re extremely brazen, but as soon as you tell them that they are wrong, their confidence vanishes into thin air.¡±

    Blanche could imagine that. The maids had probably been angry at being scolded for glaring at the emperor''s lover and vented their emotions. But if someone actually addressed them to say that they were complaining to the wrong person, they would keep quiet to avoid conflict. Though, she was quite happy about that. ¡°Isn''t it better like this? It would be bothersome if they started a fight with you.¡±

    Stella put her finger against her chin and thought about that for a moment. ¡°Well, one of them did start a fight. You both remember that that ended with me making a bet with her. So, it seems like they act differently depending on who speaks to them.¡± She glanced at Clark. ¡°Are you sure you didn''t snap at them? You can be scary when you''re angry.¡±

    Clark shook his head. ¡°Her Majesty was present. Do you really think I would yell at her attendants while she is there? I might have done that if I had been alone with those maids, but I had to hold myself back. I definitely sounded annoyed when I told them that rumors aren''t the best source of knowledge, but other than that, I was rather calm.¡± He looked around the hallway for a moment before slowing his pace a bit. ¡°Say, where are we going? I just followed you, but I don''t actually know what you are even doing down here.¡±

    Blanche gestured to the door that was only a few steps away from them. ¡°We want to go into the kitchen. I''ll bake a cake for Theo. A chocolate cake with cream filling. He needs to work for a while, so I can give this to him as a reward afterward. Since there is a smaller kitchen in the master bedroom, I only need to fetch the ingredients, and then I will return to our chambers and give my best to create a masterpiece.¡± She gave the servants a confident smile.

    Clark smirked at her from the side. ¡°Then please let Stella cut the cake, or you might ruin everything.¡±

    The concubine glared at him and let out a huff. ¡°I sewed a wonderful handkerchief, you know? I''m not that bad at using my hands.¡±

    Clark scanned her from head to toe and then shrugged. ¡°We''ll see about that. But at least you already have a plan for every single birthday from now on. You can simply make a cake or sew something and won''t need to come up with another present like I have to right now.¡±

    Blanche paused for a moment and blinked while going through her brain in search of a specific piece of information. She blurted it out before she could think more. ¡°It''s that this came up. I never asked about your birthdays. I still need to know.¡±

    Stella remained quiet for a few seconds before replying. ¡°Now that you mention it... We simply never mentioned that topic. But that''s not really a problem, is it? Servants don''t usually get gifts from their masters. They might receive a small thing as a thank-you from their superiors, but everything else would be exaggerated.¡±

    Clark rolled his eyes. ¡°Whether servants get a present from their master depends on the master. And if you paid attention to Lady Blanche until now, you would realize that she wants to give you something.¡± He turned to the concubine. ¡°Stella''s birthday is in exactly one month. She likes pancakes with maple syrup if you need an idea for something you could offer her.¡±

    Stella got a bit louder at that. ¡°Clark! You can''t demand her to give me something. As her attendant, I have no right to ask for anything.¡± She almost sounded heroic as she explained that, which just made her seem more adorable.

    Clark shrugged in response. ¡°You won''t get anything because you are a maid either. You will receive a present since you are her friend. It''s the same the other way around. Normally, a servant would never dream of preparing a gift for their master since they could never have the resources to buy anything that would impress a noble. Still, I will get something small for Lady Blanche''s birthday, even if it''s just the thought that matters.¡±

    The concubine watched that exchange and smiled at the two. ¡°Exactly. I really don''t need a gift, so I won''t be upset if you don''t get me anything. But I will definitely choose great presents for you.¡± She mentally noted to write down Stella''s birthday later to find something in time before turning to Clark. ¡°When is your birthday?¡±

    ¡°In winter. It''s the eight of-¡± Clark cut himself off when he stumbled forward. Blanche and Stella instinctively attempted to help him, but he regained his balance quickly and whipped his head around. ¡°Watch where you are going! I almost...¡± He turned around completely and spoke to the person that appeared to stand behind him. ¡°It''s you.¡± His tone went from annoyance to pure irritation, which could only mean whoever had run into him wasn''t someone he liked.

    A small ¡°I''m sorry¡± was muttered by that person before they stepped to the side to pass by the group. Only now, Blanche could see Harris. He physically looked healthier than the last time that she had seen him. His eyes weren''t underlined by dark blue rings anymore, and while he was pale, it didn''t seem to be as severe as when he had brought her to Theodore''s office. But all of that didn''t really matter when his expression contradicted any thought of him being in a good mood. Harris stared into the distance as if he hadn''t even noticed that someone was standing next to him with a dejected gaze. That certainly didn''t make him look like the friendly helpful colleague that he strove to be viewed as nor like the teasing provocateur he often was. He only turned his head to them when someone snapped at him.

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    Clark was pretty annoyed already and didn''t try to hide it at all. ¡°Are you blind? You can''t just move around without looking ahead. Use your eyes.¡±

    Harris scanned the other''s face but didn''t say anything, which only served to make the other servant even angrier.

    ¡°What?¡± When Clark spoke with such a sharp edge to his voice, it almost sounded like the situation was about to become unpleasant. If Blanche didn''t know this man, she would expect a more physical argument soon.

    Harris didn''t seem to be eager to provoke anyone today though. He didn''t put on his usual fake smile and just averted his gaze as he let out a frustrated huff. ¡°Of course, it had to be you.¡±

    Clark narrowed his eyes at the other man. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡±

    Harris turned to the side and massaged his temples. ¡°Can we not do this today? I''m not in the mood.¡± He sounded tired enough to make this believable.

    Stella opened her mouth to intervene, but Blanche stopped her with a motion of her hand. Right now, it didn''t look like Harris had any bad intentions, and most likely, running into Clark had been a genuine accident. The discussion between the men was already tense enough. So, the other two, who had yet to be noticed by Harris, didn''t need to get involved too. Maybe she also wanted to stay out of it because that expression on Harris'' face was a bit familiar to her. She would guess that something unpleasant had happened to him, so they didn''t need to make it worse.

    Though, Clark didn''t seem to have any intention to let this go. ¡°You were the one that bumped into me. How did you think I would react? Did you believe that I would tell you to have a nice day and apologize for being in your way?¡±

    Harris closed his eyes and kept his fingers pressed against his forehead while looking like pure annoyance and exhaustion fought for the dominant emotion inside him. ¡°I said that I''m sorry. What else do you want to hear? Besides, it should be obvious that I didn''t see you. Otherwise, I would have taken a detour through the whole house to avoid you, as per usual. Are you done now? If so, I would like to go.¡±

    Clark''s expression only darkened at that. ¡°Please do. If I have to see you any longer, my eyes might-¡± While talking, he had leaned forward, only to abruptly stop. His tone was much different now. ¡°You smell like alcohol.¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Harris'' response came almost too quickly to seem genuine since it made it sound like he had expected the question. He hadn''t been believable enough in general either, not with how unsteady his stance looked. Blanche was sure that he had indeed drunk something, which surprised her. Why would the model servant risk getting in trouble because he had consumed so much alcohol that it influenced his work?

    Clark seemed just as taken aback, but he quickly got angry again. He narrowed his eyes at the other servant. ¡°Do you think I''m stupid? I''m old enough to know that smell.¡±

    Harris opened his eyes again and looked up at the other man with an annoyed expression. ¡°Fine. Want me to call you a genius and give you a cookie as a reward? This doesn''t concern you.¡±

    A deep frown was etched into Clark''s features while he replied. ¡°You''re right, it doesn''t. But you never drink.¡±

    ¡°It was necessary this week.¡± Harris closed his eyes and swayed a bit before opening them again, which only made it clearer that he was still in an unpleasant state because of what he had drunk a bit ago.

    Clark''s expression made it easy to guess that he understood that too as he watched Harris with narrowed eyes. ¡°You can''t stand alcohol. You hate the taste, and you have a low tolerance for it. What was so bad that you drank enough to have a hangover at work?¡±

    Harris obviously didn''t give the response, even though that seemed like an important thing to talk about. Instead, he groaned and threw his arms up. ¡°You''re so annoying. Why do you care? Are you going to tell Gloria?¡± He paused at that and let out a small ¡°Ah¡± before meeting the other man''s gaze again. ¡°That would be an easy way to get rid of me, wouldn''t it? Drinking alcohol before work won''t make our superiors happy. Go on, tell them.¡± If he had said this with a smile, it would have seemed like a challenge, but right now, he almost looked serious.

    Clark was visibly irritated by that as he took another step forward. ¡°That wasn''t-¡± They were interrupted right there.

    ¡°Harris!¡± A maid announced herself loudly, which made Harris sigh. The young woman ran down the hallways so that her heels clicked on the floor and almost flung herself at Harris when she reached him. ¡°I need your help, please. We need to take care of the herbs for the steak in the furnace, but I also have to clean the guest rooms and instruct the new servants. There is a fight in the kitchen too, and no one can get them to break it up. Can you take care of that? Pretty please?¡±

    Harris didn''t even argue. He hummed in a dejected tone as an affirmation and followed the maid, who was already running off in the other direction with a grin. He turned his head to the side while walking and only seemed to have noticed Blanche and Stella now. He bowed slightly before stiffly straightening his posture and hurrying down the hallway as if he couldn''t bring himself to glance at anyone for any longer.

    The three remaining people looked after him. Stella was the first one to speak up. ¡°What''s wrong with him? I get that he has a hangover, but is he blind too? Either he was completely lost in thoughts, or he bumped into you purposefully. We should really inform Gloria about this. If she knows that he drinks while working, he might get a punishment, right?¡±

    Blanche should agree here since this simply was the perfect chance. Yet, she found herself shaking her head as she quickly denied that. ¡°It didn''t seem like he was drinking during the day. These are most likely the repercussions from yesterday evening. I''m pretty sure that it''s not good for him to work like that, but as long as Harris finishes his duties, no one will care. In addition, I don''t feel like it''s necessary to trouble him. The last time we saw him, he looked awful, and today, he still wasn''t in a good state, so we should leave him alone. He doesn''t cause problems right now either, right?¡± Maybe she was a bit too kind here, but she couldn''t help herself.

    Clark still stared at the end of the corridor, where Harris had vanished. He turned around after a short moment of silence before responding. ¡°He didn''t do anything ever since the fight we had in the kitchen and his disappearance after that. If his personal problems keep him from bothering us, then it''s good that he had them.¡± He stepped to the side to grab the handle of the door to the kitchen when Stella stopped him.

    ¡°Wait. Your uniform is dirty.¡± The maid tapped against the part of his back directly under his right shoulder.

    That made Clark a bit uncertain as he strained his neck in an attempt to look. ¡°Really? Will that wash off? I already needed two spare uniforms this year, I can''t ask for another one.¡± He reached to his back and wiped his fingers over the spot before lifting his hand to his face. ¡°White...powder?¡± He stared at his fingers for a moment before showing them to the women. ¡°Isn''t that similar to the powder you gave me for my nose? I used it to cover up my injury.¡±

    Stella inspected the powder while putting her arms on her hips. ¡°It looks like the one we always use. How did that touch your back without you noticing?¡±

    Blanche moved around the servant to scan his whole back. The powder was only spread around one area that had an oval shape. It didn''t seem like this could have gotten on his clothes while he squeezed by some object. The shape reminded her of something else. ¡°I don''t think you got this while working. Doesn''t the spot almost look like a face?¡±

    Stella immediately began grinning. ¡°Oh, did you meet a woman? Don''t stay silent about something like this. I''m curious. Tell us more.¡±

    Normally, Clark had no problem laughing about this kind of joke, but this time, his expression darkened. ¡°I didn''t meet anyone. I don''t know since when he uses powder, but that must be from when Harris ran into me.¡±

    Stella voiced a barely audible ¡°Oh¡± and was quiet after that, which caused an uncomfortable silence.

    Blanche cleared her throat when it began to become unbearable. ¡°In any case. The powder can easily be washed off. So, you don''t have to worry about a spare uniform. But would you help us carry my ingredients into the second floor before taking care of that?¡±

    Clark nodded immediately. ¡°Of course. Just tell me what you need, and I''ll get it out of the storage rooms. The layout here is a bit different from the one in the palace, so you might have trouble finding everything on your own.¡±

    It was true that the food was stored in separate rooms, but with Clark''s help, they quickly gathered the ingredients they needed. Blanche just guessed that bowls and utensils would be in the kitchen upstairs since the purpose of that room had been being independent of the bigger kitchen. So, she didn''t take any items except for food, which was practical since the three of them already had trouble carrying everything at the same time. They barely managed to bring the things upstairs without dropping anything, so Clark had to come into the room to place his share in the small kitchen. After that, Blanche thanked him, and he left while being lost in thoughts.

    That left the two women alone since Theodore had chosen to work in the little office that belonged to the master bedroom as well. So, they could take their time to chat while preparing the cake.

    The concubine insisted on doing most of it since this was supposed to be her gift for her lover, but she let Stella cut the chocolate that would be put on top as decoration. She mixed the dough first and put it in the furnace before taking care of the cream that she stirred with melted chocolate. While waiting for the cake to cool down, she would have liked to check on her lover but didn''t want to disturb him, so she just glanced into the room from behind the slightly opened door. When she saw that he was sitting at the desk and stared at the letter in front of him while supporting his head on his palms, she left. Apparently, she wasn''t as quiet as she had thought since Theodore looked up and smiled at her. She mirrored that expression before returning to the kitchen.

    After waiting for an hour for everything to cool down, Blanche spread the cream onto the different layers of the cake and stacked them on a cake holder. Then she put the rest of the cream on the outer parts and finished everything off by placing the chocolate pieces, which Stella had skillfully cut into little patterns, on top of the creation.

    Blanche proudly inspected the cake while putting her hands onto her hips and grinning. ¡°It''s perfect. Now it will only have to taste good.¡± She was a bit irritated by her maid''s missing answer, but before she could turn around, a pair of arms was already wrapped around her from behind.

    ¡°I''m convinced that it will.¡± Theodore, who had suddenly appeared behind her, whispered into her ear, which almost made her knees buckle.

    Blanche slowly leaned back until her lover was supporting most of her weight and tilted her head back to look up. ¡°One day, you will end up giving me a heart attack with your sudden appearances. See? My legs don''t even work anymore.¡± She pouted at him, which made him chuckle.

    ¡°Oh, no. In that case, I have to take responsibility, don''t I?¡± He bowed down and picked her up with suspicious ease, with one arm holding her back and the other one being under her legs. He gave her a chance to wrap her arms around his neck before moving towards the main room. While walking, he glanced over his shoulder at Stella. ¡°Bring the cake here.¡± Then he carefully maneuvered Blanche through the doorway and brought her to the table. He sat down on a chair and pulled her onto his lap.

    The concubine beamed as he buried his nose in her hair and began drawing small symbols onto his collarbone. ¡°It almost seems like someone was desperate for some cake. Were you that hungry? You should have told me. I could have hurried a little.¡±

    Theodore shook his head slightly before pushing away one strand of her hair to look at her. ¡°No, that wasn''t it. I just had to see you. It was a coincidence that you were almost finished when I arrived. I enjoyed two minutes or so of watching you beam at your masterpiece.¡±

    Blanche quickly went through her memories of the last two minutes. Had she done anything embarrassing? She didn''t remember doing something that was out of the ordinary, but her lover''s grin made her doubt that. ¡°What did you see?¡±

    Theodore''s smile only widened at that. ¡°Nothing. I have to say that you are adorable though. That holds true no matter what you do, but you humming while you decorate your cake is an astonishing sight.¡±

    She breathed out in relief. That wasn''t anything bad. She had done way worse things when she thought that she was alone, but seemingly, Stella''s presence had kept her from giving her lover a reason to laugh.

    The said maid was currently placing the cake on the table and putting plates in front of them, so Blanche gave her a smile, which Stella mirrored. Then the maid left the room when the emperor dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

 Chapter 117: Proof of Love

    When Blanche bid her maid farewell to relax with Theodore, she focused on her cake again. She had to admit that it looked delicious. She was already getting hungry from gazing at it, even though she hadn''t been the one to work at all. She turned to Theodore and gestured towards the knife that was lying on the table. ¡°It''s your cake, so you have to cut it.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Her lover didn''t hesitate to comply and sliced two perfect pieces off the cake before placing them on one plate and handing it to her. ¡°One of my arms has to stay on your waist the whole time so that you won''t fall. That means that you have to feed me.¡±

    Blanche gave him a smug grin as she pretended to take the first bite for herself. But before the fork reached her mouth, she stopped and held it to Theodore''s lips. While he happily chewed, she continued to smile at him. ¡°By the end of the vacation, you won''t be able to eat by yourself anymore. Maybe we should return to eating without the other''s help.¡±

    The emperor shook his head and swallowed before responding. ¡°No. We already fed each other at home, and it wasn''t a problem. As long as we can enjoy eating without anyone watching us, we should use that time properly. But enough about that. The cake is heavenly. As expected of my master chef.¡± He pressed a kiss onto her cheek, which, along with the compliment, made her stomach tingle.

    Blanche quickly returned the favor by placing her lips onto his for a moment. Then she put a little piece of the chocolate cake for herself on the fork. ¡°Let me check whether you are just lying to make me happy.¡± He wasn''t lying.

    The cake was delicious. She doubted that her lover liked how sweet it was since the cake was rather sugary, even though she had used less than normal already, but for her, it was perfect. She munched on her piece of cake with a grin while offering Theodore another portion. He accepted it immediately, and she quickly got herself a second bite too. It didn''t take long for them to finish the two slices.

    After glancing at the cake and the clock, Blanche spoke up. ¡°There are a lot of leftovers again. We could eat another piece, but it''s only a few minutes until dinner. We shouldn''t have too much cake, or we won''t have any room for real food in our stomachs.¡±

    Theodore raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°There is always enough room for dessert, isn''t there? We can have dinner and treat ourselves to more cake afterward. Besides, we didn''t eat lunch, so we could have even more after that.¡±

    Blanche leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°Yes, but we had cake for breakfast already. We shouldn''t eat too many sweets during our vacation. We need to consume at least some normal and healthy food.¡± The memory of how they had been eating in the morning filled her mind as she wanted to list how many sweet things she had had, but remembering breakfast gave her a different idea. She lifted her head and looked up to meet her lover''s gaze. ¡°Now that we are talking about meals, there is something I would like to discuss. I don''t want to eat with the empress. Especially not when you infuriate her with everything you do.¡±

    Theodore simply nodded. ¡°I know. We won''t eat with her again.¡±

    The concubine was taken aback by that. Hadn''t he wanted to chase Seraphina out of the dining room? Why was he suddenly agreeing with her? ¡°Really? We won''t go to the dining room?¡±

    ¡°We will. But I can guarantee that the empress won''t be there. This evening, she''ll still be there, which is why we will stay here. But starting from tomorrow, she will eat in her room. We only need to go downstairs before breakfast and do one more thing to annoy her, and she will give up.¡±

    Blanche didn''t like the sound of that. It seemed like her lover intended to provoke the empress even more, which she definitely wouldn''t enjoy. In all honesty, she was way too satisfied with being favored like that but pushed that thought away quickly. Her lover didn''t have any idea how stubborn Seraphina was, so this plan would probably not work out the way he imagined it to. ¡°I doubt that the empress will step aside for us. That would hurt her pride.¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°Not much more than eating with us while we cuddle and feed each other would. She won''t endure that for longer than she absolutely has to, so she will retreat as soon as we arrive there tomorrow. I can promise you that.¡± With these words, he planted his lips on her neck and began gently nibbling on it until she started to squeal. When he lifted his head, she used that opportunity to kiss him softly before slowly pulling away. He met her gaze and showed her a playful grin that made her eye him skeptically.

    ¡°I worry about your intentions, Theo. If you plan on provoking the empress again, I''m not in the mood to even come downstairs with you.¡±

    Her lover''s lips landed on her neck once more and brushed over her skin while he spoke. ¡°Trust me. I will make sure that we can eat alone from now on. So, I need your assistance one more time.¡±

    Blanche was quiet for a moment after that.

    Was eating without anyone else truly Theodore''s goal? He had justified not staying in their room by stating that the busy servants had to carry all the things upstairs and that he would like to avoid them slipping. But that didn''t explain why they couldn''t simply sit in one of the guest rooms near the kitchen. There were enough tables on the first floor. Those mostly had space for less than four chairs, but since they only were two people, they didn''t need bigger ones anyway. Why did he have to insist on them sitting in the dining room?

    Blanche found that too important not to mention it. ¡°Theo, is this really about the dining room? If you look at it objectively, we could simply go into any chamber on the first floor that has a table. Why do we have to drive out the empress?¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment. He kept his face buried in her neck and only lifted his head slightly when he spoke up after a couple of seconds. ¡°You''re right, it''s not necessarily just about the dining room. It''s more because I''m annoyed by her claiming that spot for herself, even though it should be obvious that we would want to eat there. In the palace, she never leaves her room for breakfast. However, she eats lunch and dinner in the big dining room downstairs, even though she doesn''t actually need to sit at a banquet table for two dozen people. But that''s acceptable since no one else will be there.¡±

    He made a small pause and continued in a voice that dripped with frustration. ¡°However, as soon as we arrived at the summer residence, the empress decided to claim this dining room for herself too. As you said, there are enough other rooms with smaller tables, so she could have gone there to leave the bigger one for the couple that wants their privacy. But she didn''t even think about that. Despite expecting us to be considerate of her at all times, she doesn''t do the same for us. I''m sick of that. I never did anything when she was like this. When she used her title to justify not being generous and refusing to let other people have or do something they love for no reason. So, I wanted to intervene this time. It''s a less important topic, so she wouldn''t stir up an argument because of this. This is why I started here. I can show her that she''ll have to hold back a bit too if she wants others to do that for her. If similar situations arise later, she might have grasped that concept already and will refrain from quarreling about it too much.¡±

    That sounded so different from what Theodore had said to his wife in the novel. He had admired her both for her strength and her kindness. Hadn''t he once praised Seraphina for knowing exactly when to extend her hand to someone in need and when to exhibit her authority against disobedience? He had said that immediately after a fight between the empress and Blanche in the last third of the novel, which had ended with the concubine being grounded in her room. Despite all of his lover''s complaints and extremely harsh words about the other woman, the emperor hadn''t said a thing and had just let the empress decide before telling Seraphina those words of praise after the concubine had left, which had just allowed the heroine to underline her stance the next time Blanche had complained. How come that he thought so differently about Seraphina''s traits now? Was his judgment truly this guided by his personal feelings?

    In any case, it made Blanche happier than it should have. This only proved that Theodore would turn a blind eye to her faults as long as he loved her, but she couldn''t help beaming. He didn''t care about the heroine. In fact, he even disliked the empress'' actions. So, he wouldn''t get closer to his wife or attempt to reconcile for now. Didn''t this mean that Blanche had successfully changed the course of the novel for good? Right now, it seemed like she had done everything in her power to keep Theodore with her, and it just might have worked.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    A firework of emotions bubbled up inside her, and she couldn''t help pressing countless kisses onto her lover''s face. He gladly accepted them while playing with her hair and kissed her back whenever she gave him the chance without questioning why she was so happy. They were interrupted when dinner was brought, but they didn''t care much about that. As soon as the servants left, they went back to showering each other in affection. During the meal, Blanche stayed on her lover''s lap, which made her worry about cutting off his circulation, but he didn''t complain. They sat at the table until the servants took the dishware and retreated.

    Theodore took that as his cue to finally stand up. He put one arm around her back and the other under her legs before lifting her again.

    Blanche couldn''t pass up that opportunity at teasing him a bit. While he walked, she stroked her fingers over his chest and grinned up at him. ¡°I think Owen was right about you training secretly. You were always able to carry me, but it seems like it''s easier for you now. If I look at you more closely, I might see some bigger muscles too. Did you win the hunting competition because of that?¡±

    Her lover put his lips next to her ear and whispered so that his warm breath ghosted over her skin and made her shiver. ¡°Maybe. But I believe that your support was the aspect that granted me victory. Your handkerchief made me extremely lucky.¡± They reached the bed, and he slowly laid her down on top of the soft blanket. Then he sat up and carefully removed one of her shoes while pressing a kiss onto her knee before doing the same with the other leg. As soon as he had taken off his own shoes, he climbed onto the bed next to her.

    Blanche turned onto her side to face him. ¡°But a handkerchief can''t make you stronger. Especially not when it''s at home while we are at the coast.¡±

    Theodore gave her a triumphant smile as he opened his jacket and reached into the inner pocket. He slowly pulled out a neatly folded piece of cloth, which she would have recognized anywhere. After working on it for weeks, she had memorized the patterns, so she could be sure that this was her handkerchief.

    ¡°You have it with you.¡± A pleasant warmth began to spread from Blanche''s chest throughout her whole body.

    ¡°Of course. I always had it with me ever since you gave it to me. And it will stay at the same place near my heart.¡± He gently returned the handkerchief to the pocket before taking off his jacket and putting it on the chair next to the bed. Instead of lying down next to Blanche, he moved on top of her and supported his weight on his arms. He looked down at her with a loving smile that made her heart flutter.

    Blanche gently ran her fingers through his hair before pulling him down to her so that he had to bend his arms and come closer to her. She didn''t need to invite him twice. Theodore''s lips found hers after a few seconds of eye contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him from pulling away and allowed herself to melt into the kiss. When she loosened her hold on him, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt how her cheeks were flushed.

    Her lover still continued to caress her even more. He leaned down to lay his lips onto her neck and planted a trail of kisses onto her skin until he reached her collarbone.

    Slowly but surely, Blanche got short of breath, and preventing small noises from escaping her continuously became harder. So, she stopped him by putting her hand onto his cheek and guiding him up to bring his face over hers. She took a few seconds to slow her breathing to allow her to speak normally. Still, her voice was a bit hoarse and quieter than she had intended to be. ¡°I promised you a reward for your victory at the hunt, didn''t I? I also told you that I would let you choose a reward if you pampered me enough during our vacation. I think you already proved that you will do that. So, I have to keep my word.¡± She tangled her fingers in his hair and gently pushed him down to meet her lips. As they kissed, she let her hands roam over his back until she eventually reached his chest.

    When Theodore separated from her, he didn''t show her the playful grin that she had expected. Instead, he seemed very serious. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    She was taken aback by that question. ¡°What? Of course, I am. I love you. And it''s not like we never did this before.¡± His gaze was fixated on her eyes, and she became a little nervous under his observation, even though there wasn''t anything she had to hide in this situation.

    Theodore gently brushed his knuckles over her cheek before putting one of his hands against it. ¡°I don''t want you to force yourself to do anything if you don''t feel like doing it.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t hide the small frown that appeared on her face. ¡°I don''t understand what exactly you mean. I was the one that instigated this now. Why would I do that if I didn''t want to...¡± She cut herself off and scanned his expression before quickly resuming. ¡°If you aren''t in the mood, it''s fine. You can just tell me.¡±

    ¡°That''s not it. I worry about you.¡± He stroked his thumb over the skin under her eye without avoiding her gaze. ¡°For the last few months, you didn''t want this. So, I won''t rush you by suddenly making you go along with what I desire.¡±

    Those words were enough to cause her to panic. How couldn''t she have realized this before? Of course, her lover would notice if she suddenly stopped instigating and allowing physical contact. Blanche had done that for half a year, so her changing her mind had to confuse him. Especially since there was no explanation that she could give him. She had no idea how to come up with a logical cause that didn''t involve the novel or hurting him with some excuse. It should have been obvious that he would misunderstand this in a way that made him feel like there was something wrong with their relationship. Why else would she suddenly start pushing away her lover without giving a reason?

    She had already hurt him by staying quiet about her feelings and trying to solve their problems by herself while burdening him with worries about her. This only meant that Theodore had been uncertain about even more than she had realized before. Now she would have to correct the misunderstandings she had caused but still didn''t know how to justify her sudden withdraw without naming her constant fear of him leaving her.

    ¡°I... I... That wasn''t... I love you, and that never stopped, so this-¡± Before Blanche could collect herself enough to speak without stammering, her lover already cut her off by pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

    Then Theodore made eye contact again and caressed her cheek with his fingers. ¡°You don''t have to give me an explanation. I know why you did that.¡± He did? How would he be aware of anything regarding the novel? He had to be referring to something else that probably made him blame himself.

    ¡°No, you can''t know! But I never, never-¡±

    He shushed her softly while stroking through her hair. ¡°Blanche, it''s alright. I don''t intend to accuse you of anything. I know that this is because of...¡± He exhaled slowly before breathing in and continuing. ¡°Because of your...nightmares. Ever since you saw those awful visions, you didn''t want to be this close to me, and I understand that. That''s why I won''t do anything until you are sure that you want this.¡±

    And just like that, Blanche felt how the tension fell off her. Her lover wasn''t convinced that he was at fault for her actions. The dreams had been her way of explaining why she was scared to him. If he knew that, he understood her basic reasoning.

    After gaining the novel''s memories, she hadn''t been able to imagine spending the night with him while being aware of the fact that he would leave her. She had thought that his devotion for her would fade and that he would shower Seraphina with affection instead. While believing that, there had been no way for her to be intimate with him without sobbing. She would have been sure that this proof of love didn''t actually mean anything and that he wouldn''t look at her like this for much longer.

    But now that she had reached half of the original novel, things were different.

    Blanche knew that Theodore''s feelings for her weren''t as fragile as they had been described to be in the book. She knew that he didn''t care for Seraphina romantically and that he wouldn''t leave her for his wife at this point in time. She had changed the course of the novel, and she needed to believe that this would affect her fate. Because she loved Theodore and he loved her, they would have their happy ending.

    And because of that, she could also discard her fears of him abandoning her. If she didn''t believe in their future, how was it supposed to happen? She needed to dedicate every fiber of her being to this reality, in which she had the chance to be with her lover. She wouldn''t doubt him.

    In fact, she wanted to do the opposite. She wanted to trust him completely and believe that he was striving for the same happy end as she did. So, she wouldn''t push him away anymore. She wanted to show him her love, and she wanted to feel his.

    Besides, it would be wonderful to be together for the first time after a long while in the time span that was supposed to be an opportunity for the main characters'' first night. But instead of being with Seraphina after drinking her oh-so special self-made tea, Theodore was here.

    He was with Blanche and looked at her with a gaze that revealed how much he loved her.

    Blanche lifted her hands slowly and cupped his cheek while smiling up at him. ¡°I am sure that I want this. I want you, all of you for all eternity.¡± She gently guided his head down to her. She met him halfway and pressed her lips onto hers in a kiss that was full of all the passion she could muster. When she ended the kiss, she met his gaze with determination. ¡°I love you. That''s the one thing I know, and it''s all I need to be sure. I''ll stay with you until the end of my life.¡±

    Theodore immediately reacted to those words by becoming more resolute. ¡°I won''t let that time arrive soon. We''ll be together and grow old until the very end. Even in death, I won''t ever let you go.¡± That was everything she could ask for.

    Blanche pulled him down to her again. This time, she gave him a soft kiss that held all of her tender feelings. But apparently, that was what convinced her lover.

    He pulled back slowly and stared into her eyes. ¡°Tell me if you want me to stop at any time.¡±

    ¡°I won''t need to do that.¡±

    Theodore closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in deeply before opening them again and looking at her with those beautiful blue eyes. ¡°I love you.¡± His voice was hoarse and so full of longing that it only left her with one possible response.

    She didn''t hesitate to extend her arms and pull him into an embrace. That didn''t make him stop saying those words. He repeated them like a mantra over and over again while planting kisses everywhere he could reach. He only stopped talking when he pressed his lips on hers again and allowed the both of them to get lost in the pure bliss of their love for each other.

 Chapter 118: The Morning After Full of Bliss

    The morning sun hit Blanche''s face directly. No matter how much she murmured while being half-asleep or turned around, it always reached her eyes. She heard a movement next to her, and only then, the infuriating light disappeared. She let out a content hum before turning into a pleasant position. A kiss on her forehead woke her up, but she kept her eyes closed until Theodore spoke.

    ¡°We will be late for breakfast if you don''t leave the bed now.¡±

    Blanche opened her eyes. She only needed one glance at Theodore to want to do nothing but cuddle all day.

    Her lover was lying next to her and had lifted his hand to keep the sun from shining into her face. While doing that, he looked at her with so much adoration that her heart felt like it was about to burst.

    There was no need to hold back, so Blanche propped herself up on her elbow and kissed him. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    Theodore let out a chuckle at that and kissed her again. ¡°Good morning. If waking you up like this is more efficient than tickling you, I should do it more often.¡±

    She let her head sink onto the pillow and grinned at him. ¡°As long as you are here, I will gladly wake up no matter what.¡± Every fiber of her being was filled with joy at this moment, so she didn''t have any problem looking forward to standing up. The last traces of tiredness vanished quickly as she sat up and smiled down at her lover. She drew small loops into his skin and leaned down to kiss his nose.

    Theodore looked like he was as happy as she was right now. He enjoyed her affection for a moment before sitting up too. ¡°Someone is ecstatic today.¡±

    She giggled quietly and pressed her lips against his face a few more times. ¡°Of course. How could I not be when you are right here with me in the morning? It''s only you and me.¡± As she said that, she made direct eye contact with her lover and couldn''t help beaming at him.

    For a split second, it almost looked like Theodore got a bit more serious as he whispered. ¡°Yes. It''s only you. I would never love anyone else. I could never even be without anyone else, my lovely angel. Don''t worry about me forgetting that.¡±

    At the moment, Blanche didn''t feel like she would forget that anytime soon. She was still full of bliss after Theodore had shown her that he loved her in so many different ways that she couldn''t count them. She was sure that she had love marks all over her neck, chest and possibly even down to her hips. Obviously, she was proud of those, much like she adored the ones she had left on Theodore. Her hand wandered to his neck as she gently ran her fingers down the reddish spot there as she felt her lips twitch with the desire to kiss that spot again. Blanche gave in and leaned down.

    She was too happy to contain herself at the moment. She had been the one Theodore had picked to spend the vacation with. He had come to her bed. And for that, Blanche hadn''t even needed to talk for minutes before finally getting him to enter her room where she had to offer self-brewed tea to make him comfortable, like the heroine originally had. This now was completely different. Theodore had been way more eager to join Blanche, she was sure of that. After all, she had felt how passionate he had been with her and how much love had been in each of his kisses, caresses or words. They had made love in its purest form while all of their feelings were shown as they got as close as possible. There hadn''t been any lies here.

    That settled it.

    Blanche wouldn''t give up. She would fight against that damned novel and not let anyone come between Theodore and her. She had been successful until now, so she knew that she had the ability to change the future.

    Blanche lifted her head slightly and finally left Theodore''s neck alone before she brought her face above his. ¡°I know that you love me and just me. I''ll make sure neither of us forgets. I love you.¡± After every word, she paused to kiss him again, and when she finished, a beam spread across her face. She was too happy to contain these emotions from pouring out and plopped down next to her lover to wrap her arms around him.

    Theodore quickly returned the embrace and turned them around so that she was lying on top of him, which gave her the chance to shower him with more kisses. He enjoyed that for a while as he just laid there and smiled up at her softly while blinking a bit. He took a few seconds before he collected himself and his grin returned. When he whispered to her, his voice was low and sent shivers down her spine. ¡°I take that you enjoyed last night then.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t reply enthusiastically enough, so she quickly let her mouth trail down his neck until she pressed a big kiss on his collarbone. She looked up at him at that point while a confident smirk showed on her lips. ¡°Clearly. I think you enjoyed it a lot too.¡±

    ¡°If it''s you, always. I''m happy that you liked it as well.¡± Her lover carefully reached up and caressed her cheek, which made her pause her kissing. ¡°If you continue like that, I can guarantee that we won''t leave our room until noon though. Can I take this as proof that you don''t want to eat breakfast?¡±

    Upon remembering the morning of the prior day, Blanche sat up and shook her head. ¡°I do. I''m hungry. And we won''t be too late today again.¡± Even the memory of yesterday''s breakfast wasn''t enough to wipe her smile off her face as she jumped out of the bed and searched her dress for the day while twirling around and humming. She picked a light green attire with thin fabric and tulle and came back to get her lover to help her put it on.

    Theodore was still looking at her with a soft grin without having moved from the bed.

    She dropped the dress onto the mattress next to him before diving into his arms. She allowed herself to relish in the way that Theodore stroked over her head and held her close as if she was his anchor for a few minutes before glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. ¡°We have to get ready soon, or we''ll be late.¡±

    He grumbled and buried his face in her neck. ¡°I don''t want to.¡±

    Blanche smiled at his complaints and raked her fingers through his hair. ¡°You were the one that woke me up so that we would be there in time. Besides, I won''t run away. We have each other for the rest of our vacation.¡±

    ¡°You mean for the rest of our lives. But that doesn''t make me want to let go now. Especially since you were so adorable. Last night and this morning.¡± He pressed a gentle kiss onto her shoulder before lifting his head. They made eye contact for a few seconds in silence before he continued. ¡°You really want to go eat breakfast, don''t you?¡±

    She nodded happily. It might have just been the rush of euphoria after being convinced that her happy ending could come true. But right now, she wanted to show the world how much she loved Theodore. Even Seraphina could see how close they were, Blanche didn''t care.

    In the novel, the main characters had strolled around together too and left the concubine to cry alone after realizing that she had lost her lover''s devotion. So, it was only fair if the empress saw that her husband''s adoration was reserved for another person. They didn''t have to do enough to seriously upset the heroine, which would be awful for the emperor''s political bonds and lower Blanche''s survival chances. But it didn''t matter if Seraphina rolled her eyes.

    The concubine put a kiss on the emperor''s neck before lifting her head to meet his gaze. ¡°If we don''t eat, we won''t have enough energy to go swimming later. We took a break yesterday, but that doesn''t mean that we can skip lessons every day. I want to be able to swim by the end of our vacation.¡± A grin tucked at her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. ¡°We''ll be alone in the sea too, you know. So, we will have a lot of time for ourselves.¡± She put her lips onto his ear and whispered. ¡°Without anything to cover up.¡±

    Theodore stood up from the bed without a warning, and she yelped as she quickly tightened her hold on his neck to avoid falling. He spun them around before leaning his forehead against hers. ¡°You really don''t know what you are doing to me. We''ll have to leave now, or I will keep you in this room until the sun sets.¡± He gently set her down on the bed before taking the clothes that she had put to the side and helping her dress.

    Blanche used that time to watch her lover, who looked absolutely gorgeous with the golden sun shining onto his face. She couldn''t restrain herself from stroking her fingers over his skin, no matter how often he told her it would be better to stop if she didn''t want to miss breakfast. In the end, they still managed to get dressed despite her consistent attempts at showering him in affection. Theodore led her out of the room, and she greeted Stella with a beam. The maid showed her a small grin as well before following the couple.

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    Blanche interlocked her fingers with her lover''s ones and was happily swinging their hands forward and backward. Her ecstasy had to have been obvious to anyone, but she didn''t have any intention to hide it. Why shouldn''t the people around them know that they loved each other? Normally, she hated being watched by others, but today, she completely ignored all the people that were staring at them.

    Some servants gave them a light smile while they passed, which only underlined Blanche''s assumption of her joy being visible. That just made her grin widen, even though the corners of her lips were already hurting. But she wouldn''t have been able to stop smiling even if she tried, and she didn''t have any desire to attempt that in the first place. So, she would have to endure it.

    The couple strode down the stairs, and Blanche was about to walk toward the dining room when Theodore pulled her back. He gave her a knowing smirk before guiding her to the other hallway. She was confused because of that but still followed him without questioning it. They stopped in front of the kitchen, and it quickly became obvious why Theodore had brought her here, even though she was unsure about how he had known that Seraphina would be present.

    The empress was currently chatting with Gloria, and both of their faces visibly fell when they saw the couple arrive. Seraphina''s attendants averted their eyes, and only Noah greeted the other party with a smile.

    But the emperor didn''t appear to mind approaching the crowd despite their clear dismay with the situation. ¡°Good morning to all of you. Did you sleep well?¡±

    All the people except for the empress bowed.

    Seraphina nodded her head and responded in her usual calm tone. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. I cannot complain. You seem to be well too.¡±

    Theodore put on a bright grin that immediately showed that his reply wouldn''t be a polite as it should have been. ¡°Then it''s good. I was worried that one would be able to see that I didn''t sleep very long.¡± He glanced at his lover with the same playful smile, and Blanche almost choked on the air at that indication. She only managed to hold herself back because she knew that coughing now would emphasize his provocation, so she kept beaming as she had before.

    Seraphina''s chest sank slightly as if she was breathing out in frustration, but she maintained her composed expression. ¡°As it is our vacation, that should not be a big problem. To not endanger your health, I would recommend you to make up for that lost sleep. Missing out on such a wonderful day because of exhaustion would be a shame. Wouldn''t it, Lady Blanche?¡±

    The concubine was a bit taken aback by the empress addressing her with a longer question. Usually, Seraphina only greeted her with a very short phrase that didn''t ask her to answer with more than a couple of words. But this time, Blanche was inclined to respond in one or more full sentences as a part of the conversation instead of as a bystander. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. I wish a good morning to you as well. Have you planned anything for a day with such beautiful weather?¡±

    The empress gazed at Gloria for a moment while speaking. ¡°I intended to have a picnic outside and was just inquiring whether that would be possible. There is a hill with a stunning view of the Ocean of Eswen within the estate. You might have seen it already. The one with the huge tree. The last time that I took a walk there, I did not have an opportunity to look around much, unfortunately. I was hoping to change that today.¡±

    Blanche let out a nervous chuckle as she contemplated apologizing. In the end, she refrained from doing that to avoid directing attention to the fact that she and Theodore had been kissing at that spot while the empress passed by. ¡°I see. I assume that there will not be anything that would prevent Your Majesty from going there today. I hope that you will enjoy the view to the fullest.¡±

    Seraphina gave her a polite smile that had been perfected by years of acting in front of arrogant nobles. ¡°I will make sure to do so. If I may ask, what led you to the kitchen this early in the morning?¡±

    The emperor chimed in at that. ¡°I was going to ask the staff to make some black tea for me. As I previously stated, I didn''t sleep long, so I am a bit tired. But after some tea, that will pass.¡±

    Blanche scanned his face with skepticism. Her lover didn''t look like he was tired in the slightest. He hadn''t said that he was tired before either, so she assumed that he was lying just to remind the empress of his previous provocation. She really didn''t understand why he was so keen on frustrating Seraphina, but she didn''t intend to intervene either. She lifted her free hand with a barely audible sigh and twirled one of her locks around her finger before pushing the strand behind her ear. It had just been an unconscious gesture, but as soon as she did that, the people in front of her reacted as if she had done something horrible.

    Two of the empress'' maids glared at her despite the emperor''s presence while the third one, Kate, and Noah averted their eyes in a hurry. Gloria veiled her emotions a bit more, but the slight narrowing of her eyes had still been visible.

    The empress was the one that kept faking a smile so much that it was obvious that she was struggling to keep up the facade of being indifferent. ¡°I see. If that is the case, I''m sure that the kitchen staff will gladly take care of that.¡± She turned to the head maid next to her. ¡°Gloria, you said it would be possible to have a picnic now, correct? Please tell the servants to prepare a basket for me.¡±

    Theodore observed that for a moment before turning to his lover and gently grabbing her shoulder to position her so that he could look at her from the front. Within a second, he let out an ¡°Oh¡±, and a smirk lit up his face. ¡°It''s a good thing that you have long hair.¡± With those words, he took the strand of her hair that Blanche had tucked behind her ear and moved it back into its original position. She gave him an irritated look, but he ignored that and just smiled at her before addressing the head maid. ¡°Gloria, if you are already inside, please tell them about the black tea as well.¡±

    Gloria nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I will inform them of both requests.¡± She disappeared into the kitchen, which made the emperor turn to Seraphina.

    ¡°So, you will have a picnic for breakfast? Enjoy your meal. We will go ahead to the dining room then.¡±

    The empress'' smile seemed a bit less forced now, so she appeared to have calmed down. Maybe she was just relieved about not having to eat with the couple too. ¡°Please enjoy your meal as well. I still have to prepare to go out, so I would like to take my leave now.¡±

    Theodore nodded, and the empress immediately turned around to disappear down the corridor.

    Noah stayed at his spot for another moment and made eye contact with Blanche. He looked a bit embarrassed with his flushed cheeks when he gestured to the side of his neck a few times before spinning around and following the empress.

    The concubine frowned and lifted her hand to touch her skin at the spot he had shown her but didn''t feel anything special. She pondered a few seconds and met Stella''s gaze. Upon seeing her maid''s grin, she was reminded of the scene in front of her lover''s office, and what this could mean dawned upon her. She faced Theodore, who was still smirking at her, and shook her head before pulling him towards the dining hall. She stopped when they passed by a mirror and quickly looked around to make sure that no one except for her lover and her maid were there before lifting her hair.

    As expected, Blanche''s neck was covered in little red marks. The memory of how these had been created made her knees weak, but she held back her grin to give the emperor a glare. ¡°You knew that already, right? If I had to guess, I would say that you left that on my neck on purpose.¡± She pointed at her reddened skin and tried to calm herself so that her cheeks wouldn''t take on the same color.

    Theodore didn''t reply for a moment and just grinned at her before leaning forwards to press a small kiss against the spot that she had shown him.

    Despite pretending to be mad, Blanche let him do that before putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Well?¡±

    Her lover chuckled quietly. ¡°Don''t be angry. It''s a sign of my love. My adoration for you is too big to hold it back.¡±

    Blanche already felt the corners of her lips twitch but still gave her best to appear strict. ¡°I don''t mind having them. I would just like a warning so that I don''t necessarily show it to the empress and her followers. This is only for you and me, isn''t it?¡± In reality, she didn''t mind other people seeing it, even though it made her embarrassed. She couldn''t deny her satisfaction about seeing that others were aware of how close her lover and she were. That didn''t cause her to refrain from blushing when someone paid attention to that or hinted at it, but she was still happy.

    Theodore seemed to know exactly how she felt, even though he didn''t show much empathy for her embarrassment. ¡°You''re all red. Does others knowing about us bother you this much?¡± He grinned before leaning to her to capture her lips in a kiss. She didn''t think about pushing him back for one second and just allowed herself to melt for a short moment. When he released her a few seconds later, his smile was less playful and much softer. ¡°I can''t help wanting to show everyone just how much we love each other. Their reactions are priceless sometimes.¡± He chuckled as he thought back to something. ¡°Do you remember the day when you came out of my office with one of these proofs of love as well?¡±

    She definitely hadn''t been able to forget how Seraphina and her maids had glared at her for that. ¡°I do.¡±

    Theodore''s grin widened again. ¡°The day after that wasn''t very pleasant with me being attacked by mercenaries. But I enjoyed the thing that happened at the beginning of the carriage ride. Do you know that the empress came into my office after you left? Well, she misunderstood what had happened and was even stiffer than normal during that conversation. She didn''t admit what she believed at that point. She only voiced that after we sat down in the coach and were on the way to Duke Lamont but still didn''t want to name it directly. So, she just said that she would like us to be a little more discrete in front of her since she really didn''t want to know what we do. When I didn''t understand what she meant, she became more and more upset before dropping the subject. Shortly after that, it dawned upon me, and I began laughing without being able to hold back. You should have seen her face. It made me consider finding out how Duke Duremont would react.¡±

    Blanche didn''t want to know that under any circumstances. Seraphina was keen on remaining polite in all scenarios, so she wouldn''t directly address a topic like that. But Henry probably wouldn''t care about saying that he didn''t condone that the emperor flaunted his affair. ¡°He would attempt to kill you.¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°I doubt that he has the abilities to do that. The last person that beat me in a sword fight only won because I-¡± He cut himself off, and his face fell as he stared into the distance. ¡°In any case, I didn''t fight seriously. But I truly improved my skills with the sword, so my enemies will have quite a few problems if they attack me.¡± He shook his head to himself, and his smile returned again. ¡°So, an elderly duke doesn''t have any chance to defeat me.¡±

    ¡°He''s not that old.¡± If Blanche was correct, Seraphina''s parents had had children at a very young age. Henry should be around his mid-forties, which was definitely younger than Duke Lamont, whose hair was already gray.

    ¡°But he isn''t a fighter, so the only thing he can do is threaten me.¡± Theodore raised his chin and met her gaze with confidence. ¡°I can assure you that there is no noble who would be able to win a fair duel with me at this point. The only people who could trouble me are Owen and Leon, and they are on our side. The man I got rid of during the hunt might have caused problems too, but I took care of him already. So, I only have to brace for an attack of multiple weaker people at the same time. I''m used to that more than to an uninterrupted duel anyway, so it should be fine. Your enemies get ugly when you corner them, but the same holds true for me.¡± He finished those words, which weren''t cheerful at all, with a smile. He only got a bit more serious in the end. ¡°There is merely one person among our enemies that is... so good that it''s unsettling. He spent all his life training, so it would be hard to fight him. But I think I can keep up with him. We''ll see.¡±

    Blanche didn''t trust that all that much. She felt like any person that was compared to Owen in skill was a serious threat, but she didn''t say that.

 Chapter 119: You Dont Need To Be Scared

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    and nights, hasn''t he?¡± She gave her mistress a smirk before backing away while laughing when Blanche pretended to glare at her.

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 Chapter 120: Chamomile Tea

    very stubborn as well. That means that he isn''t motivated enough to use his strong legs for anything.¡± He faced his horse again. ¡°Isn''t that right?¡±

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    anything in this world.¡± She leaned against him to press her lips onto his, only to stop when the horse snorted at her. She turned to the animal before raising her eyebrows at her lover. ¡°He takes things as personally as you too.¡±

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 Chapter 121: Good and Bad Surprises

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    mother.¡± He spat out that word as if it was venomous. ¡°It might take a while. A very long time. But I will get rid of them for good. I''ll make sure that they will crawl back to the palace they were confined in.¡± He stared into the distance while he said that last part before turning to her again. ¡°So, don''t worry. I know it''s hard to believe when I can only repeat the same thing over and over again, but you can trust me. I won''t do anything reckless. I still have a few emergency plans for the worst-case scenarios, and while they wouldn''t be pretty, they would keep us two from harm. We won''t give up no matter what.¡± The confidence in his voice eased Blanche''s uncertainty a bit.

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 Chapter 122: A Trip To Celebrate Vacation

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 Chapter 123: An Emperor in a Small Restaurant

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 Chapter 124: Tearful Goodbye (1)

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 Chapter 125: Tearful Goodbye (2)

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 Chapter 126: Strange, New Loneliness

    Blanche''s stomach was churning with nausea already. ¡°If Theo had another reason not to take me with him, please tell me. I want to know.¡±

    Owen sat down on the chair that was standing by the foot of the bed. ¡°Of course, I cannot guarantee that this is true since His Majesty never explicitly stated it, and I do not wish to put words into his mouth. So, please do not accept my words as the complete truth. But there has been an unfavorable rumor about His Majesty ever since his coronation. Back then, it was spread by Her Majesty, the dowager empress and her supporters including the Dukedom of Vasquez. Since her faction is gaining more power at this very moment due to their schemes, we have to assume that they will use that rumor against His Majesty again. He would never doubt your trust in him, but I believe that he might be uncomfortable with the idea of letting you hear those things about him.¡±

    That made the concubine''s heart skip a beat. ¡°He really thought that I would...¡± How could her lover be so uncertain? She would never trust some gossip without listening to him first. Even the worst rumors would have a hard time influencing her love for him, so he had no reason to hide this from her. When seeing his worst parts hadn''t made her stop loving him, why would a stupid rumor change anything? In fact, he should have told her about this rumor on his own so that she would have been able to support him from the very beginning. She clenched her fists. ¡°I would never believe baseless rumors and doubt him because of things that horrible woman said. What is that rumor about?¡±

    Owen paused for a moment before breathing out and moving his chair next to her. He began explaining in a very quiet volume. ¡°Ever since His Majesty''s early childhood, he had a strained relationship to Her Majesty, the dowager empress. This only worsened when he was crowned after the esteemed former emperor''s death at the end of a long sickness. While the people believed that it was a serious sickness, that death was sudden and took them by surprise. Along with the fact that His Majesty became emperor in the very year that he had become an adult while His Royal Highness the second prince had still been under-aged, this caused wild speculations. Some people viewed this as some sort of intrigue and spread rumors about His Majesty killing his own father to gain the crown before his brother reached the age that would allow him to compete for the throne. Naturally, that does not make sense since His Majesty had been named the heir at the very moment of his birth, so he would have become the emperor anyway. Still, the gossip spread, and presumably, Her Majesty the dowager empress played a role in this as well.¡±

    The longer he spoke, the more obvious it became that he hadn''t named the rumor itself and just stated how it had developed.

    Blanche had a premonition about what he might be referring to, so she interrupted him. ¡°Is it the rumor about Theo being a ¡®tyrant emperor¡¯? I heard that from Duke Vasquez''s son. Of course, I don''t believe in that, but the Duchess of Duremont mentioned that there had been some problems that were linked to this.¡±

    Owen was silent for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Yes, that is the rumor that created most issues for him. It was unreasonable from the very beginning, but it only gained popularity when he began being stricter with the servants to sort out the corrupt and vile people among those working for him. He dismissed many staff members, and some had to be punished harshly for endangering the inhabitants of the palace as well. After he confined his mother and brother after the assassination attempt, those rumors became even more widespread. Over time, His Majesty proved that he is a wise emperor by bringing peace and prosperity to our country despite his young age. So, the gossip stagnated, but there are still remaining traces. Should the people that back Her Majesty the dowager empress gain more power now, they will definitely try to remind the citizens and nobles of this rumor to harm His Majesty''s reputation.¡±

    That sounded awful. Couldn''t this destroy every bit of effort Theodore had put into making the people trust him? That still wouldn''t make the second prince the heir to the throne since the deceased emperor had named his firstborn son the crown prince, but it could change the situation in the dowager empress'' favor. Still, that didn''t explain why Theodore hadn''t told Blanche.

    Wouldn''t it have been better if he had informed her of this so that she could support him? Instead of that, he even went so far to keep her away from the truth that Owen assumed this was his reason for letting her stay in the summer residence. It seemed like he was that scared of her hearing the things others might say about him. As if he didn''t believe that she would always give him a chance to explain. Her lover had been like this after she had eavesdropped on his conversation with the guards about some prisoner too.

    Blanche knew everything about him. She had seen his good sides and bad sides. His love and his fury as well as his utter despair. Why would he be so worried about her distrusting him when she had never stopped loving him? That he only wished to protect the nation to the best of his ability should be obvious to everyone by now. Especially to her, who had been the person that was the closest to him for more than two years. She would never doubt him before asking about the situation. Why would she when he had never questioned her despite her odd background and strange behavior after gaining the novel''s memories? She had caused so many problems due to her ignorance, and he was still by her side. So, it should be clear that she would do the same even when he had to use harsher ways to secure peace in Artias.

    ¡°He should have taken me with him...¡± Blanche hadn''t intended to voice this, but her thoughts came out as a whisper.

    Owen immediately replied. ¡°His Majesty has his reasons. He would never separate from you unless he truly believes that this is for the best. Believe in him.¡±

    She grabbed a pillow again and began picking at it. ¡°I do. That''s why I want to support him from up close. Sending him back alone feels awful.¡± She was silent for a moment and dug her fingers into the fabric. ¡°But if he thinks that this is for the best, he will be right. He always is when it comes to politics.¡±

    The head knight nodded at her. ¡°He is. That is why I have to trust that he will be able to defend himself too.¡± That reminded her of the fact that Owen was in a dilemma as well. If anything happened to the emperor now, he would never forgive himself for letting Theodore go alone. In the end, this situation wasn''t just awful for her but for everyone.

    Blanche pulled her knees to her chest and allowed herself to hide her face by pressing it into the cushion that she was holding. ¡°Thank you for telling me that, Sir Maillont.¡±

    ¡°I did it gladly. And now that you address this, you may call me by my first name. You already did so a few times in the past, and it is easier to be less formal if we are going to spend more time together.¡±

    Now that he said that, Blanche realized that she was very inconsistent in how she addressed some people. After remembering the novel, she had given her best to address anyone in the most respectful way, but over time, she had become a bit more informal. She lifted her head to make eye contact with the knight. ¡°I''m sorry for doing that without your permission. You don''t have to offer this to me because I messed up.¡±

    Owen replied without the slightest change in his expression. ¡°That is not why I offered you to address me with my name. While I try my best to be as courteous as possible, I do not care for any titles connected to my name.¡±

    The concubine was quiet for a moment before giving him a slight smile. ¡°Alright then, Owen. You can address me casually too.¡±

    Immediately, the knight shook his head. ¡°I''m afraid that I cannot do that. I do not wish to disrespect a noble lady. My own title differs from the aristocrats'' ones. I might cause serious trouble by carelessly calling your name. As long as the person with the higher rank has permission and speaks informally to the one with the lower rank, it will be accepted, but if it is the other way around, rumors will spark.¡± He was correct about that, which made Blanche want to sigh in annoyance for forgetting that.

    There was a reason why her friends still didn''t address her without her title. After all, people of lower ranks would quickly be accused of attempting to curry favor with their superiors and would have a lot of problems if others deemed them to be disrespectful. At the same time, there was another issue that might arise. People that addressed a person with a higher position with their first name would be assumed to be close to that person. There had been a couple of occasions in the past on which this had been seen as a sign of an affair, and Blanche had actually experienced this firsthand too.

    As soon as she had started calling her lover ¡®Theo¡¯, the rumors about their relationship had increased rapidly. Before that, there had only been talking about the emperor spending a lot of time with a young woman that was suddenly living in the palace. The people had still given them the benefit of doubt at that point and just assumed that he had pitied the person that had appeared in the pavilion without a recollection of where she came from. So, the servants had kept the gossip within the royal walls.

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    But from the day Blanche had called Theodore by his pet name without his explicit permission, which, in retrospect, was one of the most impudent things she had done, the servants had immediately turned their attention to her. When Theodore hadn''t scolded her but responded after a short moment of surprise, this incident had marked the start of the rumors outside the palace.

    Directly after that, Seraphina had come to inquire whether those rumors were true. That had been a meeting that Blanche would like to completely erase from her memory along with a few other occasions on which her blatant disrespect had caused a lot of trouble.

    Blanche shook her head and focused on her conversation again. ¡°I didn''t think about that and carelessly proposed something rashly. I''m sorry.¡±

    Owen nodded towards her. ¡°I do not mind that. It is quite tiring that one has to keep the nosiness of the staff in mind while choosing how to talk, but that is something that cannot be changed.¡±

    The concubine scanned his expression while he spoke and let out an inward sigh. It was hard to know what the knight was thinking when he didn''t show any emotion. His blank face didn''t give her a single hint on whether he was truly not offended or whether he was just hiding it. In any case, she would have to learn how to deal with that. After all, he would stay close to her in the near future even if she hoped that it wouldn''t be too long before she could meet Theodore again.

    Blanche already missed her lover despite only having gone without him for a few hours at most. She glanced at the clock and sighed again. It was only the noon of the first day without him, and she felt empty already. How would she survive the next weeks? She could only hope that it wouldn''t take that long. A rumble in her stomach reminded her that she hadn''t even eaten breakfast yet, so she turned to her maid. ¡°Stella, can you tell the kitchen staff to bring my food to this room for now? I really don''t want to go out.¡±

    The servant immediately jumped up. ¡°Of course, My Lady. Should I ask for something specific?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you. Just ask them to bring me what they already prepared. For dinner too.¡±

    Stella nodded and rushed out of the door, leaving the concubine to gaze after her.

    Blanche would have liked to have so much motivation too. But right now, she only felt like staying in bed.

    In the end, that was what she did for the whole evening too. She didn''t move unless it was to sit up to eat and to lean against the pillows or to bury her face in them. There were moments in which the tears suddenly welled up again, and then they were drying up without any new ones coming so that she was just staring blankly into the distance. It was ridiculous to be so upset already, but Blanche figured that it was because she was unwillingly reminded of what could happen if her lover left her again.

    Stella gave her best to distract her mistress, but the result was only short-lived.

    Blanche had to avoid thinking about her lover completely to calm herself down. But whenever she tried that, her mind randomly revealed some old beautiful memory of him, and her mood was ruined again. When the sun set, she was exhausted despite not standing up from the bed ever since the morning, so she was happy to sleep. She dismissed Owen and got changed, only to lie motionlessly under the blanket without being able to stop overthinking. Whenever she closed her eyes, scenes from her life with Theodore and ones from the novel appeared in her mind. Images of different people, situations and bits of random scenery overwhelmed her. She would definitely not fall asleep like this.

    The concubine opened her eyes and stared at the empty space next to her that was illuminated by the silver glimmer of the moonlight. Lying here alone on the huge bed made her feel even more lonely than she had acknowledged before. She extended her arms and stroked over the mattress. She had already stolen Theodore''s blanket and pillow and was sleeping on his spot, but that didn''t replace him. Nothing she did would cause him to magically appear next to her.

    She forced herself to close her eyes again. If she wanted to fall asleep, she had to lie down for a bit longer. Just when she did that, a realization came to her mind. She hadn''t drunk her tea today. Nightmares were the last thing she needed now, so she wouldn''t risk it. She sat up abruptly and pushed the blanket to the side to stand up. She took a few clumsy steps before her legs were getting accustomed to being used again and then walked to the door that led to her maid''s room, which was bordering on the master bedroom. She knocked twice before waiting a moment. ¡°Stella?¡± The door opened so quickly that Blanche jumped back in surprise.

    Stella immediately came towards her. ¡°Yes, My Lady? Can I get you something?¡± The servant seemed to have anticipated that her mistress wouldn''t sleep calmly tonight.

    ¡°I would like to drink my tea. I forgot that today.¡±

    Stella''s mouth opened in surprise. ¡°Ah! I forgot too. I will get you some hot water immediately. Please wait here.¡± She ran out of the room and vanished into the hallway.

    The concubine sat down on the sofa while waiting and leaned her head against the backrest. She wanted time to pass quickly. She just wanted to be with Theodore. Was that too much to ask? Her eyes aimlessly darted across the room. There was nothing here to protect her from the worries that were swarming her head.

    The only part of the chambers that caught her attention was the window. A full moon was enthroned in the night sky, and its dim light was enough to illuminate the whole room. Blanche slowly stood up and moved closer to the window. There was something majestic about this view. The entire scenery consisting out of wide fields and a couple of singular trees that were spread across the horizon. The whole image was still as if no living being was anywhere in the vicinity. She didn''t know why, but this made her feel like this moment was a bit magical. So, she did something she had never done in earnest.

    Blanche sank to her knees and folded her hands as she closed her eyes and began praying like priests in the palace had done it. She struggled to keep herself from crying, but she managed to hold the tears back for now. She began to appeal to every god and goddess that she had ever heard about and asked for Theodore''s safety. She continued by asking for the novel''s benevolence as well. Even if she didn''t understand how any of this had come to be, she wished for this unknown entity to bless Theodore''s future. She didn''t care if anyone answered her prayers, she just wanted her lover to be happy. She ended her speech by stating that she would rather have the original storyline than a world in which Theodore would suffer, but for some reason, a part of her wished for neither option even though she valued her lover''s happy end so much. After that, she remained in her kneeling position for a moment before slowly rising to her feet when the cool floor against her skin started to make her shiver. She was lucky enough to have sat down on the couch the very second that Stella came back.

    ¡°I''m sorry for taking so long, My Lady. I just brought the finished tea with me already so that we don''t have to wait for another servant.¡± The maid set down the tray on the small table by the sofa before taking a seat next to her mistress.

    Blanche thanked her quietly before drinking her tea in silence. Even though they weren''t speaking, it was comforting to have someone by her side. That made her speak up. ¡°Stella... Would you mind sleeping next to me tonight?¡± She almost expected the servant to refuse since they would be on the emperor''s bed, but the maid nodded.

    ¡°Of course. I''ll just get a blanket, and then I will be back.¡± Stella left for a minute before returning with her covers. She spread a sheet over the side that her mistress usually slept on and put her things there.

    After Blanche finished her tea, everything happened rather quickly. The women went to bed and tried to sleep. It was still hard to get the turmoil in her mind to cease, but it was better than when she had been alone. At some point, she took her maid''s hand to remind herself that she wasn''t on her own. Theodore wasn''t here, but there were other people by her side. She was still not in the best state, but she managed to push her memories aside for a bit. She fell asleep in hopes of leaving this horrible day behind.

    It had to get better from now on.

    <hr>

    Blanche dreamed of a battlefield that night. She had never seen a war, so the images were far too detailed for her, even though everything flashed by without her being able to focus on anything. She only heard screaming and saw blood as the dread that was as real as if she was in danger filled her veins. She truly felt like something horrible could happen. That was odd since none of the soldier-figures without faces around her attacked her. They didn''t even notice her presence. But when she whirled around and saw Theodore fighting against someone, she fully understood why she was scared and raised her voice to warn him.

    She didn''t see the end of that dream.

    Rapid flashes of countless different images filled her mind. There was a grave with purple flowers, a sword and blood. A strange medicine that had been put in tea. A man cradling her body as she was unable to move. Doctors, crying people and woman sitting on a bloody bed. A chandelier falling down onto a man. A whole troop of kneeling men on a small glade in the forest.

    It was all too much to make sense of, so Blanche was more than relieved when it finally ended.

    <hr>

    Blanche woke up with a jolt to hearing her lover telling her not to cry since this was what he wanted, that this was the only right ending. She jumped up and whipped her head to the side to search from where his voice had come as fear filled her. Naturally, it had just been her mind playing tricks on her. With a dejected sigh, she sat down on the mattress again and watched Stella, who was still sleeping peacefully and cuddling against the soft pillows.

    The concubine definitely understood why her maid was this content with such a wonderful bed, but she didn''t have the mental strength to distract herself enough to be happy with this alone. She leaned forward to grab the ring Theodore had given her and put it on before taking a small booklet off the nightstand. Yesterday, she had marked the day of his departure, and now she could cross off that date. Just when she was about to shut the book and place it on the nightstand again, her eyes landed on today''s date. She had circled it three times and written ¡®Stella''s birthday¡¯ there.

    A few seconds passed before she had processed this and jumped up. Blanche cringed at the creaking of the floorboards under her feet and gave her best to stay quiet as she moved to the dressing room. She was completely focused on not waking up her maid while taking the gifts she had bought in Ibela out of the drawer of one of the dressers. She had already put the glass sphere and the fabric for sewing into a small basket with two red bows. Along with that, she had wanted to present Stella some pancakes since Clark had said that she liked those. But the concubine had been too busy with herself to think about the fact that she would have to get up earlier than the servant to do so.

    In all honesty, Blanche had completely forgotten that it was Stella''s birthday, so she was glad that she had written it down. Luckily, she had prepared the physical part of the present already, and she could simply make the pancakes later so that they were fresh. She had intended to spend a lot of time in the kitchen anyway since baking was the only distraction she could think of. If she was just sitting around, she would cry, and crying wouldn''t help anyone at this point. So, she had to find something to do at all times, and this was fitting.

    She tiptoed back to the bed and sat down slowly to not accidentally cause some noise due to the floorboards. She put the basket in front of the maid''s face and leaned back. Now she would only have to wait until Stella woke up. After all, disturbing someone''s sleep on their birthday would be mean.

 Chapter 127: Happy Birthday, Stella!

    It didn''t take too long for Stella to stir. When she began rubbing over her eyes and murmuring to herself, it became clear that she would wake up soon. She sat up surprisingly quickly and only opened her eyes then but was wide awake already. ¡°Good morning, My Lady. You''re already-¡± She cut herself off when she noticed the basket. She stared at the gift for a moment before looking up. ¡°Is this for me?¡±

    Blanche nodded and gave her a bright smile. ¡°Happy birthday, Stella. I used our trip to Ibela to get you something. I''ll make you pancakes later too.¡±

    Stella seemed dazed for a few seconds before this slowly turned to joy. ¡°Thank you! I didn''t think you would remember.¡± She pulled the basket to her and stared at the glittery glass sphere in awe before grinning at the sewing materials.

    ¡°Of course, I do remember. Just like I still remember that your favorite food is scrambled eggs. That''s why I will ask the chef to make that for us today. So, we should probably hurry a bit. Otherwise, the staff will be hectic because they can''t finish their work in time.¡±

    The maid nodded with a radiant beam before climbing out of the bed and getting ready. This little effort had been enough to make her hum while she did her mistress'' hair, which showed Blanche that she had done something right.

    When they left the room, Owen was already waiting in front of the door and greeted them before following them as silently as always.

    The concubine did her best to ignore how the servants were whispering while she passed by. Their reaction made sense now that she knew that Theodore had told them to treat her like the master of this house. She could only hope that Seraphina hadn''t noticed that, but this was questionable since her attendants were chatting with other servants too. She really didn''t need issues because of this.

    The group went to the kitchen so that Blanche could voice her wish for breakfast and state that she would like them to prepare food for two people from now on before going to the dining room. She plopped onto the chair and looked around the otherwise empty room before gesturing to the seat next to her. ¡°You can sit here, Stella.¡±

    Her maid was a bit hesitant even though they were alone. ¡°Today, it might be alright to make an exception, but we can''t do this regularly. After all, I''m still your maid and not a person that could just sit with you. In your room, it was fine, but in the dining room, others will see.¡±

    Blanche gave her a smirk. ¡°No. I don''t want to eat alone, so you will have to suffer from the consequences of having tasty meals every day. Besides, it''s too late. I already told the chef that two people would eat for the rest of the vacation. I could increase that number by one if Owen changes his mind though.¡± She glanced at the knight, who was shaking his head.

    It seemed like Owen was still focused on his work even now. ¡°I''m honored by that offer, however, I can definitely not accept. I will wait inside the room while you eat instead of standing in front of the door since you asked for that, but I cannot go further.¡±

    The concubine nodded and glanced at the clock. They still had ten minutes before it was time for breakfast, but she was already hungry. Seemingly, crying took away more of her energy than she had believed. But it was good like this. After all, she felt like she was too drained to cry again at this moment. Still, she didn''t wish to summon her tears by thinking about that. She turned to her maid and spoke up. ¡°Anyway. I will make you pancakes later. That sounds nice, doesn''t it?¡±

    Before Stella could reply, a knock sounded from the door. The three turned around, and the door was opened to reveal the empress and her entourage. Blanche bit her tongue at that. It was logical that Seraphina wouldn''t stay away from the dining room anymore since the emperor wasn''t here to annoy her. So, they could either share the room from now on, which would be very stressful due to the heroine''s oppressive aura and her icy glare. Or the concubine could make way by eating upstairs.

    The answer was rather simple. Even though Blanche liked the dining room a lot, she wanted to have her meals in peace, so she would have to retreat. For today, it seemed like she was forced to deal with Seraphina''s presence though, as leaving now would make it obvious that she evaded the other woman.

    Blanche rose to her feet and did a small curtsy while waiting for the other woman to address her.

    Luckily, the empress didn''t let her wait for long. ¡°Good morning, Lady Blanche. You are here quite early.¡± Normally, Theodore and Blanche had arrived at the moment that food had been served, so it was true that she was here a few minutes earlier. However, this might also be a hint to the morning that they had made Seraphina wait for over twenty minutes.

    The concubine couldn''t be sure of that, but she just put on a smile. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. Indeed, I did not sleep as long as normal, so I came here a bit earlier. Did you have a pleasant night?¡±

    The empress strode over to her chair and sat down, which allowed Blanche to take a seat too. Seraphina show her a perfectly stoic expression as she replied. ¡°I did not have any troubles. I hope that it was the same for you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I slept quite well.¡± In reality, the concubine had barely gotten any rest, even though she had been able to fall asleep with Stella''s help. For that reason, she was still tired and would like to climb into her bed immediately after breakfast, but that would be unproductive. She was trying to distract herself, not to allow herself to wallow in self-pity. So, maybe it was good that the empress was here to pressure her a bit. After all, that would keep her from thinking about her lover.

    ¡°That is good to hear.¡± Seraphina let her eyes roam across the table before resuming. ¡°Say, Lady Blanche, do you intend to eat with another person?¡± It should have been logical that the table decoration would give that away.

    The concubine thought about coming up with an excuse for a moment, but she wasn''t creative or a good actress, so she would definitely not be able to sound convincing. The truth wasn''t problematic either way, was it? ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Today is my maid''s birthday. For that reason, I wanted to invite her to eat with me.¡±

    The empress'' expression only indicated a small amount of surprise that quickly faded. ¡°I see. It appears that you get along with her.¡± She turned to Stella. ¡°May you have a wonderful birthday.¡±

    The maid quickly thanked her and bowed deeply despite not seeming too happy.

    Seraphina paused for a couple of seconds as she faced the concubine again. ¡°In that case, it would not bother you if my attendants joined us, correct?¡±

    Blanche was rendered speechless by that question. Did she want to eat with the maids, of which two always glared at her and one would poison her mistress? No. Did she have a choice here? Not really. After all, the empress had asked politely, and if Stella was allowed to sit at the table, the rest of the servants had the same right. So, the concubine sighed inwardly and forced herself to keep smiling. ¡°I don''t mind, Your Majesty.¡±

    Seraphina''s maids looked as pleased with this arrangement as Blanche was, but they wouldn''t talk back to their mistress. They sat down quietly after bowing once, and two of them immediately began piercing the concubine with their gazes. They didn''t seem to be as hostile as usual but rather cautious.

    Still, Blanche was frustrated by that and looked away to signal Stella to take a seat next to her. When she faced the women that were sitting on the other side of the table again, she realized that the heroine was observing her. This couldn''t mean anything good. She focused on keeping on her fake smile not to show how nervous she actually became just because of this.

    Fortunately, Seraphina didn''t stay silent for more than a few seconds. ¡°It surprises me that you simply accepted this. Normally, it would be very strange for an empress to sit at the table with her maids. Still, you did not appear to be taken aback by this.¡± Of course not.

    After all, Blanche knew that the other woman often ate with her attendants when she was alone in her room, which wasn''t a miracle since they were close friends. Usually, Seraphina was careful about not letting anyone see this to not undermine her position, but today, she had probably wished to see the other woman''s reaction. The concubine couldn''t have refused without being offending, and maybe the empress had wished to find out how arrogant Blanche might act after being Theodore''s priority for the whole vacation.

    Blanche didn''t care whether she was being tested. She would just be polite and then leave. ¡°I am rather close to my maid, so I assumed that there might be many similar cases. Since Your Majesty is always accompanied by your attendants, I indirectly interacted with them a few times, and that was enough to convince me that they care deeply for their mistress. So, I guessed that you had a good relationship. If that is the case, eating together does not pose a problem.¡±

    The empress took in the other''s expression before replying with an ¡°I see.¡±

    After that, all of them were quiet. The situation wasn''t intimidating, it was just uncomfortable since it was rather obvious that the two parties at this table were opposing each other. They might not attack each other openly, but the heroine was still Blanche''s fated enemy, not only because of their roles in the novel. Their positions as the emperor''s wife and mistress were conflicting too, so it was logical that the atmosphere would be tense. The concubine had done too many things that had infuriated Seraphina, so this was to be expected.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    It was torture to wait until the kitchen staff came with the breakfast and they could finally eat. While chewing, it wasn''t strange not to speak, so it was a bit better. Still, it wasn''t perfect. Blanche would have liked a more relaxed breakfast for her maid''s birthday, but it couldn''t be helped. She should make up for that with tasty pancakes later.

    Breakfast went by painfully slowly. All the women finished roughly at the same time, so Blanche was relieved that she wasn''t forcing the empress to wait again. They stood up from the table and moved to the exit of the room.

    After leaving the dining room, Seraphina turned around to face the concubine. ¡°Then I will be taking my leave now. May you have a pleasant day.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. Naturally, I wish that the same holds true for you.¡±

    The empress nodded towards her before walking a few steps away to greet Gloria, who seemed to have been waiting there. The empress'' attendants gave Blanche one last skeptical look before joining their mistress.

    This left Blanche in a less tense situation. She could finally stretch without feeling like she was being judged for that at all times. Just when she turned to address her maid though, a person stopped in front of her. She tilted her head back to meet Noah''s gaze. ¡°Sir Aldis, good morning. How have you been?¡±

    The knight showed her a bright smile that only seemed to emphasize his protective aura. ¡°Good morning, Lady Blanche. There hasn''t been anything special during the past few days. I am in good health, and the food here is wonderful, so I can''t complain.¡±

    Blanche let out a chuckle at that and gave him a smile back. ¡°I have to agree that the chefs are truly outdoing themselves with these fresh ingredients. But while their food is godly, their salmon is nowhere near the level of the one I ate in Ibela. I have to recommend one specific restaurant there. Their fish is to die for. They use their own mixture of herbs that has been passed down within their family, and it''s heavenly. If you have the chance to visit that city, you should definitely go there.¡±

    Noah was silent for a moment and just stared at her before blinking a few times and then jolting like he had surprised himself. ¡°I apologize, I was mentally absent momentarily.¡± He shook his head to himself before resuming. ¡°I will remember that. But I might need more information to find that restaurant you were talking about.¡±

    The concubine scolded herself for her unhelpful explanation. ¡°Ah, that makes sense. I''m sorry. The name of that store was...¡± Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember how the restaurant had been called. Had there been a sign with the name? No image of that came to her mind, and the owner hadn''t called his establishment by name either. This meant that she had no idea it was called nor did she have the address. So, she had just told Noah to go to a restaurant without being able to give him directions. That was a bit stupid. ¡°That... I''m sorry. I don''t remember anything aside from it being near the haven.¡± She scratched her neck while trying to keep her embarrassment from showing.

    Not knowing where the store was located was one thing. But it had been unintelligent to ask the empress'' personal guard to visit a city in the first place. Noah couldn''t leave Seraphina''s side, and the empress wouldn''t leave the estate. So, Blanche had just advertised something that he wouldn''t be able to experience.

    However, Noah still showed her a bright smile. ¡°That is alright. Thank you for your recommendation. Maybe I will go to Ibela on my vacation sometime. I doubt that I will be able to find your restaurant, but I might try the regional dishes anyway.¡±

    The concubine inwardly sighed in relief when he didn''t point out her illogical approach. She nodded at him as her grin slowly returned again. ¡°You have to do that in the near future. I still can''t-¡± She cut herself off as she realized that she was about to blabber about the restaurant again. ¡°I apologize. You wished to speak to me, so you probably aren''t interested in listening to me rambling about food. What did you want to say?¡±

    Noah beamed at her, which almost made him look like he was glowing. ¡°Oh, I don''t mind that at all. It is wonderful to hear you being passionate about something...¡± He became quieter near the end and interrupted himself as if he had realized something. His smile died down, and he stared into the distance for a moment before letting out a small ¡°Ah.¡± His attention turned to Blanche again, and he faced her with this serious expression. ¡°I only wished to ask whether you were doing alright. I know that it isn''t my place to interfere, but I couldn''t help but worry after seeing you yesterday. If there is anything you need, please tell me.¡±

    The concubine felt both a pang of grief upon being reminded of her lover''s departure and a warm sensation upon hearing that the knight cared. ¡°Thank you, Sir Aldis. I''m honored that you are worried about me. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about the situation though. If that was possible, I would have done so already.¡± She wouldn''t be standing here but lying in Theodore''s arms. That realization was enough to make her face scrunch up again. She quickly lowered her head and covered her face with her hair. She was in the middle of a corridor near the kitchen. There were too many people here, and she didn''t want to break down in front of them again. ¡°I''m sorry, Sir Aldis. I should leave.¡±

    Noah was quick to respond. ¡°I sincerely apologize for speaking out of turn. I should not have addressed that issue. Please-¡± He was cut off by someone that wasn''t even close to them.

    ¡°Sir Aldis.¡± Seraphina was still standing next to Gloria and her maids but had turned to face her knight and the concubine. She was staring at them with the stoic mask that she put on when she was dealing with unpleasant people. For some reason, she had seemed less hostile than usual today, and now she had returned to the icy look that she had often given Blanche.

    Had the concubine done something to upset her? Hopefully not. But nothing special had happened for the past minutes, right? Blanche had just talked to Noah, so it seemed odd that Seraphina was asking him to come back to her so coldly.

    The knight clenched his jaw for a moment before giving the concubine a fake smile. ¡°I have to leave now. I apologize, Lady Blanche. Please take care of yourself and ask for help. I will do my best to assist you no matter what you need. And do not forget that His Majesty made sure that you are safe under any circumstances.¡± With that, he turned around and rushed to the empress'' side.

    The empress was still glaring at the concubine, but her eyes quickly wandered to Noah, and she spoke up as soon as he reached her. Blanche couldn''t hear anything but only saw that Seraphina''s lips were moving. Whatever had left Seraphina''s mouth made the knight''s shoulder sink as he nodded.

    That was enough to sour the concubine''s mood even more. Noah was a very kind person and always gave his best to help anyone around him, so it wasn''t fair to treat him harshly just because he was talking to someone the empress didn''t like. He was completely loyal to the heroine. That had been his role in the novel, so why was Seraphina not thanking him by being at least a little friendlier? In fact, Noah should even fall in love with her if this followed the original story. If someone loved you and was willing to risk their life to protect you, you should give back a little kindness as well.

    Blanche crossed her arms as she turned around not to let them see her frown. The only good thing about this situation was that it had distracted her in time before she could get emotional, but now she was annoyed instead. She turned to her maid as she shook her head in disbelief. ¡°We should leave before I get too frustrated.¡±

    Stella glanced over at the empress, who was still talking to Gloria. Her expression turned sour as well. ¡°What was the point of calling him over when she was planning on staying there for another minute? You were in the middle of a conversation.¡±

    Blanche''s frown deepened at that. She would have liked to say some less kind things about how the empress had just used her status to keep Noah from talking to another person for no reason. But she forced herself to breathe in and out a few times as she led her maid away. ¡°Just when I thought that she might be in a good mood, she does something like this. It''s not like he did something bad because he had a conversation with me. I hope she isn''t always this controlling.¡±

    In the novel, it hadn''t seemed like it. Hadn''t Seraphina and her knight gotten along very well? That had been what had caused him to fall for her in the first place. After seeing that interaction, that didn''t seem likely anymore though.

    Blanche paused for a moment as another thought appeared in her mind. Hadn''t her action influenced that too? The villainess originally hadn''t spoken to Noah until the latter half of the book, and the conversations had always consisted out of him telling her not to bother the empress. Now that she had altered the storyline, they had met before and were on friendly terms. The knight had only come to talk to her because of that. So, this scene had just happened because of her meddling.

    That definitely proved that her efforts could persistently change the characters'' relationship even though she hadn''t attempted to do that. That could be both good and bad. On the one hand, it allowed her to be more confident in her ability to make changes to the world around her. However, at the same time, it reminded her that her actions had consequences that she couldn''t foresee. And that was a scary thought.

    Blanche shivered slightly as she focused on her maid. ¡°This is your birthday, so we shouldn''t spend our time being annoyed but with something more pleasant. We should go to the library first. I need to find a recipe for pancakes before I can make them. There is a small library on the second floor, right?¡±

    Stella gave her a smug grin. ¡°Since when does My Lady like libraries? Don''t you hate books?¡±

    Blanche rolled her eyes. ¡°I don''t hate them. Until now, I''ve just always seen boring ones. The royal library barely has storybooks after all, and those might be interesting if I managed to motivate myself to try it. But no matter what, cooking books are always great. You know that I love those.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I was just joking. We should buy you some romance novels sometime. I''m sure you would enjoy those.¡±

    The concubine cringed at the thought of possibly reading a book with a villainess that might be similar to her. She didn''t need to learn about another story that ended with the perfect heroine''s victory. ¡°No, thank you. I think I''ll stick to cooking guides. So, where is the library?¡±

    Blanche still vaguely remembered seeing a room with countless books during her tour on the day of their arrival, so she knew which corridor the library had to be in. She just opened the first door and realized that she had guessed correctly with satisfaction.

    The collection of the summer residence wasn''t nearly as big as the palace''s one, but it was impressive nonetheless. It wasn''t much of a problem to find the shelf with the cooking guides, and there was a fair amount of them. After looking through the first few, she quickly noticed that the dishes that were traditionally served near the coast were rather different from the ones in the capital. Some sounded so tasty that she would have liked to try them immediately, but right now, she was searching for pancakes. Unfortunately, a recipe like this hadn''t been mentioned in the fifth book either. With a sigh, the concubine set it to the side and began reading the titles of the cooking guides.

    Stella was standing next to her and scanned the growing stack of unhelpful books. ¡°My Lady, I really wouldn''t be sad if we can''t make pancakes. We could just do that in the palace when we go back. You already gave me gifts, and I''m very thankful for those.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad that you like them, but I won''t give up that easily. If I don''t find a recipe, I''ll just try to make it based on the ingredients that I remember. You''ll get your pancakes one way or another.¡± Blanche''s mother had made that dish a couple of times, and if she was lucky, she would be able to create something remotely similar to that. She could also just ask the kitchen staff in the worst case. Blanche tapped her finger on her lips and tilted her head back to look at the books on the top shelf. Her gaze stopped on a title that included the words ¡®Simple House Desserts¡¯, which could possibly contain what she was searching for.

    The concubine stood up on her tiptoes and reached over her head to grab the book. She had to stretch herself quite a bit until her fingers brushed the spine, and even then, she wasn''t able to pull it out. She stepped even closer with a huff and tried to bridge the small distance that she still needed. She managed to get a hold of the book, and a grin grew on her face as she moved it towards her.

    Immediately, the two others in the room began screaming. ¡°Lady Blanche!¡±

    ¡°My Lady!¡±

    Before the concubine could react, she had already pulled out the book and saw what had worried the others. Apparently, a small board had been lying on top of the books, and her careless motions had caused it to fall. It looked like this would hit her face with full force, but there was no time to do anything. She raised her arms to shield herself and squeezed her eyes shut while bracing herself for the impact.

    But it never came.

 Chapter 128: Chess

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 Chapter 129: Do You Love Him?

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 Chapter 130: What You Will Never Be

    ¡°What was the second topic you wished to talk about, Your Majesty?¡±

    Seraphina neutralized her expression as she straightened her posture and made eye contact with the concubine. ¡°I will be frank with you. I still do not trust you or forgive you for all the things you did to provoke me. But this does not justify that I made some of my decisions while assuming that your intentions were ill without exceptions. You cannot blame me due to your previous behavior, but it was still unbefitting of me, as the empress, to act without knowing all the facts. One example would be the tea party a few months ago. Even though I am aware that Lady Lemares can be a very unkind person, I told you to apologize to her. Just because I wished to avoid her causing a scene about me not defending her.¡±

    Blanche hadn''t expected that topic, but she didn''t even dare show much of her irritation.

    The empress drank a sip of her tea before continuing. ¡°After that, I was unable to back down since it would have undermined my authority, so I had to shut down your complaints despite them being completely justified. It was the same when I found out that Lady Ravillot secretly met you multiple times behind my back. I believed that you were attempting to manipulate her in some way and only realized that she had been the one to approach you after a conversation with her.¡±

    The more the empress talked, the more confused Blanche became. Was the other woman truly not seeing her as the vilest creature in this world anymore? If that was the case, it would make her future life so much easier. So, she just stayed silent and let Seraphina continue.

    ¡°Me not allowing you to speak up at the ball on my birthday was irresponsible as well. I had noticed that you weren''t standing upright and stumbled while moving, but I assumed that you were acting to attract attention. Thus, I refused to give you even more room to do something that might be supposed to ridicule me. In the end, this was what caused you to collapse during the ball, which was way more problematic than allowing you to leave early would have been. The only other example I would like to name is my reaction to seeing His Majesty and you touching each other. You always seemed to cling to one another in front of me, so I believed that this was done purposefully to anger me. But I recently learned that the servants have been gossiping about your inability to ¡®keep your hands off each other¡¯ ever since you entered the palace. Thus, it appears like I misinterpreted this. I still do not wish for you to show me your displays of affection like you did during the breakfast at the beginning of the vacation, but I will not see it as a personal attack anymore.¡±

    Blanche had begun to feel happier with every time that the empress had acknowledged that the concubine wasn''t always doing everything with bad intentions, but now she felt a bit guilty. Surely, she and Theodore were always extremely affectionate with each other to the point that others believed them to be unhealthy. But that one time during breakfast, the emperor had shown their relationship purposefully to get Seraphina out of the dining room. That had actually been done with the intention of provoking the heroine. Of course, Blanche wouldn''t speak up to reveal this now, but she couldn''t help but feel like she was a little mean because of that. ¡°I apologize for that, Your Majesty. That was inappropriate of us. I would like to-¡±

    The empress cut her off by lifting her hand. ¡°From what I have seen, those actions mainly originated from His Majesty, and you seemed to have been uncomfortable with that from the very beginning. I appreciate the sentiment, however, you cannot apologize for another person, especially not His Majesty. Just make sure that it won''t happen again, and I will be content.¡±

    Blanche nodded at that without saying anything. Even though Seraphina had said that she didn''t blame the concubine, it was obvious that the heroine was still annoyed because of that day. So, it might be better to drop the subject.

    Fortunately, the empress appeared to have the same thing in mind. ¡°In any case, I would like to avoid dwelling on trivialities and focus on the more important part. In the future, I will take care to view all of your actions through a more objective eye. As long as you stay quiet like this, I do not see the need for us to be in conflict with one another.¡±

    Blanche blinked a few times as her heart began to beat faster. The heroine had just told her that they wouldn''t have to fight from now on even if the concubine stayed in the palace. That guaranteed that she wouldn''t become the villainess just because of Seraphina''s opinion of her, right? Being able to ignore the empress'' presence without having to worry about accidentally provoking the other woman would make Blanche''s life so much easier. So, why was she still so skeptical?

    Blanche balled her fists under the table as she gave her best not to show how uneasy she got all of a sudden. She took a deep breath and replied while focusing on being as polite as possible. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. That would be wonderful.¡±

    Seraphina eyed her while stirring her tea and kept quiet for a moment. She gracefully lifted her cup and drank a sip before slowly setting it down again. ¡°It would be beneficial for both of us if your attitude stays like this instead of reverting to your original one. After all, you causing trouble again would mean that I put trust in you despite knowing better and that I got fooled by your acting. In that case, I would not be pleased and might start viewing you as my enemy. I can assure you that you do not wish for that to happen.¡± Even though the empress was simply making eye contact with the concubine, she was intimidating. The look in her eyes made it obvious that she wasn''t joking and wouldn''t give Blanche a third chance if she messed up again.

    The concubine''s barely existent euphoria faded away completely. She didn''t intend on antagonizing anyone, but a misunderstanding could still cause her a lot of trouble. So, she would have to stay careful to not cause problems for the heroine, or she might end up being punished in some way despite her efforts. A flash of the memory of her execution appeared in front of her inner eye, and she quickly pushed it away, but the scene had already implanted itself into her brain.

    Seraphina could rob her of everything and kill her if she so desired. That was a fact.

    Unwillingly, Blanche sank in herself and put her hand onto her neck to protect it. She lowered her gaze to the table as she tried to form a coherent sentence in her head to assure the empress that she didn''t wish for any conflicts either. ¡°I know that it sounds odd coming from me, but I really have no intention of bothering anyone. I swear that I would never attempt to harm you or anyone else, nonetheless Theo. From now on, I will just stay in a corner quietly without-¡±

    A loud clink from across the table made Blanche flinch as she raised her head.

    Seraphina had put down her cup onto the saucer with more force than usual, but her expression wasn''t furious like the concubine had expected. Instead, the empress only seemed a bit irritated. ¡°I did not intend on pressing this matter since I am in no position to wonder about your thought process. However, I would like to know why you seem to be fearful whenever I say something that should be common sense. Just now, I merely said that I would not stay calm if you returned to being as confrontational as before, and you immediately feel the need to defend yourself and cower under my gaze. If you have no intention of bothering me, as you just said, there should not be a reason for you to be worried.¡±

    Blanche fiddled her hands on her lap and averted her eyes for a moment. The longer the heroine was staring at her in silence, the harder it became to come up with an excuse. Telling the half-truth would be fine, right? As long as she wasn''t lying, even her poor acting skills shouldn''t betray her. ¡°To be honest, I am a little concerned about issues that might arise even though I did not mean to trouble you intentionally. My position in the palace itself is enough to cause problems over and over again no matter how quiet I am. People will gossip when I talk to someone, but they will also find it strange if I do not speak to anyone. Some might make inappropriate comments like at the tea party. Until now, I was lucky enough not to end up in a situation that didn''t allow me to simply shut my mouth. But there are a few individuals that are purposefully trying to make my life harder, and I might not be able to prove that they were the ones at fault. And since I do not doubt that Your Majesty is able to get rid of me if you wished to do so, I cannot help but be worried about that.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this lowly of His Majesty?¡±

    Blanche froze at that question. ¡°Pardon? I am not quite sure what you might mean by that.¡±

    Seraphina took her time pouring herself another cup of tea with so much grace that it seemed odd to know that she rarely did this herself. Then she met the concubine''s gaze with a calm expression. ¡°From the very moment that you met His Majesty, you have been under his protection. He is the most powerful man in the nation and a very intelligent and wise ruler. What makes you think that he does not pay close attention to your expression when people approach you? As you already noticed yourself, your face gives away how you feel. It should be clear that he would remember whom you dislike and whom you are scared of. Naturally, I do not have an overview of his plans nor can I read his mind, but I am convinced that he knows who might trouble you.¡±

    Maybe partly. Blanche doubted that it was that easy.

    The empress stirred her tea while continuing to speak. ¡°His Majesty will not let someone offend you and could justify this by naming you as a guest of the royal family that cannot be disrespected either. So, you should be safe in that regard. I also find it surprising that you believe that the empress would have enough power to against the emperor''s decisions. Have I ever managed to order a punishment for you even after you directly insulted me in front of all nobles in the capital by taking my seat at a banquet? How would I have been able to do so with His Majesty backing you and defending you no matter what happened?¡±

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    That was true as long as Theodore was on his lover''s side. Until now, Blanche had almost been invincible because of his favor, and the only real threat was losing it. So theoretically, she was safe for now. Still, she was convinced that being hated by Seraphina wouldn''t do her any good. The thought made her so nervous that she started to play with the ring on her right hand.

    The empress watched the concubine for a moment before sighing quietly. ¡°Allow me to repeat what I said simply to make myself clear. Maybe a more direct phrase will help you understand. I do not care about the relationship between His Majesty and you. As long as you behave appropriately without doing anything that would purposefully damage my reputation or lessen my influence, I do not care. He may be my husband in name, but we have never gotten along well. In the past, you tended to witness our regular arguments often, and those were mostly about you and your inconsiderate actions. You should know better than anyone else. Despite this, there was a time in which His Majesty and I managed to work together calmly due to the huge amount of duties at the beginning of the year. However...¡±

    Seraphina paused as if she wanted to emphasize the following words. ¡°Political discussions with the ruler of a nation to secure Artias'' well-being do not change the fact that we are not close on any personal level. I would not call myself a friend or acquaintance of his but merely a partner in our duties. Thus, I am not interested in his personal matters if they do not somehow make my position as the empress more troublesome. I only felt the need to discuss things related to you with him because of your abhorrent behavior in the beginning. Since you are calm at this moment, I could not care less. Was that clear enough?¡±

    That should have been obvious, but Blanche felt like her heart was melting when she heard this. The heroine didn''t see her fated partner as a romantic interest and went as far as to say that he could do whatever he wanted as long as she wouldn''t suffer because of him. Both of the main characters didn''t feel drawn to each other, even though it should have been the case in the novel. So, she had been successful in keeping them apart. Whether her meddling had ruined Theodore''s happy end would still remain uncertain for the time being, but one of the two other biggest threats to her would be eliminated.

    Hearing this was wonderful and gave a little bit of hope back to Blanche. She felt a soft smile forming on her lips. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then the other part should not be more problematic to comprehend either.¡± The empress straightened her posture and made eye contact with the concubine with so much determination that Blanche almost wanted to cower again. ¡°No matter how much His Majesty favors you. No matter how often he showers you with gifts and allows you to do anything you like. And no matter how often you might intend to cause trouble for me.¡± Seraphina said the next words with exaggerated clarity. ¡°You will never be empress.¡±

    Blanche definitely hadn''t expected that Seraphina would want to bring this up. After all, this wasn''t a subject that was up for debate. ¡°That is obvious, Your Majesty. I do not have any desire to be empress. I love Theo and want to stay at his side for the rest of my life. That is all that I wish for, and I do not have any audacious desires like gaining more power.¡±

    Seraphina narrowed her eyes at her, and the atmosphere in the room immediately became tenser. ¡°It is surprising to hear you say something like this after months of attempting to claim the empress'' privileges.¡± The underlying anger in her voice was easily audible.

    Blanche grabbed her ring a bit tighter and quickly replied. ¡°I know, Your Majesty. In the past, I was stupid and childish enough to believe that having more power would be a good thing. But now I understand that power is also connected to responsibility. Being the empress would be impossible for me. I do not have the political experience or education that would be necessary to appear as a wise and behaved ruler. Me being in that position would not only ruin our nation''s reputation but could possibly also endanger the country''s well-being. You, on the other hand, have been raised while being prepared to become the empress. Your family is the most influential dukedom in our nation, so you have the backing of powerful people as well.¡±

    The concubine finally stopped playing with her ring out of fear of breaking it. She forced herself to lift her hands and put her palms flatly on the table in an attempt to seem somewhat dignified before adding the second half. ¡°At the same time, I have no noble background. If I became royalty, it would be an insult to every aristocrat in Artias. There is no question about who is fitting to be empress. No one would support me, and me being close to the royal family would only cause trouble for Theo. He would never even consider marrying me. I won''t be impudent enough to ask to be his wife anymore either.¡± Even though it was obvious that this was a fact, it stung to voice it.

    From Blanche''s early childhood on, she had dreamed about her wedding and how she would marry her partner in a puffy white ballgown. She had imagined how the bells would chime while they exchanged rings and kissed each other in great detail and had happily blabbered about that to her parents. They had told her that she would be able to do all of that if she found the right person. Now she was in love with the right person, and she couldn''t even call him her lover. He was in a marriage with another woman without love and could never take Blanche''s side because his position was more important than his own feelings. That was a dejecting truth, but she couldn''t simply ignore it and live in her dream world.

    Luckily, Seraphina had lowered her gaze to the concubine''s hands, which gave Blanche enough time to focus on the conversation again without meeting the other''s gaze. Apparently, this didn''t do her any good though.

    The empress kept quiet for an uncomfortable long time before a single order left her mouth. ¡°Leave.¡± Her cold tone said everything.

    The concubine''s eyes widened at that. Had she said something wrong? Her words should have hurt herself more than anything else. It wouldn''t make sense for the empress to be offended because of that. ¡°I apologize if I said something inappropriate, Your Majesty. I am not aware of voicing anything-¡± She cut herself off as Seraphina narrowed her eyes at the other woman.

    Refusing to comply with the empress'' orders wasn''t a good idea, especially after insisting that the concubine wasn''t trying to disregard the other woman''s status. The heroine was angry because of something, so Blanche would have to make way. She jumped to her feet and hurried to hold the teacup so that it wouldn''t tip over because of her sudden movement. ¡°I will take my leave now, Your Majesty. Have a wonderful afternoon.¡± She made a curtsy before spinning around and exiting the room as fast as she could without running.

    As soon as the door shut behind her, Blanche left out a deep breath, and her shoulders sank. The conversation hadn''t been bad at all, but the ending already dampened her spirits again. It seemed like the villainess and the heroine were simply destined not to get along well. It also looked like she was being blamed for something that she wasn''t aware of again, which meant that she couldn''t even apologize. Great.

    So, throwing someone out before they could finish their tea was fine as long as Seraphina did it, even though it was extremely disrespectful? Despite the heroine just promising to be objective in the future? At the same time, the concubine didn''t even get the chance to defend herself when someone got furious about something that she had said without intending to offend anyone. How unfair.

    Stella immediately rushed to her mistress'' side. ¡°Is everything alright, My Lady? What did Her Majesty say? Did she threaten you again?¡±

    The concubine inhaled deeply and leaned her back against the door. She opened her mouth, but before she could respond, someone else chimed in.

    ¡°You should be careful about how you talk about Her Majesty. She would never feel the need to go low enough to threaten someone that could never be a threat to her position. If people hear you continuing to voice such insolent things, you won''t stay a servant in the palace for long.¡± The empress'' maids had approached the women, and one of them began lecturing Stella in a voice that dripped with anger.

    Normally, Blanche would ignore something like this. Normally, she would just roll her eyes and leave. But being sent out of the room for nothing, even though Seraphina had just apologized for having acted biased, upset her more than she wanted to admit. Now her maid was being threatened for being concerned about her mistress, and memories of the empress'' words regarding the incident four months ago resurfaced. That was enough to make the concubine snap at the maid in front of her. ¡°You should think about the meaning of words before using them. Don''t you think that tampering with the emperor''s possessions and entering his office in secret would be much more insolent than talking about the empress? I don''t think that you need to ask whether you would be able to keep your position if that was revealed.¡± While speaking, she noted that her tone was harsher than she had anticipated. She had no way of knowing whether this was the maid that had changed Theodore''s clock either, but it was already too late at that point.

    Apparently, she had addressed the right person though.

    The maid''s face became pale, and her eyes widened as she stared at the concubine in shock. Most likely, she hadn''t expected that someone aside from the empress would know about that.

    Blanche might have been content with that expression on another day, but right now, she only wanted to go into the kitchen to bake and distract herself. ¡°Stella, let''s go.¡± Just when she intended to stand up upright, the door behind her was opened. She quickly jumped away from it after almost falling onto the person that would come out now, only to slam into another person with much more force than she would have originally had. She let out an ¡°I''m sorry¡± and stumbled back before looking up at Owen.

    The knight stood next to the door and extended his arms towards her, most likely to catch her if she should fall. She took a few seconds to regain her balance while Owen was still unwavering as if nothing had happened. He took a step towards her and only lowered his arms when he saw that she wasn''t swaying anymore. ¡°I apologize, Lady Blanche. I thought that you might not be able to get away in time and ended up obstructing you instead of helping.¡±

    The concubine let out a breath and made a rejecting movement with her hand. ¡°It''s fine. I jumped into you. But I have a history of running into people, so this isn''t new. I''m sorry, I''ll be more careful from now on. We will leave now.¡± She turned around and quickly moved down the corridor to avoid making eye contact with Seraphina, who had to have been the person opening the door from the inside.

    After a few steps, Stella caught up to her. ¡°My Lady, are you alright? Did that arrogant maid really dare to touch His Majesty''s possessions?¡±

    Blanche groaned to herself and hurried to round the corner before slowing her steps. ¡°Yes, she was the one that changed the clock, which made Theo arrive too late for dinner. Do you remember how we waited an hour and I cried because I thought that he had forgotten about me? That was her fault. I''m angry enough about that, but the conversation with the empress was stupid too. I didn''t do anything, and then she suddenly got angry and sent me away. Right after she told me that we wouldn''t have any problems with each other. I don''t even know anymore. She was the one wishing to speak to me, so why was she acting like this?¡±

    The concubine tried to herself from sulking, but she felt like she had been treated unfairly, so it was hard to push that thought away. ¡°She shouldn''t have met me in the first place if she was going to be so sensitive. I didn''t even say anything bad. She was much more impolite than I was. She kept interrupting me and made me wait for responses and things like that.¡± She crossed her arms and frowned while trying to keep silent, but the words were streaming out of her mouth against her will. ¡°She repeated that she didn''t have a problem with me a dozen times, and then she does something like this because I said that Theo won''t marry me? That doesn''t make sense. She''s-¡±

    ¡°Uhm, Lady Blanche?¡± A quiet and shaky voice made the concubine stop. She turned to the side and made eye contact with a maid that was about two heads smaller than her. The woman cowered and avoided the other''s gaze as she lifted an envelope. ¡°Please excuse me for interrupting. This...uhm. This is a letter for you.¡±

    Blanche''s frown deepened at that. The week wasn''t over, so the messenger shouldn''t have come with any news from Theodore yet. But apart from her lover, no one would write her here in the summer residence. No one except for the inhabitants of the palace even knew the address of this house. So, who had sent this? The concubine took the envelope in her head and turned it around.

    She was greeted by a green seal depicting the letter ¡®S¡¯.

    That was the worst surprise she could have gotten.

 Chapter 131: Two Kinds Of Letters

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 Chapter 132: Distrust

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    Yes.

 Chapter 133: Unexpected Invitation

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    lot of money. I didn''t do anything for that, and even for working a whole day, this would be way too much.¡± She remembered how the old man that had brought her to the capital with his cart had reacted when she had handed him five gold coins. Receiving a hundred or so as a down payment was definitely too high, no matter what she would give in return. To be honest, he wouldn''t even accept copper coins since she had no need for money when Theodore gifted her everything she wanted and a small stash was hidden in her wardrobe in the palace.

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 Chapter 134: Ibela

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    and while we ate here. That was why he wanted to pay you back somehow.¡±

 Chapter 135: Hoping For a Quick Return

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 Chapter 136: Wonderful News?

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 Chapter 137: Reunion

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 Chapter 138: Two Troublemakers

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    even more run-down building¡¯? Did I hear that correctly? Where did you send them?¡±

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    ¡°that again. I''m too resentful to keep quiet though. I''m doing my best to ruin their day every time we meet.¡±

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 Chapter 139: Your Law

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    please don''t turn the office into your bedroom. I still would like to have a work environment that isn''t full of cuddling couples.¡± Before either of them could respond, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

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 Chapter 140: Light Blue Dream

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    five months before the wedding. She was my fianc¨¦e at that time, but she could have broken off the engagement after hearing about the rumors from the palace. She could even have used the fact that I insisted on waiting so long to marry as a reason to end our relations without acknowledging the gossip. So, she would have had two reasons to keep herself from marrying a man that loves another woman. But she didn''t do that. No, she wanted to be empress, so she didn''t do anything and came here with the expectation of me suddenly changing my mind. And when I continued to be with you, she got angry about every little thing we did. I don''t believe that she has the right to act like this.¡±

    five years despite all other nobles marrying earlier. Besides, you know her father. He even offends me to make her happy, so he surely wouldn''t have complained about fulfilling her wish.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I wouldn''t have minded either. Then all of this would be much easier now. I still have no problem getting what I want, but it will take longer.¡± Theodore slowed his movements until they stopped and pressed a kiss onto her head. ¡°I''m preparing everything for our future right now. We still have to jump over some hurdles on the way, but we will manage. I have...an unfair advantage, so to say. So, don''t worry about anything.¡±

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 Chapter 141: The Welcome Banquet

very dark blue, after all.¡±

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 Chapter 142: New, Familiar Enemies?

    ¡°Her Majesty, the dowager empress and His Royal Highness the second prince.¡± It seemed that it was time.

    Blanche tensed and made eye contact with her lover, who stepped towards her.

    Theodore leaned down to her ear and whispered. ¡°Don''t bow to them and keep your distance. I''ll protect you.¡± He straightened his back again but stayed next to her so that he was closer to her than to his wife.

    Normally, Blanche would complain, but right now, she was thankful. Her stomach was churning at the thought of meeting those people, and her legs threatened to give out. Why was she so scared of them? They wouldn''t be able to do anything to her in front of all of those guests.

    The massive doors swung open painstakingly slow and revealed a woman that looked like she was about forty and a young man. Both had blue hair that was a lighter shade of Theodore''s hair color, which made the relation visible. But more than that, their aura proved that they were part of the royal family. They were as authoritarian as the emperor and had the same presence that made others want to bow down. They looked exactly like Blanche had envisioned them.

    The dowager empress was a beautiful woman. She moved as gracefully as Seraphina always did, and the look in her eyes was just as stoic but with much more icy resentment. The long navy dress she was wearing just underlined her power even more along with her golden tiara. The only thing that gave away that she wasn''t the empress herself was the existence of the graceful white patterns on her attire, but that didn''t take away from her appearance. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with a few perfectly wavy strands hanging down at the sides of her face, which made her seem strict and elegant at the same time. That almost caused her to have a similar aura to the empress, with the only difference being that she was full of more unjustified resentment and greed.

    In contrast to her, her son was beaming at the group in front of him. The second prince''s appearance was basically exactly like Blanche had imagined it to be. He looked like Theodore with a bit softer features and lighter hair color. Blanche would never mix them up, but the blood relation was painfully obvious, especially when he wore the royal colors as well. Why hadn''t she guessed that earlier? Just as she thought that, the prince''s gaze snapped to her. She almost took a step back as he made eye contact with her and gave her a bright smile.

    At this moment, her mind and her body were giving her contradicting information. The prince looked friendly, and his smile seemed too genuine to be faked, so she understood why people trusted him. Harris had been right about him being an excellent actor. But she wouldn''t have thought about talking to him for longer than necessary even if she didn''t know what kind of person he was.

    For some reason, that man made her hairs stand on end. She felt like she was about to throw up, and she didn''t know why. She wasn''t really scared of him, was she? It was hard to define, but she was more fearful about having to interact with him. Her stomach churned even while her chest hurt. That was something she had never truly felt.

    Normally, people intimidated her, and then she wanted to run away. But the prince didn''t scare her. He even seemed like he had a soothing presence. Not that she truly believed that, but he looked like he was kind. She felt like he would be a good friend if this whole matter wouldn''t make him the emperor''s enemy. Still, seeing him walking towards her made her wish to turn away. Looking at him was painful.

    But she didn''t want to run.

    She wanted to cling to her lover and show him that she was on his side. She wanted to prove that she would never-

    ¡°Blanche.¡± Theodore had leaned down to her, and his whisper made her snap out of it.

    She whipped her head around and froze upon seeing his expression. He was even more uncomfortable with this than she was. She replied while having to restrain herself from grabbing his hand. ¡°I hate him. I''ve never... But I hate him being here. I don''t want to talk to him. I never met him, but...¡±

    Her lover just showed her a little smile. ¡°So, you didn''t meet.¡±

    Blanche furrowed her brows in confusion. Why would her lover need to point that out? ¡°Of course not. When would I have done so? I had no idea how that person...¡± Though, she had had a general idea of what Cedar would look like despite never meeting him. She was quiet for a moment and went through her memories. ¡°He was never at events, was he? Or did I seriously not notice him?¡± She couldn''t imagine that. After all, Theodore would have told her if his brother was at a ball. She couldn''t have ignored the second prince either. She would have been forced to greet him properly, but she didn''t remember ever doing so. Since he looked a lot like her lover, she would definitely be irritated at seeing him.

    The emperor''s face lit up at that, and he beamed at her. This radiant smile was odd at that moment, and this impression was underlined by him muttering. ¡°Thank the gods... Don''t worry about anything. We will win together.¡± He was acting a bit strange, wasn''t he? Why did he feel the need to point that out again?

    Blanche began to worry about him. ¡°Of course. Theo, are you alright? I would understand if you are nervous because of them.¡± She whispered so that no one else would hear them.

    Yet, her lover replied in a normal volume so that the Duremonts had to have overheard too. ¡°I''ve never been better, now that you are with me. We''ll meet those arrogant people and get it over with quickly. Remember, don''t bow to them.¡±

    The concubine had heard him the first time that he had said that, but this time, she actually processed what he was saying and was taken aback by his words. She leaned slightly closer to him. ¡°But they are members of the royal family.¡±

    Theodore glanced over at her with a smirk. ¡°Who''s going to deal out a punishment? The emperor? I don''t think so. I''m officially giving you permission to disrespect them as much as you want to. I want them to be fuming by the end of this banquet. We are on a good way though. She''s already annoyed.¡±

    Blanche turned to the entrance again.

    The dowager empress and the prince were only a few steps away from them. Theodore definitely had been right about her being upset. She probably didn''t react kindly to them chatting while she was making her dramatic entrance.

    The concubine couldn''t care any less. She had been glared at by other people that were way more intimidating in the past. The thing that bothered her more was that the second prince was still staring right into her eyes, and it felt like he was piercing her soul. She would have liked to prevent turning away since that felt like giving up, but she couldn''t fight the urge to look at her lover.

    Theodore was facing her too with a beautiful smile on his lips. He mouthed an ¡®I love you¡¯, which she quickly returned.

    By then, the two people that were approaching them had reached the group.

    The Duremonts bowed to show their respect for the royal family, and the prince did the same to greet the emperor. Merely the royal couple and the dowager empress didn''t need to bow to anyone, with Blanche awkwardly standing next to them. Refusing to show the Estien family courtesy as a baroness was close to asking for her title to be removed. Committing such a grave offense hadn''t been part of her plan for the afternoon, but now she was stuck here.

    Everyone in the room appeared to have noticed that too, and it felt like all eyes were on her right now. She could basically feel how Henry was attempting to murder her with his gaze. She was circled by people that were against her, with only her lover on her side.

    One look at the dowager empress and the prince quickly proved that they were the much greater evil here though. The dowager empress'' expression wasn''t as furious as Duke Duremont''s, but she carried herself with so much grace that made it obvious that she felt superior to the ones around her. The prince continued to grin in a way that looked too friendly to be faked, but at the same time, his presence was nauseating.

    Blanche wanted to hide behind Theodore and cling to him, but unfortunately, she couldn''t do that in front of the whole room.

    The dowager empress'' eyes slowly wandered over the group in front of her until they stopped on the concubine.

    That was enough to make Blanche want to bow just so that she wouldn''t offend that horrible woman during their first meeting. She knew how this person reacted to small things like this. She didn''t dare to avert her eyes and just whispered. ¡°Theo.¡±

    Her lover seemed to be aware of what she was referring to as his response came immediately. ¡°No.¡± That settled it then. She would have to wait until the emperor finally broke through the unsettling silence.

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    Theodore purposefully stayed quiet for a few seconds before opening his mouth. ¡°Good evening. I am pleased to see that you did manage to arrive here after all. I already feared that you might miss the banquet. After all, the other guests were here much earlier.¡± He had immediately emphasized that those two were only guests and not hosts, even though they normally would be counted as such since they were part of the royal family

    The dowager empress'' freezing expression didn''t change as she made eye contact with her son. ¡°We would never miss the first opportunity to meet with old friends after six years of no chance to see anyone but the servants in our mansion. I would like to point out that the carriage that you sent might be part of the reason why we arrived a bit later than we had planned.¡± Her voice was as cold as her eyes, and hatred was oozing out of her tone. She was even more unpleasant than the concubine had remembered her to be.

    Before anyone else could respond, the second prince chimed in. ¡°Please do not phrase it like that, Mother. This makes it sound like His Majesty would send us a broken carriage on purpose.¡± He gave the emperor a wide smile. ¡°Unfortunately, the carriage''s wheels gave in a few minutes after we began moving. So, we were forced to walk for the rest of the way. It was not very far anymore, but Mother''s legs are weak after staying inside for so long. Thus, we came a bit later. I hope that you do not mind, Brother.¡± Normally, no one would address their siblings with such an overly sweet tone. In this case, it just seemed like the prince was giving his best to provoke the emperor.

    Theodore didn''t show his disgust for the other two though. He mirrored his brother''s smile and replied in a carefree tone. ¡°How could I mind? It''s been too long since we last had the chance to meet at an event. You, my dear brother, came to visit me a few times already, but I haven''t had the honor of welcoming the dowager empress in the palace until now.¡± If one listened closely, one could hear that there was mockery dripping out of his voice. It was probably physically paining him to address his family like this, but to frustrate them, he was forcing himself to suffer as well. Still, he outright refused to call the dowager empress his mother anyway.

    Blanche would have liked to grab his hand right now. It was the only thing that could help him a bit, but she wasn''t even allowed to do that.

    The dowager empress'' eyes narrowed as she looked at her first son with obvious disgust. ¡°I can assure you that leaving my true home has not been my decision. If justice prevailed, I would not be living in a run-down mansion within the estate either but in the palace.¡±

    Theodore''s expression fell, and he put on a dejected look. ¡°Since the trial is still going on, there is nothing I can do about it. I apologize. As soon as the decision is made, you won''t have to live there anymore.¡± If everything went right, they wouldn''t be outside of prison anymore at all.

    The prince continued to smile with a little sadness, which looked real but was definitely fake as well, in his eyes. ¡°We are aware that you never meant any harm. We should not spend this joyous occasion speaking about depressing topics though.¡± His grin became lighter again. ¡°How about you introduce us to the guests? I believe that there is a person that we still need to greet and another person that we never had the pleasure of meeting.¡± He looked at the empress before turning to the concubine.

    Blanche had to struggle with herself not to take a step back or to grimace at him. Luckily, she would still have a few seconds to collect herself before she would have to speak. After all, Seraphina had the right to begin.

    The empress bowed her head slightly in the most graceful manner imaginable before lifting it again. ¡°I am elated to see you, Your Majesty. It has been long overdue, but this wonderful event seems to be a fitting chance to be able to meet you again. We have not had the pleasure of seeing each other for the last six years, so you, unfortunately, were not able to be present during a very important event last year. I had the honor of becoming the empress of Artias at His Majesty''s side. I would like to use my position in the royal family to formally greet you. We have awaited your arrival in anticipation, so I am very glad that you did come in the end.¡± She gave them a soft smile that once again made Blanche question why everyone aside from her seemed to be good at acting. During their conversation in the summer residence, it had become obvious that the empress actually despised people that considered having power more important than the nation''s well-being.

    The dowager empress returned the smile, probably because she hoped to win Seraphina as her ally, but her eyes stayed freezing. ¡°It is an honor to have such a courteous and beautiful young lady in our family. I haven''t met anyone this welcoming in a long time. It is refreshing to see how different you are in comparison to your husband. From what I heard, you seem to be the person that balances him out, and I can already affirm that you truly deserve to be in such an influential position. I already said that when you were a child, but now I can be sure.¡±

    Seraphina continued to show her perfect smile. ¡°You flatter me too much, Your Majesty. I am the one that is pleased to have you speak such kind words about me. I remember how flawless your appearances in public were, so it is an honor to be praised by you. Apart from the impression I, as an uneducated child, had back then, I also heard many things about you that prove that you are truly a paragon of royalty, so I am happy to be a member of the same family.¡± If she was referring to all the remarks that the concubine had made, this was more of an insult, but Camille appeared to be content. The empress turned to the prince after this. ¡°Of course, I am overjoyed to have the pleasure of meeting you again as well, Your Royal Highness. You have grown up to be a fine young man if you allow me to say so. If I remember correctly, you should be twenty-one now. Is that correct? Please feel free to ignore my question if it somehow causes you to feel unwell though.¡±

    The prince gave her a blinding smile and bowed again. ¡°You are right, Your Majesty. But there is no need to be so cautious or formal around me at all. You are my older brother''s wife, so you are part of our family. I am glad to answer all of your questions.¡± For someone who had barely become an adult, he was an awfully good actor.

    If Blanche hadn''t been aware of his position, she might have been fooled by his kind demeanor and believed that her instinct was being unreasonable. She wasn''t about to throw up anymore, but she still hated standing in front of him. She just wanted to take Theodore''s hand in hers and pull her lover away from those horrible people. But she wouldn''t have the chance.

    Apparently, the Duremonts had retreated to give the Estiens a chance to speak alone.

    After all, the dowager empress didn''t address any relative of the duke but turned to the concubine instead. ¡°This leaves one person here whom I do not recognize. Would you be willing to introduce yourself?¡± Her tone was freezing.

    Blanche was ready to curtsy and reply, but Theodore spoke up before she managed to move.

    ¡°I know you are curious, but it is impolite to ask for the other person''s name before giving yours. After all, she has no idea who you might be.¡± Theodore grinned when his mother clenched her jaw and glared at him.

    The dowager empress slowly faced the concubine again before speaking up again. ¡°It seems that I was hasty. I am not used to people that do not recognize me, but as you appear to be very young and not from the noble families of our capital, this makes sense. We have never met each other, have we? I am Camille Estien, the wife of the esteemed previous emperor, who unfortunately left this world too early. This makes me the dowager empress and His Majesty''s mother.¡±

    Blanche felt her throat dry and swallowed as she glanced at her lover, who was shaking his head. Not bowing now was even more audacious, but she certainly wouldn''t go against whatever Theodore''s plan was. So, she took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. She imitated Seraphina''s slight nod and made eye contact with Camille while telling herself that everything was fine. ¡°I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty. It is true that we never had the pleasure of meeting each other, so I am happy to make up for that now. My name is Blanche. I am a baroness that is currently residing in the royal palace as a guest of-¡±

    Theodore cut her off before she could finish. ¡°It''s almost been two years. You''ve been here for longer than the empress, so calling you a guest would be strange.¡± It was pretty obvious that he also hadn''t wanted her to address him with his title and stopped her despite Blanche not even attempting to use it. Still, his statement was rather dangerous when Seraphina was standing directly next to him.

    The empress didn''t say anything though.

    Blanche inhaled deeply again before continuing. ¡°Well, then I will finish by saying that I am living in the royal palace. I am very pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.¡±

    Camille stayed silent for a moment before replying. ¡°Did I misunderstand, or did you not state your last name?¡±

    The concubine forced herself to maintain her smile. ¡°No, you heard the correct words. At this point in time, I am unable to use my last name. Since this is not a matter that should be discussed in public, I would request for you to be gracious enough to postpone it. If you do wish for me to tell you more about this, I will gladly do so after the party. Though, I doubt that I would be of interest to Your Majesty.¡±

    The dowager empress remained quiet for an even longer time than before. The temperature around her seemed to drop as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then it appears that I did not misinterpret anything. If that is the case, then you also stated that you are a baroness. Isn''t that correct?¡±

    Blanche nodded while hiding her balled fists behind the puffy skirt of her dress. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Camille''s expression turned even sourer. Her voice was full of freezing anger when she spoke. ¡°And even now you still do not understand why I feel the need to bring this up. How can any noble within Artias, especially a lowly baroness, dare to keep her head high while greeting the dowager empress and the second prince?¡±

    The concubine couldn''t keep herself from stepping a bit closer to her lover at that. She replied before she could force herself to stay silent. ¡°Theo told me not to bow to you.¡±

    It hadn''t seemed like it would be possible, but Camille''s glare became even more intimidating. ¡°Theo?¡± She looked like she was about to let the other woman be executed, and her voice trembled with anger. She turned to Theodore, who was still smiling, before looking at the concubine again. ¡°If you are brazen enough to call him by that name, I assume that you have his permission.¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Of course she does. She''s the only person that can address me like that. I dislike it when she uses my title, so I forbid her from saying it. Please don''t pay too much attention to that.¡± His mother opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. ¡°You shouldn''t think about her not bowing to you either.¡± He put on a downcast expression. ¡°I only asked her not to do it because you always hated Althea bowing to you. So, I thought that you didn''t like it when inhabitants of the palace treat you so distantly. It appears that I misread your emotions. It won''t happen again. I don''t understand what about this is different to back then though.¡±

    The dowager empress'' face scrunched up. ¡°You-¡±

    The second prince chimed in with a light tone. ¡°Mother.¡± He beamed at Camille and leaned over to her without saying anything. Whatever he was doing, it worked.

    The dowager empress calmed down a bit at that and just kept quiet.

    The prince took that chance to speak up himself. ¡°I apologize that we misunderstood your intentions, Theodore. It is fine even though this might seem very odd to an outsider. We cannot risk people believing that it is alright for an aristocrat to ignore the royal family. But we will discuss this later in a more private setting. For now, it is time to introduce myself.¡± He turned his head to the concubine and gave her a warm smile that only made her sick. ¡°It is my pleasure to finally meet the famous Lady Blanche. I heard a lot about you and made myself an image of you in my head, but it can''t compare to you in any way. The picture in my brother''s office didn''t lie about your beauty, but even that pales in comparison to seeing you in reality. Though, you do seem to glow as many people stated. It''s very fitting for you to wear a sun in your hair.¡±

    Blanche found the words eerily familiar, maybe except for the last parts about the portrait and the sun. She felt a shiver run down her spine.

    The prince kept putting on the perfect act of being friendly as he resumed flawlessly. ¡°Since we will both stay in the royal estate, we will have many chances to interact, so I would like to see how many of the rumors are true for myself. I hope that we get along well from now on. But allow me to introduce myself first. I am His Majesty''s younger brother by five years, and that makes me the second prince of Artias. My name is Cedar Estien. It is wonderful to be able to make your acquaintance.¡±

    It was good that he didn''t talk anymore after that since Blanche wouldn''t have been capable of listening. At the moment that he had stated his name, she froze. The last name was obviously Theodore''s, but she knew that first name too. Where had she heard it?

    She took a few seconds before a vague memory of Harris sitting in front of her cell and mentioning Cedar gave her the solution.

    That name had appeared in her nightmare. In that dream, Harris had said that Cedar would get her out of captivity with his financial support. Why would she dream about something like this? She had no relation to the second prince, so her mind knowing his name was impossible. Had that just been a coincidence? It had to have been one.

    Cedar?

    How did she know him? She was almost sure that she knew him and Camille, but she had never met them. This didn''t make sense. Her chest just hurt more than before.

 Chapter 143: Misconceptions (1)

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    ¡°

    ¡°

    were enemies. They had to be enemies.

    we are the hosts, we will have to greet the guests alone. You may talk to whomever we already approached as you are only a guest too.¡± He paused and let out a small ¡°Oh¡± before continuing. ¡°Of course, I didn''t wish to upset you with this statement. That was merely a reminder about the social norms during events. Please don''t take it to heart.¡±

 Chapter 144: Misconceptions (2)

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    well...strong-willed at the moment, I understand that this irritates you. I''m sure that he will be a bit calmer as soon as this situation is resolved. He has been stressed ever since the assassination attempt on Duke Lamont''s birthday. So, please do not judge him too harshly for being...thoughtless sometimes.¡±

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    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 145: Sweet and Bitter

    The emperor stayed silent for longer than necessary before eventually speaking up to address the Vasquez family. ¡°Good afternoon to His and Her Grace. It wasn''t too stressful to come here, was it?¡±

    Claude''s grin widened as he and his son bowed to the other man while the duchess curtsied. ¡°Of course not. We are honored to be welcomed into the royal palace once again. It is wonderful to see you, Your Majesty. We were already worried about you forgetting us.¡±

    Theodore returned a smile. ¡°How could I? There is no way I would forget one of my most trusted ministers and his wife, who happens to be my aunt.¡± The sarcasm in his voice was rather obvious, but Duke Vasquez didn''t show any indication of being annoyed.

    Claude just continued to smirk. ¡°I never meant to doubt you, Your Majesty. I was just a bit concerned since my wife cannot stand for too long.¡± He gestured to Selena, whose rounded stomach showed that she was heavily pregnant. ¡°And naturally, she wished to speak to Her Majesty, the dowager empress. They haven''t seen each other for over six years after all. Before we can sit down, we will have to greet you though. You were spending a lot of time with the Duremont family, so we already feared that that had slipped your mind.¡± He resumed in a lower volume. ¡°Or that you might have purposefully let us wait.¡±

    Theodore laughed quietly before responding. ¡°Oh, of course not. There is no way that I would take my time with the Duremonts with the intention of making you wait. How could that thought ever cross my mind? I hope I didn''t make you miss me for too long. But I''m relieved in that regard. It seems that you weren''t that troubled. All of you look like you are very happy. Did something special happen? Let me guess, it is connected to your new member of the family.¡± He gestured to Selena.

    Seraphina spoke up at that point too. ¡°I would have guessed so too. Your Grace seems to have been glowing ever since the pregnancy was announced. We are very delighted that your whole family came despite you having to rest. I hope that the baby is going to grow up to be a healthy and educated young lord or lady. When is the due date?¡±

    Claude glanced at his wife. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. We are very pleased to receive so much care. Our little angel is supposed to be born in about a month.¡±

    Selena put a hand on her stomach and resumed her husband''s story with a grin, which became a bit brighter upon talking about this topic. ¡°We will have a party for the baby three months after that, as per usual.¡± She glanced at Theodore. ¡°Will Your Majesty attend? This child will be your cousin after all.¡±

    Blanche found it quite brazen to invite someone you wanted dead to your child''s first party, but she guessed that Selena hadn''t had much of a choice here. Not inviting the emperor would only have made their plans more obvious. Still, it was audacious.

    Theodore only mirrored the duchess'' beaming smile in return. ¡°I would be honored to. I will just have to make sure that I am able to come despite the heightened security measures. Due to the two occurrences this year, there have to be knights everywhere.¡± He raised his arms and demonstratively looked around. ¡°So, we''ll see how the situation develops until then before I can give you my final word. After all, there is a lot that can happen in four months. Wouldn''t all of you agree? Only a month ago, no one would have dared to believe that the dowager empress and my brother would be here to join us.¡±

    Claude paused for a moment, but the corners of his lips tugged and proved that his words would be the opposite of pleasing. ¡°That is another reason for us to be so elated, Your Majesty. We are very close to Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. Thus, it naturally satisfies us that justice will prevail.¡±

    Theodore allowed his smile to fade. ¡°I can guarantee that, Your Grace. The court in Artias is independent and will make the right decision. Those who committed crimes will be punished no matter what social rank they might have.¡±

    Duke Vasquez hummed. ¡°But is that really true, Your Majesty?¡± He put on a concerned expression while continuing. ¡°There are people that worry that there are members of the royal family that are using their status to harm the ones that wish to keep them in check.¡±

    Theodore responded in a completely neutral voice. ¡°How terrible. Whom could you be referring to, Your Grace? I never heard anything similar to that before. Not even during my coronation.¡±

    The irony of his words was rather obvious, but Claude acted like he was being serious. ¡°Are you truly not aware of the ill nature of the rumors that are surrounding you? Some people are claiming that Your Majesty is a tyrant that reigns the nation with terror.¡±

    Blanche bit her tongue not to let out a snarky comment about her lover being the only one in the Estien family who would rule the country with any care for the citizens at all.

    In contrast to her, Theodore kept a neutral expression, seemingly without any difficulties. ¡°They are? Why? As far as I remember, I always put the country first and gave my best to be fair.¡±

    ¡°Well, the way that you are treating your family appears to prove otherwise. People are gossiping and claiming that you killed the esteemed previous emperor. Then you got rid of Her Majesty, the dowager empress and His Royal Highness so that they couldn''t trouble your reign. They are your own mother and brother, whom you put into confinement in a prison. Such a plan would be quite cruel. Of course, that isn''t my opinion. I was merely repeating what others said.¡± Claude showed them a wide grin, even though he had just openly accused the emperor of murdering his father.

    Theodore appeared to have been right about the Vasquez family being more daring now. Blanche was getting extremely infuriated by now, so it was surprising that her lover didn''t shut them down but just tilted his head and kept a blank expression. ¡°That is weird. I remember it differently. Using only rumors as your source of information is a bit thoughtless, if I may say. So, maybe Your Grace should gather evidence before repeating what clueless people voiced. What would I gain from harming my dear family?¡±

    Duke Vasquez was a little taken aback by the emperor''s calm response but quickly covered his expression up with a smile. ¡°The rumors are saying that Your Majesty feared that His Royal Highness might be a more suitable heir for the throne. They claim that the esteemed previous emperor wished to name his second son the future ruler and that you were discontent with that.¡±

    Theodore let out a sigh. ¡°If my father had done that, I would not be forced to deal with all the documents on my desk every day. I don''t regret his decision though. After all, I have been able to increase Artias'' wealth and improve the whole nation in the past six years. I would say that I''ve been doing well. If my brother were to reign...¡± He grimaced and sucked in air through his teeth. ¡°There could be a few...hiccups due to his inexperience. Father never taught him since he always knew that I would be his successor. Everyone was aware of that decision, and as the firstborn son, I deserve this position. So, it would have been hard for my brother to find enough arguments to justify him being the heir to the throne. And given that those are the facts...¡± The emperor paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Why would I risk killing my father, who was severely ill at that time, only to leave evidence that would take away my right to rule? Why would I dirty my hands instead of simply waiting for two more years?¡± A taunting smirk appeared on his lips. ¡°If you can''t argue back against this reasoning, it might be better to think about gossip before thoughtlessly copying what uneducated people say. Isn''t that right, Your Grace?¡±

    Claude was gritting his teeth at that. He probably hadn''t expected the emperor to reply this calmly. When he spoke, his voice was trembling with anger. ¡°No, you''re right, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for my careless words.¡±

    Theodore sighed again. ¡°It is alright, Your Grace. I''m used to your emotional comments during the meetings with the other ministers. Still, I''m a bit worried now. It would be bad if people thought about me like that.¡± He turned to his lover. ¡°Say, Blanche. Do you think that I''m a tyrant?¡±

    The concubine''s mouth fell open. Why was he asking her that? ¡°No, of course not. You''re the best ruler Artias ever had.¡± Not that she could make much of a comparison.

    Immediately, a bright smile appeared on Theodore''s lips. ¡°Thank you. That relieves me.¡± He faced Claude again. ¡°See, Your Grace? The person that knows me best here says that I''m not a tyrant. I trust Blanche fully, so I can be sure that she is telling the truth.¡±

    The whole Vasquez family was visibly irritated by this strange behavior, but they hid it behind fake smiles again. Claude cleared his throat as he turned to the concubine with a mocking grin. ¡°It''s good to hear that Your Majesty trusts someone that much. You should be careful with that, Your Majesty. You never know who might betray you.¡± It was obvious that he was hinting at her connection to Sefare.

    A cold shiver ran through Blanche''s veins and left behind a strangely hot feeling of anger. She balled her fists and opened her mouth without thinking and barely closed it in time before any careless remarks might slip out. She hadn''t been addressed by the others yet, so she had no right to talk to them. Aside from that, she would have voiced some very nasty things, so she was glad that she had managed to stop herself.

    Theodore looked at her and gave her a soothing smile before speaking up. ¡°I am aware of that. Ever since the assassination attempt on me after my coronation, I have been overly careful with whom I trust. There are only three people that I tell everything, and that is it. Does that seem careful enough?¡± He made a small paused and immediately continued when Claude attempted to answer. ¡°Anyway, I am aware of the dangers around me and chose the person by my side with great caution. The way that my beloved family treated me only proved that this is a good idea, so do not worry.¡± He turned to his lover again. ¡°We''ve been talking about you without allowing you to join in. That''s disrespectful, isn''t it? How about you greet the Vasquez family too?¡±

    Blanche froze at that. A baroness couldn''t simply go ahead and address a duke and his family. That would be more than impudent, and she definitely would get in trouble for that. Unless...it was the emperor''s order. She glanced over at the Vasquez household and mentally noted that their shocked expressions were very amusing. She could embarrass them by acting like she had the right to greet them first, so this might be fitting revenge for Claude''s comments. She had behaved worse while refusing to bow to the dowager empress. So, nothing could truly happen with Theodore at her side.

    A few seconds passed until the concubine managed to choke down her uncertainty and talk with a fake smile. ¡°I see. Then I will comply with your wish. Good afternoon, Your Graces.¡± She nodded towards the duke and the duchess, whose expression had changed from surprise to anger. Maybe she could infuriate them a bit more by just continuing though. ¡°It is a pleasure to welcome you here into the palace. Has anything bad occurred on your way here? I sincerely hope that that wasn''t the case. After all, we were all praying for your safe arrival.¡± She forced herself to sound as upbeat as possible, and apparently, her efforts paid off.

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    Claude''s face was completely scrunched up, and his wife was frowning deeply too. Luciano was the only one that didn''t seem mad since he was watching his father with a hint of concern as if he expected to have to stop him, but he still wasn''t allowed to speak since the emperor hadn''t addressed him. It seemed like Theodore was purposefully not giving the son a chance to talk, which might be his way of getting revenge for their insults. Unfortunately, this ensured that no one from the Vasquez family began speaking.

    An awkward silence followed since the duke and the duchess didn''t wish to reply to the baroness'' greeting as that would mean that they agreed with the suggested order of ranks.

    Blanche was very sure that no response would follow even if they waited, and she was tempted to provokingly ask her lover whether she had done something wrong.

    But before she could consider whether she truly wanted to upset the Vasquez family that much, Seraphina broke the silence. ¡°It appears that the carriage ride was so unpleasant that they do not wish to talk about it, Lady Blanche. I shall give you all some wine as compensation for the trouble you experienced on your way here.¡± She raised her hand, and immediately, a servant appeared next to her. ¡°Bring us wine from Travuan in six glasses. White and red, three of each.¡±

    The maid rushed away before anyone could blink.

    Selena finally opened her mouth again, and the mood was much different now. She seemed rather nervous and even began stammering a bit. ¡°I, uhm... I do not wish to be disrespectful, but...¡±

    The empress didn''t let her finish. ¡°You needn''t worry. The wine is from the west near the mountains. The plants are grown with fresh water from the headwaters on top of the highest mountain there, which gives the grapes a specific flavor. I heard that you visited the northern coast of Travuan a while ago and that you spent a lot of time there. You should know how wonderful nature can be after your vacation. I am very fond of that wine, and since I have some experience with the finest drinks, I can assure you that it will be heavenly. A little glass of wine is perfect after a stressful journey, so please do accept my hospitality.¡±

    The duchess looked at her husband for a moment and swallowed. It was very disrespectful to refuse the hosts'' offer to drink with them. Especially since the empress had insisted. So, Selena was currently struggling to argue back. ¡°Your Majesty, I would be honored to drink with the royal family. But I fear that I cannot consume alcohol due to my pregnancy. I would simply ask for another drink and join you then.¡±

    Seraphina paused for a moment. ¡°Oh, my. I forgot that. My apologies. But are you sure that you do not wish to try a sip? After all, alcohol would be calming after your carriage ride.¡± What was she saying? There was no way that a pregnant woman should make such exceptions. As someone who could have been pregnant by now, she should know that.

    Selena began to panic a little. ¡°No, I sincerely apologize, but I cannot risk anything harming my baby. The ride wasn''t that stressful. In fact, nothing happened, so I do not need to calm down.¡±

    The empress lifted her chin slightly, and her expression became a bit colder. ¡°Oh? There weren''t any occurrences?¡± She waited until the duchess hurriedly nodded before continuing. ¡°I see. So, what was the reason you ignored Lady Blanche earlier?¡± Selena and Claude froze, but the empress resumed without batting an eye. ¡°I assumed that you were unwilling to talk about your way here since it was too unpleasant. After all, you stayed quiet when she asked about it. If it wasn''t the journey, there must be something else that concerned you, correct? Otherwise, you would not have ignored a polite greeting for no reason. Especially since His Majesty was the one to ask her to join the conversation.¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Those were my thoughts too. I was a bit taken aback by your boldness, so I was speechless. I guessed that your way here was stressful too. That would explain why Your Grace voiced so many insolent things today. If you were simply having a bad day, I would let it slide, but... Weren''t there too many occurrences in these past months? About your stores? I remember there being something about tax evasion and identity theft as well as smuggling of illegal goods from Northern-¡±

    Immediately, Claude''s attitude changed. His eyes widened as if he realized that the emperor was talking about specific things and hurried to speak up. ¡°We sincerely apologize for creating that impression. Of course, we did not mean to disrespect Your Majesty or Lady Blanche. We never broke any laws of the nation nor even considered doing so. I have to be honest. Our journey here, as well as the past weeks, were accompanied by a few accidents that we do not wish to mention. We fear that we might evoke a new problem. Still, these things have been on my mind, so I was careless. Please forgive my impudence, Your Majesty. A glass of wine, which the royal family praises nonetheless, would surely be nice.¡± He turned to his wife. ¡°A little sip will not cause many problems. Even though you are pregnant, you should still have fun. Make an exception today. After all, your sister and nephew are here, and we''ll see them soon.¡±

    Selena paled at her husband''s pathetic attempt of avoiding a conflict about the alcohol. ¡°Darling... This isn''t-¡±

    Claude cut her off. ¡°Just drink a sip of the wine. Her Majesty will be displeased otherwise, and we do not wish for that.¡± His voice had an underlying edge of finality as if he didn''t intend on accepting a ¡®no¡¯. Would he truly endanger his own child''s safety just to avoid Seraphina possibly being upset? That only made his priorities painfully clear.

    Even though Blanche hated that family, the despair on Selena''s expression made her pity the duchess. It only got worse when Luciano stepped closer to his father and looked like he intended to argue, only to be shut down with the wave of a hand.

    At that moment, the maid arrived with a tray and six glasses, with each having red or yellowish liquid inside.

    Theodore immediately took two drinks and handed his lover one. Everyone else also took a glass, except for Selena, who was still pleadingly looking at her husband, who evaded her gaze.

    Blanche gritted her teeth at that and tugged at her lover''s sleeve. She definitely wouldn''t make a pregnant woman drink alcohol, even if there might not be any consequences at all. She was too uncertain about how severe the result could be, even though she knew that she was exaggerating when she already feared seeing someone lose their child again. As soon as the emperor looked down at her, she gestured to the remaining glass on the tray. ¡°Can I have that one too? I didn''t drink any wine for a while, so I would like to try both flavors.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Theodore didn''t even ask whether it would be fine for her to take the glass that had originally been for someone else. He just grabbed it and held it for her.

    Selena''s shoulders sank in relief as she realized that she wouldn''t have to drink anything, and her eyes met the concubine''s for a moment.

    Blanche turned away immediately. She had no interest in the other woman believing that she was on her side. In fact, it was rather audacious for a baroness to take the drink of a duchess, so this could also be seen as an insult. She didn''t care much. She still despised the whole family and didn''t doubt that the younger child would be as frustrating as the older one, but an unborn baby couldn''t be blamed for their relatives'' personality. She had always felt that way in each scenario, and she wouldn''t change her mind here.

    Theodore lifted his glass. ¡°Let us drink a toast to Artias. May the nation continue to flourish and develop in a wonderful direction so that all citizens can live here peacefully.¡±

    The others mimicked his movement and agreed before taking a sip of the wine.

    Blanche gulped down half of her glass and eyed the liquid. It was pretty good like Seraphina had said. There was a slight sweetness in the rich flavor of the wine, so this truly seemed to be of high quality. Still, she favored tea, so she usually didn''t drink too much alcohol. Thus, she would have liked to avoid having to drink two glasses, but it couldn''t be helped. As long as the other flavor was as tasty as this one, she would be fine.

    Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.

    The white wine had a similar touch in its flavor, but it wasn''t sweet at all and only bitter. It took all of her self-control not to gag and grimace, so she didn''t even notice that she had wordlessly held the glass towards her lover. It was normal for them to exchange their food with one another in private so that she was used to handing him all the bitter things. When she noticed that doing this in public might not be such a good idea, she attempted to pull it back to her.

    Unfortunately, Theodore had already put his hand around the glass and took it from her without paying attention to her staring at him. He lifted the glass to his mouth as if it was normal for him to simply drink the rest that she had left behind. ¡°It really is a little bitter.¡± He gave her a soft smile before finishing the glass and putting the two empty containers back onto the tray while she watched in disbelief. ¡°Ah, it was refreshing to drink together again. It''s been a while, hasn''t it?¡± He let his eyes roam across the people that were present and stopped at Luciano. He put on a surprised expression. ¡°Now that I am thinking about it, I did not acknowledge you yet, Lord Vasquez. Good afternoon. The late greeting was not intentional. Please do not take it to heart.¡±

    Luciano showed him a smile, and for some reason, it only seemed half as bright as usual. ¡°I would not dare to misunderstand Your Majesty''s intentions. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am glad to see that you are well despite the stressful occurrences of the past days.¡±

    The emperor returned the smile and glanced at his lover. ¡°Yes, the last days were very stressful. Thank you for worrying about that.¡±

    In fact, the days ever since Blanche''s arrival had been a bit unsettling because the couple had been waiting for the day that they would face their greatest enemy. At the same time, they hadn''t done anything but cuddling though, so it wasn''t that traumatic. The month without each other had been worse.

    Theodore looked around the room for a moment. ¡°Ah, it seems like the other guests are getting restless. We should visit them before they die of hunger. Maybe I should simply open the buffet now.¡± Seemingly, he didn''t wish for Luciano to greet Blanche. She could live with that, but the other party couldn''t.

    Luciano hurried to add another greeting before they could withdraw. ¡°I see. Then I will not bother you for long. I just want to wish Lady Blanche a nice evening. It is a pleasure to meet you here.¡±

    The concubine forced herself to smile, even though she didn''t enjoy the presence of anyone but Theodore here. ¡°The pleasure is all mine. Good afternoon, Lord Vasquez.¡± She didn''t intend on saying anything else but almost expected that Luciano would demand more of a conversation. After all, she usually had to deal with his upsetting comments quite often.

    That made it rather surprising that Luciano kept his mouth shut completely. In fact, that wasn''t the only thing that was odd about him today. Normally, Luciano always seemed rather smug and confident in what he was doing, but he didn''t quite have that aura now. Instead, he more so seemed like he just went through this event like anyone else that wasn''t happy about being here.

    That confused Blanche a little. Claude was exhilarated to have his greatest allies back, which was the only logical reaction for the Vasquez family. Yet, Selena seemed a bit tired, which might be the case due to her pregnancy, and Luciano acted out of character. As the heir of the dukedom that would gain most from Cedar''s reign, shouldn''t Luciano be pleased by this? Why did he look far from happy instead?

    Blanche found that odd, but she would rather bite her tongue than say anything. She felt like this was connected to how Luciano kept glancing past the others as if he was waiting for something. Was he impatient and wished to see the dowager empress and the prince quickly? Possibly. Blanche would also claim that she found some traces of worry on his face, but she didn''t allow herself to question it when she knew that Luciano would never have sympathy for Theodore.

    The following silence was a bit unpleasant, which quickly encouraged Theodore to speak up. ¡°Then we...¡± He sounded like he wanted to announce their leave but stopped himself. ¡°Now that I am thinking about it, I didn''t ask you this yet.¡± He gave his usual fake smile again while staring right at Luciano. ¡°Have you had the chance to interact with Cedar and the dowager empress in private already?¡±

    Luciano was quick to respond without questioning why he had been asked specifically. ¡°Of course. Mother couldn''t help wishing to see her sister quickly. We did meet a few times ever since they returned to the capital. We were glad to see them in good health.¡± As he said that, his eyes wandered to the side again. He surely looked at the dowager empress and Cedar but quickly focused on the people in front of him again, his smile even weaker than before.

    For a split second, Theodore''s smile died down. ¡°Well, I''m not sure whether I would call it that. They both changed, and I can easily tell that one of them is rather different from before. Not in a good way. I''m sure you would notice that too, Lord Vasquez.¡± He forced himself to act nicer again after that. ¡°But it is good to hear that you didn''t forget your family connections and value them deeply.¡± That was all he wanted to say, and he didn''t force them to stay any longer. Theodore looked around to search for the Lamont family and let out a drawn-out ¡°Ahh¡± when he found them. ¡°There they are. I would like to excuse us for now. We need to entertain the other guests.¡±

    In her mind, Blanche raised her fist in victory. With this, the most uncomfortable conversations would be finally over. The Lamonts would be calmer during such a time, so she had finished the hard part of the event.

    The emperor bid the Vasquez family goodbye and left before allowing them to respond. Blanche imitated him, and it seemed like Seraphina did the same. While they left, she looked back once, only to find Claude showing a grimace of rage as his wife and son tried to calm him down. Luciano lifted his head in between and stared at the other end of the room, at his cousin and aunt. It didn''t make the family seem as happy as they should be.

    Blanche turned away and followed her lover to the next family. Still, it felt like there were eyes on her the whole time. She felt a shiver run down her spine and glanced back again with the expectation of finding Claude or Luciano staring at her. To her confusion, that wasn''t the case. Luciano was fully focused on pacifying his father right now, and the duke was busy fuming.

    Blanche had a bad premonition of who might be the ones watching them instead. She quickened her steps to catch up with her lover, which wasn''t necessary since he was waiting for her anyway. Still, she rushed to his side and stayed there for the rest of the evening.

 Chapter 146: Reaffirmations

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    issues that I ran into when I was younger. But the past is in the past. What matters now is our future. I will have to warn you. That woman may speak less when she isn''t in the middle of a hysteric fit, but she is the one pulling the strings. She has all the power-hungry people in the palm of her hand and uses them to change everything in her favor. She never acts herself, and this won''t change now either. If I want to get rid of that woman, I will have to crush all of her supporters first. Unless I manage to make her snap and do something unreasonable. That would be easier. Though, that would ensure that I can''t cut off all troublesome people first.¡± He lowered his gaze onto the floor. After being silent for a few seconds, he slowly locked their gazes again. He licked over his lips and hesitated for a while until eventually spoke in a barely audible voice. ¡°And him? What about...¡±

    hate him. He spouts one lie after the other and acts like he is so innocent. That is more enraging than the Vasquez''s fake grin. He disgusts me, and one conversation was enough to make me have trauma for my whole life. One look is enough, and I want to hit him and hide behind you.¡± Not quite since Cedar somehow gave her some mixed signals, but she didn''t have to say that now.

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    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

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    never let go of him and gave her all to show him that.

 Chapter 147: The Minister and An Unnecessary Fight (1)

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    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°other people, I''m actually doing my job and not bothering other employees. If you are bored, go into the kitchen and bake a cake or something like that.¡± Harris gestured down the corridor before crossing his arms again.

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 Chapter 148: The Minister and An Unnecessary Fight (2)

    It only took a few minutes before the emperor was done listing everything that needed to be addressed. When the meeting was over, Blanche was still immersed in the subject, so she barely noticed how Theodore allowed the men to leave.

    Most of the ministers exited the room silently without complaining except for Henry, who was still sitting at the table and looked like he had no intention of retreating. His voice was cold when he spoke up. ¡°Your Majesty, I would like to speak to you. In private.¡± He became even more hostile when he looked at the concubine while saying these last words.

    Blanche averted her eyes and gazed at her lover.

    Theodore stayed on his chair and pulled out a book before writing in it. ¡°Sure.¡± That was all he said, and he hadn''t even lifted his head for those few seconds.

    Naturally, Duke Duremont became even more enraged at that. ¡°Will you not kindly ask Lady Blanche to leave us alone for a moment?¡± He basically spat out those words.

    The emperor stopped writing and looked up. ¡°I didn''t intend on doing that.¡± He waited until Henry opened his mouth before resuming. ¡°I don''t need to hide anything from her, and theoretically, you shouldn''t either since I suspect that this matter is connected to her. But if you truly insist on her exiting the room for the time being, you must remember that this is her home. A guest requesting for her to leave is rather impudent. Maybe, just maybe, she might listen to you if you ask her very kindly. But even then, it''s her choice. Though, it is very weird that you don''t mind Leon being here when she bothers you this much.¡±

    Blanche really believed that Henry would snap at that. Luckily, that didn''t happen, but the duke was still very upset. He was gritting his teeth and turned to her with boiling hatred in his eyes. He stared at her for a few seconds that felt like torture. She was about to stand up and leave so that he wouldn''t murder her for being forced to ask, but one glance at Theodore made it obvious that the emperor was waiting for a polite request.

    Duke Duremont was silent for a while until he spoke with a voice that was dripping with poison. ¡°Lady Blanche, would you be so kind and allow us to have a conversation in private?¡±

    The concubine already knew that her lover would complain about the lack of the word ¡®please¡¯ and the general tone of the question, so she hurried to reply. ¡°Of course. I will take my leave now.¡±

    Theodore gave her a soft smile as she rushed to the door. ¡°I''ll be with you in a minute.¡± That was even more provoking since it hinted that he wouldn''t listen to Henry''s serious complaints for long.

    Blanche stormed out of the room and shut the door behind her. She breathed out in relief, only to notice that the rest of the ministers were still standing in the corridor. They surely wouldn''t be happy to speak to her, so she might just step aside to bring some distance between them and her.

    Unfortunately, she didn''t manage to do so.

    As soon as the concubine began moving, Duke Vasquez almost jumped in front of her. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. How are you?¡±

    The concubine stared at him with wide eyes before her brain processed that she wasn''t in any danger, not an immediate one at least. She pressed her hand against her chest as her pounding heartbeat resonated through her body and gave her best to take a few deep breaths to be able to speak without showing her shock even more. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Grace. You surprised me a bit, but otherwise, I am fine.¡± She would be much better if she wasn''t forced to talk to him though.

    Claude gave her a wide grin that seemed way more taunting than before. Apparently, he had gotten over his anger. ¡°Oh, I apologize for that. It wasn''t my intention to scare you. I am glad to hear that you are doing well. I was a bit worried about the current state of the royal family. I thought that you might feel threatened.¡±

    Blanche chose to ignore that last sentence since she suspected that he would direct the conversation in an unwanted direction if she asked what he meant. ¡°You are right about the situation being unpleasant. I''m just here for Theo so that he isn''t too stressed because of the people that tried to kill him and still call themselves his family. I''m a bit taken aback that there are influential households that support those horrible people.¡±

    For a second, Duke Vasquez''s smile shrank, but he quickly lifted the corners of his mouth higher. That didn''t cover the dangerous glint in his eyes though. ¡°Now I understand what Luciano meant. You are...very loyal, aren''t you?¡±

    The concubine crossed her arms and unwillingly positioned one hand in front of her neck as if she wanted to protect herself. ¡°That should be obvious, right? Anyone here should be loyal to the one and only ruler of Artias.¡±

    Claude replied in a lower voice. ¡°I think so too. But loyalty is finite. Once you assist someone over and over without getting anything in return, you might change your mind. At that point in time, there will always be other people that would be happy to properly reward you for your loyalty.¡± Even though Cedar was much more intimidating, the duke still was making Blanche''s hair stand on ends.

    She took a step backward and responded without thinking. ¡°That''s not real loyalty then. That''s greed. I''m sure that you would know the difference, Your Grace.¡± She might have been a bit too brazen right now, but the Vasquez family regularly voiced such hidden attacks, so she should be able to argue back once, right?

    To be honest, she was more than angry about that household helping Theodore''s enemies just to gain more power. The fact that Claude appeared to be a criminal too, with her lover mentioning that he was involved in tax evasion and smuggling, only served to infuriate her more. And last but not least, he was willing to risk making his pregnant wife drink wine just to distract the emperor from that. This had erased any speck of the barely existing tolerance the concubine might have ever had when it came to dealing with this man.

    Duke Vasquez''s expression darkened at that, but he immediately restored his mocking smile. ¡°That is a very naive approach, Lady Blanche. Acting like this will only bring you so far.¡± His eyes locked onto something behind her. ¡°Even though I have to admit that you have reached a very high position now. I mean, one could almost call you the second most influential woman in the nation.¡±

    Blanche didn''t know whether that was supposed to be a provocation, but the fact that he might want to use her former power-hungriness against her upset her more than his words had. ¡°That is complete nonsense, Your Grace. You remember that I am a baroness, correct? What does the rank system in Artias look like for you to claim that I have any influence at all?¡±

    Claude''s grin widened in a way that made it obvious that he was plotting something as his eyes met hers. ¡°That was not what I was referring to. The rank doesn''t always matter. The most powerful woman is without a doubt the one that possesses the most powerful man''s heart. Normally, that would be Her Majesty, but...¡± He eyed the concubine in a manner that made her want to wrap herself in a blanket. ¡°It seems like it might be different at this moment. After all, you proposed a law to His Majesty, and he implemented it without batting an eye. Do you know what the empress'' tasks are? She represents our nation and stands by His Majesty''s side. She signs contracts regarding any political issue. And...¡± He left a long pause to make sure that she was glued to his lips even though she already knew what would follow and braced herself for that. ¡°The empress proposes laws. So, you already fulfilled two of the tasks that Her Majesty would normally take care of. It wouldn''t be false to say that you might have as much power as she does, if not-¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± The tone of Blanche''s voice was sharper than she had wanted it to be. But in the end, her face would have betrayed her rage anyway. She glared at the duke while gritting her teeth as she dug her fingernails into her palms.

    Months ago, she would have adored hearing such words.

    The fact that someone told her that she was superior to the perfect Seraphina would have made her heart squeal with joy and ease her worries about not being as good as that woman for a few minutes. She would have been happy for the moment, even if she would have felt empty after finally processing that such a statement was useless when the empress was still the one being Theodore''s wife.

    Now she couldn''t even deal with the impudence that Claude''s words carried towards the rest of the nobles. Comparing a baroness to the empress was without a doubt insolent enough to justify dealing out punishment to someone. Of course, Blanche wasn''t able to do so, but she wished that she could. Right now, she was fuming. That person couldn''t know what those words meant to her. Striving for unreachable power had fated her to die alone with no one caring for her cries as the one that had lost everything. Whether she was truly greedy didn''t matter. As long as people thought that she was attempting to claim the empress'' position, she would end up as the deserted villainess.

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    Blanche would allow no one to accuse her of trying to use her lover to gain influence. ¡°Saying something like this is awfully brazen, even for a duke.¡±

    Despite her hate-filled expression, Claude just continued to grin at her. ¡°Why? I was merely stating the truth. Do you not think that you have been by His Majesty''s side for long enough to deserve to be his wife, if not even the empress? That position might be occupied now, but there is nothing that can''t be changed.¡± It was true that he was way more daring now that the dowager empress was here.

    A part of Blanche was telling her to hold back, but she couldn''t let that opportunity go. He had said something that bordered on suggesting treason, so she was allowed to scold him. She shouldn''t be too aggressive due to her low rank, but her patience was hanging by a thread. She forced herself to stop balling her fists not to break the skin on her palms with her fingernails and narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. ¡°I remember that we drank wine together at the party two days ago. It wasn''t very strong, so I''m surprised that your brain is still muddled, Your Grace. Surely, that must be why you would voice such audacious things.¡± Her voice was trembling with anger, and as soon as she closed her mouth, she bit her lips not to add more insulting things.

    Duke Vasquez tilted his head slightly and his smile became smaller, but it looked like he was full of amusement now. ¡°No, that is not the case. My remarks weren''t audacious when I only mentioned a possibility. You must have misunderstood something. What exactly did I propose just now that upset you this much?¡± He was trying to make her repeat his words.

    Blanche didn''t need to turn around to guess that one of the other ministers had approached them and was now listening to their conversation. She wasn''t stupid enough to believe that Claude directing the flow of the conversation was beneficial, so she would refrain from doing anything he suggested. ¡°I refuse to repeat such impudent statements. But Her Majesty might wish to hear you say that to her face. Theo and His Grace, the Duke of Duremont would be curious too. How about we go to one of them and continue the conversation there? In fact, the latter two are in the room behind us. Let''s go see them right now.¡±

    Claude''s expression darkened, and she had the underlying suspicion that he didn''t like her arguing against him. ¡°I do not know what Lady Blanche is talking about. You are usually a bit emotional too, but this is too much. You must have been imagining things. There is no way that I would consider the things you suggested.¡±

    The concubine saw red at that. So, he was trying to turn things around to make her seem bad now? If that was the case, she had no intention of playing into his hands. ¡°Then you might have gotten a bit old, Your Grace. You don''t seem to remember your own words, but I can assure you that I will keep them in mind. It would be better for you to go rest so that your sudden and very convenient memory loss does not affect your duties as a minister. You don''t want to be known as being senile.¡± While speaking, she noticed that she had crossed the line.

    Duke Vasquez stopped any attempts at covering up his rage. His face became a grimace of fury as he turned red and took one step forward to tower above her.

    That made her back away two steps.

    He was really scaring Blanche now. Claude appeared to be much more unstable than she had thought. A few provocations, which he normally dealt out happily and also received from the emperor without any issues, were enough to make his face get fully red. Why was he this mad suddenly? He had never reacted this sensitively to offending comments. For some reason, she appeared to have triggered him though. She had only seen him this angry once before, and that had been at the party from afar.

    Now he was directly in front of her and just needed to extend his arms to reach her. And he definitely looked like he was ready to seriously threaten her.

    At the moment that Blanche thought that she might have to ask for help from someone here, the door next to them swung open.

    Theodore stepped out, and before she could even utter a single word, he rushed towards her. He moved between her and Claude, whom he turned his back to, and smiled at his lover. ¡°I hope you didn''t wait for long, I''ll make it up to you. I have the rest of the day with nothing to do.¡± While he was giving his best to seem upbeat, the hatred in his eyes betrayed him. He had probably realized what had happened and was more than upset about the duke scaring her. Still, he didn''t turn towards the other man once.

    Claude spoke up after a few seconds. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Blanche couldn''t see him, but his voice was shaky with rage. He was still very angry about her words.

    Still, Theodore completely ignored him and talked to his lover. ¡°Do you want me to ask the kitchen staff for some citrus pie? You love that, right? A piece of salmon for dinner might be nice too.¡±

    Duke Vasquez called out to the emperor again, only to be disregarded once more. That seemed to be the final straw for him. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± He was almost yelling now.

    Theodore finally turned around and replied in a tone that made the temperature around them drop. ¡°What? Can''t you see that I''m in the middle of a conversation? You not only dared to interrupt me, but you also raised your voice at a member of the royal family. You surely must have a very good reason to do so.¡±

    Blanche fought the urge to hide behind her lover''s back and took a step to the side to check how angry Claude was. That proved to be a mistake.

    As soon as she saw that man''s rage-filled expression, she became sure that he was insane. What kind of world was this when all dangerous people were also psychopaths?

    Their eyes met, and immediately, Duke Vasquez''s fury grew even more. He extended his arm and pointed at the concubine''s face. ¡°She dared to insult me, a duke! There is no way that she can act like she has the right to do anything she wants. I demand a punishment!¡± His voice was full of as much hatred as his face, which made Blanche cower behind her lover''s arm even as she glared at Claude.

    The next thing she knew was that something that sounded like a loud clap cut through the silence.

    Theodore had smacked away Claude''s hand with a generous amount of force and glared at the other man with resentment. ¡°Do not move your hand in her general direction ever again. I also expect you to never raise your voice in the royal palace from now on. Are we clear?¡±

    Duke Vasquez gritted his teeth as he held his hand and rubbed over the reddened skin. ¡°You actually dare to-¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Theodore lifted his chin as he showed the duke his cold anger that resembled the hatred that he had shown in Blanche''s nightmares a bit too much. He replied in a booming voice that didn''t leave any room for objections. ¡°I am the emperor of Artias and the only ruler of this nation. This palace belongs to me, and like every other noble, you are my servant. I can dare to do whatever I want. Being a duke does not justify you disrespecting Blanche and me when I pointed out your mistakes. It seems like your pride has become too great and needs to be trimmed quite a bit. Leave.¡±

    Claude''s face scrunched up even more, even if it had previously seemed like that wasn''t possible. ¡°I am not the one that did anything wrong!¡± He yelled the last words. ¡°She insulted me, and no matter how high and mighty you act, you can''t excuse that. Everyone here heard.¡± He spread his arms to gesture to the rest of the corridor. ¡°You can''t protect a lowly baroness when she insulted a duke in front of witnesses.¡±

    What? Now he was trying to make her the bad one? Blanche couldn''t keep herself from opening her mouth to defend herself, but she wasn''t quick enough.

    Theodore replied without batting an eye. ¡°Oh, I''m very sure that all of her so-called insults were justified. She would never voice anything without purpose. I do not even need anyone to affirm that. And it would be in your favor not to insist on a punishment. After all, you would be the one to receive it for abusing my hospitality to threaten an inhabitant of the palace and offending me. Apparently, the fact that those two are here now made you too arrogant for your own good. You should stop and take a look at the situation around you before feeling too safe. If you had done so, you would have realized that there has been a sword at your throat ever since you threatened Blanche for the first time.¡±

    The concubine turned her attention to the person behind the duke and was surprised to find Owen standing there. He was pointing the tip of the sword against the backside of the other man''s neck just so that Duke Vasquez would notice. Blanche relaxed a bit as she was reminded of the guards'' presence. She had completely forgotten about the knight in the heat of the moment and had worried for no reason, but they were definitely safe.

    Claude''s eyes widened as he attempted to turn around, only to find Owen increasing the pressure.

    The knight''s expression might just seem a bit darker than normal. ¡°Please do not move, Your Grace. I am uncertain whether you are in a mental state that would obstruct your logical judgment, so I cannot risk you approaching anyone. Hold still.¡±

    Duke Vasquez''s anger didn''t even seem to be overshadowed by fear. His expression became even uglier as he began speaking loudly. ¡°Who would dare to aim a sword at me? I am Claude Vasquez, the Duke of the second most influential dukedom in Artias and one of His Majesty''s trusted ministers. Who thinks this highly of himself to threaten me? Do you not care for your life?¡±

    Blanche shuddered at so much resentment and unwillingly leaned against her lover''s arm. She was worried when he moved it away for a moment, but he quickly put his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She was too distressed and scared to even consider arguing against that.

    In contrast to her, Owen wasn''t too affected by anyone''s anger. He replied as calmly as always, even though it almost sounded like there was a barely audible sharp edge to his words. ¡°My name is Owen Maillont. I am the head knight of the royal guards and His Majesty''s personal guard. As I am currently acting on his orders, I can assure you that my actions are justified. In fact, I am not the only one keeping an eye on you right now, so I would suggest you stay still.¡±

    Claude''s expression revealed that he felt a bit of fear at the mention of that name. He looked around the hallway without moving his head and scanned the guards that had previously stood by the door and had raised their swords as well to stop him in case he lunged forward. His gaze snapped to Theodore. ¡°Your Majesty ordered them to attack me? You surely-¡±

    The emperor cut him off. ¡°No, they are doing their job of protecting the inhabitants of the palace. Except for Owen. I ordered him to specifically protect Blanche. I told him to defend her like a member of the royal family. If someone threatens her, they are to be rendered immobile immediately, however that might look, to prevent her from being hurt. Apparently, you were threatening her, which is why he deemed you a threat. Owen has been by my side for almost seven years, and I believe him to be able to make that judgment. I trust him much more than I trust you.¡± He scanned the other man with obvious disgust. ¡°Your current behavior shows that you are mentally unstable, which only proves that I was right about that. I shouldn''t have expected anything else from someone that supports the dowager empress. Her mind is in a similar state to yours. Since you are obviously not capable of controlling yourself, I will ask Owen to escort you out of the estate now. Hopefully, a few days at home will make you calm down.¡±

    Claude finally seemed to understand that he wouldn''t get out of this situation by snapping at the emperor. His eyes widened before he forced himself to neutralize his expression. The hatred remained audible in his voice when he replied, even if his voice was strained. ¡°That would be good, Your Majesty. I apologize for this. The past days have been very stressful for my family, so please excuse this outbreak. I will retreat now and apologize properly during the next meeting when I have calmed down.¡±

    Theodore crossed his arms. ¡°That will not be necessary. After all, I will ask you to stay home for at least one month. In addition to that, you are banned from the palace until you offer an honest apology to Blanche.¡±

    In an instant, Duke Vasquez''s rage returned with a glint of insanity in his eyes. ¡°What?¡±

    The emperor shut him up with a glare. ¡°By that, I don''t mean your usual pretense of friendliness but a heartfelt speech. I want you to bow down to her and ask for her forgiveness while you promise that you will never ever disrespect her like that again. It will be her choice whether she believes you, and if she doesn''t, you can forget ever entering the royal estate again.¡±

    That made the switch flip once more.

 Chapter 149: The Minister and An Unnecessary Fight (3)

    Theodore''s response came out without even a hint of hesitation as he clearly made Duke Vasquez out to be the offending party in the fight with Blanche. ¡°I want you to bow down to her and ask for her forgiveness while you promise that you will never ever disrespect her like that again. It will be her choice whether she believes you, and if she doesn''t, you can forget ever entering the royal estate again.¡±

    That made the switch flip once more.

    Claude began yelling again. ¡°How can you tell a duke to apologize to a baroness who offended him? This is madness!¡± Despite Owen''s previous warning that should make him stay still, Duke Vasquez whipped his head around to search for the help of his colleagues. ¡°Doesn''t anyone here see that this goes too far? He can''t disregard our ranks like that just because of his personal favor. He-¡±

    To everyone''s surprise, Henry interrupted him. ¡°Shut your mouth. You''ve embarrassed yourself and your family name, no, every noble in this room enough. Every single person here witnessed your lack of self-control and your obvious disrespect towards His Majesty and his words.¡± Duke Duremont''s glare was filled with disgust and anger even when he defended whom he should be angry with. ¡°You keep arguing based on your rank, yet do not treat the emperor with the necessary courtesy, which proves that you are not only out of your mind but also hypocritical. Ranks have nothing to do with your abhorrent behavior. If you were impudent enough to threaten another person, you will have to stand up to that now. Pull yourself together and act like a grown man instead of a child.¡±

    Duke Vasquez tried to take a step forward, but Owen moved already and held the blade to his throat now, which made him freeze. Still, his expression revealed how clouded with rage his mind truly was. ¡°She insulted me.¡±

    Another minister chimed in at that. It was Henry''s friend, Marquess Bellfaux, the one that treated Seraphina like his own niece, so the concubine expected a quite harsh judgment. Something else came out of his mouth though. ¡°I can confirm that Lady Blanche questioned his mental abilities after he belittled Her Majesty and then claimed not to remember as soon as she addressed his insolence. I would not see that as an insult but a justified question after his impudent words.¡±

    Blanche turned to him in shock. It made sense for that marquess and Henry to hate Duke Vasquez, but she hadn''t expected them to take her side. It seemed like they disliked her less than they hated Claude, or they just saw this as a chance to get rid of one of their enemies while using the other. She could live with both options as long as that mad person finally left.

    Theodore eyed Duke Vasquez with disgust. ¡°I knew it. Then there is nothing else to discuss here. Leave.¡±

    Claude closed his mouth and stared at the people in front of him while gritting his teeth. He refused to move for a few seconds until he spoke up while pronouncing every word with great clarity. ¡°I will remember this. You will regret that this ever happened. When he is emperor, he will crush all of you.¡±

    Theodore rolled his eyes as he waved to Owen. ¡°I can assure you that whomever you may be talking about will not get his greedy little fingers on the crown. Keep this up, and you are doing me a favor by putting yourself on trial for treason. Bring him out of my sight.¡±

    Owen obeyed immediately, and Claude moved along without putting up a fight. While Duke Vasquez was led around the corner, he turned his head around once more and made eye contact with Blanche. He mouthed something that was without a doubt a threat with freezing anger before he disappeared behind the wall.

    Only then, Blanche relaxed. She took a few seconds until her nerves had calmed down, and she didn''t feel tingles all over her body anymore. Now that she could focus on her surroundings more, she realized that her lover was still hugging her waist with one arm as she desperately clung to his side. She hadn''t even realized that her fingers were tightly gripping the cloth of his sleeve. This was definitely not how they should appear in front of the ministers, especially Henry. But she couldn''t bring herself to let go when her legs felt so weak that she might crash onto the ground without Theodore''s support.

    During the whole fight, she hadn''t cried since she had been too nervous to even process in what situation she currently was. Luckily, she still wasn''t crying, but her expression probably revealed her panic so much that it made her look like a complete mess. She didn''t want anyone to see her like that, but burying her face in her lover''s shirt wouldn''t make the tense atmosphere any better. So, she hid her face behind her elbow and tried to hold her breath to keep herself from thinking about this too much. The danger was gone. She didn''t need to be scared anymore. To her relief, it didn''t seem like her self-control would waver. She could keep herself together.

    Henry spoke up after a moment of silence. ¡°This was a very unfortunate event, which should truly make His Majesty reconsider whether that person is fit to be a minister.¡± Which he probably saw as a win despite this whole mess.

    Theodore softly stroked over his lover''s hair as he replied. ¡°I already made that decision and only needed a fitting reason. This one should be sufficient. I thought about appointing His Grace, the Duke of Lamont to be the one to take his spot. Duke Vasquez will probably try to call me a tyrant for this again, but I will fill out his dismissal certificate today. I assume that all of you back my decision and are willing to openly state that too.¡±

    The five remaining ministers all affirmed this loudly. Apparently, Claude''s attempts to yell at the emperor in his own palace just now had shown them that he wasn''t sane and erased any chance of them possibly supporting him.

    Henry added something in his typical cool tone right after, which probably meant that he had just noticed that the concubine was cuddling with the emperor. ¡°Please do so. Since our meeting is over, I will take my leave now. Good afternoon, Your Majesty.¡± He didn''t even wait for permission to leave before turning away.

    The other ministers bid their farewells too, and footsteps slowly moved away.

    Blanche noticed that her lover barely cared about Henry''s behavior. He was already guiding her into the office. She finally dared to open her eyes again and was surprised to find another person close to them.

    Leonard was standing by the open door with a small object that she couldn''t see in his hand. The secretary carefully maneuvered it behind his body so that she wasn''t able to identify it. ¡°Are you alright, Lady Blanche?¡±

    She nodded meekly. ¡°Yes. He didn''t touch me. I...I don''t know why I''m this upset.¡± She turned to her lover and allowed herself to dive into his extended arms. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±

    Theodore immediately shushed her. ¡°Don''t say that. You did nothing wrong.¡± He cradled her head to allow her to calm down. ¡°I am the one that has to apologize. I shouldn''t have left you alone with that bastard. I didn''t think that he would snap this easily with other people around. It took much more to make him-¡± He cut himself off and drew in a deep breath. ¡°I''m sorry for not being there. I''ll be more careful from now on.¡±

    Leon moved to the desk before pulling out a piece of paper and placing it in the middle of the surface. ¡°The certificate of dismissal is here. We''ll finish it immediately and send it out so that he has the news soon.¡± Then he walked over to the couple and made eye contact with the concubine. ¡°I can assure you that you weren''t in any danger at any time. Owen was there with you, and I was ready to intervene as soon as the door opened too. That duke might be insane, but he had no way of harming you.¡±

    Blanche bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced at the closed door before looking back at the men. ¡°Thank you. I knew that I wasn''t alone, but still...¡±

    Theodore gently ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°I apologize if Owen''s presence was not as noticeable as it should have been. I told him to move as inconspicuously as possible. I will change that approach though. In the future, he will bring a possible threat to the ground immediately. And I won''t leave you alone with people that I know are psychopaths either. I''m sorry.¡± He carefully guided her to the sofa by the wall and sat down to allow her to climb onto his lap.

    Blanche didn''t hesitate to cuddle into his embrace and rested her chin on his shoulder. ¡°No, it''s fine. You couldn''t have known that he would react this strongly despite other people being there.¡±

    Right now, she felt conflicted and a bit stupid. She had come here intending to ask her lover to take Owen back to him, and now she had already brought herself into danger because she couldn''t keep her mouth shut. Claude surely wouldn''t be kind to her from now on, and she didn''t know how deep his anger could run. Maybe it was better for the knight to stay with her. But at the same time, there was no way that she would be selfish and put her safety over Theodore''s. She was unsure of what to do.

    She tightened her grasp around her lover. ¡°Just because I didn''t hold myself back...¡±

    The emperor pressed small kisses on top of her head to calm her down. ¡°You are free to say whatever you want. There is nothing that anyone can forbid you. You could have insulted him without a reason, and I would have defended you.¡±

    Blanche shook her head as she got a bit louder. ¡°But I had a reason! He wanted to make it seem like I told him that I wanted to be empress. There were others too, and if they heard, they would definitely have been angry at me. I couldn''t risk that, so I told him to quiet. Then he pretended to be surprised because I said something insolent. So, I replied that if he was too old to remember, he would have to go home and rest. I didn''t even say extremely mean things. You and he always exchanged much harsher insults. They were more hidden then, but I still don''t understand why he got this upset.¡± She bit her lip to prevent herself from complaining even more and pressed her cheek against her lover''s chest.

    Slowly, her fear was ebbing away and left behind a mix of anger and frustration. Claude''s reaction had definitely been exaggerated. Either she had done something specific that triggered him, or he felt safe because of the dowager empress'' presence, but her words still hadn''t justified him getting this enraged. He had started provoking her, so why was he surprised when she fought back?

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Theodore stroked over her hair as he hummed to signal that he had listened to her. ¡°I thought that something like that might be the case. I have a general idea of what he is trying to do, and using you to strain my relationship with the Duremonts would fit in there. Maybe he is very sensitive to the whole rank system. He seems to be very proud of being a duke and is a very controlling person too. From what I heard, his wife and son don''t have too many chances to talk back to him. So, when a baroness doesn''t play along with his games, he might lose his temper quickly. Remember how he acted at the party? When I asked you to greet him, I thought that he would immediately cause a scene.¡±

    Blanche remembered the face the duke had made after the emperor left with her too well. That had been one of the rare times that Claude had looked very angry. She nodded at her lover, who took that as a cue to continue.

    ¡°Along with the fact that he believes that the dowager empress will protect her most influential pawn, this could be enough to make him snap. I feel like he was always seconds away from lashing out and just held himself back because he waited for the right moment. Now he feels like it''s there and is too arrogant to bow down to even me. So obviously, he won''t show you any respect either.¡±

    The concubine slowly managed to calm down a bit. Still, there was one thing she worried about. She tilted her head back to make eye contact with her lover. ¡°Theo... Will there be problems now because of this? If so, I''m really, really sorry.¡±

    The emperor gave her a bright smile. ¡°I can assure you that there won''t be any issues that I can''t deal with. In fact, this show today will only convince the people that were present that Duke Vasquez is mentally unstable. That will damage his reputation and cause him to lose some of his influence. Thus, the dowager empress'' faction will also lose a bit of their power. This whole incident will cast a bad light on her since she allows an insane person to support her.¡± He let out a chuckle and put on a taunting smile. ¡°That serves her right. Hopefully, that will make them fight. She can''t afford trouble right now, so she might truly scold him. After all, he gambled away his position as a minister and ruined the already barely existent trust of everyone here in him. Maybe it was good that we revealed his true personality today. After all, there were enough witnesses, so the story will spread. I can also use this to justify dismissing him because of that. And at the same time, I could prove that I will defend you no matter what to anyone here. Even the second most influential duke will have to give up his position for threatening you. And did you notice that Duke Duremont and his friend both took your side?¡±

    ¡°I did. And I found that a little strange. The marquess just agreed because he heard what Duke Vasquez told me. I''m surprised that he was able to understand that from a distance.¡± It was a bit weird that Claude had been careless enough to let him hear that too. That thought made Blanche pause. ¡°Do you think that Duke Vasquez did this purposefully to cause some kind of reaction?¡±

    Theodore shook his head after a short pause. ¡°I considered that for one second, but it doesn''t make sense. In that case, he would have given in before seriously making me mad. I mean, he lost more than he could gain now. Surely, Cedar could give him the title of a minister again, if that brat ever became emperor, which he won''t. But everyone would still remember that Duke Vasquez is insane and even dares to disrespect the ruler of the nation. That stigma won''t do him any good, especially since Cedar isn''t stupid enough to openly support criminals either. So, it''s a bit unsettling to see that Duke Vasquez''s emotions are so much stronger than his self-control. He somehow seems to think that he can escape the consequences of his actions, and that might be dangerous. We should be careful around him from now on.¡±

    A shudder ran down Blanche''s spine. She didn''t want to think about meeting that person again, but it was inevitable. She began drawing small patterns onto her lover''s shoulder to distract herself from the vivid images of Claude lashing out at her. ¡°What should I do when we see him again?¡±

    Theodore paused for a small moment and stared into the distance. He thought about her question for a while before replying. ¡°I''m honestly torn. On the one hand, I don''t want to corner an insane person. As I already mentioned, people tend to get ugly when they feel like they have no way out, and a mentally unstable man will only be much more dangerous. But on the other hand...¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°It would be very nice to get rid of one of our strongest enemies. He basically presented his weak spot in public, so we could use that to try to push him out of the race. I''m still unsure whether we should risk that too early on since another person might take on his role otherwise, so I''ll think about it for a bit longer. Still, I refuse to interact with him like normal. During the next ball, I might just ignore him completely to see whether he would show his disrespect in front of everyone. Of course, that only applies if he can come to that ball at all. I banned him from returning just now, so it will take a while until we see him again.¡± Theodore got silent again and nodded to himself. ¡°I''ll think about something. Don''t worry, I''ll find a good solution.¡±

    Blanche could imagine that her lover wouldn''t treat Claude kindly from now on. That also meant that the duke would feel even more offended though. When the emperor was with her, she should be safe. But when she was alone, interacting with Duke Vasquez didn''t seem like a good idea to her. She had hated that man before and felt intimidated, and now she surely wasn''t any more eager to speak to him. She would favor it if she could just turn away and walk the other way as soon as she saw him, but ignoring a duke was disrespectful.

    Blanche glanced up at Theodore. She wanted to keep her thoughts to herself at first, but she quickly noticed that she was too uncertain for that. ¡°What should I do if I meet him when I''m on my own? I don''t want to talk to him, but simply turning away is unthinkable too.¡±

    Her lover put his hand on her cheek and gently stroked over her skin. ¡°You can decide for yourself. You can ignore him or belittle him. You can also act normally or ask for his apology by insisting that this was the emperor''s order. Though, I doubt that you will meet him outside an event since I banned him from coming here. And in any case, you won''t be alone. I told Owen to stay by your side for a reason, and now I surely won''t change my mind. He could make that man silent forever if it''s necessary to protect you. Though, that wouldn''t really be subtle.¡± He gently nudged her cheek before giving her a soft smile. ¡°Alright?¡±

    Blanche nodded as she imagined a scenario in which she actually dared to greet Duke Vasquez by saying that she still wished to hear an apology. That would probably make him want to kill her. She shouldn''t overdo it. It was never clear what an unstable person would do if she angered him too much. Even though she still didn''t know what she had said to make him overly upset. It might be interesting to find out what exactly had caused him to lose his temper like this, but she just hoped that she wouldn''t ever see him again. Unfortunately, that wish was unreachable since there was no way that he would simply disappear overnight, but she still could hope.

    However, this wasn''t an issue she could deal with right now. Theodore had just addressed the topic she had come here to discuss, so she should probably start to talk about this.

    ¡°About the matter with Owen... Are you sure that you are fine without him?¡± She was ashamed to admit it, but the knight staying with her would give her some feeling of safety. She shuffled around in her lover''s lap to sit up and meet his gaze. ¡°I don''t want him to be with me when you are in danger. So, how about he comes with me when I go out while you are in your office? After that, he could return to your side. When I''m in the kitchen, I don''t really need a personal guard.¡±

    Her main worries were the visitors of the palace and the possible intruders that worked for the dowager empress. All of them wouldn''t go to the kitchen, so she was fine there. But when she walked around in the garden, being protected might be nice. Still, she wouldn''t be able to relax when she knew that her lover was without a knight. If they agreed on a compromise, she would feel less guilty.

    Theodore didn''t seem like he intended to discuss anything with her though. He immediately shook his head. ¡°I can protect myself. I always carry a weapon with me or move around in areas where one is hidden for me to grab in an emergency. When I''m in my office, which is almost the only room I visit without you, Leon is here too. He doesn''t look like it, but he can fight as well.¡± The secretary gave him a glare at that, but the emperor ignored it. ¡°You can rest assured that I am already protected by two people of Owen''s level. So, it''s only fair that he is with you. You can''t defend yourself, and everyone knows that I care about you. You might be a target, and I won''t risk anyone getting to you. But you don''t need to worry about me.¡±

    Blanche did feel like saying that Theodore was on Owen''s level might be a bit exaggerated, but she didn''t point that out.

    Her lover caressed her cheek again and grinned when she leaned into him. ¡°Besides, we will be together most of the time anyway. Owen will be there to protect both of us. You just need to stay by my side for as long as possible to make sure that he''s in my vicinity too. That might be best in the first place.¡± His smile faded. ¡°I don''t trust Duke Vasquez. I doubt that he will calm down and forget that this happened. He even promised us that he would remember. So, he might cause trouble for us in the future. I''m just interested in whether he will blow up again or whether he''ll choose a more subtle approach. In any case, I want to be careful. Owen stays with you, or in front of the room you''re in, and when he is sleeping, at least four other guards have to replace him.¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°Six might be better.¡±

    Blanche hurriedly shook her head. ¡°You don''t have to overdo it. The whole palace is secured, and at night, I''m either in my or your room. The hallways are being secured by enough guards the whole time. So, it''s fine if you just send two knights to be safe when Owen is gone. You should allow him to sleep longer too. I don''t think he has any free time at the moment, and that makes me feel bad.¡±

    Theodore returned his hand to her head and patted her. ¡°You don''t have to. It was his choice to work whenever he doesn''t sleep. I regularly tell him to take off a few hours or to have a vacation, but he always rejects the offer. At some point, I will force him to take a month for himself but not right now. Currently, the situation is too tense. In any case, I want you to be with me as long as possible so that Owen and I can protect you. The palace may be safe, but unfortunately, we were forced to allow our enemies to enter the estate. You don''t know what kind of dirty methods they use. They will find a way to bring others inside if they want to. That''s why I wanted to be sure. I thought about appointing Sir Aldis as your personal guard too.¡±

    Blanche blinked at him two times before she processed that statement. ¡°Are you serious? Sir Aldis the empress'' guard!¡± Taking away the knight of the most powerful woman in the country, who was definitely threatened by her husband''s enemies, to order them to protect the emperor''s concubine would cause so many rumors that no one would be able to count them. ¡°That is extremely inconsiderate. The empress is in much greater danger, so it would be more logical to give her more guards. Do you know what the people will say if you voiced something like this publicly?¡± She raised herself onto her knees and supported herself on his shoulders as she leaned over him in hopes of showing how serious she was.

    Her lover just smiled at her as he cupped her face and guided her to him so that he could press his lips onto hers. For a moment, she considered pulling away, but he was successful in making her melt, and she relaxed in his embrace. Theodore only separated himself from her when she was sitting in his lap again, with his arms tightly wrapped around her. He leaned his forehead against hers as he spoke up. ¡°I would like to repeat that I don''t care about other people. What I care about is your safety, and right now, you are the one that has the most problems with Duke Vasquez. To be honest, you are in much greater danger than the empress. Without the emperor''s permission, she almost has no political influence and only a representative function. Even a blind person would have noticed that I don''t care about her at all too.¡± Theodore moved his head away from hers to look into her eyes when he continued. ¡°The only person I love is you. So, if someone wants to harm or threaten me, they will target you. I placed Sir Aldis by the empress'' side for the time being, but I can revoke that order at any moment. For now, I will still leave him with her for another reason, but I won''t hesitate to change that if it becomes necessary. Currently, our enemies are giving their best to seem kind and fitting to be ruling the nation, so they won''t do anything too harsh. But that can change very quickly.¡± In some way, he was right about that.

    Blanche still disagreed, but she doubted that explaining how Noah needed to keep Seraphina safe so that the Duremonts wouldn''t snap now would change her lover''s mind. As long as he wasn''t ordering anything at this point, it was fine if he considered strange options. To be honest, she was tired of worrying after that exhausting incident, so she dropped the topic in hopes of Theodore forgetting this foolish idea.

    Blanche allowed herself to distract herself from all the concerns in her mind. She stared into her lover''s blue eyes and admired them while tangling her fingers into his hair. ¡°I really love you so much that it''s strange. You can just sit there and look at me, and my heart skips a beat. I would like that to be everything I have to think about.¡±

    Theodore''s gaze didn''t move away from hers as he pulled her against him. ¡°I can assure you that I feel the same. One look is all I need to turn into a mess that can only think about you. I will do everything in my power to protect you. I will even go beyond that if it becomes necessary.¡± He leaned forward to kiss the side of her neck. His lips ghosted over her skin and send pleasant shivers through her body. He stopped next to her ear and whispered. ¡°Since we weren''t interrupted by now, it seems like Leon is truly fuming. It''s best that everyone left, or he might have thrown them out by force.¡±

    A smile tugged at Blanche''s lips. ¡°I would have liked to see him hurling Duke Vasquez out of the window. It''s a bit unfortunate that he didn''t have a chance to do so. After all, he would have loved doing that. He has been complaining about that man ever since I can remember.¡±

    Theodore chuckled and allowed her to press a kiss onto his jaw. ¡°I would have been happy about that too. We''re on the second floor after all. That would have solved many issues.¡± He paused and closed his eyes while she massaged his scalp. For a while, he just let out low hums before slowly opening one of his eyes. ¡°If I remember correctly, you came here because you wanted to talk to me, right? What was it about?¡±

    Blanche pulled back and cleared her throat to hide her slight embarrassment. ¡°Actually, we just resolved that. I wanted to speak about Owen because I didn''t think that I would need him with me. This incident today changed my mind though.¡±

    ¡°It''s good if we have the same opinion now. That this happened was awful, but we earned quite a few achievements because of that. You can''t imagine how happy I''ll be to sign the paper that dismisses Duke Vasquez officially. I would like to see his expression when he gets it, but since I won''t allow him here, I will have to settle for sending a letter.¡±

    The concubine could definitely guess how cheerful Theodore was based on the wide grin that was visible across his whole face. She was a bit gleeful about Claude reaping what he had sown too, so she returned the smile.

    But a short look at the table made her realize that the dismissal certificate wasn''t the only document the emperor would have to deal with today. Blanche had only come here to talk to him for a moment and had already wasted at least half an hour. It seemed like she would have to leave now.

 Chapter 150: Efficiency

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 Chapter 151: Surprises

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    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

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 Chapter 152: A Picnic In the Woods

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    those two are here, I would like to triple our lands and send them to the furthest border.¡± It didn''t take her long to know whom he was talking about.

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 Chapter 153: Standstill

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    not a little cut. Secondly, when did you ever complain? I don''t think you ever said that it hurt. You only admitted that it stings a tiny bit when I asked whether it was painful. The only time you actually acted like someone that was in pain, which is perfectly normal with such an injury, was when you were sleeping right after your treatment. You called out my name then like I was about to disappear and couldn''t calm down for longer than a minute after I told you that I was there. After that, you never even remotely complained about anything. It''s somewhat disturbing if you ask me.¡±

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    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

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 Chapter 154: The Enemies Goal

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 Chapter 155: Reminiscing

    A shiver ran through Blanche''s body, and she leaned closer to her lover. ¡°That''s why Cedar acted so strangely at the party? Because they need to get rid of me to avoid you having a child with me?¡±

    The emperor pressed a kiss on her forehead and rested his warm lips on her skin. It seemed like he was stalling for time so that he wouldn''t have to reply immediately. He took a deep breath before speaking up quietly a moment later. ¡°Partly. Like I said, Cedar would relish in seeing me break down. So, he''ll give his best to make you leave me. He will shower you with gifts and compliments and empty promises. I know that it may be hard to understand, but he is different now. He''ll-¡± The pain in his voice was audible even to someone who was barely listening.

    Blanche couldn''t hold herself back for long and cut him off quickly. ¡°I know that you don''t want to voice this out loud. I don''t have to hear it either, so don''t force yourself. He is your enemy, so I hate him. That is final. I told you that a few times, and I''ll say it as often as you need me to. So, you can burn everything that he sends here on my behalf, and I won''t talk to him unless you are there either.¡±

    Theodore looked down at her, and his gaze was full of affection as he just stared at her. ¡°Thank you. I know that you''re on my side, so you should never-¡±

    Another voice chimed in. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    The emperor kissed her nose before turning to the person next to him. ¡°What is it, Owen?¡±

    Owen bowed. ¡°I apologize for disturbing you, but I examined the arrow, and there is something that you should be aware of.¡± He handed the arrow over to Theodore, who reluctantly took one arm off his lover''s back to receive it.

    The emperor lifted the arrow to his face and scanned the wooden shaft and the feathers at the end as well as the metal bullet point that was still dirty from hitting the soil. There seemed to be nothing strange about it at first glance. But he froze after a few seconds and let go of Blanche to pull a white roll-out from a small hole in the arrow. He unfolded the small piece of paper and read it. Within a second, his expression turned into a mask of pure rage as he balled the paper into a little sphere, but he didn''t throw it away. He let the ball disappear in his pocket instead before giving the arrow back to Owen and pulled his concubine towards him in a sudden movement.

    It was obvious that he was fuming, so Blanche quickly wrapped her arms around him and allowed herself to rest in his embrace. She was curious about what had made him this angry, but she wouldn''t ask and enrage him even further. She could still ask when they were at home and he had calmed down a bit. ¡°Shall we go back now? It won''t help if we stand around here much longer.¡± Just when she said that, she remembered that Theodore would have to lead the investigation, and she inwardly reminded herself to think before she spoke. ¡°I mean...unless you have to take care of the matters here. Then, of course, I''ll stay with you.¡±

    The response came in a way softer tone than she had expected after seeing Theodore so upset. ¡°No, it''s better if we leave. Leon will deal with the investigation. I can see him running around over there. I assume that he saw us, and after I nodded at him, he didn''t want to come over anymore. We''re too cuddly for him.¡± Theodore nuzzled his face into her neck and took a deep breath before slowly loosening his hold on her. ¡°We should go home. I don''t want to be here anymore.¡±

    Blanche was the one that didn''t want to stay any longer. With every second that passed, she became more aware of the danger her lover had been in. That a corpse was lying only a few steps away from them wasn''t pleasant either. So, she favored going back and was extremely happy that her lover had agreed.

    Theodore slowly let go of her, only to link his arm with hers immediately. She hugged his arm and leaned against him while he gestured to Leon, who came over to them.

    The secretary scanned them for a moment before speaking up. ¡°The both of you are unhurt, right?¡±

    The emperor nodded. ¡°A few knights have smaller injuries, but we are fine. We''ll retreat now. I don''t even have to say who I think is responsible. They didn''t wish to kill us but to make us scared, but they were dangerous anyway. It seemed like those men were number two and three of the strongest people that our enemies had. I told you about them. There won''t be any helpful evidence for a trial, but just collect everything and bring it to the palace. Get rid of the bodies after searching them. After today, all security measurements in the royal estate will be doubled, and the ones in the palace will be thrice as harsh as before. Otherwise, you know what to do. I''ll write a report later and will give you details about our future plans too. Is there anything else you need to know?¡±

    Leonard shook his head. ¡°I understood everything you told me. Your report will give me any information I still need. For now, I''ll ask the knights, and that will be enough. I just have one request. Please visit the royal doctor and allow him to check on both of you. Just to be safe. You might be in shock, and he could have ideas on how to calm you down.¡± While he said that, he glanced at Blanche, so it was obvious that he was only referring to her.

    Theodore nodded and pulled her a bit closer to him. ¡°We will. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I should tell you that.¡± Leon stepped to the side and gave the concubine a small smile before facing the knights and returning to a blank expression.

    The emperor didn''t waste time and led his lover toward the palace. Without him saying anything, a group of guards followed them. It was clear to see that all of them were way tenser than before, and even Blanche could feel how she dug her fingers into her lover''s sleeve. She gave her best not to think about the things she had seen just now, but her body shivered randomly, and she could only move closer to Theodore in an attempt to keep the freezing feeling away. The emperor didn''t ignore that for long and changed his position so that he could wrap one of his arms around her. Even if it was impractical to walk like this, she didn''t intend on letting go and was glad that he didn''t either.

    During the few minutes they took to get to the palace, no one dared to utter a single word.

    Thus, it was a stark contrast to enter the foyer and be greeted by dozens of staff members chatting loudly. All of them seemed to have gathered to look at the emperor and quietened down a few seconds after he stepped inside

    Everyone made way for him except for the empress, who approached him directly. Seraphina had a deep frown on her face as she stopped in front of the couple. ¡°I heard what happened. Is anyone of you hurt? Are there any injured knights?¡±

    Even now Blanche couldn''t bring herself to refrain from gripping her lover''s clothes tightly, despite the burning sensation of the scratches on her palms. It felt like she would faint if she just let go of him, so she couldn''t think about loosening her grip a bit. So, she just put in even more force.

    Theodore noticed that immediately and pulled her against his chest. He pressed a kiss onto the top of her head and wrapped his arms tightly around her, which finally gave her some hold. ¡°No one was hurt. The enemies aren''t a threat anymore. But we''ll have to increase our security again. No going out from now on. Ask a knight, and he will give you the details. We need to go now.¡±

    Seraphina nodded and made eye contact with the concubine, who was being led away by the emperor.

    Blanche didn''t know how to react. There was a turmoil in her mind, and she had no clue how to convey any of it. She wanted to smile at the other woman to prove that she was fine but couldn''t bring herself to do that. So, she just kept a blank expression.

    Climbing up the stairs was torture with her weak legs, so Theodore had to carry her after a few steps. He brought her to the third floor and into his room before telling a knight to call the doctor.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The elderly man arrived quickly and immediately examined the concubine due to the emperor''s request. As expected, he only found the scratches that Blanche had gotten as she had fallen to the floor. He disinfected them and gave her an ointment that would help heal the wounds, but she was more worried about her lover. Thankfully, the doctor couldn''t find anything wrong with the emperor and just prescribed them some relaxing tea. He told them to rest for the next days and then left.

    The couple changed into other clothes in silence with only a few occasional professions of love in between.

    After they finished, the concubine sat down in the armchair to rest her trembling legs when Theodore went onto his knees in front of her. He reached up and gently stroked his fingers through her hair to pin a strand behind her ear. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± His voice was hoarse, and he looked up at her with eyes full of regret.

    Blanche leaned forward and ran her fingers through his hair in return. ¡°What do you mean? This wasn''t your fault.¡± She gave her best to fake a little smile, but she still wasn''t able to convey it properly.

    Her lover grabbed her wrists and slowly moved her hands downwards so that he could look at the scratches on her palms. ¡°But this is my fault. I swore that I''d never hurt you again, and there I go making such a stupid mistake.¡±

    The concubine let out a chuckle without any amusement. ¡°It hurts less than being cut with a sword. Even if it was painful, you just did it to protect me. Don''t think about me now. I''m not the one that had to fight for my life. I should comfort you, so I shouldn''t be this silent and do something useful instead.¡±

    ¡°I''m perfectly fine. I''m...¡± Theodore closed his eyes. ¡°Used to this. But you... This is the first time that you had to see something like this...while...you know. And I''m so, so sorry. I should have made sure that you were looking away.¡±

    Blanche heard how his voice cracked and immediately slid off the chair so that she was directly in front of him. She put her hands onto his cheeks and made him raise his head a bit so that she could crash her lips onto his. She didn''t mind any of the things he had done to protect them. Why didn''t he understand that?

    She only pulled back when she didn''t have any oxygen in her lungs anymore. She took a few seconds to catch her breath but didn''t let go of his face during that. ¡°You protected us. It''s alright. That''s not why I''m so nervous. I''m worried about you. The fact that you are this calm despite such a horrible situation is...¡± Her heart hurt just upon thinking about it. ¡°It''s awful. Just how often did you face death like this? And there is nothing that I can do except for making you risk your life as you give your best to keep others away from me. It''s always like this, whether it was this fight or when you kept me in the summer mansion. Or when you need to defend me from nobles. I want to help you too, so I shouldn''t cry about every little thing.¡±

    Theodore moved so that he was positioned sideways from her and put his arms under her body before abruptly standing up. He carried her to the bed and laid her down in the middle of comfy pillows. Then he climbed up next to her and wrapped them in a warm blanket before pulling her against his chest. ¡°You already did much more than you can imagine. You saved me in so many ways that you don''t even know about. Or rather you do, but...I can''t put it into words now. I promise that I will tell you someday, but you should know one thing. Without you, there is nothing in my life. No love, no happiness, no colors. Nothing.¡±

    Blanche didn''t like the tone in his voice, which was so void of any hint of ease. He was deadly serious, and the thought made her heart sting.

    ¡°Before meeting you, I was a walking copy of my father. I was a shell that lived every day just to work and help Artias. And when I met you in the pavilion, I was more than that for the first time. I felt like a person instead of my father''s heir and the dowager empress'' enemy. It was like I felt human for real. I cared for Althea deeply, but I never knew just how much I could care about someone before seeing you.¡± He met her gaze with teary eyes. ¡°You hold my life in your hands. You can make me drunken on bliss or break me into a thousand pieces just with a few words. So, if you want to help me, just stay with me for all eternity. Don''t think about anything else. I won''t let anyone take away our happiness ever again. There is nothing that can bring us apart, so you don''t need to cower in front of any noble. If they hurt you, I won''t ever forgive them. They''ll regret ever being born. So, don''t keep your mouth shut just because you don''t want to offend anyone. Just give me a bit of time, and I''ll make sure that no one can ever disrespect you again.¡±

    Blanche could only nod hurriedly. She felt the same and so much more, but she wasn''t able to put it into words. Still, her brain began working, and the sentences flowed out against her will. ¡°I love you, Theo. More than you can imagine. I don''t want to be without you. I can''t be selfish, I shouldn''t, but I can''t help it. This is... I never thought that I could be this happy. I was so scared of losing you after I...¡± After she had regained her memories of the novel. ¡°And I changed everything, but because of me, your happy end is endangered. Those people want to hurt you, and I can''t do anything. I hate it.¡± She was so distressed that she had almost revealed everything to him, and her mind was still eager to do so. She barely held herself back, so it was better that Theodore spoke up quickly.

    ¡°What are you saying? How would I have a happy ending when you aren''t there? Don''t even think about something like that. You can''t influence everything, no matter how hard you try. None of this is your fault. It''s mine. Everything that ever went wrong happened because I was blind. And now that I can finally see, I won''t let our enemies win. Even if the whole world collapses, I''ll create a future that allows us to be together. I swear on my life. So, trust me.¡±

    ¡°I do. I trust you with every fiber of my being.¡± Blanche met his gaze and let out a mix of a sob and laugh as she saw that tears were running down his face too. ¡°Now you made the both of us cry.¡±

    Her lover gave her a slight smile. ¡°After such a day, that''s not surprising, is it? We''ll make sure tomorrow is better.¡±

    Blanche returned the smile as well as she could before trying to distract the both of them. ¡°You know what was really awful? My dress is dirty now. The soil can be washed off, but the blood will stain the fabric. It was one of my favorite dresses.¡±

    ¡°I''ll replace it. If the servants can''t fix it, I will tell Madame Charture to create a replica. She is able to do it without a doubt.¡±

    Blanche nodded to herself as she looked at her lover. ¡°But you have to give it to me like you gave me the original one. You have to lead me into my room and say that you brought me a surprise that will make my life in the palace a bit more luxurious.¡±

    Theodore''s smile widened. ¡°I didn''t say that. I said that I wanted to have you stay with me as long as possible. I was so nervous to ask whether you intended on leaving at some point. So, I brought you to your room while being on edge the whole time. And then I just stated that you would need a dress for going outside if you stayed with me longer. After that, I wanted to hit myself because I feared that you would think that I pressured you into living here. At that time, I was extremely scared of you only being with me because you were grateful that I allowed you to move in too. So, I didn''t dare touch you in the beginning. When you hugged me, I always got so flustered because I was worried that hugging you back would make you think badly of me. It took me ages to finally kiss you.¡±

    Blanche giggled at that. ¡°It took a little over two weeks.¡±

    Theodore smiled back at her. ¡°For me, that felt like an eternity. I was still terrified of making you feel pressured to be with me because I was the one providing for you. I didn''t dare to do anything to you. But then you stood in the pavilion one day when we took a walk at night, and I just...¡± He chuckled too as his tears began to dry up. ¡°Couldn''t hold myself back. That was the first time that we kissed, and I felt horrible for a moment. I wanted to apologize in case I made you uncomfortable, but then you looked at me with shiny eyes and flushed cheeks, and I just kissed you again. That day, I knew that it was over. That was obvious from the very day that I met you, but after our kiss, I finally understood.¡±

    Blanche felt how her body slowly became less tense. She was finally able to think about something else than the events of this day. ¡°I was very nervous on that day too. Because you looked like you wanted to kiss me a few times before. But since nothing happened, I felt like an idiot for thinking about you like that. I was so happy when you finally hugged me that I thought that my heart would jump out of my chest. It still reacts strongly to you, but back then, I feared death whenever you kissed me. You kept me waiting for long enough, but in the end, the kiss was worth it. Under the starry sky in our special place... It was perfect. But, you know...¡± A wide grin appeared on her lips. ¡°I needed to wait much longer for something else.¡±

    Theodore slowly moved one of his hands up to her head and began playing with her hair as he hummed. ¡°I was even more worried when it came to becoming intimate with you. I wanted it for so long, but I feared scaring you. After all, I was still uncertain whether you would feel forced in some way because of my position. I wanted to wait even longer, but one day, you sat on my lap and left hundreds of kisses on my neck. When you reached my collarbone, my self-control was completely used up.¡±

    ¡°That''s not true. You made me tell you that I was fine with what we were doing at least a thousand times before even undressing me. After that, I needed to repeat it a hundred times again, and I was so embarrassed by that. It was still more than worth it in the end, but the wait was a bit too painful. Do you know how worried I was when we were in a relationship, but you didn''t approach me? I tried to lure you in countless times, but you either didn''t respond, or I was too embarrassed to do it right and ended up stuttering. I thought that you didn''t find me attractive, so I was even more scared to address that topic. You really made me misunderstand back then.¡±

    Theodore raised one of the strands of her hair before rolling it around his finger. ¡°You thought the opposite of what I was pondering about. I was convinced that I imagined you trying to get closer to me, that I was just interpreting your actions wrongly because of my own desires. But you managed to break down my wall of patience with a few kisses. As I said, you hold my heart in the palm of your hand. You don''t know what you are doing to me.¡±

    Blanche slowly propped herself up on her arms and leaned over her lover. ¡°Then I should use that to my advantage, shouldn''t I?¡± She pressed her lips onto his and blocked out everything that had happened on that day. She just wanted to think about her lover and nothing else.

    Theodore accepted the kiss and engulfed her in his warmth as they cuddled into each other.

    It wasn''t close enough. She wanted all of him at this moment.

    Luckily, her lover felt the same.

    <hr>

    That night, Blanche dreamed about far too much blood. She could see a reddened landscape all around her no matter where she looked on the wide field. She vaguely recognized some shadowy people around her too, but her eyes only locked on the one person she cared about. As she saw Theodore fight for his life with a sword, her mouth opened to scream his name. All that came out of her mouth was a low cough though. Her neck ached like she had drunken acid after.

 Chapter 156: Unwanted Visitor

    Blanche had hoped for a relaxing morning the next day, but she was woken up by a knocking on the door. She groaned and shuffled around a bit before nuzzling her face into her lover''s chest. Yet, she didn''t manage to block out the sound for long. She was about to yell at that person to come back later when she realized that she was in the emperor''s room. When someone was wishing to talk to her, it could usually wait, but her lover wouldn''t be able to postpone anything urgent.

    And the hurried way that this person knocked on the door made it seem like it was urgent.

    The concubine let out a quiet whine before forcing herself to open one eye.

    She wasn''t even fully awake yet when Theodore already sat up and pulled her with him. He gave her a few seconds so that she could sit comfortably and still lean against him before kissing her forehead. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    She returned the greeting in a much more drowsy manner, which made him chuckle and kiss her again.

    Then he turned his head to the door and raised his voice. ¡°What?¡±

    The reply from outside sounded like it was Leon, who was rather distressed despite it not even being ten o''clock. ¡°Your Majesty, I apologize for the disturbance, but a guest is here. His Royal Highness, the second prince wants to see you.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment before lying down again. ¡°No.¡±

    Blanche looked at him with widened eyes as he pulled her down with him and cuddled them into the blankets again.

    A short silence followed before Leonard spoke up. ¡°What do you mean by that? You can''t just say no. At least give a fake reason why you''re busy. I can come up with one for you, but it would be better if you just choose one and tell me.¡±

    The emperor sighed and ran his fingers through his lover''s hair. ¡°I said no. I don''t want to see him, and I don''t have a reason except for not wishing to ruin my day with his disgusting face. Tell him that.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Leonard''s voice had a warning edge now. ¡°As much as I would like to convey those exact words, you know that I can''t do that. He said that he wouldn''t leave until he is sure that you and Lady Blanche are safe.¡±

    Theodore''s grip around his concubine tightened at that, and he began growling in a low voice. ¡°That bastard. Tell him to go to the third floor, and throw him out of the window. Or...¡± He froze and slowly a grin spread across his face. ¡°No. Tell him that I will come to see him. But since we are deeply scarred by yesterday''s incident, we will take a few minutes longer. We still need to see the doctor after all. So, he can sit down in one of the seating rooms and wait for a little while. Give him some poppy-seed cake and coffee. He adored both of those things as a child. Let''s see if that is still the case.¡±

    His amusement was audible in his voice so that Leon quickly understood. ¡°I will. Take your time.¡±

    As soon as a few seconds passed and the secretary didn''t say anything else, Theodore pulled the blankets up again and kissed his lover. ¡°Close your eyes. We''ll sleep again for a bit.¡±

    Blanche didn''t know whether she should be shocked because of his solution or laugh. ¡°Is that really fine? I mean, Cedar is a member of the royal family. Letting him wait is a bit... Well, you''re the emperor, so it doesn''t matter. He will still be angry.¡±

    Theodore grinned at her. ¡°That''s why I''m doing this. If I''m lucky, he will get sick of waiting and leave. If not, he will still waste his time here. I should just tell him that a sudden issue requires my immediate attention so that I can only say two sentences to him before returning to my office.¡±

    Blanche gave up on thinking about this. ¡°That sounds good.¡± She moved her limbs into a cozy position before closing her eyes. ¡°So, we will slowly get up in two hours and then see him?¡±

    ¡°First, we have to eat breakfast. No one should leave their room without having eaten a good meal. Then we will call the doctor just for show and get dressed. After that, I will go downstairs, and you will stay here.¡±

    The concubine lifted her head when she heard that. ¡°Wouldn''t it be better if I go with you? We want to show them that I''m on your side after all. So, we will have to appear together in front of them. I would like to make it clear that there is nothing that could separate us.¡±

    Her lover stayed silent to ponder over that for a moment. ¡°Alright. But only under one condition.¡±

    She nodded before he had even continued, but he explained it anyway.

    ¡°I''ll show him that you are fully on my side. That means that we''ll cuddle the whole time and only have eyes for each other. If you are uncomfortable with that, it would be better to wait here. You could also go into the kitchen and bake.¡±

    Of course, Blanche would be uncomfortable when they would meet his brother. Yet, the answer was clear. ¡°I can assure you that being in his presence makes me want to throw up. But I still have to show on which side I am. I will help you take them on, so I have to deal with seeing them a few times. If it''s in a safe environment, it will be easier to get used to it. I don''t want to openly grimace when I interact with them in public after all.¡±

    Theodore nodded as he slowly guided her head down again. ¡°Then we''ll put on a show for him. Trust me. He''ll want to gouge out his eyes after. But for now, let us catch up on our sleep.¡±

    The concubine didn''t believe that she would sleep again for one second, but surprisingly, she quickly became drowsy and fell unconscious.

    <hr>

    The next time Blanche awoke, it was a few minutes before twelve, and her lover was already planting kisses all over her face. They took their time getting dressed and ate slower than normal before climbing down the stairs.

    Earlier, Blanche had been very vocal about wanting to help her lover and not caring about anything else, but now she was getting a bit nervous. She despised Cedar, so why had she believed that this was a good idea? She considered asking Theodore whether she could still change her mind but didn''t do it in the end. Since she had promised to be by his side, she wouldn''t go against that.

    She would have to face his enemies at some point, and it was better if her lover was with her the whole time. His presence made her feel safe. Still, her heart was beating rapidly when they approached the door, and she clung to the emperor''s arms before he could even say anything.

    Theodore smiled at her and ruffled through her hair. ¡°I''m here. Stay with me the whole time and don''t worry about being disrespectful. He won''t drop his friendly facade no matter what. I would still ask you to be on guard.¡±

    Blanche nodded and grabbed him a bit tighter before taking a deep breath. She expected her lover to knock, but he opened the door without any warning and did it quite loudly too.

    Cedar was sitting on one of the sofas and jolted at the sudden noise. Instinctively, he looked at them with a much too attentive gaze, which seemed extremely out of place on his face, while he reached for something. But it only took one second for him to recognize the others. His smile became much wider again as he lowered his hands and waited for his brother to speak up first.

    That was enough to make Blanche''s disgust come back immediately. Seeing that person''s face made her want to throw up even though he hadn''t said anything yet. And still, that reaction made her stomach churn. If the prince reacted to surprises like this, he probably hadn''t had too many pleasant ones.

    Theodore didn''t seem to have any desire to allow his brother to speak. He stepped inside without a word and led his concubine to the couch on the other side of the small table before plopping down and pulling her onto his lap.

    After that, all of them were quiet. The longer the silence went on, the more uncomfortable it got, but Cedar''s grin didn''t falter once. He didn''t try to begin either and just patiently waited.

    After some time had passed, the emperor eventually spoke up. ¡°You''re awfully quiet today. Didn''t you ask me to meet you? You could at least greet me.¡±

    The prince chuckled quietly. ¡°Good day, Theodore. I would never dare to address the ruler of our nation first. It is an honor that you allow me to call you by something else than your title, so I insist on some formalities. But I have to say that I''m truly thankful that you are welcoming me here. I was already worried that I came too early, but after that horrible incident yesterday, I couldn''t wait any longer. I had to confirm whether you and Lady Blanche were alright.¡± He turned to the concubine. ¡°Mother and I were so worried that we could barely sleep last night. So, I hope that you will excuse my sudden appearance. I wish you a wonderful day, Lady Blanche.¡± His mother had probably fumed because the emperor wasn''t dead instead of being worried, but saying that didn''t seem like a good response.

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    Blanche thought about not answering at all, but that seemed a bit too insolent to her too. She despised that man, but he was still the second prince, so she couldn''t overdo it. ¡°I hope that the same holds true for you. We appreciate your visit, but you should come later in the future. We were still sleeping when you arrived, so we didn''t even notice.¡±

    Theodore rested his chin on her shoulder and hummed in affirmation. ¡°We took our time and ate breakfast and visited the doctor first. Only then, a servant told us that you were here. If I had known that earlier, we would have been here way quicker. Please overlook it this time. I asked the staff to bring you some snacks because I felt bad, but it seems like you aren''t hungry. You haven''t eaten any of it.¡±

    Cedar continued to beam as he folded his hands. ¡°I apologize for that. I did not mean to be impolite, but I did not wish to begin without you. That would have been very disrespectful after. I already ate a little in the mansion with Mother, but if you wish to join me, I would be more than happy to take a few bites anyway. After seeing that you were fine, I might finally be able to swallow something.¡±

    The prince surely knew his way with words. Those sugary phrases were so fake that they almost made Blanche consider imitating gagging noises, but she held back.

    Theodore replied as his lover just leaned against him and relaxed as much as she could with the prince here. ¡°Oh, that''s a shame. We just ate too. I''ll ask a servant to pack those things so that you can eat them at home.¡±

    Cedar responded with a wide grin. ¡°That would be very kind of you. I will take the poppy-seed cake, but the coffee would be hard to transport.¡± He leaned forward and took the cup off the table.

    Theodore''s expression fell when he saw that. ¡°Cedar, you don''t have to-¡±

    Cedar drank a few sips while completely ignoring his brother. He took his time drinking half of the coffee before he put it back. ¡°It''s as delicious as expected of the royal palace. Thank you for your hospitality.¡± For a moment, it was silent, and Cedar just kept beaming at the couple. Then his smile faded too slowly to seem realistic, and he put on an expression of concern. ¡°I would like to avoid reminding you of that, but I cannot help it. What exactly happened yesterday? The message that the emperor had been attacked reached us in the late evening, and I almost departed to visit you immediately. I didn''t want to bother you after such a horrifying day though. So, I hoped that you would have had enough time to calm down a little bit by now. Were you able to identify the perpetrators?¡±

    Theodore still seemed to be a bit taken aback by what had happened a moment ago, but he quickly caught himself. He rubbed his cheek against Blanche''s, and she gave him a kiss in return. He waited for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°Unfortunately not. I believe that two of the attackers were brothers with brown hair, but that is all I remember. I did not wish to kill them, but after a long fight, both of them were, sadly, wounded and died after a few minutes. Without Blanche, I wouldn''t have been able to calm down after that. She consoled me the whole time even though she had almost been hit with an arrow.¡±

    Cedar was silent for longer than normal before he replied. ¡°That is awful. You''re lucky that nothing bad happened. Are there any injured knights?¡±

    ¡°No. Our men are prepared for emergencies. They don''t have any trouble getting rid of insects.¡± Theodore purposefully voiced this with so much disgust in his voice that it was obvious that the insult was directed at his brother too.

    But instead of being offended, Cedar began beaming again. ¡°Thank the gods. If I know that my family is being protected by so competent people, I can''t help being calmed. But the issue that someone from outside managed to break into the royal estate worries me greatly. Catching the responsible ones is the first priority now. We need to make sure that the citizens of Artias understand that attacking the emperor will not do them any good. It''s obvious that we stand united behind you, but I would also like to emphasize that we will do anything in our power to find the guilty ones and put them on trial. We could never forgive someone for attempting to harm the royal family. For this reason, we would like to offer our aid in the investigation. We do not have many people, but there are some very intelligent ones among them. So, please consider involving them. I can vouch for their loyalty.¡± Which meant that they were definitely not on the emperor''s side.

    Theodore replied before Blanche could voice a snarky comment. ¡°No, but thank you for the offer. I already put together the investigation team, and I can assure you that they don''t need any help. So, you can be calmed. We might not find the perpetrators yet, but we will definitely fight until they are brought to justice.¡±

    Cedar picked up his cup and grinned. ¡°That is good to hear. I will look forward to that.¡± He drank a sip of the liquid and set it back down on the table without letting his smile fade. ¡°Since you seem to have everything under control, I won''t get involved anymore. The only thing that still concerns me is that you had to go through such awful things. I can see that you are able to withstand that, but I worry about Lady Blanche.¡± He looked at her and gave her a fake smile of sympathy. ¡°I can only imagine a small part of the fear you must feel now. But don''t worry. The royal family is here to protect you. No one here would let you get hurt. So, you can rely on us even when Theodore might not always be there.¡±

    Theodore, who still narrowed his eyes at the fact that his brother kept sipping the coffee, chimed in before Blanche could respond. ¡°Oh, I don''t have the slightest intention of leaving her side. We''ll be together forever, no matter what happens. No one, and by that I mean absolutely no one, will ever get between us. Do you understand? I will crush anyone that would even dare to think about that.¡±

    Blanche saw that he faked a grin as well while he said this, but the warning undertone in his voice made it obvious that he was voicing a threat. She took it on herself to add something to that as well. ¡°Exactly. And we''ll protect each under until the very last second. Loyalty matters most to us.¡±

    Cedar''s smile widened, and it looked so genuine that it was irritating. ¡°The both of you are adorable together, if I may say so. I never thought that my brother was very interested in romance, but apparently, he can''t think about anything else anymore. It seems that he took after Father in this regard. But that''s understandable since he has such an enchanting woman by his side as well.¡±

    Normally, compliments were supposed to make a person happy. When others praised Blanche, she was embarrassed but content nonetheless. Now she just felt her stomach churn though. She would have liked to move even closer to her lover, but that was impossible. So, she just wrapped her arms around his that kept her in place. ¡°Thank you. But I''m not really anything special.¡±

    Cedar laughed. ¡°You must be joking. Haven''t you heard?¡± He crossed his legs and propped his elbow on the backrest of the sofa to lean his head against his hand. ¡°Everyone in the capital, no, in Artias is talking about you. The love story between the emperor and an unknown girl that suddenly appeared out of nowhere is fascinating to the whole nation. They are all hoping for a happy ending, especially the commoners that seem to adore hearing about you. Of course, people also want to find out where that mysterious woman that melted the emperor''s heart came from though.¡± Cedar returned to his original sitting position again and leaned forward. ¡°You hinted that at the last party and said that there was a reason that you couldn''t use your last name and weren''t able to explain how you entered the palace. I''m very curious. You promised that you would tell me in private. We''re not truly alone, but this works too. Where does the famous Lady Blanche come from?¡±

    The concubine bit the inside of her cheek as she held back a few less kind comments. She didn''t want to tell that man. Especially since he was probably, no, definitely aware of the truth. She would just lie to Theodore again while everyone else in the room knew very well that she didn''t have amnesia. But she didn''t have anything that she could use as a reason not to tell the prince, and she was aware that he wouldn''t let this go so easily.

    Blanche had no choice. Still, the words were bitter in her mouth. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have any memories from before meeting Theo. I only know that I woke up in the pavilion and didn''t have a clue where I was or who I am. I only remembered my first name. But that didn''t help me find out how to get to a home that I didn''t have any recollection of. I got scared and cried. Then Theodore found me and consoled me. He allowed me to stay here as long as I wanted. And since we fell in love after the first second of eye contact, I''m still here.¡±

    Cedar gave her a fake expression of sympathy that made her want to turn away. ¡°I see. That is dejecting. There might be a family searching for you somewhere, and you wouldn''t know. You see, there are doctors with us that my brother never consulted. You could have them take a look at you if you desire. They might be able to help. It would not change anything about your life here, but you might reunite with your family.¡±

    Blanche put on a grin that only hid her boiling anger. That man knew exactly that her parents and siblings were dead and still dared to say something like that. ¡°No, thank you.¡± She almost spat out these words. ¡°I am very happy with the current situation, so you don''t have to be worried. My instinct tells me that I will be better off staying here with no memories.¡±

    ¡°That is unfortunate. Just know that my offer is still in effect. Whenever you need any help with anything, you can come to me or Mother. We will gladly assist you in your endeavors.¡±

    Theodore chimed in, which was rather fitting since the concubine might have grabbed a cup and thrown it at that infuriating mockery of a genuine smile across from her otherwise. ¡°Oh, how kind you are. I don''t think that your mother would be very happy about that though. You know how she is with strangers, especially women. She can get defensive easily. Whom she considered a stranger is based on a very vague description too. So, don''t risk getting into a fight with her. Leave taking care of Blanche to me. She is my lover after all.¡±

    Cedar made a dismissive motion with his hand. ¡°Mother would never push away a lovely young lady like Blanche. She would be glad to help her reach her full potential. But I understand what you worry about. She is quite will-strong at some points. But you do not need to worry. I won''t force anything on you. After all, Lady Blanche must be allowed to make her own decisions. Who would I be to talk for her? And everyone is aware of the fact that you two are madly in love. You didn''t really intend on hiding it, did you? It almost makes me feel bad for Her Majesty, who has to watch her husband devoting his life to another woman. But of course, love is more important than anything else, right? I think that you are a wonderful couple, and I don''t doubt that you will give your best to protect Lady Blanche.¡±

    The words were too kind. That already gave away that something else would follow.

    The prince''s smile widened a bit, and there was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers down the concubine''s spine. ¡°But situations can change. So, I thought that it was important for her to know that we are on her side as well. After all, you are only human as well and might be unable to stay with her the whole time. If something like that ever happens, I will be glad to keep her company until you return. So, you don''t have to worry, Theodore. A family is supposed to help each other.¡± He was good at faking a friendly personality, but this sounded like a threat too, just because it was coming from him.

    Theodore let out a laugh and pressed a kiss on Blanche''s cheek. ¡°I don''t intend on leaving any time soon. So, you can sit back for now. Your concern is touching nonetheless. I will be sure to repay it when the moment arises.¡± He paused for a few seconds before glancing at the clock. ¡°Oh, how quickly the time passes. We would like to stay here a bit longer, but sadly, there is an important matter that I need to tend to.¡±

    Cedar''s grin looked like he was full of amusement when he replied. ¡°I would never dare to keep you from working. You can come back later to join Lady Blanche and me when you are finished. While you are busy, she can surely take care of your guest.¡±

    Blanche wanted to yell that that wouldn''t happen in a million years, but thankfully, Theodore spoke before she did. ¡°I might not have been specific enough. Obviously, she is involved in that same matter too. So, you cannot stay any longer. Letting you roam across the hallways the whole time would just be cruel, wouldn''t it?¡±

    Cedar let out a deep breath and observed the couple for a second before opening his mouth. ¡°That is unfortunate. But don''t worry, I will just visit you soon again, Theodore.¡± Those words sounded like they were laced in sweet poison.

    The emperor stood up and lifted his lover with him. Blanche prepared to set her feet on the ground, but while he moved, he put an arm under her legs and stabilized her back with the other. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and gave his brother a wide grin. ¡°Feel free to come whenever you are free. I can''t guarantee that we will have enough time to greet you though. I am a very busy person, and Blanche can''t spare a lot of time either. But I''m sure that we''ll see each other again anyway. Much sooner than we would expect. Goodbye.¡±

    Cedar waved to them without rising to his feet. ¡°Of course, we will. I hope that the rest of your day will be as enjoyable as our meeting. Goodbye, Theodore. Goodbye, Lady Blanche.¡±

    Theodore didn''t say anything but spun around and brought his lover to the door. The concubine glanced over his shoulder for a moment and regretted it immediately.

    The prince''s eyes were trained onto them, and he gave her a smile that was a little fainter than normal. That was enough to make it seem disturbing.

    She averted her eyes and tightened her hold on the emperor''s neck. Her whole body except for her legs, which were covered by her dress, and her shoulders should be hidden behind her lover. Still, she felt as if Cedar''s gaze was piercing through her. As if he could pick up each of her weaknesses and easily use them against her. She shivered.

    She had hoped that she would eventually get used to that man so that she wouldn''t be intimidated just by being in his presence, but that was impossible. Even the thought of that person made her uncomfortable. He was worse than anyone else she had met, and she didn''t know why. Maybe because a part of her brain told her that he probably wouldn''t be a bad person if this whole conflict for the crown didn''t exist. Still, the rest of her brain warned her. So, she would listen to her instinct nevertheless.

 Chapter 157: Training (1)

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 Chapter 158: Training (2)

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 Chapter 159: Graces Baby Party (1)

    The concubine came to the terrace half an hour before Sophia would even arrive to avoid being late. Unsurprisingly, she wasn''t alone there.

    Seraphina was already instructing the servants to prepare the table and inspected the dishes that the kitchen staff brought.

    Blanche considered waiting on top of the stairs to put some distance between herself and the empress, but her intentions would be extremely obvious. So, she sighed and lifted the hem of her skirt to climb down her stairs while Stella trailed after her with the gifts in her arms. She walked to the table and waited for Seraphina to turn around before curtsying.

    The empress greeted her immediately. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. I am pleased to see that you chose to attend this party. My sister will be happy to see you here.¡± Her expression was as cold as always, but she didn''t appear to be angry. Somehow, she still seemed to be tenser than usual, as if she was a bit nervous. Hopefully, this wasn''t because she disliked letting her sister meet the concubine.

    Blanche straightened her posture and gave her best to greet the other woman with a little smile. ¡°Of course, I would attend. It is an honor to be invited by you.¡± Just at that moment, she remembered that Sophia was the one that had asked for her presence. ¡°Uhm, I mean...by Lady Ravillot. But I am still very grateful that Your Majesty allowed me to be here. Good afternoon.¡±

    Seraphina scanned the concubine before eyeing Stella. ¡°I assume that those are gifts for my sister?¡± Blanche nodded after unnecessarily turning around to glance at the colorful boxes, which made the empress gesture to a smaller table that stood a few steps away from the main one. ¡°Then please put them there. My mother, Lady Bellfaux and Lady Lemares will bring some presents too.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    The empress immediately spun around and began speaking to one of the servants again to instruct them on what dishes she wanted to present later. Seemingly, she was eager to make this party perfect for her sister. That was to be expected. After all, Seraphina always wanted the best for her beloved ones and wouldn''t settle for anything less.

    Blanche could understand that in some way. She wanted her lover to be happy too and would do anything for that. A little smile appeared on her lips as she walked over to the smaller table. But after a few seconds, that grin already faded.

    A familiar servant took care of sorting the gifts that the empress had placed on the table, and that person coincidentally had to be Harris. When he noticed the concubine, he stepped aside to make way for her and bowed.

    Blanche considered not greeting him at all, but as she was about to pass by, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She lowered her gaze to the servant''s hand and stopped. A bandage was wrapped around his right arm and covered his skin from his fingertips to his elbow. This definitely had nothing to do with her, but she couldn''t help worrying a little. ¡°What happened?¡± She gestured to his hand.

    Harris moved his arm as if he wanted to hide it behind his back but gave up at the last moment as he realized that it had been too late. ¡°An accident.¡± He averted his eyes and was quiet for a few seconds before adding the rest. ¡°With a mirror.¡±

    Stella walked by without looking at him and carefully put down the gifts on the table before turning around. She crossed her arms and glared at the other servant, but her gaze had less resentment than in the past. ¡°So, you were stupid enough to drop a mirror and then pick up the shards with your bare hand?¡± She was much harsher than necessary.

    Harris ignored that. He turned to the table and began rearranging the boxes so that the view was aesthetically pleasing. ¡°Yes.¡± The response was curt, and he didn''t look back again after that. He didn''t like talking about how he had gotten hurt, did he? That reminded Blanche of someone else too.

    Stella frowned and opened her mouth but cut herself off. She shook her head and raised her palms upwards. ¡°Well, then. Seems that we won''t talk to him any longer. Not that that would be a loss for us.¡±

    Blanche shrugged and swallowed the thoughts of comparing Harris to someone that could act even better than him. Neither of the two should concern her. She turned back to the main table, where Seraphina was still describing what she wanted to a servant. The young maid looked like she was about to cry, probably because she was scared of not being able to meet the empress'' expectations. The concubine stepped closer to her own servant and whispered, more to distract herself than to do anything else. ¡°I understand how that girl feels. I would cry too if I would be held accountable in the case something went wrong.¡±

    Stella leaned her head to her mistress and replied in a just as low volume. ¡°I''d cry as soon as she looked at me like that.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow. ¡°That''s not true. You''re always awfully confident around the empress. I''m more intimidated than you.¡±

    ¡°That''s only because you''re with me. I know that no matter what, you are His Majesty''s beloved. So, even the empress can''t do anything to you. And since I''m your maid, I have some kind of protection too.¡± Stella beamed at her before turning her head. ¡°And apparently, we are even safer now.¡±

    The concubine followed her gaze and gave the person in front of them a grin. ¡°Good afternoon, Sir Aldis.¡± Noah raised his index finger, which reminded her of his offer last time. ¡°Ah, I mean, Noah. How are you?¡±

    Noah returned a bright smile before speaking up. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. I''m doing well. Nothing special happened.¡±

    ¡°That is comforting to hear.¡± After all, it meant that no one had tried to harm the empress, which had been one of Blanche''s worries as well. If the emperor had been attacked, it wouldn''t be strange to assume that his wife would be targeted too. But fortunately, it seemed like this wasn''t the case. ¡°Will you stay here during the party?¡±

    Noah gestured to a chair that was positioned close to the table with the gifts. ¡°Apparently, I am allowed to sit over there.¡±

    Blanche frowned as she eyed the distance between the guests'' seats and his one. ¡°That a bit far away to talk, isn''t it? Are you really going to be there all alone?¡±

    ¡°How could a knight sit at a table with noble ladies? That would be unheard of. It is kind enough of Her Majesty to offer me a chair. Normally, staff members have to stand the whole time.¡±

    Blanche was aware. When they were alone, Seraphina didn''t care about such rules either, but when her family visited, they would have to abide by those conventions. In general, it was normal for servants to stand behind their masters while waiting for an order, so Blanche rarely paid attention to it, but she imagined that that wasn''t pleasant for the others. ¡°You''re right. Still. Standing for a few hours at a time is exhausting, isn''t it? My legs always hurt after a ball, but you are forced to run around for so much longer. That isn''t very pleasant.¡± She glanced at the knight and her maid, who both shrugged.

    Stella made a rejecting gesture with her hand. ¡°You get used to it. There is a difference between us and you, My Lady. We did this for years already, and it isn''t necessary for you to move around too much. The walks you take are perfectly fine, and you stand while baking too. As long as you can still go through a ball without collapsing...¡± She cleared her throat to stress those words. ¡°It should be fine. To be honest, I sit much more often than any other maid because you allow me to sit with you. Others would never think about that. If you let me, I could chat with Sir Aldis a bit during the party so that he isn''t so alone. Of course, I won''t run away or forget-¡± Stella was about to say something else when her gaze fell onto the staircase. ¡°Oh. Other servants are coming. I assume that they will announce that the guests have arrived.¡±

    Blanche confirmed this with a short glance before turning to Noah. ¡°Then we should join the empress. She''ll definitely welcome her sister and mother at the gate.¡± With that, she walked towards the table, where the heroine was finally leaving the poor servants alone.

    Seraphina talked to the man that had come from the stairs for a moment before turning to Noah. ¡°We will greet our guests by the entrance. Lady Blanche, you may stay here or join us. That is your decision.¡±

    The concubine didn''t need to interrupt a family reunion, but she had to be polite. ¡°I will accompany you, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± The empress raised her voice to address Harris, who was still sorting the gifts. ¡°Ensure that no one touches the presents.¡± The servant nodded without saying anything, so Seraphina spun around. ¡°Then let us leave.¡± With that, she hurried away.

    It seemed like the heroine was truly eager to meet her family since she was rather quick.

    Blanche had to speed up not to fall behind and was a bit out of breath when they reached the main gate. She sighed to herself and stroked her hand over her hair to straighten any locks that might have become tangled during their walk here, but she didn''t have much time for that.

    The carriage with the guests was already there. One after the other, the Duchess Duremont, Lady Lemares, Lady Bellfaux and Count Ravillot climbed out. The only man in the group stopped to help his wife and took Grace into his arms so that Sophia could come out as well. Everyone was a bit reserved to see Blanche here, except for Evelyn, who was hiding her anger behind a fragile mask of exaggerated sweetness.

    Only Sophia was genuinely happy. She beamed at the two women that welcomed them and stepped forward to meet them ¡°I''m so glad that the both of you managed to take some time for us. It''s wonderful to see you.¡± She moved to Seraphina first and was greeted with a warm hug. The sisters smiled at each other, and the empress'' tension seemed like it had disappeared into thin air. They stayed like this for a moment before separating.

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    To Blanche''s surprise, she was embraced too. She stiffened for a moment before slowly returning the greeting. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Ravillot. You seem to have been well.¡±

    Sophia nodded with a bright grin. ¡°Yes, I have. Ever since our sweet angel has been with us, we haven''t had a bad day anymore. We were very happy before, but now everything is perfect. By the way, there is no need to be so formal. You can call me by my first name.¡±

    The concubine blinked at that but couldn''t even begin thinking about her reply when complaints already sounded.

    Evelyn was the first one to speak up. ¡°That is inappropriate. You may allow members of your family to address you like this, but permitting a stranger is-¡±

    Sophia cut her off with a slightly dimmed smile. ¡°But Lady Blanche isn''t a stranger. I only invited the people that I like to spend time with most to this party. I haven''t had a chance to see Lady Blanche in a while, but that doesn''t mean that I''m not glad to be her friend.¡±

    The concubine was still bedazzled by so much sudden friendliness. Surely, she should have expected that since Sophia was without a doubt the kindest person around here, but she was a bit overwhelmed. They weren''t that close at all. Was it so easy to win Sophia''s trust? Though, Blanche didn''t get to say anything anyway.

    Elaine was the one that commented on the issue before the concubine could speak. ¡°Sophia, I understand what you are saying, but we are in Her Majesty''s presence. We cannot just ignore the social norms.¡±

    The corners of Sophia''s lips sank even more. ¡°But we always act like this when we are at a family event.¡±

    Elaine looked like she was stifling a sigh. ¡°Yes, but right now...¡± She glanced at the concubine, who felt even more out of place than before.

    Sophia turned to her sister. ¡°But you don''t mind if we skip all the formal greetings, do you? If you agree, we don''t have to act this distantly.¡±

    Seraphina was silent for a moment, which made Blanche believe that she would definitely refuse and comment on her sister''s disregard for the required etiquette. But the empress replied differently. ¡°It would already be too late for us to begin the greeting normally since you already started. But as this is your party, you will be the one to decide.¡±

    Immediately, Sophia''s grin returned. ¡°Thank you! Then that means that we will speak less formally from now on. I mean, I can''t forbid you from insisting on the typical greetings, but I would favor it if we were free to address each other normally.¡± She turned to the concubine. ¡°So, you can address me without any title.¡± With that, she hurried back to her husband and checked on her daughter with a soft beam before focusing back on the others. ¡°She is still sleeping, so we can go to our table already. I would like to have her lie down properly.¡±

    Just as Blanche asked herself how that would be possible, she saw that a servant was bringing a small cradle with fluffy blankets from the coach. Seemingly, the young mother was prepared for everything and would pamper her baby for as long as she could, without knowing that the biggest threat to her daughter was right here.

    While the group began moving, the concubine glared at Evelyn''s back and reminded herself that she would pay attention to keep that woman away from Grace on her lover''s birthday. It should be easy to move around freely during the festivities, so she didn''t doubt that she could do it. That thought almost made her stop as something else came to her mind. She still had to get a gift for Theodore too. Seemingly, the next months would be a bit stressful for her. Wasn''t there a banquet scheduled as well? Of course, saving Grace from drowning was the most important thing, but everything else would have to be taken care of too. Hopefully, the dowager empress and the second prince would stay away during that time.

    Blanche let out a sigh and stared at the floor.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± A voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

    Blanche sighed again and responded. ¡°I still need to buy a gift for Theo''s birthday. I have no idea what to get though. And the banquet will be exhausting as well. We definitely need to-¡± She lifted her gaze and cut herself off when she made eye contact with Madeleine. She glanced over her shoulder and realized that Stella wasn''t walking next to her but behind her now. She turned back to the woman next to her and felt how blood was rushing to her cheeks. ¡°I''m sorry... I thought that my maid...¡± She didn''t even finish that sentence and swallowed the rest of the words.

    Madeleine had never liked her, and now Blanche that had addressed the emperor with his nickname in front of her, the other woman would probably get angry.

    But surprisingly, Madeleine just shook her head. ¡°It''s alright. I should have warned you.¡± She was silent for a moment before resuming in a lower volume. ¡°Say, about my training here... Could you possibly not mention that?¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that question and the other woman''s weak voice. Seemingly, this matter was really important to Madeline. ¡°If you don''t want that, I won''t speak about it. Are your friends... I mean... Are Her Majesty and Lady Ravillot not aware of that?¡±

    ¡°No, they know. Along with my sister and His Majesty, they are the only ones. But Her Grace and Lady Lemares aren''t aware of it. And I would like to keep it this way.¡± Madeleine began kneading her fingers. ¡°Those two are rather...conservative, so they will probably be upset if they find out. They would tell me to stop and might even inform my father. So, would you please...¡±

    Blanche gave her a soothing smile. ¡°Don''t worry. My lips are sealed shut.¡±

    Madeleine seemed to be startled by that. She voiced a quiet ¡°Thank you¡± before averting her eyes. This might have been the first time that they had truly talked about something aside from Seraphina, and it had been going well. That was a good sign, wasn''t it?

    They just finished that conversation just in time before reaching the terrace.

    As everyone arrived, Seraphina gestured to the table, which was full of steaming pots and plates with countless small snacks. ¡°Please take a seat. I took the liberty to store the gifts over there. If you wish to hand over yours later, feel free to place them on that table too.¡±

    The women nodded and instructed their servants to put down the boxes there before sitting down. Sophia sat next to her husband and asked a maid to place the cradle between them so that they could lay Grace down. All other women took a seat too so that only one chair was left for Blanche.

    The concubine didn''t know whether to be content with this place or not. On the one hand, she was next to Sophia, but at the same time, she would sit next to the empress as well. It wasn''t like she had a choice though. She sat down while paying attention to not bump into the table and not scrape her chair across the floor. When she looked around once again after, she decided that her spot wasn''t the best for sure. While she didn''t have to see Seraphina''s aloof expression constantly, she was forced to look into Evelyn''s face, which made her nauseous enough. But she would have to endure that for the time being.

    To be honest, Sophia''s husband looked much more uncomfortable than the concubine felt. To him, it was probably strange to not only sit at a table with six women that had quite complicated relationships but also to know that one of them was the empress, who had invited her husband''s mistress for some reason.

    Blanche couldn''t blame him for that. She felt a bit bad for him, but there was nothing she could do when she had to focus on herself. For now, she would just drink some tea and speak when spoken to. That shouldn''t be an issue, even when she sometimes felt like Seraphina was watching her a bit too closely. What was so interesting when Blanche just tried to be graceful? Was she doing such a bad job? She wasn''t sure, but she hoped that she could show that she would stay in line during the whole party.

    The first few minutes were rather quiet with only Sophia trying to keep up a conversation, but slowly, the others began to chime in. The concubine gave her best to ignore that Evelyn''s voice made her want to gag. She just nibbled on a cookie while trying to estimate whether it would be bad for her to take one or two, or three for that matter, more of those. They were delicious.

    At that moment, Sophia addressed her, which made Blanche hurry to choke down the crumbs in her mouth.

    Sophia didn''t notice and just continued as her expression become a bit grimmer. ¡°We didn''t hear much about it, but there were some rumors about an attack on His Majesty. Seraphina wasn''t told anything either. She said that you were present thought. Would you mind telling us what happened?¡±

    It was pretty weird that the empress hadn''t been informed properly. Wasn''t she one of the most likely goals? She should know everything to help her keep her guard up.

    Blanche lowered her hand and put her cookie onto a plate as she fought to keep the unpleasant feeling in her stomach from showing on her face. She didn''t want to be reminded of that event. It had been a little over two weeks, and she was finally able to ban thoughts of her lover being in serious danger from her mind. But whenever she remembered that day, the image of that man being killed right in front of her appeared in front of her inner eye. Even though she didn''t have any sympathy for that person, she still hadn''t liked seeing a corpse. But not replying now would make her feel bad. So, she would try to keep it as vague as possible.

    The concubine swallowed before replying. ¡°We had a picnic in the forest, and suddenly, the knights were quiet. Then a few unknown men appeared and attacked us. Some guards were knocked out, but aside from that, nobody was hurt on our side. The attackers were rendered immobile immediately. I could be a bit more specific, but I doubt that this would be appropriate for this party. It would only dampen the mood, and one isn''t supposed to talk about unpleasant matters during a baby party, right?¡± A saying in Artias stated that inviting death to an event that was celebrating a new life was dangerous, and Blanche wouldn''t evoke anything by ignoring that.

    Sophia looked downcast at that. ¡°Right. That this happened is horrible.¡± She was silent for a moment. ¡°I apologize for bringing it up. I should not have reminded you of that. I should have thought about-¡± She stopped in the middle of her sentence when a small sob sounded from under the table. She moved her chair back to bow down to the cradle and picked her daughter up. ¡°Look, our little angel woke up.¡± Her husband propped a few pillows on her lap so that she could sit her baby on top of it.

    Grace immediately stopped crying. Apparently, she was content being close to her mother and watched the people around her with wide eyes. Blanche couldn''t help grinning at that adorable display. The little girl didn''t have to do anything to be cute enough to make her heart melt.

    Sophia immediately noticed what the other woman was thinking and turned to the concubine with an expectant look in her eyes. ¡°Do you want to hold her again? She''s much bigger now, but she is still a gentle, little baby. She likes to meet new people, and seemingly, she enjoys the attention too.¡±

    Blanche was about to refuse as soon as the countess began. After all, it would be strange for her to be allowed to take Grace into her arms before anyone from Sophia''s family did it. But she didn''t dare to do that. One look at the little girl, who watched the concubine with an open mouth and wide eyes, was enough to make her waver. Babies were always so curious, and seeing that made it impossible for Blanche not to want to hold this adorable creature. ¡°Alright. She is about four months old now, isn''t she? She can keep up her head by herself, right?¡±

    Sophia nodded happily and carefully raised her daughter into the air. ¡°She is such a cute and clever girl. Sometimes, I feel like she is more of an angel than a human.¡± She paused for a few seconds and continued with a high-pitched voice. ¡°It''s because you''re so adorable that Mama and Papa can''t deny any of your wishes. You''ll end up being spoiled by us.¡± She moved the baby to her face and pressed a kiss onto the girl''s forehead.

    This made Grace smile, and when her mother planted two more kisses on her chubby cheeks, she began giggling.

    Blanche thought that her heart might not be able to take any more cuteness after that. But then Sophia lifted the girl over to her, and she carefully took the baby into her arms.

    Grace''s expression became one of curiosity again. She didn''t listen to her mother''s explanation of this being a person she had met a long time ago and just stared at the stranger that was holding her.

    This made Blanche a bit nervous. Hopefully, the baby wouldn''t begin to cry now, or she would feel bad for the next few weeks. She had used to be good at taking care of toddlers, but her siblings'' birth had been over fourteen years ago. She pushed that thought away to avoid ruining her mood and focused on the baby. ¡°Hello, Grace. It''s nice to meet you. You''ve truly grown a lot in four months.¡±

    It took about five seconds before the girl reacted, which caused the concubine to be on edge. But obviously, Grace hadn''t listened to the unknown woman. Her hand lunged forward, and she grabbed a strand of Blanche''s hair before pulling it. While she still wasn''t strong, she used significantly more energy in contrast to last time so that the concubine actually felt the tug with a little sting.

    ¡°Grace, no!¡± Sophia immediately reached over to free the lock from her daughter''s grasp, but the girl was surprisingly insistent. ¡°Please, let go. My sweet angel. You are going to hurt Lady Blanche. You already did this last time, but you weren''t so strong then. Come on, be good for Mama.¡±

    The baby just stared at the curl of her in her hand as if it was the most serious aspect of her life and refused to loosen her hold, even when her mother asked to do so multiple times. Instead of obeying, she brought the strand to her face, and it disappeared in her mouth with a pop.

    That made a few people giggle while some others were a bit more uneasy with it. Blanche herself wasn''t too upset because of this though.

 Chapter 160: Graces Baby Party (2)

    Sophia began to panic as she tried to get her daughter to let go of the lock of Blanche''s hair without hurting her or tearing out the concubine''s hair.

    Blanche wanted to help too since she worried about the girl accidentally swallowing some of her hair, but that was hard to do when she couldn''t help laughing. Her own siblings had adored her locks too. Shiny curls that glittered in the sun seemed to attract babies'' attention easily. That was a bitter-sweet memory, but she gave her best to think about the present, and the little girl on her lap was too adorable to make the concubine distract herself. She made a halfhearted attempt at pulling out the hair between Grace''s lips but gave up when she faced resistance. She couldn''t help chuckling again as she carefully patted the baby''s head while holding her tightly with the other arm.

    Grace seemed to understand that at least. A grin appeared on her face as well, and she opened her mouth to let out some babbling noises.

    That was enough to allow Sophia to pull out the strand of hair. ¡°Thank the gods. Don''t do that again, Grace.¡± Even though she was scolding her daughter, she was smiling and spoke in a soft tone, so the baby probably didn''t feel criticized in any way. She turned to the concubine after gazing at Grace for a moment and resumed. ¡°I apologize for that, Lady Blanche. This is the second time she did this, isn''t it? We should be careful with hair around her for now. She is of the age at which she starts grabbing everything she can see. And everything that she manages to take into her hands will inevitably end up in her mouth. I am truly sorry for that.¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to apologize. She is a child. It''s normal for her to do that. I don''t mind. How could I when she is such an adorable, sweet, little thing?¡± Blanche moved her hand away from Grace''s head and took the baby''s hand in hers. Immediately, the tiny fingers gripped her little finger, and she couldn''t stifle the cooing that came from her throat. The young girl giggled again, and once more, the concubine felt overwhelmed by so much cuteness. She almost didn''t want to give back the child when Sophia extended her arms towards the baby, but naturally, she didn''t hesitate to carefully hand Grace over.

    Sophia held her daughter in her arms and smiled at her for a while before addressing all the people at the table. ¡°Shouldn''t we talk about something more pleasant then? I think that all of us are being too silent. The rest of you want to hold Grace too, right?¡± Her question wasn''t actually an inquiry, she just assumed that all would agree.

    Of course, no one refused to hold an adorable baby. Seraphina had been the first one to take Grace after Blanche and had seemed a bit stiff the whole time, which was a strange sight. When the baby began cooing at her, she warmed up to the idea of keeping her on her lap though. Still, she appeared to be a bit relieved upon hearing that it was her mother''s turn to carry her.

    Elaine looked like a proud grandmother while cuddling the grinning girl, who definitely recognized her to some extent.

    Madeleine, who was next, showered the girl in compliments and gushed about how sweet Briana had been as a toddler.

    Evelyn took Grace onto her lap too, which seemed to make the baby extremely uncomfortable. The concubine was ready to intervene at any moment if that horrible woman decided to do something that could hurt the child.

    But luckily, Sophia quickly reacted and pulled her daughter into a hug when the girl was about to cry. She cuddled Grace until the baby began smiling again and then spoke up. ¡°I think she was a bit exhausted after seeing so many people. She might fall asleep soon.¡±

    Seraphina replied with a slight smile. ¡°In that case, we should begin opening her presents. It would be a shame for her not to see what she received.¡±

    Sophia nodded and lowered her gaze to her daughter. ¡°You hear that? We will get some wonderful things for you now. Last time, you adored the gifts as well.¡± She turned to the adult guests again. ¡°The last party was more stressful though. There were so many people there that it was hard to talk to everyone. And all of them got some toys for Grace. We already bought more than enough, so she will be swimming in playthings in a few months. She won''t even know what to play with first.¡± It wasn''t hard to imagine that Sophia pampered her daughter with everything she had.

    The empress chimed in with a soft smile on her lips. ¡°That would not be a problem, would it? Today she will probably get even more toys. But before we do that...¡± She gestured to one of the maids, who brought her a handkerchief. She held it towards the concubine. ¡°You should clean your hair a little. Drying it would be enough.¡±

    Blanche looked down at her hair and noted that one of her strands was still wet with a bit of saliva. ¡°Ah, thank you, Your Majesty.¡± She quickly took the handkerchief and wiped it over her hair until the liquid wasn''t visible anymore. When she finished, she gave the cloth to one of the maids, who brought it away quickly.

    Sophia gave the concubine an apologetic gaze. ¡°I would like to say that I am really sorry for this again.¡±

    Blanche didn''t let her continue after that. ¡°Don''t worry. I would never be angry at a baby for such a little thing. It''s not that bad. Just focus on opening the gifts for Grace. This is your party after all.¡±

    Sophia began smiling again after that. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. I am honored that all of you decided to give something to our little angel.¡± She slowly handed over her daughter to her husband, who looked like he was immersed in admiring his daughter as well. Then she addressed one of the servants and asked him to bring over all the presents one after the other.

    Sophia took her time admiring the toys for Grace and was happy about every single piece. It seemed like it was impossible to give this woman a gift that she didn''t enjoy. She praised everyone''s choice and beamed like they had gifted her the most valuable things in the world, which definitely wasn''t the case.

    Blanche agreed that most of the presents were sweet though. The toys appeared to be well-made and had colorful patterns so that Grace immediately extended her arms towards them. The one that had given most to the baby was Seraphina, who had gotten a mountain of toys and sweets that children should enjoy. The empress had even bought jewelry for Sophia and handed over some food as well. In general, the other women offered the same things in smaller amounts, so everything was appropriate.

    Merely Evelyn''s gifts were horrendous. It might not have been obvious at first glance, but if one paid attention to it, it was obvious that she didn''t care for the child''s health. She had not only brought many small toys that babies could swallow and choke on but also pralines with honey and some with alcohol. Both labels didn''t have the ingredients listed, and the only reason that the concubine knew about these was because of the novel.

    After Evelyn''s deeds had been revealed near the end, it had been mentioned that she had given things that might harm a toddler to Sophia on purpose. Apparently, that had made Grace sick a few times until her mother and father had visited a doctor. In the end, the little girl had recovered, but Blanche wouldn''t allow those incidents to happen anyway. She was only waiting for an opportunity to address the topic.

    But the women chatted about their distant relatives first. Then Seraphina spoke about her vacation at the coast, of course while leaving out the part about visiting Ibela secretly and that a specific couple had annoyed her again.

    So, the concubine didn''t have any chance to retouch on the subject that she needed to discuss subtly. At some point, she just gave up and told the truth directly. When a small pause appeared, she used that for herself immediately. ¡°If I may ask something, I would like to pose a question.¡±

    Sophia greeted her with a bright grin. ¡°Please do. Speak up about whatever you wish to address.¡±

    Blanche sighed inwardly. Hopefully, she wouldn''t ruin the mood too much due to her meddling. ¡°I wanted to make sure that you remember to give Lady Lemares'' gifts to Grace a bit later. Maybe in a little over a year. I doubt that the pralines will be good until then, so you should eat them with Lord Ravillot instead.¡±

    Before the mother could say anything, Evelyn already opened her mouth. Her face was scrunched up, and if looks could kill, the concubine would already be dead and buried. ¡°What could you be hinting at with that, Lady Blanche? Why would Sophia need to wait to give her daughter presents? You reached a level of-¡±

    Elaine stopped her. ¡°Please hold back a little. I would like to listen to Lady Blanche''s reasoning before you accuse her of anything. What would she gain from voicing something like this? I don''t think that there is a need to assume the worst immediately.¡±

    Evelyn''s frown deepened. She set her cup down with a loud clink and glared at her sister. ¡°Have you forgotten that she was the one that had me thrown out of the palace because of her own incompetence? She despises me and will use every chance to slander my name.¡±

    Blanche narrowed her eyes at the other woman. ¡°I feel like I keep repeating myself, but you were the one that insulted me. You did it while my maid was present, and you were about to call me...¡± She didn''t want to voice that word out loud, so she quickly used a more vague phrase. ¡°By a very unkind name. At that very moment, Theo came inside. I didn''t say anything about him dismissing you, he decided to do so himself.¡± Only when she finished, she realized that using his nickname might not be the best idea. ¡°Ah, I mean...¡± She still hated the title for her lover, so she almost didn''t want to use it.

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    Seraphina waved her hand through the air. ¡°After almost two years of hearing that, we are used to your way of addressing His Majesty. You are very inconsistent in your usage of those two titles, so just stick to one.¡±

    Blanche blinked at that. She was almost sure that she had misunderstood something. After all, the empress wouldn''t indirectly give her permission to keep calling her lover by a pet name. But she didn''t have enough time to fully process this, and judging by their expressions, the others didn''t either.

    The empress already continued before the others could. ¡°In any case, I would like to add that His Majesty informed me of his decision to dismiss Lady Lemares the very day the incident Lady Blanche described happened. He did not voice the exact words, but he summarized the contents of what he heard, and I doubt that he would make something like this up. I sincerely hope that he exaggerated though. After all, Lady Lemares would never dare to insult the royal family with such vulgar remarks, correct?¡± Seraphina calmly sipped her tea, but her aura was enough to intimidate anyone that she scolded.

    Just like that, Evelyn was quiet and slouched in her seat. She tried to give an excuse and stuttered a bit. ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty. How could I? I would never dare to do that. I must have been out of my mind that day, but I can assure you that I did not insult the royal family.¡±

    The empress placed her cup on the table with unrivaled grace and looked away from her aunt while speaking. ¡°So, you aren''t denying that you did, in fact, enter Lady Blanche''s room without her permission and accused her of very unfriendly things.¡± She didn''t leave a pause for anyone to chime in and just continued immediately. ¡°That means that you should hold back a bit when this topic comes up. You should be ashamed about having acted this inappropriately and then having blamed the other party. It seems like your grudge is not only baseless and childish but also unreasonable. Since this is the case, you should at least allow Lady Blanche to finish her appeal before complaining. Since your mind should be clear now, one thing is easy to understand. If your presents are well-chosen, it will not be a problem to talk about them, correct? Please go ahead, Lady Blanche. Continue from where you left off.¡±

    Evelyn visibly gritted her teeth, and her hands disappeared under the table, where she probably dug her fingers into her chair.

    Blanche was also speechless as she stared at the heroine in awe. Why was Seraphina protecting her suddenly? Was it because they had talked about Evelyn and both knew that the woman was a threat to Sophia''s daughter? No matter whether that was the reason, the concubine would use this chance to defend Grace with everything in her power. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. As I said, I would recommend that those presents should not be given to a baby, or even be put in a child''s vicinity for that matter. The gifts are without a doubt well-made, but they simply aren''t suitable for a toddler. Maybe they will be fine in a year, but I doubt it.¡±

    Sophia glanced at the presents her aunt had bought for her. ¡°Would you explain what you mean by that? To me, they look good for children. After all, no older child will want a rattle.¡±

    Blanche turned her palm upwards and extend her hand to the other woman. ¡°May I?¡± The mother handed her the rattle, and the concubine turned it around once. There were countless small ornaments on the toy, which were just decorative at first look. But if one cared to touch them a bit, they fell off immediately. She demonstrated that by tapping onto one of the gems once. She hadn''t used any force at all, but the emerald landed on the table with a clink. She picked it up between two fingers and showed it to the women while ignoring Evelyn, who was trembling with anger. ¡°As you know, Grace is in a phase in which she will grab everything and then put it in her mouth. Obviously, something like this is dangerous to her.¡±

    Sophia''s face paled as she saw that and turned to the gifts. ¡°I didn''t pay attention to that at all. I saw that the rattle was big, so it was fine. But that those things could fall out...¡±

    Her husband looked as shocked as her, but he didn''t say anything like previously.

    Blanche gestured to the rest of Evelyn''s presents. ¡°You should probably check each item before giving it to Grace. Not just Lady Lemares'' things but in general. Even though it seems like her presents specifically have many loose ornaments.¡±

    Sophia nodded with shock still written onto her features. Now that she was listening, the concubine would continue with the others things too.

    ¡°Then the pralines. First of all, babies don''t need anything but milk, and it is recommended to nourish them solely with that.¡± Even if nobles often did it differently. ¡°It''s healthier, and you don''t have to worry about what they can or can''t eat in that case. The younger a child is, the more sensitive it is to specific food items. For example...¡± Blanche gestured to the first pack of pralines. ¡°Toddlers shouldn''t eat honey, which is in here. It''s bad for their health. So, you would have to eat it yourself instead of letting Grace taste it. And this one...¡± She tapped onto the other package. ¡°Has alcohol inside. Needless to say, a baby shouldn''t have that either.¡±

    Sophia was as white as a bedsheet now as she scanned the boxes. ¡°I...I...¡± And suddenly, tears glistered in her eyes as she stared at the gifts with something like fear. ¡°I would have given that to her without checking what was in it. I''m a horrible mother. I almost...¡±

    Immediately, a pang of guilt hit Blanche. This wasn''t Sophia''s fault at all but Evelyn''s. She quickly gave her best to cheer up the other woman. ¡°Don''t cry. Grace will notice and cry too if her mother is upset. You didn''t do anything wrong. There is no way that you could have noticed. Naturally, you wouldn''t expect that something so dangerous was hidden in between the gifts from people you trust.¡± She glared at Evelyn while saying that.

    Evelyn clenched her jaw, and the glint of wrath in her eyes became more obvious. ¡°It truly is surprising that Lady Blanche is so knowledgeable about what is harmful to children. Maybe you intended to use that against someone else.¡±

    The concubine was seconds away from throwing her cup at Evelyn when Elaine''s sharp voice cut through the silence. ¡°You should think about what you say before opening your mouth, Evelyn. Lady Blanche just prevented the possibility of something happening to Grace because of your negligence.¡±

    Evelyn gasped as if she was offended while she whipped her head around to her sister. ¡°What? Why am I blamed now?¡±

    Elaine stared at her sister with a cold expression. ¡°You were the one that brought those gifts, so you should have checked whether they are suitable for children. It seems like you forgot that completely. You might not have noticed that the ornaments would fall off or known that honey is bad for toddlers, but how could you bring pralines with alcohol? You must have been mentally absent to not notice what a thoughtless and possibly even harmful choice that was. Lady Blanche was kind enough to point out what we all failed to notice. You should thank her instead of coming up with such nonsense.¡±

    Evelyn opened her mouth, but Madeleine, who previously had stayed out about this discussion, chimed in a calm tone. ¡°Lady Lemares, do you know that there is an interesting saying? Some people believe that the ones who accuse others of awful things are the ones that thought about that first.¡±

    Evelyn snapped at the other woman. ¡°So, you want to say that I purposefully brought these things to hurt Sophia''s daughter? Don''t be ridiculous. What do you know about my family? You have no right to get involved. You''re just-¡±

    Madeleine stirred her tea while looking fully unaffected. ¡°A marquess'' daughter, just like you are. You should calm down a bit, Lady Lemares. I only wished for you to stop saying such insulting things about others when you were at fault for not paying attention. So, please do not cause a scene in the royal palace. You are too old to embarrass your family like this.¡±

    Evelyn seemed like she wanted to yell and barely held herself back. ¡°You surely have nerves to say things like this. You are awfully arrogant for only being Her Majesty''s guest.¡±

    Madeleine replied in a neutral tone. ¡°So are you.¡±

    Before the enraged Evelyn could respond, Elaine chimed in again, her voice as heavy and authoritarian as a duchess should be. ¡°Lady Bellfaux is right. Please pull yourself together.¡±

    Seraphina watched the conversation silently, but it was obvious that the gears in her head were turning. She was probably thinking about how she could use this scene to get more information about how harmful her aunt truly was. At this point, she spoke up though. ¡°I agree with everything that was said by my mother and Madeleine. If you can''t behave appropriately, you should leave this instant, Lady Lemares. From now, on I expect perfect conduct. Do you understand?¡±

    Evelyn gritted her teeth and pressed out a curt response despite shivering with rage. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    This discussion was resolved now, but Sophia, who hadn''t even considered blaming her aunt yet, was still sniffling and rubbing her eyes. She turned to Blanche and talked with a weak voice. ¡°Thank you for pointing this out. I will be much more careful from now on. I can''t thank you enough. If I hadn''t noticed...¡± She choked down a sob and hid her face behind her hands.

    As if Grace had waited for her cue, she began crying at that moment too.

    Sophia''s husband hugged his wife and daughter while trying to console both of them. Quickly, all the other people, except for Evelyn, who was still fuming, spoke up as well to distract them.

    Fortunately, Sophia calmed down soon so that the baby stopped sobbing too. Grace fell asleep while her mother still blamed herself for not being careful enough.

    Blanche reminded her that this wasn''t her fault countless times. The only reason she had paid attention to those details was that the novel had given her some hints and that she remembered her siblings. The concubine''s mother had spent her whole pregnancy reading books about motherhood, which she had already read before Blanche''s birth. So, the entire family had inevitably learned a lot about children and what they should or shouldn''t consume. The concubine couldn''t voice any of this as her reason though. After all, the others didn''t know anything about the novel''s existence, and officially, Blanche had no memory of her past, and Seraphina might be aware of that.

    Unfortunately, the trouble for the day wasn''t over with this though. The rest of the party was quite stressful.

    Most of the conversation consisted of Sophia asking for more information about children and Blanche struggling to explain why she knew so much. The concubine stressed that Grace should be kept away from water and people she didn''t like in hopes that this could prevent the incident at Theodore''s birthday, but she doubted it. But at least the conversation wasn''t as uncomfortable anymore.

    Evelyn stayed silent, and the rest of the people happily chatted about how important it was to cherish children and shower them in affection.

    Blanche was feeling relaxed during an interaction with the empress'' family for once, so this was progress. After all, her goal was still having a neutral reputation, and if the Duremonts didn''t care about her, she would have a great advantage. So, she was content, and when the topic slowly moved to the more pleasant parts of childcare, she was fully immersed in talking with them and explaining some of her mother''s tips.

    Seraphina was relatively quiet and only occasionally added something, which made the concubine worry, but the empress didn''t seem upset.

    So, Blanche continued the conversation normally. She was pretty sure that everything was going well until Evelyn opened her mouth again.

    Evelyn had watched the concubine for a while and eventually spoke up in a questioning tone that was definitely fake. ¡°Lady Blanche, I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I''ve been wondering. You seem very eager to chat about children and babies specifically. You are very knowledgeable about this as well. Could it be that you were reading some books from the royal library?¡± This was obviously a trap. Evelyn knew how much the concubine disliked reading, so she wanted to use a lie as a reason to make fun of her.

    Blanche tried to come up with a response that would explain her knowledge and quickly found one. ¡°You know that I don''t read much, Lady Lemares. I am just fond of children. Whenever I hear that one of the servants has a family, I ask about them. They are very eager to give tips about each and every aspect that you need to pay attention to so that you can secure a baby''s safe growth.¡± She put on a fake smile and sipped a bit of her tea.

    Evelyn was silent for a few more seconds before speaking up. ¡°But that is just a coincidence, correct? It could not possibly be because of the topic we had at the hunting festival. Did you perhaps not tell the truth on that day, or are you trying to change what you responded with then?¡± That damned witch. Hadn''t she been scolded enough last time?

    Blanche certainly wasn''t pregnant even now, and yet, the question made her boil.

 Chapter 161: Graces Baby Party (3)

    As always, Evelyn seemed to be eager to address old matters that just caused trouble. This time, she complained about Blanche knowing a lot about childcare and just had to comment on it again. ¡°But that is just a coincidence, correct? It could not possibly be because of the topic we had at the hunting festival. Did you perhaps not tell the truth on that day, or are you trying to change what you responded with then?¡±

    Blanche only took a moment to remember the embarrassing discussion about her being pregnant. Why was the other woman talking about this matter again? There wasn''t anything that would indicate that the concubine was carrying a child. ¡°If you are referring to the sudden question you asked me back then, I can assure you that my response was truthful. And that didn''t change until now.¡±

    Seraphina quickly understood what they were talking about as well, and her expression became colder as she gave Evelyn a warning glare. The others at the table appeared to comprehend too, except for Sophia''s husband and Madeleine.

    A couple of seconds of silence followed, in which one could have heard a pin drop.

    Then Madeleine cleared her throat. ¡°So... It''s clear that you do not wish to talk about that topic, but I am a bit lost. I heard that you were sharing a table during the hunting festival. What did you discuss that was this...distressing?¡±

    Sophia replied faster than her mother and sister. ¡°Oh, right. You weren''t there. Aunt was a bit unrestrained on that day. There were a few rumors about Lady Blanche being pregnant, so she asked her.¡±

    Madeleine choked on her tea and whipped her head around to the concubine. ¡°You are pregnant, Lady Blanche?¡± She had definitely spoken too loudly just now.

    Elaine and Sophia lifted their index fingers to their mouths at the same time while Seraphina spoke up. ¡°Please be quieter so that we don''t spread any unnecessary gossip.¡±

    Madeleine lowered her gaze and muttered an ¡°I''m sorry.¡± She stared at the table for a moment before looking up again and seemed a bit concerned. ¡°So, Lady Blanche is pregnant?¡±

    The concubine''s cheeks were already burning up, and she fought the urge to hide her face in her hands. Hopefully, none of the servants had heard this, or the rumors would spiral out of control. ¡°No, I''m not. Like I said. I wasn''t back then, and until now, that didn''t change. I am a bit confused as to why this subject is addressed constantly.¡±

    Seraphina glanced at her as if she wanted to say something about this, but she kept quiet. At least for a moment before speaking again. ¡°It is disrespectful to ask about such personal matters regularly. I apologize for Lady Lemares, who seems to be awfully curious about Lady Blanche''s personal life for some reason.¡± Those words were dripping with annoyance.

    Normally, every sane person would be intimidated by this, but Evelyn seemed to have lost her mind. She replied with a taunting smirk. ¡°Of course, I care. This might shape the future of our nation after all. I mean, we still need a royal heir. If one woman in the palace got pregnant, this might be a good sign for Your Majesty too.¡±

    What? The concubine surely hadn''t expected that. Normally, Evelyn should have held back her insults until she had been convicted of her crimes. Why was she starting trouble now?

    It was obvious that Seraphina was burning with anger at this, but she kept herself under control. ¡°I would kindly ask you to quit acting like this, Lady Lemares. I may have been lenient in the past, but from now on, I won''t make a difference between you and strangers. I do not care that you are my mother''s sister when you keep addressing issues that do not concern you. Apologize this instant, or I will have you escorted home.¡±

    Elaine added her part before even allowing Evelyn to reply. ¡°What has gotten into you?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°To not only treat Lady Blanche this impolitely but to also insult Seraphina, your own niece and a member of the royal family. You are supposed to be a tutor for etiquette. How come you can''t even deal with a normal tea party?¡±

    Evelyn leaned back and crossed her fingers as she watched the others with a seemingly indifferent expression. Her eyes were full of hatred that flickered directly under the surface though, which proved that she was truly about to snap. ¡°If I remember correctly, I didn''t insult anyone. I only said that Her Majesty hasn''t given birth yet. It should be obvious that we need an heir to continue the royal bloodline and who aside from the empress would carry that child? A commoner that was picked up from the streets? Don''t make me laugh.¡± Evelyn let out an unamused laugh before continuing. ¡°His Majesty might be temporarily blinded by someone''s appearance, but he isn''t stupid. He will throw away his plaything sooner or later, and then we will be without a future ruler. So, Her Majesty will have to take action soon, or she might be too old to have a child. I truly don''t understand what His Majesty is thinking right now that would make him keep someone like this here.¡± She eyed Blanche with obvious disgust.

    It was clear that every single person at the table had to say something about that, but just as they began to speak, a person from beside the table raised their voice.

    Stella stood directly next to Evelyn and glared at her with fury. She was balling her fists as if she was holding back from pouring tea over the other woman, but she forced herself to speak quietly. ¡°If you are curious about that, how about you ask him yourself?¡± She extended her arm and pointed toward the staircase.

    Blanche whipped her head around, and all of her anger changed into shock upon seeing her lover there.

    Theodore wasn''t too far away from them and had already reached the bottom of the staircase. He met his concubine''s gaze with a bright smile and approached the table.

    The atmosphere had changed in an instant. Evelyn was suddenly scared, and all the others seemed to be uncomfortable as well. No one dared to move or utter a single word.

    Stella merely stepped away so that she stood a few steps behind her mistress'' chair and stopped there to glare at Evelyn.

    The emperor came to a halt next to the table with a smile still etched into his face. Still, his eyes were scanning the situation with so much concentration that it seemed like he was able to read everyone''s minds. The people at the table rose to their feet and curtsied, with the only man bowing and Seraphina keeping her upright position. Theodore waited a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to meet you here. I did not wish to interrupt the conversation, but I wanted to bring something as well. Congratulations on the birth of a healthy daughter, Lord and Lady Ravillot. May she live a happy and long life with many loving people around her under the gods'' protection.¡±

    Sophia, who quickly forgot the tension from before, showed him a bright grin. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. Your words are enough to fill us with joy.¡±

    Her husband was a bit tenser as he nodded. ¡°Indeed. It is an honor to receive Your Majesty''s blessing. We will be forever grateful.¡±

    Theodore gestured to the servant behind him. ¡°Words aren''t all I brought today. This is a little gift from the royal family to you. You need to open it at home though.¡±

    The couple thanked him once more, and especially Sophia was shining like the sun.

    Blanche watched while the emperor greeted the other people there. She couldn''t help grinning when he eyed Evelyn a bit longer so that the woman cowered in her chair. A part of her was malicious enough to consider voicing what that person had just said, but somehow, it felt like Theodore was already pretty furious. Besides, she didn''t doubt that Seraphina had one or two things to tell Evelyn after this too. Blanche could add even more trouble by involving Theodore, and she might end up doing that in a while so that Evelyn would be punished twice. For now, she held back though.

    When Theodore was finally done exchanging polite phrases with the others, he turned to his lover. ¡°Please feel free to sit down again. And was the party fun until now?¡± What was she supposed to say to that? He hadn''t even greeted her and made it obvious that they had already met today with this.

    So, Blanche would have to try to respond in a way that didn''t underline this even more. After everyone had sat back down, she looked up at her lover and gave him a small smile. ¡°It was very amusing. Grace is adorable, so how could a party for her not be perfect?¡±

    The emperor smiled at that and looked at Sophia. ¡°And did your daughter enjoy the gifts? There seem to be quite a few here.¡±

    Sophia nodded happily. ¡°Of course. I am very thankful that everyone gave their best to help make Grace''s life as beautiful as possible.¡± She froze after finishing that sentence and thought about something that made her smile fade. ¡°A couple of them seem to be dangerous though. We noticed just in time thanks to Lady Blanche''s help.¡±

    Theodore scanned the mountain of presents. ¡°I see.¡± He stepped closer to the table and leaned forward to inspect the items more easily. That he used his lover''s chair to support himself and looked over her shoulder in the process was definitely done on purpose.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Blanche considered trying to get him to move away, but that might only pull attention to the fact that he was way too close to her. She just focused on banning all thoughts out of her mind to keep herself from blushing, even though disappearing into thin air was her only wish at the moment.

    The emperor stayed completely still for a moment before pointing to Evelyn''s gifts. ¡°A child doesn''t need gems in the first place, but make sure that those are firmly attached and won''t fall off. And whoever got those...¡± He gestured to the pralines. ¡°Clearly wants to give the young parents something to relax. Those are from the most famous confectionery in Esora. If I remember correctly, these should be with wine and champagne and the other ones with honey. But it''s strange that the labels aren''t there. Maybe they were removed to surprise you with the flavor.¡± He grinned at the group and left a pause while all of them watched him speechlessly. He had truly been able to figure out what the problematic gifts were within seconds.

    Blanche was dumbfounded at that too and turned her head to her lover. That was a mistake since his face was almost directly in front of hers.

    He gave her a confident smirk. ¡°Am I right?¡±

    She nodded while observing him with skepticism. She didn''t trust him at the moment.

    Theodore had a glint in his eyes that betrayed that he intended to do something that would irritate others. When his hand landed on her head, and he patted her, her assumption proved to be true. He stroked over her hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world as he spoke and made it worse. ¡°Of course, you would be clever enough to find that out.¡±

    Blanche felt how her cheeks were getting warm again. Not only that. Her whole body became hot as she struggled not to give in to the urge of standing up and running away. What was her lover thinking? ¡°Theo...¡± She pressed that out between her teeth in an attempt to make him understand that he had to stop.

    But he just gave her a questioning gaze. ¡°What''s wrong? Did something happen?¡± He was the one that was currently making her lose her mind.

    The concubine would have liked to be more secretive with it, but she had no choice but to grab his hand with hers and move it away. She thought that it would be over with that, but he didn''t care for her efforts.

    Theodore''s hand was back at its original place seconds later.

    Blanche tensed and tilted her head back to glare up at him. ¡°Theo. What are you doing?¡± She gave her best to be quiet, but that was hard when her lover was just grinning at her almost having a mental breakdown. She forced his hand away, this time with more resolution, but it didn''t help.

    He put his palm on top of her again and looked down at her. For a second, there was a strange emotion in his eyes, but he covered it up with a grin. ¡°Do you want to forbid the emperor from doing something?¡±

    Blanche felt like crying at that. She didn''t even turn to see the others'' reactions. ¡°Theo, please. What are you doing?¡±

    His grin widened. ¡°I came here to hand over my gift to Lord and Lady Ravillot. You saw that, right? And now I want to tell you about the good news.¡± For some reason, that phrase scared her.

    Hopefully, it was really something that Blanche would call good. ¡°And this has to be done now? Not in a few hours when there aren''t any guests here?¡±

    ¡°No. They should know too. You remember what we talked about last week? Ocrea''s prince wrote back that he is willing to visit the capital for political discussions to make Northern Ocrea our ally. He didn''t name a specific date, but he will come here.¡±

    Blanche immediately forgot her worries. Her heart skipped a beat as she leaned forward in her seat to turn around to her lover fully. ¡°So, we won''t go to war, and that''s final?¡± In the novel, it would have been about time for the first military conflict to begin. That wouldn''t happen?

    Theodore happily nodded. ¡°No war. But that''s not all. We even want to trade and improve our relationship in general.¡±

    A beam lit up the concubine''s face. This change had been one of the best ones they had ever accomplished. This was perfect. There would be no destroyed villages by the border with countless dead people lining the streets. Both nations wouldn''t suffer, and there would be so much more time for the emperor to focus on the issues within Artias. And they wouldn''t have to go to war. A vague image of a battlefield flashed in front of Blanche''s inner eye, and she almost cried out in joy when she realized that Theodore wouldn''t have to go through that. ¡°That''s amazing!¡±

    At that moment, the people at the table began voicing their happiness about this too, which made Blanche remember that they weren''t alone. This reminder was needed since she might have hugged her lover out of joy otherwise.

    Seraphina was the first person to speak. ¡°Congratulations. Such a diplomatic connection would have been unthinkable months ago. This is a great accomplishment for Artias.¡±

    Theodore nodded with a grin on his face. ¡°Exactly. That''s why we need to prepare everything when the time is ready. We have to impress the crown prince after all. Of course, we need to heighten the security around his path to us then too, but doing this now would be too early. We will keep an eye on the letters, and everything will be fine.¡±

    Everyone else voiced similar things to the empress, which calmed Blanche a bit. It was still obvious that the situation was awfully uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do about that. She could only hope that her lover would finish this announcement and then leave. Maybe she could justify his behavior by saying that he was too excited because of the news and that he hadn''t been able to think clearly.

    But Theodore seemed to have different intentions. He grinned at his concubine after receiving everyone''s congratulations. ¡°So, this means that we need to celebrate tonight. What do you want to eat? Let me guess... Salmon again.¡±

    Blanche gave up at that point, but her face was probably still red. Of course, he had to admit that they were eating together while he proved that he knew what her favorite food was. She replied with a weak ¡°Yes¡± before pretending to rub her eyes and using this to hide her face.

    Theodore patted her head one last time before finally moving his hand away. ¡°I knew it. Then we''ll...¡± He paused. ¡°No. When is this party over? I''ll pick you up then.¡±

    It took every bit of the concubine''s self-control to keep herself from letting her face fall onto the table. She didn''t know when the party would originally have ended, but she was sure that it wouldn''t take much longer. After all, the emperor had successfully ruined the mood. Everyone, except Sophia, Grace and possibly Lord Ravillot, would be furious with her now. It was a miracle that no one had spoken up until now, but as soon as Theodore was gone, they would be free to pour down their anger at her.

    Blanche made one last attempt to keep him from making everything awful. ¡°I can walk alone, so you don''t have to come here.¡±

    Her lover responded and crushed her hopes immediately. ¡°Sure. Theoretically, you could also climb up the stairs by yourself, but who is the one always-¡±

    She moved her hands away from her face and whipped her head around to interrupt him. ¡°Alright, alright. You can do what you want, I get it.¡±

    The emperor laughed at that and stroked over her hair again. ¡°Well, that was easy.¡± He lifted his head to address the other people there. ¡°So, when is this party over?¡±

    This made the concubine turn to them as well even though she almost didn''t dare to do so.

    Sophia and her husband as well Madeleine looked like they wanted to disappear. At the same time, Evelyn looked like she was torn between being scared and grinning at Seraphina''s predicament. Elaine and the empress were displeased with the situation, to say the least. The duchess'' expression was a bit colder than normal, but she was relatively composed. Blanche had expected to find the heroine boiling with anger, however, Seraphina was in a similar state as her mother.

    The empress was more annoyed than enraged, which was unexpected. She spoke up with a cool voice, but at least she didn''t sound like she wanted to kill anyone. ¡°It might be better for us to end the party now. After all, it has gotten quite late, and I was about to send one of the people here home anyway. I will bring the guests to the gate. You do not have to join us.¡±

    Blanche was about to insist that she wanted to bring the guests to the entrance but remembered that this was a bad idea just in time.

    Firstly, the heroine was upset, even if she didn''t show it. Testing her patience was a horrible decision. Secondly, Seraphina still had to scold Evelyn for her offending words. Obviously, this would be better to do when the emperor wasn''t present. And thirdly, Theodore''s grin made the concubine want to bring him away from the group as soon as possible.

    So, Blanche forced herself to smile. ¡°I understand. Then I will retreat now. I, once again, would like to thank you for inviting me.¡± She looked at Sophia. ¡°It was a very pleasant event, and I was happy to meet your daughter.¡±

    Sophia mirrored her expression. ¡°I was glad that you attended. It would be nice if we were able to do something like this more often. You can see Grace regularly if you want to. She seems to be fond of you.¡±

    ¡°It would be an honor.¡± Blanche turned to the empress and curtsied. ¡°I want to thank you for allowing me to attend as well. I hope that you have a delightful evening, Your Majesty.¡±

    Seraphina nodded toward her. ¡°It was a joyful event, so I am glad that you decided to join. May you have a wonderful evening too. Goodbye.¡±

    The concubine took that as a hint that she should finally leave. She quickly voiced a curt ¡°Goodbye¡± to each of the other participants before standing up and getting ready to leave. But before she managed to take a step, Sophia already called out to her.

    Sophia rose to her feet as well and approached the other woman before pulling her into a long hug, which she used to whisper to the other woman. ¡°Thank you for telling me about the gifts. I will never forget that.¡±

    Blanche patted Sophia''s back while trying her best not to show how odd this situation was. Sophia was embracing her sister''s worst rival after all. ¡°I was glad to be able to help. Be more careful from now on. Question everything before giving it to your child.¡± She lowered the volume of her voice before continuing. ¡°Especially if it''s from Lady Lemares. Remember what I told you.¡±

    Sophia slowly let go of her while nodding with a dejected expression. ¡°I understand. Until soon, Lady Blanche.¡±

    The concubine''s worry eased a bit at that. Apparently, the other woman had finally understood that this aunt of hers wasn''t kind. She wanted to say something else, but Theodore''s hand brushing against hers made her step aside. He didn''t really intend to hold her hand now, right? She glared at him, which earned her a wide grin. ¡°We can leave.¡± She hadn''t meant to sound so frustrated, but now it was too late.

    ¡°Of course. Someone is impatient.¡± The emperor''s words made her roll her eyes, but at least he allowed her to climb up the staircase without touching her.

    As soon as they had reached the balcony and stepped inside the ballroom, Blanche turned around and checked whether the others could still see them. When she was completely sure that this wasn''t the case, she took a deep breath of relief. She spun around to her lover and put her hands on her hips. ¡°What was that supposed to be? Do you know how-¡± She cut herself off when she looked into his eyes.

    Theodore''s smile from earlier had completely disappeared, and instead, he showed her a serious expression. He was pressing his mouth into a thin line and watched her with an undefinable emotion in his gaze. It was obvious that this wasn''t a good one though.

    ¡°Theo?¡±

    Before she could say anything else, he pulled her into a crushing hug.

    She quickly put her arms around his back and panically tried to understand what happened. ¡°Is this about Ocrea? Did something go wrong? The investigation? Did those two do something bad?¡±

    Theodore shook his head twice before nodding and tightening his hold on her.

    She felt like he was restricting her air now, but she wouldn''t ask him to loosen his hold. Instead, she allowed him to grip onto her until he was ready to tell her everything.

    He remained motionless for a moment and held his breath, which made her worry about him needing a doctor until he finally opened his mouth. ¡°I love you. Please never forget that. More than anything else.¡±

    That didn''t help her much when it came to figuring out what was wrong. Blanche''s mind jumped toward the worst topics as she prayed that this wasn''t it.

 Chapter 162: The Royal Heir Will Be...

    ¡°I love you. Please never forget that. More than anything else.¡±

    Blanche felt like a sword was being stabbed in her heart and turned while being stuck inside her flesh. ¡°Of course. I know that. I also love you more than anything else. What''s wrong?¡±

    Theodore let out a mix of a chuckle and a sob. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m overreacting. Everything is fine, but some small things are coming together, and I...I just love you so much. Please don''t push me away.¡±

    Now it felt like the sword in her chest had been drenched in acid before entering her body. She felt cold tingles in her limbs and had to hold back not to cry immediately. This wasn''t connected to her moving Theodore''s hand away right now, was it? That had just been a small motion to prevent him from touching her in public. How could that have upset him so much? ¡°Theo, I would never do that. Is this about what I just did?¡±

    Her lover pressed his face into her neck. ¡°I don''t know. But it''s not because of that. It''s... I went to the cells today, and then I met Cedar, and he... Maybe it sounds stupid when I say it, but seeing him like this is torture. We never got along well, but he used to show his emotions at least a little. He always had some snarky comment on his tongue when we saw each other. Now...he just seems like an empty husk. But that wasn''t it. Cedar noticed that I hated the place we visited, so he said so awful things that I... I had to think about some revolting things I did, and I couldn''t take it anymore. And then I saw you with those people. All of them are awful. You shouldn''t be around them. Lady Ravillot is fine, but the rest isn''t... I don''t trust them yet.¡± He paused for a moment to swallow before resuming. ¡°Then you pushed me away, and I thought about you not wanting to be here anymore and I...I-¡± He cut himself off and gritted his teeth as if he was holding back a sob.

    Blanche felt her whole body alternating between feeling way too hot and freezing. Now she regretted not going with him sooner, even though she was aware that this wasn''t her fault. She hadn''t known that his entire day had been awful. How would she have? She left him for longer than an hour for once, and this was what happened. ¡°I''m sorry, Theo. I didn''t know.¡± By now, she was more than upset too, and her voice broke while she spoke.

    Theodore lifted his head and looked at her with teary eyes. ¡°Don''t be sorry. You didn''t do anything bad. I just thought about the future, no, the past. But that is over. There is no way that I will allow anyone to hurt you. I don''t care if I have to crush the dowager empress and Cedar for that. If they target you, I won''t have any mercy. Because I love you.¡±

    She wasn''t able to speak and just raised her head to get him to kiss her. Their lips met in a soft union. Both didn''t have any intention of letting go, even though they were in the middle of the ballroom where countless servants would be able to see them.

    Blanche desperately tried to come up with something that she could tell her lover to calm him, but she had no idea what she could do to make up for her pushing him away. She should have looked at him more closely before doing something like that. Then she might have noticed that he wasn''t feeling well. When they eventually separated, she opened her mouth to apologize for that again, but he was faster than she.

    Theodore loosened his hold on her just so that he could look into her eyes. ¡°Please come with me. Give me an hour to get over this. This is the last time that I''ll cry because of that, and afterward, it''ll be in the past.¡± He paused and raised his hand to her face. His fingers ghosted over her cheek before he slowly laid his palm onto her skin. ¡°No, that''s not entirely true. I still need to tell you some things. But right now, I''m too cowardly to do it. So, please give me some time. When everything is over, I will tell you all you need to know.¡± He looked so vulnerable right now that it broke Blanche''s heart.

    She hurried to stand onto her tiptoes and brought her face as close to his as possible. Her stomach was churning as she clung to him in hopes of soothing both him and her. ¡°I love and trust you. No matter what, I will always be on your side. I don''t mind waiting until you are ready to talk about it. But you need to know that I will never judge you for anything you might have done or thought about. I will be right here to console you. So, you don''t have to hold back. You''re not weak for crying. You need to vent too.¡±

    Theodore''s lips formed a little smile, but along with the tears in his eyes, it didn''t look very cheerful. ¡°You''re always on my side. I know that. I will never doubt it either, so don''t keep anything to yourself either. If something is burdening you, about those nightmares or anything else, tell me whenever you''re ready. When all of this is over, I don''t want any secrets between us.¡±

    Blanche quickly nodded at him. She didn''t want to keep secrets from him either. She wanted to tell him everything, but she was scared of the consequences. That had ruined everything once already, so she couldn''t let it happen again. She would like to talk about the novel, about her childhood and Sefare''s plot and about how she had never wanted to betray Theodore, but all of that would ruin their relationship in some way. Still, she couldn''t help but nod when he asked her to be honest. She hated lies, and at some point, hiding all of this might crush her.

    So, Blanche needed to speak to him. When he would reveal what he deemed to be important for her to know, she would open up too. Probably not about everything at once but about bits and pieces of the burden she carried around on her shoulders. ¡°I don''t want secrets either. But please promise me that you won''t judge me like I won''t judge you.¡±

    Theodore pulled her against him again. ¡°I promise. I would never do that. I will let you explain everything you need to say, and I won''t come to a conclusion before listening to you until the very end. Because I trust you with every fiber of my being.¡± He buried his nose in her hair while she allowed herself to hide her face by pressing it against his chest. They stood there in silence for a while until her lover eventually spoke up again. ¡°We gave the palace enough gossip material for the next weeks again. Maybe we should go upstairs before anyone else sees us.¡±

    Blanche nodded weakly and grabbed his hand tightly as if her life depended on it as he led her through the hallways. They passed by enough staff members, but the emperor didn''t acknowledge their stares. Blanche was a bit embarrassed to see that her lover already looked perfectly normal again while her face was still obviously showing her concern and was, without a doubt, completely red. She averted her gaze whenever she could and moved closer to Theodore, who pulled her against his side and slowed his pace to allow her to continue to walk despite being pressed against him.

    When they reached the third floor, entered his room and finally closed the door, she was more than relieved and fell into his arms again. The emperor brought them to the bed and took off her shoes before cuddling her into a blanket and hugging her again. For a few moments, they were silent with only some whispered professions of love and trust while he pressed kiss after kiss onto her face and neck.

    When Theodore opened his mouth to speak at a normal volume again, they had already been sitting there a long time. ¡°Let''s talk about some more pleasant things. How was the tea party?¡±

    ¡°It was nice. We talked about some interesting subjects.¡± Blanche leaned her head back against her lover and gave him a short summary of the events while leaving out some uncomfortable details. She ended by describing how he had come, which made her pose a question in return. ¡°I wanted to ask this since earlier, but why did you do that? I mean... If you needed to see me, getting a servant to bring me to you would have been easier. Like this, everyone that was present will be angry. That might cause problems. Especially if someone tells Duke Duremont.¡±

    Theodore stroked his hand through her hair while keeping a hold on her waist with the other arm. He stopped his motion when she asked that before slowly continuing again. ¡°I saw you, and I wasn''t able to keep myself from walking to you as quickly as possible. In addition, you looked like something bad had happened, so I wanted to intervene. But you shouldn''t worry. We did nothing wrong. After all, this is our home, and we are free to do whatever we want here. All of them know about us already, so no one could complain about us spreading the news about us purposefully either. I don''t care for Duke Duremont''s everlasting complaints anymore.¡± He moved his hand to her face and gently grabbed her chin to turn her head around to him. He made eye contact with her and waited for a few seconds before resuming. ¡°But I do care about you being with a group of people that are hostile towards you just because you are my lover. What happened? You didn''t look pleased, and everyone else was angry too.¡±

    Blanche chewed on the inside of her cheek as she tried to come up with a way that would understate the impudence of Evelyn''s words. Only after a few seconds, she realized that the only one that could be blamed for this incident was the one that had spoken without thinking. There was no need for her to protect Evelyn, and she didn''t have the desire to do so either. She could just repeat what that woman had said without caring about how angry the emperor would get. ¡°Lady Lemares was in a very bad mood the whole time. It began as she brought the presents for Grace. The ones that you immediately recognized as dangerous ones. I still don''t understand how you did that within a few seconds.¡±

    She hadn''t expected a response, but Theodore replied. ¡°Well, I saw them already. Those were similar items to the ones that some servants liked to bring along when I was a child. I remember some of those, and Althea told me about it as well. That''s why I''m a bit paranoid when it comes to toys for babies. I double-check things like that whenever I can. Since I already knew that Lady Lemares was mentally ill, I thought that she would be the only one that would possibly get something that could hurt Grace. Unsurprisingly, I was right. You are very observant to have noticed that so fast as well.¡±

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    Blanche''s heart ached when she heard that. Her lover had recognized gifts that were purposefully chosen to harm the child and admitted that people had given those to him too. He had mentioned something like this before a few times, but with this context, it was even more painful to hear. She moved around in his hold until he loosened his grasp around her waist so that she could turn her whole body around. ¡°I''m so sorry, Theo. I can''t imagine how horrible it must have been to have experienced this as a child. You''re...¡±

    The emperor pressed his lips onto her forehead. ¡°It''s fine. I don''t care about that anymore. All of their attempts failed, which only proves that I managed to grow up well. Surely, it wasn''t pleasant, but I won''t complain. After all, that led me to where I am now. I wouldn''t change anything up until this point even if I had the chance. No, that''s a lie. I would change many things, but those would only be aimed at allowing us to be together for longer. But I''m trailing off again. Please tell me more about the party. There was something else aside from the gifts, wasn''t there?¡±

    Blanche nodded and tried to remember where she had stopped narrating. ¡°I pointed out that those presents were inappropriate, and Lady Lemares was upset because of this. She accused me of knowing about what could hurt children because I wanted to use it against someone. The others defended me, and she was scolded, which only made her angrier. Then, a few minutes before you came, she suddenly asked whether I was pregnant, which she already did at the hunting festival.¡±

    Theodore''s eyes narrowed at that. ¡°I assume that she didn''t do so to congratulate us.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. She hates her niece, so she wanted to make the empress uncomfortable. Naturally, she was scolded for that. She seemed to have lost her mind though and just said that the empress wasn''t a mother yet and that it would be a good sign if I got pregnant because we need a royal heir. When she was asked about her impudent behavior, she claimed that she hadn''t voiced anything wrong.¡± The more Blanche said, the angrier she got again. None of these words were new to her, but that someone had the nerves to voice them in front of her and Seraphina bordered on unrivaled insolence. Her lover''s arrival had distracted her from her rage while Evelyn had been in front of her, but now all of this wrath came flowing back. She gritted her teeth and resumed while giving her best to stay somewhat calm. ¡°She continued by pointing out that the empress needed to have a child to secure the succession to the throne because you wouldn''t be stupid enough to name the descendant of a commoner the heir. Then she called me your plaything and said that you would throw me away when you get bored with my appearance. She ended with claiming that the empress needed to hurry with becoming pregnant, or she might not be able to have children anymore.¡±

    Theodore reacted exactly as she had expected him to. The atmosphere in the room seemed to change as his face was overtaken by rage. ¡°She dared to say all of that? Does she have a death wish?¡± The boiling anger in his eyes would be enough to make most people run away in fear, and Blanche definitely understood why.

    But right now, she only had the desire to hug him. So, she did that.

    Immediately, her lover pulled her against him and showered her with kisses. It took a while until he stopped doing that and spoke up. ¡°This is the second time that she dared to insult you. I will not let this slide. She will suffer because of this. Not now but in a few weeks. Don''t worry about that woman. Forget every single thing she said. Every person in Artias will know that this isn''t true. They should have understood by now too, but it seems that some people still need a little hint.¡± Theodore moved away a bit from her and cupped her cheeks to make her look at him. His eyes were gazing at hers with a piercing stare that seemed to be able to read her every thought. ¡°You know that I would never leave you, right? That is obvious. But there is also something else that you should never forget. Those people need to treat you with respect. Without you, there will be no heir to the throne, and all of them should remember that.¡±

    Blanche froze at that. She stared at her lover with wide eyes. What was he saying? There was no way that he could make a concubine''s child the future ruler. Of course, that would be done when there was no other choice, but everyone would question that heir''s bloodline. A successor to the throne should always be a wife''s child, favorably the empress'' one, which was why the topic of having children together had been problematic for the couple. Because in the end, Theodore needed an heir with Seraphina, or the Duremonts would end their relations with him. He was already provoking that family whenever he could right now, which was awfully risky, and now he said something like this?

    ¡°But... Theo, I''m a commoner. I don''t even have a lower noble rank. You made me a baroness, so that title doesn''t mean anything to the aristocrats. They will never accept my child as a worthy member of the royal family.¡± Her voice was desperate as she dug her fingers into his clothes and almost tipped him over with her weight.

    Her lover, on the other hand, was way too calm despite just having stated something that might destroy the power balance in Artias and the nobles'' loyalty to their ruler completely. ¡°There is nothing to discuss. If they think about it logically, which I doubt that some of them are capable of, that should have been clear for at least the last year. Our child will the next ruler of Artias. If someone is against that, they just have to ponder about what the other option would be. The only alternative would be the empress having a child that will be a successor to the throne. There is only one issue there. I never touched her, and I won''t do so in the future either. The idea of being with any other woman aside from you, especially her, is revolting to me, so there is no way that I could father a child that isn''t yours.¡± He paused for just a short moment as he narrowed his eyes and then resumed. ¡°Unless they drug me, for which I would kill them. Meaning that if the empress has a baby, it''s not mine. Why would that child be the heir then, even if she did give birth safely? Your child would be a direct descendant of the royal bloodline, so there shouldn''t be any doubt that it''s suitable to be the next ruler.¡±

    Blanche was rendered speechless and just stared at him. She barely managed to put her thoughts into coherent sentences in her mind, and voicing them was even harder. ¡°But that... You would reveal our relationship with that. The Duremonts are going to...¡±

    Theodore caressed her cheek gently and pressed his lips onto hers for a short kiss. ¡°They need to understand that this is the only way that they will have an heir. They can also ask my brother to take over after my death, which they will definitely regret. Duke Duremont can''t be that stupid. He won''t put his personal grudges over the nation''s well-being. Aside from that, I never meant to keep our relationship secret. I only did it at first because I knew that the nobles would use everything they can find against me. It was clear that they would criticize my love for you just because they don''t know what else to accuse me of. So, I wanted to give them time to get used to it. Now all of them know already, so being with you in public won''t cause any problems anymore.¡±

    It absolutely would. Seraphina''s and Henry''s reaction whenever the emperor sought out his concubine while others were watching made that obvious.

    ¡°But of course, there will be-¡± Blanche was cut off when her lover kissed her again.

    Theodore pulled away and looked at her for a couple of seconds before speaking up. ¡°You shouldn''t keep putting your worries about politics above your own feelings. Don''t remind me of the things that those arrogant nobles could think. Tell me what you want. You wouldn''t want me to be with another woman, right? You want to show everyone that we love each other like you did in the past. You just started restraining yourself ever since you had those nightmares. But we both know that what you saw won''t happen. So, you don''t have to act like you are in constant danger. You can do what you want. And you want me to be by your side during events and to hold your hand right?¡±

    Blanche felt uncertainty rising inside her. She opened her mouth before closing it again. She took a second attempt before speaking. ¡°Of course, I want you with me. And I wouldn''t bear the thought of you being with another woman. But...¡±

    ¡°That''s exactly how I feel too. And us being happy together is the most important thing, isn''t it? So, we will act on our wishes. We did what others wanted for long enough. There won''t be anything that can stop us. You trust me, and I trust you. The mother of my children will be you, and one of them will become the royal heir. Let me show you that I''m right about this.¡±

    Blanche shouldn''t agree to that. How could she simply say that he knew what he was doing while he was risking destroying his connection to his biggest supporter?

    But more than anything else, she wanted to agree. Hiding their relationship forever wasn''t impossible, but it would drain the both of them, especially when it came to the topic of needing an heir. Maybe this had bothered her for too long. Maybe changing the novel''s storyline had made her too arrogant. Or maybe Evelyn''s words had hurt her more than she cared to admit. She didn''t know what of that was true.

    But in any case, she nodded at her lover. ¡°I trust you. You have to be right.¡±

    Theodore''s lips formed a soft smile as he leaned down to her. ¡°I am. I won''t ever do something stupid again. I''m the wise and competent ruler of Artias after all. Believe me. I wouldn''t risk letting my brother gain power. At least not if I can prevent it. But if I had to accept his victory to protect you, I would do it. I won''t lose you no matter what.¡±

    She still didn''t know what to say about this, so she just lifted her hand and interlocked her fingers with her lover''s ones.

    Theodore smiled at her and put the blanket around their bodies again. ¡°Look, we''re all comfortable now. I know that we theoretically shouldn''t stay inside for the rest of the day, but I would like to have a calmer evening since the morning was this stressful. Can we eat here?¡±

    Blanche cuddled herself into the blanket and leaned her side against her lover. ¡°Sure. I don''t want to leave the bed now either. We should have changed into our night clothes already.¡±

    ¡°That might have been clever, but we can''t do anything about it now. We will have to stand up one more time later. Only if you don''t want to eat your salmon while sitting in bed, of course.¡±

    She had almost forgotten about that. ¡°We''re still having salmon?¡± A bright grin lit up her face, and Theodore mirrored her expression.

    ¡°I keep my promises. I said that we could celebrate today, so we will do that. Maybe in an a little more lazy way, but we won''t miss out on it. After all, we still made a great accomplishment today. We finally managed to convince the crown prince of Ocrea to come here without any war happening first. We can''t forget that just because I was a bit distracted.¡±

    Blanche nodded and choked down her question. The emperor had said that Cedar had been here and had told him a few bad things. She wanted to know what that had been about, but she certainly wouldn''t remind her lover of his bad mood. She was overjoyed that he was smiling again, and she intended to protect this smile for as long as possible.

    Luckily, she could stay with him the whole night and had enough time to distract him from every horrible thought. She gave her best to do that and grinned at him, even when her muscles began to ache. She insisted on feeding him during dinner and gushed about how tasty the food was while clinging to him. Then she talked about any random lighthearted topic that she could think of and played with his hair while blabbering on.

    When they eventually went to bed, she was the one to initiate physical contact and reminded Theodore that she loved him every time she had enough air in her lungs to do that. After they washed each other once more, they lay down to sleep.

    Then Blanche hugged him the entire time and caressed his face until she was sure that he was asleep. It was rare that he lost consciousness before her, but she was happy that she managed to watch him until the end of the day. She stared at his peaceful expression for a few more minutes before closing her eyes as well with the plan of continuing like this the next day.

    That night, she dreamed about a chandelier that fell and crashed onto the floor as countless people yelled. She awoke in her lover''s arms though and quickly forgot about that again.

 Chapter 163: Worrying About The Future

    As soon as Blanche awoke the following morning, it became very obvious that she wasn''t the one cheering her lover up anymore. Instead, he seemed to be keen on pampering her.

    When the first rays of sun hit her face, she lifted her hand to block them out. This didn''t help much, so she turned around and hid her face behind Theodore, who promptly began to brush his hand over her hair. Blanche wanted to open her eyes, but the room was too bright, so she kept them closed and murmured a ¡°Thank you¡±. She hadn''t intended on falling asleep again, but her lover''s warm hands and the calm atmosphere in the room made her doze off within seconds.

    Normally, she would stand up in time for breakfast, but when she opened her eyes once more, it was already noon. She was still drowsy, probably because she had slept for too long, and took a while until she could stop squinting and was used to the light.

    Theodore was still lying in front of her with a soft grin on his face. ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead. Did you get some rest?¡±

    Blanche nodded while yawning and turned her head to glance at the clock. A frown appeared on her forehead. ¡°It''s noon? Why didn''t you wake me up earlier? You know that I will sleep the whole day if you give me a chance.¡±

    He chuckled at her and sat up. ¡°Yesterday was very exhausting, so you deserve to sleep a bit longer. Besides, you were too adorable while sleeping. How could I wake you then?¡± He extended his arms towards her, and she automatically sat up as well to embrace him.

    ¡°Good morning. We missed breakfast because of that, you know? I wanted my orange juice.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. You will get it in a few minutes. Everything was already prepared and is standing right there on the table.¡±

    Only now, the concubine looked in the direction of the table and noted that it was full of food. There were countless dishes, and in comparison to the normally already huge amount, there was even more here today. ¡°That''s a lot of food. Is that for breakfast and lunch?¡±

    Theodore put his lips on top of her head and rubbed over her back. ¡°Yes. We will only eat once, so we can have twice as much. Today, we will have a nice relaxing day with not much to do. We can go to the pavilion or the winter garden. We could go anywhere else within the royal estate too. What do you want to do? I''m all yours today.¡±

    Blanche slowly moved away from him to tilt her head upward and made eye contact with him. She blinked a few times and put on a fake pout. ¡°Only today? That''s mean.¡±

    He laughed and took her hands in his. ¡°Of course, I''m yours forever. But today, I won''t go to work or meet anyone. So, we have the whole day to ourselves. We have enough time to do something that takes longer today, so you are free to choose whatever we can do without leaving the royal estate.¡±

    The concubine pondered about this. Her lover had so much time for her right now that she couldn''t complain about not seeing him, but they rarely did special things. Just sitting together or taking a walk was usually fine. If they wanted to do anything else, it was mostly connected to cuddling or eating together. Both of them liked this simplicity of that and barely tried something else. But now that the emperor had asked her, she wanted to come up with an activity he would enjoy too.

    The gears in Blanche''s head were turning as she gave her best to find something creative. Unfortunately, she didn''t have a single clue.

    Theodore watched her with a soft smile and stroked over her hair as she pondered about his question. ¡°We don''t have to do anything special if you don''t have an idea. I was just going to propose visiting a few of our favorite places and spending some time there. We could also attempt to cook something though. That might be fun.¡±

    The concubine breathed out in relief before freezing at the last suggestion. The emperor considered taking a knife into his own hands to make a meal? This would definitely sound like a fairy tale to most people. ¡°I almost want to choose the second option just to see how you will deal with doing something for the first time. I can''t imagine you being able to cook anything on your own.¡±

    Theodore showed her a confident smirk. ¡°What makes you think that? I am very much capable of cooking. Should I demonstrate it for you?¡±

    Blanche nodded as she returned the grin. ¡°Yes. I don''t believe that you can make a tasty meal on your first try without any help. I remember how much I struggled back when I prepared a soup with some servants. I gave up on cooking after that.¡±

    Her lover lifted her hand to his lips. ¡°So, will you bet that I won''t be able to do it? I bet that I will. What will the winner get?¡±

    Her grin widened as she observed the emperor. ¡°The winner can decide what we do for the whole evening.¡±

    ¡°What a tempting gift.¡± Theodore pressed a kiss onto her pinkie finger. ¡°You can be sure that I will claim that price for myself.¡± He sounded so confident that it dawned on the concubine that she would lose.

    But she was certain that she would be able to live with that result. She couldn''t back down now, and it would be fun either way, so she might as well risk it. ¡°Fine. Then we made our little promise official. I will judge your dish critically. Since we are used to chef''s meals, this will be hard for you.¡±

    The emperor slowly let go of her and rose from the bed. ¡°I don''t mind a little challenge, even if the simple meals I am used to preparing aren''t too special. I will win no matter what, so it will be fine. Let''s get dressed now. We need to eat and then empty our stomachs so that we can have my delicious meal for dinner.¡±

    Blanche wanted to follow him, but he already brought her clothes to her and began helping her put them on. After that, he brushed her hair before dressing himself quickly and joining her at the table. Breakfast, or rather lunch, was as mouth-watering as always, but they didn''t finish everything since it was just too much.

    They went to the kitchen after this, only to be greeted with stares of disbelief, which worsened when Theodore asked for some ingredients and utensils to be brought to his room. But naturally, the servants obeyed without questioning the order.

    So, the rest of the couple''s day consisted of them making fried potatoes with some stew. In reality, it was the emperor who did this though. Blanche did some small tasks, and for the other half of the time, she stood next to her lover with an open mouth and watched how skillfully he prepared everything. When he finished, he ordered a servant to bring everything downstairs to let the chefs heat it.

    A few minutes later, the dishes were brought back, and Blanche could only stare at them in awe. The smell and appearance of the meal already revealed that she had without a doubt lost the bet. Though, Theodore refused to say where he had learned cooking and only hinted that he was used to much simpler dishes that could be prepared in a hurry. Then he insisted on them sitting down to eat so that she could judge whether he had won.

    Naturally, he had.

    The preparation might not have been as masterly as one of the chefs, but the taste was at least as good. The concubine emptied her whole plate while observing her lover in between, but he just grinned at her. He even asked whether he should make food for her more often if she was this overwhelmed by his gesture. When the both of them finished, she officially named him the victor of their bet, but it didn''t matter much.

    He had had the same idea as her, so they just spent the evening together in his room and cuddled.

    <hr>

    For the next five days, Theodore didn''t leave her side.

    They spent their time taking walks through the garden and visiting the pavilion whenever they passed by. It was surprising to see that her lover didn''t have anything to do at the moment, so Blanche was almost a bit relieved when he told her that he would go to his office for the afternoon. After a long embrace and multiple kisses, they eventually separated and waved at each other until he had disappeared at the end of the corridor.

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    Blanche barely had a moment to breathe before Stella already spoke up. The maid was pouting with her hands on her hips and began with a fake sigh. ¡°How stressful. I''ve been wanting to talk to you for days. His Majesty surely is monopolizing you sometimes. He even delayed his work just to cling to you. That''s adorable, but when I am only waiting by the door despite no orders coming, it''s pretty boring.¡±

    The concubine grinned at that as she began walking. ¡°I''m sorry for that. I did tell you that you can take those days off though. Enough servants are waiting near his room, so you theoretically don''t have to waste your time by standing here.¡±

    Stella made a rejecting gesture with her hand. ¡°I would be a horrible attendant if I left as soon as you closed the door. Recently, our friends started to stop by whenever they have free time, so it''s fine. Besides, if I wait here, everyone will know that you are with His Majesty.¡± Her expression darkened. ¡°Seemingly, some people still have to notice that he favors you.¡± She was still referring to Evelyn, about whom she had complained whenever there had been one minute in which Theodore had been away.

    Blanche shrugged and rounded a corner. A group of servants made way for her and bowed, which made her a bit uncomfortable, but she smiled at them anyway. She replied to her maid when they had passed by the people. ¡°I''m a little angry because of that woman too, but I would like to focus on keeping her from giving an innocent child harmful gifts instead of fuming. Besides, I know that she was telling lies, so it''s fine. It also sounded like Theo might deal with her.¡±

    Stella increased her pace to walk next to her mistress again. ¡°Did you talk about that woman with His Majesty? What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He said that she would suffer, and his expression while he voiced that was scary, so I fully believe him. This means that this matter will be settled by him. He also told me that nothing Lady Lemares said was true.¡±

    The maid''s fury was openly visible on her face when she replied. ¡°Of course, that wasn''t true! He was very clear about that, wasn''t he? That should be obvious judging from the way he treats you. That woman has to be blind. She is only able to voice such stupid things because His Majesty was lenient the last time that she was this awful. But now she should feel his wrath. I already got my fair share after Her Majesty''s birthday ball, so I can imagine how she will tremble after being yelled at.¡± That thought made a taunting grin appear on her lips.

    The concubine was silent in response. Talking about this subject had made her remember Theodore''s promise more than anything else, and that worried her a lot. It was impossible for her to be the mother of the royal heir, so she should keep herself from being happy about him not needing another woman. But she couldn''t help but cling to this hope. This would save them so much trouble.

    At least if she was able to get pregnant. The more she pondered about this issue, the more dejecting her thoughts became, so she would favor pushing the issue aside.

    Naturally, Stella couldn''t know that though. ¡°What''s wrong, My Lady? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    Blanche shook her head and glanced down the corridor. It might be better to speak about this with someone with an attitude that was a bit more positive than her own. But she didn''t want to address this while others were eavesdropping. The few guards here would already be enough to spread a rumor, so she would have to avoid them under any circumstances. She scanned the corridors and decided that she couldn''t take the risk of speaking here. ¡°I want to tell you something, but we''ll do that in my room. Don''t worry though. It''s nothing bad.¡± It was actually something very good. It was so good that she doubted that it could be true.

    Despite her mistress'' last words, Stella''s expression was filled with concern. ¡°That you have to point that out makes me worry even more. Though, we are not on the right path to return to His Majesty''s room. So, we will go to your old chambers now?¡±

    Blanche nodded and eyed her maid from the side with a smirk. ¡°Where else would we go? I said that we would go to my room. I naturally meant the one where I live.¡±

    Her servant shrugged. ¡°Judging from your actions during the last weeks, you don''t live there anymore. Ever since we returned to the palace, you have been sleeping in His Majesty''s room and spent most of your time there. I don''t remember whether you actually slept in your own chambers once during that month. Maybe you did, but then His Majesty was with you. To others, it would seem like you live in his room and just store a few things in your old room.¡±

    Right. That was an issue Blanche had ignored too. She averted her eyes and went through her memories, only to shrink in herself when she noticed that her maid was completely right. Anyone within the palace had to think that she had moved to Theodore''s room. Such rumors were definitely problematic. If they were kept within the royal estate, it would be fine. But as soon as Seraphina and her family noticed this, they would trouble the emperor.

    Blanche sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°I understand what you mean. That isn''t too good, is it?¡± Maybe she should try to steer against this, but that would force her to give up sleeping next to Theodore, and she wasn''t willing to do that, nor was he.

    Stella glanced over at her with an indifferent expression. ¡°Why would that be an issue? It''s His Majesty''s palace. He can tell you to sleep wherever he wants to. If he wants to have you with him, you could never refuse. It was the emperor''s order after all.¡±

    The concubine had worried about the consequences for him more, so this didn''t calm her in the slightest. She didn''t say anything else anymore though.

    When the group arrived at her room and entered it, with Owen waiting in front of the door, it felt strange.

    Blanche hadn''t been here for a while despite this being her chambers. She plopped down onto the sofa and looked around a bit. Somehow, the room seemed very small now that she was used to Theodore''s chambers. It was quieter too since there weren''t as many servants running around in this part of the palace. She took some time to breathe in and out with closed eyes, which only made her note that it smelled different too. Of course, there was still a part of her that adored her bedroom, but she had to admit that she favored her lover''s room. Probably because she was always there in his presence and connected it with him in her mind.

    She opened her eyes again and patted the sofa. ¡°Stella, sit down with me. I wanted to tell you-¡± She interrupted herself in shock when her maid was there within a second. ¡°You are very quick today.¡±

    Stella turned to her mistress and bobbed up and down while responding. ¡°Of course. I''m curious. And a bit worried. What did you wish to talk about?¡±

    Blanche leaned against the backrest and stared into the distance as she thought about how to begin. Maybe it would be good just to be direct. ¡°Theo told me that my child would be the crown prince or princess.¡± Both women were silent for a moment, and the concubine didn''t dare to look at her maid to see her reaction. When she did this anyway, she was met with a grin.

    Stella was beaming at her and jumped off the couch. ¡°That''s amazing! I mean... It was obvious in the first place, but now he even promised. This is great! We have to do something to celebrate. Should we get a cake? Or pancakes? Our friends will definitely make something for you quickly.¡± She took a step back before jumping up and down on the spot. ¡°Oh, this is too exciting. I can''t help it.¡± She only stopped when she saw that her mistress was still sitting on the sofa with a serious expression. Her smile faded, and she plopped down next to the concubine. ¡°My Lady? Aren''t you happy?¡±

    Blanche couldn''t respond to that question properly. She rested her hands on her lap and stared at her fingers. ¡°Yes...no... I don''t know. It''s a bit more complicated than that. Of course, I''m happy that he wants to have a child with me and that he won''t be dependent on having one with another woman.¡± She balled her fists so much that her fingernails pressed sharply against her palms. ¡°But...you have no idea what problems this will cause. The Duremonts will stop supporting him as soon as he crosses the border and formally announces that I am his lover. But he would have to do that to make my child his heir. I can''t risk him losing his biggest supporter because I''m selfish and don''t want him to be with another woman. That could allow the second prince to gain even more power, and you know that that would be horrible.¡± She pressed her mouth into a thin line. When she opened her fists again, red crescent-shaped marks lined her skin and reminded her of how on edge she was.

    Stella watched her mistress for a moment before slowly reaching over and covering the other woman''s hand with hers. ¡°So, your biggest worry is being selfish because of this?¡±

    Blanche nodded with as much emphasis as she could muster without hurting herself. ¡°I can''t support him in this decision when it means that he might ruin his reputation and political connections just because he doesn''t want to hurt me.¡± She squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed her leg with the hand that wasn''t being held by her maid.

    For a few seconds, the both of them were quiet again

    Then Stella continued the conversation with a voice that sounded like she was convinced that she was telling the truth. ¡°I think that it would help you to think about this a little differently. You need to see His Majesty''s perspective more. Of course, he doesn''t want to hurt you, but he has his own feelings too.¡±

    Blanche slowly raised her head. ¡°Of course, he does. What do you mean by that?¡± Maybe it was foolish, but she almost hoped to hear an argument that could allow her to stop worrying. She listened with care.

    Stella took her mistress'' hand over onto her lap and began speaking in a persuasive but also soft tone. ¡°Maybe it would help to use an example. His Majesty is in a very uncomfortable position with all of those issues of political nature burdening him all the time. So, you should see it from his perspective. Imagine that you needed to have a child under any circumstances. And if you had one with His Majesty, this problem would be solved, and you could be happy because you both wanted a child together anyway. But if you chose this way, there would be people who trouble you after. So, the other option would be meeting another man while His Majesty is aware of what is happening and having that person''s child. Like that, the other parties would be content. Would you consider the second option?¡±

    Blanche already felt like throwing up just when she heard this. ¡°No way.¡± The thought of sleeping with someone else but Theodore was revolting, and imagining how he would look at her after finding out broke her heart. No matter how many people pressured her, she wouldn''t be able to do that. ¡°I would never. I couldn''t. Even if I tried to force myself, it wouldn''t work.¡±

    Stella nodded with a serious expression. ¡°See? How do you think His Majesty feels about considering that option? He told you that you will be the mother of the future ruler of this nation to prove that he wouldn''t betray you, no matter what some arrogant nobles want him to do. He won''t hurt you, and he also doesn''t want to be intimate with someone he dislikes. The result should be obvious. I know that you worry about what might happen after, but you should have a little more trust in His Majesty. He has always been very diplomatic. He will find a way to make sure that you can be together while he rules Artias to the best of his ability.¡±

    Blanche didn''t dare to move as she sat there and stared into the distance without truly seeing her maid. She wanted to believe those words so badly, but she was scared. Once she began hoping for everything, she would be crushed upon losing that chance. She would rely on everything going well. She had made that mistake once and didn''t want to repeat it, knowing that having her heart broken again would destroy her.

    Now she had a stable life again. She had already prayed for a happy ending with her lover and his safety to the gods on multiple occasions. Asking for even more seemed impudent to her.

    But how could Blanche push away that wonderful thought? One of being able to have a family with Theodore without needing to hide that he was the father of her children? One of not needing to fear that he would have to lie with Seraphina sooner or later? She couldn''t force her lover to be with someone else when she knew how awful she would feel in that situation herself, so this was surely the best choice, was it not? Blanche was tired enough to want to end her worries here.

    Maybe it was lazy of her, but she didn''t want to think about this issue now. She wasn''t pregnant, so pondering more about this could wait until she had a child. If she was able to have one at least, which was another problem.

    She had promised Theodore that she would trust him already, so she couldn''t take this back now. This was obviously some sort of excuse, but to her, it justified banning all thoughts about this topic from her mind for now. She would have to deal with this later anyway, so she could allow herself to have some rest until it was time.

    At least until it somehow got public.

    Maybe trying not to worry until then was foolish. After all, delaying the inevitable had never brought Blanche too much success. But at the moment, it was hard to consider that her life might take an unpleasant turn, so she tried to let the thought go.

 Chapter 164: Sweet, Sweet Tea

    Blanche wasn''t really certain whether ignoring the issue of the royal heir for now was fine, but her head already hurt. She wanted to deal with all of this later. She wiped over her face to wake herself up and forced herself to smile at her servant. ¡°Thank you. You truly know exactly what to say. I still worry, but I won''t wreck myself because of this. Let''s focus on something else. Do you want to drink some tea with me?¡±

    Stella gave her a gentle smile and nodded. ¡°Of course, My Lady. I will go fetch something from the kitchen. Do you have a preference?¡±

    ¡°Surprise me. I''m open to something new as long as it''s fruit tea.¡±

    The maid stood up and moved towards the door, where she stopped and turned around once more. ¡°I''ll be back in a minute. Distract yourself in the meantime.¡±

    Blanche smiled at her, but as soon as the door closed, her face fell. She buried her face in her hands and breathed out shakily. Why was her situation this complicated? There were two choices, but both were horrible and would make her and Theodore suffer or threaten his political power.

    How was she supposed to make a decision? Either way, she would feel awful. She could take the easy way and say that this was the emperor''s choice, but while that was true, it didn''t free her from any responsibility. She was too indecisive. Just seconds before, she had made the conviction of not thinking about it, but she couldn''t help herself. When she was alone, her mind wandered to this no matter what she did. Hopefully, Stella would be back soon.

    The concubine pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on her legs. This position was a little calming, but she still returned to her original one quickly. Her maid would immediately see that something was wrong otherwise. Blanche glanced at the clock and sighed upon noticing that it was three o''clock in the afternoon. There was still some time before Theodore would come back unless he surprised her by returning early. To be honest, she hoped for the second option. She needed his presence now. Her stomach made her feel sick, and all her brain could do was cause her to want to hide under her blanket to avoid reality. She had no desire to continue like this, and only her lover''s hugs would allow her to feel better.

    Time passed by so slowly that she almost wanted to close her eyes to skip until the moment at which Stella returned. Just when she was about to lie down on the sofa, the door opened.

    Her maid stepped inside while balancing a tray and placed it on the table in front of her mistress. ¡°I truly lost stamina because you stayed with His Majesty. At his place, I never need to carry anything and basically just stand around to attend to you. Now that I had to prepare something myself again, I was extremely taken aback by how hard it suddenly became.¡± Stella grinned at the other woman and gestured to the tea. ¡°I had some help, but there it is. Seemingly, this was a new flavor that Her Majesty ordered from the south. She appears to be quite fond of it, but no one hesitated to give me a portion when I asked. As you can see, or rather hear, you are known to be His Majesty''s favorite. No one will deny you anything if you ask for it. It has advantages being your maid. I get everything just by saying that it''s for you. I bet I could order full-course meals for me without anyone noticing.¡±

    Blanche greeted the servant with a smile. It wasn''t as forced as she had thought that it might be, possibly due to her maid''s happiness, which made her content as well. ¡°You have my permission to try this if you''d like to. You already got two portions of the tea, right?¡±

    Stella nodded and sat down next to her mistress. ¡°I did. One of them is one of lesser quality and another flavor though. They were already worried about giving you one of Her Majesty''s personal favorites, so they compensated me with something else. You can try a cup of this tea too if you want to. But I would recommend you start with the good one.¡± She picked up a cup and held it towards her mistress while being careful not to spill any of the liquid.

    Blanche took it into her hands and looked into the container. She was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful violet tone of the tea. She sniffled when the steam hit her nose and let out a noise of awe. ¡°It looks gorgeous, and it smells great too. Thank you for getting me this.¡±

    Stella grinned and grabbed her own cup. ¡°I was glad to do it. I will only get the best things for My Lady. Then let''s find out whether Her Majesty has a taste that is similar to you. I would like to know. After all, she praised this tea, so it seems to be heavenly.¡±

    Blanche eagerly nodded and lifted the cup to her face. She paused for a moment and stared at the liquid once more.

    Somehow, it seemed familiar to her.

    Not just the appearance but also the flowery smell. Still, she had no idea where she might have seen such a purplish tea. Maybe drinking it would help her memory a bit. She carefully took a sip of the liquid and enjoyed the sweet fruity flavor that ran down her throat and left a slight aftertaste. For some reason, it felt a bit sticky in the back of her mouth, so she assumed that there had been some honey inside to sweeten it. That wouldn''t have been needed at all. The tea was already quite sweet. It was almost too sweet for Blanche, but she wouldn''t admit that when her maid had probably just mistakenly put in too much honey.

    ¡°This is delicious, Stella. Your instinct is working perfectly again.¡± The concubine drank another sip of her tea before deciding to empty the whole cup.

    Stella grinned at her and sipped her own drink before refilling her mistress'' cup. ¡°Hopefully not. Because I was uncertain whether I should truly take this tea the whole time. Luckily, it seems to have been the right decision though.¡±

    Blanche made eye contact with her servant. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Stella frowned and responded with a quieter volume. ¡°Well, I didn''t like the tea at first. The longer I looked at it, the more delicious it smelled, so I couldn''t help it. But at first, I wanted to take something else.¡±

    The concubine chuckled and lowered her gaze to catch a glimpse of the violet liquid again. ¡°It does have a strange color. But it''s tasty, and that is all that matters.¡± She took another sip, and the sweetness filled her mouth again, but this time, the aftertaste was even stronger so that she had to cough. She couldn''t hide it anymore after all. ¡°It''s very sweet though. Even for me, this is-¡± She interrupted herself as she said that and froze. Wait. That made no sense. ¡°This is Her Majesty''s favorite flavor?¡±

    Stella nodded. ¡°Yes. She only recently tried it, but she has it almost every day.¡±

    That was all wrong.

    Blanche was the one that adored sugary things but didn''t like bitter ones. Seraphina, on the other hand, was fine with sweet flavors but favored ones that weren''t as sugary. That was why unsweetened chamomile tea would be the best choice when it came to calming her down. If that was the case, then why would the empress like such overly sweet drinks? Didn''t she like green tea the most? This drink was the polar opposite of that.

    The concubine lowered her cup and stared at the liquid. Where had she seen a violet tea in the past? One that smelled sweet, tasted sugary and clung to her throat like honey? That something like this was supposed to be favored by Seraphina didn''t seem normal. It was out of character for the heroine.

    Like a switch had been flipped, the memories came flowing back to Blanche.

    She knew that the empress had drunk something that had been described like this once. That had been a scene in the novel. Seraphina had refused to drink more of the tea because it was too sweet. Then she had stood up and wished to take a walk, only to feel dizzy. She had stumbled forward a few steps and then collapsed, at least her maids had described it that way.

    The one who had brought the empress this tea was Kate. The maid that was later revealed to have put a strange liquid into the tea for money without knowing that she was used for an assassination attempt. The taste of the poison was described as overly sweet, and the medicine had been called sticky too. Apparently, it also tinted the liquid in a bluish tone so that a normally red tea would seem violet.

    Oh.

    The concubine had completely forgotten about Kate. That maid should only have tried to harm Seraphina, right? Why would she poison anyone else now?

    Blanche put the cup onto the table with way too much force so that the tea ran over the sides, which made her servant flinch.

    ¡°No...¡±

    ¡°My Lady?¡±

    ¡°Stella, who helped you prepare this?¡± The concubine felt like even voicing this was hard, and her speech sounded like it was slightly slurred to her.

    Her maid blinked at her a couple of times before hurriedly replying. ¡°Her Majesty''s maid. I forgot her name. The one that always looks uncomfortable and never glares at you.¡±

    Blanche''s stomach churned, and she didn''t know whether it was out of fear or because of the liquid she had swallowed. Had Kate truly put this into her drink?

    There was no way that someone had hired a maid for so much money to get rid of a powerless concubine.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Right?

    But this tea was too similar to the one that had been in the book. This couldn''t be a coincidence. Had someone truly poisoned her? Slowly but surely, the panic was setting in, and Blanche spoke up. ¡°Get the royal doctor.¡±

    Stella stared at her wide eyes. ¡°What? What''s wrong?¡±

    Blanche moved her head to face her maid, and it felt like the world around her was spinning. This wasn''t good. ¡°Poison. Get the doctor now. Arrest Kate.¡± She barely managed to press this out before a wave of dizziness hit her. She swayed despite sitting on the sofa and touching the backrest with her hand.

    Luckily, Stella had understood her. She jumped to her feet and let her own cup crash to the ground before sprinting out.

    Barely a few seconds passed before a figure slipped into the room.

    The concubine wasn''t able to recognize them since her sight began to become blurry. What kind of poison could work this fast? She needed to get this out of her system immediately.

    The other person keeled by her side and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Lady Blanche, can you hear me? Did you ingest poison in some way?¡± This was definitely Owen. That was good.

    Even though Blanche hated asking this of him, he was better than a stranger. She tried to point to her mouth, but she barely managed to coordinate her movements, and her head slouched to the side. ¡°Throw...up.¡± She didn''t know whether he had been able to comprehend that, but she couldn''t speak any clearer when her tongue was refusing to follow her instructions. ¡°Get it out.¡± Hopefully, he would understand her intentions. If this poison stayed inside her body, it would only cause more damage. Seraphina had survived this attack but only because she had drunk one small sip. Blanche had consumed at least four times as much. She couldn''t trust her luck as the heroine to have something save her. She needed to get rid of this poison. ¡°Out...¡±

    Luckily, Owen appeared to have understood. He cupped her chin to look into her face, but she barely managed to interpret what his expression meant. ¡°I apologize for this, Lady Blanche. Please try to relax.¡± He quickly shifted her position so that it almost felt like he hugged her from behind while he lifted her body up.

    She hadn''t known what to expect, but she hadn''t braced herself for a punch into her stomach.

    Blanche had probably let out a very pathetic gurgle as soon as the pain set in, and she writhed and doubled over. She wasn''t sure about anything else though. She believed that her plan had worked, but the world around her faded to black before she could confirm it.

    The only thing on her mind when she fell forward was that she wanted to see Theodore again. Not only him but also her friends and people like Sophia or Noah. There was so much more that she wanted to do before her death, like seeing old friends again. This couldn''t be it.

    She couldn''t leave her lover alone like this.

    She needed to wake up again.

    <hr>

    The light was glaring and made her already bursting head pulsate. Her throat felt like she had drunken acid as well, and her stomach ached like she hadn''t eaten for days. She still wanted to throw up. The world around her was spinning despite the platform below her not moving at all. Different parts of her body tingled while it became awfully hot around her.

    All of this was horrible, but her headache was definitely the worst thing of all of this. It felt like someone was crushing her skull with unimaginable force and wouldn''t stop until they succeeded.

    Blanche let out a whimper. ¡°It hurts...¡± She just wanted to take a knife and cut out whatever part of her brain was paining her like this. Was she going to die again? She didn''t want to die. Everything hurt so much.

    Why wasn''t her lover here?

    ¡°Theo...¡±

    What had happened to her? Why did her head hurt this much? She couldn''t even distract herself to make it any better.

    ¡°Hurts...¡±

    Only then, she realized that someone was talking to her. ¡°I''m right here next to you. It will be fine. You only need to hold on a while longer. My angel, please relax.¡± This was Theodore.

    Blanche still felt like she would be drawn into her inevitable death by this pain, but he made it a bit better. ¡°Theo...¡±

    She wanted him to hug her. Why wasn''t he hugging her? He should hug her once more if she was about to die.

    She whined again. ¡°Theo...¡±

    Before she could complain again, her lover moved and something changed. Her forehead wasn''t hot anymore but icy and wet. Streaks of pain shot through her head, and she opened her mouth to let out another mewl. But just in time, the ache lessened and turned into a faded pounding that wasn''t pleasant but manageable.

    A hand grabbed hers tightly, and she felt a pair of lips kissing her prickly skin. ¡°It''s almost over. Please hold on for one more time. The doctor will make the pain go away.¡± Theodore sounded like he was crying.

    That made her want to tear up too, but it was too late for that. Her whole face was already sticky with what she assumed to be the leftovers of her tears that had dried over the course of a few hours. It was better now, but she didn''t want that pain to ever come back again.

    Footsteps shuffled around the bed. There were at least three other people there as well. One of them touched her neck with two cold fingers that almost seemed too icy to belong to a healthy person. But she assumed that she was just way too warm to be able to make that difference.

    Blanche got used to that feeling quickly, and everything around her seemed to fade away. Was she falling asleep? Hopefully, this would be over when she awoke the next time. She had to wake up again.

    Those people next to her started speaking, but she was too lazy to listen to them, and their voices dampened in the distance. It was exhausting to fight to stay conscious, and she had no desire to try this, nor did she have the necessary energy.

    Only when Theodore replied to them, she fought to listen. ¡°Please open your mouth. You will get medicine against the pain.¡± He squeezed her hand, even though she didn''t need any further encouragement. If it made that ache go away, she would swallow everything.

    Moving her jaw was harder than she had thought it to be, but she managed to part her lips halfway.

    Only then did Theodore pat her head. ¡°Good. You can rest now.¡± He talked to her in a soft whisper that was enough to make her sleepy.

    She was glad to be able to close her eyes now, but she was worried about her lover. He was upset because of her, right? He sounded so vulnerable and hurt. So different from her memories of her past death. When he tried to let go of her hand, she used her last bit of strength to squeeze back.

    Immediately, he took her hand in between his and pressed kisses onto her skin.

    She wanted to tell him that she loved him again since those were the words she wanted to leave behind more than anything else, but her energy wasn''t sufficient for that. So, she just drifted away in a dark, inevitable sleep.

    <hr>

    Blanche was walking through the corridors of the palace. It didn''t look quite right, her vision seeming to blur at the edges and sometimes shifting as if she had skipped a few seconds. Everything was almost colorless around her so that she barely even recognized the familiar locations. Not that her brain really allowed her to make out much. She seemed to be hazy most of the time, barely being able to keep her consciousness.

    Yet, the thing that stood out most was her aching neck. It hurt so much that she felt like she had drunken acid. Cradling her neck didn''t help much though. It just kept hurting.

    Maybe that was why she automatically wandered around to find help. Her barely conscious state didn''t allow her to consider any other option but to search for her lover. Her feet, which almost felt numb like the rest of her body aside from her neck, carried her forward. She didn''t assume that anyone on her way would assist, and that held true. None of the servants and maids even addressed her or glanced in her direction. They just talked to one another, mostly seriously without a hint of the usual joy, as they moved around to do their thing.

    Blanche passed by them without even trying to speak. She didn''t pay attention to anyone, much like they didn''t pay attention to her. She just walked toward her destination slowly. Her pace made it hard to be content, but she persistently resumed, so she had to arrive at her goal soon. And at some point, Blanche did. She reached the second floor and found the emperor''s office. Her vision blurred again, and as she looked up, she was already in the room. She slowly let her gaze wander.

    The room was like she remembered, the only difference being that it was almost empty. The only two people here were fully quiet and didn''t move, so they barely seemed to fill the location. Blanche couldn''t bring herself to focus on them, so she only recognized Leon, who sat at the emperor''s desk and went through document after document, after a minute. He didn''t look good. The bitter expression on his face and the dark rings under his eyes gave that away, especially as he opened a drawer, found a flask of some sort and just slammed the drawer shut again before cursing. Owen, who seemed to be the other man in the room, didn''t respond. Instead, he merely continued to stare at the book in front of him as if he had trouble reading. A candle sat next to him and illuminated his face along with his glassy eye and the eye patch on the other side.

    Blanche didn''t talk to either of them. They didn''t acknowledge her with even the slightest gesture either. She didn''t want to see them anyway, so this was all she had needed to do. She turned without questioning it. She searched for her lover elsewhere.

    This time, she blinked for a bit longer. When she looked around again, she found that she was outside. As she took in her surroundings, she could see trees all around her along with the meadow she stood on. This was a glade. She assumed that it was one that belonged to the royal estate, but that didn''t even matter. Her numb feet carried her forward again.

    Purple flowers were spread everywhere. As if those functioned as bait, dozens of purple butterflies flew all around them. She couldn''t smell anything, but she assumed that the air had to be full of a sweet fragrance that lured in those butterflies. She found them pretty, but they didn''t ease the pain of her neck.

    Blanche still stepped forward. It was almost like her field of view was much smaller than normal since she didn''t take in much until she stood directly in front of the center of the glade. She was greeted by a white stone with carefully engraved letters. She didn''t bother reading what it said, but she could imagine.

    This was a grave. The grave of a person that might not have been hated by all they had met.

    The grave had numerous candles and flowers on it. Blanche could count at least four bouquets among some letters, random jewelry and a plate of macarons that was almost fully hidden by the flower garland that had been wrapped around the stone. The flowers seemed fresh, like they had just been replaced an hour ago. Maybe they had.

    The grass right in front of the grave was damaged, barely existent to the point at which it was mostly just soil. Had someone stood there often? It wouldn''t be surprising. This place was a good location to grieve. It was quiet and gave everyone the distance from others they would need in a weak moment.

    The person that was here didn''t seem to grieve though.

    Blanche didn''t know who it was. She couldn''t look at her directly, maybe out of spite since she was once again not seen either. She only made out that it was a woman in a typical dress for a noble lady. This didn''t tell her much, and it wasn''t important enough for her to wonder.

    That woman stood in front of the grave right now, but she didn''t say her goodbyes. Instead, she yelled. She vented a lot of pent-up frustration, so Blanche wasn''t even mad about her disrespecting a dead person. But even this woman''s anger seemed to end at some point. ¡°All of this is your fault. You committed treason. If it hadn''t been for you, if you had just-¡± She froze in the middle of that sentence. She began sobbing a moment later and fell to her knees. She just cried after. Only a single sentence left her mouth anymore. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±

    Blanche still didn''t look at the woman. She didn''t care enough. Her neck hurt so much, and she wanted to see her lover. That was all she thought about. She didn''t even have a sliver of sympathy for this woman who cried here. Still, she stayed right there next to the grave as if she was waiting for someone.

    That someone came not too late after.

    A person stepped onto the glade, but they didn''t announce themselves. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The voice didn''t match the previous atmosphere in the slightest. The woman had been furious before crying, but this person carried the coldness of a century of ice in them. Their words cut through the silence like a freshly sharpened sword that was meant to kill without resistance.

    The woman stood up immediately, maybe out of a reflex. As she whirled around, her face was blurred, but she almost looked scared. She might have realized that she was at the wrong spot.

    The someone that had arrived did not want her here.

    Blanche turned her head to find out who this was, but at that very second, it was like the sun disappeared. Everything was painted black as she felt like the world faded around her. She fell without anything offering her protection. The only thing she could make out was the faint smell of grass that mixed with something metallic as her neck burned.

 Chapter 165: Fever Dreams

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    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

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    and urgently needed water too, but nothing came out.

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 Chapter 166: Recovery

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    <hr>

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

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    your health. We need you to recover as quickly as possible. We''ll eat breakfast now, and then you have to take a bit more medicine. I''ll cuddle you the whole day, so all you have to do is stay in bed.¡±

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 Chapter 167: Two Visitors and A Letter (1)

    ¡°Theo, do you have a suspect already?¡±

    ¡°Claude Vasquez.¡±

    Blanche whipped her head around to Theodore, only to become dizzy because of this. She swayed a bit, which made her lover stabilize her.

    Theodore looked at her with a frown and spoke when she had managed to regain her balance. ¡°Don''t move so quickly. You need to give your body time.¡±

    She knew that, but right now, she was too startled by him already having a clue about whom the perpetrator might be. ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    Theodore''s frown stayed on his face. He was quiet for a moment too long before he replied. ¡°We interrogated that maid for a very long time. After some...encouragement, she told us that the person handing her the letter was a specific servant. I knew that man since he sometimes rode in the carriage with Duke Vasquez. Along with the fact that Duke Vasquez insulted you and holds a grudge against you now, this might be enough of a clue to find out that he is responsible. None of that will be enough to show in front of a court though. He would just pin all the blame on the servant and act like the victim. So, we decided to keep this a secret for now.¡± The emperor''s expression darkened as he took her hand and planted a kiss on it. ¡°But I won''t let him get away with this. Believe me. I will crush him. Until now, I thought that he would still hold back as long as I am the emperor, but it seems like I underestimated his recklessness. He should know that I won''t forgive him and won''t rest until he gets his punishment.¡±

    The way that he said this didn''t leave any doubts about his sincerity. He was definitely full of anger and would be happy to make Duke Vasquez pay. But the fact that they both shared the understanding of who was responsible relieved Blanche a bit. Now she didn''t have to argue with him to convince him that that family might be a threat.

    Still, one thing baffled her. ¡°I might not know a lot about politics and intrigues...but isn''t this really sloppy?¡± She turned her body around to her lover and barely managed to do that until he helped her. ¡°I mean, he used his own servant. Everyone knows that he might be connected to the crime then. And why did he do it anyway? Killing me might satisfy his grudge, but it won''t get him any other advantage. If I got seriously hurt, you surely wouldn''t just drop the trial and let him get away. I don''t understand his reasoning.¡± Poisoning someone so directly was far too obvious anyway. Wouldn''t a real schemer hide this more?

    Theodore put his hand against her cheek and met her gaze with a completely serious expression. ¡°I am already angry enough. If you had suffered any more than this, I would already have burned down his house with him still being inside. I didn''t believe that he would get this self-assured just because the dowager empress is back, but he seems to forget that I can play dirty too. I won''t use as lax instruments as last time. There will be a real trial by the end of this, and if that happens, there will be enough evidence to get rid of all of them. No matter whether they offer that to me or whether I have to make sure that it exists. I''m sick of acting nice while they try to hurt the person that I love.¡± He stroked over her skin and held her hand with his other one. He intertwined their fingers and stared into her eyes as if he could read her mind. ¡°I don''t want to use violence, but the point where I change my stance is getting awfully close. I won''t be able to take revenge now without making myself known as a dictator, but I promise you that this will not remain without consequences. Have a little patience, and I will pay it back to them tenfold.¡± She didn''t doubt him for one second.

    Blanche gently stroked her thumb over his skin. ¡°But don''t focus on that. I''d rather have you keep your reputation clean instead of them calling you a tyrant. Our safety is more important than revenge. We need to make sure that they won''t find a way of getting to us ever again after this.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry about this. I already increased the security measures regarding the ones controlling our servants'' loyalty. In addition, I also took some steps to prevent anything that we don''t like in our food. From now on, your meals and drinks will be treated like mine. Only a very limited amount of people may prepare them, and they may never lose sight of your plates and cup. There will be taste testers and specific examinations to make sure that there won''t be any poison inside too.¡±

    Blanche blinked at that. It was a logical way to prevent anything from happening to her, but at the same time, it was an awfully brazen step. After all, this meant that her meals would be treated with the same care as the ones of a member of the royal family. There was no chance that this wouldn''t cause rumors. But to be honest, she couldn''t bring herself to care.

    This gossip couldn''t kill her, directly at least, but poison surely could. And she didn''t want to die.

    Before this, she had thought that she wouldn''t be targeted so directly in front of Theodore, but now there had already been two incidents in which she had been threatened in some way. She wouldn''t continue to believe that she was relatively safe. As long as she was by Theodore''s side, she would be his enemies'' opponent. She had to expect that they would try to harm her, even if they only wanted to signal her to stay out of this. Of course, she had no intention of complying with their demands. She would support her lover until the very end. So, she was in danger and needed to accept a few rumors if that saved her life.

    ¡°Good. Is there anything that I need to pay special attention to?¡±

    ¡°No, the kitchen staff will take care of everything. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that others might offer you food too, but you have to decline. People with bad intentions can''t just win by asking you to try a piece of salmon.¡±

    Blanche nodded to herself. ¡°I might forget about that sometimes, but I will be careful.¡± In reality, she doubted that she would forget this. The shock of realizing that there was poison in her tea still made her shiver whenever she thought about it. She would probably never be able to drink violet liquids again. The smell and taste of that tea and poison mixture still filled her mouth when she imagined its appearance, which caused her to almost gag.

    No, she wouldn''t consume anything remotely similar to that drink ever again. Hopefully, Stella wouldn''t prepare her something that would remind her of that tea.

    This thought made Blanche lift her gaze to her lover again. ¡°Wait... Can Stella still make meals for me? I just asked her to boil some tea. I don''t want her to do that for no reason.¡±

    Theodore gently ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp in a way that made her forget about the sticky poison in her throat. ¡°She can. I didn''t trust her in the beginning, but she proved that she is loyal a few times now. Whenever you were in danger or sick, she showed how worried she was. She can''t be such a good actress, I would have noticed. While you were unconscious, she even asked me to punish her because she allowed that maid to help her. Apparently, she had a bad feeling and ignored it because the other woman was nice. She felt awful for that.¡±

    The concubine immediately tensed at that. ¡°You didn''t punish her with anything, did you? It wasn''t Stella''s fault.¡± For some reason, she already imagined the worst thing when it came to Stella. She didn''t doubt that her maid could become depressed if she was ever blamed for something that had happened to her mistress.

    Her lover stroked over her hair in a manner that calmed her down a bit so that she allowed herself to relax again. He spoke up in a soft voice. ¡°She insisted on a punishment, so I gave her one. I asked her to devote her full loyalty to you, no matter what happens. She will need to give her best to serve you in the future and do whatever that demands of her.¡±

    Blanche had already begun to panic at those first words and slowly calmed down as she heard the rest. That wasn''t truly a punishment, but it might be enough to keep Stella from blaming herself for this. Her maid was really too kind. Still, Blanche''s stomach churned with unease as she imagined her maid''s tearful expression while she said that. ¡°She agreed immediately, didn''t she?¡±

    ¡°Of course, she did. She swore on her life before I could even finish my instructions. I added another paragraph, but she didn''t mind that at all. This time, there is no way that her word will be-¡± A knock sounded from the door, and Theodore grabbed the blanket to wrap it around his lover''s body. ¡°This will be our breakfast. We should cover you up for that. No one here deserves to see you in your nightgown.¡±

    Blanche nodded and leaned against him as she tried to ban her worries about Stella to the back of her mind. Her maid was fine now, so she didn''t have to be so on edge. ¡°I''m hungry, so this is good. Hopefully, someone accidentally brought salmon.¡±

    Her lover chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair to straighten it. ¡°Don''t rely on that. That might happen for dinner, but there is no way that you will eat greasy fish upon having an empty stomach. You will have to consume some other food first.¡± She knew that he was right, so she didn''t complain and just looked forward to her salmon in the evening.

    The emperor allowed the servants to come in, and they placed many dishes on small trays on a cart, which they left next to the bed. The concubine might have been disappointed about not getting fish but in the end, this food was heavenly too. As always, the chefs had outdone themselves, and since she was hungry after not eating for two days, she devoured plate after plate.

    The only one forcing her to slow down was Theodore. But this only caused her to eat slower and not less. By the time she was finished, it was noon. Normally, she would feel bad about that, but she was sick, so she didn''t care much.

    The rest of the day would consist of her staying in bed and cuddling with her lover anyway. So, she definitely didn''t have to hurry. She didn''t put in the effort of dressing herself and just stayed in her nightgown. The only thing she did was brush her teeth, comb her hair and wash a bit. However, she did none of that herself, and Theodore was the one taking care of it for her.

    Blanche allowed herself to be completely lazy for once and let him pamper her. Especially having him brush her hair was wonderful. Since she had writhed in bed for the last days, her strands were full of knots, so he had to use at least an hour to untangle everything. But he was as gentle as always and pressed kisses onto her neck while massaging her scalp until her skin felt tingly. It was a heavenly feeling, and she almost fell asleep during that.

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    Aside from enjoying how her lover took care of her, she only waited for the doctor to examine her and chatted with Stella and told her that she wasn''t angry at least a thousand times. The maid cried a lot and promised to rely on her instinct more from now on while swearing that she would protect her mistress in the future.

    Blanche was thankful for so much loyalty but also relieved when Stella finally stopped sobbing. She still took her time to cheer her up for much longer, just to get that downcast expression that made Blanche way too tense off Stella''s face. She was already thinking about a way to distract her maid while also doing something with Theodore when she remembered that she hadn''t played chess in a long time. Just when she opened her mouth to propose this, someone knocked on the door. The concubine turned her head to her lover and looked at him with a questioning gaze. ¡°Are you expecting anyone?¡±

    The emperor stared at the door and shook his head. ¡°I don''t remember anyone that-¡± His expression darkened. ¡°Oh, there might be a person that wants to speak to you. I don''t think that I will let them in though.¡± Before she could ask whom he was referring to, he raised his voice. ¡°Owen, you can come in.¡±

    The door opened, and the knight stepped inside. Owen closed the door behind his body and bowed. ¡°Her Majesty is here with Lady Ravillot. They wish to see Lady Blanche.¡±

    The concubine''s eyes widened as she glanced at Theodore, who seemed completely unaffected by the news. She watched him for a moment before voicing her thoughts. ¡°You don''t appear to be surprised.¡±

    Her lover shook his head. He leaned against the head part of the bed and gently put his hand on top of hers. ¡°I expected her to show up. That she would bring her guest with her is more surprising, but Lady Ravillot is surely the more pleasant person of the two of them. I would favor sending them away, but I assume that you want to let them in, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Sophia is really nice, and I can''t ignore the empress. Besides, you''re here. Nothing bad can happen. I don''t have to be scared, so why would I ignore them?¡±

    Theodore gave her a soft smile. ¡°It''s your decision. I won''t complain. But I won''t move away only because they enter.¡±

    Blanche scanned his posture and inwardly asked herself whether this was a good decision. After all, Theodore was sitting in her bed, and they were obviously cuddling with each other. Letting his wife in now was definitely not the wisest or most considerate choice. Blanche bit her lips and pondered about this for a moment but didn''t come to a conclusion. Maybe she would just leave that decision to her guests. ¡°Owen, you can tell them that they may come. But right now, I am not in the most presentable state, so if they wish to enter anyway, I would ask them to be kind enough to ignore it. After all, I''m still sick.¡±

    Owen nodded and instantly left the room. It only took a few seconds before the door opened again.

    Seraphina and Sophia came inside and approached the bed. The empress'' forehead was wrinkled with a deep frown while her sister looked at Blanche with obvious worry.

    Only now, the concubine considered that she might not have the same appearance as always. It might be very obvious that she was sick. After all, she felt exhausted, and thus, it was likely that this was visible from the outside as well. Blanche tried to hide this at least a little and bowed her head to the empress when Sophia curtsied to Theodore. But she didn''t get far.

    Her lover immediately stopped her. ¡°Don''t. You still need to rest. Don''t over-exhaust your sense of balance, or you might get dizzy again.¡± She doubted that it was that bad, but she listened to him anyway.

    Seraphina spoke up before the concubine could think about voicing an apology for the state she was in. ¡°It is alright. There is no need for formalities when you are confined to the bed. How are you feeling?¡±

    Blanche gave her best to show a convincing smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am well if you consider the circumstances. I''m a bit dizzy sometimes if I move too quickly, and I''m weak. I can barely lift my arms by myself, but aside from that, I can''t complain. Are you in good health?¡±

    The empress'' frown only deepened. ¡°I doubt that it is necessary for you to worry about others when you are the one that was harmed.¡± She turned to Theodore. ¡°Will there be any lasting damages, or will she be fine after a few days of recovery?¡±

    The emperor replied with a grim expression. ¡°She will recover fully. But only because she noticed what was happening and got rid of the poison in time.¡±

    The empress faced Blanche again. She clenched her jaw. Her usually stoic facade was barely existent and revealed the bitterness she was feeling at this moment. For a few seconds, everyone was silent before Seraphina slowly lowered her head. The concubine stared at that in irritation while the other woman began to speak. ¡°I apologize. You specifically warned me about that person, but I was too self-assured to believe you. I thought that I had known her for too long to misjudge her. But in the end, I was wrong, and the one that suffered from the consequences was you. I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    That much was obvious from Seraphina''s pained expression and her voice. Despite her usual aloof mask, the heroine wasn''t a heartless person. This had been more clear in the novel in which she had even faced the villainess in prison to give her an explanation of her reasoning after all that had happened, even if she hadn''t been apologetic then at all. In general, she was more than capable of acknowledging her mistakes and apologizing if she deemed it to be necessary. If.

    This display of her regret was definitely genuine at the moment. The only problem with that, apart from her not being at fault for not believing the baseless accusations of a person that had troubled her for a whole year, was that she was the empress. The most powerful woman in the nation apologizing was conflicting already, but her bowing her head to anyone else was just plain wrong.

    Blanche almost frowned as she gave her best to hide how she had tensed. How was she supposed to react to this? Somehow, this apology didn''t help her much. The issue had happened already anyway, and in this case, the empress'' judgment had actually made sense. Blanche was a bit lost. ¡°Your Majesty, that''s not necessary. Your maid was the one that poisoned me, so she is to blame.¡± As long as the real perpetrator was punished, Blanche didn''t mind.

    Thankfully, the empress raised her head again and locked her gaze with the concubine''s. ¡°But I ignored well-meant advice. If this had caused damage to me, I could have told myself that it was my own fault and moved on. But since another person suffered because of my misjudgment, it is only appropriate for me to apologize. Unfortunately, even this will not undo what happened. I may not be able to make up for ignoring your words, but I can promise that I will remember the other names you mentioned. But more importantly, I will support this investigation with everything that is in my power. While that maid was already punished, there is no doubt that she was only hired by someone with more influence. No one dares to plot an assassination within the royal palace and gets away with it. The responsible ones will be held accountable.¡±

    This sounded like Seraphina hadn''t pleaded for her maid to get exiled instead of killed in this version of events. That was only logical since she could forgive someone for hurting her, but since another person was involved, she couldn''t just be generous.

    Not that Theodore would have changed his mind either way.

    Blanche didn''t know what she was supposed to say about that. She was thankful if the empress would listen to advice since this could protect all of them. But aside from that, she still didn''t like being apologized to. In fact, it somehow upset her a little, maybe because she had been accused of lying so often despite telling the truth to Seraphina. She hurriedly spoke again while doing her best not to sound too icy. ¡°I am grateful for your words, Your Majesty. But you truly do not have to feel responsible. You had no way of knowing that my instinct would coincidentally be right. So, you don''t have to-¡±

    The empress interrupted her. ¡°No, I insist. You should trust your instinct more since it seems to be right about a lot of people. Still, we can''t neglect a proper investigation.¡± She turned her head to the emperor. ¡°Have you already found out which poison was used? We might be able to confirm where this substance came from.¡± She was overestimating herself again, wasn''t she? As intelligent as the empress was, she couldn''t see through all intrigues. She should know that the emperor already tried his best, so hiring more people wouldn''t help.

    Theodore, who probably wouldn''t ever consider involving Seraphina in this investigation anyway, shook his head and narrowed his eyes. ¡°It was a bluish liquid with a sweet smell, but we have not been able to learn anything apart from that.¡±

    Blanche chimed in at that. ¡°It tasted sweet too. A bit like honey but much stronger. And it stuck to my throat like that as well.¡± The thought of that made her want to gag. She barely managed to choke that sensation down and pressed her hand against her mouth. She definitely shouldn''t remind herself of that flavor.

    Her lover immediately noticed what she was doing and grabbed the glass from the nightstand. ¡°Here. Drink a few sips. It will help you with your dizziness.¡± Once again, he was the one holding the container for her so that she could swallow the water and gently wiped her lips when she was done.

    Now the nausea was gone, but Blanche was a bit worried. She had shown Seraphina more of her closeness to Theodore than she had intended to again. But she couldn''t really help it right now. If she tried to hold the glass on her own, she would only drop it. And Theodore was her lover, so this should be fine as long as the empress didn''t complain too much. One careful glance at the empress proved that Blanche worried for naught.

    The heroine was lost in thought and probably thought about whether she knew about a poison that was similar to this one.

    Sophia was standing next to her and just watched her sister with concern.

    Only now, Blanche realized that the countess was the only one that was paying attention to the proper rules and wasn''t speaking since the emperor hadn''t addressed her yet. The concubine quickly nudged her lover with her elbow. She feared that she had used too much strength at first, only to realize that she had barely brushed over his side. This damn poison had definitely taken away the biggest part of her energy.

    What kind of medicine did something like this? It was obvious that Duke Vasquez would use this when it was so effective.

    Theodore turned to her despite her limp movement, and she nodded towards Sophia. Her lover gave her a soft smile and lifted his hand to push away one of the strands of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. He remained in that position for a moment and only addressed the guest after a few seconds had passed. ¡°Lady Ravillot, feel free to talk as well. There is no need for you to be silent the whole time.¡±

    Sophia made a curtsy before finally opening her mouth. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I was uncertain whether it was appropriate for me to show up so suddenly, but I was too worried.¡± She met the concubine''s gaze with a downcast one. ¡°I''m overjoyed that you awoke again, Lady Blanche. I was scared that something bad might happen, so I am relieved that you are feeling well again. I mean...acceptable at least.¡± She lowered her eyes to the floor and closed her mouth, so it seemed like she was finished. But a moment later, she lifted her head again and resumed. ¡°Have you figured out why that maid would do such a thing?¡±

    Theodore''s expression became more serious again. ¡°She was given money by a servant of the dukedom of Vasquez. Since the duke is rather upset with us, especially Blanche, at the current time, I don''t need other clues to suspect him. Naturally, this won''t help us in a trial. So, we need to gather as much information as possible to use it later when there is more evidence that we can present.¡±

    Sophia''s eyes widened at that. ¡°How horrible. That is... For such an influential person to use such horrible instruments... And he only wished to get revenge for a fight? Our father told us about what happened after the meeting with the ministers. Did this happen because of that?¡±

    The emperor was silent for a few seconds. ¡°It might be the thing that spurred him to do this. But there is definitely something else behind it. We will investigate to the best of our ability. I can assure you that I won''t forget this matter.¡±

    Sophia nodded with emphasis. ¡°Of course, you would not do that, Your Majesty. I fully believe that you will be able to lead a proper investigation, and I have no doubts that you will be much more successful than we could be. Still, I would like to offer our help if you need anything. Surely, there is something that the Duremont family can do.¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that offer. It should be obvious that Henry wasn''t keen on helping the concubine in any way, so his daughter offering assistance in this case would frustrate him. Not only because of his own feelings but because of the rumors that might surface too. If the Duremont household got involved because Blanche was hurt, it would seem like they had a good relationship with her. This would indicate that they were accepting her position, which Duke Duremont would never do. So, Sophia''s words weren''t harmless in this situation.

    Especially since Blanche hated the thought of that family getting involved anywhere in such a trial.

    Theodore scanned the countess for a while before replying. ¡°I doubt that your father would be fond of that. You shouldn''t offer your household''s help without asking the head of the family for permission as he will certainly complain to you. I thank you despite that, but you do not need to help in that regard. There is a small thing you personally could do outside the trial though.¡±

    Sophia''s expression turned dejected before quickly becoming determined. ¡°I will do anything in my power, Your Majesty.¡±

    The emperor put on a fake smile as he replied. ¡°Then please tell your father to stay quiet for a few weeks. I have enough problems without his constant nagging, so I would greatly appreciate it if he left me alone. Only today, two letters arrived, and I can imagine what he complained about. I didn''t read them yet, and I feel like I would be better off burning them before they sour my mood even more.¡± Oh, no.

    Apparently, something unpleasant was happening at the moment. Theodore seemingly hadn''t taken it well while worrying about his lover. That didn''t promise a nice reaction.

 Chapter 168: Two Visitors And A Letter (2)

    too much of an issue. Still, she felt like it was unfair to keep information from her just because she was sick. If she learned about everything that had happened while she had been asleep in one dialogue in a few days, she would be overwhelmed by all the information.

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    ¡°

    Of course-¡± His voice was full of contempt while he said this. ¡°This will not be seen as foolproof evidence. A judge couldn''t be sure whether some rumors simply left the palace so that that man could have heard about it. So, this will end up on the stack of all the evidence that doesn''t help us. Maybe we could use it if we have enough of these small indicators.¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 169: Punishment and Preparation

    Blanche might have gotten her lover to finally open up about what the issue no one wished to speak about was. She listened carefully.

    Theodore gave her a forced smile, but that faded quickly. ¡°Well. As I said, the public is aware of the fact that someone tried to kill you and that they executed for that. But I didn''t have any time to hold a trial because I refused to leave your side. So, we didn''t have one. Since the evidence is unambiguous, and we had a confession of that maid, which many witnesses heard, that isn''t an issue in itself. The only problem is that it''s unusual to do something like this. Theoretically, the emperor can pass judgment without a trial, but it''s rarely done. The only exception is when...members of the royal family are hurt. If someone attempted to assassinate a member of royalty, then a trial is rarely held when the evidence is unambiguous unless there is a truly influential noble involved. And as you can imagine, some people purposefully pointed out this correlation.¡±

    Blanche blinked at her lover as his words slowly seeped in. How was this a little issue? Duke Duremont would be furious about such rumors. There was no way that Henry would stay silent even if Sophia told him to hold back. His irritation was even understandable in this case. After all, gossip about the concubine belonging to the royal family would indicate that Theodore had made her his wife or at least fianc¨¦e. It was clear that Henry was upset. Just ignoring his letters wasn''t a good way to deal with this.

    Blanche''s expression had to have shown how bedazzled she was because her lover continued before she could speak up.

    ¡°See? I told you that you would worry unnecessarily. There is no need to ponder about this. After all, we don''t have to give our reasoning. I surely don''t have to justify why I punished someone that tried to kill you. Besides, I never said anything that could hurt Duke Duremont''s fragile ego. He took two unrelated things and tried to understand what I was thinking while doing something that he has no clue about. It''s his fault if he misunderstood. It''s not like he has the right to complain either way, but especially now, he should stay silent. I have no interest in dealing with him at the moment, so he will have to get over his childish tantrum himself.¡±

    Blanche shook her head, more to wake herself up from her trance than to respond to anything. ¡°But, Theo. Skipping trials in general is not seen with joy.¡± After all, it would make it even easier to frame an innocent person. Though, having a trial didn''t necessarily make the result much fairer in all cases either. Blanche didn''t focus on this. ¡°I get that part though, but the rest is an issue. Duke Duremont''s worries are logical. He won''t be the only one that thought this. You need to make a statement to clarify the matter. That should fix everything.¡±

    Her lover snorted. ¡°Definitely not. First of all, these are private issues, which don''t concern anyone else. I am not required to share personal details with the public. Secondly, I feel like Duke Duremont won''t be calmed by me saying that I didn''t have time for a trial because I was busy holding your hand and nursing you. That would make him angry because of the same reason again. I will just ignore the rumors like always. We are used to that gossip already, aren''t we? In just a few weeks, they will have something more exciting to talk about, and then it will be fine.¡±

    Surely, this wouldn''t be the case. Normally, people lost interest in rumors quickly and moved on to another topic, but anything related to the emperor''s affair seemed to be the most thrilling subject for most nobles in the capital. They talked about it for a long time, and whenever gossip got old, they only forget about it until the next rumors surfaced. Then they would remember what had happened before and add those things together, so these rumors were even worse than before. Just ignoring it wasn''t the cleverest option.

    Not when this was about people thinking that the emperor considered his lover a part of the royal family. However, like Theodore had said, speaking up wouldn''t change much about that either. People would only speculate that he was lying to pacify the Duremont family. In summary, this meant that there was nothing they could do.

    Blanche groaned and grasped his arm like some sort of stuffed animal and cuddled against him. ¡°You''re right. This is unfortunate. And you''re just going to let them talk? I know that you can''t do anything about it, but isn''t this going to strain your relationship with the Duremonts?¡±

    It didn''t seem fitting since she had just said something unfavorable, but her lover smiled at her. He slowly pulled her up into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Which is exactly what I want.¡± He didn''t give her time to react with the necessary shock and just resumed. ¡°This only means that they''ll be prepared for the banquet. In a week, we will still welcome them into the palace. We need to show that we''re well after all. And then I have a little surprise for them. Because it seems like I have to make some things clear.¡±

    This made Blanche swallow. ¡°Theo, what are you planning? That doesn''t sound like I''ll like it. Are you sure that I should attend? After all, it should only be you and the Duremonts.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Lady Ravillot and Lady Lemares will come too. Seemingly, they didn''t think that I was only referring to the people that are part of the main household, but I don''t really care. I despise Lady Lemares, but this event will give me a chance to make her understand something as well. Their presence only means that I can bring you along even more easily. I would have taken you with me anyway, but now I have even more arguments against any possible complaints.¡±

    To be honest, the concubine wasn''t keen on attending that event. Not only was she so weak right now that imagining going through such a stressful experience in a week was impossible, but she would also have to go to a banquet. She hated banquets.

    They consisted of sitting at a table with people that hated her, and she would have to stay right next to some of them for an entire evening. Since the guests were seated at the long sides while the royal couple sat together on one of the short sides, she had no way of being close to Theodore. After all, she would have to sit far away from him to avoid reminding people of the horrible conduct she had shown during the last banquet. During that banquet, she had attempted to claim Seraphina''s seat.

    That was another issue. Blanche would like to avoid banquets in general to not pull attention to her lacking etiquette training. She might not be as audacious to quarrel with the empress in front of everyone anymore, but she definitely wasn''t able to eat as gracefully as most noble ladies. She would just embarrass herself by dropping something and dirtying her clothes or the table cloth. There had been enough occasions in which Blanche had noted how differently Theodore was using the utensils in comparison to her. She would only show everyone how clumsy she was.

    In addition, her lover''s announcement made it sound like there might be a fight between him and Henry. It was obvious how stressful a discussion between those two powerful and intimidating men would get, and the concubine had no desire to witness this in person. That evening would be awful. She already knew that without witnessing a single second of the banquet.

    Blanche fought the urge to ask her lover whether she could stay in her room instead. But in the end, running away wasn''t going to help her. She couldn''t avoid all the banquets that would come up in the future. So, she at least had to prepare before going into the lion''s den. ¡°Could Leon give me a few lessons about table etiquette before that? I feel like I already forgot everything.¡±

    Theodore gave her a smile. ¡°Of course. Only when you''re recovered though. Obviously, we won''t go to the banquet if you are still sick.¡±

    She didn''t bother asking why he had included himself in that phrase and just pressed her face against his chest and allowed herself to whine a bit. ¡°I hate banquets.¡±

    Her lover stroked over her hair, which slowly began to make her skin feel tingly. ¡°I know. But we can''t just tell them that we won''t come while they eat here.¡±

    The concubine was fairly certain that no one in the Duremont household was keen on having her there during their family meal. She could probably make them happy by not showing up, but for the emperor, things were different. He had to attend and spend the evening with his wife''s relatives. Whether he wanted to or not. So, it might be better for her to be there so that at least one of the people there wouldn''t stress him. Still, she wasn''t happy about it. ¡°I can''t eat as gracefully as you. I''m going to drop things.¡±

    ¡°The servants will clean afterward. I''ll give them a small bonus pay for the efforts of that evening anyway, so don''t worry.¡±

    Blanche closed her eyes and relaxed all of her muscles as she lay in her lover''s arms. ¡°What if I lose my favorite part of the dish?¡±

    Theodore chuckled quietly. ¡°Then you can either ask the kitchen staff for more or go to them after the meal and take the mountain of leftovers with you. Or you could take it off my plate.¡±

    She snorted without knowing whether this was really a joke. She hoped so. ¡°Does that mean that I''ll sit next to you?¡±

    The emperor''s voice betrayed that he was grinning. ¡°Of course. I won''t leave you alone with all of those people. You''ll sit right by my side so that I can hear every word someone says to you.¡±

    Blanche''s eyelids became heavier as she slouched against him, but a small smile appeared on her lips. At least she would be with him then. As long as she didn''t have to be next to Henry or Evelyn, it would be fine. The concubine would leave Seraphina''s chair alone this time, and everything would be well with her lover''s protection. ¡°Good.¡± She had wanted to say something else, but her mind was slowly becoming blank. She couldn''t stifle a yawn and realized that she would fall asleep soon. So, she used her last thoughts to speak one last time. ¡°I love you.¡± She felt herself drifting into unconsciousness after that and was in a strange half-asleep state.

    Theodore carefully lowered her down onto the mattress and lay down next to her before covering her in the blanket. He was whispering to her and probably didn''t think that she heard him anymore. ¡°I love you too, my angel. I won''t lose you. I won''t let go of you ever again.¡±

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    She would have liked to tell him that that was good because she had no intention of letting go either. If they both clung to each other, no one should be able to tear them apart.

    But of course, she was too tired to do that. Apparently, that poison was still affecting her more than she had believed before. It didn''t take long before she slipped into a dreamless but peaceful sleep in her lover''s tight embrace.

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    The next few days were almost as stressful as getting poisoned had been. The couple had moved to the emperor''s room, but that didn''t change anything about Blanche being treated like she was severely ill.

    Theodore didn''t take his eyes off her and constantly reminded her not to overdo it. He insisted on her taking her medicine, and she had to beg for every little piece of salmon since greasy food still wasn''t good for her stomach. Luckily, her symptoms disappeared quickly though.

    She got stronger with each day and could leave the bed to move around and even go into the garden for a few walks. Of course, the emperor accompanied her the whole time to make sure that she wasn''t forcing herself to go too far. So, taking care of herself wasn''t an issue with him around. Theodore gladly helped with every little thing, even if she would certainly have been able to do that herself. He made it very clear that wasn''t going to let her get hurt in any way and had no problem proving that over and over again.

    While they were out and met staff members, many of them told Blanche that it was good that she had recovered, and she responded to them curtly each time. Even this made Theodore worry about her straining her vocal cords despite her already speaking normally again. Overdoing it was the least of her worries with her overprotective lover around.

    The thought of the banquet made her way more uncomfortable.

    Each lesson with Leon reminded Blanche of how clumsy she was. To be honest, the only good thing was her being able to eat all kinds of different food, but the rest was a catastrophe. Countless forks fell onto the floor, and she managed to smear some spoonfuls of dessert onto the table cloth. Naturally, knives were still her greatest nemesis. Cutting a piece of steak while trying to look somewhat graceful was probably the most exhausting thing she could imagine. She had wanted to give up and stab that steak countless times. Right now, she could still use the excuse of being weak because of the poison, but during the banquet, she couldn''t blame the assassination attempt for her lacking motor skills.

    Leonard and Theodore both told her that she was doing well, but when Blanche compared how they ate and what she was imitating, their different upbringing became painfully obvious. Frustration was the only thing that kept her motivated until the very end. She gave her best to stand the lessons so that she would be able to go through the banquet without reminding everyone of how uneducated she was in this area.

    Even outside the lessons, Leonard sometimes came by to check on her and give some documents to the emperor. This was necessary since Theodore didn''t leave her side at all during those first six days after she had woken up. Her lover was there to help her bathe, during the doctor''s examination and while her friends visited to wish her a fast recovery. He refused to leave for more than a minute until the doctor gave them his promise that she was free to move around and could attend the banquet.

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    Blanche was walking through the palace for the first time without her lover on the day before the event. It almost felt strange to be without him now that she had grown accustomed to him being with her. Of course, she still wasn''t really alone with both Owen and Stella sticking to her no matter what, but without Theodore, it wasn''t the same. Due to the two assassination attempts in a row and her return from the summer residence before that, he had basically been glued to her for the last weeks. She didn''t complain about that, but her maid seemed to like making jokes about this.

    Stella had been chatting the whole time ever since they had left the room, and it seemed like nothing could stop her. ¡°Really... His Majesty can cling to you for hours if he wants to. You know, it''s funny how some nobles still believe that you are just friends. I mean if they looked at you for one minute, they would see that you adore each other. You can''t keep your hands off the other one. That he allowed you to leave alone for the first time now is just because he needs to do something in his office. And then he told you to meet him at the tailor''s room in half an hour. He can''t go more than thirty minutes without you.¡±

    Blanche listened to that rant for a while with a grin and eventually replied. ¡°You seem awfully discontent with that. Does he annoy you that much? Theo always says that people that complain about a couple are jealous.¡±

    Stella abruptly shook her head. ¡°I''m not complaining. I think you''re adorable. Some might say different things, but I''m very happy to see that you are perfect for each other. Surely, it can be strange to see how you spend hours with cuddling and are touch-starved still, but that''s just how you are.¡±

    The concubine chuckled as they rounded a corner. It was true that some people had talked about them being unhealthy behind their backs, but she didn''t care much. After all, she considered the loveless arranged marriages of nobles unhealthy and was way more content with her relationship. ¡°I''m glad that we are like this. I wouldn''t be this happy if Theodore didn''t like to cuddle. We''re just a perfect match with the same needs.¡± She was about to add something else to that when she lifted her gaze and glanced into the hallway they passed. Blanche stopped abruptly and pointed toward the group of people standing there. ¡°Aren''t that Clark and Darlene? What are they doing by the doctor''s office?¡±

    Stella came to a halt next to her and furrowed her brows as she saw the crowd. ¡°Yes, it''s them. They are talking to two of the assistants. You don''t think that they need help, right?¡±

    Blanche frowned at the scene in front of them as well. ¡°Hopefully not. Let''s go ask.¡± She didn''t even wait for a response and steered towards the doctor''s office.

    When the assistants saw her, they bowed their heads, which made the servants turn around to the women. When Blanche made eye contact with her friends, she only began to worry more.

    Darlene looked like she was both furious and concerned while Clark was gritting his teeth and balling his fists. Something had to have happened.

    Stella spoke up before her mistress could begin. ¡°Are you alright? Why did you come to the doctor?¡±

    The concubine hurried to add her own words after that. ¡°You aren''t hurt, right? Or Angelica and George?¡±

    Relief crashed over her when Darlene shook her head. The maid took a moment before responding and glanced at Clark before opening her mouth. ¡°We''re fine. It''s...Harris. He fainted all of a sudden and fell down the stairs right in front of us.¡± She stared at her colleague, and when he still didn''t chime in, she continued. ¡°He and Clark had another fight. Then Harris got dizzy within one second and tried to leave. But he just...tipped over before reaching the bottom.¡± That didn''t sound good.

    Blanche could tell that fainting wasn''t pleasant from experience, and doing so on top of a staircase surely didn''t make it more fun. Just imagining all the sharp edges of the steps or the bruises that would develop upon landing on them made her shiver. She tried not to think about how painful it was to slam against that spot with your legs, which was so unpleasant that it would even hurt while sitting in a carriage. She was glad that she hadn''t needed to experience that again during the summer vacation. ¡°Is he hurt badly? If he hit his head or something like that...¡±

    Darlene shook her head again. ¡°He didn''t...reach the floor. Clark caught him. But Harris is still unconscious. Apparently, he has a very high fever.¡±

    Clark clenched his jaw for a few seconds, but then he finally spoke too. ¡°Not just right now. He protected his disease. He had a normal cold and didn''t rest. That''s why he''s had dark rings below his eyes for the last week. That...idiot...¡± He breathed out shakily and turned around to walk over to the sofa behind them. He plopped down and stared into the distance while fiddling with his hands.

    Darlene watched him for a moment before turning back to the other women. She whispered while eyeing her colleague, who was running his hand through his hair. ¡°He feels guilty. Because he noticed that something was wrong and didn''t intervene. I tried telling him that he isn''t responsible for Harris'' carelessness, but he still believes that he should have done something.¡±

    Stella watched Clark with worry and spoke up in a just as low volume. ¡°But he did try to help. We saw him discussing with Harris a few times now. He addressed the fact that Harris wasn''t feeling well on multiple occasions. Like when Clark found out that Harris had been drinking and because of the powder to cover his complexion. If that man doesn''t accept advice, it''s his own fault, isn''t it?¡±

    Blanche already knew that it wasn''t that easy. ¡°In theory, you would be correct. But this isn''t about logic but about what Clark is feeling. You already pointed out that he still cares about Harris during their last fight. If someone you care about gets hurt, and you knew about that before, wouldn''t you worry too? You would blame yourself because you think that you could have done more to prevent it or paid attention to small hints more.¡±

    Just like she herself had blamed herself for not remembering the assassination attempt on Duke Lamont''s birthday banquet. She had spent hours by her lover''s bed and held his hand while asking herself why she had forgotten something so important. After all, Theodore had gotten injured, and she might have been able to prevent that from happening if she had just acted faster.

    That thought appeared in her mind and sparked another realization before she could seriously think about it. The concubine opened her mouth to ask the others, but she stopped herself at the last moment. This wasn''t something that she could spread without being sure that it was true and that Clark was fine with her talking about this. Of course, she wasn''t certain and could be dreadfully wrong, but...

    The relationship between those two servants might have been a little more intimate than she had believed before. That would explain why they were opposing each other now and why Clark still couldn''t stop worrying about Harris, even though he claimed to hate the other man. Maybe she was right, maybe she wasn''t. But in any case, she wouldn''t tell anyone for now.

    Blanche let the two women think for a moment before addressing the assistants. ¡°Did the doctor already say when Harris will wake up again?¡±

    One of the men shook his head. ¡°His fever is quite high, so he will have to rest in bed for a while. He should wake up within two days, and if not, we have to make sure that he opens his eyes at least for a few minutes to drink and eat. But I wouldn''t worry too much. That is the worst-case scenario, but while his symptoms are awful, it is still only a normal cold. He would have gotten over that already if he had just rested for a day or two. Now it''s going to take much longer, but he will recover with sleep and some medicine.¡±

    The concubine thanked him before stepping closer to the two maids and whispering. ¡°Is someone inside to...you know...be there for Harris when he wakes up? A friend or colleague?¡±

    Darlene pondered about this before shaking her head. ¡°I don''t think so. No one except for the doctor and his assistants entered ever since we brought him here.¡± That definitely wasn''t good.

    Blanche knew how she would have felt upon opening her eyes and lying in a bed alone in the doctor''s office. She had greatly favored her lover being there. A friend would have been fine too, but staying on her own probably would have lowered her will to recover.

    She glanced over at Clark and contemplated how to ask him to go inside. When she looked at him, it seemed like he was eager to check on Harris. He was impatiently tapping his foot and tried to do something with his hands to distract himself, but he was worried. That much was obvious. If that was the case, why wasn''t he inside?

    Blanche turned her head back to the maids and froze. Maybe Darlene was unknowingly at fault for that. After all, Clark didn''t want to admit that he cared, so he might try to hide it in front of his friends. Blanche made a decision in an instant. She cleared her throat and addressed the maids. ¡°We can''t really do anything about that then. We''ll leave now.¡±

    Darlene nodded. ¡°We should. Let''s get Clark and-¡±

    The concubine immediately cut her off when she heard that name. She waved her hands through the air in an attempt to emphasize her words. ¡°No, no. Let him sit here. You can see that he needs some rest. Leave him alone for a few minutes. If he still sits there in half an hour, you can distract him. But for now, we should give him some time for himself.¡±

    Darlene seemed to be taken aback by that, but she nodded after a few seconds. ¡°You''re right. We''ll just say goodbye to him quickly.¡± The women did what she had said, but Clark barely responded.

    He just wished them a good day without even looking up.

    Blanche realized that he was probably only waiting for them to round the corner so that he could ask the assistants to let him inside the doctor''s office. So, she ushered the maids down the corridor and made them step out of sight. She followed directly behind them and stopped. She counted until twenty before leaning against the wall and glancing around the corner.

    Clark was already standing next to the other men and talking to them. Just like she had guessed, he argued with them for a minute before they stepped aside and let him into the doctor''s office.

 Chapter 170: Vibrant Red

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 Chapter 171: Lets Put On A Show

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    you like. Not what some people say you should have. After all, I''m already paying attention to their opinion with this attire. I''m not going to do anything more than that. If anyone complains, I''ll deal with them. You''ll sit right next to me, so I will hear everything anyone could tell you.¡±

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 Chapter 172: The Worst Banquet Imaginable (1)

    Theodore put on his polite smile and spoke up to greet the visitors. ¡°Good evening to all of you. Welcome to the royal palace. I hope that you had a calm journey here. I am pleased to see all of those known faces and that none of you declined the invitation.¡± He began addressing all the people inside the room, one after the other while beginning with the ducal couple. All of them were curtsying or bowing to the emperor and raised their heads when he spoke to them.

    Henry was fuming already and glared at Theodore while Elaine patted his hand in an attempt to distract him. Allen was a bit annoyed too and clenched his jaw as he scanned the outfits of the three people that had entered. Sophia was smiling nervously, and Evelyn just showed a fake grin that was sickeningly sweet. Of all the people here, Duke Duremont was the most likely person to cause issues.

    The emperor was eventually finished speaking to everyone except for Sophia and Evelyn when he stopped abruptly. ¡°This is taking way too long, isn''t it? We should greet each other after we sit down. It''s much more comfortable like that.¡± He put his hand on the chair at the short end of the table and smiled at the group.

    Henry was the one that spoke up. His tone was as icy as his expression was. ¡°Your Majesty. Before that, I would like to inquire about one thing. Why is Lady Blanche here during our family banquet?¡± So, he just voiced the problem outright.

    The concubine felt how she shrank in herself when Duke Duremont glanced at her and had to fight against the urge to hide behind Theodore.

    In contrast to her, the emperor was too relaxed. He leaned onto the backrest of his chair and let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°You didn''t sleep well this night, did you? You''re awfully disrespectful today. Blanche has lived here for almost two years. As an inhabitant of the palace, being invited to a banquet that takes place here is logical. Basically, she is a host too, so she wouldn''t even have needed an invitation. But that I asked her to come is enough of a reason, right? Besides, your definition of a family banquet seems to differ from mine. After all, I would have needed to invite the dowager empress and my brother for a real family banquet, but I doubt that anyone here would have enjoyed that. You brought people I wasn''t thinking about too, and I didn''t complain, so you shouldn''t criticize me for whom I gather here for my party either.¡±

    None of the guests were happy about those statements. They all just looked uncomfortable or offended while Henry''s face scrunched up with anger. He narrowed his eyes at the emperor. ¡°Surely, Your Majesty must be jesting. This-¡±

    Seraphina chimed in at that. ¡°Good evening, Father. Maybe we should delay this conversation until after we are done with the meal. It would be unfavorable to spoil the mood before we tasted even a small bite of the delicious dishes of the palace.¡± Seemingly, she was giving her best to prevent a fight before the meal had started.

    Duke Duremont forced himself to close his mouth at that, but he still glared at the people in front of him. When his eyes landed on Blanche, he decided to speak anyway though. ¡°I refuse to accept this without an explanation. There is a limit to how long I will stay quiet.¡±

    The concubine pressed her mouth into a thin line and considered telling him that she was glad to see him too, but that would only infuriate him. So, she kept her mouth closed and turned her head to wait for Theodore''s instructions on what to do next.

    Her lover didn''t respond to Henry and just lowered his gaze to the table. He scanned the dishware with satisfaction and straightened his posture again to take a step to the side. At the moment that he grabbed the chair on the long side of the table, Blanche noticed the crucial detail that would cause an uproar if he really considered pulling through with his plan.

    There were three plates and three sets of utensils on the shorter side of the table. Right now, Theodore was in the middle of making sure that everyone''s eyes were on him while he swiftly moved an extra chair next to his one.

    The concubine repeatedly told herself that he couldn''t actually intend to make her sit next to him while Seraphina was on his other side. She was paralyzed and just watched as her lover brought the seat next to the ones that were for him and the empress.

    Everyone else seemed to do the same. It was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop.

    Blanche blinked at that image a few times and was only seconds away from spinning around on her heel and leaving the room without further ado. ¡°Theo. What are you doing?¡± The words left her mouth before she could even think about holding herself back.

    Her lover turned his head to her and gave her a radiant beam. ¡°What does it look like? I promised you that I wouldn''t make you sit next to any stranger. I said that I wouldn''t leave you alone, right? So, you''re sitting next to me.¡±

    A few seconds passed in absolute silence. Then the realization seemed to seep in.

    Seraphina stepped next to the emperor before speaking to him in a whisper. Blanche didn''t need to understand the words to know that the heroine was hissing at the emperor and that she was boiling with anger.

    The concubine herself was about to bring the chair back to its original place, but she had the suspicion that Theodore wouldn''t let her do that.

    In fact, the emperor didn''t care for de-escalation at all. He did the one thing that made everything even worse. He gazed at his wife with indifference before speaking up. ¡°You do resemble your father.¡± He stood behind the chair next to his without saying anything else to Seraphina''s complaints. He pulled it back before patting the backrest as he turned to his lover. ¡°Come, sit down. We can''t let you stand around for too long.¡±

    Blanche would have liked to disappear into thin air at that. This was ridiculous. The only way to avoid offending all the guests and the empress would be to completely ignore the emperor''s instructions. She certainly couldn''t do that. It felt like the blood drained from her body as she stiffly walked over to him and stopped next to his chair to whisper to him. ¡°Theo, that''s a stupid idea.¡±

    Her lover calmly smiled at her and responded in the same volume. ¡°Take a seat. It will be fine, believe me.¡±

    The concubine was fairly sure that she had to have misheard. ¡°How can I believe that? Look at the faces of everyone and then tell me that again. Theo, please. Don''t ruin Duke Duremont''s mood before the dinner even started.¡±

    Theodore stared into the distance for a moment as if he pondered about her words before giving her a small smirk. ¡°But wouldn''t it be even worse if I let you sit elsewhere now? I mean, theoretically, the emperor just assigned a seat to you. There is no way that anyone could refuse. I surely don''t mind admitting that I listen to each of your demands, but would the others like to hear that? Besides, I want you by my side during the meal. I''m not going to do anything physical other than that, I promise. If we don''t have you next to me, I would have to resort to using other tricks. For example, I could also ask you to sit on my lap and feed me. The choice is yours.¡±

    That made all the words in Blanche''s throat die down. He didn''t truly consider doing that, right? She scanned his expression and quickly noticed that he wouldn''t mind pulling through with this plan. Panic rose in her. ¡°Are you trying to make this even more awful than the last banquet? We can''t do something like that!¡±

    Theodore gave her a grin, which was enough of a reply. Whatever he was thinking about would only get way worse, so she would rather accept the lesser evil.

    Blanche slowly sat down on the chair next to his while giving her best not to make any noise. Her lover pushed her chair closer to the table so that she didn''t have to do anything, but that didn''t make her feel better. She began fiddling her hands under the table and lowered her gaze to her lap. She heard how Theodore sat down next to her, but she didn''t dare turn her head.

    A few seconds passed in silence passed, but she didn''t need the guests to speak to know what they were thinking. Currently, all of them were just speechless at the emperor and his concubine''s audacity. They would surely complain in just a few seconds, and Blanche didn''t look forward to that. She was already cowering and considered moving closer to her lover to hide from the piercing stares of the people inside the room. But that would only make everything worse, so she tried not to move at all.

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    But when she heard footsteps behind her, another shock came crashing down on her. She had taken a seat before the emperor and the empress had.

    As the only baroness here, she would have needed to wait until everyone else had positioned themselves at the table. The concubine almost jumped up in a panic, as if that would undo her insolent act. Theodore''s demand in itself had been bad enough, but now she had messed up even more. She just wanted to slam her head onto the table and cry.

    Blanche balled her hands into fists and glanced at her lover, who was sitting right next to her, without lifting her head while whispering to him. ¡°You''re stupid, Theo, stupid.¡±

    The emperor gave her an infuriating smile in return. ¡°I know. That''s why I''m proving the opposite this time. But don''t say things like that too often, or I might get so upset that you have to kiss it better.¡± He truly seemed to find a way to make everything worse with just a few words.

    By now, Blanche was sure that Seraphina or Henry would kill them both when this was over. It was questionable that the banquet would even continue as long as the concubine was sitting on the side of the table that was reserved for the emperor and the empress. But she couldn''t do anything but sit on her chair and wait for anyone to react.

    The longer no one said anything, the tenser the atmosphere became. Theodore was the one to break the silence. He turned his head to his wife and spoke up in a seemingly indifferent voice. ¡°Aren''t you going to take a seat? Don''t make your family stand for too long. They have to wait until you sit after all.¡± Now he acknowledged that rule? It was just strange that he had ignored that first while telling his lover to take a seat before the empress.

    Seraphina was quiet for a few seconds before footsteps sounded, and a chair screeched across the floor. That was another issue. Normally, the emperor would have pulled the seat back for his wife, but he hadn''t done that. Instead, he had helped his lover and ignored the empress completely. Great. Thankfully, the heroine seemed to refrain from bringing this up now in front of the guests and sat down so that the banquet could start. But she was definitely fuming.

    Henry was furious too, but he wasn''t kind enough not to address this in public. ¡°How dare you?¡± His voice was trembling with anger. ¡°You arrogant-¡± It wasn''t clear whether he had intended to insult the emperor or the concubine, but he didn''t finish either way. Simultaneously, Elaine, Sophia, Allen and Seraphina interrupted him to prevent him actually offending Theodore.

    Blanche would have liked to sink into the floor as she watched how the duchess calmed her husband down while the duke''s children were doing the same. But it didn''t seem like Henry intended to drop this, which she unfortunately understood. The emperor''s actions were only meant to provoke the family now, so they had the right to be upset. Still, it was horrible to see Duke Duremont''s rage. It felt like she would be hurt badly if she just dared to meet his gaze, so she directed her eyes onto the table.

    Henry didn''t listen to any of the advice his relatives gave him and just continued to scold Theodore. ¡°Do you really believe that you can do anything you want and disrespect Seraphina like that without any consequences? You aren''t as powerful as you think that you are. The Duremont family refuses-¡±

    Theodore cut him off there. ¡°First of all, I believe that you should lower your voice if you address me.¡± His tone didn''t leave any room for discussion and effectively silenced all the people in the room. ¡°Secondly, the one who seems to have a problem with disrespect is you as well. After all, I did not do anything that would justify your childish outbreak right now. I merely assigned the seats in my house in a manner that I liked. That is what hosts normally do, correct? So, I would like you to tell me what exactly the issue seems to be in a calm and composed manner.¡±

    Duke Duremont''s expression scrunched up more, and he was shaking with rage. His voice was laced with freezing resentment while he spoke, but he had lowered his volume. ¡°Your Majesty appears to be in the mood to joke, but I assure you that I am not. Everyone knows that the side of the table at which you are sitting is reserved for the royal couple of Artias. Allowing this-¡± He glanced at the concubine with pure fury and held back an insult before continuing. ¡°Person to sit with you is offending to the royal family and Her Majesty as well as her relatives.¡±

    The emperor rested his elbow on the table and leaned his head onto his palm as he watched the other man with annoyance. ¡°So, you are telling me that you are stirring up trouble with me because of a chair.¡±

    Duke Duremont''s composure probably hung by a thread by now. ¡°This isn''t about a chair! This is about your treatment of Her Majesty ever since you brought in this woman. You can''t be so blind! You are completely disregarding the traditions of the nation and everything that belongs to the empress just because of some-¡±

    Theodore interrupted him again. ¡°I''ll pretend that you just told me that formally and politely and did not attempt to insult Blanche and me for the second time today. So, let us talk about what you were saying. I am a bit surprised to hear you talk about traditions and things like that.¡± He cleared his throat before continuing in a different intonation and at a slower pace. ¡°Artias is a wonderful country that has the chance to flourish in the hands of a wise ruler. But to ensure that we progress instead of staying immobile, some things need to change. I am convinced that you might be the right person to take care of that, Your Majesty.¡± He paused for a moment to lock eyes with Henry, who had frowned at him before resuming in his normal voice again. ¡°Wasn''t that what you told me the day of my coronation? And now you are complaining about me changing up things that don''t even influence anything. That seems hypocritical to me.¡±

    Henry narrowed his eyes and glared at the other man while replying. ¡°While I did say that, I wasn''t referring to you completely disregarding everything the royal family stands for.¡± He wanted to continue, but Theodore was faster.

    ¡°I don''t think that you should speak for the Estien family. I will take care of that. Your words would be considered very inappropriate by many people, so you should probably hold back a bit. Especially since you should think about what you will say before criticizing the emperor. After all, there is a little problem with your statement. If you reason with traditions, you should understand them.¡± The emperor lifted his left hand and gestured to the chair Seraphina sat on. ¡°Traditionally, the empress sits on the chair to the left of her husband, correct? Who is currently sitting there? The empress. Weird. It seems like I did nothing wrong. After all, the chair on my right isn''t given to anyone at this moment. So, I could allow anyone to take a seat there, couldn''t I?¡±

    Normally, that place would indeed be empty. However, it would always be empty. If the emperor had any more wives, they would sit on his right but at the long side of the table instead of the short one. This meant that Theodore claiming that had given an empty spot to Blanche wasn''t wrong. But still, this wouldn''t be enough to calm down Henry in the slightest.

    Duke Duremont already opened his mouth again. ¡°You didn''t just do that on accident.¡± His eyes moved to the concubine and pierced her like daggers. ¡°You were the one trying to take Seraphina''s place again, and His Majesty is doing this to keep everyone from seeing how insolent you are. That''s also why you would appear in an attire like this. You always attempt to steal-¡±

    The emperor cut him off with a loud sigh. He began massaging his forehead and shook his head to himself until he eventually spoke up in a voice that was dripping with frustration. ¡°I''m pretty sure you never spoke to Blanche properly once. All you ever did was threaten her, so it''s quite amusing to hear that you believe to know her. Accusing someone of being a vile person with no evidence is very easy, but I can refute that by reminding you of two things. I was the one that came up with the idea of her sitting with me. As you would have been able to see if you had paid attention to her expression instead of immediately complaining. She was as surprised as you were because I didn''t tell her before.¡±

    Henry didn''t look pleased, but he didn''t interrupt.

    Theodore made a small pause and narrowed her eyes at Duke Duremont as if to test how the other man would react. When he wasn''t cut off, he resumed. ¡°And the one choosing her attire was me too. Who do you think pays for her clothes and asks the tailor to make some for her? That''s obviously me, so if you have a complaint about her wardrobe, I am to blame for that too. But that would seem strange to me. After all, I went out of my way to get a dress that wouldn''t make you angry. After the last ball, you were upset about her wearing light blue, so I picked a completely different color. What is bothering you now? There is nothing on that dress that you could compare to any shade of blue. Since you are still annoyed, I would suspect that you are angry no matter what Blanche is wearing. So, we can give up trying to please you.¡± He turned his head to his lover. ¡°See? You should have put on my present anyway. You didn''t have to be kind at all.¡±

    The concubine wasn''t sure whether he was referring to their rings from the summer vacation, which wouldn''t have matched with the dress'' color, or the diadem, but she was very relieved that she hadn''t worn either one. She didn''t know whether saying that out loud would be clever though. So, she kept quiet.

    Luckily, it didn''t seem like Theodore had expected a response. He faced Henry again and resumed. ¡°Well. We cleared up that misunderstanding, right? We can move on now. Unless you have another complaint to make. If so, let us finish this quickly. We haven''t eaten for a while, which means that we would like to begin with dinner soon.¡±

    Duke Duremont''s expression darkened even more. ¡°Do you really think I would ignore this and move on without-¡±

    At this point, Seraphina finally chimed in to stop the men. ¡°It is quite late, so we should begin with the meal as His Majesty said. After all, the cooks have prepared a delicious dinner with seven courses that will all be just as mouthwatering. To enjoy all of them properly, we need to start in time though. I do not wish to make anyone here wait unnecessarily long, so please sit down. We will ask the servants to serve the appetizer soon.¡± Seemingly, the empress had finally regained her composure and tried to save as much of her honor as possible. Only her words would be able to keep her father under control now.

    But of course, Henry wouldn''t give in immediately. ¡°There is no way that I can eat while-¡±

    This time, his wife cut him off. ¡°Darling, please be quiet for a moment. Her Majesty asked us to sit down. We can''t ignore her request, correct?¡± Elaine gently grabbed her husband''s hand and led him to his seat that was next to Seraphina''s. She pushed him until he eventually plopped down and sat down next to him.

    That was perfect. Duke Duremont was seated so that Blanche could lean back a bit and hide behind Theodore whenever it became necessary. The only thing she could hope for was that Sophia would be the one sitting next to her. After all, she had no desire to have Evelyn or Allen, who was probably boiling as much as his father and only kept silent, sit anywhere close to her. Fortunately, Theodore had been the one deciding where each person would be seated.

    Sophia walked over to the long side of the table and stood by the chair across from her mother. After her brother had sat next to her and her aunt took a seat next to Elaine, she carefully sat down as well. She was obviously a bit uncomfortable but still gave Blanche a little smile.

    The concubine returned that but was quick to neutralize her expression again in fear that anyone would accuse her of being contemptuous. The situation was horrible enough, so she didn''t intend to speak to anyone or make a single noise or movement that wasn''t necessary. Any attention she might attract would not be one of a positive nature, so she had to give her best to be invisible.

    Seraphina summoned a servant with a wave of her hand and asked him to bring the first course of the meal. The man hurried away without any hesitation and left behind the group in unpleasant silence again.

    Blanche looked forward to the food being there because she would be able to drink or eat whenever she felt watched at that point. Right now, she could do nothing but sit there and stare at her empty plate. It probably looked pathetic, but she didn''t care. Making eye contact with anyone now would be too pleasant. As soon as people talked, she would have to gaze in their direction, but at least she couldn''t see Henry and Seraphina from her seat. She also hoped that she could get the chance to enjoy silence for a couple of minutes before the exhausting small talk would begin too.

    Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.

 Chapter 173: The Worst Banquet Imaginable (2)

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 Chapter 174: The Worst Banquet Imaginable (3)

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    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

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    you seem to be misunderstanding something. Can only the empress give birth to the heir? That''s not true. No line in the constitution would propose something even remotely similar to that. The heir is the child of the emperor that he named the future ruler. If there isn''t a child, then the closest living relatives of the royal family will be considered the next in line for the succession. But as long as I have children, I can make the choice of who will be the heir to the throne freely. And by now, it should be obvious that there is only one way that this will happen. I thought that everyone would already have noticed that there is no discussion about any of this. There is only one woman with whom I will have children, and I will grant all of Blanche''s children the title of a royal prince or princess. The eldest one of them will be the heir and thus the future ruler of Artias. That isn''t too hard to understand, right?¡±

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 Chapter 175: The Worst Banquet Imaginable (4)

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    Do not speak for me.¡± His tone was unnecessarily harsh while he said that. ¡°I''m perfectly fine, and I''m not going to apologize either. The only reason that I had to ruin this dinner was that some people refused to acknowledge Blanche''s place at my side until now. I felt the need to clarify that they won''t be able to disrespect her in the future. That''s understandable, isn''t it?¡±

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 Chapter 176: Trust Me

    When all the bowls were empty, the emperor rose to his feet and gave the group a polite smile. ¡°It seems like we are at the end of our dinner. I hope that you enjoyed the delicious meal by the royal chefs despite the heavy topics we discussed. As I previously stated, I will be pleased to welcome His and Her Grace for a calm conversation. If you feel the wish to speak to me respectfully, write a letter. For now, I will bid goodbye to you though. May all of you arrive safely at home.¡±

    Everyone waited until he finished before standing up.

    Blanche would like to run out of the room as soon as possible, and it took all of her self-control to keep herself from doing that. She wouldn''t leave her lover''s side, or Duke Duremont might turn her into minced meat.

    To her dismay, Theodore didn''t seem to be content with the chaos he had caused though. He linked his arm with hers and began leading her to the entrance without waiting for the empress.

    For a moment, Blanche considered reminding him of that fact, but she had the suspicion that he was well aware of what he was doing. So, she refrained from struggling to not make this look even more impolite and just let him bring her out of the dining room.

    As soon as they came to a halt after rounding the corner, Blanche stepped in front of him and hissed at him. ¡°Theo, what were you thinking? That was horrible! You warned me, but that was worse than I ever could have imagined it to be. You can''t enrage the most important duke in the nation like that. What now? What if you lose his support? You can''t afford to do that! And he might kill me if things go on like this. Did you see how angry he was?¡± She had wanted to sound furious, but in the end, she was just whining. She was barely able to keep herself from starting to sob. Her bottom lip was already trembling, and she had unknowingly grabbed her lover''s shirt.

    Naturally, this didn''t seem very convincing to Theodore. Instead of getting him to rethink, she had only encouraged him to pull her against his chest. He gently stroked across her head and allowed her to lean her head on his body. ¡°It''s alright. I''m here. I''ll protect you from those people. They won''t dare to hurt you.¡±

    Now she was really getting upset. ¡°Theo...¡± She was whispering his name while clinging to him as her head was filled with all the horrible things that might happen. This was awful. So very awful. ¡°What if your brother...¡± She couldn''t even finish that sentence since she didn''t want to say that Cedar could become emperor. ¡°If the dowager empress gains power and you lose, all of us will be hurt. This is horrible. Why did you do that?¡±

    Theodore rubbed small circles into her back while speaking to her in a soft voice that almost made her forget about her worries. ¡°I hate how they treat you. That''s why I needed to show that you are more important to me than anything else. I love you, and I won''t let anyone disregard you. I won''t have children with anyone but you. So, it''s better to make that clear now. It would be much more stressful to reveal it when you are pregnant. And believe me, this won''t benefit my brother. I don''t have an issue ruling without Duke Duremont''s backing. Duke Lamont can help me, but I don''t even need him. I...proved that just putting down my foot is more than enough to rule, even when everyone thinks I''m insane. No one ever tried to resist even when the nation fell apart under an emperor that had lost his mind, so rest assured. I will make our life as wonderful as possible. This means that I won''t hide you anymore. I gave them time to understand, and if they didn''t, that is their fault. Everything will be fine. Trust me.¡±

    She wanted to, but that was hard when she had seen the Duremonts'' reaction. Henry had shown his anger openly, but everyone else, aside from Sophia, had been boiling with rage too. The whole family would despise Theodore now. There was no way that the emperor could simply ignore that.

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± A freezing voice chimed in.

    Blanche turned her head to see Seraphina, who had just come out from the dining room.

    The empress walked closer to the couple and gazed at them with the most obvious resentment in her eyes. ¡°I would like to discuss this with you in private. Alone.¡±

    Theodore sighed and glanced at his wife while pulling his lover closer. ¡°I won''t get out of this one, will I? Yes, sure. But not today. It''s very late, and I can imagine that this will take a while longer. So, let us delay that until tomorrow. Come to my office after lunch. For now, you probably want to bring the guests to their carriages. Feel free to take care of that.¡±

    Seraphina nodded stiffly before spinning around on her heel.

    Blanche opened her mouth to voice an apology, but she cut herself off and just watched how the other woman walked over to the dining room again.

    Even now, the heroine managed to walk as gracefully as an angel, and only her balled fists gave away her anger.

    The concubine scolded herself for not being brave enough to say something, but she feared that speaking now would only attract the empress'' anger. So, she didn''t dare to make a single noise until she was sure that Seraphina was gone. Immediately, she turned to her lover again. ¡°Theodore... This will be awful. I don''t want you to lose power because of me.¡±

    The emperor shushed her and gently laid his lips on her forehead. ¡°You could never make me lose anything. Because I am only capable of winning when you are here. Remember this. If everything goes wrong, we''ll move to a house by the western coast of Travuan. I secretly bought it years ago, and we will simply go there. No one would find us, and we could live comfortably with all of my personal funds. That is only the last resort, of course. I don''t want to hand over Artias to the dowager empress, so I won''t do it unless it''s the only way to secure our life together. I am in control at the moment and don''t feel like this will change soon. So, relax a bit and leave all the worries to me.¡± He ran his fingers through her hair and cupped her chin to make her look at him. ¡°I will make sure that everything is alright. I don''t need anyone but you for that. So, I don''t regret upsetting the Duremonts today in the slightest. In fact, it was a bit relieving to finally speak openly without being careful about hurting their fragile feelings after all that happened.¡±

    ¡°You certainly weren''t careful at all.¡± Blanche pulled on her lover''s sleeve. ¡°Let''s leave. I don''t want them to use the wrong exit and run into us.¡± In reality, that was only part of the reason. She also wanted to fall into her bed and cuddle with Theodore until she fell asleep in hopes of the next day being better. She could barely wait to cover herself with the blanket and push away all the worries flying around in her head.

    Luckily, the emperor didn''t seem to disagree with her. ¡°Alright. Let''s go upstairs.¡± He put his hand on her back and led her to the staircase with slow steps.

    It felt like the servants were staring at them for much longer than normal, but Blanche couldn''t bring herself to pay attention to them. As soon as they arrived at Theodore''s room, she dismissed Stella and said goodnight to Owen before closing the door behind her lover. Finally being alone with him felt strange when they had been surrounded by people until now. But it was soothing too.

    The emperor called for a servant to make them a bath, and after the maid left, it was clear that the couple would be alone for the whole night. Theodore helped his lover undress and carefully put the gown into the dressing room before bringing her into the bathroom.

    They climbed into the bathtub together, and Blanche sat in front of him so that she could lean against him. She was lazy right now and let him wash her. She only closed her eyes and enjoyed him carefully massaging her scalp as he applied the shampoo to her hair. Such a calm evening was exactly what she needed today.

    Theodore hummed to her before giving her a small warning and beginning to wash the shampoo off again.

    When he finished, her head was tingling, and she barely wanted to move at all, so she limply lay on his chest and stared into the distance. To be honest, she was already fighting against her exhaustion, which made her eyelids heavier with every passing second.

    Theodore smiled down at her and hugged her before speaking up at a low volume. ¡°You are really tired, aren''t you? I feel like you will plummet into the water if I don''t hold you up.¡± That could definitely happen.

    Blanche''s head had already lowered without her wanting to do that a few times. ¡°Maybe. It was really exhausting.¡±

    Her lover started to caress her head again, and she let out a sigh of bliss when the tingling began again. He carefully ran his fingertips across her scalp while keeping his other arm wrapped around her waist. ¡°I''m sorry. I know that all of this was a bit much today. I would have liked to keep you out of this, I really did. But that wasn''t possible. I didn''t want to announce anything about our future without you. I should have asked you about whether you were fine with it first though, so I apologize for not doing that.¡±

    Blanche forced herself to open her eyes and stared at the soap bar that was lying on the edge of the bathtub. ¡°It''s fine. You didn''t say anything that you didn''t tell me before. Well, except for you giving me a new noble title, but that was just a joke anyway.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Her lover''s response came immediately. ¡°It wasn''t. I don''t see the need for this, but if it will increase the number of aristocrats accepting you, I will do it. For now, I won''t try anything, but in a few months, I might begin working on that depending on how the situation at that time looks. But you don''t have to get used to that new title when you receive it. It will only be temporary.¡±

    The concubine had no idea what he was referring to, or rather she didn''t dare think that he might be serious about such nonsense. Either way, she didn''t like how confident he sounded. He wouldn''t grant her a noble title and then take it away when suspicions about it being legally correct arose, right? That didn''t sound like it would boost his reputation. ¡°Please be careful with that. I don''t really want any other title. If it helps our children later, I would obviously accept it. That doesn''t mean that I need more power though. I don''t want anyone to think that I am only using you.¡±

    Theodore placed his hand on her chin and tilted her head backward to have her look at him. ¡°As long as I know that that isn''t true, it''s fine, right? I will never doubt your commitment, so these rumors don''t matter to me. Of course, I''ll fight against anyone that dares to disrespect you, but I won''t ever believe that gossip is true.¡±

    Blanche''s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She began to draw patterns onto her lover''s arm and leaned her head back onto his chest. ¡°I am thankful for that, but don''t overdo it. Don''t do something like during the banquet regularly.¡±

    Theodore was silent for a moment before replying in a soft voice. ¡°There are at least two more things that I need to break to them like this. And it''s...important that I do it like this. I know that you''d rather want me to be diplomatic, but... I need to be seen in a specific way if I want this to work. It''s for different reasons, but I dislike it too. Yet, I can''t avoid that no matter what. Even if it''s just to protect you and to make our enemies think I''m weak. Just until we won. Then I can be a bit more careful again. But I''m sorry if that worries you. I will prepare you better the next time.¡±

    The concubine sighed inwardly and let her head roll to the side. ¡°If you do this regularly, I feel like our peaceful days will be over soon. I would like to live comfortably for a while longer without you starting a war with the Duremonts or the empress.¡±

    ¡°You don''t need to fear either one of them. You are in a much more powerful position than they are. But please never stay quiet if anything about them seems weird to you. Even if I feel like no one in that family would move aside from...¡± He paused for a moment before changing his mind. ¡°If we are lucky, even that won''t happen. I would rather be overly cautious than negligent.¡±

    She nodded her head slowly. ¡°Alright. I need you to protect me from Duke Duremont''s glare after all.¡±

    Theodore moved into an upright position and forced her to sit up with that too. ¡°Don''t worry. I will shield you from everything. That man doesn''t have any real power anyway. He won''t withdraw his support for me when my brother is the other choice. So, I can do whatever I want unless I hurt his family, which I don''t intend on doing for now. Unless they threaten us first.¡± It shouldn''t be easy for him to voice such threats in such an indifferent tone. ¡°Anyway. I fear that I need to tell you something unpleasant now. The water is getting cold, so we will have to get out.¡±

    Blanche slouched against her lover and relaxed all of her muscles. ¡°I don''t want to. I won''t move.¡±

    Theodore chuckled quietly but didn''t give in and kept her upright. ¡°Unfortunately, I have to insist. After all, we don''t want you to get a cold, so we will have to get out in a few minutes. And the longer we wait, the more unpleasant it will get. So, I''ll be the mean one and make you climb out. Or...¡± He paused and pressed a kiss onto her shoulder before resuming. ¡°I could carry you out.¡±

    The concubine didn''t need much persuasion and remained still. ¡°Yes, please. Pick me up.¡±

    Her lover laughed again while the water splashed around him as he got onto his knees. ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± It wasn''t easy for him to stand up without forcing her to sit on her own first, but somehow, he managed to do that anyway. He lifted her and stepped out of the bathtub before placing her on top of a cushioned stool. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her head so that it would dry her hair a bit. Then he took a second one and began gently rubbing it across her skin.

    While he did this, he took his time to plant kisses on every part of her body. Still, he was finished soon and dried himself in the process too. Then he replaced the towel on her head with a new one and picked her up again to bring her to the bed.

    The warm and soft blankets felt even more wonderful than normal, and Blanche simply allowed herself to enjoy that for a while until her eyelids became heavy again. She used her last bit of strength to extend her arms to her lover, which encouraged him to pull her into an embrace.

    Theodore insisted on dressing her in her nightgown first though and made sure that her hair was covered fully by the towel before joining her. Then he finally wrapped his arms around her and gave her even more warmth than the blankets alone did.

    Blanche was more than content with that and fell asleep within a few seconds.

    <hr>

    Even after a wonderful morning, Blanche''s mood deteriorated as soon as Theodore left after lunch. She knew that he would have a long and exhausting argument with the empress now, so she made sure to give him a big kiss before he disappeared. Then she sat down on the window sill with Stella. She told the other woman about the banquet in great detail.

    In the beginning, Blanche had only intended to give a summary, but the more she talked, the more she remembered things she wanted to tell someone. So, they ended up sitting there and talking for an eternity. In retrospect, it had been a bad idea to recount most of the things Henry had accused the concubine of since this infuriated the maid enormously.

    ¡°He said what? How dare he? I''m glad that His Majesty told him to shut his mouth. If I had been in the room, I would have thrown something at him. That arrogant old man.¡± Stella puffed out her chest and crossed her arms while glaring at the invisible offender.

    Blanche didn''t know whether to laugh about that or whether to be seriously worried. ¡°As amusing and encouraging you defending me is, I would rather not tell you that you are on a good track. After all, I am a bit scared that you are serious and will get in trouble for insulting a duke in a few weeks.¡±

    The maid made a rejecting gesture with her hand. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I''m not that courageous.¡±

    ¡°That surely looked different when you confronted Lady Lemares during the party. You were so angry back then that I thought that you would hit the table.¡±

    Stella pouted at that and leaned her head against the wall behind her. ¡°I almost did. I''m glad that I managed to stop myself though. That was only because of His Majesty''s presence. If I hadn''t known that he was there to defend you, I might have poured tea over her head.¡±

    Blanche had to chuckle. ¡°That is exactly what I believed you to be thinking about back then. I''m happy that you didn''t do it. A maid purposefully pouring boiling tea over a marquess'' daughter? That would have...¡± She cut herself off as a movement from the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She turned her head to the window and looked down.

    A figure that could be no one else but the empress that was running towards the labyrinth. Three people, her remaining attendants and Noah, followed her, but only the knight went inside while the other two waited by the entrance. That didn''t look good. Seemingly, the discussion with the emperor hadn''t gone well.

    Blanche felt a shiver run down her spine as she imagined Seraphina''s freezing anger being directed at her. The other woman was still the heroine, so it wasn''t clever to infuriate her. In fact, the concubine should give her best to convince the empress not to be upset. After all, being hated by the most powerful woman in the nation wasn''t something beneficial.

    Blanche stared at the labyrinth for a moment as she held her hand to her neck before turning to Stella. ¡°I should apologize to the empress, shouldn''t I? She was in a really uncomfortable situation because of us yesterday.¡± That question was completely useless when she both knew how her servant would respond and what the honest reply was. She should gather her courage and explain to Seraphina that she didn''t want to be her enemy despite this whole predicament. Especially the part about the concubine giving birth to the royal heirs would cause problems if the heroine believed her to be power-hungry.

    Stella just gazed out of the window with indifference. ¡°I don''t think so. You didn''t do anything, right? And His Majesty only told them the truth, so there is nothing anyone needs to apologize for. Except for that duke and Lady Lemares. They should be the ones begging for forgiveness.¡±

    It was still astonishing how much the story had changed. Normally, the maid should have been Seraphina''s attendant for a long time now and should listen to her new mistress'' every whim. Still, she was here and listened to the concubine''s issues and defended her no matter what. She seemed content with that too. She wasn''t depressed nor did she barely eat because something bothered her. No, this change had actually been good for her.

    Blanche slipped off the window sill and smiled at the other woman but shook her head. ¡°That''s not entirely true. I want to live peacefully in the future. So, I have to create a neutral relationship with the empress. I''ll go apologize quickly. That can only make it better.¡± Or it might make Seraphina hate her even more, but she refused to think about that. ¡°We don''t even need to change. We''ll just hurry to the labyrinth and go back immediately before Theo returns. Come on.¡± She steered towards the door without waiting for her maid''s response.

    Stella''s footsteps quickly sounded behind her as the servant complained loudly about this being unnecessary.

    Still, the concubine didn''t give in. She left the room and met Owen''s gaze with a smile. ¡°Good afternoon. How are you? Did something special happen?¡±

    The head knight didn''t move a muscle and kept his stone-faced expression. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. As always, there are no special occurrences to be named. Where do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°I would like to visit the labyrinth for a moment. The empress is there, and I want to apologize for the banquet.¡±

    Owen turned his head to check the hallways before replying. ¡°His Majesty won''t be pleased if he hears about that. I believe that he does not see a reason for you to apologize no matter the situation.¡±

    Blanche waved her hand around in the air. ¡°He won''t notice at all. I''ll be back in a few minutes. Let''s go.¡±

    True to her words, she hurried to reach her destination and almost jumped off the stairs even when her two followers kept reminding her that she had to be careful. She only stopped when Owen told her that he would carry her if she continued to be this reckless only a week after being poisoned. She absolutely had no idea whether he was joking or not, so she forced herself to go slowly.

    They reached the ballroom soon after that, and she was about to walk to the terrace when she heard chatter. It sounded like a group of servants was talking outside in one of the corners that weren''t visible from inside. The concubine didn''t actually have any time to listen to them, but when she heard her name, she stopped behind the door frame and signaled the other two to be quiet.

    The first one that spoke again was a girl with a high-pitched voice. ¡°No way! Is that really true? His Majesty just said that to his wife''s face? While everyone else was present?¡±

    The maid that had mentioned Blanche''s name before replied. ¡°I was there and heard everything with my own ears. It was exactly like I narrated it. Can you imagine how that poor woman must have felt while hearing him say that?¡±

    The concubine had almost forgotten about that. During the banquet, a group of servants and some knights had stood inside the room the whole time. This meant that every word that had been spoken would be spread among the servants now. Obviously, fresh rumors like the Duremonts and Theodore fighting would spread like a wildfire. But the most worrisome part was that this proved that others knew about the emperor''s plans to make a commoner''s child the next ruler now.

    A male servant chimed in at that. ¡°Seriously. What was he thinking? There is no way he could just voice something like that without any consequences.¡±

    The girl from the beginning spoke again. ¡°This will definitely have consequences. I can''t imagine them working together after that anymore. Well, that might be for the better. Maybe they would understand that they can''t be this arrogant the entire time then. And everything surely happened exactly like that?¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Really? Then I feel bad for her. I mean, being treated this coldly by such an influential man is scary. How horrible. Doesn''t he have any respect for the mother of the future emperor at all? Doesn''t that make her the future dowager empress too? He should be careful not to make her angry, or she might get revenge in the future.¡±

    That had been another surprise.

 Chapter 177: Why Are You Apologizing?

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    And she is a commoner, so she might be able to bring some interesting improvements to our capital. She''ll be a great...whatever you should call her in the future. I hope that it''s not Her Majesty. After all, we would have three people with that title then. We really need to ask Gloria. Do you think she''ll be mad? She''s still on Her Majesty''s side, isn''t she?¡±

    ¡°

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

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    you apologizing when you didn''t do anything?¡±

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 Chapter 178: What You Can Do

    The concubine lowered her gaze to the floor and only lifted it when they rounded another corner to not run into the hedges. The situation with the Duremonts was truly horrible.

    And yet, so satisfying. There was no way that Theodore would be with Seraphina with all that was going on.

    Of course, that still didn''t make any of this better.

    Blanche still had to give her best to prevent the empress from resenting her and the emperor even more, or other problems would arise. ¡°I can imagine that the conversation wasn''t very pleasant. But I am sure that Theo is just acting like this because he is tense because of his family''s appearance. It would be hard for him to ignore that, but he can''t hurt them, so he is probably a bit...desperate at this point.¡±

    Seraphina turned her head to the concubine for a moment before gazing forward again. ¡°You do not need to make excuses for him. He has been acting like this for a while now, and it is getting worse with every passing week. I can only hope that the matter with his opponents is resolved quickly. Even though I doubt that this would influence his actions in the slightest. He will still be as stubborn as ever and refuse to hear anyone else''s opinions. And he will continue to be furious in an argument, even though he is the one making the mistakes.¡±

    There was a lot of frustration hidden in those words so that Blanche couldn''t help but realize that the fight, or the royal couple''s recent interactions in general, had to have been very hostile. She was, once again, thankful for the fact that Theodore didn''t ever argue with her. If he did, she would probably cry non-stop. After all, her lover could be scary when he was angry.

    The banquet had proven that once again, and along with the thought of his expression during the attack in the forest, that was enough to make her shudder. If he looked at her like that, she might even faint out of fear. The emperor was an intimidating man, so it was impressive that the heroine had no issue discussing with him and keeping her stance no matter how angry he got. Blanche scanned the other woman from the corner of her eyes until Seraphina noticed that and turned to her.

    ¡°If there is something you wish to say, speak up.¡±

    The concubine was a bit embarrassed upon being caught staring. She would have liked to keep silent about her thoughts, but it was too late now. ¡°I apologize if that question is nosy, Your Majesty. Do you and Theo fight more often than in the past? I felt like you were not just referring to this discussion today. I previously thought that you were arguing less than you used to, but...¡±

    The empress let out an unamused huff and kept her eyes trained on something in front of her. ¡°That is only because we barely interact with each other anymore. His Majesty gives his best to avoid me whenever possible. I have to say that I am thankful for that though. In the rare cases that we do meet, we either argue, or he does something that irritates me without an exception. In the past, we had countless discussions about you or political issues. But now he manages the affairs of the state with the help of his minister, and every plan that he proposes is flawless so that I cannot voice a single complaint.¡± She scanned the concubine for a moment before turning back and stepping through the rose arch into the center of the labyrinth with the fountain. ¡°Since you stayed calm during the past months, there were very few occasions on which I had to ask him for a conversation, and I even gave that up ever since the vacation. In the past, he always defended your impudent actions while trying to pacify me. But now he tends to find ways to revert my own arguments and uses them against me until it sounds like I was the one that made a mistake. I do not feel the need to engage in such conversations. In summary, we argue less, but the few discussions we have are much harsher instead.¡±

    That didn''t sound good at all. If the royal spouses fought less but more heatedly, that didn''t mean anything favorable for the emperor''s relationship with the Duremonts. Especially if the arguments had been about the concubine, whom Theodore definitely favored over his wife.

    Blanche wasn''t sure whether these words about her doing something wrong had been an accusation of some sort, so she would apologize just in case. ¡°If I made any errors recently that I was not aware of, please do tell me so that I won''t repeat them.¡± She was pretty sure that she had been too nervous to do anything overly disrespectful, but she couldn''t be fully certain. She might have unknowingly disregarded some kind of rule that didn''t make sense to her.

    Seraphina stopped and sat down on the edge of the fountain. She looked a bit too perfect while sitting in front of the gently swaying water that reflected her golden hair. She sparkled in the sunlight, and her graceful motions only underlined how unfairly impressive the heroine''s aura was. She was silent for a moment before responding. ¡°I am surprised by your change too. In the past, you would refuse to acknowledge any of your mistakes and insist on being innocent. Even if there were countless witnesses, even when your lies were obvious. Being impudent and brazen were the main aspects of your personality. You were always happy about me and His Majesty fighting. What made you change this much that you would be more concerned about his political stance than glad that he defends you from me and gives you more power than anyone here approves of?¡±

    It sounded like that statement had been supposed to be provoking, but Blanche didn''t mind much. After all, it wasn''t a lie. She still felt a bit uncomfortable while standing in front of the empress without being able to move to cover her uncertainty. ¡°I know that I didn''t show it well in the past, but I do love Theo. More than anything else. That is why I would rather have him safe than me gaining anything. I also don''t want him to give me any power, I just want to stay by his side. And that is the same with the children that we might have in the future. I never wanted a child because I hoped that it would become the royal heir. I only wished to be a mother and raise our child with Theodore.¡± Blanche pushed away the small voice in her head reminding her that the villainess wouldn''t be blessed with a pregnancy any time soon.

    Not that getting pregnant would erase all issues with how unlucky the villainess was. The safety of her baby would be another issue. Blanche knew that women and infants were fragile during pregnancies, so she worried about a possible child''s health too.

    Seraphina didn''t have any idea what Blanche was thinking about. She scanned the other woman again, her eyes almost seeming to read the concubine''s every mood as she replied. ¡°And even so, you asked for much more than that a while ago. I believe that you also began some discussions just to spite me, so hearing this does surprise me.¡±

    Blanche cringed at her own past behavior and quickly tried to explain it as well as she could. ¡°In the past, I was only content to see you fight with Theo because I knew that he defended me, even when the second most powerful person in the nation pointed out my errors. As stupid and naive as that was... I saw it as proof of his love and hoped that it...would show that he wouldn''t send me away either.¡± To be honest, she had worried a lot about her position in the palace when Seraphina had originally moved in. A part of her had worried about Theodore asking her to live elsewhere to avoid conflict, and when he had protected her and had been on her side no matter what, that had calmed her down immensely.

    The empress rested her palms on the fountain''s edge and scanned the woman standing in front of her. ¡°And that change truly happened because of a dream?¡±

    Blanche froze at that. The blood in her veins seemed to become icy as she stared at the heroine. Why did Seraphina know about that? No one should have heard that excuse except for Theodore and the concubine''s closest friends. ¡°How...¡±

    Her expression had to have revealed how shocked she was as Seraphina quickly explained. ¡°You happened to tell that story to a servant while Gloria was there. She gave me a summary of what you said that day, and to be honest, I was very skeptical. I was wondering about how a mere nightmare about being executed could change a person''s character this drastically.¡±

    Right.

    It was true that Blanche had given Clark a short narration of her nightmare after he had admitted to being the one that had triggered her allergy. She had just mentioned the part about her being beheaded while a crowd cheered, so it shouldn''t be a problem even if Gloria had eavesdropped. ¡°Ah. Yes, that is true. I understand why that seems weird to you, but I can assure you that it was the truth. I saw myself from an outsider''s perspective and wanted to improve my behavior because of that.¡±

    Seraphina watched her until she finished speaking before immediately replying. ¡°I wasn''t finished. I was skeptical at first. But then I thought about some things in the past and paid a bit more attention to some of your actions that had confused me in the past. I had always believed that your life in the palace was easy, but it seems like you had more trouble gaining the staff''s respect than I could ever have imagined. After all, hearing that one of them purposefully put an ingredient that you are allergic to into your food because you rightfully scolded a maid before made me rethink. Especially since you chose to forgive that person without asking questions. I wouldn''t have been so merciful if I had been the harmed person, and His Majesty would have thrown the perpetrator out already if he had heard as well. You remember that incident, don''t you?¡± It made sense that the empress knew about that too when Gloria had told her about the other half.

    It wasn''t surprising that she would react quite harshly either. After all, Clark''s error had been severe. The fact that the concubine hadn''t scolded him for that much didn''t have anything to do with kindness or lenience though.

    Now the empress probably interpreted this wrong while thinking that the staff had troubled the concubine first. She wouldn''t suddenly like the other woman because of that and would still view her as an enemy, but Blanche wouldn''t correct her, if just to gain a hint of sympathy.

    Blanche nodded slightly and hid her hands behind her back so that she could fiddle with them to distract herself a bit. She didn''t know why Seraphina remembered such specific things after months, but she would try to ensure that Clark got out of this without losing his job. ¡°I do remember. There were a few issues with me coming here in the beginning, but now everyone is nice to me. There is no need to focus on anything before that.¡±

    Seraphina''s expression looked as unaffected as always while she spoke up. ¡°You might have changed the view that the people within the palace have on you, as proven by the different nature of the rumors about you, but that does not apply to everyone outside. I won''t address the more complex story of what His Majesty will do in the future since you seem to be unknowing in that regard. But I would like to explain why he acted so inappropriately yesterday. He wishes to protect you.¡± She averted her eyes for a moment, and slight annoyance appeared on her features. ¡°He obviously overdid it that day, but he made his intentions clear. I assume that this was his main goal, so he was successful. Unfortunately, he was also successful in making my father wrathful. I cannot imagine this going well for long if he keeps up such behavior.¡± She paused for a moment and massaged her temples before making eye contact with the concubine.

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    Blanche nodded dejectedly. ¡°I''m really worried about that. That is why I am grateful that you stayed calm and didn''t support His Grace''s anger.¡±

    Seraphina eyed the other woman before speaking up. ¡°There is no need to thank me. I did not do any of that to help you or His Majesty. I merely thought of the best for Artias. That is obviously the current emperor reigning and not His Royal Highness. Though, I have to admit that I was only able to collect myself because I was already aware of his plans before. Otherwise, I might have been less calm.¡±

    The concubine picked at her fingernails and interlocked her fingers behind herself. ¡°By plans, you mean...¡±

    ¡°The part about your children becoming part of the royal family and possibly ruling the nation.¡±

    Blanche didn''t know how to speak about that without upsetting the empress, but she couldn''t help being curious. ¡°I would understand if that made you really furious. It would have been logical for you to approach Theodore and demand an explanation as soon as you found out. But you seem to have chosen to stay quiet. You even told Lord Duremont and Lady Ravillot without showing any anger. Why? Your brother even said that you were fine with it. I can barely imagine that.¡± For a moment, she thought that she had gone too far with that question.

    Seraphina was silent and just stared at the concubine. But then she opened her mouth and spoke in an aloof tone. ¡°Do not misunderstand. I have my doubts about making the children of a woman without any political backing the royal heir. But His Majesty needs a successor no matter what. The alternative is much more ridiculous, so the choice to have your children take over is logical. I assume that you can imagine that it would be unpleasant for people that dislike each other to share a bed just to have a descendant. More so, that child would grow up in a family in which the parents do not hold any sympathy for each other while the father favors another woman. Along with all the rumors that would appear around them, something like this might break a child. I, myself, grew up with my parents loving one another deeply, and I am very thankful for that. That is why I believe that this would be more pleasant for other children as well. Still, this is not a favorable arrangement. There will be issues in the future.¡±

    If someone like Seraphina, who knew a lot about the political forces in Artias, said this, Blanche believed her. Even without the empress'' words, it had been obvious that heirs that were descendants of a commoner, and illegitimate children from an affair would not be recognized by all nobles. That wouldn''t keep the concerned person from becoming the future ruler of the nation, but they would have to fight hard to earn the aristocrats'' trust and would probably always have to face unfavorable rumors. So, all of this was a very risky plan.

    But there wasn''t another choice that would make any of them happy. Theodore didn''t want to be close to the empress, and it seemed like Seraphina shared that sentiment in regard to him. Obviously, Theodore wanted to have a child with Blanche, and the concubine wished to be a mother too. She had longed for a family with her lover for what felt like an eternity, and now he had told her that they would have a chance without him needing to lay with another woman first.

    Of course, Blanche was overjoyed because of that. She knew that she was demanding a lot right now. But she wanted this kind of future and would fight for it with all she had. Even if she had no idea what to do. ¡°I am aware of that, Your Majesty. I do not know a lot about politics, but I will give my best to create a world in which all of us can be happy. I can''t do that on my own, and I can''t influence the nobles either, but I deeply wish for my children and Theo to live the best life they can.¡±

    The empress leaned back slightly so that the concubine was afraid that she would fall into the fountain. But obviously, Seraphina stayed as elegant as ever and sat upright without swaying once. ¡°It would be much easier if you had some relation to one of the noble houses in the capital or even in the rest of the nation. Being from an aristocratic family could change many people''s minds in this regard, even if you are merely some distant cousin or an illegitimate child. Not a lot is known about your background, but it seems like you, unfortunately, are not from a noble bloodline. If you happened to be, this would be the perfect moment to speak up.¡± Somehow, her gaze seemed a bit too intrusive while she said that. She should know the truth already, simply because Theodore had needed to give Blanche her own title, but she still asked this.

    Blanche would have been overjoyed to nod in affirmation and to reveal that she had an ace up her sleeve, which could make all of this much easier for Theodore. But unfortunately, she was a commoner. Blanche knew that both of her parents had been born in the capital and that she had lived in the house her maternal grandparents had bought. Her father had been a merchant, and his wife had dealt with the accounting, which revealed that they hadn''t been nobles. There was not a single drop of aristocratic blood in her. That usually wouldn''t bother her, but when it came to the future of her children...

    Blanche dejectedly shook her head. ¡°We would already have revealed something like that, Your Majesty. We are sure that I am not related to any nobles here.¡±

    Seraphina wasn''t surprised. ¡°I see. I believed that too since there was no record of any woman with your age and name being born in the noble families during the past two decades.¡± She closed her eyes for a moment and just seemed to enjoy the fresh air but probably thought about it carefully before she looked at Blanche and spoke again. ¡°Then you will have to work hard for the sake of your children. There are a few things you can already do to grant your future heirs an easier life despite these unfitting circumstances.¡±

    Blanche felt her heart skip a beat at that. ¡°I can?¡± If so, she needed to do everything in her power. She would do anything that could help her future children and her lover. ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°You already started with the first part. You gave your best to appear dignified in public. You need to work on controlling your facial expressions and radiate a bit more confidence if you want to stand by His Majesty''s side and be known as his partner. That will be necessary if you wish for your children to become members of the royal family. So, focus on improving others'' opinions of you and learn more about etiquette. You should have enough time to do that. You are doing fine, but you need to become perfect. Even that will not erase the unfortunate impression you made on others in the past, but it will slowly become better over the years. A bit of political knowledge could not hurt either. Just enough so that you can join discussions without showing that you are uneducated in that field. But the second part is much more complicated.¡±

    Blanche had already begun taking mental notes and realized that this would mean that her goal didn''t change too much from her original one of trying to prevent becoming a villainess. That wouldn''t be impossible. But as soon as she heard the last sentence, she began to doubt that it would truly be as easy as the first half had made it sound. ¡°I see. I will give my best to do that. And what is the more troublesome part?¡±

    Seraphina slowly stood up without staggering once. She folded her hands in front of her body and met the other woman''s gaze with a serious expression. ¡°The rulers of Artias need political backing no matter what. You need to pave the way for them by gaining the support of influential people. The first thing I mention is part of this, but you need to specifically appeal to certain households in an attempt to gain their backing. His Grace, the Duke of Lamont would probably be eager to become more powerful by helping the emperor, so he will be the easiest one to win over. You will simply have to be polite and avoid troubling him. Angering him would almost be impossible anyway since His Grace is a very gentle and quiet man, so that shouldn''t be a problem. Reigning with only the backing of one of the three dukedoms is possible. However, it will be more problematic.¡±

    Blanche felt like all of that was true, so she nodded along even when Theodore had told her that it was a bit different.

    The empress paused for a few seconds to make sure that the concubine was listening Then she just added more. ¡°You do have the support of some people already. It is quite obvious that His Majesty will help his own children, and his closest allies like Lord Astame will be on your side. Since the nation will work best with a ruler that does not engage in political struggles, I will back your children too. But there are limitations. I will only do so as long as they are competent and treat others with human decency, which would make them a wise ruler. And only as long as their parents do not believe that they can take away my power.¡±

    The accusation in her words was easy to discern this time, but Blanche didn''t think about interrupting. She just listened and waited for the main argument, even though she had a good idea of what that could be.

    ¡°Still, additional assistance is needed. After all, the other half of the Estien family consisting of Her Majesty, the dowager empress and His Royal Highness will oppose the heir no matter what. Naturally, the Vasquez household will not be your future ally, so there is only one other family left. The Duremonts belong to the second most influential bloodline in Artias, right after the royal family. Gaining their favor is the most intelligent move you could plan. After all, that would encourage our household''s allies, including the powerful marquess Bellfaux, to be on your side as well. But as you can imagine, my father does not like the idea of you becoming the mother of His Majesty''s children very much.¡±

    Blanche nodded slowly as her confidence faded away. That sounded much different from what her lover always said regarding the emperor being untouchable. She wanted to believe Theodore more, but Seraphina was probably giving her the harsh truth. She had to listen to this and accept an unpleasant fact. There was no way that Henry would support the child that was born to the mistress of his daughter''s husband. ¡°If you allow me to be honest, I cannot imagine His Grace changing his mind in that regard. So-¡±

    Seraphina narrowed her eyes at the other woman. ¡°Giving up quickly will gain you nothing amid this political chaos. Do you not believe that I know my father better than you do? Why would I propose something impossible?¡± That was right too.

    The concubine felt that her shoulders were slouching and forced herself to straighten her posture. ¡°I apologize. Please go on.¡±

    The empress nodded and did as she was asked. ¡°My father is very loyal to Artias. He would sacrifice a lot to protect our nation. But he would throw all of that away if I asked him to do it. Naturally, I would never be tempted to do so and will rather encourage him to support His Majesty''s heir so that our country will be stable in the future. This alone will not erase all of his anger and resentment for you and His Majesty, but he will not do anything rash. Now. If not only I but also the rest of my family would tell him to help the future ruler, he will decide to follow that advice. You already have won over my sister, so she will be on your side. I will do what is best for the country even if I am forced to accept unfavorable situations because of this. Meaning, that you will only need to convince my brother and mother.¡±

    That sounded like it wouldn''t be easy to accomplish. After all, Blanche wasn''t good at manipulating people like Seraphina was. How would she even be able to be alone with those people to chat with them for a while? She couldn''t just invite them for tea, especially not after the empress had threatened her for meeting Sophia last time. But she didn''t voice her worries and merely let Seraphina speak.

    ¡°My mother will be a little harder to influence, but she just wants the best for our family. If you can prove that you do not wish to harm me or our household and even hope for Artias'' well-being, she will not hesitate to appeal to my father. My brother is mostly on my side, but he will not forget what happened in the past. That means that you have to convince him that you do not intend to harm me anymore. Making him sympathize with you is beneficial since he will be the future head of the family as well. I believe that this will be easy as long as I tell him that it is fine. In the end, getting on the good side of both would help convince my father to ignore his grudge for the best of the country. It should be possible to do this with some time. You should still have at least a year, if not more. If you are lucky, the conflict within the royal family will be resolved until then, and you can take your time even after the child is born. But since royalty can only be executed with a very good reason, I doubt that that will be the case.¡± Seraphina gave that whole speech without even stuttering once and then just paused once at the end. ¡°You are probably wondering why I am telling you so much about this matter when I should truly not care. Can you understand my reasoning?¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that, but she gave her best not to show it on her face. ¡°I suspect that it is because you wish for the nation to be stable under a ruler that will not have to struggle for approval with each new decision.¡±

    ¡°That is part of the reason. But there is also something else.¡± Seraphina stepped forward so that she stood directly in front of the concubine, who had to look up to meet her gaze. Suddenly, the empress'' face was colder than it had been before with her aura being as authoritarian as ever. ¡°There is something that I need to prevent under any circumstance. Right now, it seems like this will not be an issue, but things can change quickly. I want to make you understand one thing. If you want to stay in the palace, live comfortably and grant your children an unproblematic ascent to the throne, you need my goodwill. So, I expect that you do not return to your old behavior and keep showing me the respect that I deserve as the one and only empress of Artias. Did you understand that, or do I need to repeat it for you?¡±

    For some reason, this sounded less like a threat than many things that Seraphina had said in the past.

    Blanche didn''t feel like this was supposed to intimidate her but truly just secure that she would accept the empress'' boundaries. Since she didn''t intend on trying anything bad, this didn''t have to scare her at all. ¡°No, you do not need to repeat it. I understand you well, and I promise that I do not plan on ever causing you trouble. I am so thankful that you allow us to think about having children that can be recognized as Theodore''s in public that I can''t even express it properly. So, I would never-¡± She cut herself off when she heard loud footsteps from behind the hedge.

    Was someone running here? At the moment, that she turned her head to the rose arch, she already spotted the responsible one.

    This would be unpleasant, and she was sure of that especially when she saw her lover''s expression.

 Chapter 179: Never Be Alone With Her

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    ¡°those two do something?¡±

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    this badly. Distrust was one thing, but he was supposed to have fallen in love with her, so this attitude didn''t make any sense.

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 Chapter 180: Another Trip into the City

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    those two are going to be active. We can''t keep locking ourselves in forever. We rarely go out anyway, but the few times that we do shouldn''t be canceled. That would only prove that these attacks intimidated us. And we need to show that we won''t let our enemies scare us, right?¡±

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    magical scene. She watched the men sitting on the bench across from her a moment before speaking up. ¡°It feels weird to be accompanied by so many people. And I don''t seem to fit into this carriage either. I should have insisted on getting a less fancy one.¡±

 Chapter 181: Finding a Suitable Gift

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 Chapter 182: Blanche?

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    coincidentally heard a bit of my conversation with the owner and that blacksmith. I explained that His Majesty told you not to interact with people who refuse to show you respect since that is why you turned around and left. The blacksmith apologized for his inconsiderate words, but that doesn''t make up for the fact that he made a mistake. He did not do it on purpose, so we are not too angry, but Lady Blanche certainly did not need to discuss with him personally.¡±

    coincidentally overheard everything because the conversation took place two steps in front of me. It was impossible not to listen, especially when Lord Astame showed how serious he was about that topic.¡±

    not even the slightest thing, could go wrong during that travel. Correct? If anything did happen, His Majesty''s present would disappear, and that certainly wouldn''t be favorable for the responsible one.¡± No matter how one put it, this was a threat. He was warning the other man about losing the item or doing anything else with it and that he wouldn''t allow failure without consequences.

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    I would say something like this someday. It''s ridiculous, really.¡± He leaned his elbow onto the door and turned his head to watch the scenery outside.

 Chapter 183: Delivery

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 Chapter 184: Testing Me

    That thought was all Blanche needed to find countless of the small things that made this situation even odder. Both Allen and Seraphina were in a conversation with each other and seemed to be casual in their speech and behavior. They never did that as long as others that weren''t part of their family were present.

    Never.

    But even though they were clearly chatting with one another, their attention wasn''t completely focused on the other person. It seemed like they were watching the concubine from the corner of their eyes the whole time. They were waiting for her reaction. But what did they want to see?

    The topic of the conversation itself was strange too. Weren''t they just pointing out their weaknesses the entire time? Seraphina had complained about the emperor''s treatment of her and showed how much she cared about her family and her maids as well as the safety of the nation. In addition, she acted like alcohol was influencing her judgment a lot and made her speak her mind without second thoughts. Allen had talked about his nightmares while conversing with Blanche even when the concubine should be one of the last people he would like to know about that. Then his sister had proven that she could easily sway his decisions with a few words and had explicitly mentioned his fianc¨¦e, Briana.

    That was already enough to make Blanche understand that all of this was an act. But the thing that convinced her so that she didn''t even have to ask about whether she was right had been the empress'' joke regarding the ring Allen had shown Blanche.

    There had been a conversation in which Duke Vasquez had claimed that Allen might be interested in the concubine, and both Henry and Seraphina hadn''t reacted kindly to that. In fact, Allen himself would never be able to hide his anger about such an accusation, as the hunting festival had proven. So, the reaction of the siblings here was just plain abnormal in comparison to their normal behavior.

    Along with the fact that Allen had insisted on bringing the ring here, this made everything about this plot pretty obvious. That had probably just been an excuse to justify getting Blanche to meet them at the entrance. The siblings were currently acting to the best of their ability. They were purposefully revealing weaknesses and showed that they weren''t being careful right now.

    All of this was done because they were testing the concubine. Everything fit together like that.

    In the novel, the siblings had planned to do something similar with Luciano, who had repeatedly approached the empress and courted her. Seraphina had wished to figure out whether she could trust him enough to use him, which she had already done while trying to make Theodore jealous with Luciano''s help. Thus, she had prepared one of her famous tests. The scene in which she tried that hadn''t happened in the first book anymore, but the description of what they wanted to do was similar. Luciano had gotten bolder because Seraphina had pretended to like him, and they had wanted to confirm what his true intentions were.

    Right now, the situation wasn''t much different. Because of Theodore''s recent actions, Blanche had gained a much more powerful position, even though it was an unofficial one. He had also shown that he intended to make one of her children the next ruler of Artias, which certainly raised her influence. Thus, it wasn''t illogical to assume that she might go back to her original arrogant behavior.

    For that reason, Seraphina had warned her about needing the Duremonts'' help if she wanted to live calmly. And now the empress pretended to lower her guard to see what her enemy might do.

    Blanche wasn''t sure how to feel about that. Her emotions were conflicted. On the one hand, she could understand that the heroine wanted to make sure that the concubine wouldn''t endanger her position. In addition, this meant that the Duremonts were uncertain about whether the emperor''s lover was a threat. So perhaps, they didn''t see her as a definitive opponent anymore, which would be very good.

    But on the other hand, Blanche couldn''t help but feel annoyed. She had given her best for almost nine months now and always repeated that she didn''t wish to be their enemy. She had held back as much as possible and had relinquished some of the things she loved to do because of this. Her whole life had revolved around showing that she wouldn''t trouble the empress since surviving with the heroine''s hatred had seemed impossible to her. During that time, she had closed her mouth often when she would have liked to defend herself and had accepted Seraphina treating her more than unfairly.

    Moreover, they didn''t think that she was stupid, did they? This test was way too obvious for even a distracted person to overlook.

    Blanche balled her fists as she stared at the siblings and pondered about whether she should point this out or just wait quietly until they were finished. For a while, she had just stood there and glared at them while trying to keep her emotions hidden. But of course, her face had already revealed that she wasn''t pleased.

    Seraphina''s gaze met hers when the empress fully turned to the other woman. ¡°Is something wrong, Lady Blanche? You have been awfully quiet the whole time.¡±

    The concubine tried to keep the petty words to herself. At least she did until she remembered that the heroine also didn''t like being tested. So, she was in the right to say something about this, right? She didn''t have to vent all of her dismay, but she could be honest about being a bit upset at this moment. ¡°Oh, no. Your Majesty, I was just thinking about something.¡±

    Seraphina scanned her and showed her a small smile, but her eyes remained as calculative as always. ¡°Please do tell me what that could be. I am curious.¡±

    Blanche returned the smile but allowed her bitterness to seep through. ¡°Both of you do not think very highly of me, do you? Testing me is one thing, but doing it in a manner that would even make a blind person ask questions is a little disrespectful. I may not be as intelligent as Your Majesty, but I am not stupid. If it calms you, I can openly say that I do not have any interest in challenging you. Aside from the fact that I could only lose, I simply do not have the desire to try anything either. I want a peaceful life. That might be hard to believe, but I cannot do much but repeat it over and over again.¡± In the end, she had said more than she had intended to. But now she couldn''t do anything about that anymore either.

    For a moment, everyone was silent. The concubine already expected the other party to deny everything and continue their plot, which would probably have infuriated her even more.

    Luckily, it seemed like Seraphina wasn''t the type to play mind games when she felt like her victim wasn''t worth it. For a second, she didn''t manage to hide her surprise, but that didn''t stay visible for long. Her expression morphed into her usual stoic expression with a coldness in her eyes that hadn''t been there before. ¡°I''m impressed. You seem to know much more about dishonesty and schemes than you care to admit.¡± Thanks to Seraphina, this was unfortunately true.

    Had that provocation been done purposefully? Maybe. It would make sense for the heroine to try getting a reaction that way now. If she wanted to know whether a person would work against her, enraging them and getting them to explode wasn''t a bad choice.

    The only issue was that Blanche didn''t want to let anyone provoke her, even though that remark almost made her glare at the other woman. ¡°No, not really. I have merely lived here for almost two years and have witnessed Your Majesty and Lord Duremont quite a few times. I can tell when you are suddenly acting out of character and when you use such methods to get your way.¡±

    Seraphina was silent for a moment. ¡°I see. Well, it was worth a try.¡± Why did she sound disappointed when the concubine was the one that felt bitter about all of this?

    Blanche had been almost sure that her relationship with the empress had reached a neutral level, one at which they could ignore the other''s existence. But it had been naive to believe that that would stay the same after that horrible banquet. There was no way that Seraphina would simply agree to her husband''s mistress birthing the future emperor and promise to support that child. Of course, it couldn''t be that easy to have a future that would allow Blanche to be perfectly happy with Theodore.

    It felt like an ice pick had pierced her heart. To her, this scene meant so much more than just a little distrust.

    It was a sign that all the things that the empress had said about her family continuing to back the emperor for the best of the nation had been lies. The whole time, the heroine had just been lying and getting the concubine to believe that no problems would arise while already knowing that she, Duke Duremont and most of the nobles of Artias would never accept this. All of her calming words had been lies to initiate this test. To make the concubine get careless.

    Blanche averted her eyes and stared at the floor while trying to ignore the lump that was starting to form in her throat. She didn''t even know what to say anymore. Would her dream about being able at Theodore''s side peacefully never come true? Just because of stupid aristocracy rules that underlined the difference between commoner''s children and the descendants of a noble bloodline without any love? That was enough to make her want to weep and yell and vent her frustration in every imaginable way.

    But she didn''t do that.

    Acting like an insane person wouldn''t get her anything. No, she had to continue to be dignified even when everything was horrible. Because Theodore had promised that everything would work out. She had sworn to trust him, so she couldn''t become uncertain just yet. Even when everyone else was against them, they were together, so it would be fine. It wasn''t like the issue would get resolved or escalate any time soon anyway. As long as she wasn''t pregnant, she wouldn''t worry about this.

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    Blanche felt a bit better after having this thought but couldn''t help herself from being a bit dejected anyway. That the group was completely silent didn''t make it much more pleasant either. So, she would retreat. She had the ring for her lover, and that was all she needed from the people here. It would be easier to just go back now. She made a deep curtsy before straightening her posture again. ¡°Then I thank Lord Duremont for bringing this here. I will take my leave now if you give me permission.¡±

    To be honest, she didn''t even listen to the response before turning around. She just wanted to go into her room where she didn''t have to hide her expression and maybe even tell Theodore about this. Just so that he could calm her down and remind her that it would work out perfectly. She only managed to take two steps before someone gripped her hand and stopped her though.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Blanche whipped her head around to Allen, who was holding onto her like she would run away as soon as he let go. She would have liked to react more politely, but she was too surprised to do anything but stare at him. ¡°What-¡±

    Allen looked like he was in utter panic, which didn''t make any sense in this situation at all. He refused to let go of her even though she was already facing him and clung to her wrist with both of his hands. ¡°I''m sorry. We only wanted the best for Artias, and you were meeting that-¡± This sounded so desperate that it certainly couldn''t have anything to do with this test just now, right?

    Seraphina chimed in at that moment with a slight frown on her face. ¡°Allen, what are you doing? Please let off Lady Blanche, or you might scare her.¡±

    In fact, the concubine was a bit scared. Not of him hurting her but rather of why he was acting this strangely.

    It took a few seconds for Allen to process all the information around him before realization flickered across his features. He abruptly let go of her arm and backed away. ¡°I...I deeply apologize. That wasn''t... I didn''t...¡± Whatever was going on in his mind had to startle him quite a bit.

    Blanche looked down at her wrist, which was slightly red from the harsh grip, and took a step backward. Allen had been so irritated before when he had spoken about his nightmares. It seemed like those troubled him a lot more than she had previously thought. It was strange that she worried about him now and not about herself, but she couldn''t help it. Traumatizing dreams were way too familiar to her. ¡°Lord Duremont, you have been acting odd today. I would assume that this was because of the nightmares you mentioned. You should truly allow the royal doctor to examine you. If you are this besides yourself, you need to undergo treatment for your own safety.¡± She almost feared that these words were too harsh.

    But Allen only gazed at the floor. ¡°I will. I''m really sorry. That was just... You looked like in that...that...dream...¡±

    Seraphina moved beside him and scanned his slightly reddened face. ¡°I will call the doctor immediately. This is no little issue anymore. It''s been over half a year since you refused to visit a doctor, and that clearly is no laughing matter.¡± She turned her head to the other woman. ¡°I sincerely apologize for my brother''s inconsideration just now. I can guarantee you that it will not happen again.¡±

    Blanche considered mentioning that Seraphina had originally said that apologizing for another person was useless, but she just nodded. At least until she noticed a dark spot in the distance from the corner of her eye. She faced the plaza in front of the palace and realized that another carriage was slowly approaching. ¡°Your Majesty, your other guests seem to have arrived.¡± Maybe she could use that as an excuse to leave then.

    The empress turned to the street too and stared at the vehicle for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I did not invite anyone but my brother, and our family''s carriage looks different. Did His Majesty mention someone coming?¡±

    The concubine recounted the conversations with her lover three times but came to the same conclusion each time. ¡°Theo didn''t say anything about a guest. He would have told me, so I don''t think that this person is invited.¡± In fact, she was very sure that her lover would warn her if a visit was scheduled, especially since this coach hadn''t come from the main gate but rather from the backside of the royal estate. ¡°Is there anyone that can simply go to the palace without permission from the emperor or the empress?¡±

    The frown on Seraphina''s face deepened. ¡°No, there is not. However, there is one other thing that could explain this. Members of the royal family are not allowed to visit without someone''s invitation, much like everyone else. But guards stopping them would be considered even more disrespectful than them simply coming here.¡± In other words, this was either the dowager empress or the second prince.

    If Blanche had a choice between these natural disasters, she would rather have Camille, who would ignore her, visit. She prayed to the gods for a moment while the carriage stopped. The door opened, and it immediately became clear that her prayers were mercilessly ignored.

    As soon as she saw that infuriating grin, she had to fight the urge to run away as she unwillingly remembered her fever dream about drinking tea with Cedar. She shook herself to get rid of that idea and told herself something else. Theoretically, she could simply leave since he hadn''t seen her yet, right? Just as she opened her mouth to inform the empress, her eyes locked with Cedar''s. He was as attentive as ever.

    Great.

    Leaving without greeting a member of royalty would be extremely disrespectful. Plus, she would feel like losing if she turned away without facing Theodore''s enemies like she had to do it as his most passionate supporter. Blanche''s shoulders slouched as she breathed out in frustration.

    Seraphina and Allen beside her seemed to do the opposite and straightened their postures while meeting the prince''s gaze with cool indifference. That image made it very obvious that they were related and had inherited that look of pure antipathy, that couldn''t yet be called impolite, from their father.

    Blanche would have liked to be able to imitate that expression too. But she could only show her annoyance on her face when Cedar''s smile widened. That bastard. Hopefully, a servant would hurry to get Theodore, or she might end up being stuck in a conversation with that person. Maybe it would be even better to make sure that this would happen anyway.

    The concubine spun around and addressed the first servant she saw. ¡°You, excuse me.¡± She was a bit taken aback when the man, who had been on the way to enter the building, turned around. ¡°Harris? Have you recovered again?¡±

    Harris looked a bit less tired than he had been before as the dark circles under his eyes had finally disappeared. His reaction to her question made it uncertain whether he was truly fully healthy though. He averted his eyes immediately. ¡°Yes, thank you for your consideration, Lady Blanche. Is there anything I can do for you?¡± The way that he instantly changed the subject made her think about asking again, but that wasn''t any of her business. Right now, she didn''t have time for that either.

    ¡°Please tell Theo that His Royal Highness arrived.¡± Saying that title felt strange. Probably because it was Cedar she was talking about.

    Harris''s face fell when he heard that name. ¡°I will do so immediately.¡± With that, he rushed off into the palace. Seemingly, he was still averse to the second prince, about whom he had even warned the concubine previously. If so, he might hurry, which would be very good.

    Seraphina cleared her throat, which made Blanche turn around just in time to see Cedar climb up the last step of the staircases. The empress kept her expression completely neutral when she greeted the unwanted guest. ¡°What a pleasant surprise to meet you here. It''s an honor to be able to welcome you into the royal palace. How are you, Your Royal Highness?¡±

    Cedar didn''t fail to show his bright smile when he stopped in front of them. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Majesty. It is indeed an honor for me to be able to meet you, so how could I be anything but well? I apologize for arriving without further notice, but there is some urgent business that I need to discuss with His Majesty. I hope I did not inconvenience you too much.¡±

    The empress met his gaze without seeming to be affected by his infuriating fake kindness. ¡°You needn''t worry, you did not. I hope that His Majesty is free to meet you at this point in time, or you may have to be patient for a short while. A servant will show you to a guest room and treat you with tea.¡±

    Cedar responded with a blinding smile. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. I will gladly accept that offer.¡± He turned to the empress'' brother without letting his grin falter and resumed with another flawless greeting. ¡°It is a surprise to meet you here too, Lord Duremont. Is there a special occasion that brought you here?¡±

    Allen bowed to the prince before raising his head again. He kept a stoic expression like his sister, but he wasn''t able to hide all of his dismay for the other man as well. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness. I fear that I do not have any interesting news for you. I am merely visiting Her Majesty.¡±

    Cedar''s expression didn''t budge at all despite facing so much antipathy. ¡°Information does not have to be new to be intriguing. I hope that you will have a splendid time and enjoy yourselves together. In the meantime, Lady Blanche will surely be kind enough to have some tea with me while we wait for my brother.¡± He turned to show the concubine a perfect smile. ¡°Or do you mind?¡±

    Blanche had almost expected something like that. She had planned on greeting him formally and politely but quickly lost all interest in doing that. If he was already annoying her with his first sentence directed at her, she didn''t have to hold back either. ¡°Unfortunately, I am quite busy. I fear that this will sadly not be possible.¡±

    Cedar''s smile faded slightly but only enough to fake disappointment. ¡°I see. How unfortunate.¡± While he spoke his eyes glinted with joy, which was the only warning she got before he continued. ¡°And I came all this way here just to see you. I thought that you invited me for that reason.¡± Oh, he wanted to provoke her now.

    Blanche felt her patience being shattered. If he said something like this, the empress might believe him and think that the concubine was a traitor. She definitely wouldn''t allow that. She replied louder than she intended, but she wasn''t sorry for the sharp edge of her words. ¡°I certainly did not voice anything that could even be misunderstood as an invitation. I did not have any contact with you ever since the day that Theo and I met you for a short conversation. Please do not spread lies just for your entertainment.¡±

    Cedar''s smile widened again as he put a hand on his heart. ¡°You hurt my feelings with such strong statements, Lady Blanche. I was merely joking to lighten the mood. There were no vile intentions on my side. How could I ever wish to trouble you? Besides, did you not lie as well? Did you not receive my letter after the poisoning? That counts as contact, doesn''t it?¡± Cedar wasn''t as tall as Theodore and only a little taller than the concubine, but it still felt like he was towering above her. Especially when he grinned at her with such an ambiguous look in his eyes.

    Blanche fought the urge to take a step back and forced herself to raise her chin as she replied. Hopefully, she would seem at least a little confident. ¡°It arrived. I did not read it though. Theo read it for me after I asked him to. And since I did not send a reply, I assumed that this would not count as me contacting you, which I, in fact, never did. But that does not matter much, does it? There is no need for you to stand around here, Your Royal Highness. As Her Majesty stated, a servant will prepare a room for you until Theo arrives.¡± She stayed quiet after that even when Cedar didn''t do anything but stare into her eyes with a smile. She only dared to avert her eyes when Allen spoke up, seemingly being worried about her making a mistake.

    ¡°Lady Blanche, you forgot to bow to His Royal Highness.¡±

    The concubine definitely hadn''t forgotten. She showed a small smile on her lips. ¡°Oh, do not worry. Theo asked me not to bow to his family. How could I ignore the emperor''s orders? They are more important than anything else in the nation, are they not?¡±

    Cedar''s grin widened into a smirk. ¡°I disagree, but that truly does not matter much. I would also not like it if you started bowing to me. It would be strange, don''t you think? After all, we are family. I heard that Theodore decided that your child would be his successor. Congratulations. There should be a grand celebration for this soon. Or will he announce it on his birthday?¡± It should have been obvious that some servant would leak that information so that others including their enemies would hear.

    Blanche forced herself to maintain her smile. ¡°I believe that it would be better to keep this matter private for a little while longer. Theo will live and continue to reign for many years. So, we do not need to worry about an heir too soon.¡±

    Cedar chuckled quietly. ¡°Of course. I did not mean to rush you. I was just excited to hear such news. Still, I''m a bit hurt that my brother did not tell us personally, but it can''t be helped. Anyway... I would still like to invite you for a cup of tea. I said that there is something that I have to tell my brother, but I need to speak to you too.¡±

    The concubine''s mouth opened automatically. ¡°No. I already said that I do not have any-¡±

    ¡°I have some information regarding the poisoning that might interest you.¡± He effectively silenced Blanche with that.

 Chapter 185: Infuriating Offer

    ¡°

    ¡°

    very friendly conversation now. I look forward to it.¡± Sarcasm was dripping out of her words. She could only hope that the others weren''t dense.

    If Her Majesty did order it to be brought.¡±

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    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    Don''t. You are royalty, but you can''t ignore rules like this. If you have to say my name, use the title.¡± Everything else would make it seem like they were close, and that very thought sickened her more than his presence alone. Theodore couldn''t misunderstand this.

    ¡°

 Chapter 186: Midnight Sleep

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am not aware of who might have bribed that horrible maid, but I found out what kind of poison was used.¡±

    Blanche was more than cautious about this, but she knew that this was a great chance for them too. She wanted to know more. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Cedar had a strange glint in his eyes while he resumed. ¡°The poison seems to be made from a combination of the extract of some rare flowers from the northern coast of one of our neighboring countries, Travuan. As you may know, that nation is a very famous spot for nobles to go on vacation. Many of our friends mentioned visiting that area during the past months, so it must truly be interesting. But I am digressing. The poison that can be made from those flowers is truly special. Its use has only been proven four times in total all across the continent. It''s called ¡®Midnight Sleep¡¯. The description matches what you told others. A bluish liquid. Sweet smell and taste. Sticky. But there is something extremely strange about it.¡±

    It did sound weird that someone would put in so much effort to get some of this rare poison just to harm Blanche. She observed Cedar''s face and searched for any sign of him lying but didn''t find anything but his infuriating grin. ¡°That title sounds like it''s something you made up. Are you sure that this is real? I mean, using such a liquid that is probably very expensive and hard to obtain to kill me is unnecessary. Besides, I never heard about it. A few sips made me faint after five minutes even though I got rid of it early. If there is such an effective way to eliminate people, why isn''t it used much more often?¡±

    The prince raised his index finger. ¡°That''s the strange part. That poison isn''t deadly.¡±

    Blanche felt like she had been slapped when she heard that. ¡°What?¡±

    Cedar''s grin widened. He seemed to enjoy seeing her in disbelief so much that he waited a few seconds before continuing. ¡°This poison will not kill the person drinking it, even if you happened to swallow a whole flask. What it will do instead is paralyze you. Only for a few days though. You experienced a lighter version of that since you got rid of most of the poison. Small portions aren''t too bad as they will only do what I just said. The effect is a temporary inconvenience that makes you unable to move on your own. But drinking more does something way worse.¡± He paused as if he considered not telling her, but then he just seemed even more amused and continued. ¡°You could even argue that it would be worse than killing the concerned person.¡±

    Blanche narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Tell me already. Don''t draw it out unnecessarily.¡±

    Cedar chuckled to himself before responding. ¡°I wanted to ask you for another favor first. But after seeing how nervous you are, I will kindly refrain from doing that. You seem to be so curious that you can''t wait for even a second longer. I won''t make you wait. Aren''t I generous? The most interesting part comes now. If you ingest large quantities of that liquid, which only means about three teaspoons or more since it''s a concentrate, it will do lasting damage. Apparently, three of the four people drank that much, and it affected them for their whole lives until they died. It made them unable to exhaust themselves even the slightest bit. Their stamina was completely gone, and their muscles had lost most of their energy too.¡± He paused as if he wanted to emphasize the next part. ¡°That meant that they were extremely weak. Walking was about the hardest thing they could do on their own, and that only seemed to be possible if they wanted to move from one room to the other. Meaning, that even going outside for a walk was impossible for them. They needed someone to take care of them. Someone that was always there to feed them, carry them around or wash and dress them. The ones that had drunk less were a bit stronger, but one person had ingested more than five teaspoons of that liquid. They were nothing more than a limp, compliant doll until the day they breathed their last breath.¡±

    Blanche felt her heart skip a beat at that. Those people had experienced the same weakness that she had been confined to the bed with. But not just for a few days but for their whole lives. Her hand wandered up to cover her mouth before she could try to hide her emotions. ¡°That''s...horrible. Why would anyone want to do this to someone? If you wanted to get rid of someone, this is the cruelest thing to do it.¡±

    Cedar''s eyes stared right into hers. His grin widened, and this time, he barely seemed to hide how calculative his gaze was. ¡°Oh, that is the most awful part. Those people weren''t supposed to be eliminated or killed at all. In all four cases I managed to find, this poison was used by a spouse or lover on their beloved to keep that person from leaving them. Isn''t that horrid? To do something like that to someone you love? It seems like that definition that you are so proud of varies from one person to the other one.¡±

    Blanche felt the blood drain from her face. Imagining something like that being done to another human being to keep them with you was awful enough to make her want to throw up. But more than that, anger filled her. Not just because those poor victims had experienced something horrible like this, but also because Cedar''s amusement was dripping out of his words. He found this matter funny even though real people had been hurt because of this poison. The way that he ridiculed love as being something meaningless was enough to make her fume.

    But there was something worse. She didn''t need to think twice to guess what he would say to her next. She was already bracing herself for those harsh words, but every fiber in her being was on edge. If Cedar would truly hint at what she thought he might be referring to, she would snap. Despite Theodore''s warning, she might just lose her composure then and accidentally provoke the one person she should ignore to the best of her ability.

    Right now, Blanche still managed to hold herself back and just glared at the prince. ¡°You think this is funny, don''t you? Those poor people suffered for years, and still, you laugh as if nothing happened. You should keep your mouth shut from now on.¡±

    Cedar smirked at her without any sign of him possibly reconsidering. ¡°Naturally, the matter itself is not funny, but I do feel like watching your reactions is entertaining. Research the matter more before complaining. Are you sure that you want me to keep quiet? I need to share such information with you. After all, the investigation regarding your poisoning is still ongoing. And the previous cases might give us a clue on whom the perpetrator was, or at least seemed to be, this time. The pattern could have been repeated here, don''t you think?¡±

    Blanche couldn''t keep herself from raising her voice as a wave of wrath rushed through her veins. ¡°I swear to the gods, if you finish that thought, I will-¡±

    Cedar laughed in her face before she even finished. He raised an eyebrow at her and met her gaze with a haughty grin. ¡°What are you going to do? Tell me more, I''m curious. Is there a specific reason why you dislike me pointing out that there was a pattern regarding the perpetrator each time? It''s almost like you don''t want to consider that someone close to you might have vile intentions. Say, do you perhaps doubt him? If you were certain that he didn''t do it, you wouldn''t need to argue against me now, would you? It''s unlikely, but it isn''t impossible. What if your dear Theo was the one that put the poison in your drink? He was a bit jealous sometimes, maybe he lost-¡±

    The concubine had given her best. Theodore''s words about not provoking his brother under any circumstance echoed in her mind, and she tried to act on his advice. She had gritted her teeth, balled her fists and disregarded her desire to throw something heavy at the prince. But with every harsh word that left Cedar''s mouth, she felt her self-control draining away. There was nothing she could do to stop him from talking if she kept quiet. Even though just ignoring it would be for the best, she couldn''t do it anymore. If she didn''t want to get angry enough to hit him, she at least had to yell.

    So, she did yell.

    ¡°I told you to shut up, didn''t I? Why can''t you do anything but spout lies? I''m sick of you and everyone in your stupid faction. You won''t make me go against Theodore, no matter what!¡±

    The prince didn''t bat an eye even while she screamed at him from the top of her lungs, as if he was far too used to hearing people yell. ¡°This seems to be an issue that bothers you a lot, aren''t I right? Are you sure that you don''t believe me and just vent your anger on the wrong person? My mother would react very sensitively to someone raising their voice at members of the royal family. But I like you, so I''ll ignore it. You owe me a favor. Anyway. Is the pattern here not concerning to you? What if the person that drugged you actually knew about it and-¡±

    Maybe it was the arrogant tone of his voice, his words or the fact that the concubine was unable to do anything but glare at him unless she wanted to offend royalty. Maybe she also didn''t want to back down, even when she knew that she would be at fault if something happened. She didn''t know, but she lost any hint of respect that she had for Cedar as a prince.

    It felt like Blanche was too angry to think clearly, but somehow, she still managed to realize one thing. She just wanted to say something, anything that would wipe that smile on his face. But she wouldn''t be able to do that easily, so her only option was truly throwing something at him. If he stayed here for one more second, she might really grab her cup and smash it onto his head. Before she ended up doing that, she had to make sure that the prince left immediately. Doing so calmly would be best, but obviously, she didn''t have the nerves to do that.

    Blanche started yelling before she could think about it. ¡°You arrogant bastard! Get out! Now!¡± Those words left her mouth, and she instantly regretted them. Insulting a member of the royal family was the last thing she could do. Blanche took a step back and stared at the man in front of her widened eyes.

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    Surely, he would lose his temper at this. No one, especially not the prince of Artias would accept a baroness insulting him.

    That''s why Cedar''s everlasting smile made everything worse. The silence hung heavy in the room, and still, all he did was grin at her. It felt like an eternity passed before he finally opened his mouth and chirped in a tone that was way too happy for this situation. ¡°Oh, Blanche. You will really need to work on your manners if you don''t wish to be chided by people less kind than I am. If you kindly ask for my forgiveness, I won''t hesitate to overlook this. If not, I might get my compensation another way.¡±

    The concubine took another step backward and gritted her teeth. Even though she was at her breaking point, the prince still had no issue covering up his emotions. It was pathetic. How good was he at hiding his anger? Or did he really not mind being called a bastard at all? Instead of becoming upset, he just stayed composed, which was more terrifying than his wrath could have been.

    But Blanche couldn''t keep silent now, or she would show that she was giving in. ¡°I told you not to use my name.¡± That was all she managed to press out in a way too low volume. Before she could think about what else she should say, the door was opened.

    Whoever wanted to come in had as little patience left as the concubine. The door flew open with so much force that it slammed against the wall and made everyone inside the room flinch and turn to the entrance.

    Theodore took a step inside and showed so much hatred on his face that it wouldn''t have been surprising for him to immediately order his brother''s execution. But as soon as his eyes fell on Blanche, he calmed down a little. He was still furious, but he didn''t seem as murderous anymore. With a few steps, he was in front of his lover and cupped her face with his hands. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± No. In fact, nothing was alright.

    The concubine felt her bottom lip tremble. She was fuming but couldn''t do anything about Cedar being here. She dove into her Theodore''s arms before knowing what was happening. ¡°You''re finally here.¡± She clung to him and pressed her face against his chest, which allowed her to stop trying to control her expression.

    Theodore pulled her close without hesitation and planted a kiss on top of her head. Then he turned them around just enough so that he could look in the direction where Cedar had to be. ¡°Why are you here? I don''t remember you asking for permission to visit.¡±

    The prince replied in a voice that sounded even more chipper than normal in comparison to the emperor''s cold tone. ¡°It''s a pleasure to see you again, Theodore. I''m sorry for surprising you, but there was something urgent that I needed to discuss with Lady Blanche and you. I already told her most of it, but I can repeat it if you want me to. Besides, might I ask you for one little favor? Could you not open the door this suddenly anymore? I think you might have damaged the wall.¡±

    Theodore wasn''t impressed by his brother''s words at all. ¡°This is my palace, isn''t it? I can enter each room whenever I want without having to announce myself. Do you have a problem with that?¡± He patted his lover''s head while speaking without any intention of letting go of her, for which she was very thankful.

    The concubine turned her head slightly to glance at the prince, who was still smiling as if nothing had happened.

    Cedar was showing his perfect act despite the emperor''s obvious dismay and certainly didn''t seem like he would stop pretending any time soon. ¡°Of course not. I would merely ask for some warning. You could have just opened the door slower too. That would have been fine, but you burst into the room like that. Everyone was startled by you, and it interrupted our wonderful conversation. You scared Lady Blanche too, see? She almost had a heart attack because of you.¡±

    The concubine snorted quietly and hid her face again while gritting her teeth. Her lover definitely wasn''t the one at fault for her current state, and the previous discussion had been the opposite of wonderful. She still trembled with anger, and her desire to throw out the prince hadn''t disappeared either. But now that her lover was there, everything would be fine even when it was clear that Theodore was upset too.

    The emperor responded to his brother in an icy tone that wasn''t anything like the polite one he used whenever he talked to any noble that wasn''t his close ally. This could only mean that he was boiling. ¡°This is my home, so I doubt that you can tell me what to do here. I can enter and leave whenever I want to. However, that does not apply to you. Maybe I need to remind you of that. This is the second time that you came here unannounced. You can''t simply enter whenever you want to. I''ll have someone bring you back to your carriage now. If you have to see me, send a letter first, and we can arrange a meeting for the day after. I obviously can''t ignore you refusing to abide by perfectly logical rules, so I have to ask you to leave now.¡±

    Cedar let out a sigh. ¡°I see. Then I apologize for arriving unannounced. I didn''t think that both you and Lady Blanche would react so sensitively to this matter. I did not mean to upset you. Please forgive me for today, and in return, I will also choose not to mention your mistakes in the future. Since I did give you an interesting piece of information, I hope you use it well. I will take my leave then. Goodbye, Theodore.¡±

    The concubine turned her head just in time to see Cedar grinning at her.

    The prince locked eyes with her for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°Until next time, Lady Blanche. I''m looking forward to seeing you again. You''ll be at my brother''s birthday banquet too, correct?¡±

    She fought the urge to turn her head away again and just met the prince''s gaze. ¡°I will. Goodbye, Your Royal Highness.¡±

    Cedar''s smile widened at that. ¡°Suddenly, you''re awfully formal again. I told you that that wasn''t necessary. Though, I would favor it if you called me by my first name instead of the phrase that you used a while ago. But I was the one that made a mistake first, so those two issues cancel each other out. Please think about the offer about going without our titles from now on. Naturally, the other offer is still available too. Think carefully before making a decision. Sometimes, it might be better to be neutral than to choose too.¡± With those words, he nodded at his brother one more time before he stepped out of the room, where Gloria was waiting to lead him to the entrance.

    Blanche was a bit taken aback by Cedar truly leaving instead of causing more issues, but she was glad about that. She might not have been able to endure even more provocation.

    For a few seconds, everyone inside the room was silent.

    Then Theodore put his hands to her cheeks and guided her head up to look into his eyes. ¡°He didn''t hurt you, did he? What did he say?¡±

    The concubine would have liked to explain everything at once, so it was hard to sort her thoughts. She had to begin with the most important part, but it was nearly impossible for her to decide what that was. So, she just said what came to her mind first. ¡°I never agreed to anything he proposed. Cedar tried to get me to join his faction, but I declined. I said that I would never help him no matter what and that I love you. But he kept telling me that I would change my opinion on that topic indirectly. Then he hinted that you might have been the one using this poison on me, and I couldn''t take it anymore. I called him an arrogant bastard. Is that bad?¡±

    Theodore''s expression became grim when he heard the part about his brother accusing him. He gently stroked over his lover''s skin and made sure to lock his gaze with hers while speaking. ¡°It''s alright. Cedar isn''t the type of person that cares much if people insult him. But even if he did, it wouldn''t matter. They can never hurt you. The emperor is on your side, so the rest of the royal family can make as many accusations as they like. Besides, there were three of us here and only him. I''m sure Owen and your maid wouldn''t testify about you insulting him.¡±

    Stella seemed to be too upset to hold herself back as she hectically nodded to affirm Theodore''s words before speaking up. ¡°Of course not! We would mention the fact that he tried to hurt her though.¡±

    It was like a switch had been flipped. The emperor''s unrestrained anger returned again. ¡°What?¡± Even that one word cut through the momentary silence and erased any doubt that he would have snapped his brother''s neck if anything had happened. ¡°He did what?¡±

    Stella wasn''t being threatened at all, but she took a step back at that.

    Owen began explaining before the concubine had a chance to speak up. ¡°Lady Blanche wished to leave the room after she denied multiple offers of working together with people that promise to give her more power. His Royal Highness stopped her by holding her shoulder, and it looked like that might have been painful. I intervened, but he had already let go of her at that point, so I could not act in self-defense.¡± That sounded like he had just waited for a reason to attack Cedar. Due to the prince''s rivalry with the emperor, to whom the knight was completely loyal, this made sense though.

    Theodore looked like he might commit murder at any second as he gazed down at his lover. ¡°He hurt you? Say the word, and I''ll drag him back here by his neck.¡±

    Blanche would love to see the prince being punished, at least she told herself that. But that punishment would have to happen due to a just trial. Anything else would harm the emperor''s reputation and enforce his image of being a tyrant. So, she shook her head. ¡°Not really. He touched it for a moment in a weird way so that my muscles hurt a lot, but it wasn''t anything bad. It''s more important that he said that he knew what kind of poison was used.¡±

    Judging by her lover''s expression, the former topic wasn''t done for him yet, but he complied with her wish anyway and focused on the second part. ¡°You said that he wanted to accuse me. How exactly did he justify that?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, that liquid I drank is called ¡®Midnight Sleep¡¯ and is made from a concentrate of poisonous flowers. It comes from Travuan, I think. Cedar said that bigger amounts would make you weak forever. That would mean that the symptoms I showed for the first days would remain until the concerned patient dies. I don''t know whether this is true, but we could try to research that matter. Cedar claimed that it''s very rare, and in all the cases that use has occurred, a lover drugged their spouse to render them immobile for the rest of their life. He didn''t admit it openly, but he hinted that that could be the case here too.¡±

    Theodore glared into this distance, and his forehead was covered with wrinkles as he listened to her. After hearing all of that, he paused a moment before forcing himself to soften his expression a bit and looking at his lover again. ¡°We have little information about poisons that do not kill. It''s very much possible that something like this exists and isn''t written down in the royal library. I''ll look into this matter. It might be a lie, but we''ll know soon enough. Even if the name is wrong, the fact that it might not have been supposed to be deadly could help us.¡± He was silent for a moment in which he scanned his concubine''s face. ¡°You didn''t worry about what he said, did you? I obviously would never consider harming you in my wildest dreams, not to mention doing something that disgusting.¡±

    Blanche wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up onto her tiptoes to be closer to his face. ¡°Of course, I didn''t worry. I didn''t believe that for one second. He kept insisting, and that is why I insulted him in the first place.¡±

    Theodore softly kissed her nose before resting his forehead against hers. ¡°That''s good. Because I would never, never, never hurt you to keep you from leaving.¡±

    The concubine moved upwards a bit to reach his lips with hers and kissed him gently before lowering herself again. ¡°I would never try to leave either, so that issue can''t develop in the first place. I''m right by your side and will always help you, no matter what you want to accomplish. That''s also why I agreed to meet with that horrible person. I hoped that he would get careless and give me information that we can use against him, and I think I succeeded. Can''t we use the fact that he managed to identify the poison that was given to me as evidence to prove that he is involved in this matter? He said that it fit my description, but I''m very sure that I never told anyone about it except for...¡± She paused when she remembered that she had recounted this multiple times.

    Theodore gave her a sad smile at that. ¡°Exactly. You spoke about that during the banquet. I''m almost sure that the Duremont family didn''t chat about this issue with him, but in a trial, you could argue that gossip spreads quickly. We can''t prove anything.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t help but pout at this. It was unfair. They clearly knew who the perpetrator was, but they weren''t able to convict them of anything. Though, they couldn''t do anything about this for now. It was still depressing.

 Chapter 187: What Should Have Been Yours

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 Chapter 188: Birthday (1)

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 Chapter 189: Birthday (2)

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 Chapter 190: Birthday (3)

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    No. I fear that this will not be possible or necessary. After all, I already made up my mind, so a discussion is quite useless. In addition, I would like to avoid spending my birthday arguing. That is understandable, right?¡±

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 Chapter 191: Stardust

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 Chapter 192: The First Dance and A Chair

    The concubine felt her knees threaten to give in when they reached the main entrance to the ballroom. Eight guards were positioned there or were patrolling the hallway. Some of them stared at her without hiding their surprise, but the others only glimpsed at her occasionally.

    Blanche couldn''t bring herself to care though. Right now, she was straining her neck to overlook the whole corridor, and still, there was not a single person except for the knights, her lover, Stella and Owen. She glanced at the clock next to them before turning to Theodore. ¡°We aren''t too early, are we? And not too late either. It''s two minutes before five o''clock.¡±

    The emperor confirmed her words by looking at the clock as well. ¡°You''re right. We came at the perfect moment. We have enough time to take a deep breath before going in.¡±

    So, the concubine hadn''t made a mistake. She spun around once more before lowering her voice so that the guards wouldn''t hear her. ¡°And...where is the empress?¡±

    ¡°She''s inside.¡± Her lover replied without skipping a beat, but Blanche froze and took a few seconds to realize that he was serious.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®inside¡¯? You have to escort her!¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°Apparently, she had no interest in that either.¡± A smile formed on his lips as he glanced over at his lover. ¡°Maybe I also sent a servant to inform her that she wouldn''t need to wait for me today. She can''t complain since it''s my birthday wish.¡±

    The concubine was too bedazzled to say anything. His words almost made it sound like he intended to do something rather stupid. But he would never be careless enough to try something like that, right?

    The emperor proved her wrong when he bowed to her and held his arm in her direction. He cleared his throat before smirking up at her startled expression. ¡°Would you grant me the honor of allowing me to escort you today, Blanche? Remember that it''s my birthday and that you promised to be with me the whole time.¡±

    She should have known that something like this would happen. The concubine closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply before looking at her lover. ¡°You know what this will cause, right?¡±

    Theodore responded without any worry in his voice. ¡°I am fully aware of that. Please be by my side and let me show everyone that this place rightfully belongs to you.¡±

    Maybe it was her nausea or her desire to be with the man she loved without needing to hide it or to share him with another woman. Either way, Blanche didn''t have the energy to argue. So, she put her hand in his. ¡°I hope you know what you are doing. Saying things like this will make people misunderstand.¡±

    The emperor just beamed at her while he straightened his posture again. ¡°I''m completely serious. I will prove it to you later. But for now, allow me one more thing. Will you have the first dance with me?¡±

    Blanche froze at that again. A dance didn''t mean much if it was only for one music piece, but normally, married or engaged people wouldn''t waltz with anyone but their partner and possibly family members. Since the matter was related to the emperor, this was so much worse though. The first dance of the ball always belonged to the royal couple. Sometimes, they danced alone, sometimes, the other nobles were allowed to join. But in any case, that was an event for the empress and her husband. Why would he ask his concubine to accompany him now?

    ¡°Theo.¡± Blanche knew what he would respond with, so she didn''t bother to explain. It was obvious that he knew about those conventions too. He just didn''t care.

    ¡°It will be fine, believe me. I want to show them how perfect we are together. So?¡± Her lover pulled her hand toward him so that she took a step forward and was directly in front of him. ¡°You won''t reject me, right?¡±

    Of course, Blanche wouldn''t. She still thought that this was stupid. Well, whatever she did couldn''t be more insolent than interrupting a royal wedding and stealing the husband, right? Blanche had done that already, so she might as well do this too. ¡°We''re already breaking every rule and norm of noble society. This much won''t make anything worse when it''s going downhill already.¡± Blanche averted her eyes as she fought her nausea, which was threatening to overwhelm her. ¡°I can''t dance that well though. You know that.¡±

    Theodore lifted his hands to her cheek and caressed her skin until she looked up at him. His eyes met hers as he gazed at her with so much love that she felt like she would sink right into the dark blue of his irises. ¡°You danced with me just fine when we were alone. Don''t worry about anything and let me guide you. Are you ready?¡±

    Blanche weakly nodded at that. She wasn''t ready. She was the furthest away from being prepared for what could happen. This would go horribly wrong. She just knew it. There was no way that the guests would keep silent about the emperor ignoring his wife to dance with another woman. But by now, it was too late to change his mind. All she could do was give her best not to embarrass him and herself.

    Theodore linked his arm with hers and addressed one of the guards. ¡°Tell them to announce our presence.¡±

    The knight didn''t bother to hide how he scanned the couple in confusion before listening to the order. He opened the door and stepped inside before speaking up in a loud voice. ¡°His Majesty, the emperor of Artias and Lady Blanche.¡± He had announced them as a couple. That was the first issue when he linked their names like that, but in the end, the rest was already bad enough.

    The murmur from inside the room was audible before anything else. But all noises quickly died down when the door opened.

    Theodore gave his lover a bright smile, which was probably supposed to soothe her, and waited until the way was cleared before moving forward.

    Blanche could only imitate his pace and focus on her posture. She couldn''t slouch her shoulders, trip or reveal her emotions on her face. That was much harder than it sounded, especially when it felt like the stares of the people were piercing her skin and leaving her vulnerable.

    The couple strode into the room, and the guests began whispering again. The concubine ignored that and forced herself to keep staring straight ahead without looking at anyone. She would only be distracted if she started searching for the people she worried about and tried to read their expressions. She didn''t have time for that when she was with the emperor and needed to maintain an elegant appearance.

    Theodore stopped with her in the middle of the room and squeezed her arm, which made her realize that she was way too stiff right now. He showed her his grin once more before turning his head to look at the crowd as he began his speech. ¡°I would like to thank you for attending my birthday party. It is an honor to welcome all of you into the royal palace on this wonderful day. I am more than grateful to see those familiar faces again. The fact that you came all this way to visit this ball touches me. I look forward to interacting with you for the entire evening as well as tomorrow. I hope that you will have fun here and that you may use the time to distract yourself from all unpleasant matters that might trouble you. As always, the servants of the royal palace worked hard to ensure that everything would be flawless today. If there seems to be a problem, please do not hesitate to approach them. I shall speak to you more later, but for now, I will spare you the long speeches and declare that the first dance will begin.¡± Theodore paused for a moment before turning to his lover and resumed in an a little quieter volume. ¡°Should they join, or do you want to have the dance floor all to ourselves?¡±

    Blanche wanted to die of embarrassment. The way he asked her ensured that everyone would notice that he was asking for her opinion. The fact that the emperor asked anyone was ridiculous in itself, but obviously, it was even worse when he did it during his own party. However, keeping silent now would only prolong the uncomfortable situation. ¡°Please let them dance too. I don''t want even more people to look at us.¡±

    Her lover''s lips formed a wide grin. ¡°Your wish is my command. Do you want to say something to them too?¡± He chuckled at her vigorously shaking her head and turned to the guests again. ¡°You are all invited to join us. Please make the best of this evening. Honor us with some music, Conductor.¡±

    The orchestra didn''t wait long before starting to play a slow waltz.

    Theodore let go of his lover to stand in front of her and offered her his hand after bowing to her again.

    Blanche felt her heart pounding as she took his hand in hers. The emperor bowing to anyone would certainly make everything much worse, but it was over anyway. After this evening, countless people would want to slaughter her, with Henry being the first person on that list. So, she could only focus on not making a fool out of herself. She almost wanted to cry at the prospect of being forced to dance in front of so many people, but thankfully, her lover would guide her.

    Theodore pulled her closer to him and put one arm around her waist while interlocking their fingers on the other hand. That certainly was much more intimate than a normal waltz should be, but correcting him would only pull attention to that fact. Theodore began moving slowly, and her panic rose to unreachable heights.

    What if she wasn''t able to match his pace? What if she stepped onto his foot? She barely practiced, so she wasn''t prepared for dancing under pressure. It would be a catastrophe if she messed up now.

    But her lover was completely calm even while she mulled over the mistakes she could possibly make. He looked deep into her eyes and whispered to her. ¡°I''m here to guide you. Relax.¡± Those words somehow caused her to stop standing there stiffly.

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    Blanche gave her best to join her lover''s movements. It took one second, and he found a way to guide her into the rhythm of the music. Her feet almost seemed to follow the tact automatically, and she was speechless because of that herself. Still, she didn''t dare to focus on anything else but her motions. She didn''t look at the dancing couples that she saw from the corner of her eyes or chat with the emperor but merely repeated the steps in her head. The hardest thing to ignore was her lover''s radiant smile, but she even refrained from mirroring his expression. She counted along with the music and had the intention of doing this until the very end.

    At least she had planned on doing that before Theodore spoke up. ¡°You are doing well. I told you that it would be fine, right? Now you only need to relax a bit and look at me.¡±

    Blanche unwillingly obeyed and met his gaze. ¡°Don''t distract me. I can''t mess up.¡±

    ¡°You won''t. I''m here to lead you, and you can''t imagine how many times I practiced dancing in my childhood. The moves are ingrained into my brain. You could wake me up in the middle of the night, and I would dance for you without making a mistake.¡±

    The contrast of what noble children, especially those in the royal family, had to learn in comparison to the commoners'' typical youth was incredibly big. All Blanche remembered was playing games and baking while spending time with her family. Surely, her mother and father had taught her the basic things like reading and writing, but she had never felt like that had been exhausting. She hadn''t been pressured or forced to learn special things without being allowed to make errors in her childhood at all. In fact, she had been rather lazy and allowed her parents to pamper her. That might be the reason why she was unable to sustain herself now. All of this was another huge difference between her and Theodore.

    Blanche nervously smiled at her lover as she pushed away those thoughts. ¡°You seem to be a genius then. Going through such hard training in your youth must have been exhausting.¡±

    Theodore smiled at her. ¡°Actually, that wasn''t the case at all. I never complained. The teachers were nice and most of them acted as some sort of protection against the people that weren''t so kind. Cedar had it worse since his mother picked quite the horrible individuals for him. But enough about that. Let''s focus on the present again.¡±

    The concubine immediately glanced down at her feet. ¡°I know. I need to concentrate, so we shouldn''t talk too much.¡± She was silent for a moment but didn''t manage to keep herself quiet. ¡°I hate that there are so many people that wished to harm you. Well, and...Cedar suffered too. This whole situation was awful for both of you. You''ve been targeted ever since your birth, and even now, they can''t leave you alone.¡± She seemed to feel worse about that than he did.

    Her lover still grinned at her and carefully guided her through the dance without any issues. ¡°I''m not too happy about that either, but well... At least you will be there to help me through it all. As long as you promise to stay by my side, I will never complain. Just continue to be with me and let me see your wonderful smile, and I''ll be content. We''re done with half of the music piece, by the way.¡±

    Blanche felt how her cheeks became a bit warmer too. Her surprise about them being so far into the dance already faded into the background when he said such adorable things. ¡°It''s the same for me. If you are with me, I will be filled with bliss no matter what. Your love is the most important thing for me. I love you.¡± A wide smile spread on her face without her knowledge.

    Theodore looked deep into her eyes when he responded. ¡°I love you too. You don''t know how much I have to hold back to refrain from kissing you right now.¡±

    The concubine woke up at that. They were in the middle of a ballroom. She couldn''t just begin to wallow in her overwhelming emotions when everyone was watching. She blinked a few times before averting her eyes. ¡°It would be better to hold back a bit. We''ll have the night for ourselves.¡± She paused at that thought before correcting herself. ¡°Maybe not. We''ll go to bed very late today, or rather very early tomorrow. And we need to attend the tea party then, so we might not have too much time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don''t worry.¡± Theodore smirked at her. ¡°We will make as much time as necessary. This day is about us. We will need to go to bed very late this time. After all, I still need to show you your gifts today.¡±

    Blanche sighed quietly at him before gifting him a small smile. ¡°You really can''t delay that until tomorrow evening? We might get some sleep if we go to bed as soon as the ball is over, but if you start giving me presents after that...¡±

    ¡°I can go without sleep on this wonderful day. I want to enjoy every second with you. And I have a surprise that can''t wait until tomorrow. I''m getting way too excited just by thinking about it.¡±

    That only served to make her curious. ¡°You will keep me on edge the whole day, right?¡±

    Her lover''s grin was enough of a response. The couple turned again and just stared into each other''s eyes for a while.

    Blanche lost track of how much time passed and only noticed that they were done when the music got quieter. She stopped when Theodore slowed down as well. She thought that he would let go of her now, but he continued to stand in front of her motionlessly for a few seconds. ¡°Theo?¡±

    The emperor was pulled back into the present at that, and his smile softened. ¡°I''m so happy that you are here with me.¡±

    She was taken aback by that sudden statement, but she wouldn''t deny that it made her heart flutter. ¡°I''m very happy too.¡±

    They were quiet for a moment before Theodore took a step back. He offered her his hand, and she took it, but he wasn''t satisfied with that alone and linked their arms. ¡°Let us move on to the next part then. This will be extremely amusing too.¡± He guided her forward, and she followed him without hesitation. Hopefully, he would bring her to a nice calm spot, where she could spend the rest of the evening, but his remark made this questionable.

    This became even more obvious when he led her to the platform on which the thrones stood.

    Blanche had ignored the stares of all the guests, but now she would be forced to look up and make eye contact with the empress. Surely, the other woman would be fuming right now. Blanche almost didn''t dare to lift her gaze and was overly surprised when she finally gathered the courage to do so.

    Seraphina was sitting on her throne and watched the couple with an indifferent expression. She wasn''t angry? That seemed impossible.

    It took the concubine a few seconds until she realized that this might be because Theodore had sent a servant to inform the empress about his plans earlier.

    The empress was always trying to hide her emotions and only showed her fury when she was shocked by someone''s behavior. That was why the villainess had always managed to upset the other woman with some insolent actions. But now that Seraphina had been warned, she was prepared for what would follow and should be able to veil her rage well.

    At least as long as the emperor didn''t make the situation worse. Though, it seemed like he was planning on doing just that.

    Theodore grinned while leading his lover to the platform. He ignored the obvious dismay of his wife and the Duremont family as well as the confusion everyone around him had to feel and moved forward without looking to the side. He approached the staircase and climbed up the first step.

    That was the moment in which Blanche stopped. She tried to be as inconspicuous with her movement as possible, but that didn''t change the fact that she was forcing the emperor to slow his pace. This wouldn''t please anyone. But she swallowed her concern and spoke up in a whisper. ¡°You don''t intend to bring me up there, right?¡±

    Theodore glanced at the guests, and his smile widened. He tugged on her hand, which made her step close to the stairs. ¡°Of course, I do. Come on. We''re making everyone wait. We need to toast on Artias.¡±

    The concubine''s stomach tingled at that, but it wasn''t a pleasant feeling like normally when her lover surprised her. She helplessly followed him up the stairs. Now she didn''t dare to turn her head the slightest bit in fear of seeing the faces of the guests. So, she forced herself to look at the thrones, and her mood immediately soured.

    It felt like something inside her cracked when she saw the chair that had been placed next to Theodore''s vacant throne. It wasn''t just a normal one either. The chair was covered with dark velvet, and the frame was golden with many engraved patterns. It resembled the thrones in a way.

    Blanche didn''t think twice before realizing that she was in a dilemma. She couldn''t refuse when the emperor brought her somewhere, and doing so while others were watching would be horrible. However, the other option was just as terrifying. Sitting down on that chair would indicate that she was fine with being placed next to the royal couple of Artias and thus claimed to be on their level.

    Blanche had to refrain from tearing out her hair at this. ¡°Theo, what is this?¡± She stopped again but didn''t put in any effort in fighting back.

    Her lover only grinned at her while he pulled her towards the chair. ¡°Your seat. You could also sit on my lap, but I assume that you like this much more. Don''t try to argue. This is very important, you''ll see. You promised.¡±

    She regretted that promise more than anything right now. But there was nothing she could do when Theodore guided her to the seat and gently pressed onto her shoulders until she sat down. The chair was comfortable, but Blanche couldn''t relax at all and hurried to close her eyes. Now she was facing all the people in the ballroom, and it was clear that they would glare at her. It was a surprise that no one had started yelling already. She had expected that Henry would have caused a scene by now.

    But the duke didn''t say anything and the empress didn''t either.

    Theodore sat down in silence and waited for a moment until all noise in the ballroom had ceased before speaking up in a loud voice. ¡°Even though I do not wish to bother all of you so soon again, it is now time for us to share a drink.¡±

    That sentence was enough to make the servants begin to move. They were carrying glasses of wine, which they brought to all the guests. One maid climbed up the stairs to the thrones and presented three drinks to the emperor.

    Theodore took the two red wines and handed one to his lover. Blanche inwardly cringed at him giving her a glass first, and her mood only deteriorated when he didn''t help his wife at all.

    Instead, the empress had to take her glass of white wine herself.

    After a moment of silence, in which the maid climbed down from the platform and the servants gave away the rest of the drinks, the emperor lifted his glass. ¡°I would like to ask all of you to join me in voicing a toast to Artias. May our nation continue to flourish and grow to be even more magnificent than it already is. Due to our combined efforts, we are becoming stronger every day. No one will have the power to strike us down. I want to increase our prosperity even more so that the citizens of Artias may live in peace with no worries. To do that, I need your help. I am asking all of you to remain loyal to me even when others promise you a simpler way of fulfilling your goal. I can assure you that I will never forget those who supported me and will pay them back by protecting the nation for the rest of my life. May Artias continue to be a beautiful and safe country with more and more allies on our side while we defeat our enemies.¡±

    The guests mirrored his gesture and raised their glasses into the air while cheering at the emperor''s speech. They didn''t seem to think much about the hidden comment about his family and were just happy to be praised for their work, which was actually nonexistent in some cases.

    Theodore lowered his hand again and turned to his lover. ¡°I did well, didn''t I?¡±

    Blanche happily nodded at him. ¡°They are eager to be called useful. You are good at choosing words that make others feel appreciated.¡± Only then, she noticed that no one was drinking yet since they were waiting for the emperor. So, everyone was staring at them interacting. She would have liked to hide somewhere, but that wasn''t possible as long as she was sitting here.

    Her lover didn''t care about the unwanted attention though. He just beamed at her and spoke up in a careless tone. ¡°I hope that I am good at that. I mean, I need to tell you how much I love you way more often than I already do. Of course, I have to be able to show you that I adore you too. Then, will you drink with me?¡± He moved his glass toward her, even though she froze and stared at him. He had to raise a toast with the empress first, so this behavior was completely unacceptable.

    Still, Blanche gave up after he looked into her eyes for even longer. She couldn''t deny him even if they were currently disregarding every norm of nobility in Artias. She didn''t have the courage to gaze anywhere else, so she concentrated on his face while moving her glass toward his. Hopefully, she wouldn''t spill anything.

    Blanche barely dared to use any force, but luckily, Theodore managed to clink the glasses together so that the satisfying noise echoed through the room. Now the concubine only wanted to cower and hide her face while her lover turned to the empress and toasted in her direction too.

    This would definitely cause another issue. Though, maybe people would stop paying attention to the errors they made today at some point when they couldn''t count them anymore. It was futile, but she could only hope for that.

    Theodore lifted the drink to his mouth and took a sip, which made everyone else begin too.

    Blanche drank as well. She was pleasantly surprised by the sweet flavor of the wine. Most of the ones she had already tasted weren''t this fruity, but she wouldn''t complain about something so delicious. While drinking, she made the mistake of glancing at the guests.

    They were still watching her.

    That should have been expected, but she was a bit dejected nonetheless. She had favored them focusing on something else instead of judging her the whole time

 Chapter 193: A Brothers Gift (1)

    For a moment, all the present people were busy sipping on their wines until the emperor finished and spoke up. ¡°May the ball start now. I am officially opening the dance floor and the buffet so that all of you can enjoy yourselves to the fullest. I hope that we will have the chance to greet each other later, but until then, have some fun.¡±

    With that, the first part of the event was done. Now the guest would approach the thrones one after the other and offer their gifts to the emperor. Since everyone had options of busying themselves now, the concubine hoped that they would stop paying attention to her and deal with their own matters. She sipped on her drink and finished the glass.

    Seconds later, a maid was there to take it away along with Theodore''s one.

    Blanche was surprised by that sudden appearance and stared after the woman for a moment before focusing on the more important topics again. If the people were starting to come to the royal couple now, the ones with the highest rank would begin. Unmistakably, that would be the members of the Estien family. She definitely didn''t have any interest in facing the dowager empress and the second prince, but it might be good to get it over with. After that, she would be safe for most of the evening, so that might be worth the frustrating interaction.

    The concubine let her eyes wander across the crowd and paused when she met Henry''s gaze. It was like the duke had been waiting for her. He was glaring at her with so much hatred that it made her want to look away immediately. She forced herself to maintain eye contact for a second though before slowly shifting her attention to something else. Maybe that had made it seem like she hadn''t noticed him, but she doubted it. She had been tense the whole time, and seeing how furious Duke Duremont was didn''t make that any better.

    So, she jolted when she suddenly heard her lover right next to her. She whipped her head around to find him leaning over to her.

    Theodore scanned her expression with a small grin before speaking up. ¡°You are way too adorable when I startle you. If you don''t want me to kiss you, you shouldn''t look at me like that.¡±

    Blanche felt how her cheeks got red, even though she repeatedly told herself to keep calm. ¡°It''s your fault for scaring me like that. Is something wrong?¡±

    The emperor''s smile only widened at that. ¡°Nothing''s wrong. How could that be the case when you are right here with me? You seem to be a bit tense though.¡±

    She let out a nervous chuckle and averted her eyes. ¡°How could I not when everyone is watching us? I don''t think that this was a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Should I kiss it better?¡± Her lover leaned even closer to her so that it seemed like he would actually kiss her.

    But a voice chimed in before that could happen. ¡°Would you please conduct yourself a bit more appropriately? We are currently in public, so it would be wise to act accordingly. In addition, I would like to remind you that I am able to understand your every word, and I do not wish to hear any of those things.¡±

    Blanche stiffened when she realized that the empress was close enough to notice what was going on.

    The emperor didn''t care much though. He glanced at his wife for a moment without even turning his head properly. ¡°And how is that my problem? If you do not like it, you are free to join your family. They surely missed you during the past weeks.¡± That was all he said before looking back to his lover and rolling his eyes.

    Seraphina was silent for a moment, and that was enough to alert the concubine.

    Blanche knew that her lover was the most powerful person here, but treating the one coming right behind him in influence wasn''t wise. Enraging the other woman would only cause problems. They needed the empress to mediate with the Duremonts, which meant that they couldn''t start a fight with her first. So, Blanche hurried to speak up. ¡°I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. We will be quiet from now on.¡±

    The empress replied immediately. ¡°Was this your idea?¡±

    The concubine tightened her grip on the armrest and tried to sound a little less uncomfortable than she actually was. ¡°I fear that I do not quite understand what Your Majesty is referring to.¡± And since she couldn''t see the other woman''s expression, she didn''t even have a clue about what this was.

    Seraphina responded with the same cool voice as always, even though the edge of her tone was a bit sharper than usual. ¡°Everything. From your attire to the entrance, the dance and you sitting here. Did this happen due to your request?¡±

    Blanche shook her head, even though the heroine couldn''t see her. ¡°No. I would never dare to ask something like this. That''s why-¡±

    The empress'' reply followed in an even harsher tone. ¡°I thought so. Then do not apologize. This matter will be discussed excessively in private later, but I would favor speaking to the person responsible for this.¡± It sounded like she was probably glaring at the emperor right now, but he didn''t care.

    Theodore rested his elbow on the armrest and leaned his head on his palm while looking at his lover. ¡°I don''t know what she is referring to. I never agreed to a discussion, and I doubt that she can force me. Besides, I don''t have to justify anything. I''m the emperor. Can''t I do what I want during my birthday party in my palace?¡±

    Blanche sighed inwardly and scanned him while thinking about how to respond. He surely wouldn''t listen to her complaints, but it felt wrong to stay silent about this. ¡°You don''t want to hear my true opinion. You would only remind me of our promise again.¡±

    Her lover happily nodded. ¡°Naturally. You won''t break your words because of some strange comments. Ignore everyone that wishes to criticize you and enjoy the day with me.¡± He gave her a soft smile before opening his mouth again.

    The empress spoke before he could begin. ¡°I asked my brother to look into the matter of the poison regarding the hint we got. Apparently, he found something that could help us with the investigation. He will share his information with us in an a little more secluded environment. He did not tell me much, but from what I heard, it seems like the hint was correct. We need to be even more careful from now on.¡±

    Theodore stiffened a bit at that. ¡°So, Cedar didn''t lie. Leon found some information too. I doubt that our two sources were completely wrong. We''ll ask all the servants to pay more attention to the uses of strange liquids or powders. We need to eliminate any risk of somebody ingesting any harmful substances. The controls by the gates will be increased too. We can''t allow those people to continue their vile plots any longer.¡± He sounded like he wished to say something else too, but then his eyes landed on something in the middle of the ballroom. ¡°There they are. I can''t even speak about them without summoning them. How annoying.¡± His voice made it seem like he had no intention of hiding that he wasn''t pleased about those guests either.

    That made it easy to find out to whom he could be referring.

    Blanche turned her head to gaze in the direction of the carpet in front of the platform and wasn''t surprised to find the dowager empress and the prince approaching them.

    Camille was wearing a simple navy gown with white patterns and golden accessories. Her son was dressed in a similar color scheme, which proved that they were rather serious about following the conventions. They appeared in the royal colors but mixed in white to show that they weren''t imitating the royal couple. That was the only part about them that anyone could foolishly call considerate though.

    Cedar was already grinning from one ear to the other as he guided his mother to the thrones. One look at his expression was enough to reveal that he was still the perfect actor as always and covered his disdain for his brother without any issues.

    Camille didn''t see the need to do so though. She openly glared at Theodore with even more hatred than Henry had ever shown. She was truly nothing but a hollow shell that was fueled by resentment and unjust grudges. Even as she maintained her dignified posture, it didn''t change anything about the fact that her heart had become icy long ago. That woman had nothing but coldness and hate to offer. How had she even raised her younger son?

    Blanche shuddered at that thought and glanced at her lover.

    Theodore was watching them approach with a blank expression, but his eyes pierced them with a freezing gaze. He turned to his lover when he noticed that she was looking at him and showed her a weak smile though. ¡°It will be fine. They will bother us for a minute, give me their gifts and then leave.¡± It sounded like he was telling that himself rather than her to keep himself from exploding.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    She nodded toward him and fought the urge to grab his hand. ¡°You will do well. You always do. They can''t do anything too insolent while the guests are watching.¡±

    That was a useless argument, but it made her lover chuckle before he allowed himself to show her his frustration for a moment. ¡°They won''t be silent. She will confront me about you being here and compare me to my father again. He will try something weird, I just know it. I wish I could just ignore them.¡±

    Blanche nodded in affirmation. ¡°That would be wonderful. But you know that this won''t make them calm down. Just remember that we need to remain composed and greet them with a smile. Then you will chat with them, and after that, they''ll leave.¡± She tried to cheer her lover up, but at the same time, this was supposed to motivate her too.

    One glance at Cedar''s face was enough to make her want to sit on Theodore''s lap instead. She hated how the prince managed to fake a completely real smile and only showed his twisted side when he wanted to scare others. Unfortunately, she had been the target of those attempts a few times now, and that was sufficient to fill her with dread whenever she saw that person. How could her lover ever be worried about her falling for his brother''s lies? Cedar made her hairs stand on end and caused her to become nauseous whenever she saw him. She couldn''t quite discern the mix of emotions she was feeling, but she knew that he confused her.

    She hated the prince with every fiber of her being. At least she knew that she definitely should. The fact that he was attempting to kill her lover was part of the reason for that, but she also despised Cedar''s personality. There was something about him that had made her wish to avoid him from the moment that she had met him onwards. Even while he was just moving towards her with a smile, she wanted to wipe that expression off his face and prove how much she loved Theodore, just to spite the emperor''s enemies.

    And yet, it didn''t feel like blaming Cedar was the right option when the real reason for all of this chaos, Camille, was standing next to him. Even Blanche knew that much. Though, she shouldn''t worry about that when it wouldn''t change their situation.

    Theodore moved his hand over to her, and while she was lost in thought, she mindlessly took it. He squeezed her hand twice before looking into her eyes and mouthing an ¡®I love you¡¯.

    She did the same before letting go of him and turning to the guests.

    By now, Camille and Cedar had reached the thrones, and the prince bowed to the emperor. In the meantime, the dowager empress kept her head held up high as she scanned the scene on the platforms. Even while she was standing below them, it felt like she was looking down on the concubine.

    Blanche gave her best not to grimace or meet Cedar''s gaze as she waited for her lover to speak up. She presumed that he would take a few seconds to enrage the two that had to stay quiet until he opened his mouth, as he had done it the last few times. That proved to be true.

    Theodore waited for longer than it was comfortable before beginning to talk with a fake smile, which didn''t cover the coldness in his eyes. ¡°Good afternoon, or rather evening. I''m pleased to see that you chose to attend the ball for my birthday. I was not sure about that before, but it seems like my wishes have been fulfilled. Have you been enjoying yourselves until now?¡±

    Camille continued to glare at him even while he was speaking and seemed like she could barely gather enough patience to wait until he finished. She opened her mouth as soon as he was done. ¡°Naturally. I heard some concerning rumors, so I decided that I needed to see how your health is at the moment. It seems like you are well enough to host a party. I am relieved to see that, but it makes me question your sanity. Are you aware of the fact that the royal family stands on top of the noble society? We are supposed to be the most respectable household in the nation and lead the rest of the aristocrats while governing Artias. Our family has had this position for centuries. How can you insult our whole bloodline and every single noble in our country by daring to put a lowly baroness next to you and Her Majesty? In such an attire nonetheless. Are you out of your mind? Do you wish to dishonor all of our relatives that served the nation ever since Artias was declared independent? Your own father would-¡±

    Theodore rested his head on his hand while she spoke, and with every word, he looked more annoyed. He was quiet until the very end when he seemingly had enough and interrupted the dowager empress without regret. ¡°I will pretend I didn''t hear that. Try again.¡±

    That silenced Camille. Her expression showed that she was even more enraged than before as she stared at her son. ¡°How can you act like this during a public event? Ignoring your own mother while she-¡±

    The emperor didn''t let her finish this time either. ¡°I am doing this precisely because I know who you are. You have always been loyal to the Estien family and know everything that is to know about our bloodline and the rules in our society. So, when you are disregarding all of that, I naturally need to speak up.¡±

    Blanche alternated between looking at her lover and the other woman while trying to calm herself down. She wasn''t involved in the fight, but listening was enough to make her nauseous. There was no way that this would be a pleasant conversation anymore.

    The dowager empress'' tone became even icier even when Cedar put his hand on her shoulder to soothe her. ¡°What are you referring to? In comparison to others here, I never dishonored our bloodline.¡±

    Theodore lifted his hand and raised his index finger as a little smile spread on his face. ¡°Spending six years in a mansion away from the capital must have caused you to forget about some things. You just ignored every convention that I can think of. You didn''t greet me and didn''t wish me a happy birthday either, although this joyful day is the reason for this celebration. I am a bit hurt because of that, but I will manage. What baffles me though is that you speak about our bloodline like you were a part of it. I do not wish to hurt you, but that is not quite accurate.¡± He averted his eyes and leaned his elbow on the armrest again. ¡°You married into the Estien family, but you do not share the same blood as the previous rulers of Artias. But I don''t mind you feeling devoted enough to our family to state things like that.¡± Theodore looked at his mother, and his tone drastically changed into a cold one that lacked any sympathy. ¡°What I do mind is the fact that you believe yourself to be powerful enough to criticize the emperor. In front of all my guests and during my birthday ball. Nonetheless, I was kind enough to overlook it and gave you a chance to start once more in a more respectful tone, but it seems like you didn''t notice what I was referring to. Even when I explicitly asked you to be more polite. My hint appears to have been useless to you.¡±

    Camille''s eyes narrowed as she stared at her son as if she was hoping for him to drop dead. But she didn''t get a chance to curse the emperor. Cedar moved a bit closer to his mother and whispered something into her ear, which made her press her lips into a thin line. She didn''t seem to be pleased, but she didn''t make any attempt to speak up.

    Instead, Cedar took it upon himself to save the situation. ¡°We should have started with this, but allow me to add it. Happy birthday, my dear brother. You are twenty-seven now. That sounds almost surreal. Time passes by way too quickly. I still remember the day that you became twenty years old like it was yesterday.¡± He made a dramatic pause before taking a deep breath and continued. ¡°We sincerely apologize if Mother''s words just now offended you. I fear that today has been quite stressful as she has been feeling unwell the whole week. So, she might have voiced things in a less careful tone than she normally would. You remember that she''s like this often when she is ill, right? But you also know that she only means well. Mother was merely worried about Her Majesty, and that is why she addressed this so openly.¡±

    Seraphina chimed in before the emperor had a chance to respond. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness. I thank you for your concern, but I can assure you that I am not in a state that is unfavorable enough to require any pity.¡± The sharp edge of her voice made it more than obvious that she didn''t have any interest in getting sympathy from those people. She wouldn''t allow them to use her as a reason to disrespect Theodore, even if she was definitely still fuming because of all of this.

    Cedar''s eyes widened as if he was shocked by those words. ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty. That is not what I meant to express at all. How could anyone think to pity Her Majesty, the empress of Artias? What I wished to say is that my brother can be quite headstrong sometimes and that I fear that you may misinterpret his actions. But naturally, we will not interfere in your relationship.¡± He turned his head to his mother and gave her a soft smile. ¡°I apologize for speaking before you. Will you greet Her Majesty too?¡±

    Camille glared at him for a moment before turning her hateful gaze to the thrones. It seemed like she was too angry to control herself, so she didn''t attempt to conceal the resentment in her eyes. ¡°I am pleased to meet you, Your Majesty. I apologize for His Majesty''s behavior. I would like to take responsibility for that, but the ones tutoring him while he was young are to blame for this. The esteemed previous emperor should have been a bit more careful regarding whom he allowed to take care of his heir. Maybe things would be a little different now, but we do not have the time to make guesses about the past. I can only praise you for staying at His Majesty''s side even when he may be stubborn.¡±

    Even now, Camille didn''t stop criticizing Theodore, even though he had explicitly pointed out that she shouldn''t do that. This only proved that she was overly convinced that her position was powerful enough to ensure that she wouldn''t be punished no matter what.

    What was even more surprising than this was the fact that she was still trying to curry favor with Seraphina. After the conversation at the last ball, it had seemed like Camille would ignore the empress from now on, but it appeared that she was more patient in that regard. Maybe the dowager empress just saw that Seraphina was in a similar situation to her and insisted on becoming her ally because of that.

    However, the empress thankfully had no intention of agreeing to that. ¡°I appreciate your concern but, as His Royal Highness said, I do not believe that there is any need for you to intervene in this matter. Even though I have to agree that the actions of this evening may seem reckless to you, we have no issue dealing with this ourselves. I will discuss everything necessary with His Majesty in private, so you do not have to worry. He is a competent ruler, so you can put more faith in him. I should not have to remind you that this is the celebration of his birthday, so we will not converse about such topics any longer. Let us speak about more pleasant matters instead.¡±

    The dowager empress'' expression turned even more sinister, even though that shouldn''t have been possible at all.

    Cedar quickly spoke up before she could. ¡°Of course, we agree, Your Majesty. This is a way too wonderful day to waste it worrying about subjects that do not seem to bother you. We will continue the conversation normally.¡± He squeezed his mother''s shoulder, which was supposed to make her resume, but she kept quiet.

    Blanche would have liked to sink into her chair to hide from the uncomfortable situation, but she forced herself to keep her posture upright. Listening to the hostile discussions between the others was bad enough, but she would have to reply as well soon, and she needed to get ready for that.

    It was obvious that Camille was unhappy about the concubine being here, possibly because it awakened memories of Althea accompanying Theodore''s father.

    But that wouldn''t cause Blanche to just leave. While she would love to avoid a conversation with the other woman and the prince, she wouldn''t bow down this time either. Her nerves were already tingling now, and she felt the urge to shudder, but she gave her best to seem confident while greeting the dowager empress.

    But Camille didn''t speak up.

    An uncomfortable amount of time passed until Theodore cleared his throat. ¡°Cedar, you said that she was sick? If it was this serious, you shouldn''t have come at all. I mean, she is even forgetting the most fundamental rules of etiquette right now. You are aware of that, right? Does she have a fever? Say the word, and I will get you a carriage that brings you back to the mansion.¡±

    Cedar gave his brother a smile and patted Camille''s hand. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but she appears to be fine. As long as she is feeling alright, we cannot miss such an important event. Mother recovered the whole week, so she is merely a bit tired today.¡± He turned his head to the dowager empress with an expectant look.

    But even now, Camille refused to acknowledge the concubine.

    This time, Theodore didn''t stay silent for long. He sighed and massaged his temples for a moment before tilting his head towards his lover. ¡°I told you that she would be sick again, didn''t I? There seems to be a curse that makes her ill on my birthday each year. So, please don''t be too angry at her. I''ll make it up to you later.¡± The fact that a baroness was asked to forgive the dowager empress was audacious enough, but Theodore wasn''t done yet. He turned to his mother and gave her a fake smile. ¡°I will take it on myself to intervene now before it gets embarrassing. You need to greet everyone here. Blanche is next in line. If you are unsure what to say, she could also address you first.¡±

    Camille finally spoke up at that. Her expression was distorted with rage as she glared at her son. Without a doubt, she was more offended by this suggestion than anything else before. But Theodore''s words seemed to have their intended influence. Her eyes slowly wandered to the concubine, and she stared at the other woman with wrath before speaking up. ¡°Lady Blanche. It seems that His Majesty still did not allow you to bow to people above your rank. That may cause trouble for you in the future. You should know that the emperor''s words do not rule out the law. At some point, you should stop trusting that he will protect you from anything that may happen. Manipulating him into allowing things like this insolent behavior today will not grant you any advantages in the long run. You should do yourself a favor and start showing respect to others.¡±

    Blanche really didn''t know how to reply to that.

 Chapter 194: A Brothers Gift (2)

    ¡°

    very long time, so you should try to get along with her. She moved into the palace before you came back and will live here for longer than you too.¡± That was just an indirect way of saying that the concubine wasn''t a temporary guest but would stay even after he had defeated his family.

    ¡°

    that issue, he cannot come either. It''s unfavorable, really. But since you surely visited your sister, it should be fine. Is it a boy or a girl?¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

 Chapter 195: Nauseating and Repetitious Greetings (1)

    Lady Blanche. Have a nice evening.¡± He pronounced her title with so much emphasis that it sounded even worse than before. With that, he turned around and rushed to his mother, who was waiting for him a few steps away from the thrones.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°

 Chapter 196: Nauseating and Repetitious Greetings (2)

    Right now, the concubine felt exhausted, even though not even the first hour of the ball was over. She sighed quietly, but it was loud enough for her lover to hear.

    ¡°Are you sure that you are fine?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I would like a glass of water now though.¡±

    Theodore immediately waved a servant toward him and ordered what she had asked for before turning to her. ¡°You don''t have to be so tense, you know? I''m right here with you. The worst part of the evening is already over. I will be with you the whole time, so it''s fine. I won''t let anyone attack you.¡±

    Blanche gave him a weak smile and had to hold back from running her fingers over his cheek. ¡°I know. Thank you. But I''m still not used to so much pressure. I can''t believe that you needed to do something like this from your childhood on. I would have collapsed. Even now, I feel like this is too much for me, so I would have been sobbing when I was younger.¡±

    Theodore scanned her with a concerned gaze and only showed her a soft smile when he was sure that she was alright. ¡°You can''t compare that. I was raised in the palace with the expectation of me being the center of attention all the time. I needed to be here from the very beginning. But of course, I started slowly too and only had to accompany my father, so I had years to get used to the fact that I would be here alone at some point. But I am very glad that you are here.¡±

    Blanche let out a quiet laugh and let her gaze roam across the ballroom before quickly turning back to her lover. ¡°I feel like I am doing more harm than good, but I''m glad if I can help you in some way. I will give my best not to disturb the conversation again.¡±

    Theodore frowned at that. ¡°You didn''t interrupt anything. In fact, you are silent the whole time, which you don''t actually have to do. You can talk as much as you want to. I know that small talk is very boring, but it''s better than just sitting there and listening.¡±

    She considered bringing up that the others wouldn''t like to hear her voice, but she didn''t say that. The emperor would only react sensitive to such a statement, so she chose to phrase it a bit differently. ¡°Well, the people that were here are the last ones I wish to speak to. The most exhausting ones are gone though, so I can be calmer now. I''m still a bit restless, but it will be fine. For how long will this go on again?¡±

    They should still have a little over six hours left, so getting impatient now wouldn''t do her any good. She would have to manage somehow even if she was already tired.

    Theodore''s face slowly lit up, and he smiled at her. ¡°I have some good news for you in this regard.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Her lover seemed to be even more content at that. ¡°Yes. We will leave an hour before midnight. There is still something I need to do today without anyone disturbing us, so we will take the liberty of disappearing earlier.¡±

    Blanche knew that this was a bad idea. What kind of host would simply leave their guests alone during an event? Many people would be discontent with that. Still, she couldn''t help but mirror his smile. An hour less of pure stress was like a god-sent gift for her. ¡°Thank you. Just find a good explanation.¡±

    Theodore nodded happily. ¡°I already have one. We''ll leave with the intention of coming back in a few minutes, but something urgent suddenly required my attention. Don''t worry. I already left in the middle of a ball a couple of times. I did that when we first met too.¡±

    That was true. Back then, no one had questioned why he had disappeared either. Of course, no single person present would have suspected that he would be taking care of a young woman that had suddenly appeared in the pavilion while he passed by either.

    Blanche couldn''t help but grin while she remembered their first meeting but quickly became more dejected again when she thought about the circumstances of her arrival in the palace. Sefare was nothing but a lackey that didn''t play much of a role in the novel or her current situation, but he knew everything about her past. A few words of his would be enough to destroy everything. She fought against the urge to search for the marquess and turned to her lover instead. ¡°Then I will be happy to leave with you. I''m already fed up speaking to those two, and at the end of the ball, they would have a chance to approach us again. We should avoid that if possible.¡± She slowly let her eyes roam around the table with the gifts to estimate how many people they would still have to greet before being able to stand up.

    There were a lot of households that would have to be addressed first. Hopefully, they wouldn''t chat with the royal couple for too long.

    The concubine froze for a moment when she saw the boxes that the dowager empress and the second prince had presented and remembered the previous conversations. That only made her mood deteriorate even more. She intended to stay calm at first, but thinking about that sword made her boil, so she didn''t hold back. ¡°I''m still baffled by the fact that your enemies seem to be so brazen in public though. Cedar actually dared to give you a gift with such a hidden meaning. It''s unbelievable.¡±

    Theodore opened his mouth to respond but closed it again when the servant approached. He took the glass of water before sending the other man away and handed it over to Blanche. He gave her a few seconds to drink before speaking up. ¡°Well, I''m glad that his mother isn''t as petty as him. She could have gifted me something strange too. Her behavior was bad enough to ruin my day, so I don''t need anything else souring my mood.¡± His expression darkened as he glanced at the guests. ¡°That she actually dared to offend you in my presence only proves that she is still as self-centered as before. Not only that, but she also tried to threaten you while everyone else was listening right after she fought with me. She has nerves. And that bastard too. I hate it when he looks at you, and him saying your name feels like a sacrilege.¡±

    Blanche''s face scrunched up at that thought. She finished her water, and immediately, Stella was by her side to take the empty glass away. She didn''t even have time to thank the maid before the other woman was already gone, so she focused on her lover again. ¡°I hate it much more than you do, believe me. I want to throw up every time I see him. This evening already made me nauseous, so I really thought I might lose it when he spoke to me. What does he think such arrogant actions will gain him? I don''t get why they believe that they have any chance to influence me either. I told him that I love you a hundred times and that nothing could ever change this, but they won''t give up.¡±

    Theodore''s eyes narrowed as he looked at something in the distance before he turned to her again and showed her a grim expression. ¡°They don''t see you as a human being with the capability to make your own decisions. They only know that they can use you to hurt me the most and will do anything to attack this weak point of mine. In addition, none of them have ever felt true love, so how would they understand what it means? If my brother wasn''t such a horrible person, I would have developed some sympathy for him. I doubt that the dowager empress ever raised him with something else in mind than to make him surpass me.¡± Theodore stopped himself and opened his mouth without saying anything. When he began again, he sounded more dejected than angry. ¡°Sometimes, I feel like Cedar doesn''t even see himself as a human but more as a tool for his mother. It must have been a bleak childhood for him. It would have been better if Althea had raised him. I''m sure that Cedar would be different now if that had been the case. But there is nothing I can do about that. I can only try to defeat him without using too harsh ways, but I won''t hesitate to be more direct if he becomes a threat to you. For now, it looks like I might be able to rely on legal instruments to fight back. I managed to imprison the most infuriating followers of theirs after all.¡±

    Blanche watched him while he spoke and felt her stomach drop when she heard him talk like this. Even now, he felt bad about having been raised by a wonderful person while his brother was being manipulated by his mother. It wasn''t his fault, and he wouldn''t admit it, but his tone was enough to reveal that he was blaming himself for it to some extent. Before she could think about it, she lifted her hand and put it onto his, which was lying on the armrest. ¡°It will be fine. No matter what you do, I am on your side. Just focus on the positive things for now. As you said, you got rid of the Vasquez family. For now, at least.¡±

    Theodore gave her a sad smile. He turned his hand so that her palm was resting on his before replying. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. They aren''t gone. The trial will be held in a while, but I will be forced to release them in a few days. Obviously, I will try to link them to every crime they committed and with the poisoning, but we cannot be certain that this will succeed. Either way, their reputation will suffer, and they will lose a lot of money due to their stores being closed down, but they will still keep a good fraction of their power.¡±

    Blanche truly wasn''t surprised. Duke Vasquez''s rank could do a lot for him. She lowered her eyes and pondered about this for a moment before looking up again. ¡°What crimes did they commit? I''m sure that poisoning someone within the royal palace is the worst they did, but it was merely their servant whom we located. They will claim not to be connected to his decisions. Is there anything else that can hurt them with proof?¡±

    Theodore didn''t seem very confident here. ¡°There is proof. I could show you all the documents if we went to my office. Their stores are usually selling luxury goods, which means that they have to pay some hefty taxes. They did not always do that. They also ignored some laws that I made to avoid cartelization by owning all stores in some districts in the capital. To cover that up, they used some other people''s names and basically treated those merchants as personal marionettes. Though, they will just accuse their own workers of being responsible for that.¡± He leaned his head to the side and sighed quietly. ¡°If we are really lucky, we can connect them to a trading ring that gives weapons to Northern Ocrea. That nation will become our ally, but until now, handing them weapons is still technically treason.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    It took Blanche some effort not to jolt at that mention. She unwillingly thought back to the reason for her father''s execution but quickly pushed that thought away. She really didn''t need bad memories now, especially when she knew that Claude wouldn''t end up like that so easily. ¡°But...even then, the duke could just claim that his people wanted to enrich themselves. To prove that he personally worked with those trading rings, we''d need some specific documents with his handwriting, and he would be a fool to keep something like that neatly prepared for us.¡± Theodore weakly nodded in affirmation, which made Blanche sigh as well. ¡°I see. You must have been gathering evidence for a long time then, and even then, it''s difficult. How did you even find out?¡±

    She didn''t miss the fact that Theodore averted his eyes as he replied and also not that he seemed a bit uncertain while speaking. ¡°I...honestly searched where I wanted to find something. That''s usually what I do first in such situations. Then I just...send people to infiltrate the places that are important, but that takes a lot of time. We can assume that we need a few more months before we can move on to the accusations of treason with proof.¡±

    Blanche felt like there was something more to this. Did Theodore not want her to know which tricks he used to get his information? Maybe they were dirty. Though, Blanche didn''t care much here as long as it brought results and didn''t endanger her lover. She still worried. ¡°So, this trial now will make them furious without damaging their influence?¡± She breathed out in relief when her lover shook his head with certainty.

    ¡°No, everything has a purpose. This will definitely give them a harder time if they wish to do anything in the future. They will be branded as criminals or ones that worked together with criminals, no matter how the trial ends. I expect them to be declared guilty at least in some cases too. When it comes to legal matters, they might have to pay a fine, and the public''s opinion will be influenced for sure, which will enrage them a lot. But that is actually a part of the reason why I chose to deal with it now. If they are upset, especially Duke Vasquez, they will be more prone to messing up after they acted rashly. Then I can find their faults and use them against the whole faction. I hope that this works out, but it should. We already saw how the duke reacted to being criticized, so this will make him boil.¡±

    Blanche didn''t need to think hard to remind herself of the fight with Claude a few weeks ago. She was still a bit scared when she remembered how angry he had been, so her lover''s guess wasn''t too far off. ¡°I see. That is a good idea. Just be careful about those people using rumors against you. They might come up with a random reason and accuse you of imprisoning that family for your own gain.¡±

    ¡°I am almost completely certain that they will try that, but there is nothing I can do. I already stated the crimes they are being suspected of committing out loud. I can''t do much more than that.¡± Theodore let out a huff of air and allowed his frustration to show for a moment before he returned to a small smile. ¡°Well, at least I was able to do something. That''s good too. Maybe I shouldn''t demand so much so early. Just because I witnessed what will happen when I act in a specific way, that doesn''t mean that I am able to predict what may occur if I''m different.¡± He left a small pause before turning to his lover and looked at her with so much love in his gaze that she almost wanted to lean over to kiss him. He didn''t even let her ask about what he had meant specifically. ¡°I''m happy that you''re comfortable holding my hand in public now.¡±

    Blanche froze at that remark. Her gaze snapped to their hands, and she immediately withdrew hers which earned her a chuckle from her lover. She glared at him as she felt the blood rise to her cheeks. ¡°You should have reminded me of that. I got carried away.¡± She dared to glance at the guests and instantly focused on Theodore again. ¡°All of them saw. I...¡± She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hand.

    ¡°You don''t have to be embarrassed, you know? Everybody here has a very clear image of our relationship. So, don''t be afraid to touch me.¡± The emperor grabbed her hand and moved it away from her head to make eye contact with her. ¡°You shouldn''t worry about anything today. Remember our promise?¡±

    Blanche gave up with a sigh. She lowered her hand and gave him a little smile. ¡°How could I forget when you keep reminding me every few seconds?¡±

    ¡°That''s good. Because you can''t forget it under any circumstances. Understand?¡±

    The concubine nodded at him, and a movement from the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She glanced to the side and saw that the Lamonts were approaching them. She immediately tensed at that.

    The most problematic interactions might be over, but that didn''t mean that she could simply sit back and relax. There were still many others that wished to greet the emperor. So, she would have to keep an upright posture for much longer and do her best to look dignified.

    Theodore noticed her stiffness easily though. ¡°I just said that you can relax, didn''t I? Everything is fine. Lean back and enjoy the others trying to gain your favor. I''m by your side.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow at the comment about others wishing to get along with her, which certainly wasn''t true, but she didn''t speak about that. Instead, she just replied to the other part. ¡°I''ll try. If you''re here, it should be fine.¡± After that, she mirrored her lover''s encouraging smile and turned to the guests.

    This would be a long evening.

    <hr>

    It was exhausting to greet all the different nobles, that was undeniable. But apart from the dowager empress and the second prince, everyone seemed to be oddly tame. No one made any ambiguous comments or directed insulting words at the concubine. No one took note of the fact that the emperor was offending his wife by putting another woman without a noble background next to him.

    That was the most surprising thing about the entire evening, and with each person that was kind to them, Blanche became even more uncertain. Was this all just the calm before the storm, or had Theodore been right about no one daring to question him? The whole situation only served to make her more uncomfortable with each passing conversation without any issues.

    It had begun with the Lamonts. The duke, who had recently been appointed as a new minister and was still overjoyed and eager to please the emperor, naturally didn''t say anything contemptuous. He just happily greeted everyone, even the concubine, with kind words and handed over some very expensive-looking gifts. Fiona surprisingly didn''t try anything either. She didn''t flutter her eyelashes or attempt to make herself look better to gain Theodore''s favor. That was a bit irritating since the emperor''s birthday should have been the day on which she was trying her hardest to improve her family''s standing. Instead, she was just polite and even chatted with the empress for a moment before having a short exchange with Blanche. Everything stayed polite.

    Blanche didn''t miss the fact that Fiona had put a rose, the flower of the Lamont family into her hair though. To her, that seemed a bit like Fiona wanted to present herself as the next heir to her family''s name. That was something that would make sense for an ambitious woman like her, much like it would explain why she felt like she didn''t need Theodore anymore. If Fiona could become duchess herself, all her wishes would be fulfilled. Blanche was quite content with that solution anyway.

    The Bellfaux family came next. The marquess was respectful as always, and his daughters also didn''t do anything special. Madeleine hid her slight annoyance at Theodore''s treatment of her dear Seraphina halfheartedly, but since her friend was being ignored by the emperor right now, her feelings were understandable. But she didn''t speak about the issue and even maintained a friendly chat with the concubine. Briana was visibly confused, but the whole conversation just seemed to bore her aside from that. She always glanced into the distance as if she was searching for someone, who was probably Allen.

    Leon was the next one to approach the thrones. Obviously, the interaction with him was the most relaxing one of all the ones of the evening. He took his time greeting everyone before handing over the gifts. He gave Blanche a bright smile before leaving to mix into the crowd. Theodore explained that this was to make sure that the marquess would be able to eavesdrop on their enemies, even if it was unlikely that a good deal of crucial information would be revealed like this.

    After this calm discussion, a rather uncomfortable one occurred. Evelyn was the only member of the Lemares family in the capital since her relatives lived in the south. After all, the only reason for her to have moved here was that Henry was at home near the royal palace. Since the emperor, the empress and the concubine all despised that woman, the whole interaction was icy. Luckily, Evelyn was still a bit more reserved after what had happened at the banquet and didn''t dare to provoke anyone. She gave her best to stick to the required etiquette and didn''t stray away from that even once. She greeted Blanche properly too, even if she did it with a glint of anger in her eyes.

    The concubine didn''t care about that though and glared back as much as she could without making it too obvious. In the meantime, she just remembered that Evelyn would attempt to do something horrible tomorrow during the tea party and that she would prevent that. But she wasn''t able to think about how to protect Grace without seeming like an insane person for long. Evelyn quickly left, and the tensest conversation followed.

    Marquess Sefare stepped forward with a grin plastered on his face. He was careful not to show too much of his joy about the emperor offending the empress with all of this and gave his best to only treat Blanche with as much courtesy as necessary. He was probably scared of someone realizing that they knew each other and just wanted to make sure that no one would be able to guess this from their short conversation. Still, the concubine was stiff the whole time and avoided looking at him.

    Unfortunately, her lover noticed this rather quickly and interrupted the chat to ask a servant to bring another cup of water. After that, Theodore even offered to hold her hand, which she declined with a red face. She could only hope that the empress hadn''t heard this, but it was questionable.

    But for some reason, the emperor managed to end the conversation rather soon. He asked Sefare about some random things, and seconds later, the marquess seemed to be eager to leave, which Theodore allowed.

    This was followed by another nice meeting. Sophia and her husband came to greet the royal couple next. The count was as silent as always, but the countess happily blabbered the whole time and was able to lighten the atmosphere a bit with that. She addressed all the present people with a radiant beam and began talking about her daughter, who was sleeping in a cradle in a guest room with some maids watching over her. Hopefully, her presence and actions would calm Seraphina down a bit, but Blanche couldn''t relax now.

    This conversation only reminded the concubine that Evelyn would try to kill Grace tomorrow and that she had to intervene under any circumstances once. During the tea party, she would have to stay by the baby''s side no matter what. Otherwise, the infant might not live for more than the next twenty-four hours.

    That thought made Blanche tenser by the end of the chat than she had been before. She would risk being viewed as a maniac if that would allow her to save Grace, but she would like to avoid that. In any case, she would still need to let Evelyn make an attempt to hurt the little girl, no matter how cruel that sounded. That event had been the only reason the woman''s vile side had been revealed and if no one found out, Evelyn would have countless chances to hurt those around her differently. So, Blanche would have to make sure that everyone saw what was happening and catch the baby, or have someone else catch it, before it fell into the fountain. The emperor could help her, so she would manage somehow.

    After that, countless noble families with less influence and those from outside the capital approached the royal couple. The concubine wasn''t able to identify most of them, so it was good that she could always listen to her lover''s greeting first. She had expected at least a few of them to point out that a baroness sitting with the royal family was wrong, but no one did. Even the ones that met her for the first time were overly kind, which was a bit unsettling.

    Normally, people who had only heard rumors about the emperor''s affair should be more enraged about this situation. But they seemed to be fairly calm, which left Blanche behind with confusion each time.

    The last important conversation of the evening was the one with the Valerians. The viscount greeted the royal couple in a perfect manner with an elegant bow and no stuttering or mistakes in his speech. Still, he seemed to be somewhat cold. That might be because of his expression that remained stoic the whole time or the way that he glared at his daughter when she tripped over her words once. That was enough to make the concubine dislike that man. She felt bad about witnessing that scene without being able to step in even when she knew that something was wrong. After all, no young girl should tremble just because her father was slightly annoyed.

    Lucille seemed to be terrified and not just a bit shy. The girl hurried to hide her shaking, but her uncertainty was still audible in her voice. Blanche could barely stand to listen to her while remembering the hunting festival. Lucille had been so impudent back then despite being so uncertain and shy in public. Why did she act like that? But naturally, the concubine didn''t receive an answer even when she pondered about this for a moment. The Valerians left quickly, and thus, all the guests had finished introducing themselves.

    That meant that half of the ball was over and that the royal couple would be free to walk around now. Blanche was rather unsure how her lover hoped to deal with this while she was there too, but she was relieved nonetheless.

 Chapter 197: Person Of Interest (1)

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 Chapter 198: Person Of Interest (2)

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    coincidentally arrive at a very unfitting point in time. Now I can talk though.¡± Even if she didn''t really want to do that. She hated that person, and interacting with him disgusted her. Especially since this felt stupidly familiar.

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    ¡° Lady Blanche.¡± While stressing her title, Cedar grinned at her again. The way that he said it now was even worse than leaving out the title and only made her want to throw up.

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    ¡°is accurate to call Cedar that.¡±

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 Chapter 199: Person Of Interest (3)

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    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

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    all of our dreams, and no one will

 Chapter 200: Happy Anniversary (1)

    They were lost in each other''s eyes for a moment as they let their partner drink from their glasses. The loud noises around them seemed to fade into the background, and it was like they were all alone.

    Blanche was seconds away from kissing her lover when both of them woke up again. When she pulled her glass away, she almost did it too fast and was actually scared of spilling wine on him, but luckily, that didn''t happen.

    Theodore gave her a radiant smile before retracting his glass as well and sipping on the drink. When he finished the wine, he put the glass onto the table and looked around once. He let out a snort before making eye contact with her again. ¡°I told you about my conversation. What happened to yours? I saw that you were quite popular.¡±

    Blanche nodded and took another sip of her wine. ¡°It seems like many people had some questions. Lady Lamont and Lady Valerian came to apologize for what happened at the hunting festival. You remember that, don''t you? The latter one said something very careless to a group of people. I didn''t care much, but Lord Duremont got furious. I think everything is fine now, but I''m not sure. In any case, that girl seems to be sorry.¡±

    Theodore nodded to himself. ¡°I see. Those two didn''t cause you any trouble, did they?¡± He scanned her expression as if this was a truly serious topic.

    Blanche was taken aback by that question. ¡°No. Not really. Both of them were a bit...strange at the beginning. But now it seems that they have moved their interest to other topics.¡± Which was very convenient for her. After all, she wouldn''t like anyone trying to impress her lover. Though, seeing that those women had their own issues was still a bit concerning.

    The emperor nodded again. ¡°That is good then. You told me what that idiotic brother of mine wanted before, but what about Lord Duremont and Lady Bellfaux?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there was nothing much. She just worried about her fianc¨¦, and he came to chase Cedar away.¡± Blanche wanted to stop here, but upon speaking, she remembered that Allen had actually given her some valuable information that she needed to share. ¡°Lord Duremont helped me drive away the idiot that you were just referring to. He told me about the things he found out about the poison while he was there. Apparently, it does exist but can''t paralyze the victims for more than two weeks. It can cause lasting effects when it''s administered regularly, but otherwise, it will just weaken you temporarily.¡±

    Theodore took her glass when she emptied it with one last sip and handed it to a servant for her. ¡°That matches with what Leon found out, so we can trust it.¡± He was lost in thought for a moment, which allowed her to speak up.

    ¡°I already assumed that you wouldn''t leave investigating to another person. Did Leon read anything additional that might help us?¡±

    Her lover glanced in the direction of the servant, who had disappeared behind a door to the kitchen by now, to secure that they were gone. Then he stepped a bit closer to his concubine and whispered to her. ¡°At the first glance, it seems like there was something else mixed inside your drink. You had a headache and were nauseous, even though these shouldn''t be effects the poison could cause. Based on the description, only weakness should occur after it''s ingested, but that isn''t fully true. The first time use causes people to have symptoms that develop due to some sort of allergic reaction and are similar to a very harsh cold. That was what you experienced too. One could keep that from showing if one gave the victim countless small doses to allow them to get used to the poison before giving a bigger amount. There were notes about this since half of the known cases were only revealed after the perpetrator had confessed to their crimes. That means that they successfully hid that anyone was being poisoned while the victims seemed to coincidentally get weaker each day. In other words, the person who used it on you knew that and still chose to take the most obvious approach. Whoever did this didn''t intend on poisoning you for a long time in secret. They wanted us to know that you had been targeted.¡± That didn''t sound like anyone would benefit from that.

    Blanche put her hand to her chin as her mind raced through the possibilities of why someone would want to make it obvious that she had been poisoned. She froze when she remembered another similar situation. ¡°Do you mean that this is like the attack in the forest? Did they just want to scare us again?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I can''t read their thoughts, but I assume that this is it. Maybe they also have used it because they thought that it would be funny to try to make you, and possibly the public, believe that I poisoned you. Because of all the proven previous cases being couples.¡± Theodore made a small pause and secured that she was looking into his eyes while continuing. ¡°But actually, there are some incidents in which use hasn''t been proven but only suspected. Some people had other relationships with their victims in those cases. So, it''s not just something that people who state that they love someone use.¡±

    Blanche gave him a little smile. ¡°Of course not. I never believed that was the only option. It''s just disheartening to hear that people use this on others they hold dear. It makes me wonder why they''re that selfish. If you love someone, you wouldn''t harm them like this.¡±

    Theodore was silent for a moment. He stared at something in the distance before turning to her and showing her a faint smile as well. ¡°They didn''t love their partners. That''s easy to see. I understand that they would hate being left by someone they care about, but if that is their solution, something is wrong with them. No matter what excuse you have, hurting your lover is never alright.¡± He paused for a moment and just looked at her. His lips still formed a smile, but his eyes were full of sadness.

    Blanche felt her heart ache at that sight. She hurried to take her lover''s hand in hers and gripped it tightly. ¡°Of course not, but there are always misunderstandings or external circumstances. As long as you don''t do it intentionally, it''s fine. We are a perfect example of that, right? Whenever we accidentally do something that caused the other person to worry, it was always an accident. And then we talked about it, and it was fine. We never judged each other for that, and we are happy together now. I just know that you never hurt me on purpose and that you always give your best to protect me. So, you don''t have to look so sad when you say things like that.¡± She just wanted him to stop showing this strange expression, or she might start to cry soon.

    Theodore put his other hand on hers and pulled her close to him. He lifted her hands to his face and pressed a small kiss onto her skin. ¡°I love you. More than anything in this whole world. Even if it''s selfish, I can''t let you go. I don''t have the right to ask you to stay, but-¡±

    She cut him off there. She didn''t need to hear that now. ¡°You''re right. You don''t have to ask anything of me. I will just stay here anyway. Because I love you, and being with you is my greatest happiness. Why don''t you just trust that? We swore that we will be with each other forever, so don''t start saying such weird things. You can''t go back on your words.¡±

    Her lover rested his lips on her hand for a moment before giving her a smile that was a bit more upbeat than before. ¡°I don''t intend on doing that. I will stay by your side, and we will have a wonderful future together. I trust you fully and vow on my life to never question you. That''s why I will get rid of any external circumstances so that we can live without needing to pay attention to anyone else''s wishes. This is just about us. Not just this day, every day from now on.¡± With every word, his expression lit up more, and in the end, he beamed at her. ¡°You haven''t forgotten that it''s our anniversary yet, did you? I still need to show you my gifts. Are you excited?¡±

    The sudden change was surprising, but Blanche wouldn''t complain. As long as her lover was happy again, she would be overjoyed. ¡°Of course, I am. I''m still a bit sulky about you getting me more than I asked of you despite it being your birthday, but I will accept them anyway. I''m interested in what you came up with. Your gifts are always perfect. And obviously, I didn''t forget our anniversary either. We keep talking about it every few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Theodore looked around once more before intertwining their fingers. ¡°Because I can barely wait for this ball to be over. Only two more hours. We''ll just chat with a few people, and then we will slowly vanish. Then you will get your gifts, and after that, the surprise for us two will follow.¡± That sounded like he had something exciting planned.

    Even though Blanche hadn''t wanted him to put that much effort into her presents, she couldn''t help but look forward to receiving them now too. Her lover adored it when she was smiling, so she would beam for him the whole time. This way, she could give him something back even when she was the one getting gifts. ¡°You''re making me more and more excited. I hope that you still have enough energy for such a stressful day though. You seem to want to use every single minute.¡±

    Theodore slowly let go of her hands after pressing another kiss onto her skin. ¡°Of course. I need to make the most out of this day. The surprise definitely has to be the highlight at the end, but it needs to be before midnight too. So, it will be a bit challenging to manage everything in time, but it will work out. You might need to postpone inspecting your gifts more closely though. There are a lot, so you will have to do that tomorrow, or rather the day after tomorrow. After all, the tea party comes first.¡± So, he hadn''t just gifted her a few items either.

    The concubine had the feeling that her dressing room would soon be full if he continued like this. She should be more insistent about him not getting her that much, but she couldn''t help being happy whenever he handed her something beautiful. She replied with an inward sigh. ¡°Tomorrow will be exhausting too, won''t it?¡± Especially since she would have to protect Grace from being shoved into the fountain.

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    Her lover shrugged. ¡°It probably will. After all, we need to deal with the same people as today. You know that noble talk isn''t very pleasant, so it''s not surprising though. But as long as you are with me, it will be fine.¡±

    Blanche was a bit relieved at him being with her since that would prevent others from addressing her insolence today, but at the same time, it could cause issues. She needed to take care of Evelyn while not showing him that she could predict the future. Still, the hardest part would be intervening. She had to find a way to reveal Evelyn''s true nature while saving Grace. But maybe, just maybe, she could get her lover to help her with that. She gazed up at him and pondered about it for a moment before he gave her a questioning look. ¡°I...think that something bad might happen tomorrow.¡±

    Theodore''s expression dimmed at that, so she hurried to continue.

    ¡°I have no idea, of course, but it feels like it might be the case. Tomorrow, the Ravillots will definitely bring their daughter. And while they speak with the guests, they might ask someone to take care of Grace. I''m a little, no, I''m very worried about Lady Lemares. After all, she gave Lady Ravillot gifts that could be harmful to children. You pointed that out too, remember? It could have been an accident, but since I talked to her a couple of times, I believe that I can confidently say that something is wrong with her. So, I would like to keep an eye on that woman tomorrow.¡± She didn''t know what she expected. Maybe surprise or confusion and skepticism.

    But Theodore didn''t show her any of that. He just nodded. ¡°Of course. It''s better to be safe than sorry. We won''t have anything to do but look around and chat with people anyway.¡±

    Blanche was taken aback by that for a moment, but quickly, her gratefulness outweighed her surprise. ¡°Thank you. I just want to make sure that nothing happens to that girl. She and her parents are very sweet.¡±

    The emperor gave her a soft smile. ¡°I know. It''s good that you pay attention to things like that. We''ll be careful. But that will only apply tomorrow, right? Or do we have to check now too?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. We need to be careful around the fountain area.¡± Only after speaking, she noticed that she had messed up, so she hurried to change the topic. ¡°I mean, we''ll sit there, right? So, we need to be cautious then. But for now, we can continue as you planned. What will we do now?¡±

    Luckily, her lover didn''t seem to be bothered by her awfully specific warning. ¡°We go to some nobles and talk to them. I feel like we need to approach less influential ones instead of the Duremonts though. The duke isn''t in a good mood, and I am not interested in talking to him when he is like that. We''ll just meet families that aren''t from the capital with the excuse of barely seeing them.¡± He glanced at the guests. ¡°It appears that they are getting impatient. Let us go.¡± He extended his hand towards her.

    Blanche accepted his offer and linked her arm with his despite the obvious reaction this would cause. He had escorted her for the whole evening, so she wouldn''t need to hide it now. She allowed him to lead her through the crowd without any complaints.

    It seemed like her sweets would have to wait a bit longer than she had hoped for.

    <hr>

    The last two hours of the ball went by without any problems. The couple successfully avoided Theodore''s family and the Duremonts and just talked to less intimidating people.

    It was a bit surprising, but no one actually showed the slightest unwillingness to chat with the concubine, whom the emperor had brought along. No one glared at her or made backhanded comments like she had expected. No one made a remark about her attire, about how she had arrived here or her relationship with Theodore and the fact that she had dared to sit next to the royal couple either.

    In fact, they even seemed to be overly kind to her. Many nobles suddenly addressed Blanche and began conversations with her. A few even commented on how she had previously interacted with Briana before consoling her, which they seemed to see as an opportunity to flatter her. Even Blanche could tell that this meant that they expected her to be powerful enough that they wished to be on her good side. She was taken aback by that in the beginning, but talking with them wasn''t an issue since most were rather friendly and polite despite their obvious attempts to make her like them. For Blanche, this was odd but great at the same time. Seemingly, she wouldn''t truly have to worry about those people even if she did keep in mind that Theodore wished to publicly announce her as his children''s mother at some point. The nobles from outside the capital certainly seemed less like they would even dare to criticize the emperor in any way, which Blanche took as a victory in that regard. As Theodore had said, it seemed like merely the people in the capital played a big role here, so she could limit her worries to their reactions. That realization made her evening much better.

    Another good thing about this was that her lover gave her some time in between to finally finish her delicious sweets and even shared some with her despite the murmur this caused.

    While the evening was still exhausting because she needed to keep an upright posture and smile the whole time, it was slowly starting to become less nerve-wracking when she knew that no one would address her insolence. The only part that made her nervous was when she caught a glimpse of the prince, the dowager empress, or the Duremonts.

    Henry glared at her whenever he could and had to be pulled back into the conversation by his wife each time while Cedar always smiled no matter whom he was talking to. Camille''s gaze was icy too, and she looked like she was pondering about what Theodore had said earlier. All in all, seeing them made Blanche''s heart skip a beat in fear each time. But she was fortunate enough that none of them ever approached her.

    The only person that Blanche worried about apart from them was Seraphina, but the other woman didn''t do anything either. She had glanced at the empress a couple of times but never made eye contact. The heroine just seemed to stay with her family while giving her best not to look in her husband''s direction, which was probably a good idea.

    The young girl, whom Cedar had identified as the daughter of Count Besseta, didn''t seem to end up being important either. When Blanche pointed out that she was present, Theodore didn''t seem very surprised. He mentioned that fallen nobles would often attend in hopes of gaining at least some powerful supporters. He also didn''t complain about that lady not even greeting the host as he clearly understood how odd it would be for her to face him. That Cedar had mentioned that girl did concern Theodore a tiny bit, but he settled for sending a guard to watch what his brother was doing instead of trying anything else. He chose to warn Blanche about the dowager empress'' puppets again though. She swiftly assured him that she wouldn''t fall for anyone''s trap since she couldn''t afford to trust unknown people at the moment. This calmed Theodore, but he still started telling her a bit more about some of the dowager empress'' less special people. Seemingly, he had already prepared most of their downfalls and just waited for a chance to tear those households down. Blanche had to admit that it was interesting to hear more about this, but she settled for the general summary to avoid anyone eavesdropping.

    Yet, the biggest part of the evening was socializing with obedient nobles. Blanche still didn''t love it, but she found herself comfortable enough after a while since she could be sure that no one would trouble her for the day. This eased her worries in regard to the future, where she would have to appear like this often, a little more.

    At the end of the six hours, Blanche was more than relieved when Theodore announced that they would withdraw for a while. Most of the guests gossiped about them leaving without the empress, but she couldn''t bring herself to care. Her muscles were complaining because she had been stiff the whole time, and when the doors shut behind them, it was the most refreshing thing imaginable.

    With a little sigh, she allowed herself to relax after six hours of tension. This earned her a bright smile from her lover.

    ¡°It''s finally over, isn''t it? How are you doing? Do your feet hurt?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°We sat half of the time, so it was fine. The last ball was worse.¡± She wanted to retract her arm, but Theodore didn''t let go.

    He continued to hold her and led her down the corridor. ¡°Just say if there is an issue though. I can carry you again if it''s needed. We need to go to the third floor after all.¡±

    It was tempting to ask him to do that, but Blanche didn''t need to bother him with that when her feet were fine. ¡°Normally, I like you carrying me, but that could be a bit problematic with our attires. Last time, it was already complicated for you to hold me despite my puffy dress, and you almost dropped your crown a few times. We don''t need an heirloom of the royal family to break because of my laziness.¡±

    Theodore chuckled at that. ¡°I wouldn''t mind risking that if it''s important. I can prove that I love you with that after all. But if you don''t allow that, I will find other ways. Like giving you wonderful gifts on our anniversary.¡± He seemed to be even more eager to show her the presents than he revealed since he almost pulled her up the stairs.

    As usual, he didn''t mind climbing up in a hurry while she had problems following him. In the end, they made it to the third floor, and he seemed to insist on getting to their destination as soon as possible. He hurried to the hallway in which his chambers were located too.

    Theodore led her to a room that was beside his and stopped in front of the door with a wide grin. ¡°I put your gifts inside here so that they don''t have to be transported too far. We can store them with the clothes you have in the dressing room here. Of course, you could bring them to the one in your room too, but then you would have to walk an unnecessarily long way. So, I propose leaving them here. But we should look at them before you decide. Let''s go inside.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t help but beam when he was this excited. To be honest, she was on edge by now as well and wanted to see what he had come up with. She could live with him giving her a bit more than she had anticipated, as long as he hadn''t overdone it. ¡°Alright then. I will open the door.¡± She put her hand on the door handle as her stomach churned with excitement.

    As she slowly pushed against the door, light came out from the small gap, which could only mean that servants had already prepared the candles. She took a step forward and moved inside the room with her lover.

    The first thing she noticed was that the whole chamber was glowing.

    There were candles and garlands everywhere. The mirrors, which revealed that this was another dressing room, reflected all of this light, so the whole room was illuminated, and the glittery objects everywhere only enhanced that effect.

    Blanche was rendered completely speechless by the view in front of her. She could only freeze and let her eyes take in the interior while her mind tried to understand how Theodore didn''t seem to understand what limits were. The wasn''t a spot in the chamber that wasn''t filled with gifts.

    The sofa and the two armchairs as well as the tables that were standing around were covered with boxes, which were adorned with bright bows, and jewelry. The racks by the walls were full of dresses and other accessories like shoes and hats. The entirety of the room was decorated with countless candles, candelabras and garlands in blue and gold. One glimpse was enough to realize that the items inside this chamber had to have cost a fortune.

    The concubine had to gasp for air but still couldn''t tear her eyes away from the things in front of her. What was her lover thinking? It took her a while before she could turn her head to him. She wanted to say something, but her tongue wasn''t working.

    Theodore just beamed at her with so much love that all of her complaints would have been silenced if she had talked already. He lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked over her face. ¡°Happy anniversary.¡±

 Chapter 201: Happy Anniversary (2)

    ¡°Happy anniversary.¡±

    Blanche blinked at that and looked at the gifts before facing her lover again. Slowly, her ability to speak returned. ¡°Theo, this is... It''s...¡± It was too much, but how could she say that when he was so happy about it?

    Her lover freed his arm from hers to grab her hand and pulled her further into the room. With every step, she saw even more gifts and could already tell that she would adore most of them. Obviously, she didn''t have time to look at everything and couldn''t inspect them from afar, but the things that she could identify were absolutely gorgeous.

    All kinds of jewelry greeted her, along with items like tiaras, which she couldn''t actually wear. The dresses on the racks all looked new to her, so it seemed like she had just gotten a full wardrobe in addition to her already overflowing one. Aside from that, the big number of colorful boxes made her increasingly worried too. In short, the emperor seemed to have done everything in his power to find as many presents as possible.

    Blanche just trailed behind him and looked at all the things they passed by without being able to come up with something to say. Her lover had often overdone it in the past, but wasn''t this just ridiculous? He had given her the number of gifts she normally got in a year on one day. Surely, he was the emperor, and his funds were basically unlimited, but she couldn''t believe that he seemed to have judged what he would buy on that alone.

    Theodore guided her to the center of the room and allowed her to stand there and look around. He waited for a while and gave her time to process the things that were greeting her before beginning. ¡°Don''t you think about saying that this is too much. I only used my personal funds, as always. I want to indulge you, so that is exactly what I''ll do. While I got a lot, I already started preparing a while ago, so you can rest assured that I checked each item carefully. I only brought things that you will adore. You will stay here for so long that you will have enough time to wear everything eventually. So, you don''t need to restrain yourself. I know that you will like the things here, so you will keep them. I am a reasonable person, aren''t I? You can be sure that I wouldn''t overdo it.¡±

    Normally, she would agree with that, but it seemed like her judgment had been wrong. Blanche looked into his eyes and pressed her mouth into a thin line. Once again, her lover was pampering her way too much, and she had no idea what to say about that. She couldn''t push him away or refuse to accept the gifts, but agreeing felt wrong too. ¡°Theo... I know that you mean well, and of course, I''m happy to receive gifts from you. But I''m a bit concerned. I mean, you shouldn''t feel obliged to get me so many things for your birthday. Last year, you gave me one accessory, and that was fine.¡±

    Theodore cupped her face and leaned forward to bring his face closer to hers. ¡°I don''t feel obliged. I do what makes me happy. You shouldn''t forget that my birthday is also our anniversary, and this is why I gave you this many gifts. Your birthday will be a bit different.¡±

    She didn''t even want to know what he was planning for that. ¡°But, Theo-¡±

    Her lover cut her off by kissing her forehead. He stroked his thumb over her cheek before replying. ¡°You don''t need to be concerned about accepting my gifts. Why are you this reluctant to take what I give you? It''s been like this for a while now. Before that, you wouldn''t question what I chose for you.¡± Before, he hadn''t exaggerated like that either. But he was right about one thing being different.

    That was because of her nightmare. Blanche was pretty sure that she wouldn''t be thinking about it this much if the dream version of Theodore hadn''t told her that she was materialistic and greedy. Those words had hurt much more than she wanted to admit to herself, so she couldn''t help but keep them in the back of her mind. But the fact that those dreams meant much more to her than a normal nightmare was something she couldn''t reveal. ¡°I''m just worried... This money could be used differently, and I already own enough. I don''t want you to feel like I don''t value your gifts enough, so getting less might be better.¡± In the end, she had admitted a part of the truth anyway despite her not wishing to do so.

    The emperor immediately perked up at that. He tightened his hold on her face and make sure that she looked into his eyes. ¡°I never felt that way. When I said...¡± He paused and forced himself to calm down before continuing. ¡°When I give you presents, I always know that you adore them. That''s why I give them to you in the first place. If I ever said anything that made you feel differently, I misspoke. Because I know how much you like gorgeous dresses and shiny jewelry and things like that. So, I will provide them for you. There is no issue with that.¡±

    Blanche could just look at him while he spoke and tried to keep her bottom lip from trembling. She couldn''t express how much she had longed to hear those words today. After seeing how he had chosen to hand over more and more valuable things, she had been worried about him believing that she needed that to be happy. But she didn''t care much about expensive items. She just liked things that were appealing to her. In fact, she was sure that she would adore everything her lover could give her, just because it came from him. And hearing that he knew that and seeing that he was confident about this relived her immensely. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to bury her face in his chest. ¡°Thank you.¡± Maybe she should just view it as something she needed for the future too. After all, Blanche would use all of her gifts to appear with them in public, which might help. ¡°If I will be the mother of the royal heir, it can''t hurt to represent the royal family a little.¡±

    Theodore didn''t take long to put his arms around her as he pulled her against him. ¡°That is true too. But I''m not doing that because of this. I want to see you smile, so it''s a bit selfish of me too. Just allow me to do this small thing for the two of us. You have all the time in the world to look at all the things here. You can do it as soon as you want to, or you can take a few items each day. That is up to you. I''ll always be here to see your reaction though.¡±

    They remained in their embrace for a while until Blanche forced herself to let go. If they stayed like this any longer, she would get too sentimental. Since she hadn''t cried today, she would put in a great effort not to do so any time soon. She took a step back and wiped her eyes once before showing her lover a bright smile. ¡°Then I will happily accept your gifts while viewing them as your presents and also necessary goods I will need when being presented as the mother of your children. But I won''t just look at them at once. I want to cherish each piece and take my time, so we won''t finish today.¡±

    Theodore rewarded her with a soft smile. ¡°I know. We won''t have enough time to do much more now either. I only want you to look at my favorites. Because we still need to leave to reach your surprise in time.¡±

    She had almost forgotten about that. This room had been enough of a surprise, so getting something else too was a bit much. ¡°Ah. Alright. What do I need to examine then?¡±

    Her lover turned to the window front and gestured to the part of the room that was hidden behind a paravent. ¡°I got you another dress, but it''s special in some regard. Well, actually, there are two. I couldn''t decide. I would like you to wear one of them along with something else now. You''ll know when you see it.¡± This time, he didn''t lead her there but allowed her to start moving and pulling him along first.

    Blanche slowly stepped forward while doing her best not to be too fast. ¡°I''m curious. I already got a pretty special dress today, so I would be interested in how different these are.¡± She glanced at her lover, but the only response she got with a smile that wasn''t helpful.

    ¡°I already gave you a hint a few days ago. You need to figure it out yourself or just take a peek around the corner. I won''t spoil the surprise.¡±

    Blanche was horrible at guessing, so she had no choice but to let the gift speak for itself. She guided Theodore to the paravent and slowly moved around the object. Her eyes fell onto the dresses, which were currently being presented on a mannequin each, and immediately had her response. Her lover had promised her something that would match her butterfly ornament, and here it was.

    Both dresses were purple, much like the clasp, and the butterfly aspects were obvious as well. But apart from that, they were completely different and exhibited differing auras as well.

    The right one was the more mature gown. It was colored in a dark purple with black accessories. There weren''t any sleeves, and the heart-shaped cleavage was connected to black tulle that reached up to the neck. The long, round skirt was ornamented by a black underskirt and an outer layer of tulle in a slightly darker purple shape that was wrapped around the waist. The most striking parts were the little butterflies in different shades of purple that were sitting on top of the skirt as well.

    In comparison to this, the left dress was much less complicated. It was in a lighter shade of purple than the right one and seemed a bit more casual too. But the missing accessories didn''t make it any less elegant. The lower layer of the fabric was covered with half see-through tulle that flowed over the whole gown so that it looked like it was weightless. The sleeves of this dress were very long so that they would flutter around when one was wearing it and moving around.

    Both were so gorgeous that Blanche admired them for a moment before turning to her lover. ¡°They''re beautiful.¡±

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    Theodore chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her against his side. ¡°I knew you would like them. You can choose which one you want to wear now and put on the other one tomorrow during the tea party.¡±

    She nodded to herself before remembering what she needed to do tomorrow. If everything went wrong, she might have to jump into the fountain to save Grace. She would have to wear a simple dress that didn''t obstruct her movements and wouldn''t be hard to clean up in the future. So, she couldn''t put on either of the ones in front of her. ¡°That is... I think I need to be a bit more discrete with what I wear tomorrow. Today, I had such a flashy dress that I should hold back a bit next time. Especially since it would get dirty if I come too close to the fountain. And I want to sit there at some point. Because it''s always relaxing, you know?¡± Her excuse sounded way too obvious to her, but her lover nodded after his initial surprise.

    ¡°I see. Then you can just go in another dress, and if you do get dirty by the fountain, you can change into one of these. Have you decided which one you will wear now?¡±

    Blanche was tempted to try on both, so she had to use some kind of logic to pick her favorite when her options were just as satisfying. She scanned the dresses one more time before nodding to herself. She pointed to the left one. ¡°Today is our anniversary, so I feel like a more light and simple dress would be the better fit. I won''t miss out on a chance to wear the other one soon though.¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I knew that you would choose that.¡± Theodore smiled at her before turning his head to glance at the clock. ¡°Then we should get you changed. We don''t have too much time left before midnight.¡± He took off his crown and just put it on top of a dresser before getting rid of his cape the same way.

    Blanche watched that with raised eyebrows and checked whether the crown was too close to the edge three times. ¡°I''m not sure whether an emperor should just place his crown at random spots.¡±

    Her lover shrugged. ¡°It''s better than giving it to someone. When we met, I just pressed it into Leon''s hands and asked him to wait for me on the balcony. I think that made him just as upset as the fact that I returned with a person he didn''t know and told him that you would move in with me. I still remember his dumbfounded expression when I explained how you just showed up here. Well, those are good memories, but they have nothing to do with what I was talking about. I meant to say that this thing is pretty heavy if you need to wear it for hours at a time, so it gets annoying. There is a reason why tiaras were implemented as an alternative sign for power.¡±

    Blanche inspected the crown again. ¡°Calling the most important heirloom that has crowned the heads of the last emperors for centuries ¡®that thing¡¯ isn''t a wise decision. But I understand that it''s frustrating. I can''t really guess how heavy it is, but it looks very sturdy. You have some lighter ones too, why-¡±

    While she had spoken, her lover had turned to the dresser again and picked up the crown to bring it to her. She cut herself off when he lifted it and slowly placed it on her head. Her knees almost gave in when he did that, and she just stared at Theodore in pure shock.

    In the meantime, he didn''t seem to be concerned about his actions. ¡°See? It''s heavy. Do you understand why I hate that thing now? Putting it on is fine, but leaving it there for six hours is torture. My father should have changed something about it when he could. I guess I will ask for a jeweler to make the lightest crown he can and will greatly reward anyone that manages to create a crown that weighs half as much.¡±

    Blanche''s mouth hung open while her lover just happily chatted as if he hadn''t just put the symbol of ultimate power on top of her head. If anyone saw that, there would be a much bigger problem than her just being insolent. This bordered on a l¨¨se-majest¨¦. ¡°Theo! You can''t just-¡±

    The emperor finally paid attention to her worry, but he just smiled at her. ¡°Why? It''s my crown. I can do whatever I want with it. It fits you. I already knew that gold and navy are perfect for you, but this exceeds my imagination. But it is heavy, isn''t it?¡± Did he want her to say that before he would take it away?

    Blanche didn''t even dare to move in fear of making the accessory fall to the ground despite him still stabilizing it with his hands. ¡°Yes, it''s heavy! You''re right, now take it off!¡±

    Theodore finally lifted the crown at that. He unceremoniously placed it on the dresser again before coming back to her. ¡°Now then. We need to get changed, or we won''t make it in time. Come on.¡± He took her hand and pulled her to the dresses while she could still just gaze at him with disbelief.

    How oblivious could a person be? Why didn''t he understand that no one but the emperor could wear that crown? He didn''t seem to understand how it was an issue for him to just put it on her head. And since the fact that he should, considering that this was so obvious, she didn''t even know how to explain it to him. So, she kept quiet.

    Blanche just allowed him to help her change and chose to forget about that incident. As long as he didn''t do it again and didn''t think anything of it, she didn''t have to ponder about this. She refused to. She would focus on his surprise instead.

    As soon they were finished, Theodore led her out of the room and down the stairs. They stopped at her room, where she retrieved her butterfly ornament and let him put it in her hair. As always, the purple created a perfect contrast to her light alabaster-colored hair, which was already enough to fill Blanche with memories of how she had received it first. She was once again more than happy that her beloved accessory hadn''t broken and ended up kissing her lover again. After that, the couple left. Theodore brought her out of the palace through a side entrance and paid attention to keeping his distance to the terrace, from which one could look at the guests that were still in the ballroom.

    The air was cooler now, but since it was always rather mild in Artias except for during some rare days, it was still pleasant. As Blanche had expected, the fabric of her dress truly was as light as a butterfly, so it felt like she was flying when the soft breeze of the evening brushed over her skin. She closed her eyes while her lover brought her to a location that she could already identify just from the path they took.

    How could she not notice that they were approaching the pavilion? She should have known that they would go there at some point. Last year, he had given her the butterfly clasp here, and the year before that, they had met at this place. It was an unwritten rule that they would return this year.

    When they reached the beginning of the tiled path that was leading to their destination, Stella and Owen stayed behind to give them some privacy. So, Blanche could only assume that Theodore had instructed them before. She showed the two a smile before letting her lover lead her through the hedges.

    At this time of the year, the bushes were extremely dense, so it felt like they went into their own small world while following the pathway. Only the faint background noise from the ballroom and the balcony reminded her that other people were closer than it seemed to be the case. It was just like during their first meeting.

    A wide smile formed on Blanche''s lips at that thought. With every step, it felt like they were further away from anything around them so that only they mattered in this place.

    Theodore''s grip on her hand slowly but surely became a little tighter, and she was happy to squeeze his hand too. When they reached the pavilion, he slowed his movements and let her take in the scene in front of her.

    This place had always been magical, like it came out of a fairy tale. But now that countless candles and rose petals adorned the pavilion, it was even more beautiful.

    Blanche couldn''t help but stare at the scenery in front of her in awe. ¡°It''s perfect.¡± No other words could properly describe how she was feeling about this. She just wanted to burn this image into her mind so that she would always be able to remember it. But more than that, she wanted to praise her lover. She turned to him with a radiant beam. ¡°You always find the most wonderful ways to make me happy, don''t you? Thank you so much. For this and for everything else too.¡±

    Theodore kept his gaze firmly on the pavilion for another moment before slowly turning to her. ¡°I''m glad. I was worried about the candles being here alone for a few minutes, so...¡± His voice trailed off, and he looked at the image in front of them again.

    He gave her a while to admire the beautiful scenery of the illuminated pavilion standing all alone in the darkness with a sea of stars above them. It was too gorgeous to put into words, so they both stayed silent until they were done gazing at this masterpiece.

    Her lover was the one that eventually spoke up. ¡°Let''s go inside. To the place where we met.¡± He lifted their hands slightly and led her toward the pavilion.

    It wasn''t any less beautiful from the inside. Looking out from the glowing space to the dark area and the bushes outside made her feel like they were in their little world that no one else could enter.

    Blanche sighed quietly when she saw all of that and leaned her head against the emperor''s arm. ¡°It gets more wonderful each year, doesn''t it? I''m worried that we won''t have much more room to make our visit any better.¡±

    Theodore watched her expression with a faint smile on his lips. ¡°I might have an idea. I''m not done yet. But you have to be a bit patient. I can''t start right away. To give away my ace this early would be a waste.¡±

    The concubine let out a little chuckle. ¡°How long are you going to make me wait?¡±

    ¡°Not too long. I''m impatient as well. I can barely keep my hands from shaking.¡±

    She turned and stepped in front of her lover. ¡°Let me see.¡± Blanche took his hands in hers and lifted them to her face. She looked at them for a few seconds before softly placing her lips on his fingertips. She took her time to kiss each finger before gazing up at him. ¡°Is it better now?¡±

    Theodore nodded at her and put his hand to her face as soon as she let go of him. ¡°With you, everything is better, my miracle.¡± He moved his hand to the back of her head and rested it there while he stroked over her cheek with his other hand. Slowly, he tilted her head backward and moved his face to hers. ¡°I''m so happy that you are here. There is no way for me to show you how happy I am. I feel like my heart might give in if it continues like this. Whenever you smile at me, my chest feels warm, and I couldn''t care less about anything else. As long as you are here, I will fight. I will protect you and our happy ending.¡±

    Blanche got lost in his eyes while he spoke to her. There was nothing but sincerity in his gaze, and her heart was already reacting to his kind words. ¡°I feel the same. I might not be able to fight as much as you do, but I''ll do anything in my power. I''m with you for the duration of the battle, no matter how long it will take. I just want to be with you and see you happy. Your love is the best thing that ever happened to me. And just so you know it, my heart flutters every time you do something sweet too.¡± She rose to her tiptoes in an attempt to kiss him, but he stopped her.

    ¡°Not yet. There is still something I need to do first. But I have to prepare it. Will you turn around for a moment?¡±

    Blanche didn''t know what to make of that. Surely, he wasn''t planning on giving her something else, right? Of course, she would comply and do what he requested, but she was curious. In any case, she didn''t want to let go without her kiss, so she opted for pressing her lips onto the tip of his nose. ¡°Alright. Don''t make me wait too long. I get lonely without you.¡± She took a step backward but took his hand and kept holding onto it.

    Theodore showed her a soft smile and kept her in his grip too. ¡°I won''t allow you to be lonely. I will cling to you until it becomes clear that I''m yours forever. That is what I will prove over and over again...and this is what this is about too.¡±

    ¡°You are making me more curious with every word.¡± Slowly, she moved back and turned around while releasing his hand. She walked the two steps to the railing and crossed her arms in front of her chest while looking up.

 Chapter 202: There Never Was a Choice

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    Stolen novel; please report.

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    there never was a choice.

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 Chapter 203: Signing the Contract

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    ¡°

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    he returned from the vacation. He came home and immediately blabbered about marrying you. It''s been three months, and during those three months, half of my time was used reading books about engagements and court cases about how they were broken. I shouldn''t complain since my workload was still much smaller than before thanks to the law you proposed. But I will burn all the books I had to read as soon as you sign that. I won''t risk anyone making me read that much about dry laws again when you finally marry.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 204: Inform Me First

¡°

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

 Chapter 205: Unwanted Company

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    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°

    ¡°almost forgot. We should discuss this later.¡±

 Chapter 206: Setting Everything Into Place

    accidentally reform an ancient law with that was surprising. But it seems like a spontaneous and thoughtless idea was enough to help you, so I''m content.¡±

    that person. She''s been sticking to the dowager empress the whole time. You could just go the other way and look at the winter garden now.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°

    <hr>

    ¡°

 Chapter 207: The Scene By the Fountain (1)

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    You vile beast.¡±

    nothing! I didn''t do anything, I did nothing. You''re all lying!¡±

    me.¡±

 Chapter 208: The Scene By the Fountain (2)

    Blanche almost threw up as she heard Evelyn spout her horrible phrases. She forced herself to stay quiet since she knew that this was a family matter, but that got increasingly harder.

    ¡°I don''t care about you. You are just like your mother! All of you, you should never have been born! Because of you, Henry is blinded by that wretched woman''s games. You should be ashamed of yourself. You took away everything I lived for!¡± Evelyn was still stuck in her delusions, and she wouldn''t get out of them so quickly. She even yelled at Sophia, who was probably the kindest person in this nation.

    It was obvious that Duke Duremont didn''t like it when his family was insulted, but he wasn''t able to speak in time.

    Theodore lifted his hand and silenced the crowd with that as he gazed at Seraphina. ¡°Does this answer your questions? As you can see, this will bring us nowhere, so I would recommend her to be brought away. It might be better to deal with this in private to avoid causing even more trouble for your family. I fear that she will only continue with even more crazy talk and baseless accusations, so we can end it here if there aren''t any complaints.¡± He was obviously speaking to the empress, but Evelyn seemed to feel addressed.

    ¡°I object! I didn''t do anything. You can''t just arrest me for nothing!¡±

    The emperor looked at her with disgust before turning to his lover. ¡°I won''t bother to explain since it''s clear that she won''t accept it. So, just bring her-¡±

    Before he could finish, Evelyn began wailing. ¡°You can''t! This is all your fault! You blamed everything on me even though I''m innocent! You manipulative who-¡±

    One of the guards cut her off by knocking her head onto the ground after she had tried to struggle again.

    That didn''t keep Evelyn from continuing her tantrum. It seemed like she had found a new goal now though.

    Blanche met the other woman''s hateful gaze and felt her positive emotions waver. When she was faced with this sort of her malice, her wrath quickly became stronger than her relief about being able to make it in time. She just turned her head to her lover and stayed in his arms without bothering to stop what would happen. She knew that Evelyn would end up blaming the person that had pointed out her mistakes. In the novel, that had been Seraphina, but now the concubine appeared to be a better scapegoat.

    Evelyn only became even more infuriated when the other woman looked away. ¡°Don''t ignore me! This is your fault! You tried to ruin my life ever since I was your tutor! Are you happy now? I''m innocent, you murderer! Why are you-¡±

    Blanche had enough at that moment. She whipped her head around to the other woman. ¡°Shut your mouth. You are mentally ill, Lady Lemares. If you stopped to think about it for one second, you would notice that. With every word, you just make the man you claim to love hate you even more. Why can''t you just be quiet? You lost. If you were the one to try to drown an innocent little baby, how can you blame me? Enough people saw. Since you already showed signs of wishing to harm Grace before, this isn''t too much of a surprise.¡±

    Evelyn gritted her teeth and stilled her movements but continue to yell. ¡°Why are you doing this? You should be on my side! You''re just like me!¡± She nodded her head in Theodore''s direction as well as she could with a knight holding her down. ¡°He married a woman that lies and manipulates him! While you are watching, she will take him away from you. You''re going to end up being abandoned, and then you will-¡±

    The guard that had dealt with her for the longest time seemed to lose his composure at that. ¡°Oh, can you just shut up? No one wants to hear you anymore. You madwoman.¡± He raised his head and looked at the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, I would like to ask for permission to take her away immediately.¡±

    Theodore gazed at Evelyn with a cold glare while responding. ¡°Give me one more moment. It seems like Lady Lemares still didn''t quite understand her position. Everyone here that is sane would know that comparing a person that attempted to murder a child and the one that saved that child is ridiculous. But there is also another huge issue that this woman here doesn''t comprehend. I would like to remind her of that. After all, she is delusional to think that she lost something when it was, in fact, never hers.¡± He lifted his gaze to Henry but was cut off before he could speak.

    Evelyn yelled again, even louder than before. ¡°I never did anything wrong! I-¡±

    Blanche felt even more hatred rise in her. She couldn''t stand that woman. She needed her to stop talking, or she would lose her composure. Blanche could guess what her lover wanted to do and liked the idea. As she turned to Duke Duremont, she made sure to raise her voice enough to have everyone hear. ¡°Your Grace. It would be best if you told her this directly to finally make her understand. I would ask you to repeat it one more time in a short and unambiguous sentence. Was there ever a time in which you thought of Lady Lemares in a romantic sense or loved her even the slightest bit?¡±

    Henry, who normally would never think about supporting whatever Blanche had said, didn''t even show his disdain for the concubine. He was far too focused on his burning hatred for the woman that had tried to hurt his granddaughter as he made eye contact with Evelyn. The visible amount of resentment in his gaze would be enough to silence everyone, and then he spoke up while emphasizing each word. ¡°No. There wasn''t a single second.¡±

    That seemed to be the last straw for the woman on the floor. Evelyn began flailing her limbs around despite being restrained and let out slurred words and phrases that didn''t make any sense. ¡°No, no! Henry! No. How can you...¡± She repeated that she loved Henry over and over again until one of the guards finally tied her hands behind her back. In the meantime, Evelyn kept repeating the same thing even when her voice almost died. ¡°Henry, you traitor. Why do you lie? You love me. Love me!¡± She whined more and more.

    Blanche couldn''t stand that anymore. She couldn''t decide for the family, but she felt like this would just hurt the Duremonts more. So, she turned to Theodore. ¡°Let''s have the guards bring her away. This is a pathetic sight we should spare the others.¡± She only realized that her words had been heard by the wrong person a moment later.

    ¡°Pathetic...sight?¡± Evelyn repeated that in a barely audible whisper. As she fully processed what Blanche had said, she snapped fully and sat up with all of her energy just to scream at the other woman. ¡°Shut up, you filthy whore! How am I different from you? You are nothing but a temporary plaything, and once that man loses interest, you will be left behind and snap. Now you laugh, but you''ll be just like me!¡±

    Blanche had been ready to ask her to shut up at this point, but when she heard that last sentence, she hesitated.

    The original ending of the villainess had held up a mirror to Blanche''s face as it showed her how vile she could be upon losing her mind. To say that that version of her hadn''t been cruel enough to act like Evelyn would be a lie.

    But did Blanche have to accept Evelyn''s words because of that? She decided that she didn''t. After all, the thing she wanted to prevent most was going insane and becoming evil enough to commit murder. Blanche had changed a lot because she had decided that being that awful wasn''t something she could accept. So, how could someone compare her to Evelyn?

    She wasn''t like that. She knew that.

    Maybe it was foolish to say that now, but this world was different. Blanche was in control now, and so, she rejected the original ending. She had the conscious choice to never ever be like that. Blanche wouldn''t be the villainess, no matter who wanted to push that role onto her.

    She opened her mouth and calmly said just what she needed. ¡°No. I will never be like you.¡± Not even a second passed, and Blanche couldn''t even process the weight of her words.

    Theodore already squeezed her so tightly that she felt like it might be a bit too much while he gritted his teeth. ¡°Of course not. Don''t listen to that wretched beast. How could you be like a foul murderer like that?¡± Hearing him say that was nice. Very nice.

    Blanche smiled at Theodore for a split second, but the current situation quickly made her smile fade. She tried not to focus on her internal doubts regarding her claim of being better than Evelyn and stayed in the present. Apparently, that comparison alone had already enraged others instead of her.

    Theodore spoke again, and now he almost snarled at Evelyn, seemingly despising her even more than before. ¡°You still haven''t understood it even though I made it very clear on countless occasions. Everyone here aside from you knows that I love Blanche. There is no way that I will ever be separate from her. And that she would become like you is out of the question as well. She is an angel. She protected Grace on multiple occasions now despite the girl belonging to a family she never got along with well. At the same time, you, a person who belonged to that family, tried to kill a baby cold-heartedly. There is no way to compare the two of you, and that is obvious to everyone here. If you wish for it, I will ask everyone present whether they believe in your innocence and will testify for you. Let''s see.¡± He lifted his gaze and let his eyes wander across the crowd. ¡°Is there anyone here that believes that this woman is being treated unfairly right now? Not even a single person?¡±

    As expected, no one spoke up. It would be stupid to do that when it was clear that at least a dozen witnesses were against Evelyn. No one was willing to risk ruining their reputation nor did anyone have sympathy for her.

    The sight was balm to Blanche''s soul. Maybe she should stay quiet here, but she couldn''t bring herself to do that. ¡°Do you see that, Evelyn Lemares? See who would believe your lies now. It''s over.¡± It should be obvious.

    Still, Evelyn desperately looked around and seemed like she expected someone to help her. ¡°Open your mouths! Why are you just watching? I''m innocent. Someone has to speak up!¡±

    No one did. It was completely silent so that one would have been able to hear a pin drop. The guests either averted their eyes in shame or glared at Evelyn openly, but they stay quiet. No one dared to move until the very end.

    But at the second that Theodore began talking, another voice chimed in from afar. ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    Immediately, the crowd parted to make way for the approaching people.

    The dowager empress was escorted by the prince as she walked over to the emperor to stop beside him.

    Before Camille could say anything else, Evelyn already started to yell again. ¡°You have to believe me! You can pardon me!¡±

    The dowager empress gave her a dismissive look for that while Cedar chose to speak up with an expression of concern, which was certainly fake like everything else about him. ¡°While a member of the royal family can ask for a person to be pardoned, that will only be done when that person is definitely innocent. For now, I would like to hear the whole story before making my judgment. Since my brother seems to be the one convicting you, there will not be much we can do. I assume that he would not interrupt his own tea party for a trivial matter, so your chances of being freed are low.¡± With that, he turned his head to the emperor. ¡°Would you be kind enough to repeat the necessary information for us? Just so that we can understand what was happening too.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Blanche unwillingly tensed at that. Like Evelyn, Camille had been eaten up by jealousy and had not only tried to kill another child in her family. She had even wished for her own son''s demise. Maybe the dowager empress would pity the other woman or think of a way to use her. In that case, Camille''s presence was a problem. Unfortunately, it seemed like the concubine''s emotions were too easy to read.

    Cedar immediately looked at her. ¡°Is everything alright? Lady Blanche seems a bit unwell. She wasn''t hurt, was she?¡±

    Blanche didn''t want this conversation to indicate that, so she hurriedly corrected it. ¡°No, thankfully not. The issue here is already settled, and luckily, there weren''t any injured. Though, there was an attempted child murder.¡±

    Theodore gestured to Evelyn and resumed with nothing but disgust in his voice. ¡°The insane woman rolling around on the ground over there attempted to drop the daughter of the Ravillots in the fountain. We intervened, and ever since she realized that she would be punished, she has been acting like this. I would assume that she is mentally ill. And before you ask, there are at least twenty witnesses, and my question of whether anyone wanted to help her remained unanswered. So, the solution is obvious. She will be arrested in one of our cells until she can be brought to a prison in the capital. Then she will be put on trial for attempted murder, slandering royalty and nobility as well as fighting back against the royal guards. She also insulted her own family, and whether they will ask for a separate trial isn''t certain yet. Judging by the proof here, she will be considered guilty for sure.¡±

    Cedar quietly turned his head to Evelyn and watched her for a moment. ¡°I see. How horrible. There is nothing that would excuse such behavior. That would be everything there is to know. You should send her to a prison as quickly as possible to ensure that she can never harm anyone again.¡±

    Camille remained silent for a while too before addressing Theodore. ¡°As Cedar just said, there is nothing else to discuss, correct? Then why is that woman still here? Drag her away already. The fact that she attempted to commit such a vile crime in the royal palace is bad enough, and still, she has the chance to lie here and yell. We should end this tantrum as soon as possible. Hurry up.¡± She waved to the guards, who were visibly uncertain about whether they should listen to her when the emperor was their master. When they didn''t budge, she narrowed her eyes but kept quiet anyway.

    Theodore''s lips twitched at that, but he didn''t smile, which was understandable during this situation.

    But before he could speak, Evelyn cried for help again. She looked at the dowager empress with a desperate gaze while moving around helplessly, which only resulted in her ripping her clothes even more. ¡°Your Majesty! Help me! Why aren''t you doing anything? You tried to kill your son too! Why aren''t-¡±

    At the moment those words left her mouth, everyone knew that it was over.

    Camille''s expression remained as aloof as before, but the gaze in her eyes said enough.

    Evelyn wouldn''t survive this.

    The dowager empress turned to the woman on the ground and towered over her while speaking. ¡°You have nerves. It seems that you truly are sick. Your never-ending list of offenses isn''t enough for you. You also accuse me, the wife of the previous emperor and mother of the current one, of treason. Do you know that spreading lies about royalty is against the law? You deserve to be executed for voicing such impudent things.¡±

    Evelyn still wasn''t silenced by that. She let out a chuckle, and a crazed grin spread across her lips. ¡°I never lied! There is no way that His Majesty will execute me for stating the truth. He won''t do what you suggest anyway.¡±

    Blanched looked up at her lover and quickly noticed that that might not be the case.

    Theodore''s expression said it all. It was clear to see that he was able to imitate his mother''s freezing glare, but he was even more terrifying. He replied in a cold voice that matched this look. ¡°I wouldn''t be so sure about that. Why would I need to go against her when she doesn''t demand anything outrageous? You tried to commit murder in the royal palace, attempted to attack your sister and repeatedly voiced that you wished for the death of others. You accused everyone present of lying and chose to show how demented you are. Due to your poor state of mind, it might be safer for everyone to get rid of the problem immediately. Naturally, I won''t make that decision now. A trial will be held, and a judge will decide.¡±

    Evelyn at least seemed to be sane enough to understand those words. Her confidence faded as she stared at him in disbelief. ¡°You can''t do that.¡±

    Cedar chimed in with a shrug. ¡°My brother is the emperor. He can do almost anything. Besides...¡± A small grin appeared on his lips. ¡°You said that you are innocent, did you not? If you are truly convinced of that, I recommend that you hire a good lawyer. The trial will be completely fair, so if you didn''t do anything, nothing will happen to you. At the same time, you will be punished accordingly if you are considered guilty. And after you accused my mother of attempted murder in public, it will be hard to plead for your innocence.¡±

    Theodore was clearly annoyed at his brother feigning ignorance, but he didn''t point it out. He just lifted his hand while keeping his lover in his embrace with the other arm. ¡°That is enough then. Throw her into one of the palace cells. She shall be brought to a prison as soon as possible. The investigation will be conducted in the near future, so I would ask all of you to testify in case you saw something.¡±

    Evelyn paled at that. For a second, she looked like a sane person when she was told that she would be arrested. That didn''t last long though. Suddenly, she returned to yelling crude phrases and insulting everyone around her without knowing that she was only digging a deeper grave each time that she offended the royal family.

    Everyone else was aware though, and they murmured about this while watching her with disgust.

    The guards picked her up, and she began flailing around again without ever having had a chance of success from the very beginning.

    Among this chaos, someone spoke up again and pulled everyone''s attention to herself. ¡°I would like to add something.¡± Sophia was the one that glared at the woman struggling on the floor. She left Grace in her husband''s hands before walking over to Evelyn. Then she brought her face closer to her aunt''s but still kept some distance before speaking loud and clearly. ¡°I never hated anyone as much as I hate you. You are truly disgusting. There is no one more despicable in this world. So, I don''t want you to be executed. I hope that you rot in a cell forever as the mold eats you up and you feel nothing but regret and pain anymore.¡± Hearing such bitter words leave Sophia''s mouth felt like a punishment in itself.

    Seraphina seemed to feel the same. She stepped forward to her sister. ¡°Don''t get too close to her. We don''t know what an insane person like her might do.¡± She put her hand on Sophia''s shoulder to pull her back. ¡°You should not over-exhaust yourself for someone like her. Let the guards take care of this. She isn''t worth even a single second of your time.¡± She glared over her shoulder at her aunt while gently pushing her sister away.

    Hearing the person that resembled Elaine so much say this had to have tipped over the remaining traces of Evelyn''s sanity. It took mere seconds for her to lose it completely. ¡°You arrogant whore!¡± With that, she lunged forward with a glint of insanity in her eyes.

    The guards caught her and pressed her to the ground, but that only made her even angrier.

    Evelyn struggled with everything in her power and yelled from the top of her lungs. ¡°I hate you, you hear me? I hate all of you. You can die, die, die. You deserted me, Henry! I loved you! You traitor!¡± But none of that helped her.

    The knights picked her up by her shoulders and dragged her toward the palace.

    Evelyn continued her complaints without a pause though. ¡°You will all regret this when the gods punish you! You will remember my words when you''re left behind too! You are nothing but a mere insect that will get crushed when he is done with you.¡±

    Those words seemed to have been directed at either Elaine or Blanche, but Theodore chose to respond. His gaze fell onto Evelyn, who froze upon seeing it, so it had to be horrifying. ¡°The only insect here is you. If you say anything like that to Blanche again, I will personally sign the order to get you to the guillotine by four o''clock. Rest assured that my word alone would be enough to have you executed in an hour. I don''t mind doing it. It would only cost less and keep open a valuable spot in the prisons. Don''t test me.¡± There was silence after that before he waved to the guards. ¡°Get her out of my eyes before I do something I will regret. Make sure to bring her to that cell.¡±

    The knights didn''t hesitate to fulfill his order, and this time, they didn''t stop when Evelyn wailed again. ¡°You can''t do this!¡± Her screeches were so high-pitched and loud that it physically hurt to listen to them. Unfortunately, the noise was so penetrating that one couldn''t ignore it either. ¡°All of you deserve to choke on your lies. Die! You, especially you!¡± She glared at her sister with so much hatred that it left no doubt that the last fragment of her sanity had just given in. ¡°You took away everything from me! You, you...whore!¡± She continued to list all the insults she had ever heard without stopping.

    Even while the knights brought her farther and farther away from the crowd, her screaming was still audible.

    Blanche couldn''t avert her eyes until the very end. Maybe it was because she hated Evelyn. Or because a small part of her felt like it was horrible that that woman''s parents hadn''t noticed how twisted their daughter became while always being compared to her sister. All of this could have been prevented if someone had only noticed before, but now it was too late. It was scary how quickly a person could turn into such a monster.

    Not that Blanche could get emotionally involved.

    She didn''t even feel pity, even though she knew how it felt when your loved one pushed you away. The novel and her nightmares showed her enough to make her realize that she would die if Theodore ever looked at her like Henry had looked at Evelyn. But that woman deserved it. No amount of jealousy justified hurting an innocent child.

    And this thought only made Blanche''s stomach churn once again at the thought of her original counterpart having helped Evelyn. That very idea was ridiculous and sickening.

    How could she ever have been vile enough to support that disgusting woman? Evelyn had always looked down on her so much, so Blanche couldn''t even believe that she would have worked with her before the whole matter with Grace had occurred. But then again, the original villainess had been ready to kill a pregnant woman, right? Blanche felt like she would never do something like that, but the book couldn''t lie, so it seemed like the spot of the insane criminal that was being dragged away could have been hers too. Maybe saying that she was better than Evelyn wasn''t fully right.

    It wasn''t wrong either though.

    Blanche certainly wouldn''t be as cruel as that witch.

    Theodore interrupted her thoughts by moving his face in front of hers. He put his hands on her cheeks and made sure that she paid attention to him while speaking. ¡°It''s alright now. The danger is gone. That woman is gone. And I''m right here with you. You never have to see her again and never need to worry about what she said.¡± He stroked his thumb over her skin. ¡°I love you.¡± He whispered that and leaned forward as if he wanted to kiss her.

    Blanche almost would have let him if another voice hadn''t interrupted them.

    It was Sophia, along with her husband. They had approached the couple in silence and chose to speak up now. ¡°Lady Blanche.¡± Sophia still clung to her daughter while pressing that out. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, which was probably why Grace was crying too. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. I''ll never, never forget this.¡± She let out a sob after that, which made her husband hug her tighter.

    The count was crying as well but still felt the need to speak up. ¡°I can''t describe how grateful we are. We will do anything to thank you for that, no matter what. We''ll owe you for our whole lives.¡±

    Blanche felt uncomfortable with such words. She hadn''t saved Grace to make her parents feel indebted. She barely managed to meet their gazes. ¡°Don''t thank me. I gladly helped. Calm her down before doing anything else. Grace must still be upset about what happened, and when her parents are crying, it won''t help her either.¡±

    Sophia nodded but replied anyway. ¡°We''ll thank you over and over again. You saved our daughter''s life. Thank you. You''re a saint.¡± She only stopped and focused on Grace when her husband patted her shoulder so that she didn''t even see how Blanche''s face scrunched up upon hearing that last word. She only thought about her daughter. ¡°I''m so sorry, my angel. Mama will protect you from now on. Don''t cry, we are here.¡± It seemed like she herself wasn''t calm in the slightest, so this would still take a while.

    Steps sounded behind the spouses. Elaine and Seraphina approached them too. While Duchess Duremont consoled her daughter, the empress turned to the concubine.

    Seraphina only hesitated for a short moment before beginning. ¡°In the name of the Duremont family, I want to express our gratitude to you. Your careful observation and analytical prediction saved Grace''s life. I not only want to thank you from the bottom of my heart as her aunt but also as the empress. I can assure you that I won''t forget this either.¡± Seraphina tried to keep a stoic expression, but she was close to losing her composure. That was obvious from the way she blinked and glanced at her family.

    It was understandable that Seraphina felt like that when the person she had been cautious of the whole time turned out to be the perpetrator of such a horrible crime. In the novel, she had cried for the first time after Grace''s death and one more time when the truth about the accident had been revealed. Then she had blamed herself for not intervening earlier despite having been aware of Evelyn''s state of mind. For now, it seemed like she would be able to hold back though.

    Blanche still didn''t want anyone''s gratitude for all of this, but after seeing how emotional the other woman was, she didn''t truly wish to refuse her. In the end, she couldn''t help herself though. ¡°I only stepped in when I saw what was happening. There is nothing special about that. Every sane person would have helped.¡±

    Elaine, who was hugging her daughter still, raised her head to look at the concubine at that. ¡°That isn''t true. You predicted that something would happen weeks ago. You already protected our little girl by pointing out that Evelyn had bought dangerous gifts. And you warned Sophia and Seraphina about her. We should have believed you then. I...¡± She closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed before continuing. ¡°Thank you. And we thank you too, Your Majesty. Your note-¡±

    Theodore cut her off there. ¡°I apologize for the stressful situation. I hoped to avoid it, but to me, it seemed important to prove this once and for all. Lady Lemares already showed signs of a mental illness while she was teaching Blanche, which is why I threw her out of the palace. Some of the things she said back then hinted at her wishing to harm Lady Ravillot and her child, so I believed it to be appropriate to act. I was aware that you would have issues believing Blanche if she directly approached you, so this method was necessary.¡±

    A note?

    The concubine lifted her head to gaze at her lover. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    The emperor made eye contact with her and kept his hand on her cheek while stroking the other one over her hair. ¡°I wrote them a note. You told me that that woman was sick in the head multiple times. I mean, she broke into your room and tried to drag you out while calling you insults and still dared to come back here after that. That was enough for me to understand that, but the more often you mentioned it, the clearer it became. You explicitly worried about Lady Lemares being alone with Grace as well. So, I asked the whole family to move aside when she ever offered to take care of the baby for a moment. But they were supposed to stay in the vicinity and watch what would happen. So that we could be sure of what that woman would do. I proposed the tea party because countless guards would be here to protect Grace in case anything went wrong. None of them seemed to believe me, but thankfully, they listened anyway.¡±

    What? Theodore had predicted that this would happen? Blanche was a bit taken aback. Had she given her lover enough clues for him to openly distrust the duchess'' sister when his relationship with the Duremonts was already rocky enough? Apparently.

    Somehow, she wasn''t surprised about this part. Theodore had read her emotions well, that was all there was to this. Certainly.

 Chapter 209: I Have A Request

    ¡°

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°

    ¡°if not all, of our previous contact was distorted by the person that was supposed to hand the letters over. It may sound unbelievable, but that messenger was behind it all along and almost caused a war with his actions. You may ask why he did this now. Like you, I was more than shocked when we found out that he was being bribed. There is someone in our nation that paid him to purposefully bring us to the brink of a war with catastrophic consequences. Naturally, we are doing our best to find that person, but they have stayed hidden until now.¡±

 Chapter 210: Relaxation Present?

¡°

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 211: Opinions (1)

    As the group left the winter garden with Blanche''s fresh flowers, all of them were silent. That didn''t last for long though.

    Stella walked beside her mistress while the guards, who were quietly speaking about something, followed them. For the biggest part of the walk, the servant stayed silent, but then she spoke up in a whisper. ¡°Doesn''t it sound like Sir Aldis is getting scolded?¡±

    Blanche glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with the men, who promptly stopped chatting. Noah gave her a smile, but she wasn''t convinced and turned to her maid again. ¡°A bit. I don''t know what it''s about, but it could be related to him not being with the empress when he''s supposed to protect her.¡±

    A part of her understood that. After all, the most important woman in the nation was constantly in danger, so leaving her alone was risky. Noah''s only job was attending Seraphina, so running off in the middle of the day might not be the best idea.

    However, at the same time, one shouldn''t forget that the guards were human too. Demanding that they should spend every hour of the day with someone to protect them without giving them much free time was pretty harsh. Blanche could comprehend why Noah felt like going outside alone for a few minutes a day. As long as he had the empress'' permission, she didn''t see anything wrong with that. The palace was rather safe, and the knights that were patrolling the hallways and guarding the doors were capable enough.

    She didn''t quite understand why Owen felt that it was necessary to scold the other man so much. Usually, he was so quiet that a conversation of this length was odd for him. But in the end, it wasn''t any of her business. She had no clue about the knight''s work or the threats Seraphina had to face. She didn''t even know whether the discussion was about this topic, so she couldn''t come to a conclusion and chose to stay out of it.

    The group reached the palace, and for the first time since Blanche could remember, she approached Gloria''s workplace.

    The head maid was surprised and seemed to be slightly irritated, which might or might not be connected to the concubine''s engagement that she had never been happy about, but she helped anyway.

    Blanche got her vase with some water within two minutes and left again with a smile. She took her time arranging the flowers into the most beautiful bouquet she could imagine before they left to go to Theodore''s office. On their way, they passed by the library to bring Noah to his destination, only to find that the empress had left already.

    The knight seemed to be shocked upon realizing that Seraphina hadn''t waited for him when she had promised to do that. But he was calmed a bit when the guards by the door told him that she had planned on visiting the emperor''s office.

    Blanche, on the other hand, was only unsettled by the news. Hopefully, the heroine hadn''t begun a fight with Theodore about anything that had happened during the past few days. From the engagement to the events at the ball and tea party, there was plenty for Seraphina to complain about, and the concubine just prayed that this wasn''t the case.

    Theodore was stressed enough due to the situation with the Vasquez family, who seemed to like blaming him for arresting them for their crimes. He didn''t need another fight. Any argument now wouldn''t end well.

    Blanche''s hopes were shattered when they arrived at the office and saw the expression of the people in front of the door. From here, one couldn''t eavesdrop but could certainly hear when someone raised their voice. And judging by the dejected or tense looks of everyone here, the emperor and the empress were in the middle of another fight. It had been a while since that had happened, but that didn''t make the situation much better.

    The guards by the door were staring into the distance while trying to ignore the intimidating anger that was practically oozing out from the door.

    The empress'' maids were fiddling their hands and gazing onto the floor until they noticed the concubine. Immediately, they were filled with resentment and forget their previous uncertainty in favor of glaring at the approaching woman. Without a doubt, Seraphina had told them about the engagement, and now they would have even more reasons to hate the emperor''s lover. Great. So much about their small bit of progress.

    Blanche didn''t care much though. She was just worried about her lover and approached the knights. ¡°Are Theo and Her Majesty fighting?¡±

    To her surprise, the guards seemed to be relieved that she was here. One of them slouched his shoulders and nodded. ¡°They have been like this for almost an hour.¡±

    That would mean that they had been arguing ever since the concubine had left. But did that make sense when Noah had claimed that the empress had been reading books in the library? She gazed at the knight in worry, and he appeared to be just as confused as she was.

    Blanche turned to the two guards again and bit her lips for a moment. She couldn''t just storm in while the most powerful people in the nation were fighting. She would only offend Seraphina and make everything worse. Most likely, she should leave and come back later. But at the same time, leaving and letting Theodore deal with all of this despite his horrible mood was impossible too. Blanche actually worried about what he would do. She pondered this for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°It''s inappropriate for me to enter now, isn''t it? But I can''t just ignore this.¡± After all, the topic of the fight was most likely the concubine herself.

    The other knight replied and surprised her with a pleading look. ¡°Please go inside. I know that it isn''t our place to decide that, but they have been arguing for so long. I''m not sure whether they will continue like this for another hour. They are not only keeping all staff members on this floor on edge, but I also fear that they might lose their composure at some point. His Majesty was really angry.¡± He shivered at that memory. ¡°So, maybe you could chime in and ask something? Anything? Just to break up the fight for a while.¡±

    Before she could even think about what to answer, one of Seraphina''s maids spoke up. The woman rushed to their side and hissed at them like they had committed a sacrilege. ¡°What are you saying? Her Majesty is inside. Do you have any idea what hospitality means? While a guest is inside, no one else can come inside. Especially not since it''s Her Majesty. To actually dare to disturb their conversation, how full of yourself are you?¡± It seemed like she was done scolding the guard and chose to complain about the concubine instead. ¡°You have no right to enter like this. Her Majesty is the empress of Artias, and you''re just a powerless-¡±

    The first knight cut her off. ¡°By the gods. Will you be quiet already? It''s getting annoying. Is all you can do complain? You came here and immediately whined the whole time. His Majesty allowed Lady Blanche to enter his office at any time without even needing to knock. So, tell him that you disagree with that, not us.¡±

    The maid''s face scrunched up at that. ¡°You! Just because that arrogant-¡±

    The second knight signed loudly and turned to the concubine. ¡°We''re begging you. Please go inside, or this will continue for the next four hours. I don''t need those two here to fight either. Please.¡±

    Blanche had already made her decision before that. The loud voice from inside the office made her choice obvious. There was no way that she would let her lover exhaust himself that much. A fight could be postponed until he was feeling better again. Maybe he would actually be a bit more understanding than too, though she doubted that. ¡°I will go in, don''t worry.¡± She didn''t wait for the empress'' maid to complain but immediately knocked.

    Unsurprisingly, the discussion inside drowned out her quiet noise.

    The concubine was about to try again, this time a bit louder. But the door was opened from the inside with such force that she almost feared that the person inside had hurt themselves.

    But Theodore was completely fine. He was tired, that was obvious, but a small smile graced his face when he saw her. ¡°Thank the gods, you''re here.¡± He pulled her into his arms without hesitation and moved her into the office before slamming the door shut with his foot.

    Blanche returned the embrace but felt a bit bad about it.

    Seraphina was standing at the desk, and it was likely that the emperor had interrupted their conversation in the middle to hug his lover, even though his wife was watching. Even the empress struggled to keep a straight expression at that.

    The concubine felt that icy stare piercing through her, but she couldn''t bring herself to pull back. Not when Theodore clung to her like she was the last raft keeping him afloat. So, she gave her best to be polite despite the fact that intruding just now surely hadn''t been courteous. ¡°I sincerely apologize for interrupting. It wasn''t my intention to disturb you, but the servants were worried.¡±

    The emperor nuzzled his nose into her neck. ¡°No, it''s good that you''re here. I think you just prevented some serious trouble.¡± He whispered the last part before pressing his face into the crook of her shoulder and taking a deep breath.

    Blanche raked her hands through his hair and made sure to massage his scalp while doing so. She couldn''t just ignore it when he was so vulnerable, but she still had to refrain from cowering under Seraphina''s glare. She slowly turned her head to the empress, and the women stared at each other in silence.

    Seemingly, the heroine was angry enough to refuse to greet her. That certainly wasn''t a good sign for someone who normally ignored all of her feelings to abide by the rules.

    For a while, all of them were silent until Theodore raised his head again. He looked much better again even if his exhaustion was still visible. He didn''t let go of his lover while moving over to the desk. There, he sat down on his chair and pulled Blanche onto his lap while keeping her trapped with his arms around her waist. He was really upset. That much apparent from the force he was using. It didn''t hurt yet, but normally, he was way more careful to avoid being too harsh. Apparently, his patience was hanging by a thread, but Seraphina wasn''t much better off.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It felt strange to have these two intimidating, furious and powerful people here while Blanche was sitting in the middle and just gave her best to calm her lover without infuriating the empress.

    Theodore and the heroine seemed to have a staring contest, and none of them dared to look away. With every second, the tension inside the room grew, but the concubine had no idea what to do. She couldn''t just ask Seraphina to leave, could she? That would probably be for the best, but actually daring to send the empress away was awfully brazen. But the option of keeping silent became less pleasant with each passing moment.

    At the point at which Blanche held her breath to avoid making a noise, she chose to speak up. She had hoped to sound at least a little confident, but her voice was shaking. ¡°I do not wish to be impolite, but would it not be better to continue this at another point in time? For a logical discussion, it would be important to stay calm, and...not that I wish to question your judgment, but...I mean, it would be more beneficial to have a conversation when both sides are able to think logically without their emotions boiling up.¡± She almost expected to be scolded for that.

    Indeed, Seraphina''s eyes narrowed, but she glared at Theodore instead of the concubine. ¡°Under normal circumstances, I would agree, Lady Blanche. However, it seems like that is only an option when both parties are willing to have a discussion. If one ends up avoiding the other, there will be no way to know when the next meeting will be. So, some things have to be discussed now even if the situation is unfavorable.¡±

    The emperor tightened his hold on his lover and frowned. ¡°There is no need for a discussion since the issue you are describing doesn''t exist. We could avoid ruining our moods if you just understood that.¡±

    The flame of anger burning within Seraphina''s eyes sparked up at that. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Her voice had a sharp edge to it. ¡°I believe that I voiced my concerns multiple times now. Haven''t they become clear by now? All of my complaints are justified. While I comprehend that these circumstances are stressful for you, you need to-¡±

    Theodore let out a laugh without amusement. ¡°I need to? So, you are trying to tell me what to do now? That isn''t very intelligent of you. It makes the chance of me listening to you even lower than it already was. I remember that we talked about your so-called problems multiple times now, and I always won the arguments because my reasoning is flawless. In the meantime, you just list things that made you feel offended for no reason.¡±

    The empress visibly frowned at that before giving her best to cover up her expression again. ¡°Our views on what a fair discussion is like seem to differ. All of your arguments consist of refusing to accept the issues of me and my family. I can assure you that stubbornly refusing to talk to me will not benefit you. I believe that a single discussion in which you could try to understand our side would be enough to end most of our conflicts.¡±

    Theodore leaned his back against his chair and pulled his lover even closer to him. The tension had become even worse than before, so Blanche just rested on him and hugged his arms while keeping as quiet as possible.

    The emperor himself said more than enough for both of them. ¡°It won''t. Do you know why? Because everything you want is me restraining myself. You don''t want me to be with the woman I love, so it should be clear that I''m not pleased. It seems like the engagement wasn''t enough to make you understand that I won''t budge on this matter. Blanche and I will marry, even if you throw one tantrum after the other. You can complain as much as you want to, but it will only ruin your reputation in the palace even more. It would be better for everyone if you''d just stay silent. Your lectures are going to be ignored anyway, so why bother with giving them?¡±

    Blanche almost flinched at that. How were both of them able to resume like this? She was about to cry even though she wasn''t even directly involved in this matter. She was just listening and felt like she would begin to sob every second. The concubine hated fights, and this certainly was a bad one. And her lover''s rudeness didn''t make that any better. ¡°Theo, don''t-¡± She didn''t get far.

    Seraphina looked like she was about to tear out her hair. She massaged her temples and took a moment to breathe in and out before replying. ¡°I feel like this won''t do. As long as you refuse to listen to me, there is no way for us to come to a conclusion that makes everyone happy. You are unwilling to take even a second to try to understand what others are thinking, and you are unnecessarily harsh with my family. Even though we supported you for the longest time. Ever since your coronation, no, ever since your father''s coronation, we have worked together. Why do you wish to ruin that relationship now? Avoiding me will not change that fact. I will not protect you from my father''s anger.¡±

    Theodore paused at that. Slowly, a smile spread across his face, but it wasn''t a pleasant one. ¡°Protect me? Oh, please. It seems like you didn''t quite understand it yet. I don''t have anything to fear. As I proved multiple times, I don''t need your family''s help. Sure, it''s easier when you support me, but writing a few more contracts won''t kill me either. The real reason I keep doing my best not to meet you is that it''s much more beneficial for you. I could go into a lot more detail here, but I can promise that you will be even more offended after I say it.¡±

    Seraphina looked to the side, probably to keep herself from getting even angrier because of her husband''s fake grin. ¡°I am not oblivious, Your Majesty. I have a very clear image in mind without you needing to say anything, though I do not know the reason. That is why I would ask you not to voice anything since I can assure you that it won''t please me.¡±

    Theodore kept quiet for a moment while still showing his somewhat terrifying smile. ¡°I see. Then why are you still here?¡±

    The empress was visibly shaken by that. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I asked why you were still here. If you are as clever as you believe yourself to be, you should have read the mood long ago. This will not work out. You know that. And yet, you are standing here in front of me and keep bothering me with useless discussions. My time is too valuable to deal with this any longer. By the way, I''m referring to both this room and your presence in general. Which means that you can take that as a request to leave. Or order if you understand that word better.¡±

    Seraphina gave up her attempts at hiding her anger at that. ¡°Your Majesty. You may be the most powerful man in the nation, but there are limits to your insolence. Do you think that I will keep silent about this just because I do not wish for trouble? I will not allow anyone to question the empress'' authority.¡±

    The emperor''s smile faded. ¡°If that is the case, why are you getting angry?¡±

    Both were quiet after that.

    The concubine just sat there stiffly while trying to read the expressions of the royal couple. Her lover was being extremely brazen right now, so she had expected Seraphina to turn around and leave already.

    After all, the empress had always done that when talking to Blanche had annoyed her too much. Back then, she had always had something to say in return for any petty comments too. Now the heroine was silent.

    Theodore paused for a while before continuing. ¡°You already noticed and just hoped that I wouldn''t, right? The position of the empress is almost powerless without the emperor''s favor. You may be able to tell others what to do, but you can''t control me. That''s why you come to me and complain instead of trying to use the power you claim to have. You''ve always been like this. When you didn''t like something, you approached me and discussed with me. But you don''t do that in a normal manner. You give your best to manipulate others in a fight and twist their words while pretending to be so calm the whole time. It''s emotional manipulation at its finest. Your so-called tests are similar to that too.¡±

    Seraphina was baffled at that. She just stared at the emperor and opened her mouth to object.

    But he didn''t give her a chance to talk. ¡°To you, you may seem like you are just convincing others or are trying to find out their motives. But if you cared to look deeper into it, you would see that you are manipulative. In fact, you are the most manipulative person I know, and it disgusts me to hear your continuous attempts to influence me. You keep mentioning my father and the power difference between Blanche and me as if that would change anything. I refuse to let you use any of that against me. That is part of the reason why I refuse to speak to you, especially after all you did. I could say that this is all there is to it, but that would be a lie. In any case, being the daughter of a duke doesn''t have anything to do with refusing to leave my office when I ask you to. I would remind you of that once more.¡±

    The empress was angry. It seemed like she had given up all hope of concealing her wrath and just openly glared at the emperor. ¡°I will not drop the subject because of this. I will return later.¡± She whirled around and opened the door to rush outside.

    Seemingly, that wasn''t enough for Theodore since he opted for yelling after her. ¡°Don''t.¡±

    The door was slammed shut with so much force that the walls of the palace seemed to tremble.

    Immediately, the emperor slouched his shoulders and leaned his head onto his lover''s neck. ¡°Ha....¡± He let out a drawn-out breath and interlocked one of his hands with hers without loosening his grip on her. ¡°She''s finally gone. You can''t imagine how close I was to asking a knight to drag her out. That wouldn''t have been pretty.¡± That was a euphemism. Something like that would cause a scandal of unimaginable dimensions.

    Blanche hurried to whip her head around to warn him about that, but she stopped herself. Due to her motion, her lover had been forced to lift his head and was now meeting her gaze

    Theodore was tired. Suddenly, he seemed like he hadn''t slept in weeks and just barely held onto his consciousness. As if that wasn''t bad enough, he was also shaking. It was just slightly, but she could certainly feel it and understand that this affected him more than he wanted to admit. Otherwise, he wouldn''t bite his lip like that even when it was already bleeding slightly.

    Blanche didn''t need to trouble him with talks about politics now. They could talk about Seraphina and the Duremonts later. For now, she would just distract him. She put her forehead against his as she retracted one of her arms from his grasp and rest her hand against his cheek.

    Theodore closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment in silence. They remained in this position for about a minute before he pulled back and gave her a faint smile. ¡°Thank you. I''m sorry for showing you that. I would have liked to keep you out of it, but I wasn''t able to hold back.¡±

    The concubine pressed a kiss onto his cheek before replying. ¡°It''s fine. You should be more worried about what she will think. I mean, she is really angry, isn''t she?¡± She only realized that she had wanted to avoid that topic after saying that and hurried to continue. ¡°We don''t need to talk about that now though. I''m here to distract you a bit. Unless you want to tell me what happened to get it off your chest, of course. In that case, I will listen.¡±

    The emperor waited for a moment before sighing quietly and letting her go to help her turn to him. When she had managed to position herself in a way that allowed her to look at his face, he spoke up, still shaking even as he tried to hide it. ¡°It didn''t start this badly. Surely, I was annoyed because she chimed in without a warning or a reason, but I didn''t say anything. We talked about the matter with the Vasquez family. At first, it was a reasonable discussion. But when I explained that I had to release them due to the lack of severe crimes that would justify keeping them restrained until the trial, it got worse. She complained about me choosing to execute her maid. I thought that it was because she used to care about that woman, so I let it go.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°But then she started saying how we could have used that maid to...falsify evidence against the duke.¡±

    Blanche could tell that this topic upset her lover even more, so she carefully listened.

    ¡°That we could have ordered her to testify that Duke Vasquez paid her directly. She claimed that we could have promised her maid to be sent into exile for her confession and gotten rid of the Vasquez family in return. Hearing her say that as if it wasn''t a big deal made me angry. This matter isn''t easy to resolve, and I surely would have never considered pardoning someone that tried to poison you. And the way she just spoke like accusing someone of a crime was this simple... She was so sure that framing someone was a good method as long as she believes that they are guilty, as per usual. So, I was a bit harsher. And then she began talking about the things you can imagine. The ball, the engagement, my plans for the future. It seems like she hates all of that. She didn''t just reveal that but also wanted to talk me out of it. Said that I would endanger you with this and that I am not thinking clearly. Needless to say, I should have restrained myself, but I couldn''t help. Your arrival was a god-send. I might have snapped otherwise.¡±

    That was a very troublesome topic indeed.

    Blanche nodded to herself as she understood the core of the argument. It might have been better to keep the only witness alive so that Kate could have testified in court, but she doubted that Duke Vasquez would have been defeated by a mere maid''s words. So, in the end, there wasn''t much of a difference. But that Theodore reacted so sensitively to this matter made her wonder. He had also used false evidence to convict his mother and brother six years ago, so he shouldn''t be this opposed to this method. Was the problem not the strategy but the fact that it was the empress who suggested it?

    Blanche spoke up a moment later, quickly banning those thoughts from her mind. ¡°I don''t think that that maid being here would have changed anything. Even if she had said that Duke Vasquez was at fault, he would have found some way to avoid being punished. A single person''s testimony is not enough. I mean, false evidence might have been able to push us in the right direction, but as soon as they create false alibis, everything becomes unimportant. You can''t afford to be caught with false proof, or the public opinion will turn against you. So, you should avoid that if possible.¡± Unless you were so good at it that everyone believed your enemy to be a vile monster that had snapped a while ago and was ready to do anything afterward. Duke Vasquez wasn''t at that position yet though.

    Her lover nodded. ¡°Naturally. I hate using such methods. Those are more that woman''s strategy. I will only do it if it''s absolutely necessary.¡± He paused after that and brought his face to her shoulder again. He planted a gentle kiss on her skin before resting his head there.

    Blanche stroked over his hair while staring at the backrest of his chair. Her lover was definitely more upset than he admitted. Even now, he was trembling with anger and cuddled into her like she was the only thing keeping him from doing something stupid. She gave him a moment to compose himself and muttered some soothing phrases to him.

    Though, even she couldn''t fight the feeling that there was a bit more to the topic of this entire conversation. But that wasn''t anything she wanted to think about.

 Chapter 212: Opinions (2)

    When Theodore calmed down a bit, he opened his mouth and began speaking in a whisper. ¡°I feel like I have no idea what I''m doing sometimes. As long as I knew what would happen, it was fine. But now they showed up, and everything is different. It''s much better, but still, I would have liked to have a few months to prepare. There are times at which I feel like I''m way too cruel, and then I remember occasions at which I was lenient. Like when I arrested my family instead of finishing everything back then. I should have stripped them of their titles at least if not... But Cedar was barely fifteen then. He was a child. I couldn''t have executed him without blaming myself for my whole life. I should have gotten rid of his mother though. Maybe he wouldn''t be that much of a threat if she was gone. Or he would be worse. I don''t know.¡±

    Blanche wanted to calm him, but she didn''t dare to interrupt for a moment.

    He paused, and just when she thought that it was her turn to speak, he resumed. ¡°In the end, it was always better for me to be brutal. When I acted without having anything to lose, when I immediately destroyed future obstacles before they became more of a problem, it was simpler. Like the men that worked for the dowager empress. Or Cedar''s personal guard, the one that visited us during the hunting festival. I would like to say that I''m sorry. But I can''t even feel pity for those people anymore. I think I''m only holding back because I know that eliminating whole families will make me a monster. But I thought about it multiple times now. Killing people...even if it''s indirectly, is one of the most efficient ways after all. Is thinking that unhealthy? It probably is.¡±

    Blanche continued to run her fingers through his hair and wrapped her other arm around his neck. ¡°I don''t think so. You''re hurting people that will try to hurt you. Your targets already acted first, so they have no right to be seen as innocent or helpless now. The fact that you think about whether this is right proves that you are kind. You wouldn''t bat an eye otherwise. But if you try to do the right thing, you reveal that you have good intentions. So, don''t worry about that too much as long as you don''t hurt innocent people.¡±

    Theodore chuckled quietly, but it sounded pained. ¡°You have no idea what kind of things I did. The people call me a tyrant emperor. I don''t threaten the people of the nation nor do I target ones that never harmed me, but there is still blood on my hands. A lot of blood. And still, I dare to touch you and hold you close. It''s ridiculous.¡±

    The concubine immediately leaned back to force him to look at her and shook her head. ¡°What are you talking about? You never did anything unnecessary. You may be a bit harsh sometimes, but that doesn''t take away your right to be happy.¡±

    Her lover showed her a sad smile. ¡°I''m not sure about that. Sometimes, I think the gods want me to do everything right and gave me this chance because of that. And then something horrible happens. I know that you being here with me is the biggest blessing of all and that even if everything goes wrong, I will find a way for us to stay together. But I worry. What if I already gave up my right to be happy with you because of my own foolishness? That word isn''t even enough to express how stupid I was. No word is enough for that.¡± He paused and averted his eyes for a moment. Then he made eye contact with her and cupped her face to bring her closer to him. ¡°Do you think I''m cruel?¡±

    That question made Blanche freeze. He was her lover. What did he want her to say? ¡°Obviously, I don''t. I wouldn''t be with you if I did.¡±

    A second after she said that, an image of her dream appeared in front of her inner eye. She knew that Theodore could be cruel. She had seen it in her nightmares and read about it in the novel. Once he had grown to hate someone, he would treat them so coldly that there would be no mistake. Even if that person previously had been his beloved concubine. She shook her head to push away those memories and focused her attention on her lover.

    Right now, he looked at her like he wasn''t sure whether her answer had been true.

    So, Blanche hurried to continue. ¡°You should know that I trust you with everything I have by now. It''s obvious that you aren''t a bad person, or I would have noticed it already. But sometimes, you are cruel. When you hate someone, you are. For example. But those people deserved it then.¡± She struggled against her own mind while trying to keep the thoughts about her being abandoned by her lover because she had tried to kill his wife and child away. She tried to change the direction of her thoughts and ended up saying something she hadn''t wanted to voice at all. ¡°I just think that you should slow down a bit sometimes. Just...confirm whether... I mean...¡± She silenced herself after that came out, but it was too late.

    Theodore had already heard her. ¡°What were you going to say? Please continue.¡± His eyes were staring right into hers, so it was hard to avoid being honest.

    Before she knew it, her words began rushing out. ¡°I know that I have no idea about politics or things like that. But I feel like... While executions are a valuable method to go against traitors, they should be used sparingly for only the vilest crimes. And even then, it should only happen after an excessive trial. I know that you were sure about the maid being guilty of poisoning me, but there are cases in which people aren''t truly as vile as they may seem at the first glance. For example, someone could have put that poison into her possession to frame her, right? And finding clues in public spaces to use them against singular people is always...difficult. So, you should be sure before making a judgment. There have been a lot of unjustified executions. And something like group punishment is completely stupid. If the whole family is killed because the father did something that wasn''t even supposed to hurt anyone, that is plainly wrong.¡±

    Those words left her mouth, and only then, she realized why she was getting more emotional every second. To her, this was about her family. Her father, who had traded goods with another nation just to gain a bit more money. Surely, it hadn''t been right of him to do that. But to execute him along with his innocent wife and three children, of which two had barely been ten? That wasn''t fair. She couldn''t help but hate the laws that allowed such a thing to have happened.

    But her lover couldn''t know that. He absentmindedly stared at something on the other side of the room while running his fingers through her hair. ¡°I understand that, but we do use decisive evidence during trials here. The laws in Artias are pretty strict. It would be nearly impossible to have a trial that isn''t fair. Unless a member of the royal family got involved, that is. I can also assure you that most judges are very thorough and avoid the worst options. We mainly hear about executions because the crimes I need to deal with are the ones with the highest punishment. Aside from treason, few crimes directly lead to execution. Family members aren''t punished that often unless the crime was serious either. I understand how it would seem strange to you, but it''s a given that most people in a household share the political views of the family''s head or their parents in our society. If there are traitors, especially people who go against our nation and commit treason, there most likely will be others too. Weeding them out quicker leads to less collateral damage than leaving them roaming around. Surely, it would be better to put them in prison, but that would be much more expensive, and the risk of them getting out again would remain. We can''t put morality over practicability, or we will endanger our country.¡±

    Of course, he would see it like this. Theodore had never been in the position of the person that was put on trial. He had never witnessed how people that were important to him had been arrested and had been thrown into a prison to wait for their death. Naturally, he hadn''t been abandoned by his lover while begging for forgiveness and pleading for his innocence either. He had only seen how Althea was killed in front of him and that he couldn''t punish the perpetrators properly because rules restricted his freedoms. It was clear that he would not question the laws that had been written in the constitution for centuries when he needed them right now.

    Blanche knew that she should just nod at that and accept. Her lover knew much more about politics and trials than she did. She couldn''t judge properly when her mind was clouded with bittersweet memories of the only two trials she had been involved in, which had always brought terror to her. Neither her family''s execution nor her own one was something she wished to discuss. So, she wanted to drop the topic.

    But then Theodore continued to talk, and Blanche felt her heart breaking at the phrase ¡®collateral damage¡¯.

    Her parents and the twins weren''t just collateral damage. They had been living and breathing people that died for no reason. She herself was supposed to be dead too and had only been lucky since a power-hungry man had chosen to use her as his pawn instead. She didn''t want to speak up, she really didn''t. But she couldn''t help herself.

    ¡°Ignoring morality completely is not good either. I know what you mean, but still, I think that trials like that have to be treated with more care. You might think you are certain, but executions are not always justified. Trials are not always fair. I said that already, but I feel like it''s important. Because people can be released from prison, but you can''t take back killing them.¡± Blanche knew that she would become much too emotional in a few seconds if she continued to think about that. Explaining why she was so sensitive would be hard, so she used the one ace up her sleeve to end the conversation. ¡°But I have no idea about politics, so I wouldn''t know. We don''t need to talk about that anymore. I have a surprise for you.¡±

    She stood up and fought against her weak knees, which almost made her crash to the ground as she stumbled towards the door. Like this, her lover wouldn''t see her face. As long as she kept quiet, it was fine. Hopefully, a distraction would be enough to keep her from breaking down.

    But even then, a lump was already forming in her throat, and she could barely hold it back. She pressed her hands against her neck and scratched herself in an attempt to cover up her uncertainty and only let go when she reached the door. She put her hand on the handle and pressed down to open it.

    Blanche had barely opened it a little when an arm pushed past her and pressed the door shut again. She hadn''t even heard how Theodore had moved, but he was here and hugged her from behind.

    His hold on her was so tight that it almost felt like he could crush her with just a bit more force. But despite him keeping her in place, he was the one searching for an anchor. He pressed his face into her neck and repeated the same words over and over again. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m so stupid, I''m sorry.¡±

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    In an instant, Blanche''s mind was completely focused on reality again. She couldn''t turn around even though she wanted to do so. She could only hold onto him and reach over her shoulder to pat his head. ¡°Theo, what''s wrong?¡±

    Her lover just pulled her closer to him at that. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have...¡±

    Blanche had no choice but to stay in his arms while being unable to move. He didn''t reply to her question properly, no matter how often she asked, and just clung to her with no intention of ever letting her go. At some point, she managed to wrench herself away from his arms, just enough so that she could turn around and face him.

    Theodore still refused to look at her and buried his face in her shoulder, but at least she was able to stroke over his hair now. He was crying, and she was too. This might be about more than just a few careless words. So, they just hugged each other and gave one another as much comfort as possible.

    Blanche knew why she couldn''t hold herself back, but she had no idea why her lover was sad. She tried to ask him again. ¡°Why are you crying? Everything is fine. Don''t make me cry too.¡± But it was obvious that it was too late for that.

    Theodore still didn''t let go or budge, but at least he replied. ¡°I was wrong. I''m sorry. I''ll never ever say something stupid like that again.¡±

    She still had no clue what he was referring to. She definitely wasn''t aware of what this was about. She couldn''t be. Her voice trembled. ¡°But...you didn''t-¡±

    ¡°I did. I hurt you. I''m sorry.¡± So, he had noticed that she had been about to cry and blamed himself now.

    Blanche tried to shake her head, but that was almost impossible with him being so close to her. She would like to lie about not being upset, but he would notice that she was lying immediately. She would have to console him in another way. ¡°You didn''t do it on purpose. You just...said what you thought to be true. It''s fine. I''m not angry.¡± She really wasn''t, but she didn''t want to talk about this.

    Theodore dug his fingers onto her back. ¡°It''s not fine. It''s not. I should have paid more attention, I should have noticed. I should have listened to you properly when you said it so clearly. But I just went along with what that-¡±

    His words seemed to make her brain stop working for a moment. ¡°Theo, don''t. Please.¡± That was all that left Blanche''s mouth before she could even think about it. Thankfully, it helped.

    Her lover cut himself off and stiffened. He began shaking slightly, but still, his grasp on her didn''t loosen. He pulled her against him and made it impossible for her to see his face by resting his chin on her shoulder.

    The concubine clung to him as well while being torn between trying to calm him or herself. It would probably be better if she composed herself first so that she could take care of his worries, but that was almost impossible when she heard his shaky breathing. It pained her much more to witness him like this than any of his words before had.

    For a moment, she thought she knew why he was so upset. Why she didn''t want to talk about this.

    Then her brain shut down as Blanche focused on the conversation again. She should have swallowed her emotions for a few more seconds and then come back with the bouquet and a smile on her lips. Her lover, who was in a much worse state than she was, needed someone to distract him now and not a person that cried the whole time. But there was no way that she could stop herself within a second.

    It took her a long time of breathing in and out deeply until she finally managed to stifle the noises coming from her nose.

    By then, Theodore had already recovered too. He lifted his head and cupped her face with his hands. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He gave her a sad smile. ¡°I should have composed myself more. Today was a bit much. I didn''t think about what I was saying at all. Starting with that so suddenly....¡±

    Blanche put her hands on top of his and met his gaze. ¡°You didn''t do anything wrong.¡± He couldn''t know about her family''s situation after all. She had never told him anything. There was no way for him to have known that she would react this sensitively. ¡°That topic is way too complex for me to say anything about it. It''s fine if you disagree with me.¡±

    Her lover closed his eyes and swallowed before looking at her again. ¡°I don''t disagree with you. You''re right. I just didn''t think about it properly because I''m stupid. Just because things were always like this, and I never changed them, that doesn''t mean that I can''t do it now. In fact, I have to do it. I want things to be different, as different as possible. To make sure of that, I need to act. I can''t do it at this exact moment because there is still too much going on. I need those laws if I want to get rid of the people that are working against us. But after we won, and maybe after another five years that allow me to clean up our nation, I can change them. I will.¡±

    Blanche froze. ¡°What do you mean by that? You don''t intend to change the law because I said some careless things, right?¡± She truly expected and hoped for him to say no, but he just stared at her with a serious expression.

    ¡°I will gladly implement or erase any law that you desire if it helps Artias. But this isn''t because of that. This is because I made the mistake of not understanding that I couldn''t continue like the previous emperors before. I already changed some things, so I should have thought about doing something new more often. You are completely right about everything you said. I will look into the matter and make the appropriate choices when it calms down.¡±

    She was speechless at that. He couldn''t be serious, could he? He couldn''t just change the constitution because of something she had said. She had no experience with the court system in Artias except for the tiny bits that Leon''s lessons or the trial of the villainess had given her. She had just thought about her own past and used that way of thinking to compare all executions in the nation, which obviously wasn''t a clever thing to do. In fact, it was rather stupid. To consider altering the law because of the words of a random woman without a clue was even worse. ¡°What are you talking about? If you are sure that this is right, that is fine. But you can''t just do that because you spoke with me about it once.¡±

    Theodore''s response came immediately. ¡°I will. Because you were right the whole time. Executions should not be seen as a convenient way of getting rid of criminals unless it''s truly necessary. And as you said, group punishment doesn''t make any sense. I just thought about my family. I don''t have anything to do with their crimes, but if one applies the rules for people that aren''t royalty, I would be held responsible when they commit treason too. If I acted by those rules, I would also have needed to execute my fifteen-year-old brother for just standing next to his vile mother. How is that helpful? There need to be investigations within the family, and the guilty ones will be punished too. But the rest cannot be put on trial unless they act as witnesses.¡±

    Blanche could barely believe what she was hearing. How could her lover change his mind so quickly? She would certainly like it if he was beginning to think about the subject more, but his sudden decision worried her. He should not come to a completely different conclusion just because she had voiced some unconvincing arguments.

    But she couldn''t bring herself to criticize him for that.

    Even if she didn''t want to admit it, she would be calmed tremendously if she knew that this law was changed. She remembered how much her family and she herself had suffered due to questionable trials, and her heart was still aching whenever she thought about them. That one judge''s decision had destroyed the life of five people at the same time couldn''t be forgotten. If something like this could be prevented in the future, she would feel better. Much better.

    Even if it didn''t bring her family back, she could rest assured knowing that others wouldn''t suffer the same fate she did. That would ease her mind.

    Still, it didn''t feel right for her to demand that of her lover. Blanche stared into his eyes while trying to find out whether this was truly his own decision or whether he just wanted to calm her down. ¡°Are you sure about that? You suddenly sound so different from before. You know better than I do, so...¡±

    Theodore shook his head. ¡°I''m a human like you are. There is no way that my opinion is more important than yours or that I can''t change my mind. I know that it sounds strange to you that I am saying something completely different now, but I just thought about it for the first time. Before this conversation, I just saw those laws as useful. For me, they are a way to get rid of people that wish to hurt us. So, I need to keep them for a while longer. But when this is resolved, I will make changes. Altering a few paragraphs when it can improve the situation in Artias isn''t demanding too much, believe me. I should have listened to you properly from the very beginning, but I was still upset. I was just angry about the fight before, and that''s why I didn''t think clearly. Please forgive me.¡±

    Blanche put her hands to his face. ¡°I was never mad at you, so there is no need for you to feel bad. It''s alright. If you want to change laws, I will support you. But I never wanted to pressure you into doing anything. Just do it if you believe that it''s better for the nation. If you don''t, then don''t do it. It''s really not-¡± She was cut off by a noise from outside.

    It sounded like someone was running toward the door. Before she could turn around, Theodore pulled her away from the entrance.

    A second later, the door was slammed open, and Leon rushed inside. He looked around in a panic, but upon seeing the couple alone, his face showed pure annoyance. ¡°She''s already gone?¡±

    The emperor shrugged. ¡°She left at least twenty minutes ago.¡±

    Leon covered his face with his hand while closing the door with the other one. ¡°So, you''re telling me that you fought with her for two hours and didn''t think it was necessary to inform me first? Some guard had to approach me and tell me that the most powerful couple in the nation is at each other''s throats. I ran here all the way, and now I find out that I wasn''t needed anyway because Lady Blanche came first?¡±

    Theodore didn''t seem impressed by that. ¡°It was your day off. You don''t have to come here when I argue with that damn...with unpleasant people.¡±

    Leonard narrowed his eyes, but at the same time, his shoulders slouched in relief. ¡°Last time, you said something completely different. You are usually very happy about letting me manage the discussions with the empress. Because in contrast to you, I at least pretend to care about her issues. Do you know how stressful that is?¡± He didn''t receive a response and just an indifferent stare. That made him sigh as he walked over to the sofa and plopped down on it. He was silent for a moment before nodding toward the concubine. ¡°By the way, good afternoon, Lady Blanche. Thank you for keeping this person that normally is so good at controlling his expression from killing someone.¡± That seemed like an exaggeration. Hopefully, it was one.

    Blanche greeted him with a tired smile. ¡°Good afternoon. I don''t think it was that bad. They just had a disagreement and-¡± She thought back to the argument. She had only seen a small portion, but that had been enough to make her cower. ¡°Actually, I have to revise my statement. I would say it was pretty bad.¡±

    Theodore just nodded at that.

    Leon gazed at the emperor and left out another sigh. ¡°Do I need to worry about you doing anything that will cause trouble in the future? You didn''t insult her to her face, right? And she left on her own accord, right?¡±

    Blanche paused for a moment, and when her lover didn''t reply and only pressed kisses onto her head, she spoke up instead. ¡°He didn''t insult her, I think. Not directly. But indirectly. She was really angry, and then he sent her out. She didn''t like that.¡±

    Leonard leaned his head onto the backrest and stared at the ceiling. He was quiet for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°Great. I can assume that I will need to deal with the empress during the next few days. Because someone doesn''t want to see her, I have to come up with new excuses each time. How I love to spend time with someone that is fuming because my superior refuses to talk to her even for a minute.¡± Sarcasm was dripping out of his voice. It seemed like everyone here knew that the empress'' anger wasn''t pleasant.

    At that point, Theodore finally replied again. ¡°Don''t sulk about that. You''re on your free day, so don''t sit around here. Blanche and I will leave now too, so you can enjoy the final day without needing to manage a raging storm.¡±

    Leonard just glared at him for that, but the emperor didn''t care much.

    Theodore just wished his secretary a good day before opening the door and leading his lover outside. Without looking at the knights, he guided her through the corridor and up the stairs.

 Chapter 213: Let Me Pamper You

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    sacrifices shouldn''t have been made. We could have done the right thing from the beginning. I just didn''t see the truth, and knowing that hurts. Even if I don''t have the right to complain.¡± He averted his eyes and covered up his dejected expression with a sad smile. ¡°But now I will do the right thing. I will make everything perfect. You just have to trust me, and I will make sure that we can be happy together.¡±

 Chapter 214: Avoidance and Confrontation

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 Chapter 215: Trust and Traitors (1)

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 Chapter 216: Trust and Traitors (2)

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    our relationship, so I doubt that you will need to know anything.¡±

    ¡°love and trust when you don''t have any of that. You''re a traitor, remember that?¡±

    ¡°

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    that man purposefully freeing me and not stopping the execution so that you could use me as a pawn. I never had the intention of betraying my lover, so that won''t be an issue. Theo would trust me no matter what. Because he loves me. He promised.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    don''t say it.¡± Otherwise, she would really lose her temper.

    truly care. ¡°I didn''t know that you would be this upset because of that. They''ve been gone for four years, so I thought that you wouldn''t care as much. I''m-¡±

    Slowly, it''s getting annoying. I don''t have those breakdowns anymore, no matter how often any of you provoke me.¡± He let out a quiet chuckle. ¡°Let me give you a hint. Don''t do things like this. Didn''t my brother tell you what not to say around me? Either he was stupid enough not to tell you, or you are stupid enough to say this to me despite the warning. You should be thankful that I learned to suppress my anger, or you would have had a huge problem. Don''t try to provoke unstable people, or it will end badly for you. The people around me wouldn''t be as lenient.¡±

 Chapter 217: Trust and Traitors (3)

    Theodore''s voice echoed through the garden. ¡°Blanche?¡±

    The concubine jolted and hurried to leave the pathway that was surrounded by hedges. ¡°Theo? I''m here.¡± She naturally hurried toward him, but she hadn''t expected him to rush around the corner at full speed.

    They collided with each other, and Theodore''s arms immediately wrapped around her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Her lover frantically examined her whole body before staring into her eyes. He gently wiped the remains of a tear from her cheek. ¡°He didn''t hurt you, did he?¡±

    Blanche shook her head and put her arms around him. ¡°He just said as stupid things as always. I''m glad that you''re here.¡±

    Theodore still didn''t seem to be satisfied. He looked over her skin once more and even touched her arms to make sure that she was fine. Then he let his hands wander to her face and gently cupped her cheeks. That soft touch only reminded Blanche of how harsh Cedar had been. Her skin still stung a little, but as soon as her lover caressed her, the ache faded. The emperor only spoke when he had made sure that she wasn''t hurt. ¡°I saw him leave just now. He was...bleeding. He said things about me not warning you properly. He didn''t look too angry, but I didn''t see him like that for a while, and I wasn''t sure... The last time he snapped, he almost... I got scared. Are you truly alright? Did he threaten you?¡±

    Blanche was a bit surprised that he hadn''t asked about what she had said first. A part of her didn''t want to admit that she had caused that situation due to her careless words, but she refused to lie. She averted her eyes while replying. ¡°It was my fault. He made me angry, so I wanted to get revenge. I told him that no one loved him and that everyone was only using him. So, he got upset. Even after you warned me, I didn''t keep quiet. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have met him at all. But he was in our pavilion. I wanted him to leave. Because that''s our space.¡±

    Theodore gently guided her head so that she was looking at him again. His expression was oddly serious now. ¡°It''s not your fault when someone else attacks you because they have mental issues. He is to blame and he alone. You are free to say whatever you want. I just asked you not to do it because I''m scared that he will try to hurt you. That''s why I don''t want you to talk to him either. Please get me first before speaking with him next time. Alright?¡±

    Blanche nodded weakly and tightened her hold on her lover. Unwanted memories of the conversation flooded her head, and she couldn''t do anything but hold back her tears. She didn''t want to think about Theodore leaving her because her past was revealed. But if Cedar truly planned on telling him, she would suffer in one way or another. Now that she had provoked the prince, he might do it just to get back at her. That thought alone was enough to make her legs shiver. She cuddled with her lover and grasped his clothes with her fingers. ¡°I won''t talk to him again. I hate it. I should have run away immediately.¡±

    Theodore noticed her need for physical affection by now. He pulled her closer and stroked over her head while replying. ¡°You live here and can go anywhere. You did nothing wrong. I''m sorry for not being here earlier. I left my office, so your maid didn''t find me and needed to search for me. Why does that always happen when he is here? I will be quicker next time. What happened?¡±

    Blanche didn''t want to respond. She would have to think about Cedar''s words again for that and might end up crying. But she couldn''t just deny her lover an answer. ¡°He said bad things about our relationship. So, I snapped. I said what I knew would hurt him.¡± Which was actually pretty mean when she knew how deep the scars of Cedar''s childhood ran. But it wasn''t like she could change that now. Cedar had insulted her first anyway. ¡°He told me that I am stupid for provoking an unstable person and that I''m lucky that he can control his breakdowns now.¡±

    Theodore''s expression darkened. ¡°Did he touch you? Did he do anything after you said the things about him not being loved?¡±

    A part of her wanted to lie about that, but she wouldn''t. Blanche looked to the side while putting her hand on her face to imitate what Cedar had done. ¡°He grabbed me like this. I''m not injured, but it hurt. He was hurt more though. Owen did cut his hand.¡±

    If anyone else saw the emperor right now, they would certainly fear for their life. He glared at someone that wasn''t here with a murderous glint in his eyes. That seemed to contradict how gentle he was while resting his hands on Blanche''s jaw. ¡°He''s suicidal. I will be direct next time. I need to tell him that I''ll kill him if anything like that happens again. This is the second time. Maybe he wants me to end his miserable existence so badly that he chooses the most efficient way to make me angry.¡± His voice was trembling with anger while he spoke. He paused for a moment and continued in a completely different tone. The sudden soft voice made him seem like a completely different person. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±

    She shook her head slightly, only to be stopped since he still held her cheeks. ¡°No, it''s alright. The shock was worse than everything. I thought he would kill me for a moment. If that was how you felt when he aimed a sword at you, it''s surprising that you didn''t faint. You were a child back then, and even I, as an adult, just had problems standing upright. He is sick in the head, isn''t he?¡± And in Cedar''s childhood, it had been much worse. Camille had successfully messed up her son to the point at which he would stop a sword with his hand and still be indifferent.

    Theodore furrowed his brows. ¡°He is. Cedar is one of the people with the worst mental condition that I know of. He didn''t even fully snap, or you wouldn''t be standing here right now. We would be in the pavilion with his corpse on the floor. Once he has a breakdown, you can''t reason with him, and he will attack everyone in his reach with as much brutality as possible. At least he did that as a child. I don''t know what would happen now. Back then, I was so scared that I couldn''t move when he began again. Now he seems to control himself a bit more, but he still acted like he had a death wish. He touched you despite me saying that I wouldn''t react kindly to that.¡± He paused for a moment and whipped his head to the side to face the knight. ¡°Why didn''t you attack him? I saw that he was bleeding, but he was still walking without help. Why didn''t you use your full force? You could have hit him too instead of using a sword.¡±

    Owen responded with an expression that was slightly more icy than usual. ¡°I considered that, Your Majesty. However, there were no witnesses except for the three of us. If this had been put in front of a trial, we would have had no chance to prove that we acted in self-defense. If I had attacked him with my full force, he would not be able to leave on his own anymore, and I assumed that this could cause issues. Since His Royal Highness just stopped my attack, I believe that anything else might have been dangerous too. It looked like he was waiting for me to initiate combat, and I believed that avoiding a fight would be best.¡±

    Theodore narrowed his eyes. ¡°Owen, I told you that already. I don''t want any thinking on your part when it comes to that person. He is dangerous. If he does anything out of the ordinary, you have to prepare to kill him immediately. He is good at fighting, so you will need to act before he notices so that he can''t begin a duel no matter what. The result won''t be an issue. We can get rid of his remains in an instant if it''s necessary. I know that I said that I don''t want to spill blood, but that only applies until they start. After that, we won''t have any mercy. No matter what happens, I''m the emperor. They can''t accuse me of anything without me using it against them. You can''t be convicted either. Such an important trial would require my judgment, and as long as I say that you''re innocent, the others'' opinion doesn''t matter. So, act like he is a normal person next time.¡±

    It wasn''t that easy, but Theodore probably didn''t think so far in his rage.

    Owen still nodded at him. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I will make sure to act accordingly. But the wound this time can be used as evidence against him if anything else arises. So, this interaction would be beneficial for us if he comes again within the next weeks.¡± That almost made it sound like he was looking forward to meeting the prince with that new order in mind. Almost. A part of him was still shaken upon being stopped in the middle of an attack.

    Theodore turned to his lover and gently ran his fingers over her face. ¡°He won''t come. He needs to lick his wounds first. Cedar needs to calm down before facing us again, or he will lose his temper. He hates it when that happens, so he may be even angrier now than before. But he won''t give up on his happy facade, so we should have some time without him.¡± He scanned Blanche''s face for a while before his expression softened. ¡°Is that all that happened? If he did anything else, tell me.¡±

    Blanche gazed at the floor. ¡°He didn''t do anything else. He just said mean things.¡± At first, she wanted to leave it at that, but one look at her lover''s face proved that she wouldn''t be able to avoid it. She took a deep breath before repeating all the awful things she had heard. ¡°He said that we would break up at some point and that I''m only here because I want power. And that our feelings aren''t true. He kept repeating that you are a horrible person and that you will abandon me at some point because of...¡±

    Her train of thought always returned to that one topic even though she couldn''t talk about that at all. She pressed her lips into a thin line and clung to the emperor as if he was the last thing keeping her grounded. Maybe he was. She was about to sob again, and her lover''s presence was the only good part about this situation.

    Theodore tightened his hold on her. ¡°You know that none of those things are true. We love each other, and it will stay like this forever. I will never leave you. I can''t live without you, so there is no way for anyone to even consider that option.¡±

    That was exactly what Blanche needed to hear. But at the same time, it also hurt because she knew that Theodore had no idea about what her circumstances were. Once he found out, he would view her differently. There was no way that he would simply forgive her. She should have told him the truth right after meeting him. Maybe he would have been able to forgive her then, but now she had lied to him for two years. How could he accept that?

    The concubine could barely stand that thought. She would have liked to hide her face in her lover''s chest, but she wasn''t able to.

    Theodore grabbed her chin and made sure that she was looking at him before pressing his lips onto hers. She put all of her emotions into the kiss while her mind was screaming. Blanche was scared. She was so scared of losing the man she loved. And she had no way of keeping him from finding out the truth when her enemies might think that it was funny to reveal it to him.

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    Theodore kept holding her even when the two of them ended their kiss. He gazed at Owen for a moment before mouthing something to him. The knight formed some words with his lips too before Theodore turned to his lover again. He lifted his hand to stroke over her hair while speaking. ¡°Let''s get you inside. We need to keep you from thinking about horrible things like that.¡±

    Blanche nodded at him and allowed him to guide her when he pulled her toward the building. Theodore quickly brought her to the third floor and into his room, for which she was truly thankful. He climbed onto the bed with her and rolled her into the blanket before pulling her into his lap.

    Blanche just allowed herself to lean against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Her tension had to have been way too obvious.

    Theodore kept placing kisses on her skin and reminded her that he loved her every few seconds, and she repeated it to him each time.

    She knew that there was only one thing she should do, but she couldn''t bring herself to do it. If Cedar might tell her lover, she had to be faster. If she explained it to Theodore properly, he wouldn''t be too angry, right? She needed to say it, or the reveal would be even more painful. But a few words could ruin their whole relationship if she wasn''t able to judge her lover''s reaction properly. If he looked at her with hatred or despair, her heart would break. Before she knew what was happening, tears began streaming down her cheeks.

    Theodore noticed way too quickly. He turned her around so that she had to face him and caressed her cheeks. ¡°Is this about what he told you?¡±

    Blanche wasn''t sure how to respond to that. Surely, Cedar had reminded her of the fact that there was an issue she had forgotten, but at the same time, that problem hadn''t been caused by the prince. The concubine needed to use all of her self-control to speak up without pausing to hiccup. ¡°Not really. He...just said something that made me remember. It''s nothing-¡± She cut herself off.

    Of course, it wasn''t unimportant. She wouldn''t be crying if that wasn''t the case. She wouldn''t fool anyone with this.

    After a few seconds of trying to come up with something, Blanche broke down. ¡°I need to tell you something. It''s really important. But I''m scared. Scared that you''ll hate me afterward. If that happens, I...I...¡± Her voice cracked, and she let her face fall forward into her lover''s chest.

    Theodore ran his fingers through her hair and kept his other arm around her body. He was so gentle despite her words, which made it seem like he wouldn''t care at all. But she knew that that wasn''t true. He spoke up just a few seconds after she finished. ¡°I would never hate you. You could kill me after years of torture, and I would still love you with all of my heart. So, don''t say things like that. If you want to tell me something, you can always be honest. There is nothing that could make my feelings change.¡±

    Blanche sniffled a few times and held his shirt as if he would disappear as soon as she let go. She wanted to believe those words so badly. But it wasn''t that easy. Still, her greatest desire was to hear him say that everything would be fine. ¡°Even if I did something really stupid?¡±

    ¡°No matter what you did, I did something that was much more stupid. And you forgave me for that. Do you love me?¡±

    That question made her jolt into an upright position. She stared at him with widened eyes and felt panic rising inside her. Why did he see the need to ask that? ¡°Of course! I love you. More than anything else in this whole world. I would give my life for you.¡±

    Theodore''s muscles tensed as he put his hand on her cheek and looked at her with that saddened expression. ¡°I know. But don''t say that. Please. It breaks my heart every time.¡±

    She could just nod at him.

    Her lover rested his face on her head and pressed countless kisses onto her scalp before leaning back to face her. He wiped away all the tears before resuming. ¡°You just said that you love me. And I love you. Those are the only two things that count. As long as you love me, we will stay together. So, unless you tell me that you want to leave me, I won''t be upset.¡±

    Blanche hurried to shake her head. ¡°I would never say anything like that. I can''t live without you either.¡± All of his promises sounded so wonderful, but those issues wouldn''t be resolved by her avoiding talking about them. She opened her mouth before closing it again a few times. ¡°I...I...¡± She would at least have to spit out the general problem, or she would never be able to force herself. ¡°I... I lied to you.¡± She had barely said that when her throat gave in. She could only sob and cling to her lover.

    Theodore pulled her into his arms and slowly cradled her body while shushing her. ¡°It''s fine. You always say that you trust me and know that my actions have a reason. I think so about you too. You had a reason. As long as we are in love, nothing will come between us. I will repeat it as many times as you want to hear it. You can believe my words. I wouldn''t say this if it wasn''t true.¡±

    Blanche closed her eyes and focused on him while trying to clear her mind. She would have to say it now. If he changed his mind afterward, she would die. ¡°But it''s been two years. Ever since then, I lied about...about...¡±

    She could barely do it. The way he held her reminded her that she couldn''t live without his love.

    Just as she doubted again, Theodore gently stroked over her head and brought his face to her ear to whisper. ¡°It''s alright. This is about your amnesia, isn''t it? You haven''t actually lost your memories.¡±

    Blanche stiffened as her blood rushed through her veins. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart as she lifted her head to stare at him with wide eyes. He knew? How? She had never said anything. He couldn''t have found out about it by himself. ¡°How did you...¡± Her stomach was churning with dread, but her lover only planted a kiss on her forehead.

    ¡°I told you not to worry, didn''t I? I''m not mad. I knew about that a few days after you came here. You remembered things about Artias and common knowledge just fine and only had no idea about your own past. That sounded weird. And you sometimes mess up. You mention your childhood and how you liked specific things when you were younger. Or you mention that you are a commoner and never learned how to waltz. You also knew about your cherry allergy before ever eating one here. And you chose your new birthday without skipping a beat and insisted that you were twenty when you came to the palace. There have been many occasions on which you did that. So, I assumed that you had just lied about having lost your memories. But as I said, I do not care. I''ve known it for two years and never bothered to be mad about it. In fact, it was convenient for me because I could offer you to stay with me for that reason. I was never angry. If you don''t want to tell me something, it''s alright. I trust you.¡±

    If only that was all there was to it. Then she would be able to stay silent now and be happy about her lover being so kind. But that wasn''t it.

    Blanche could only stare at him and open her mouth a few times before actually speaking in a broken voice. ¡°Why are you reacting like this? You shouldn''t be so nice after you realized that. And there is something else. I don''t know what to... I don''t deserve your kindness. You should be angry or disappointed or-¡±

    Theodore shushed her again. He placed his hands on both sides of her face and kept her facing him. ¡°It''s alright. I told you that I would never be mad. You can calm down. We have a chance to talk about this when you composed yourself. I will be open to whatever you choose to tell me. There is nothing you could say to disappoint me. I won''t judge you or be upset, both because I trust you and because I already know most things about you. That is why what you speak about is your own choice. I see that it burdens you, and naturally, I would be glad to relieve you and am ready to listen right now. But you don''t have to force yourself. If you want to do this later, we can delay this conversation as much as you want to.¡±

    Blanche could barely believe what she was hearing. Surely, she placed her faith in him no matter what, but him saying that he did the same with her was overwhelming. The fact that he wasn''t upset about her amnesia was wonderful enough. But to think that he was this gentle even though she admitted to having fooled him for two years? That made her heart ache. She would like to tell him all of that, but she couldn''t. The only thing that came out was her greatest worry. ¡°But I need to tell you before others do. If they do it first, I...¡±

    ¡°Then I will ask you to explain it to me. I would never believe anyone that says bad things about you. That much should be obvious, right? No matter what, I will always be on your side because you are on mine. So, if it makes you feel better, we''ll wait a little while longer. There is something I haven''t told you yet either. I will tell you eventually. I have to. Even if I already dread that day. Do you distrust me now because I said that?¡±

    She hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No. I won''t ever be angry with you even if you did something you couldn''t tell me about.¡±

    Theodore leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers. ¡°See? Why would it be different for me? I adore you as much as you love me. There is no way that I would react by pushing you away. No matter what I''m told, I will ask for your version first. And that story is the only one I''ll believe. I know that you''d never betray me, so all of your worries are unnecessary. I can imagine what my brother told you, but you shouldn''t pay attention to that. If there is one thing Cedar is good at, it''s lying and fooling others. He picks up what hurts you and uses it against you. So, you don''t need to consider his words. There may be a few truths mixed in, but since he doesn''t believe in love, trust or loyalty, his opinion doesn''t matter to us.¡±

    Blanche''s bottom lip was still quivering, but the tears were slowly drying up. Her lover spoke with so much sincerity that she could barely consider him to be lying. He would truly believe her. As long as he gave her a chance to explain, everything would be fine. She had never betrayed him or planned that. She had been manipulated after losing her family, and that wouldn''t make him hate her.

    Right?

    Hopefully, he would understand. She would tell him soon. But for today, she had already reached her breaking point. She couldn''t take much more. If she had the chance to rest for a while before revealing the rest, it would be fine.

    The concubine had no idea how to summarize her gratefulness. ¡°Thank you. I''ll tell you. After a break. Maybe in a few days. But remember that I love you and never wanted that to happen. I got involved in troublesome matters without really knowing what was going on. With people that want to hurt you. That was before I knew what they wanted. I''m sorry. I never wanted to lie to you, but...¡±

    Theodore slowly lifted his head to look into her eyes while moving a strand of hair away from her face. ¡°I know. You wouldn''t have done it if you had seen another choice. You only did that because you thought that it was for the best for both of us. I can assure you that I won''t hold it against you. Take as much time as you need.¡± He gave her a soft smile and kissed her cheek. ¡°Alright? Did you understand that I won''t be angry, or do I have to repeat it a bit more often?¡±

    Blanche wanted to meet his gaze and smile so badly, but she averted her eyes. ¡°You said it a few times. It''s still a bit complicated. The situation isn''t pleasant.¡±

    Theodore kissed her other cheek. ¡°Then I have to repeat it again. I love you. I trust you more than anyone else. If something bad is happening, other people are involved. Do you really think that I would believe them more than you? That is ridiculous. I devoted my life to you. You''ll be my wife, don''t forget that. I will place you above the whole world. There is no way that I could get upset. The fact that you want to tell me only proves that you are genuine. Some external circumstances forced you to act in a way you didn''t like. Do you know how often I ended up doing things I regret because of that? So, I will understand it no matter what. Is that enough, or do you want to hear it one more time?¡±

    This time, Blanche just kissed him back and kept holding onto him. She was so glad to have such a wonderful lover. He believed her without even hearing everything. She wrapped her arms around him and tried to put all of her feelings into the kiss.

    The emperor immediately pulled her closer to him and returned the kiss. Both of them were unwilling to let go. It was rather obvious that they wouldn''t leave their room today and end the day with cuddling. Both of them needed that now, even if she was definitely the more desperate one.

    She was too happy to contain all of those feelings. Euphoria pushed away her logical judgment and her worries, and for once, she was content with that. She wouldn''t be able to keep herself from breaking down if she didn''t believe her lover. His words had to hold true.

    Anything else would crush her.

    But she believed him. So, she would tell him the rest too and finally tear down the lie she had dreaded for two years already.

 Chapter 218: The Letter

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    Seraphina.

    Everything.

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 Chapter 219: My Past

could drop the topic now, but she needed to discuss some things with him. She sniffled a few times before beginning. ¡°Then... Everything is fine now?¡±

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 Chapter 220: National Holiday

    so wonderful.¡±

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    which I don''t need, by the way, the nobles will bring me all kinds of jewelry. So, you don''t have to give me too much. I''m still not done admiring the things you prepared for your own birthday. I glanced at everything, but I won''t have the time to wear all of that in my whole life.¡±

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 Chapter 221: Familiar Painting, Unfamiliar Spot

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 Chapter 222: What It Means To Be Royalty (1)

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 Chapter 223: What It Means To Be Royalty (2)

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 Chapter 224: Crown Prince Linden (1)

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 Chapter 225: Crown Prince Linden (2)

    Naturally, Prince Linden was a bit cautious since he had entered the territories of a country that had been his enemy for the last few decades. But he seemed open enough not to see Theodore as his opponent immediately. More than worried or angry, he appeared to be curious judging by the way he acted. Even if his expression didn''t give much away, it wasn''t intimidating. It just proved that he was calm, which would be excellent for political discussions. After all, Theodore liked conversations about politics most when the other party didn''t yell at him or ignored his opinion.

    Blanche had been mentally absent for a bit, so she almost jolted when she noticed that the prince was looking at her. Linden scanned her for a moment, but she couldn''t speak up to greet him. Not when the empress hadn''t opened her mouth yet. She wanted to turn around and search for Seraphina, but the prince was quicker than she was.

    ¡°You must be the empress then. I do not wish to be impolite, but may I ask for your name?¡±

    The concubine almost wanted to sink into the ground at that. Naturally, he would believe that the woman, who coincidentally wore an attire that matched the ruler''s, cuddling with the emperor would be the lawful wife. Everyone would have guessed that. She considered letting Theodore respond, but that wouldn''t make the situation better. Her lover had expected this situation and possibly even risked evoking it on purpose, so he apparently didn''t mind as much as she did. It would be more beneficial if she just quickly explained before Seraphina got offended.

    ¡°Unfortunately, this here is a little misunderstanding. I am not the empress. Her Majesty is...over there.¡± Blanche turned around and took a moment before spotting the empress on Theodore''s other side. She gestured toward the other woman.

    Linden was silent for a moment before turning to the empress. ¡°I apologize sincerely. I never had the chance to see a portrait of you, so I made a careless mistake. Please forgive my rudeness.¡±

    Seraphina met his gaze and put on her little polite smile, which was probably supposed to hide her growing irritation. ¡°You needn''t apologize. There was no way for you to have known. Most people might not have been able to identify me based on my face alone.¡± That was true. The greatest portion of the commoners had never seen the empress, so they might not know what she looked like. The only thing that identified her as the empress would be the crown, which Seraphina wasn''t wearing right now, her attire in the royal colors and her presence at Theodore''s side.

    Most unknowing ones would assume that Blanche was the wife because she was the one clinging to the emperor. This situation was horrible. The concubine almost wanted to let go to avoid any more conflict, but it was too late now. Hopefully, Seraphina would have grudge against her because of this.

    Luckily, it seemed like the empress was busy greeting the prince now though. ¡°My name is Seraphina Estien. It is an unimaginable honor for me to be able to greet you as a guest. It is wonderful that we will have another chance to aid the strained relationship between our nations that developed because of countless misunderstandings. I believe that it is necessary for us to point out that we deeply apologize for our negligence that allowed someone to interfere with our letter exchange this easily. We are working hard on finding the perpetrators and punishing them accordingly. I thank you for your generosity and for giving us a second chance.¡±

    Linden responded immediately. ¡°There is no need to apologize for the involvement of vile people. We ourselves did not notice the inconsistency regarding the emperor''s handwriting either when we clearly should have after his speech drastically changed. Naturally, we are offering our assistance and will help as much as possible to investigate whether there were perpetrators in Northern Ocrea. I am very pleased to be able to work with you as well. May our nations get along in harmony from now on.¡±

    Only a few sentences were enough to see that these two were rather similar. Both in the way they acted, talked and moved as well as how they kept their expression calm at all times.

    Blanche was almost a bit jealous to see so much dignity at once. She wasn''t even able to keep herself from grimacing whenever Cedar showed up, which he hopefully wouldn''t do today. She even had to force herself to keep a neutral expression when Linden turned to her again.

    ¡°I apologize for the previous confusion. Unfortunately, I am not aware of who you may be otherwise.¡±

    Blanche had a feeling that this was probably more uncomfortable for him since he worried about not having done enough research. She knew how she would feel after making an error like this, so she hurried to release him. ¡°I am honored to have a chance to get acquainted with you. My name is Blanche, and most people here address me as Lady Blanche.¡± That sounded way too impolite. She would need to add something else to her introduction. The prince obviously wanted to know why she was in the palace, so she would have to reply. ¡°I am the emperor''s...fianc¨¦e.¡± Saying this in front of Seraphina was worse than most other things she could have come up with. But maybe being honest and justifying why she was wearing the royal colors now was better than giving less information.

    For a moment, Linden glanced to the side. He alternated between looking at the people in front of him and seemed like he wanted to find out what their relationship was. Maybe he didn''t know about the emperor being allowed to have multiple wives and was irritated because of that. Or he wondered why Theodore was accompanying a woman who would be his secondary wife when the empress stood there. Fortunately, he was polite enough not to address the issue though. ¡°I see. I apologize for not being aware of that. My research seems to have been lacking.¡± And that was her chance to bring up her greatest worry.

    Blanche quickly spoke up again. ¡°Oh, no. It just happened...¡± She almost froze when she remembered that it had almost been two months. How had time passed this quickly? ¡°A little under two months ago. We have not revealed anything about this to the public yet. We are waiting for a more suitable point in time. That is why you naturally would be unable to hear anyone speaking about it. There are only a handful of people who know.¡±

    The crown prince accepted this without much of a reaction. ¡°Then I will remember not to mention it to anyone unnecessarily. Congratulations on your engagement. May your union bring joy into the world while you spend the rest of your lives together in happiness.¡± Apparently, that was the way that people from Ocrea congratulated an engagement. It was way sweeter than what the nobles always said to the emperor. They usually didn''t wish him happiness or joy but only that it would do the best for the nation. Blanche liked this version much more.

    Theodore showed the other man a smile before looking at his lover. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. We are very happy already, and it can only get better from now on. We will make sure to cherish your wishes.¡± He lifted his free hand to push a strand of Blanche''s hair behind her ear and gazed at her with affection before turning back to the prince. ¡°I assume that the carriage ride was exhausting. We can either delay our first meeting and discuss everything starting from tomorrow while using this day to show you the palace. Or we can begin immediately if you prefer that.¡±

    Linden glanced at the building before responding. ¡°I am grateful for your consideration. It may be necessary for me to know my way around, so I would ask you to show the estate to me if it isn''t too much of a bother.¡±

    Theodore showed him the polite smile that he had perfected over the past years as the emperor. ¡°Of course, it is not a bother. I would be happy to help. You will need to be able to roam around freely, so this is rather fitting. I would suggest taking a short walk in the garden before we show you the way to your chambers and all the most important rooms in the building. Naturally, the servants will always be happy to guide you to your destination too, so there is no need to memorize everything. I chose some of the best members of the staff to support you and your companions during your stay here.¡± The emperor gestured to the group of people that were waiting all around them. ¡°You are free to use them or decline if you wish to rely on your own people instead. Due to the situation with my brother, which I mentioned in a past letter, the security measures are heightened though. This means that I would recommend that you permit the royal knights to accompany you when you leave the palace or ever plan on going to the capital. We will ensure that no one is injured, so the property is full of guards as well. Please do not misunderstand my intention by placing them there. They are only supposed to assist your people. Of course, your guards are allowed to keep their weapons.¡±

    Linden was silent for a short moment before responding. ¡°I thank you for your trust. I did not expect that you would give me permission to let my companions serve me here.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I will do that. We are attempting to reconcile after all of those years. Encountering one another with distrust the whole time will do nothing but bring us apart. Artias never had the intention of waging war, and I strongly believe that Northern Ocrea did not either. War won''t benefit anyone and only brings destruction, so I am happy that we have the same opinion on this matter. Otherwise, you would not risk coming here.¡±

    Linden''s expression budged for the first time. His eyes widened just slightly, but it was enough to show that he was surprised about receiving so much trust despite the previous conflicts. ¡°Of course. I am here to deepen the trust between us, and I will not abuse it. It is calming to hear that your views are similar to mine. I will give my best to prove that Northern Ocrea never wished for anything but peace.¡±

    Theodore smiled at him. ¡°I can assure you that Artias has the same stance. We look forward to working with you from now on. But there is no need to discuss all of this outside. Would you allow me to lead you through the garden?¡±

    The prince still seemed like he was a bit bedazzled by such a warm welcome, but he hurried to respond. ¡°Gladly.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡± The emperor turned around and started walking toward the main path that led them around the palace. Still, he didn''t show any signs of being ready to let go of his lover. He grinned from one ear to the other one and even leaned over to kiss her cheek.

    Blanche was torn between being uncertain about whether it was intelligent to act like this in front of the empress and their future political allies and between being happy for her lover. In the end, both emotions were just as strong. She beamed at him but began whispering as well. ¡°Is this really alright? We shouldn''t act like this. What will-¡±

    Theodore shushed her with another kiss on her cheek. ¡°Don''t mention that. I want him to know that you are the one I love. Maybe they''ll bond when they feel left out.¡±

    Blanche had no idea what he was referring to. She turned her head around and gazed at the prince and the empress, who were both trailing behind them. She looked at her lover again. ¡°I don''t think that you should ignore the person that came here to have political discussions with you. Him being here is the most important thing of all. So, you should rather cling to him instead of me. You need to win him over.¡±

    ¡°I already did. You can''t believe how much effort I put into the letters. I wrote everything he wanted to hear. Don''t worry. There is no way that he will be angry about this. From what I heard, his father loved his mother very much, so he won''t complain about us showing affection for one another. In fact, it will probably please him to see that true love plays a role here. So, let us show him how much we love each.¡± He grinned at her and patted her arm.

    The concubine sighed quietly before mirroring his smile. ¡°If you insist. But hold back a little. The empress is here.¡±

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    Theodore raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°And why would I care? She is very much aware of the difference between the two of you, and I will be happy to point it out as often as she needs to see it. She can approach a different target if she needs to fill her desire for love. The one by my side is you, and I won''t ever pretend like something else is the case ever again.¡± He slowed his movements and pulled her closer to him.

    Blanche had a vague idea of what he was planning to do. A small part of her wanted to give in, but that would probably be a horrible idea. So, she hurried to move forward again. She managed to get Theodore to follow her without allowing him to kiss her first. She was a bit disappointed that she wouldn''t be able to see his radiant beam, but the other option was worse. They couldn''t just cuddle in front of everyone present.

    She only realized that dragging him away from the others wasn''t a good idea after a few steps and slowed down again. She looked over her shoulder as she searched for the heroine and the prince, only to be scared by her lover.

    Theodore put his hand on her chin and leaned in to kiss her. He held her head with the other hand and thus kept her in place. The decision was made with that already.

    Blanche would never push away her lover. She reciprocated the kiss and closed her eyes to ignore the others while doing that. She needed to do that, or she might die out of embarrassment. No one would think that it was good when the emperor couldn''t even hold himself back during a diplomatic meeting.

    But Theodore''s grin almost made up for that. He beamed at her and pulled her into his arms to pat her head. ¡°I''m so happy. Everything is going great. We just need to push them over the edge, and everything will solve itself. And we will stand here victoriously without needing to spill any blood.¡±

    The concubine didn''t have the energy to tell him that showing his satisfaction like this might cause new problems. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a small kiss on his cheek. ¡°You''re right. Everything will be fine. We just have to hold on a bit longer, and our enemies will have to give up.¡±

    ¡°I will make sure that they retreat and will regret ever facing us. I would be so much crueler if you didn''t-¡± He cut himself off and cupped her face to bring her closer to him. ¡°I will fix everything for us. I promise.¡±

    Just when she wanted to tell him that his presence was more than enough to create the perfect ending for her, she heard footsteps approaching them. The empress and the crown prince had arrived at their side.

    Theodore let go of her face after giving her a little kiss. He linked their arms again before turning to the others. ¡°We will just walk around the palace once so that you can get an overview of the building. There are parts of the estate that you probably won''t see since they are outside the walls. But if you are interested in them, you can always ask me to show them to you. There isn''t much aside from some forests there though.¡± It was a bit impressive how calm he was. After what just happened, he should be a little embarrassed or uncertain, but there was nothing but confidence in his voice. Not many would act like this after showing their affair to their wives and the rulers of neighboring nations.

    Linden let his gaze roam across their surroundings and took the view in. Then he turned back to the emperor. ¡°Thank you for the offer. For now, I would like to focus on the main building since I will be spending my time here. I must say that the garden is beautiful.¡±

    Theodore grinned at him. ¡°The gardeners have worked hard to maintain them for years. It seems like their efforts have been worth it. I will inform them of your kind words. Now then. Shall we begin our walk?¡±

    The group only rounded the palace once, but still, it took much longer than anticipated. Linden stopped every few steps and asked something about Artias and its customs. Theodore was happy to respond, but Seraphina was the person that explained most things. She was also the one that led around Linden, with the concubine and the emperor being busy cuddling the whole time. Blanche felt a bit bad, but since the empress and Linden seemed to be content chatting with each other whenever Theodore started hugging his lover again, it was fine.

    The crown prince hadn''t complained once and seemed to have no issue ignoring the couple''s exaggerated intimacy. The heroine also never pointed out that they were being insolent, so there weren''t any conflicts.

    The emperor seemed to be more satisfied with each conversation, and by the end of the walk, he was beaming. When they reached the main entrance and were greeted by someone that had been waiting for them, his mood soured though. The corners of his mouth sank, and he addressed the crown prince while staring at Cedar in the distance. ¡°It seems like our other guests have arrived. That is the brother I warned you about. I assume that he will not do any harm, but he will smile at you and tell you about how well you get along while pulling out a knife behind your back.¡±

    Linden''s expression became a bit colder when he heard that. ¡°Do not worry. I have experience with people like him. I will not be swayed by lies and acting. The mother is not present?¡±

    Theodore''s smile returned again. ¡°She is the true threat here, so we can be happy that she didn''t arrive. It seems like the sudden breakdown of her carriage might have stopped her. Let us meet my brother to find out. Aside from the political one, I will also give you a personal warning. He is infuriating.¡±

    Blanche leaned against her lover and let him pat her head as memories of the last meeting with Cedar resurfaced in her head. If this interaction was anything like that one, she would cry. She didn''t know whether the prince mentioning her family or him threatening her had scared her more. Just when she thought about it, her cheeks were burning again, but the rage inside her was even more noticeable. And while she was angry, she was also scared. She tightened her hold on Theodore''s arm and clenched her jaw in an attempt to keep herself from grimacing. Even though so many people were here now, she wasn''t happy about any of this.

    Her lover noticed quickly. He put his second hand on her arm and stroked over her skin. He slowly leaned his head to the side to whisper in her ear. ¡°It''s alright. I''m right here with you. I''ll protect you. He won''t ever touch you again.¡±

    Blanche nodded, but it was more to encourage herself than to respond to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Hopefully, nothing bad would happen, but with Cedar, she could never be sure.

    Theodore slowly led her to the building, and this time, she happily clung to him. He stopped in front of the stairs and emphasized how he put his arm around her. ¡°Good afternoon. It looks like you finally arrived here too. You are a bit tardy. That is unlike you, I was quite worried.¡±

    Blanche''s gaze wandered to Cedar''s hand immediately. Somehow, she wasn''t surprised to find that he wasn''t wearing a proper bandage. There was merely a single line of cloth wrapped around his hand, and this one happened to resemble his skin in color. It was almost like he did everything to hide the fact that he had been wounded. He probably wouldn''t have put on anything if the cut hadn''t been so visible. Did he want to hide the incident then? If his mother had found out, there would have been a huge problem, and maybe Cedar had prevented that. Blanche felt bad momentarily but reminded herself that it was his fault that he had been injured by Owen. There was no way that the prince had tried to keep them from harm with his silence.

    Cedar didn''t seem to focus on his wound at all. He was already waiting for the group with a bright smile. He didn''t fail to seem as innocent and kind as ever despite his brother''s obvious taunt. ¡°I''m happy to see you, Theodore. Good afternoon. I greatly appreciate your worry, but you can rest assured. Nothing happened but a series of coincidental trivial issues. Unfortunately, countless servants became sick today. One locked the door to my bedroom, one forgot to prepare the horses and then the carriage broke down. The gods must be against us on such a joyful day. Mother could not come because we had no second coach, and she isn''t in a state in which she could wander through the forest to come here. I sincerely apologize for that.¡± His tone was overly sweet, which almost made it sound like he was annoyed.

    Theodore seemed like he was unsure how to act for a moment. He was probably torn between showing his brother the freezing rage he felt and using the prince''s strategy of smiling. In the end, he chose a mix and met the other''s gaze with a neutral expression and an icy glint in his eyes. ¡°There is no need to apologize for that. I am the one that needs to voice an apology. I apologize for the inconveniences you had to face, and I will make sure to let the carriage get repaired. What strange coincidences you met. That is unfortunate, but as you said, the day is joyful. This is our esteemed guest''s arrival, so we should celebrate.¡±

    Cedar''s eyes wandered to the crown prince immediately. He climbed down the stairs to stop in front of the other man before bowing slightly. ¡°Ah. It is a great honor to be able to meet you. My name is Cedar Estien. I am this country''s second prince and His Majesty''s brother. I hope that we will have many chances to work together in the future.¡±

    Linden seemed like the polar opposite of the other prince. His expression remained as aloof as before while he greeted the other man with a slight bow. ¡°I am honored to meet you as well. I am Linden Sual, the crown prince of Northern Ocrea. May our nations successfully work together from now on.¡±

    As always, Cedar replied perfectly. ¡°I hope so too. Though, it would be too soon to make you focus on political discussions just after you arrived. First, we should lead you around and then let you rest. I assume my brother already showed you a bit of the palace but surely not everything, correct?¡±

    Seraphina was the one that responded while she made eye contact with Linden. ¡°Indeed. We shall now enter the palace to show you and your people to your rooms, Your Royal Highness.¡±

    And there the mistake was.

    Blanche was almost sure that Theodore had told her that Northern Ocrea''s people merely addressed the singular ruler by a title while everyone else might just be named by their rank. It would be best to call the crown prince ¡®Prince Linden¡¯ and nothing else. Though Blanche was almost sure that something so small couldn''t create a big issue, she worried. Especially since Theodore probably hadn''t told Seraphina, who would certainly not mess up if she had been informed. Theodore had known, and somehow, Cedar had paid attention to it too, but the poor empress, who had already had the worst day until now, had made the error now. That was a first.

    For a moment, the concubine worried, but Linden didn''t seem to be mad. Luckily, he stayed as calm as before while he responded. ¡°I would be thankful for that. But there is no need to address me with a title. In Ocrea, we do not call anyone by a title except for the king himself, so it would be fine to address me as ¡®Prince Linden¡¯. If you do not mind, please call me that.¡±

    Seraphina certainly had not been aware of that. For a split second, she seemed surprised, but she immediately caught herself again. ¡°I was not aware of that as I only relied on quite old books in our library. I sincerely apologize. It will not happen again, Prince Linden.¡±

    Linden replied quickly again, seemingly not wishing for the empress to feel bad. ¡°There is no need to apologize. It is truly not a troublesome issue, and I would never be upset about something as small as this. But I feel like this is a good moment for me to apologize in advance. I do know much about your traditions either, so I might end up doing something that may strike you as odd.¡±

    Theodore, who had not done anything to help the empress despite the strange atmosphere, used that comment for himself. ¡°That should not be an issue. We do not have many customs that would concern you. Most nobles in our nation are very proud and insist on being respected by maintaining useless norms. But naturally, you will not have to pay attention to that. The only thing that may surprise you is how we handle crowns in our nation. It is normal for the emperor and the empress to wear them when they appear at public events. We put it on way more often than you would. I hope that this will not irritate you too much.¡±

    Linden was quiet for a little moment before nodding. ¡°I was not aware of that. Thank you for informing me. I will pay attention to as many customs as I can memorize.¡±

    The emperor showed him a gentle smile at that. ¡°That is very considerate of you. Thank you. I will inform you about anything important that comes to my mind.¡±

    Cedar watched that interaction and waited until they finished. He kept a close eye on all expressions as if he wished to figure out what they were thinking, especially when it came to Theodore. That was enough to make Blanche move closer to her lover as if she wanted to protect him. Cedar seemed to notice and glanced at her for a split second without seeing impressed by her glare. In the end, he followed the correct protocol and looked at the empress.

    Seraphina should have used that chance to force him to wait, but she acted as politely as always. ¡°I am pleased to see that you are in good health as well, Your Royal Highness. I hope that the issues in the morning did not upset you too much.¡±

    Cedar smiled again and greeted the heroine with a perfect bow. ¡°I wish you a wonderful day, Your Majesty. I thank you for your concern, but I can calm you.¡± And there it was for the first time. His smile faltered for a single second, which immediately alarmed Blanche. If Cedar didn''t smile, it was because he was acting, and he certainly managed to put on a forced smile far too well. ¡°There is nothing we can do about some things, so I will not be stressed because of this. I rather looked forward to being here now.¡± His smile became a bit brighter again. ¡°It is a way too beautiful day when I am able to become acquainted with the crown prince of Northern Ocrea and meet all of you. Since I haven''t been here in a while, I missed visiting the palace and...I am glad to be here today again.¡± While he paused, he had glanced at the concubine. And for a second, she could have sworn that she had seen his eyes linger on them in that strange way that made her feel like he was annoyed. That couldn''t mean anything good. Was he angry at Theodore''s involvement in the carriage situation? Possible. Cedar certainly used his chance to upset them. He turned his head to Blanche and gave her a smile that was way too warm for her liking. Why was he such a good actor? ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. It''s been a while. How have you been doing?¡±

    Blanche fought the urge to ignore him and responded without bothering to fake a smile. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness. I cannot complain. The palace was as cozy as ever, and no one came from outside to annoy us either. I hope that it will stay like this for a long time.¡±

    Cedar''s expression twitched at that. For a moment, she almost believed that he was genuinely a bit taken aback by her response, but then she remembered who she was talking to. The prince averted his eyes and showed a smaller smile with a pretense of sadness in his eyes. ¡°Ah. Well, yes. Of course. I pray that you will continue to stay in good spirits. May the next weeks be wonderful for you and Theodore as well. We''ll... It''s good that everything went well within the palace.¡± Why was he saying those words that strangely? And now he looked at the floor like a kicked puppy.

    As if he hadn''t been the one scarring Blanche for life last time after purposefully bringing up her deceased family. If she hadn''t known him, she might have felt some sympathy. Which she definitely didn''t feel now. That would be stupid. After all, Cedar had always been her enemy, and she couldn''t forget that. How come that expression was enough to make her unwell even if she knew that it was fake?

    But Blanche didn''t tell him that. She narrowed her eyes at him and clung to Theodore. She didn''t know how to respond to this. Why did Cedar have to make the situation so uncomfortable when he could easily act happy like always?

    If this was connected to Linden, she didn''t want to know what Cedar had planned.

 Chapter 226: Chandelier

    Prince Linden''s arrival had been quite pleasant, but now Cedar had to ruin it. But at least Blanche wasn''t alone.

    Theodore gently rubbed over his lover''s arms while pulling her against his side. ¡°We would be very content if the days continued like this. It''s been very peaceful. If nothing unfavorable happens during the next weeks, everything would be perfect. Thank you for your consideration, Cedar.¡± His tone was full of mockery, but he couldn''t hide the small hint of annoyance in his voice. He leaned down to kiss the top of his lover''s head.

    Cedar watched that with a strange expression and put on a smile that seemed a bit forced. ¡°Of course. These past weeks really have been quiet. I...almost didn''t trust it completely.¡± He gazed to the side and kept quiet after that.

    Blanche didn''t know what he was planning, and she didn''t like that one bit. Surely, Cedar wouldn''t do anything just because he could make everyone wonder what was going on in his head. He had to have a goal in mind, and it probably wasn''t a pleasant one. The concubine glared at him for a moment before leaning her face into her lover''s chest.

    Everyone was silent for a while until Theodore spoke up while searching for Linden''s gaze. ¡°I almost forgot to mention it. Tomorrow there will be a small meeting with the most powerful nobles in the capital. They asked me whether they could come and spend an hour or two here. I agreed since they seemed to look forward to it. Do you mind speaking to them for a bit, or do you favor avoiding them?¡±

    Linden tore his gaze away from Cedar, who was still staring at the floor, to make eye contact with the emperor. ¡°I do not mind. I would be happy to meet the people that are governing this nation from within. As I previously mentioned, I don''t know a lot about your system and norms though. I read about the basic things, but that will not help much.¡±

    Theodore gave him a little smile. ¡°Do not worry about that. No one here wishes to criticize you. Everyone will just be happy to meet you. If you greet them and have a little chat with them, they will be content. They need someone to assure them that our countries won''t go to war. They have been scared of that possibility from the very beginning. Ah, now that I mention it.¡± He turned to his brother. ¡°You and your mother will surely attend too, right?¡±

    Cedar snapped his gaze up and quickly returned to a little smile. ¡°Oh. Of course. I didn''t expect you to invite us to such an important event. We will come under any circumstances. And we will be on time then. I apologize for arriving too late today once again.¡± It still looked like he was forcing himself to smile, which only proved that he was a good actor. He was so good that it was terrifying. But that was still better than the deranged grin he had shown Blanche while he had threatened her.

    The present people were silent once again until Linden spoke up. ¡°Will everyone here attend as well? I hope that this question doesn''t offend you, but will the empress and your fianc¨¦e come too? I would like to know a bit more about the ranks and political system here before attending. Unfortunately, I am not sure how much they might be involved in politics. In Northern Ocrea, the queen takes care of many tasks, and I heard that the empress in Artias has similar duties. Is that true?¡± Surely, he hadn''t meant any harm with his question, but he unwillingly had revealed something to the last person that should have this knowledge.

    Blanche immediately braced herself for the reaction this would cause. Still, she clung to the hope that Cedar might have coincidentally not listened properly at that moment. Of course, she wasn''t that lucky. She glanced at the prince in front of them, and it quickly became clear that he had paid attention.

    Cedar blinked at them twice before processing what just had been said. He whipped his head around to the crown prince before staring at his brother and the concubine again. ¡°Fianc¨¦e?¡± It almost seemed like the color drained from his face as he looked at them in total disbelief. If the reaction hadn''t come a second too late, she might have thought that it was genuine. Though, Blanche knew that this was an act. At the ball at which they first met, Cedar had asked about them being engaged too and had not cared about it at all. So, it was unlikely that he was bothered by it now. Normally, he also didn''t lose his composure because of new information.

    Still, Blanche almost believed him. Until now, she had just seen him fake a smile. It wasn''t surprising that the rest of his expressions seemed way too genuine as well, but she was still taken aback by that. His level of self-control over his facial features was terrifying.

    Theodore didn''t let his brother''s acting confuse him. He grinned at him and patted his lover''s hand. ¡°Indeed. We got engaged on the day of my birthday in the pavilion in which we met. Isn''t that romantic? I apologize for not telling you. We decided to keep silent about it for the time being. The situation right now is a bit tense, so we thought that this might be better.¡±

    Cedar still stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°That''s... It''s understandable. I''m sorry. I just need a moment to process this. But I didn''t think that you would suddenly do this without... I apologize.¡± He looked like he was trying to read the expressions of the people in front of him before averting his eyes. ¡°Congratulations.¡± It sounded way too dejected to be genuine. But Cedar was always acting when he sounded upset, so he was definitely doing this on purpose now.

    The emperor just saw that as a sign to smirk at him. ¡°Thank you. We''ll tell you about the wedding sooner. If you are still willing to visit us then, at least.¡±

    Cedar raised his head again to show his brother a forced smile. ¡°Of course, I will come. How could I miss your wedding? I''m surprised enough that you managed to get engaged without informing us. Mother and I would have visited to congratulate you earlier if we had known this. Will there be an engagement party sometime?¡±

    ¡°There will be one. We are planning on holding it in a few months. When everything has calmed down, we can have the most lavish celebration anyone could imagine. Just wait for it.¡±

    The prince scanned the couple for a moment while still showing this sad smile. ¡°I see. If you are happy with this, I will gladly support you. You said that you didn''t want anyone to know, correct? I won''t tell anyone, I promise. If that helps you, I will hold myself back.¡± If he said it like that, Blanche believed even less of what he had told them.

    The concubine didn''t even want to look at Cedar to read his expression though. He was acting odd, and it began to confuse her. What exactly was he trying to do? Did want to seem like the dejected younger brother that suffered under the emperor''s strictness or something like that? She hadn''t believed that something could be more frustrating than his smiling, but it seemed like him dropping his facade to put on another act was worse.

    Right now, everyone would believe that no one here had a reason to glare at the poor man standing in front of them. Cedar was even gazing at the floor in a depressed manner, which didn''t make any sense to Blanche.

    Maybe she was a bit upset about this because she knew how to deal with his smile. As long as he angered her with a grin, she had no issues remembering that he was evil. But as soon as she looked at people that seemed like they needed help, she began to pity them. Naturally, she didn''t forget who was standing in front of her, but she couldn''t help but wonder how Cedar had learned to act this well when Theodore couldn''t. To her, it wasn''t normal that someone could control all of their emotions like this. It was as if he was used to always acting exactly like another person wanted him to.

    Blanche didn''t want to remember the details of what she knew about that. She averted her eyes, leaned her head against her lover and relished in her close proximity to him while refusing to speak up still.

    Theodore was the one opening his mouth again while maintaining eye contact with Cedar. ¡°Please do hold back. We wouldn''t be too happy about rumors, especially when we know especially who could have caused them. Do not speak about this.¡± He sounded threatening for sure, but at the same time, he seemed like he doubted that this would work.

    Cedar, on the other hand, managed to look at his brother like he was shocked to even be accused of spreading secret information. ¡°Of course! Why would I speak about it when you asked me not to? What do you think of me? There is no need for you to worry, Theodore. I...am a bit surprised that you didn''t even tell us about something as grand as this, but I guess it couldn''t be helped. Naturally, no one will hear a word.¡±

    Seraphina watched that scene with dismay, but she probably knew that it was over anyway. They couldn''t save this secret anymore, so distracting the others would be best. She waited for a moment, and when no one said anything, she chimed in. ¡°I believe that we saw enough of the garden then. Prince Linden, would you mind accompanying us inside? We will show you to your chambers for now so that your servants can store your baggage. Afterward, we could visit the most important rooms.¡±

    Linden was probably happy to end the cold family feud. He nodded swiftly. ¡°I would be happy to. Please lead the way.¡± With that, the empress walked forward, and the prince trailed behind her.

    Theodore and Blanche followed them at some distance. She couldn''t help but notice how odd this was. The ruler of the nation should walk around with the guest after all and maybe escort his wife. But somehow, none of them seemed to act according to the norms. The thing that confused her the most was that Cedar didn''t hurry to cling to Linden anymore though.

    Instead, the prince seemed like he had given up on talking to their guest for now. He chose to walk beside the couple, which was extremely uncomfortable. Blanche leaned into her lover and occasionally glared at Cedar, only to jolt when he met her gaze. She truly panicked when he opened his mouth to say something to the emperor.

    Thankfully, Theodore spoke up first. ¡°Did you have the doctor take a look at it?¡± He scanned his brother, or rather his hand, with obvious skepticism.

    Cedar returned to his bright smile, seemingly giving up on his act as soon as Linden was gone. He turned away and stared straight ahead as he replied. ¡°Of all things you could address, this is your main concern? What could you be referring to? I don''t think that I would need to visit a doctor.¡± That was what he was playing now?

    They should ignore that. They had no reason to get involved at all.

    But Blanche was skeptical. She knew little about wounds, but she would claim that the cut on Cedar''s hand was an issue. She couldn''t help frowning and speaking quietly. ¡°You were bleeding, and it looked pretty bad. Did you at least wash the wound?¡± She felt like a scolding mother and didn''t doubt that she would be made fun of for it.

    Surprisingly, Cedar didn''t joke in return and didn''t even look at them either. ¡°If I did have such a troublesome injury, I would surely have taken care of it. I don''t remember anything problematic happening though.¡± That lie was so obvious that it hurt.

    Theodore narrowed his eyes at his brother. ¡°Don''t act dumb. I meant your hand. The one my guard slit open when you threatened Blanche.¡±

    Cedar still didn''t look at him, but he lifted the according hand now before began speaking and simply wouldn''t stop talking. ¡°Oh, that little thing? Don''t worry about that. It''s almost healed already. Plus, I would say that I did not threaten Lady Blanche. Your guard overreacted, which should possibly be avoided in the future since sudden duels do not sit well with me. Self-defense on his part certainly wasn''t necessary. I might have been a bit impolite, for which I must apologize once again as that day simply-¡±

    Theodore had gotten more upset with every word and cut his brother off here. ¡°Don''t you dare act like you didn''t threaten Blanche. And what little thing are you talking about? Cedar, I saw you with blood dripping down your whole hand. Don''t lie to me now. The wound was quite deep, and it could have gotten even worse quickly if you had kept up your foolish behavior.¡±

    Cedar merely chuckled at his harsh tone. ¡°Now, now. There is no need to get so upset over something so meaningless. I certainly won''t trouble you by suddenly dying because of blood poisoning, so you won''t have to deal with accusations of any sort. I wouldn''t focus on this if I were you. Controlling your staff might be a more important concern. My door was locked today, so I needed to climb out of the window to leave my room. Then the carriages coincidentally broke at the same time after the coachman was already far too late. I doubt that is the work experience you wish to promote.¡±

    Theodore glared at him again, but it didn''t help. He unwillingly needed to step back. ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want. It''s not our concern if this wound gets infected. Maybe this will make you remember which lines not to cross. I apologize for the inconvenience due to the staff, but it''s odd that you address that so directly. You really are in a horrible mood today. Did she throw a tantrum?¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Cedar''s smile widened. Blanche almost thought that he would ignore that question, but then he finally leaned forward to meet his brother''s gaze. ¡°Ah, it seems like you can at least guess that part. But since she didn''t change much ever since we lived together for years, that isn''t very special. But to answer your question, yes, she did. Thanks to someone, the carriage didn''t work, and she refused to walk here, which is why I''m alone. How could the dowager empress ever take a few steps through the forest after all?¡±

    Blanche had been confused at first, but she quickly understood who they might be referring to. It was strange for Cedar to admit that his mother had flat out refused to put in some effort to meet the future ruler of a new ally. Apparently, the relationship between the prince and the dowager empress wasn''t as good as they liked to portray it. But why had he responded truthfully if that was the case? In fact, it was also odd that he seemed to smile more when he was annoyed, but maybe that was his way of dealing with it. Or was that an act too?

    The concubine would lie if she said that she wasn''t curious. How much would Cedar admit if he was asked? She scanned him from the corner of her eyes before speaking up. ¡°So, she used to throw tantrums in the past too?¡±

    Theodore replied instead of his brother. ¡°Occasionally. Whenever something happens that would require her to act a little differently than normal, she gets upset. If someone tells her to stop complaining or wants to help her, she becomes extremely irritated. I don''t think it happens that often though. She usually controls her emotions well unless I or Althea are involved.¡±

    Cedar chuckled again. He turned to his brother to make eye contact. ¡°I am not sure whether you can judge her as easily as you believe to. She is a rather complicated person. I do not wish to criticize our dear Mother though. She is wonderful.¡± He spoke in a very cheery tone, but somehow, he didn''t sound like he was being happy at all.

    Blanche was even more taken aback now. Why was the prince indirectly agreeing with Theodore? Those two despised each other, so it was odd to hear them talk about a subject on which they had a similar opinion. After all, Cedar had admitted that Camille was complicated, which was a special thing when it came from him.

    Theodore seemed to be a bit confused too, but he hid it quickly. He just shrugged at the last comment. ¡°I won''t agree with you this time. Unfortunately, there are some things that don''t make her a pleasing personality. I am only talking about the times in which she is angry, of course.¡± He said that with a lot of sarcasm.

    They reached the staircase that led to the main entrance and began climbing up when the emperor slowed his steps. He scanned his brother''s back with a little glare and seemingly didn''t know how to deal with Cedar''s strange behavior today. This made him lean over to his lover to whisper. ¡°Don''t worry. He won''t cause any trouble. And even if he talks about our engagement, that won''t be a problem.¡±

    Blanche gave him a fake smile and leaned her head against him again. ¡°I hope so. But let''s not focus on that. Prince Linden is more important. We should keep Cedar away from him.¡±

    Theodore nodded with a grim expression. ¡°I will. But something else will be a problem first. Please stay close to me. Don''t go to the center of the room now.¡±

    Blanche found that sudden comment surprising, but she only affirmed it with a nod. If her lover asked her for something so specific, it would probably be important.

    The couple followed Cedar inside the foyer, where Linden and Seraphina were already waiting.

    Theodore glanced upwards for a moment before taking a step to the side and making a small detour to reach the group. That just made Blanche tense more.

    The empress was in the middle of explaining something to their guest already. ¡°And this entrance hall is mainly used to welcome visitors. Many people also use it to avoid the smaller and narrower hallways too. As you can see, the main stairs are big enough to allow most items to be carried up here. Naturally, that will not matter to you much. But if your servants ever plan on bringing baggage upstairs, they should use these stairs or one of the four other bigger ones in each corner of the building. There are countless smaller ones too, and some are even too narrow to allow a barrel to be moved past them. If you keep that in mind, there will not be any issues with you transporting everything within the palace.¡±

    It wasn''t even certain whether Linden cared about all of this, but he listened patiently until the end and was basically glued to Seraphina''s lips. He seemed to be a very polite person, which could only be good if their nations wanted to negotiate a lot in the future. He only spoke up when the empress was finished. ¡°The way you structure your buildings seems to be different from the way we do it. It''s refreshing to see something new. I am pretty certain that your foyer is as big as our ballroom, and we do not use as much gold. Though, this offers a striking display. Do other royals except for you four live here?¡±

    The empress showed him a polite smile. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. We are very proud to hear that the interior suits your tastes. Currently, only His Majesty and I are part of the royal family and reside here. Lady Blanche will be royalty after the wedding, but you could count her already. His Royal Highness and Her Majesty, the dowager empress live outside the palace. They are at home in a mansion that belongs to the royal estate due to some issues in the past. I am uncertain of the exact number of your family members, but I assume that the royal family in Northern Ocrea is a bit bigger.¡±

    Linden shook his head. ¡°Currently, only my father, my uncle and aunt and my sister live in the palace. Along with me, of course. I would assume that we have fewer servants though.¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Well, we only have that much because our building is so big. It would be much more relaxed if the size was about half of the current one, but this palace was built centuries ago. It would be hard to change everything suddenly. So, we will have to deal with long ways to our destinations and a huge number of staff members. Most of them will roam the hallways at all times. I hope that they will not disturb you much.¡±

    ¡°It is alright. I would never be sensitive to those kinds of things. I am used to many servants running around in the middle of the night, so it should be fine.¡± Linden almost seemed a little annoyed when he thought back, but that edge in his voice quickly disappeared. ¡°I do not wish to rush you, but I would like to avoid forcing our people to carry the baggage the whole time. Would you mind bringing me to the rooms that my attendants and I are allowed to use then?¡±

    Blanche turned around to scan the people that were waiting by the entrance. Aside from a group of guards that most likely protected the crown prince, numerous servants stood there too with bags and chests in their hands. Apparently, they were in a hurry to store all the things and hadn''t even waited for the other servants to signal them that they could bring them upstairs now. A few staff members even stood next to the guests and seemed to ponder how to offer their help.

    Theodore examined the group too before turning to the crown prince with a smile. ¡°Naturally. I will bring you there. I would just like to ask you for a favor first.¡± His smile faded slowly. ¡° All of you, to be more specific.¡± He glanced at Prince Linden, Cedar and Blanche individually for a moment. ¡°There is a little issue that worries me, so I would like to point it out. When we start walking, please do not move closer to the center of the room. I can almost predict that something unfavorable was planned for us by outsiders. So, please follow me instead of steering to the side.¡± He waited for a moment to confirm that everyone had understood him.

    In an instant, the atmosphere just soured. The empress furrowed her brows. Cedar didn''t say anything, but his eyes immediately wandered around the foyer.

    Linden looked around as well before nodding. ¡°Please lead the way.¡±

    The emperor did exactly that. He brought his lover with him and made a big bow around the mosaic on the floor that determined the center of the foyer. Many people seemed to be confused at that, but no one dared to speak up. Only when the group had passed by, Theodore stopped and raised his head.

    It took a mere second before Cedar spoke. ¡°The second floor.¡±

    It was just a small comment, but Theodore had already located the issue too. He narrowed his eyes at a person on the second floor.

    The servant was standing there near a wall that was joined with the ropes keeping the chandelier in place. He was suspiciously close to the rope with some metallic item in his hands. That person immediately backed away as he heard voices around him, only to be grabbed by a group of guards after the emperor waved his hand.

    Theodore glared at the person that was being arrested and sighed. ¡°I apologize for that. It was the same scheme again, just a bit earlier. How surprising.¡±

    The servant fought back as the knights subdued him, and a loud clatter sounded through the otherwise almost silent rooms as a knife fell to the floor. It didn''t take a genius to know that he had intended to cut the rope of the chandelier with that.

    Even the thought made the crashing of glass on stone sound in Blanche''s ears

    For a moment, Blanche was frozen in place as her mind wandered to an entirely different scene. That chandelier was heavy. It could easily have crushed someone without anyone being able to intervene in time. Her lover had prevented that incident though. He was incredible. He had been able to predict what others were planning way before it had happened.

    Though, a part of Blanche almost felt like that chandelier had fallen right in front of her. The clashing sound still didn''t seem to quieten down, and now she could basically see imaginary glass splinters spread everywhere as a red liquid colored the floor below. That was probably an illusion of her shocked brain, but it seemed real like a memory for a moment. A memory that was too clear to be based on the pages of a novel. Blanche felt herself shaking a bit as she opened her mouth, not even daring to avert her eyes. ¡°How did you do that? How...¡±

    From the corner of her eyes, she could see that Theodore looked down at her. He seemed to be serious judging by his voice. ¡°I merely used my experience. Those people always use the same patterns over and over again. I am starting to be a bit frustrated. After all, finding out what they are planning doesn''t tell me who they are or why they think that any of this is a good idea. But it''s really important that we prevented it this...¡± He cut himself off as someone else approached.

    The concubine didn''t even look up, but she heard Cedar''s voice a moment later. ¡°That man is arrested now. Are we certain that no helpers are within the palace?¡± He paused. Seemingly, Theodore gave him a small response with a nod since Cedar didn''t ask again.

    Silence followed for a moment. Blanche forced herself to look up as she did her best to hide that icy fear still ran through her veins.

    Theodore hugged her and tried to keep her calm, but he was naturally still upset about the incident. As he spoke again, his voice was cold. ¡°We''ll arrest that man and interrogate him properly. We will find out what he knows.¡± He seemed far calmer than anyone that had just stopped an assassination attempt should be.

    Cedar was the same. For the first time in a while, his smile had dimmed so much that it almost faded, and this seemed like an honest expression for real. But instead of getting angry, he just analyzed the facts calmly while being quiet so that only Theodore and Blanche would hear him. ¡°I believe I do not need to point out what this means. Whoever got involved will be a problem. What were they trying to accomplish? No matter who that chandelier might have hit, it would have been a disaster. There is no one here that benefits from that. They risked a war with that.¡±

    For once, Blanche believed that he was serious about what he was saying. Cedar wasn''t lying now. He probably had no idea who the perpetrator was either. It wouldn''t have made any sense for him to be acquainted with that person. As he had said, any outcome here would have troubled his faction too. If the chandelier had fallen onto them, one person or multiple people could have gotten hurt. In any case, it would have been bad.

    Naturally, the emperor risking a serious injury was problematic when a great number of people just waited for his fall. The second prince would easily be able to use this chance to grasp the throne. However, he would also be suspected of being involved in this matter since he was present. Some might even blame Ocrea since an accident had happened as soon as their people arrived, and Cedar didn''t need a war.

    The same would have happened if Seraphina or Blanche had been hurt. Both of them were linked to the royal family, and them getting injured like this would fuel the tension between Theodore''s and Cedar''s supporters. The emperor certainly wouldn''t be happy if his lover came to harm, and whether his revenge would cause issues was pretty clear.

    Naturally, Cedar''s injury would have caused a similar situation with reversed sides. The dowager would definitely have blamed her eldest son and tried to use this to lead a revolt against Theodore. Upon losing her only chance for the throne, she might be fine seeing the world burn, which was a risk they couldn''t take.

    The political situation within Artias would become strained to the point of a cold war if anyone had been hit by that chandelier. But that wouldn''t have been the biggest risk. The dowager empress could certainly have accepted these threats, but something else should keep both factions from even considering this method.

    The worst case of all would have been Linden getting injured or worse. If a guest from another nation came, their security had to be ensured under any circumstances. Especially if that person was from Northern Ocrea, with whom Artias was on the verge of war. The fact that Linden had almost been put in danger was bad enough. No one wanted to imagine what the outcome of that chandelier falling onto him would have been. Naturally, the crown prince being injured or even killed by that would have erased any chances of the two nations getting along. They might even have accused each other of staging this and entered military combat.

    They would have. Blanche was sure.

    Camille and Cedar weren''t stupid. They were very much aware of this. They would never risk ruining the country they wanted to rule, at least Cedar wouldn''t. His goal was to increase Artias'' wealth and form bonds with possible allies. This wasn''t his plot. Obviously, Theodore hadn''t planned this either. That only left one conclusion.

    Blanche tightened her hold on her lover''s arm and gazed at Seraphina. The empress was already meeting her gaze and nodded slightly. They both knew what this meant.

    The mysterious third party that hoped for a war between Northern Ocrea and Artias had made their move.

    Theodore was still quite upset, but he focused on Blanche more than ever. He kissed her forehead as he pulled her to the side so that she wouldn''t need to see how the servant upstairs was being arrested. The sounds were enough to reveal that person was struggling as much as Evelyn had. Her lover stood between her and the staircase though, so she couldn''t confirm whether the servant was as desperate too. The emperor rested his hand on her cheek and guided her to look into his eyes. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Not truly. Blanche was still frozen in fear.

    Still, Blanche hurried to nod and pushed the way too realistic image of shattered glass in her mind away. The sound of a loud crash and the following screams echoed in her ears as if she had truly witnessed that chandelier falling down. Even if it was still hanging on the ceiling. She shook her head to herself before replying to her lover. ¡°Nothing happened, it''s fine. I was just surprised. Thank the gods that you found out in time.¡± She tugged at his sleeve for a bit as the urge to get him away from that dangerous objects grew.

    By the gods. What would she have done if that had threatened to hurt Theodore? She would have done all she could to get him away in time. Even now, she trembled with the urge to push him far away.

    Theodore smiled at her, but his eyes were full of sadness when he responded. ¡°Last time, I didn''t make it in time, and that was catastrophic. But back then, everything was completely different. I''m glad that we managed to erase the possibility of that happening again now.¡± He pressed another kiss onto her lips and looked at her for a moment.

    And for a second, Blanche opened her mouth and wanted to ask why he had used those words that chilled her to her bone.

    But Theodore already lifted his head to gaze at the others. ¡°I assume that no one has been injured? I deeply apologize for this issue. In the future, I will do my best to prevent any other incidents. I will act as fast as possible to limit the number of inconveniences, but we may need to be more cautious from now on.¡±

    Linden scanned the chandelier with a deep frown on his face before looking in the direction of the servant that was currently being arrested. ¡°As far as I am concerned, nothing was able to cause any damages to anyone here. This is the third party you were mentioning?¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°I fear that they may try everything to cause a war between our nations. Injuring you while you are here is the easiest way to do that, so we will need to be extremely careful from now on. I am unsure how they will gain power by doing this, but I can assure you that the two factions backing the members of the royal family would never risk military conflicts. There may be greedy and vile people among them, but they wouldn''t wish to lose their prosperity because of a war.¡±

    Right. That was a fact. But wasn''t it also a fact that there was another enemy they needed to get rid of quickly now? Blanche didn''t know anything about that though. She wished that she had somehow gotten the information from the second novel too. Maybe that would help.

    But at the same time, a part of her doubted whether the replies to any of this rested between the pages of a book at all.

 Chapter 227: Do You Hate Her?

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    ¡°

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°

    ¡°

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    hate her? Or are you just exaggerating?¡±

 Chapter 228: Queen and Empress

¡°

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

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    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 229: I Will Ruin You

    No.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°

    misunderstanding was caused by you insulting my lover repeatedly and threatening her. I don''t see how I could misunderstand that. When I addressed your insolence, you refused to listen to my orders and had to be removed from the palace by my personal guard. There is no way to excuse that. It seems like I wasn''t clear before, but I can be as direct as you need me to be. You will either beg for her forgiveness or leave immediately before I send the knights to drag you out.¡±

    Your Majesty! I sincerely apologize for speaking out of turn, but I fear that my father is not in the right state of mind right now. I shall bring him back to the carriage, and we''ll come back after he has calmed down.¡±

    Now.¡±

 Chapter 230: Wishes For the Future, Apologies and Promises

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    unfortunately, the most interesting thing about the afternoon.

 Chapter 231: Concerning the Rumors

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    really ask you to bring this to me as a gift, I hope. Please tell me that this is for someone else.¡± Right now, she was truly praying that this was a misunderstanding, but her mind told her that it wasn''t one.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    again?¡± Even his voice was layered with rage, which made her believe that this had happened more often than she could have guessed to be the case.

    ¡°

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    ¡°

    ¡°

 Chapter 232: Thief

    ¡°

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Yes. That was quite obvious.

    I gifted to her, that day. Apart from that time, she never returned to her chambers because she sleeps in my room and stores most of her things there too.¡± Technically, they had also been in her room as Blanche had told him about her past, but he didn''t seem to mention this. It didn''t matter for his line of arguments anyway. ¡°Why would she steal things and risk being found out just to hide them at a place she won''t visit? It doesn''t make much sense to me. Let me guess. The items also weren''t hidden properly but placed on the bed or the nightstand so that you would find them quickly.¡±

 Chapter 233: The Third Party

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    Get out.¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    <hr>

    ¡°

 Chapter 234: A Bet

    ¡°They want to become emperor?¡± Was that really the third party''s real goal? Blanche almost couldn''t believe it.

    Theodore nodded. ¡°It seems like that may be the case. It would explain why they want to use me and Cedar against each other. After all, we are the two people that could legally inherit the throne. If everything went wrong, the dowager empress could argue about having a right to rule too, but I doubt that she is involved. She would rather make her son emperor and use him as a puppet since that is a much safer way. So, our unknown enemy will try to get rid of all members of the royal family. They don''t want to dirty their hands though, so they wish to make us destroy ourselves.¡±

    That wasn''t a bad idea in itself. After all, both heirs could easily kill each other or leave one behind with barely any strength. It would be simple to end it by interfering as soon as the two were done struggling.

    But still, there was something that bothered Blanche. ¡°But if they wish to rule Artias, shouldn''t they want to protect us from war? They could destroy our prosperity with that, and gaining power while needing to restore the nation is hard, isn''t it?¡±

    Her lover stared into the distance while gently stroking over her cheek. He took a moment before responding with a deep frown. ¡°A war with Northern Ocrea could be used to convince the citizens that the Estien family is incapable. They could blame us for killing Prince Linden, who came to visit and have a peaceful discussion, and thus make it seem like we purposefully entered military combat. Maybe this third party hopes to gain the right to rule like this, but I don''t understand why. After all, there is no other person that is related to the royal family. Cedar and I are the only blood-related relatives of my father. We don''t have an uncle or a half-brother. We don''t even have a female relative that carries the Estien bloodline.¡±

    Seraphina, who probably noticed that Theodore didn''t even mention her potential right to rule, narrowed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand as she began thinking loudly. ¡°Even if the citizens reject the royal family, they cannot simply ask for an emperor from any household. I do not understand why anyone would believe that that would be possible. If there is no heir, there will be chaos in the country, and many households will try to become the next royal family. Our enemy would have to be extremely powerful if they are confident that they will win that struggle. Why would this unknown person suddenly be seen as a possible ruler? They would need the support of many people if they cannot prove that they are related to the previous emperor.¡±

    Blanche was quiet for a moment as she scanned the expressions of the royal spouses. She almost didn''t dare to speak up, but Seraphina''s words had indicated one thing, and she felt like she had to point that out. ¡°But doesn''t that mean that this family has to be so influential that we know them? They would have to be part of a household from the capital and be a duke or a marquess, correct? We only have three dukes and maybe a dozen marquesses that visit the palace regularly. If one of them is responsible, the number of suspicious individuals has significantly lowered.¡±

    Seraphina nodded as she got lost in her thoughts. ¡°That is correct. Especially since we can safely exclude His Grace, the Duke of Duremont. Marquess Bellfaux would also never try anything like this and none of my father''s friends in general.¡±

    Theodore looked like he almost wanted to make a snarky comment, but he didn''t do it. Instead, he continued to deal with the matter seriously. ¡°I doubt that it''s Duke Lamont too. That man is way too meek and hates conflict. I don''t think he would be interested in the crown. Obviously, Leon can be excluded as well. At least half of the other marquesses too due to their lack of ambition and their laziness or because they don''t have enough money to bribe so many people.¡±

    Blanche felt like that was almost too good to be true. ¡°We can''t be certain about this, but the number of people that can be suspected is down to maybe ten people at most now. It should be possible to investigate what they are doing and whether they have contact with servants that go out to meet others regularly. Shouldn''t we catch them quickly like this?¡±

    Seraphina abruptly halted her movements, which caused Linden to stop as well. She wrinkled her forehead while thinking about something before quietly speaking up. ¡°There may be a faster way to determine who they are. There is only one person that I can think of that tried to cause issues for the royal family on multiple occasions. If they are extremely brazen, they may even believe that their plot could work out without them needing to go through any trouble. I will look into some books again. I may have already found something that could help us though. Please excuse me.¡± She spun around and prepared to leave, only to stop herself after a few steps. The empress turned around to face the emperor again. ¡°We should still investigate every family that has the political stance that would allow them to become arrogant enough to believe that they could take over the nation. All of them. While I am sure that none of my father''s acquaintances would ever consider something as vile as this, I would like you to convince yourself of their loyalty. In the meantime, I will try to find out whether the person I am thinking about is the threat here. Please grant me permission to leave, Your Majesty.¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°I will investigate the ones I suspect. You are free to go.¡±

    Seraphina thanked him quickly and prepared to leave.

    Linden was the one that stopped her this time. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± He turned to the emperor. ¡°I would like to ask for permission to leave as well.¡±

    Theodore gave him a little smile. ¡°Of course. I hope that you two have a lovely afternoon. Goodbye.¡±

    The crown prince didn''t see the need to change his stoic expression to bid farewell. He and the empress steered to the building and disappeared inside the palace.

    This left the couple alone. Blanche stood still for a moment before she let her shoulders slouch and spoke quietly. ¡°It seems that matters will only become more complicated from now on. Why do so many people have to be so power-hungry?¡± This was a new threat the novel hadn''t even dealt with. How could she help like this when she could only guess?

    Theodore seemed to be just as unwell with this. ¡°It''s unfortunate, but we will have to accept this. The investigations might bring forward some evidence. Let us hope for that. But until then...¡± He glanced at his lover and put on a little smile. ¡°We should focus on a more pleasant topic to avoid becoming depressed. Even if this is a huge mess, we are making progress on another front. Let us bet on something.¡±

    Blanche looked up at him. She had the feeling that she wouldn''t be too happy about what would follow now either. ¡°Go on. What will it be about?¡±

    Theodore gestured to the figures of the empress and the prince that walked away in the distance as he leaned forward to bring his mouth to her ear and whispered. ¡°Those two like each other. A lot. That is why I wouldn''t be surprised if, after the next few weeks, that woman finally releases us. She will ask for-¡±

    The concubine knew what he would say, and she didn''t want to hear it. She shook her head immediately. ¡°Even if the empress, who happens to be the paragon of proper etiquette and cares a lot about the royal family''s reputation, did like Prince Linden a bit more than she should... Even then, she would never actually do something that would make their relationship physical. So, she could never be blamed for anything. And she surely wouldn''t throw away her honor, her family name and risk weakening her position by letting others notice. She is much too clever to allow anyone to find out. The fact that there are rumors should prove that she isn''t interested in him. And like I said, even if she was, she wouldn''t ever reveal it. She would swallow it until he is gone and forget it.¡±

    Blanche wasn''t completely sure whether that was true. What she had explained held true for the heroine of the original novel, who had never reacted to Luciano''s advances with kindness and had only seen him as a tool. Seraphina had always been worried about rumors and repeatedly monologued about her never putting her own feelings above her role as the emperor''s wife. She had often said that she would do anything in her power to be empress, no matter how harsh she had to be. So naturally, she would also never throw away her position. Aside from the fact that she had disliked Luciano, she had never considered doing anything that could cause people to gossip about the emperor even if Theodore brought his lover to public events. She had merely tried to unsuccessfully use that man to make her husband jealous at a later point, but she had ensured that news like this would never spread either.

    But that had been in the book. It wasn''t certain whether Seraphina would still act like this.

    Theodore didn''t seem to believe it. He raised his eyebrows at his concubine while putting his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. ¡°Sometimes, you are rather oblivious. I already told you that they are a perfect match. It would be disappointing if this doesn''t work out. I''m pretty sure that it did though. Did you listen to their conversations? Both are extremely eager to speak to each other as much as possible. They don''t bother watching us cuddle or getting angry about it but just focus on having conversations for hours at a time. He almost called her by her first name earlier. You know how sensitive the empress is when it comes to being addressed properly. They are rather close, or she wouldn''t have allowed him to speak to her like that for long enough for him to get used to it.¡±

    Blanche knew that he was right to some extent. Still, she wasn''t convinced. The heroine of ¡°To Be Empress¡± would never have an affair, simply because she valued her rank too much. Could the change in the story have influenced a character''s personality this much? The concubine leaned against her lover as she tried to push away the thoughts of the novel, which could only sour her mood if she accidentally remembered the ending. ¡°I didn''t deny that they are close. But they could just be friends. I mean, I don''t care much either way, but I doubt that she would ever do something that could stain her reputation.¡±

    Theodore was silent for a moment as he stared into her eyes. He got strangely serious and tightened his hold on her as he resumed. ¡°That is all she ever cared about. And that is why she thought that it was fine to keep us apart. She would ruin a perfectly happy relationship just to keep her reputation intact. I don''t have to explain how disgusting that is, do I? I''m getting tired. This situation is the perfect chance for her to finally do all of us a favor. She doesn''t have to take the first step either. I am sure that she will since I made the situation clear a couple of times. But if she doesn''t do that, I could just take the matter into my own hands. I won''t be able to hold back enough to make it pretty though. It would be best for her to finally understand that I didn''t exaggerate when I said that I hated her.¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Blanche was still taken aback by how resentful he seemed to be when it came to the empress. But she didn''t say anything about that and just hugged him.

    She didn''t need to think about this more. She shouldn''t. Her head already spun when she just began to wonder, so she wouldn''t. Being clueless here was perfectly fine. She wanted to be clueless.

    Theodore almost fell into her embrace and buried his face in her neck while caging her with his arms. He lowered his voice and whispered to her. ¡°I promised that you will just have to be patient for a while longer, didn''t I? I''m preparing everything, don''t worry. We only need some time and no one will question it anymore. The one that deserves to be by my side is you.¡±

    More words she didn''t want to think about.

    The concubine gently ran her fingers through his hair as she replied in a soft voice. ¡°Don''t overdo it. You announced that you love me in front of countless people many times. In the future, we will marry and have children. You don''t have to prove anything to me.¡±

    ¡°I do. We both know that. And I will gladly prove it over and over again. Because the fact that I am standing here with you in my arms is a miracle. I will never stop being grateful for it. I won''t just thank some god for this. Instead, I am thanking you for being here with me the whole time. I will show you my love in as many ways as I can come up with. I''ll make sure that our future will be wonderful.¡± He slowly lifted his head and showed her a smile with his eyes being full of affection. He let his hands wander up to her face and cupped her cheeks. Then he gazed at her for a long time.

    Blanche got drawn into his beautiful blue eyes and could just stare back. Like this, they were silent for a while. She eventually managed to force her mouth to work and hurried to blurt out what she needed to say. ¡°I love you. And I know that you''re doing your best to create the most wonderful future. That is why you don''t have to show me over and over. I will be happy to prove that I am on your side too, so give me a chance. Do you know why you don''t have to convince me? Because I trust you fully.¡±

    Theodore''s smile widened as he slowly rubbed over her skin. ¡°You trust me? Then make a bet with me. If you are confident that you will win about our guest and the empress not being together, I will owe you a favor. If I win, you have to comply with one request of mine without talking back.¡± The way that he said this made her want to give in immediately. He sounded too certain.

    Her lover wasn''t a person that would bet without being convinced that he would win. If Blanche ever had managed to gain the upper hand, it was because he had wanted to lose. Now he definitely seemed to be convinced that he was right, and that lowered her certainty.

    But admitting that would only show how weak Blanche''s arguments against the empress having an affair were. So, she didn''t give in. ¡°I accept your bet. But we won''t rely on rumors and only facts.¡±

    Theodore let go of her face to grab her hands. ¡°Naturally. Then I can start thinking about what I will ask of you soon. I need to make sure that it will be something that you wouldn''t normally do.¡± He hummed to himself before showing her a playful smirk. ¡°I feel like there are way too many possibilities.¡±

    Blanche pouted at him and raised her chin. ¡°Don''t be too certain. If you climb up too high, you will fall down deeper as well. I need to prepare a nice task for you too.¡±

    Her lover let out a chuckle as he led her forward to continue their walk. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I will win anyway. I would do anything you tell me to do, so you don''t even have to win. Remember? I wasn''t joking when I said that I would offer the world to you.¡± That wasn''t something the emperor should say to someone, not even if he was joking. But in the end, they both knew that he was completely serious about what he had said to her.

    He always was.

    <hr>

    Since Theodore had basically been glued to Blanche''s side for the past weeks, it was almost a shock when he wasn''t there. The ministers had visited to have a meeting with the emperor and Prince Linden today, and it would go on for much longer than the two hours that her lover normally spend in his office.

    This meeting had begun earlier than when the couple normally stood up, but Blanche had insisted on eating breakfast with him before he started working. Thus, she had forced herself to wake up early, which wasn''t too bad with him being there to shower her with kisses. Her lover had made sure to make up for the lost time by hugging her for at least five minutes before leaving. He had even given her another love mark as a reminder that he would return as soon as he could. Naturally, he only exited the room after she declined his offer to join the meeting multiple times.

    To Blanche, being up this early was strange. The sun was barely rising, and she already had a chance to decide what she would do now. Her first thought had been asking Leon for a lesson, but since he was at the meeting too, that wouldn''t be possible. She was a bit too tired to bake, so that wasn''t an option either.

    For a while, she just sat on her window sill and stared outside while keeping herself from nodding off. When her forehead almost hit the glass again, she sighed and leaned her back against the wall. ¡°I think it''s been months since I stood up this early. I can barely keep my eyes open. I''m tired.¡±

    Stella set down the item she was sewing and carefully hid it inside her basket before rising to her feet. She walked over to her mistress and crossed her arms. ¡°Then how about you lie down again? There is no need for you to stay awake when we don''t have anything to do. It would be better to rest fully and then do something instead of sitting around like this the whole day.¡±

    Blanche nodded weakly. ¡°You''re right. I-¡± She leaned forward to set her feet on the floor before freezing in place when a movement in the corner of her eyes made her stop. She turned her head to look outside and held still to watch the scene below.

    Seraphina was walking through the garden with only Noah by her side. That was an unusual sight when Linden had been glued to her ever since those two had met. But now the empress was here without the crown prince and her beloved maids and was merely accompanied by the one person she couldn''t avoid. She was hugging herself and wrapped the short shawl around her shoulders to keep the cool breeze of the morning air away as she moved toward the labyrinth without hesitation and rushed inside.

    Blanche shouldn''t get involved in this. She knew that it was none of her business. The empress'' private life was not something she should care about. Not just because of the other''s status but also because their relationship was still strange. But before she could restrain herself, she already jumped up. ¡°I want to go out, Stella.¡±

    She cursed her curiosity. But Blanche couldn''t help it.

    Stella''s eyes narrowed in confusion. ¡°My Lady, weren''t you tired? Why do you suddenly want to go out? I mean, a morning walk can wake you up, but... You never liked going out early.¡±

    The concubine still didn''t like it very much, but she couldn''t keep herself from following Seraphina anyway. ¡°It will be fine if we put on a coat. Let''s go.¡± She moved over to the dressing room and hurried to find a thick coat that would keep her warm. As soon as she was done, she rushed out of the room in such a rush that it even surprised Owen. ¡°Ah, I apologize. Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Lady Blanche. You never leave your chambers this early. Is there something the matter?¡± Owen was as professional as always.

    Blanche considered pointing out that this was still Theodore''s room and not hers, but she ignored that. ¡°I saw the empress outside, and she looked a bit odd today. I just want to make sure that she is fine.¡± Maybe she wanted to figure out whether there was an issue with Linden too. After all, she knew that it was serious only after seeing that short scene.

    When Seraphina asked her maids, with whom she had a rather close relationship, to leave her alone, it was connected to some unpleasant topic. The labyrinth was the heroine''s place to think, and if she ran there in the morning without anyone but Noah, she had to be troubled by something.

    Blanche would just go there for a moment to see whether there was a big issue, and if there wasn''t one, she would leave immediately. She might feel the need to check on the other woman because she felt a bit bad about the way Theodore treated his wife right now or because of her desire to find out more about the rumors regarding Linden, but that didn''t matter. Neither Stella nor Owen asked why she wanted to see the empress, so she didn''t have to explain.

    The concubine hurried out of her room and only slowed her steps when she reached a door that led outside. It was rather cool. It wasn''t actually especially cold, it was just windy, and in the morning, the concubine was way more sensitive than normal. She held herself back from whining when she stepped out and wrapped the coat around herself before rushing to the labyrinth. When she finally reached her destination, the wind didn''t hit her face anymore, which immediately made it more pleasant.

    Blanche put her left hand on the hedge on her left side and imitated the heroine''s trick to find the center quickly. She followed the course of the maze, and it didn''t take long until the gorgeous rose arch appeared in front of her. She slowed her steps and hid behind the hedges to look at the plaza in the center without being seen.

    Seraphina was sitting by the fountain and stared into the distance while fiddling with her hands.

    It seemed like Noah had been banned to the very end of the square and stood next to the entrance, from which he could oversee the area without interrupting the empress'' thought process. Naturally, he noticed the concubine after a few seconds. He gave her a little smile that wasn''t as bright as his normal one. He was worried too, and that said everything.

    Blanche only needed one glance at him to see that the issue might be bigger. She lowered her voice into a whisper. ¡°Did...something happen?¡±

    Noah seemed quite helpless as he shook his head and whispered back. ¡°Her Majesty just stood up and immediately decided to go here. I...think she didn''t have a good night''s sleep today. Yesterday, everything was fine. Prince Linden even stayed with her for the whole evening, and she...¡± As he said that, he averted his eyes while seeming a bit too unwell. ¡°Her Majesty didn''t seem to be upset then. But suddenly...¡±

    Something unpleasant was going on.

    Blanche turned back to watch the empress. She bargained with herself for a while. She shouldn''t intrude now and bother the other woman, who had clearly come here to be alone. She didn''t have any right to get involved and could imagine how strange it would be for her if Seraphina suddenly came to ask about her well-being. But at the same time, she was aware that leaving now would make her regret it.

    After all, the empress looked helpless right now. The heroine never looked like that. Seraphina always had an idea and never despaired or resigned. As selfish as it was, Blanche wanted to find out what had wrecked this strong woman so much.

    So, the concubine could neither leave nor step closer. Thankfully, that decision was taken away from her.

    The empress returned to the present and blinked a few times before seeing her surroundings again. She made eye contact with the other woman and stared at the concubine for a moment.

    Blanche felt her cheeks warming up she hurried to step out from behind the rose arch. Hopefully, Seraphina wouldn''t get angry at her for watching her like this. It would definitely seem very strange to others if she was just standing there and secretly followed another person. But running now also wasn''t an option anymore. She walked forward and stopped a few steps away from the fountain. She was extremely uncertain about what to do, so she just made a curtsy first.

    Seraphina looked at the concubine for a few seconds, during which a slight frown appeared on her face before she straightened her expression. ¡°Good morning, Lady Blanche. You are up early. I assume that you woke up with His Majesty then.¡±

    The concubine couldn''t even deny it. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. I did. I...uhm...¡± She didn''t know what else to say. She couldn''t admit to having followed the empress here without embarrassing herself even more. But she knew how bad she was at lying, so that wasn''t a good idea either. So, she just decided to ignore her reason for coming here completely. ¡°If you permit me to ask this, how are you doing, Your Majesty?¡± She expected a cool response about her not having the qualification to care about this, but she was surprised.

    A small smile graced Seraphina''s lips as she lifted her head slightly. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± It was. Aside from her being here alone, something else would make anyone guess that she was bothered by something. There were rings under her eyes. They were barely visible, but in comparison to the empress'' clear skin that was always perfect, they were to be spotted easily.

    It truly seemed like the strong empress was currently at her limit.

    Blanche didn''t know how to feel about that.

 Chapter 235: Grave Situations and Selfish Desires

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 Chapter 236: How True Rumors Are

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 Chapter 237: Invitation

    The concubine couldn''t keep a smile from spreading on her lips as she pondered about what this meant for everyone around her. Seraphina obviously wasn''t interested in Theodore but rather liked Linden. Wasn''t there amazing? The empress could be happy to some extent too even if her husband hated her for some reason.

    Even if the crown prince would leave to return to Northern Ocrea in a while.

    Slowly, the corners of Blanche''s lips sank again. Linden would leave soon, wouldn''t he? This meant that Seraphina was falling in love while knowing that the one she held dear would be gone in a week. That had to hurt. And this relationship wasn''t just disadvantageous in that regard.

    If the fact that the empress had an affair got revealed to the public in some way, it would be horrible. Seraphina would become the goal of taunt and mockery so that her reputation would be stained, and the respect people had for her would deteriorate. Surely, there might be some issues for Theodore too, but it was doubtful whether he would care about others talking about him much. The emperor might be criticized for having an affair, but it would be way worse if the empress was the one to have one due to the stupid difference in treatment between the two. In the end, the one that would suffer because of gossip about her infidelity would be Seraphina.

    So, one thing was extremely clear. ¡°Stella. We can''t mention this to anyone.¡±

    Her maid slowly nodded. ¡°I won''t tell anyone. After all, this matter is a bit problematic, isn''t it? His Majesty will be mad.¡±

    Blanche turned her head to scan the other''s expression. ¡°Why would he be? He doesn''t necessarily care much about her. I don''t think that he would be affected by it. He also said that when we talked about the rumors. He even made a bet about them being a couple with me.¡± She froze when she said that and understood what this meant for her. ¡°Oh. It seems like I lost. Now he will make me do something for him.¡± Hopefully, it wouldn''t be too stressful.

    Stella seemed to be genuinely surprised at that. ¡°He didn''t care? But won''t His Majesty''s reputation suffer if his wife isn''t faithful to him? From what I heard, women having an affair are treated much differently than when men have one.¡± That was another sign of their nation not being too developed regarding equality.

    Blanche quickly replied. ¡°I''m aware of that too. But I would worry about others more. After all, Theodore won''t personally feel attacked like most husbands would. I think he even...¡± At some point, it had seemed like he had even been hoping that those two would have an affair. He had been insistent on them being similar from the very beginning and had encouraged them to spend time together by not joining Linden too often. He had even cuddled with his own lover in front of them numerous times. Blanche truly had no idea what was going on in his head. She let out a low sigh before her eyes snapped to something in the bushes. She had found the gap. The concubine stopped abruptly as her eyes lit up. ¡°There it is!¡± She pointed at the hole. ¡°I did find it after all!¡± Blanche couldn''t keep herself from being relieved at that. She didn''t want to accidentally pass by the center and make the empress notice her after all. She walked toward the gap and squeezed through the hedges to get outside. ¡°See? I knew I''d-¡± She cut herself off as she saw a shade of light blue hair from the corner of her eyes.

    There was no way.

    She stiffened and turned her head to the side.

    Cedar stood directly next to the hole with crossed arms and tapped on his elbow as if he was waiting. He gave her an amused smirk that might actually be honest for once. ¡°Ah. Lady Blanche, what a surprise. It''s been a while since we met each other. How are you?¡±

    The concubine almost wanted to run back into the labyrinth again, but she didn''t have that choice when Stella was directly behind her. So, she would have to resign to her fate. She was pretty sure that she looked rather dejected right now, but she couldn''t bother neutralizing her expression. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness. What a coincidence. I can''t complain about anything bad happening recently. What leads you into the royal palace and behind the labyrinth nonetheless?¡±

    Cedar unfolded his arms and gave her a soft smile. ¡°I grew up in the palace. Don''t you think that I know every corner of the estate and all the best hiding spots? I would definitely win a game of hide-and-seek with anyone here.¡± So, he had seen her run away and guessed that she would try to use the side entrance. One had to admit that he was good at plotting. He scanned her expression for a moment before adding something with a more playful edge in his voice. ¡°But it seems like you like playing hide-and-seek too, right? I didn''t meet you during the past times that I came even though I am sure that I searched for you. But, well. Did my gifts arrive at least?¡±

    Blanche felt annoyance bubbling in her stomach. This man just knew how to frustrate her with a few words and gestures. Giving her presents was definitely an easy way to upset her along with the fact that he was seemingly involved in trying to frame her for stealing Seraphina''s jewelry. But of course, she couldn''t say that without revealing that they knew about Harris being blackmailed by him. So, she had to focus on the rest, which was more than enough to infuriate her. Maybe she could pay him back for that without making him snap this time. ¡°Indeed. I am extremely confused by the fact that Your Royal Highness would feel the need to give me gifts. After all, we barely have any connection after only having met a few times. Aside from that, I already own way too much jewelry, so I don''t need any more. Thus, I would have felt odd about keeping the gifts, which is why I decided to donate them. I asked Lord Astame to sell them and give the received amount to charity. I hope you do not mind that.¡±

    She had expected Cedar to be at least a little annoyed at losing money, but she should have expected that a member of the royalty didn''t care much about such expenses. The prince was completely calm and showed her a smile that might have impressed other women a lot. ¡°How generous of you. I always knew that you had a kind heart, but to go this far to support others is touching. You truly earned my respect with actions like this. Aside from you saving the daughter of the Ravillot household, it seemed like you do even more to help others. I heard about you pardoning multiple servants, even though they gravely offended you as well. I sincerely hope that being this nice will not be your downfall in the future.¡±

    Blanche gave him a little smile, but it was more to keep herself from glaring at him. ¡°I can assure you that I will not be kind to anyone that doesn''t deserve it. So, you don''t need to worry. Theo and I will manage to defeat whatever dangers could confront us together.¡±

    Cedar barely seemed to listen to her words either way and just focused on what he wanted. ¡°I see. It surely is romantic. From how you met to how you are interacting with one another. I will pray for you. Now that we are talking about my brother once again, do you perhaps know where he is? I have something for the two of you.¡±

    Blanche''s face fell before she could prevent it. She didn''t doubt that this would be another thing she wouldn''t like. For a moment, she thought about insisting that the emperor was busy to keep Cedar from annoying him. But she would rather have Theodore with her while facing the prince''s schemes. So, she gave in. ¡°Theo is in his office, but he would be able to make time for you if it doesn''t take long.¡±

    ¡°I can assure you that it will not take longer than five minutes at most. Would you please be so kind and lead the way?¡± Cedar still smiled at her as if they were friends, but by now, she was too nervous to get angry. He was planning something, and she didn''t want to get involved. But she didn''t have a choice.

    Blanche held back a groan before ensuring that her companions were following them before moving forward. She didn''t take long to notice that Cedar kept more distance from her than usual by walking behind instead of next to her. But that wasn''t much better. She could almost feel his eyes on her back, and that was awful. She hurried to find the shortest way to the palace and unwillingly became quicker with each step so that she had to force herself to slow down.

    But the longer they walked, the more she realized that something else appeared to be wrong. The servants stared at the prince and the concubine, which she was used to, but it seemed like they were concerned with them far too much even though they did nothing special. It only dawned upon her when they arrived at the office. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Cedar for a bit. ¡°You let me walk in front of you on purpose, didn''t you? What did you do?¡±

    The prince only showed her a blinding smile. ¡°What could I have done, Lady Blanche? People always tend to watch members of the royal family whenever they go. I am sure you must have noticed already.¡± He didn''t seem nervous about being watched at all either. Cedar was probably not lying about being used to it.

    But Blanche still wasn''t certain whether this was a trick. When it came to members of the royal family, one should walk behind them or join them if given permission and not walk in front of them. But it seemed like no one truly paid attention to that in the palace. Maybe the previous emperors had cared, but Theodore never did, so none of the servants would be offended by this. That meant that Cedar had to have done something behind her back, which might cause others to stare. Or maybe the servants really gawked at the famous dangerous prince like this whenever they saw him. That sounded like it would be quite unpleasant. But it was obvious that Blanche wouldn''t receive a response from Cedar even if she asked. So, she would have to ignore this for now.

    Blanche took a moment to glare at the prince before turning to the door and knocking.

    Theodore''s voice sounded seconds later. ¡°Blanche?¡± So, he had recognized her pattern again.

    A soft smile grew on her lips before she could help it. She opened the door and slipped inside without hesitation. ¡°Theo!¡± She rushed to his side and fell into his arms so that he barely managed to set aside his book before hugging her. She moved her mouth closer to his ear and whispered to him. ¡°We have unwanted company. It''s Cedar.¡±

    The emperor''s gaze snapped to the door, and he tightened his hold on her to pull her onto his lap. He whispered back to her in a low voice. ¡°I''m glad that you''re here. What does he want?¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°I have no idea. He said he wanted to see both of us and that it wouldn''t take more than five minutes.¡±

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    Theodore was silent for a few seconds and gave her a short kiss before turning to the door. ¡°You can come in too.¡± He sounded so cold now, which only served to be a great contrast to the way he stroked over her back.

    Cedar leaned in to look inside and slowly stepped into the office too while acting as cheerful as ever. ¡°Good afternoon, Theodore. Are you sure that I am not disturbing you? One easily feels like an intruder when seeing the two of you. I''m happy to be able to witness such an adorable interaction though. You really seem to be like you belong together.¡±

    The emperor didn''t reply to any of those comments and focused on the important things. ¡°Why did you want to talk to us? Unfortunately, we do not have much time, so I would ask you to make it quick.¡±

    Cedar closed the door behind him before walking forward to stop in front of the desk. ¡°I apologize for interrupting your work. I will not bother you for long. It''s just...¡± He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope with two fingers. ¡°About this.¡± He extended his arm to his brother and placed the envelope on the desk before taking a step back with a wide grin on his face.

    Theodore stared at the white paper in front of him without any intention of touching it. ¡°What is this?¡±

    The prince seemed to have waited for this moment. ¡°Oh, you won''t find out without reading. Come on. Open it.¡±

    The emperor glared at his brother for a bit before giving in and ripping open the envelope with little care. He made it much harder for himself by refusing to move his arms away from his lover, so she took the envelope from him to pull out the letter. She handed it to him, and he held it up so that both of them could read it.

    Her lover''s expression darkened while Blanche could just narrow her eyes at the prince. She wanted to keep quiet and not allow Cedar to relish in her confusion, but she couldn''t restrain herself. ¡°You are...inviting us for dinner tomorrow?¡± She could barely keep her irritation from being audible in her voice.

    Cedar just grinned at that. ¡°We are. It''s been a while since we ate together as a family. I thought about inviting Her Majesty too, but...¡± He left a pause in which a glint of amusement appeared in his eyes. ¡°It seems like that would be odd for you, wouldn''t it? I heard that there were some issues with her currently. Some rumors reached my ear, but I dare not believe them. But it does worry me a bit. So, I just wished to offer my help if you ever need to vent to someone about your frustration.¡± It seemed like even he had heard about the empress'' alleged, and seemingly very real, affair.

    What had been supposed to upset Theodore only caused him to shrug. ¡°The rumors are true, you may believe them. But you are doing me a favor by not inviting her. It will also not be necessary for you to include her in your planning from now on if you understand what I mean.¡±

    Cedar''s smile didn''t falter. ¡°It almost seems like you have been waiting for this. Don''t tell me that you did. You never fail to surprise me, Theodore. To think that you would actually pull through with this.¡± But even this obvious attempt of a provocation left the emperor unmoved.

    Theodore set down the letter and shuffled Blanche around on his lap so that he could rest his chin on her shoulder. ¡°I am happy as long as I can catch you off guard. But I''m sure that you were rather quick to understand in comparison to some others. You just didn''t believe that I felt safe enough, but I can promise you one thing.¡± A little smile appeared on his lips. ¡°The emperor can do much more without anyone''s help than you think. Making my promises come true is the least that I can do. And I promised Blanche that she would be the one by my side for all eternity.¡±

    That once again didn''t sound like anything Blanche wanted to focus on.

    The concubine leaned her head against Theodore''s and wrapped her arms around his, which still held her waist. Clearly, her lover''s words indicated something she should not hear coming from him, but she didn''t focus on that now. Instead, she just picked up on the nice part of what he had said. She turned her head to kiss his cheek and cuddled against him. ¡°I will remind you of the promise every day of our lives. We will stay together like you promised, and I will swear it back as often as I can too.¡±

    Cedar had to be cringing upon witnessing this overly sweet exchange, but he didn''t show it on his face. He smiled at them and nodded toward his brother. ¡°I understood that much when he asked you to marry him. As you may have noticed, I didn''t tell anyone like you wished me to. Is there any news regarding that matter? You said that it would still take a while until you will make it public. Then we should do something in private, with just us, first. We could toast to your engagement tomorrow if you''d like to.¡±

    Blanche still wasn''t sure whether they would go at all. She was extremely glad that she had heard about this while Theodore was there, or she might have been unable to decide how to react. She had no desire to visit Cedar and his mother, but outright rejecting them was a bit hard too when their ranks were so different. Well, theoretically, Blanche was the emperor''s fianc¨¦e now, which would put her on the same level as a prince or at least one that was only slightly lower, but no one knew that yet.

    And seemingly, it was good that she hadn''t rejected them because Theodore was pondering something. If he didn''t immediately deny the invitation, then he had to see some advantage in them going. In that case, she would join him even if she felt like going into the lion''s den wouldn''t make her very happy.

    Cedar scanned both of them. ¡°Well? Are you free tomorrow, or is there important work that cannot be delayed? In that case, we could-¡± He didn''t even manage to finish that sentence.

    Theodore spoke up first. ¡°I didn''t say that we had no time. We are somewhat free. It''s true that I have some things to do, but I would always make some time for my dear family.¡± Mockery was dripping out of his voice when he said that. ¡°So, of course, we will come if nothing else suddenly prevents us from going. We had nothing planned, right?¡± He turned to his lover and made eye contact with her. He was giving her a chance to deny the meal.

    Blanche would just have to voice a random excuse and could keep trouble away from them with that. But it seemed like Theodore would go to do something there, so she wouldn''t reject that offer. ¡°I don''t think so. We should be free to go out whenever we want to. And the dinner would be at seven o''clock?¡±

    Cedar happily nodded at her. ¡°Indeed. I am overjoyed to hear that you are able to attend. I believe that it has been over seven years since we last sat at a table together, and now a new member of the family is joining us. I am very content with that and will make sure that you will be satisfied with the meal. We''ll ask the royal chefs to prepare the most wonderful dishes that day. Leave it to me.¡±

    Theodore gazed at his brother with slight annoyance. ¡°Oh, I''m sure that you will create a great menu. As long as there is no special delicacy from some random nation far away, we will be fine with everything. Please find something that you like to eat, and we will gladly eat it too. I know that you will choose it well. But I would like to ask you to remember something.¡± He put on a fake smile while resuming. ¡°I would like to avoid the dowager empress knowing about our engagement right now. You know how chatty she is, and we want to keep it a secret until our great party. So, you will have to keep quiet a bit. That should be fine, right?¡±

    Cedar nodded. ¡°Naturally. I''m sorry that I forgot about her tendency to spread news way too quickly. I won''t tell her.¡± He gazed that them with a glint in his eyes that almost made it seem like he was threatening them.

    Blanche refrained from glaring at him and just lifted her arm to comb through her lover''s hair while replying. ¡°Thank you. We will be very grateful. After all, you are the only one aside from us knowing about it. So, we would be rather upset if it did spread because we trust you.¡± She had just told the biggest lie of her entire life, and still, she didn''t feel bad in the slightest.

    Seemingly, Cedar didn''t pay attention to her sarcasm either. He responded with a radiant beam. ¡°I do not deserve such kindness. It''s only natural that I would respect your wishes and do what my brother and my future sister-in-law ask of me. I thank you for your trust and will make sure to repay you for it later.¡± Him saying this in a completely normal tone was enough to make it sound like a threat. ¡°Then I will take my leave now if my brother allows it. After all, I do not wish to disturb you any longer and still need to prepare for tomorrow.¡±

    Theodore showed him a fake smile. ¡°Of course. We wouldn''t want to keep you from taking care of your responsibilities after all. Have a nice evening.¡±

    Cedar returned a bright grin. ¡°I will, thanks to your kindness. Your words of trust truly touched my heart. And obviously, meeting the two of you overjoyed me in itself. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well.¡±

    Blanche would like to ignore him completely, but she felt like being that petty wasn''t helpful. It was better to feign politeness. ¡°Good night, Your Royal Highness.¡± She regretted it immediately.

    The prince turned his attention to her and just had to do something to annoy her at the last second. ¡°You may call me by my name, remember? I wouldn''t want our dinner tomorrow to seem too stiff. I cannot force you though. I mean, I could by ordering you, but that would be awful. After the wedding with my brother, you should stop calling my title anyway. You can already get used to the new one now. Good night, Lady Blanche.¡± He turned around after grinning at her for a bit longer and left the office.

    The door shut behind him, and immediately, the emperor relaxed.

    Blanche could just focus on her anger though. ¡°That arrogant person. I would like to throw one of your books at him, but that wouldn''t be good.¡± Cedar would probably just catch it, but that didn''t matter. ¡°I hate him.¡±

    Theodore waited for her to turn around to him before putting his hand on the side of her face. ¡°It''s good that we share that sentiment. If you''d like him, I think I would have to kill him.¡± That was a bit harsh, but she couldn''t blame him either, especially since she knew that he wasn''t really serious about harming his brother if he could help it.

    The concubine reached up to pinch his cheek. ¡°Why would I ever have any sympathy for a man that tried to murder you?¡± She wasn''t sure why. ¡°I mean, he might have been a child when it happened, but he still supported his mother despite her trying to kill you.¡± Cedar had been manipulated ever since his birth. How would he have been able to defy Camille? ¡°That would be enough to prove that he is a horrible person, but he just had to be more infuriating than anyone I ever met too.¡± For some reason, she was almost sure that Cedar could be nice and that he might even joke around with people that got closer to him. They were just his enemies, so he wouldn''t show them that side. ¡°It seems like making people angry is his hobby.¡± It truly was.

    Her lover gazed down at her with conflicting expressions. He only spoke up when she gave him a questioning look. ¡°I don''t want you to sympathize with him, so I''m unsure whether I should say this. But I feel like Cedar just enrages people because it means that they finally have an opinion about him as a person and not as a tool that is supposed to grasp the throne. He has no one to give him kindness, so he would rather take dislike or hatred than indifference. I noticed that he always begins his plots when someone tells him that they trust him or that he might actually not be as bad as others believe. When you tell him that, he just shuts himself off. I once offered him a truce, and he immediately reminded me of the fact that his mother made him swear that he would kill me.¡±

    Blanche was silent for a moment before responding while keeping her eyes locked with her lover''s. ¡°That''s sad. But Cedar is still at fault. I know that it might not be easy for him, but while his past explains everything, it doesn''t necessarily justify his actions. If he noticed that his mother doesn''t love him or care for him, then he should have tried to meet other people too. I bet he would easily have found some honest friends if he just acted like a normal person instead of someone that attacks others'' weaknesses and provokes them. That is why I won''t sympathize with him at all. You can trust me on this one.¡±

    Was it really that easy though? Of course, it would be simple to just say that Cedar should have noticed, but it was a bit audacious to judge about that when the concubine almost had no idea what he had really gone through. She hadn''t lived through his childhood. And she would wish no one what Cedar had experienced. She didn''t know much, but she had a vague idea of what a controlling person like Camille might do to her son to bind him to her.

    After all, Camille did claim to love her son, but as her behavior showed, her love wasn''t very kind.

    Theodore raked his fingers through his lover''s hair and looked at her with a serious expression.¡°I always trust you, no matter what it''s about.¡±

    Blanche almost sighed at that. ¡°I know. I didn''t mean to say that you didn''t. By now, you said it often enough for me to believe it.¡±

    Her lover''s face lit up with a little smile at that. ¡°Good. Then it seems like I am finally reaching my goal. Now I only need to convince you of everything else too. That I love you more than anything else. That I only want you. And that everything that belongs to me is yours. That you could never be greedy by taking my gifts. That you are the-¡±

    She cut him off with a kiss.

    Blanche gently brought her lips to Theodore''s and felt how he melted under her touch. No matter how often they did this, it was still breathtaking. But at this very moment, it also reminded her of something else. When she pulled back, she looked deep into her lover''s eyes. ¡°If the empress did have an affair, would you be angry?¡±

    This was something they had to discuss after all.

 Chapter 238: Dinner With Ones Greatest Enemies (1)

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    will try something, and when they do, I will be a bit more direct with my response to that.¡± He gazed into the distance for a moment before focusing on her again. ¡°Cedar did...have someone deliver something odd to him recently, and I need to check on that. In any case, you don''t have to worry. I will prepare everything. Do you know what the best about this event is? I have an excuse to gift you another dress.¡± Since he hadn''t heard about the dinner until a few minutes ago, this meant that he had bought it for her earlier. He seemed to be in the middle of starting to shower her with gifts again.

    <hr>

    run-down mansion full of dust and spiderwebs? The one the dowager empress despises because it''s rather simple in comparison to the palace? I think that house is bigger than all houses around the area where I grew up, including the temple.¡± To be honest, that mansion might as well have been the emperor''s summer residence. It was huge and looked gorgeous from the outside with its sand-colored pillars and countless ornaments adorning the walls. ¡°I thought this was the smallest and ugliest of the three mansions within the royal estate.¡±

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    ¡°

    Ahh¡¯.¡± To her, it almost seemed like he was keen on embarrassing her in front of those people, but obviously, that wasn''t true. He wanted to enrage his mother, and it seemed to work.

 Chapter 239: Dinner With Ones Greatest Enemies (2)

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    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Those two on the other side of the table had definitely been waiting for her to give something to her lover that would harm him. They had known and still hadn''t said anything when she had attempted to feed Theodore. The plan had probably been to let the emperor eat some walnuts so that he had an allergic reaction without the hosts being blamed because Theodore''s plate hadn''t had anything that would trouble him. In fact, it looked like his food was the only one that didn''t have walnuts. That made it seem like the goal had been pinning the blame on the concubine for carelessly giving the emperor something harmful. Blanche could only thank the gods for letting her notice it early enough. Otherwise, something bad might have happened.

    you lecture someone about this matter.¡± He addressed her with a voice laced with poison.

    ¡°

 Chapter 240: Dinner With Ones Greatest Enemies (3)

    hers? She is a...baroness that only received her title from you. We don''t even know where she came from, so she is probably a commoner.¡± She barely managed to avoid revealing what she knew here. Clearly, she had wanted to describe where exactly Blanche came from without letting Theodore guess that she had been involved with the concubine''s arrival in the palace.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    our room. Blanche currently only uses her old room to store some of her clothes while the bigger part is in the dressing room connected to the emperor''s chambers. She always sleeps with me, so I guess you could say that she happened to enter quite a few times.¡±

 Chapter 241: An Act or the Truth?

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    You filthy murderer! You worthless imbecile! How dare you? You already killed your father, and now you-¡±

    How dare you? Theodore, get back here! I''ll make you beg for forgiveness!¡±

    Oh.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    <hr>

    ¡°

 Chapter 242: Departure and Painful Goodbyes

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    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

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    will not make it worse.¡±

 Chapter 243: Sudden Quiz

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    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

 Chapter 244: Change

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    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    wouldn''t.

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 Chapter 245: No One But You

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    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    didn''t.

    she is being treated. There have been moments in which I have only been seconds away from actually threatening her so that she will leave.¡± The emperor was rather clear about this not being a joke and spoke without even the slightest trace of sympathy for his wife. ¡°Leon was always the one saving the situation, and you did so a few times too. That''s why I will be more than relieved when she is finally gone. Not only will I not risk killing her each time I see her, she also won''t stand in the way of you finally taking your rightful spot anymore.¡± His expression slowly lost his anger. ¡°You can''t imagine how hard it was to wait for that. And now it''s finally time.¡±

    but this? He couldn''t be serious. She knew that she had to tell him that, but her stomach made her feel sick, and her mouth couldn''t produce any words.

    <hr>

 Chapter: 246: Gifts and Signs For the Future (1)

    Blanche spent every second of her free time with Theodore, so she easily noticed it when her lover was doing something special. She obviously noticed that he needed to leave to go to his office with Leon too. She just suspected that this meeting might not have been about a political topic at all, but she didn''t point that out. When time passed by, she couldn''t help being quite smug about it though.

    The day before Blanche''s birthday, Theodore found a lot of excuses to leave. He claimed that it was some truly important political matter, but the fact that Leon wasn''t with him said it all. The secretary had been left here to ensure that she wouldn''t run off and accidentally see something made for her, and Blanche found it a bit funny to see him annoyed upon being used as an unwilling accomplice in this scheme. She couldn''t help teasing him. ¡°Are you sure Theo doesn''t need your help with that incredibly important political conflict that will shape the future of our continent? While you''ve been sitting here drinking tea, Theo has been quite busy with crucial matters.¡±

    In response, Leon just narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Don''t make fun of me. You know exactly what this is about.¡± He waved around the pages in his hand as if that would tell her what he meant. Though, he didn''t explain it either. He just switched the topic. ¡°Instead of joking around with me, how about you focus on something helpful? Did you prepare for your big event tomorrow?¡±

    Blanche hadn''t been able to think about anything else for days, so this was an understatement. ¡°Naturally. I am as prepared as for every ball.¡± She wanted to explain how Theodore would merely take care of her dress again, but she didn''t get to.

    Leon had already begun his lecture. ¡°This can''t just be any ball. This is much more important, do you understand? Now that we know that the empress will divorce Theodore, we need to push you into the foreground even more. We need to present you as a member of royalty. Not just any member. You''ll be the emperor''s sole wife. This means that you have to take on some responsibility too.¡± He gave her a stern look.

    Blanche couldn''t do anything but nod. After all, Leon was right. She needed to take some responsibility for her lover''s stupid plan. If she would be royalty, she should prepare for that. Especially for the specific thing that worried her most when she would become Theodore''s first wife. Slouching her shoulders, she nodded. ¡°I''ll remember what you said. First, I need to be dignified and smile. Then I have to be authoritarian enough to seem nice but collected. I have to like every present and praise the visitors in flowery words without acknowledging that it''s odd for me to suddenly act like I have a higher rank. I promise to interact with the nobles more too. I''m the host, so I''ll begin the conversations and lead them after.¡±

    That long speech was made up of everything Leonard had told her, and he seemed glad that she had repeated all of it. ¡°Good. Don''t forget that. Should we go through conversation starters again?¡±

    ¡°No. Please don''t. I have enough of that for now.¡± Blanche would probably remember those stupid phrases in her dream by now since she had read them so often last week. Since Leonard looked like he might still try to torture her with those, she hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°How about we focus more on...something aside from etiquette? We did go through the waltz often enough last week, and I feel like there should be room for more important topics. Can you show me something helpful for my future as a member of the royal family?¡± She had to learn a lot, so she might as well use her free time when she had nothing else to do.

    Even Leon wasn''t sure what he could just suddenly address. ¡°Frankly, there are many things that could help you even when we already began a bit. What do you want to hear?¡±

    Blanche was a bit lost. She truly didn''t know what mattered most in such cases. She shrugged. ¡°I think I have to focus on the history of Artias and the royal family more. But that would take a while. Maybe there''s something else we can do right now.¡± She paused for a bit and thought about what she might do to help her lover in the future. If there was something a royal wife would do, it was probably supporting her husband in the office. This might not be something she should officially do unless she became empress, which she refused to consider, but she could help in secret anyway. That led Blanche to ask her question. ¡°What does Theodore do the whole day right now?¡±

    Leon''s expression didn''t budge as he replied. ¡°He prepares your birthday.¡±

    A sigh escaped Blanche''s mouth. ¡°I mean aside from that. In the office. What does he focus on most? What could people help him with?¡±

    Leonard obviously knew what she meant and became much more serious about the matter quickly. ¡°Getting help in the office is always good. Frankly, half of the work is just going through documents and contracts while trying to find errors or differences that seem odd. You could do that after getting used to it without much training. As long as you have the constitution lying next to you, checking on some laws is easy, especially when we would gladly accept help while searching for specific paragraphs. You could also compare numbers and find mistakes there. Before the preparations for this party began, Theodore mostly went through his usual documents. He also...¡± Leon paused for a moment before coming to a conclusion. ¡°I could just show you.¡± He leaned forward to lift a few papers he had brought with him. Then he walked around the table and sat down next to Blanche while showing her the pages. ¡°Do these numbers tell you anything?¡±

    Blanche took away the documents. She recognized this way of listing numbers vaguely. She might also remember seeing something like that on her father''s desk. ¡°Those are...taxes, right?¡±

    It was almost an insult that Leon grinned at that. ¡°Oh, you noticed. Impressive.¡±

    ¡°I can read too, Leon.¡± She turned the paper while pointing at the title with annoyance. ¡°My father dealt with this often. These are the numbers of the store''s revenue and the percentages they needed to hand over with taxes. The extra twenty percent here must be included because it''s a luxury store, I presume. They earn a lot, so I can see why Theo checks on this. Especially since...¡± She noticed it just before Leonard lifted his finger to point at the title of the owner. Blanche immediately read through the numbers again and then received a separate page from Leon. She checked both and compared the numbers, only to let out a laugh after. ¡°Look who it is. Our favorite duke owns this store. It seems like he didn''t do his taxes well though.¡±

    Leonard clearly found that amusing too. ¡°Yes. Certainly, suddenly forgetting to write down a few hundred-thousand gold coins in the official documents is something that can happen accidentally. It just happened to be at numerous spots too. Really unfortunate. Well, Theodore knew exactly what he would find upon searching. He seemed to be aware of where to start from the beginning too, and now we have this. Duke Vasquez'' first trial might be over, but he''ll lose many of his stores in the next few weeks, no matter whether blames this on some of his workers.¡±

    That was certainly a pleasant thing to witness.

    That Theodore seemingly knew exactly where to search for what was a bit stranger, but it didn''t have to mean anything, right?

    The thought made Blanche''s smile fade for a moment. As she caught herself, she threw it out of her brain as she did it with everything she didn''t want to remember and just beamed at Leonard. ¡°That''s nice. What a great birthday gift this would be. Do you have other examples too? Locating signs of tax fraud seems to be a great way to get rid of our enemies, so I want to learn.¡±

    Seemingly, Leonard didn''t mind that. He went along with what Blanche had asked of him and showed her a lot of documents from the office. This filled the time until the emperor returned easily.

    <hr>

    As Theodore came back into the room and hugged his lover from behind, he was offered a strange display. He didn''t seem to have expected her or his secretary to work. ¡°What were you doing?¡±

    Blanche showed her lover a bright smile as she pushed the paper toward his face. ¡°Taxes.¡±

    Theodore had to lean back a bit to be able to read. Upon seeing the document that confirmed Duke Vasquez''s sloppy attempt to hide some earnings from his store, he had to grin. ¡°I mean, it''s a good idea if Leon starts teaching you, but...¡± He leaned down to kiss the side of her head. ¡°One day before your birthday might be unfitting when you will be busy tomorrow.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Well, what is more important? Taxes or birthday balls?¡±

    Her lover just shrugged. ¡°Royalty also has to appear in public and impress some people, so I''d say both. We can leave taxes to others in an emergency, but we have to go to events no matter what.¡±

    Leonard, who already gathered all his documents into a big stack, replied while sorting some pages. ¡°That is true. For now, focus on social connections and etiquette. Politics, history and economy are all important, but that should wait for now. Though, it might be good practice to just give you documents and let you find the mistakes on your own. We can continue with that next time if you want to.¡± He gave the concubine a questioning look.

    Blanche found herself nodding without thinking about it. She might not turn into a genius with documents because of this, but even if she could just sort out writing mistakes and wrong numbers for Theodore, that could make his work easier. ¡°Sure. I''ll be royalty. I need to know what taxes are. And the whole other stuff, of course. I trust that I''ll be in your care. But for now, go rest. You deserve it.¡±

    Leonard didn''t have to hear that twice. He bid the couple farewell and ran off quickly.

    This left Blanche alone with her lover, who still stood behind her and hugged her. It wasn''t odd for him to be so cuddly, but she found it a bit odd that he hadn''t even talked to Leonard much. This worried her so much that she spoke up quickly. ¡°Is something wrong, Theo?¡± She tilted her head back to look into his face. ¡°You look upset.¡±

    Her lover''s face just turned even more solemn. ¡°Not exactly. It''s just...¡± He breathed out slowly and then squeezed her shoulder. ¡°Let us lay down.¡± He didn''t have to ask again and could lead his lover to the bed quickly. Blanche wrapped her arms around him quickly and fell into his arms. That made Theodore relax a bit. Now he didn''t look upset anymore and just a bit annoyed. Thankfully, he spoke quickly too. ¡°There is still something else I need to tell you. One thing is...¡±

    Blanche felt her heart skip a beat. This wasn''t about...that topic, right? She didn''t actually want to discuss that. ¡°Is that about your secret? You need more time for that, right?¡±

    A huge load fell off her shoulders when Theodore nodded. ¡°Yes. I swear to tell you in a while. But the other part is more...urgent. I think that there might be some trouble during your birthday party.¡±

    That was much better than speaking about his secret. Blanche found herself relaxing a bit. ¡°I see. Don''t take it to heart. What might happen?¡±

    Theodore showed regret in his expression as he averted his eyes and explained it quietly. ¡°I have done quite a bit to our enemies'' forces in the last weeks. I have an unfair advantage, but I don''t mind using it. Thanks to that, I revealed some of their crimes that will bring a few of the dowager empress'' supporters to the brink of destruction. Whether it may be connected to corruption, theft or smuggling goods into the nation. There are enough things they did, including tax evasion, which almost all of them committed. I know that I am sometimes searching for the one flaw in their family''s past, which is pretty backhanded. But with every household that I can weaken, my brother loses chances to gain something. At first, I took out the weakest families to keep them from noticing. As you know, I also began with the Vasquez family and left alone most other important figures. But recently, I started gathering evidence against Marquess Sefare.¡±

    Blanche froze at that. ¡°Really? Did you find something he did wrong?¡± She could only pray. She wanted that man to be punished for what he had done to her family.

    ¡°Plenty. He, like almost every member of Cedar''s faction, committed some crimes and hopes that my brother would overlook them. That is awfully naive since Cedar isn''t stupid, but well... Sefare also isn''t as good at hiding his traces as others are. I could pick and choose which clues I want to present to the court, but I will use everything. I want him to be put in prison for the rest of his life, and I want to do it by winning a fair trial. If he should be named innocent, I would find other ways though. But due to the massive load of evidence against him, there is no need to worry about that. I''m sure that they know too. And from what I have experienced, the dowager empress is the type of person that always thinks about how to gain the most advantages. If she believes that one of her followers will be useless, she will get rid of them herself. Either to act like she was never affiliated with them or to put the blame for some other things on them.¡± He paused and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. ¡°While the Vasquez family is still stable right now, at least officially, I think that Marquess Sefare noticed that I was tracing his steps. If he is as stupid as I believe him to be, he will run right to the dowager empress.¡± His eyes wandered back to his lover.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Blanche nodded at him to signal that she had understood. ¡°But that will cause her to go against him instead of helping him. She will sacrifice him like she did it with the Besseta family.¡±

    Theodore gave her a little smile and stroked over her cheek. ¡°Exactly. She will see how he loses power and money while becoming a threat to her if his crimes are revealed. Thus, I assume that she will try to cut him off soon while still profiting from it in some way. That means that she might attempt to get him to speak about your past because she thinks that it will upset me. Doing that in private would be the more subtle option. She could also try to do all of that in public though. She might condemn Sefare in front of as many people as possible to make sure that you are affected in some way. I would hope that she isn''t stupid enough to plan that since I will easily turn it around to help us. But we have to expect that she will cause a scene and claim that she has found out that Sefare is a traitor that wished to kill me to gain some people''s trust. I don''t want her to do that on your birthday, but there might not be a way to prevent it from happening. So, we may have to deal with her arresting that man during the celebration.¡± This definitely had been some sort of apology, and his voice was filled with regret.

    But Blanche just grinned at him. ¡°Are you joking? I might not want to be branded a traitor, but having that man arrested would be a wonderful birthday present. Even if I would hate seeing that woman and her son, as long as Sefare gets what he deserves, it should be fine. After all, he has to pay for his crimes after what he did to my family.¡± She would definitely laugh at his misery. He had been the one to sacrifice her family without batting an eye. Blanche would never care for his well-being now.

    Theodore gave her a little smile in return. ¡°He will regret ever targeting the Laisters. I will make sure of that. Though...¡± His smile faded a bit as he switched to a more worrisome topic. ¡°Regarding that topic, some things have...come up. You know that I researched what happened to your family a while ago, but recently, we managed to track the judge that was bribed back then. I feel like there might be a bit more to this.¡±

    That didn''t sound good.

    Blanche''s heartbeat picked up speed as she could only lay there and stare at her lover with wide eyes. ¡°What do you mean? Did Sefare try something else too?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am not sure yet. There are some hints that another person might have been involved too, but I wouldn''t fully rely on it yet.¡± Theodore gently reached up to cup her cheek. ¡°In all honesty, I would like to avoid telling you now, just because we have no proof yet. As soon as I can be sure of what happened, I will tell you everything. I can guarantee that Sefare was responsible for your rescue from the prison, and naturally, the following attempt at making you commit treason. We will definitely have him surrender because of that. Even if the dowager empress has something in store for him, I will add something worse. There is no need for you to worry about it since I will take care of it. He will surely suffer as much as he deserves it.¡±

    Blanche felt herself tense, but she nodded with vigor at that. ¡°Please. I look forward to it. If you...find out about anything else, please tell me.¡± If there was really some mystery regarding her family, she had to know.

    Theodore affirmed her request without hesitation. ¡°I will. But unfortunately, that will have to wait. For tomorrow, I truly worry about Sefare. I''ll try to ensure that everything goes by smoothly, but there may be some issues. I have a bad feeling about what the dowager empress may be planning. But no matter what happens, I''m by your side and will protect you from any dangers.¡±

    ¡°Then it''s enough for me. I trust you fully. If you are there to guide me, I don''t mind going in blindly. There probably won''t be much more than a little conflict at most. After all, it won''t bother us much if Sefare gets arrested and his reputation suffers.¡±

    Theodore gently stroked her over her head. ¡°Of course. I''m sure that it will be fine too. But just to make sure, you shouldn''t leave my side that day.¡±

    Blanche was still a bit worried about her lover''s ominous comment regarding her family, but she still showed him a faint smile here. ¡°It''s my birthday. Did you think that I intended to do anything but cling to you that day? You''ll be with me the whole time. Will you promise that?¡±

    Theodore did. Immediately.

    Her lover was oddly insistent on swearing that he would accompany her about a dozen times. Even when she told him that she believed him, he needed to repeat it once more. After that, he began to talk about gifts again and about how much she would adore the things he got. As always, he also asked whether she still had any wishes, which she declined again. Having him accept her past without hesitation was the greatest present he could have given her anyway.

    But he seemed to insist on giving her even more. She was almost a bit scared about what he would come up with, even if she was filled with curiosity as well.

    <hr>

    She had waited for so long, and suddenly, her birthday arrived.

    Blanche awoke to lips covering her whole face with soft kisses. Her slight drowsiness quickly disappeared when she became aware enough to identify her lover. She opened her eyes, and a wide smile appeared on her lips.

    Theodore already greeted her with a radiant beam. ¡°Happy birthday. May my angel be blessed with even more love, luck and happiness this year.¡± With that, he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss while interlocking their fingers. He left her completely breathless when he lifted his head again and grinned down at her. ¡°But I won''t leave everything up to fate. I will make sure to indulge you myself. Is that a good start, or do I need to put in even more effort?¡± As if the last one hadn''t been enough, he gifted her another kiss that was even longer than before.

    Blanche tangled her fingers in his hair and kept him in that position, even though she felt like the air was being sucked out of her lungs. She relished in the soft tingling that spread from her lips through her entire body and allowed herself to enjoy this sensation to the fullest. She only tugged at his hair when she couldn''t go without oxygen anymore.

    Theodore slowly released her with a big smirk plastered on his face. ¡°Am I taking your breath away? Then I must be an unbelievably good kisser.¡±

    The concubine used all of her energy to nod. She patted his head instead of answering and focused on getting some air into her lungs before speaking up. ¡°You are. And I am the only one that will ever experience it.¡±

    Her lover didn''t waste a second before responding. ¡°Exactly. I would like to kiss you again to prove my point, but then I would have to keep you in bed for the next few hours. It''s tempting, but I think I will have to hold back. Your maid would never forgive us otherwise.¡± He sat up and slowly pulled her into a sitting position as well before gesturing to the side.

    Stella was standing next to the bed with a bright smile on her face. ¡°Happy birthday, My Lady! I hope that this day and the whole next year, no, your whole future will be wonderful!¡±

    Blanche couldn''t help but mirror the other''s smile. ¡°Thank you very much. With such amazing people by my side, there is no way that it could be bad anyway. I''m happy with all of you around me.¡±

    Stella looked like she was about to cry about that and quickly turned away to wipe over her face.

    Theodore watched that with a grin before whispering to his lover. ¡°She''s been all excited for the past weeks. She wanted to prepare a sweet gift and worked hard whenever she wasn''t with you. But I still get to start. After all, I worked just as hard to find some things that may please you.¡± He leaned back again and resumed at a normal volume. ¡°I assume that you don''t want me to give you the whole portion right now. So, let''s start with the most important things. Aside from my whole life, which you already own, I wanted to give you another promise of my love, but I proposed already. I considered wrapping a bow around me, but that might have been too much. So, I decided to give you something else now. Close your eyes.¡± He moved backward and grinned at her. ¡°Don''t cheat.¡±

    Blanche complied and shut her eyes. She heard some rustling, and the mattress dipped beside her, which meant that her lover was back by her side.

    He moved around a bit before finally allowing her to look again. ¡°It''s done.¡±

    The concubine''s eyes flew open, and her curiosity immediately grew when she found two items in front of her. Both were boxes, with one being about the size of a hand and the other being at least three times as big. The smaller one was only adorned with a few patterns while the bigger one was full of golden applications. She looked up at her lover, who watched her every movement with a smile.

    ¡°Go on. Open one of them. The order doesn''t matter much, but I would start with the smaller one.¡±

    Blanche did just that. She took the smaller box into her hands and gazed at the container for a moment before slowly opening it. The inside was covered with velvet that cushioned the whole box, and in the middle, a hair ornament sat enthroned. It was a butterfly. It looked a little similar to her purple one, but at the same time, it was completely different. This butterfly wasn''t colored uniformly nor was it made of one material. It was made of gold and inserted sapphires. The wings were colored in blue with a thin golden frame and even thinner golden decorations were drawing delicate patterns on top of them.

    The concubine could barely tear her eyes away from the skilled craftsmanship and stared at the clasp in awe. She took a long time before raising her head and speaking up. ¡°It''s gorgeous. How did you find someone this skilled? It looks perfect even though there are so many small patterns.¡±

    Theodore gave her a victorious smile. ¡°I''m glad that you think so too. I found the best jeweler in Artias to make this. She normally doesn''t take any requests anymore since she retired a while ago, but when I said that it was a gift for my lover, she was convinced quickly. Apparently, I''m good at persuading other people through letters. In the end, she even wrote back that this was her favorite piece yet. She hopes that you will wear it as much as possible.¡±

    Blanche could only nod, even though she had her qualms about taking out such a beautiful piece too often. She didn''t want to break it after all. Slowly, she ran her fingertips over the surface and felt the thin wires that were inserted into the gems. She almost didn''t dare to touch it in fear that it would be damaged in some way, but she carefully took it out of the box. When she looked at it from up close, it was only even more stunning. ¡°Thank you. It''s way too beautiful. I don''t even know what to say. Thank you, Theo.¡± She showed him a bright smile, which caused him to return a kiss immediately.

    When Theodore pulled back, he grinned at her and offered her his hand. ¡°I will put it on for you.¡±

    Blanche was hesitant for a moment before handing the ornament over with as much care as possible.

    Her lover leaned forward and adjusted the clasp two times before letting go and gazing at her with satisfaction. ¡°It''s perfect for you. I knew it. I feel like I should get you a butterfly in each color imaginable.¡± That might not be too bad.

    Even if the concubine owned more than enough, she had to admit that those butterflies were some of her absolute favorites. She didn''t even need a mirror to know how gorgeous the ornament was while sitting on top of her head, especially since the dark colors should contrast her light hair and eyes. She would have liked to check anyway, but she didn''t have any time to admire this gift so much when another present was waiting for her. Especially not when Theodore looked like he couldn''t wait for her to touch it.

    Blanche still went slow and picked up the bigger box with even more care in fear of letting it fall. She placed the item on her lap as she admired the white surface with gold applications. She let her fingertips roam across the decorations and was surprised to find a small metal handle on the side. This only increased her curiosity, and she moved her hand to the clasp to unfasten it.

    As soon as she opened the top, a soft tune began playing. A slow but happy melody was accompanied by two small porcelain figures raising and twirling around each other. There were a man and a woman. Both were wearing clothes in the royal colors and carried crowns on top of their heads. One was unmistakably Theodore with his blue hair and blue eyes. And the woman in a gorgeous ballgown with light alabaster-colored hair could not represent anyone but Blanche. That much was obvious. She couldn''t bring herself to note that she was wearing the crown that was meant for the empress. And seconds later, that fact was already forgotten as she gazed at the box.

    The small figures were holding hands and imitating a waltz as they spun around in pace with the music. The concubine stared at that display until the melody became slower and quietened down until it was gone. She lifted her head and stared at her lover as she opened her mouth to thank him, but she was too slow.

    Theodore chuckled and reached for the box. He found the metal handle and turned it a couple of times. As soon as he let go, the music began again, and the figures danced once more with bright smiles painted on their faces. It was too beautiful.

    This time, Blanche was unable to say anything at all. This present was too wonderful. It wasn''t just pretty to look at and made by some kind of genius, it was also connected to their relationship. It showed them dancing together without a care in the world. She couldn''t keep herself from setting the box aside to throw her arms around her lover. ¡°Thank you, thank you...¡± She needed a few seconds to decide what else she could voice to explain just how much she adored this gift. ¡°It''s perfect. I will treasure it forever. I will put it somewhere I can see it all the time and enjoy listening to that music piece over and over again.¡±

    Her lover gladly put his arms around her. ¡°I''m happy that you like it. I thought about this for so long and barely managed to find someone that was able to make it. At least four different people worked on this. One made the box, one the figures. A third one created the mechanism to play the music. It was hard to get them to work together. But it was worth it in the end. I will certainly approach those people again if I have another request. I''ve always liked this sort of thing because Althea gave me a wonderful music box once. Cedar stole it, but I still treasure it a lot. Though, the music box all those people made for you is without a doubt the most beautiful one I''ve ever seen. I will look at it with you as often as possible.¡±

    Blanche nodded happily and leaned toward him to kiss him. He gladly returned it, and within seconds, their arms were wrapped around each other.

    The concubine almost gave in to the overwhelming urge to let him push her down and enjoy the morning in another way, but she couldn''t do that. Two things were keeping them from allowing themselves to go that far. Firstly, she still had the butterfly ornament in her hair and wouldn''t risk lying down with it. And secondly, Stella was here as well.

    So, Blanche forced herself to pull back even if her lover kept clinging to her. She stroked over his hair as some sort of compensation and whispered to him. ¡°Later. We will have the whole night to ourselves. During the day, we can do other things.¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°I know. We have a schedule, and there are so many things that I would like to show you. So, we can''t already lose time within the first minutes of the day. But...¡± He leaned forward to rest his head in the crook of her neck. ¡°It''s tempting.¡± He gently nibbled on her skin, and she had to hold back from letting out any noises.

    Blanche was close to dying out of embarrassment when she noticed that Stella, who was now turning away with red cheeks, was only standing a few steps away. Quickly, the concubine pressed her hand onto her lover''s chest and guided him away from her. ¡°We''re not alone, so please. Not now. Let''s save that for the evening when we have so much time that we can go as slow as we want to.¡±

    The emperor gave in after a few pushes. ¡°Alright. That sounds inviting enough to convince me. Besides, we really can''t mess up the schedule now already. I promised your maid that she would be allowed to bring you her present now.¡±

    That made Blanche a bit curious. She turned to Stella as she waited for her friend to speak.

 Chapter 247: Gifts and Signs For the Future (2)

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 Chapter 248: Gifts and Signs For the Future (3)

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    shouldn''t be too hard, especially with her already shaking at the very thought of doing so. Great. She shook her head to herself before squeezing her lover''s arm. ¡°Then let''s go in. It can''t get worse anyway.¡± After all, it didn''t matter whether it happened now or in two minutes.

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 Chapter 249: Small Talk and Gifts One May or May Not Keep (1)

again? That certainly wasn''t good. The ruler of the nation shouldn''t bow to anyone, not even the empress. But it wasn''t like Theodore cared about that, so why should she?

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 Chapter 250: Small Talk and Gifts One May or May Not Keep (2)

    Cedar''s greeting was as perfect as always. Luckily, he had finished so that the conversation didn''t have to be delayed any further. It was still frustrating that he pretended to be so sweet.

    Blanche struggled to keep her smile upright, so she hurried to respond before she could show her annoyance. ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness. It means a lot to hear such kind words. Naturally, I am aware that the royal estate is the safest place in this nation. You should still be careful at all times though. I could not help but worry after hearing about the missing coach from last time. It would have been a shame if you could not have come, which is why I am so glad to hear that nothing occurred on your way here. I am very thankful for your presence. Are you doing well?¡± She considered mentioning that his mother didn''t look too happy, but a glance at the dowager empress was enough to prove a point.

    Cedar followed her gaze but kept on smiling despite the indication. ¡°I feel honored by your consideration. Both Mother and I are in good spirits. We were a bit lost on what present you would enjoy, which is why she may be a bit hesitant. But in the end, we found something anyway. But that will have to wait a little while longer.¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Indeed. We have just begun the conversation. It has been a while since we last met. Were there any occurrences after the incident two weeks ago?¡±

    The prince looked like he considered mentioning that all of their servants had been arrested, but he refrained from doing that. ¡°Nothing special happened. We just had a calm week for ourselves. That is why I fear that we can''t tell you much about our lives in the mansion. I''m sure that the palace is much more interesting. Now that Crown Prince Linden has left, it may be a little calmer though. I am still regretful about not being able to bid him farewell, but there isn''t much I can do about that. Maybe we will see him again sometime. You did hint at that if I remember correctly.¡±

    The emperor''s grin widened. ¡°Yes. We will see him very soon. I assume that he will come to pick up something by the end of this year if not before. You can speak with him then. At least if you can make some time, of course. But I''m glad that nothing happened at your house. I was a bit worried upon seeing the dowager empress'' expression, so I almost feared that something bad had occurred.¡±

    Camille didn''t even ignore that obvious provocation. ¡°How could I not be upset when I have to see how you are personally destroying the reputation of the Estien bloodline? It seems like you truly did get manipulated by someone, whose name I will not mention. Putting her on the empress'' seat is an insult to Her Majesty and the entire royal family. Are you too blinded to see that, or do you just not care?¡±

    Theodore let out a chuckle. ¡°It''s the second option. I do not care much for your personal opinion at all. I am the emperor and the head of the Estien family. And now you are telling me that I can''t let a person sit on a chair, even if I chose it for them? That is strange. Besides, I am worried about how often you mention how me being manipulated. If you feel like it''s that easy to control me, you seem to be lacking some trust in my competence. Just to calm you, I will say this. I''m fully aware that I am enamored with Blanche. When I do something for her, I''m not blinded. I do it while being certain that it is the best way to deal with the situation while also making her happy. Now that I am giving her a specific position, your words don''t matter much.¡± He gestured to the throne. That was enough to cover up that he had obviously been talking about something more important than just the seat.

    Blanche didn''t even bother correcting him.

    Camille opened her mouth, but when Cedar tapped her arm, she closed it again. She glared at the emperor for a while before speaking up. ¡°We will see if your judgment is correct. There may be more than the eye can see. You should not trust anyone with a pretty face. Sometimes, there is more to their past than you can imagine.¡± She turned her gaze to the concubine and looked right into her eyes.

    Blanche felt a rush of relief surge through her body as she let out an amused huff. Just weeks ago, she would have panicked at that indication, but now there was no need for her to be scared. Because her lover knew about her past. It was satisfying to be able to meet the other''s woman gaze with a triumphant grin. ¡°I agree, Your Majesty. It is important to know whom to trust. I can assure you that Theo is rather good at making that differentiation. The people supporting him have much more than some pretty faces. So, you can rest assured that he would never let anyone with ill intentions close to him. Everyone within the palace is completely loyal to him.¡±

    Cedar patted his mother''s arms again before speaking up. ¡°That is good to hear. That the servants are willing to give their all to support the emperor is crucial. We are certainly calmed if you are sure that is the case. I would like to point out that we, too, are full of trust for our dear servants, but please ensure that there aren''t any traitors among them. When we were children, there were a few unpleasant situations. I would like to prevent that from happening again. Please investigate at least once every few months.¡±

    Theodore showed him a bright smile. ¡°Oh, I already did. Just two weeks ago. Don''t you remember? But I can promise you that it is much safer in the palace now. Father was a bit lenient when it came to the security, and I increased the measures taken to protect us. Since we survived back then, we will only live way more comfortably now.¡±

    The dowager empress seemed to hate that Theodore criticized the previous emperor. She got even louder. ¡°How dare you-¡±

    Cedar cut her off just in time. ¡°You are certainly right. If you are confident, I am convinced. How about we bring Lady Blanche her gift now? I feel like she is curious, so keeping her waiting would be cruel.¡± It was painfully obvious that this was an attempt to keep his mother from provoking the emperor again. He was really the only thing holding Camille''s faction together, wasn''t he?

    Still, Blanche chose to give him a chance to calm down Camille. She didn''t want to see the other woman cause a scene either. ¡°You do not need to hurry if you still wish to talk about something else. But if you want to present your gift now to let your mother rest earlier, I will happily accept it.¡± At least she would pretend to do that. In reality, she would throw the gift away as soon as possible.

    Cedar quickly nodded. ¡°We are honored by your consideration. I would love to speak with you more, but I fear that Mother is not feeling too well. That is why we will need to sit down soon. I apologize for the short meeting. We can have another conversation later.¡± Hopefully not.

    Blanche faked a smile. ¡°I do not mind. Her Majesty''s health is the most important thing after all. We will have a chance to catch up later.¡± She wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible too, so they were on the same page for once. Blanche gestured to the servants that were standing next to the table with the gifts and immediately froze in her movement. She hadn''t looked at the table yet and regretted that now.

    Apparently, the nobles had believed that the lavish celebration was directly connected to the number of presents they had to bring. If they had used the emperor''s mass of gifts as an indication and chose to get a little less, it would explain why there were so many things there. Blanche hurried to look away again and desperately tried to keep her shock from appearing on her face. A baroness wouldn''t receive so many gifts, so it seemed like all of their guests had understood that Blanche might as well belong to the royal family already. Didn''t that mean that she have to act even more dignified then? She should definitely not ruin it when this ball was so important for her. That put a lot of pressure on her.

    But of course, she couldn''t show that and forced herself to keep smiling to the best of her ability while glancing at her lover.

    Theodore seemed way too content with her reaction. He had probably known that such a grand party with many guests would lead to her getting more gifts too. That should have been logical, but for some reason, she still felt overwhelmed. Especially when the servants arrived with two big boxes for her.

    Blanche couldn''t swallow all of her reluctance when she took the first box in her hands. It seemed like this was the dowager empress'' gift. It probably wasn''t anything special nor something horrible. Camille hadn''t been petty for Theodore''s birthday, so this present would be normal too, right? The concubine looked up to face the guests again. ¡°Thank you for your generosity. It is an honor to receive gifts from both of you.¡±

    The dowager empress still refused to talk and glared at the other woman''s forehead, which was probably connected to the tiara Blanche was wearing. It was a bit impressive that Camille had only noticed now. Maybe she had been so upset about the throne that she hadn''t paid attention to anything else.

    Cedar was the one that responded instead. ¡°No, it is an honor for us to be able to gift something to you. Even though it is nothing special, we sincerely hope that you will enjoy it.¡±

    Blanche forced herself to smile. ¡°I''m sure that I will. After all, just receiving something from you is enough to make me happy.¡± Saying that pained her, so she hurried to lower her gaze. She carefully opened the box to find a mix of multiple items, and a pleasant scent filled the air. There were multiple candles in different colors as well as small vials with some liquids that looked like oil. Aside from that, there was another box with a necklace and earrings with emeralds inside. Of course, it was a package with the most typical items a woman could receive.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    If anyone else had gifted this to the concubine, she might have been happy about it too. She would have worn the accessories and tried the rest of the products. After all, the jewelry was beautiful, and the oils and creams smelled nice. But naturally, she wouldn''t do that now. She would smile at the gift now and throw it into the bin as soon as they left the ballroom.

    When it was Camille''s gift, Blanche almost expected poison to be inside, so she couldn''t take any risks.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I knew that you would find such a thoughtful gift. I thank you for your consideration. I will make sure to use it well.¡±

    Camille didn''t even bother to reply. She just narrowed her eyes at the concubine until her son patted her arm. Then she forced herself to speak up. ¡°I am happy to hear that you like it. If you enjoy these products, I will inform you of the store''s address.¡± While her words were polite, she didn''t even try to cover the anger on her face.

    Blanche was fine with that. After all, open hostility was less exhausting than pretended kindness. The prince''s gift would follow now, and she was much more concerned about this one. Cedar certainly was petty enough to give her something strange, so she was already tense when the servant handed her the box. He would probably gift her something with a double meaning, so she didn''t even want to open the container to look. But obviously, she didn''t have much of a choice.

    Blanche put on a little smile as she spoke up once more. ¡°I thank you for your effort as well. Receiving a present from you is a great pleasure. I''m sure that it will be wonderful as well.¡±

    She did her best to hide the uncertainty that was rising inside her when Cedar just grinned in response. He had definitely brought something that would be awful. If she hid it by holding up the cover and thanked him without skipping a beat, it should be fine, right? She just had to make sure that the guests didn''t see it, and her reaction was the only thing that mattered. She could only hope that there wasn''t anything worrisome inside, or she might be unable to hide her disgust. Before her mind was able to come up with even worse situations, she just hurried to unfasten the clasp and opened the box.

    It was a necklace. It certainly was a very expensive one with countless diamonds and a lot of silver. The accessory was so big that it would cover one''s whole collar, so it seemed like this had cost a fortune.

    But that wasn''t what made Blanche freeze.

    What truly worried her was that there wasn''t anything strange about it. She had been so sure that it would be an awful gift that she was completely taken aback by it being something relatively normal, if one could call such an extravagant necklace normal.

    Blanche glanced up at the prince, only to be greeted by the same infuriating grin as before. She looked back at the box again and did her best to hide her uncertainty. Maybe Cedar had chosen it because of just this. She was so skeptical that she couldn''t even believe that she would receive something so beautiful from him, which irritated her completely. It wasn''t like she intended to keep it anyway, but she was even reluctant to touch that necklace. So, she avoided putting her hands anywhere near it and spoke up. ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness. This is a breathtaking gift. I will treasure it dearly.¡± It seemed like she would be telling many lies this evening.

    Cedar bowed his head to respond. ¡°Then I am calmed. I was already worried that I would not find anything matching your elegance in time. If you like it, I am honored. Do let me see you wear it sometime in return.¡± She definitely would not put that around her neck, and he knew that well. He just chose to mock her for it.

    Blanche veiled her reluctance with a smile and replied. ¡°We will see. In any case, I am extremely grateful for your appearance at the party and your gifts. To have you attend my birthday party is like a dream come true.¡± Even if it was more of a nightmare. ¡°I hope that you will enjoy the rest of the festivities and use the time to catch up with some of your acquaintances. Please pay attention to Her Majesty''s health though. I would be heartbroken if anything happened during my party.¡± In that case, she would be forced to apologize to the other woman, and she didn''t have any intention of doing so.

    Cedar nodded at her. ¡°Of course. Your consideration is touching, Lady Blanche. We will make sure that Mother rests enough, so you do not have to worry about her. May you and Theodore enjoy this evening to the fullest as well.¡±

    Theodore mirrored his smile. ¡°That should be natural. After all, it''s Blanche''s birthday. How could we not celebrate while being full of joy? Please have a nice evening as well.¡±

    Camille watched the concubine with half-lidded eyes during the whole exchange. She only spoke up when everyone else had finished their goodbyes. ¡°I wish that you will have a wonderful party. Enjoy yourselves before it ends.¡± With that, she prepared to leave and pulled her son along with her.

    Blanche already relaxed upon seeing that the worst interaction for this evening was over, but she was disappointed. She should have expected that the prince would ruin her mood with yet another one of his antics like calling her by her name during the last ball.

    Still, she was taken aback when Cedar didn''t leave immediately. Instead, he opened his mouth one more time. ¡°Ah. I almost forgot.¡± He stopped in his tracks and turned around to show her a smile that sent shivers down her spine. ¡°We still have a little surprise for you later. You will have to be patient a bit longer though. I can promise that it will be worth the wait.¡± Another gift? One Cedar looked forward to?

    Wasn''t that more of a threat?

    That sounded so ominous that the concubine could barely keep her smile upright. ¡°Ah, I see. That was not necessary, but I will look forward to it.¡±

    Cedar chuckled quietly. ¡°Of course, it was necessary. It is your one and only birthday. We need to direct all attention to the main character of the party during the final minutes. Rest assured that everything will be fine though. After all, we took care of it. If you wish to delay this though, do point that out. We will gladly comply.¡± He turned around with these words, which were even more of a threat than a statement.

    This sounded horrible. Blanche let her back fall against the backrest of the throne and barely refrained from massaging her head. ¡°Your family is as wonderful as always.¡±

    Theodore next to her reached over to put his hand on top of hers. ¡°I noticed. They are heavenly, aren''t they? I''m just glad that they don''t live here, or we would see them daily. Then my beloved brother might give you gifts like this every day. I mean, it would be good for charity but not for my heart.¡±

    The concubine could imagine that her blood pressure would rise too much if she saw the prince too often as well. ¡°Now that you are talking about it, will you sell the presents here too? That might be better than throwing them away.¡±

    ¡°I did intend to give the sales to some donation organization again, yes. If you like any of the gifts, I can also buy a replica, but I won''t let you wear the original.¡±

    Blanche squeezed his hand and eyed the gifts that were currently being carried away from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I didn''t intend to wear them or use those creams. I don''t even want them anywhere close to me. I think I can go without a replica too. Thanks to my dear lover, I already have enough jewelry. And even if I did get something else, I would rather have my beloved choose the items.¡±

    The emperor gave her a bright smile. ¡°Good. Then we are on the same page. I will accept you taking everyone else''s presents but not theirs. And the ones from the Vasquez family shouldn''t stay here either. And Sefare''s ones won''t-¡±

    She shushed him by patting his hand. ¡°Obviously. I don''t want anything from them either. I just have to accept them happily in public, and then my job will be done. The worst conversation is already over, even if I am a little worried about that surprise Cedar mentioned. I feel like he just said that to upset me, but what if they really planned something bad?¡± Or what if he had wanted to warn her? He should have no reason to do that, but by telling her that they should delay this, wasn''t he hinting at the fact that she should avoid this ¡®gift¡¯? But maybe that was just her imagination.

    Theodore rubbed small circles into her skin as his gaze followed his family. A small frown formed on his face. ¡°If they are brazen enough to trouble us in public, they will be the ones losing. This is why I can''t imagine them trying anything too bad. Even if they would, I am on your side. The worst they could plan is condemning Sefare in public, like I mentioned before. If they do that, it will be annoying, but it wouldn''t matter much. So, nothing can happen at all. This is our palace, and if anyone annoys us, we can throw them out. I proved that I was serious about banning people that offended you, so they can''t say anything.¡±

    Blanche tried to ignore that her lover had called it their palace and moved on with the conversation. ¡°I don''t think you can just throw out the dowager empress though. Even if I have to admit that I don''t understand how she still has that status. That woman is a horrible actress. How did she get anyone to believe that she is a good person, especially after the trial? Based on how cold she acts around you, no one should have trouble believing that she tried to kill you.¡±

    ¡°She can act if she feels like it is necessary, which is rather rare. She won''t put on a facade if she talks to people below her rank, which she can use as she sees fit. She acted in front of the empress and during the trial as well as whenever my father was there, but aside from that, she has always been freezing or hysteric and nothing in between. That woman sees no need in pretending to be kind to people she has deemed unworthy of being her pawns, so she is rather honest when it comes to that. I presume her strong family relations and her impressive connections to some sketchy people kept people from criticizing her, so her aggressive fits were never corrected. She never showed her anger this openly before she entered confinement though. She has some personal grudges regarding us, so it makes sense. I ruined all of her plans by putting her on trial after fooling her with sweet words for a while. She is probably still embarrassed about that. There is no way that she would be able to forgive me. And you are a thorn in her flesh just because you''re my lover. I think she compares you to Althea, which might be why she is so sensitive when it comes to you.¡±

    Blanche could understand why she would be compared to another concubine, of whom Camille had always been jealous. But that Theodore had insisted on a trial and used tricks to corner the people that tried to kill him was logical. That anyone, especially one of the people behind that assassination attempt, could be upset about that was ridiculous.

    Blanche reached for her lover''s hand and then interlocked their fingers. ¡°I see. It doesn''t matter much though. They are gone for now, and even if they will annoy us later again, we have some free time now. We only have to wait for the next guests to come and do everything again. Fake smiles and greetings, and then I need to open the gifts and thank them. There shouldn''t be any issue.¡± Even if the next people in line were the Duremonts, who wouldn''t be happy to see the concubine taking the empress'' throne. She looked up and froze upon seeing that the concerned family was already approaching them. ¡°It seems like we won''t have any chance to rest then.¡±

    Theodore ignored her attempt to pull her hand away and kept her caged with his fingers. ¡°They won''t be able to do anything. Believe me. They won''t risk ruining their reputation by causing a scene now. Besides, it''s your birthday, so you should obviously be the main character.¡± If that was his only reason for doing it, she would be much calmer. But from what she had heard, it sounded like he was a bit more ambitious than that.

    Blanche forced herself to smile and turned to the group coming toward them.

    Elaine was definitely the calmest one of all of them. The duchess had a slight frown on her face, but she was probably the only one keeping the men calm. Her iron-like grip on her husband''s arm proved that much.

    Allen was upset and not very good at hiding it. He was balling his fists and scanning the concubine with visible dismay.

    But as expected, Henry was the person here that was absolutely terrifying. Right now, it still looked like he had barely grasped what was going on, but his expression was already full of rage. Even while the men bowed and Elaine curtsied, he didn''t stop glaring, which wasn''t very pleasant.

    Blanche could just hope that he still remembered how she had saved Grace.

 Chapter 251: Small Talk and Gifts One May or May Not Keep (3)

    Henry''s fury was never nice to witness. Obviously, it was even worse today. After everything audacious the couple had done, the following conversion couldn''t be friendly.

    And now the concubine had to address him. Great. She could immediately come up with all kinds of things that would be more pleasant, but she had no choice if she didn''t want to be impertinent. ¡°Good evening, Your Grace. I am honored to see that you and your family took time out of your busy day to see us. It is a pleasure that you are here to enjoy this event. Were there any issues during the trip here?¡± She hoped that this didn''t sound like she made fun of them for being forced to come due to the emperor''s invitation.

    Henry narrowed his eyes at her and opened his mouth, which caused his wife to pinch his arm. He looked at Elaine, who whispered something to him. That made him stay silent for another moment before his face fell. Then he raised his head to the concubine again. ¡°Good evening, Lady Blanche. May you enjoy this wonderful day. We are here to congratulate you on your birthday. We hope that you will stay healthy and full of energy this year too. There weren''t any issues during our trip.¡± One could see how defeated he felt upon being forced to say that. It might have even made the concubine feel a little bad if he hadn''t spoken in such an icy tone.

    But now, Blanche just continued to show a polite smile. ¡°Thank you, Your Grace. As I said, it is an honor to welcome you here. Naturally, receiving your wishes is only an even greater honor. It is good to hear that you arrived here without problems. I hope that your daily life is as unproblematic as before. Is that the case, Your Grace?¡± She glanced at the duchess.

    Elaine managed to put on a little grin as well even if hers was rather strained, probably thanks to her fear of her husband losing his temper. She kept glancing at him while speaking. ¡°Happy birthday, Lady Blanche. We will make sure to treasure such a wonderful celebration and are extremely grateful for your invitation. Thankfully, we cannot complain about any difficulties. I assume that life within the royal palace is calm as well?¡±

    Theodore chimed in at that. ¡°Right now, there aren''t any issues. Fortunately, some minor incident two weeks ago was resolved quickly. Since Prince Linden left, it has been way more relaxing. After all, some specific person kept approaching our guest, and now we can finally send him away. That alone is enough to raise our mood. Good evening, Your Grace. I am happy to see that you and your family are doing well. It may be a little inappropriate to ask this now, but I''m curious. How is that matter going?¡± He became a bit more serious as he addressed this. ¡°Is there anything special going on, or will it end like expected? I heard that she was brought into the most secure prison in the capital. Were there any strange movements?¡± He was referring to Evelyn, which didn''t quite make the mood any better.

    Elaine''s face fell as she was forced to remember her traitorous sister. ¡°Fortunately, nothing much happened. My sister is still...delusional. She insists that we, or rather my husband, will come to help her no matter how often she is told that it won''t happen. She just keeps talking about events that never took place and misinterprets ones that did occur. At the same time, she caused a scene multiple times, which is why the guards already have a strong dislike for her. I don''t think that she will be treated very kindly.¡± She lowered her gaze to the floor, and it was Henry''s turn to pat her hand. It was easy to understand how horrible she had to feel after all that had happened during the emperor''s birthday party. Evelyn had even confessed to trying to kill Elaine in her youth, which certainly added another dent to the younger sister''s well-being. At the moment, it would be hard for Elaine to process all of this.

    Theodore gave her a moment to calm down before responding. ¡°I see. That is what we expected. I do not mean to interfere with your decisions, but I would not recommend going to meet her again. Her illness will not get better if she sees you and believes that you will help her at some point. But I do not care much for her. I am only worried about it taking a toll on you.¡±

    Elaine forced herself to smile. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. We will take care of this matter soon. I thank you for your support during the investigation and the trial. And naturally, we cannot thank Lady Blanche enough either.¡±

    Immediately, the concubine''s smile became more nervous as well. She still had no idea how to deal with praise for saving Grace when she had just acted like any other person with the novel''s memories would have. So, addressing this topic was always uncomfortable for her. Still, she chose to speak up to avoid ignoring the other woman. ¡°While I am grateful for your support, there is no need to thank me. I was merely reacting to a threat like anyone else would have. I did that gladly, and I would always do it again without expecting anyone''s praise.¡±

    Henry narrowed his eyes at that and looked to the side as if he was annoyed. Elaine gave him an irritated look, which almost gave this scene a comical appearance.

    Blanche still expected that she might have a problem with Duke Duremont unless she ended the conversation as soon as possible. So she hurried to speak up to address Allen. ¡°It is good to see that you are healthy too, Lord Duremont.¡± At least she couldn''t see any dark circles under his eyes, which made it seem like he hadn''t had any other nightmares. It appeared like the herb-tea had helped him. ¡°I assume that you do not have many issues when your family is relaxed.¡±

    Allen nodded at her. ¡°Happy birthday, Lady Blanche. I hope that you are well on this joyful day. Fortunately, I did not encounter trouble. It was very relaxed. It is good to hear that there weren''t any issues in the palace either.¡±

    Theodore took over once more. ¡°Naturally, we are rather thankful too. We can only hope that it will stay like this in the future. Thanks to the royal guards, we feel very safe too. Even if there are some smaller issues outside, we have no problems within the palace walls.¡±

    That concluded everything that they were required to say to each other. It was clear to see that no one here wanted to speak more than absolutely necessary. So, the concubine was tempted to offer the family to hand over the gifts now just so that they could leave after. But at the same time, proposing it this quickly might be a little disrespectful. Staying silent was awful too, so she would have to start another topic before they just stared at each other.

    But she didn''t have any idea what to talk about. Mentioning Seraphina was a death sentence and would make it seem like she was mocking the empress. Chatting about Linden felt strange too when she knew about his relationship with the empress but wasn''t sure whether the Duremonts were aware. Aside from that, there wasn''t much she desired to tell the other family. In fact, there was close to nothing she wanted to mention. After all, it felt like Henry was a bit less upset than he should have been today. Maybe Seraphina had warned him not to provoke the emperor, but no one knew how far the duke''s patience would go.

    So, Blanche just sat there and smiled at them without having a clue about what she should say. There was nothing new in her life aside from the royal couple''s looming divorce and her lover''s wish to possibly give her a rank that she would struggle with a lot. Naturally, saying any of that was a horrible idea. Wasn''t there some extremely superficial topic she could address? There had to be something like that. She just needed a little idea, just something that would give them a chance to speak a bit longer.

    A memory of Allen mentioning his interests flashed through her mind. She immediately clung to that thought. It was desperate but better than nothing.

    ¡°Ah, Lord Duremont. Are you still busy examining plants and herbs? I believe you said that you were interested in it a while ago. Did that change, or are you as immersed as before?¡±

    Allen seemed to be a bit taken aback by that, but he responded after only a few seconds. ¡°I am still as interested in it as before. Unfortunately, I was required to take care of some different matters in between, which is why I have less time now. But I do go out to examine all kinds of plants in the forest near our estate.¡± Judging by his mother''s expression, his parents weren''t too happy about that. It was understandable. Allen was supposed to become the next duke and deal with politics and the economy. If none of that interested him too much, he would rather do something else like going outside. But that wouldn''t help the household much.

    Of course, Blanche kept quiet about that and only addressed the other topic she deemed more important to keep the conversation going. ¡°It is good that you found something that interests you. As long as you are still taking care of your responsibilities, there is nothing wrong with broadening your horizon. I have met few people that are interested in that topic. It seems to be a rare subject among most nobles.¡±

    Theodore let out a chuckle that was just quiet enough for her to hear. ¡°Most people like to let others deal with that and only pick up the results to use them elsewhere. It''s calming to see that some people on our side might qualify to create antidotes at some point.¡± He turned to Allen. ¡°Lord Astame is very knowledgeable when it comes to poisons too. If you share that interest, you might be well off talking to each other.¡±

    Allen didn''t even hide how his face scrunched up. At least not before he remembered that showing his personal grudges in front of the emperor like this wasn''t the most clever choice. He tried to cover up his slight annoyance at that proposal. ¡°Thank you for the hint, Your Majesty. But I am the type of person that would rather deal with things like this by myself. Studying with others is not something I''m good at.¡± Seemingly, he and Leon still didn''t like each other just because of that one incident. It was almost a little ridiculous.

    But Blanche wouldn''t get involved in that. Even if the original conflict had been connected to her, it wasn''t her fault if two adult men still didn''t get over a silly quarrel. So, she chose to change the topic. If nothing worked anymore, mentioning rumors would always save the conversation for at least a few seconds. ¡°Everyone has their own preferences. Of course, you should decide what fits you better. I apologize for keeping you busy for long, but there is something else I''m curious about. Have you, or your family in general, visited the capital during the last weeks? There is not much to hear about the city here. Are there any new developments or rumors we should be aware of?¡± Somehow, it seemed like her question hadn''t been wise.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Henry''s expression darkened, and only Elaine''s quick intervention kept him from speaking. ¡°A big number of crimes have been exposed lately. Seemingly, many rather influential people committed tax fraud or hoarded their wealth in some other illegal way. Everything is being revealed at the same time, so it appears like someone is dealing with those cases. But we have only left our estate for a picnic and a visit to the Bellfaux estate. So, we did not have much to do with rumors in the capital.¡±

    The concubine had a suspicion about who the person going against corrupt nobles might be. She glanced at her lover, who had a confident grin on his face. It seemed like he was doing his all to trouble his brother''s faction. She wouldn''t complain about that.

    Blanche just decided to be polite. ¡°If criminals are being punished, that is wonderful. We should be happy that so many people that go against our nation are being found. They will be put on trial. The guilty ones will pay for what they did wrong, and the innocent ones will be released. There is nothing wrong with that. Thank you for the information.¡± Blanche had said enough with that. Ending the conversation now had to be fine, right? ¡°I do not wish to bother you much longer so that you may enjoy the rest of the evening by yourselves.¡± She gestured to the servants, who hurried to bring her the gift. As soon as she had the box on her lap, she smiled at the group. ¡°I am honored to receive gifts from you. That alone fills me with joy. I am truly grateful to be met with so much kindness.¡± After voicing a bunch of empty words, she opened the present and was greeted by three different things, which she assumed to have been chosen by one of the Duremonts each.

    It was clear that the perfume had been Elaine''s choice. The concubine assumed that Henry had picked the small porcelain statue of two young girls sitting on a meadow, and Allen had probably been the one choosing the bracelet. All of these items were beautiful as well, but this time, the concubine would actually be able to use them. Perfume was always good, and she had more than enough attires to match this bracelet. Even the statue was beautiful, so she could place it on top of one of the dressers in her room. She stared at the items for a little moment and carefully stroked her fingers over the statue. Blanche had almost been convinced that the paint would fall off, but it didn''t. She hadn''t necessarily expected a gift from Henry and had believed that it might have a double meaning if she did get one. That this might not be the case was surprising. But then again, Henry was typically showing his anger outright instead of being petty.

    Blanche lifted her head to beam at the group. ¡°These are wonderful gifts. I wish to sincerely thank you. They were chosen very well, and I will make sure to use them.¡±

    Elaine returned the smile, this time with less hesitance than before. ¡°We are overjoyed to hear that. If they are of good use to you, we will be even happier. If I may mention it, I would like to point something else out. Our son was the one personally creating this perfume. As you know, he has recently gained interest in plants, herbs and any related topics and started performing some experiments. He was able to extract some of the essences of flowers and mixed them together to create this. Until now, only I have been able to try it. Since I believe that it was a good product, I recommended allowing other noble ladies to use it too. He came up with a new fragrance just a few days ago, and we believed that you may wish to try it.¡±

    Blanche didn''t believe that this was specifically made for her for one second, even if Elaine had made it sound like it. This was obviously an attempt to make Allen''s products known so that he would be able to sell them better. But there wasn''t anything bad about that. It was a clever way to make the emperor''s lover, whom everyone talked about, accept one of those items. Without a doubt, people would notice and pay attention if they saw such items being sold anywhere. If Blanche got a free perfume, she didn''t mind being used to gather interest either. Then people staring at her might actually have another effect aside from stressing her out, and the Duremonts might hate her a tiny bit less if she helped them that way.

    Blanche was just surprised that Allen had managed to gain interest in such an activity by himself. To her, he had just seemed like someone that trailed behind his older sister, so seeing him doing something for himself for once was new. ¡°Thank you, Lord Duremont. It''s impressive that you were able to create something this special without others'' help. I will try it as soon as I get the chance.¡± While she said that, she was already thinking about whether she had done something wrong. After all, it felt like someone was glaring at her. She turned her head slightly and scanned the ballroom before stopping when she saw Briana. She almost sighed when she saw how distressed that girl looked.

    She knew exactly that some people wouldn''t understand the business aspect of this. They would misunderstand and possibly believe that Allen might not hate Blanche anymore since he had allegedly made perfume for her. But obviously, no one here in the room was clueless enough to believe that he suddenly liked the rival of his beloved sister. No one but his fianc¨¦e. Apparently, Marquess Bellfaux and Madeleine hadn''t noticed either and happily chatted with Sophia and her husband. Blanche would have liked to wave to Briana to invite her over in secret, but that wasn''t possible right now while they were in public. They couldn''t quite talk without letting all guests know.

    But one look at Briana''s face broke her heart. That poor girl was way too dependent on a clueless man.

    And if Blanche happened to help a little, maybe Allen would be grateful later. She didn''t have any high hopes, but ensuring that the future duke and duchess of Duremont didn''t hate her might be worth an attempt.

    Blanche just told herself that this wouldn''t cost her anything. She turned to Allen and spoke up with a smile. ¡°It is good to see that you use your talent to create something new. If the quality is high, you will have no issue selling this soon. Before that, you need to spread the word about this perfume though. I''m sure that many people around you would like to try your products. Especially a specific young lady.¡± She glanced at Briana, who took a step back at that. The concubine was sure that this little hint should have been enough for that young woman''s fianc¨¦ to get it, but unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.

    Allen was slightly confused at her comment. ¡°I am uncertain of whom you may be referring to.¡±

    Blanche closed her eyes for a moment. Apparently, she needed to be direct, or he wouldn''t get it. ¡°How about asking Lady Bellfaux to try it too? I''m sure that she would be happy to try a perfume her fianc¨¦ made for her.¡± Anyone with even a little understanding of romance would have agreed now.

    But Allen''s response was rather disappointing with him still being irritated and having no clue what she was talking about. ¡°I understand why you might believe that. But I doubt that she is a person that would like such things. She hasn''t bought anything like perfume for a while since she still has enough at home. She mentioned liking specific fragrances sometimes but never actually went into the city to buy them. When I explained that one of the new perfumes would be your gift, she didn''t seem to be interested either. So, she must not need anything.¡±

    How could a person be so dense? Briana had obviously described what kind of perfume she would like and had been jealous upon not being able to try it first, and this idiot hadn''t understood. Even Elaine gave her son an irritated look before exchanging a quick glance with her husband.

    Blanche didn''t manage to keep her expression straight at that. She averted her eyes and pressed her lips into a line.

    Theodore next to her laughed about that though. He grinned at the Duremonts and spoke up as quietly as he could to let Allen still understand him. ¡°Lord Duremont, you are not familiar with the way that some people express their wishes. In your case, Lady Bellfaux was disappointed that you did not let her try your products first and chose to gift them to someone else. And when she mentioned what sort of things she likes, she was referring to what you can get her to make her happy. She wants you to gift her something, and that is why she didn''t buy it herself.¡±

    Allen seemed to freeze at that. ¡°Really?¡± He looked at the emperor, his mother and his father one after the other. When everyone nodded, he turned to his fianc¨¦e before staring at the floor. It looked like he was completely confused now.

    Blanche had to hold back a chuckle. Surely, having this conversation wouldn''t do much politically, but it seemed like she had found Allen''s weak spot. If anything went wrong, maybe involving Brianna could make things better. So, Blanche tried her best to do something the other woman would thank her for. ¡°You can at least offer her one vial, and you will see whether we are right. I wish you good luck. Please have a pleasant evening and enjoy yourselves to the fullest. We may see each other later.¡± Another glance at Briana made her add something else even though she should have stayed quiet. ¡°And please visit the person we were referring to now. She may be feeling a little unwell.¡±

    Allen immediately spun around at that, which caused his mother to tap his arm so that wouldn''t turn his back on the emperor.

    Elaine was the one taking care of the goodbyes for her whole family. ¡°Of course, Lady Blanche. May you enjoy your festivities as well. Until we happen to see each other again.¡± It almost looked like she was shoving her son and husband away when she started moving after the emperor bid them farewell too. It wasn''t surprising that she was the person keeping the men in check. Not when Henry was still fuming quietly with something like shame on his face while Allen would have liked to run to Briana immediately.

    When the Duremonts left, the concubine breathed out in relief. This had gone better than she had expected. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the backrest before beginning quietly. ¡°Supporting the romance between the future duke and duchess is one thing. But I thought that Duke Duremont would explode for sure. He was awfully calm today for his usual behavior.¡±

    Theodore''s reply followed immediately. ¡°He is embarrassed. You saving his beloved granddaughter doesn''t allow his consciousness to hate you any longer. At the same time, his eldest daughter must have forbidden him from opening his mouth, and he noticed that harming my reputation will strengthen my brother. He just can''t do anything about this, and that upsets him a lot. But don''t worry. He will get over it. Do you think offering him tea that lowers his blood pressure will make him mad?¡±

    Blanche whipped her head around to him. ¡°Please don''t do that. We just went through the conversation without beginning a war and tried to convince Lord Duremont to forget his hatred for us. Shouldn''t we try to get along with them? I''m very happy as long as they support you. After all, making them help us will be for the best for both us and our children. It will also be better for the whole nation.¡±

    The emperor chuckled at that. ¡°Yes, yes. I know. It''s just tempting. But since him hearing about the divorce and what will follow will only anger him more, we should try to get on his good side for the moment until his daughter finally reveals it. For his sake. After all, becoming our enemy won''t be pleasant for him. But let''s not deal with frustrating subjects on your birthday. Let''s make fun of Lord Duremont instead.¡± Theodore hid his mouth behind his hand and whispered to his lover. ¡°Was I ever that dense? Please tell me I wasn''t.¡±

    Blanche shrugged and replied in a low volume. ¡°I remember having to wait at least two weeks for a kiss and three months for you to touch me. Despite my obvious advances, someone was scared of me feeling pressured, so I was worried about doing something wrong at the end.¡±

    The emperor smirked at that. ¡°I remember that too. Those were the tensest three months of my whole life. Holding back while you acted like that was the most painful thing I could have imagined.¡± Talking about things like this in public was one of the least intelligent things they could do, but they didn''t pay much attention to that.

    Blanche was completely focused on her lover, and joking with him to break the strained atmosphere was perfect. ¡°Then maybe you shouldn''t have held back while I was begging you to touch me. I had self-doubts when you didn''t react to my attempts to coax you into going just a bit farther. I was so embarrassed that you can''t imagine it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I certainly can. After all, I was much more embarrassed when you started touching me. I thought that you weren''t doing it purposefully and was angry at myself for not being able to keep my cool. You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world, and I was already completely enchanted back then. Obviously, your attempts didn''t leave me unaffected. There were times when I thought my heart was going to burst. And sleeping next to you after you tried something was the worst. You were sleeping soundly while I was lying there and tried to keep myself from imagining how adorable you would be if I could finally touch you. You have no idea how...¡± Theodore cut himself off and looked at the area in front of the thrones. ¡°I''m surprised that he dared to show up.¡±

    Indeed.

    It was a surprise that Luciano Vasquez was actually here after all that had happened. That would make things interesting. Especially since they suspected that this man''s father might have a somewhat strained relationship with Cedar and Camille now. Would that change anything? Blanche wasn''t sure. They certainly wouldn''t become friends because of that either though.

    Judging by Luciano''s expression, he was very aware of what a stiff situation he was currently in. This could certainly become interesting.

 Chapter 252: Small Talk and Gifts One May or May Not Keep (4)

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 Chapter 253: A Stressful Visitor Chimes In

    that person is not present. It may mean that he is at his limit. But it may also prove that cornered people become ugly. We should keep our guard up.¡±

    everyone to know that one of her children might be the next emperor or empress yet. But that relief quickly disappeared when she realized that the reason Sophia had stopped was a guard.

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 Chapter 254: Condemnation (1)

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    today explicitly?¡±

    her day just because you were in the mood to convict a criminal here. If you may allow me to speak openly, I find it rather disrespectful to suddenly take care of political matters that have nothing to do with this event right now. I expect you to apologize for this immediately before leaving and taking this person with you. He will be put on trial in the capital, so there is no need to publicly state his crimes when they will be published as soon as he is convicted anyway. That is easy to understand, correct?¡±

 Chapter 255: Condemnation (2)

    ¡° were the victim in all of this. But rest assured that everyone here will know. Even if those people run their mouths, your reputation will not suffer.¡± Theodore didn''t pay attention to the fact that they weren''t alone and gently pressed his lips onto hers. At the same time, he cupped her face with his hands, which didn''t allow her to move away. But she didn''t even attempt to do that. She couldn''t bring herself to care about the people around them and let him kiss her until she was breathless. Still, she didn''t let go of his hand and just clung to his arms. The emperor slowly moved back a little to give her some space while intertwining their fingers. ¡°Is everything truly fine? I will kiss you as often as I have to get these horrible thoughts out of your head.¡±

    ¡°

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    once again interrupted by Camille.

 Chapter 256: Condemnation (3)

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    huge threat now. It would even have made sense for Seraphina to take matters into her own hands to get rid of that threat as she had done it in the original storyline.

 Chapter 257: The Tables Have Turned

    Camille tried to hide her anger, but it was clear that she hadn''t expected this. She had planned to make Theodore turn his back on his lover, and that he acted against her judgment ruined all of her plans. Now she was the center of attention, and thanks to the emperor''s words, everyone had understood that her intentions were vile. This left her with no choice but to retreat, and it was obvious how much a woman like Camille hated bowing down to others. Still, she had no choice but to save the shards of her reputation that had remained.

    The dowager empress forced herself to neutralize her expression before speaking up. ¡°I understand. It does make sense how people could misjudge my intentions. But I am not to be blamed. I merely wished to warn His Majesty as soon as possible, so I decided not to waste any more time. That created an unfavorable situation. Hopefully, Lord Sefare will be able to testify in front of a proper trial so that we can clear all the suspicions about Lady Blanche. Then we will finally be enlightened about the truth of this whole incident.¡± Surely, those words didn''t make up for the trouble she had caused, but they might help a lot when it came to keeping up appearances. After all, making it seem like she was merely worrying about her son could lead to others possibly forgiving her. She wasn''t even done talking, which could only mean that she intended to spin her lies until everyone had calmed down. So, cutting her off might be better.

    It was just a little idea at first, but quickly, Blanche found the resolve to sort her thoughts. Right now, their enemies had made a miscalculation. Due to Theodore supporting his lover, the dowager empress had cornered herself with a ridiculous idea. That meant that Camille needed to change the public''s mind now. But the situation right now was favorable for the emperor and his lover. Blanche didn''t need long to realize that intervening at this moment and convincing the others that she was the victim to point out that Camille and Cedar were the vile ones was much better. It felt odd to suddenly try to use this situation for her gain, but if it helped them even just a little bit, she would do it.

    Blanche took a deep breath before she gave her best to speak up in a calm voice. ¡°The way you talk makes it seem like you still believe me to be a criminal.¡±

    In an instant, everyone looked at her, and she tensed. Now that she had the others'' attention she needed to make sure that she managed to convince them of her innocence. This incident almost made it too easy to point out how hateful Camille was, so it shouldn''t be too hard.

    The concubine continued, trying her best to steady her voice. ¡°Even though multiple people already affirmed that I never committed a crime that would attract your anger, you treat me like a criminal. That you chose to address this openly without consulting me proves that you do not trust me in the slightest. I cannot demand that you change your mind. After all, you have been opposed to me ever since we met, and due to our difference in status, it might have been understandable at first. But today, you wished to name me a traitor and accused me of not only betraying Theo but also of betraying Artias. It does seem like you do not think very highly of me. Thus, my heart can''t help but ache at that thought. Could I perhaps hear the reason for your strong dislike for me?¡± That had sounded a bit more manipulative than she had intended to act, but it fulfilled its purpose. While speaking, she had only put her hand on her heart and given the other woman a serious look, and that appeared to have been enough.

    The guests turned to the dowager empress and awaited a response that didn''t come immediately.

    Camille narrowed her eyes at the concubine and took a moment before replying. ¡°Do not misunderstand me. This has nothing to do with personal feelings. I am merely worried about the fact that my son seems to have fallen for a commoner to the point of treating her better than his lawful wife. I know that he is not careless enough to act this selfishly on his own, so I had to assume that you were the one steering him in that direction. To influence the emperor of Artias for your own personal gain is more than just impudent and egoistic. It could cause serious issues for every citizen in this nation. Thus, I wished to ensure that your background was not affiliated with people who are planning on destroying our country with their vile plots. It is easy to imagine what I was thinking when I found out about your connection to Lord Sefare''s scheme.¡± It seemed like she wouldn''t give up this easily.

    But that only meant that Blanche had to insist on getting what she wanted. Every single person that turned away from Camille because of this was a success, so the concubine had to resume. She looked into the dowager empress'' eyes and spoke up as loudly as before. ¡°But even then, should you not have investigated before coming to false conclusions? As you heard, I was taken in by Sefare after becoming an orphan. Then he brought me to the palace and said that I had three options. I could either give up and end up on the streets, be executed, or I could try to speak to the emperor and convince him that I wasn''t a threat. I can understand why you would blame me for approaching Theo on purpose, but I did not see another way for me to survive. My choice was obvious.¡± She paused for a moment and scanned the other woman''s expression.

    Camille was fuming. Good. When the dowager empress was upset, she seemed to make a lot more mistakes. So, enraging her was the best way to win.

    Blanche tried to pour all of her sincerity into her words while continuing. ¡°But I also believed it to be obvious that I soon developed feelings for Theo. You may not have known me for long, but everyone that interacted with me during the past two years is aware of the fact that I show my emotions rather openly. It was the same with all of my affection for Theodore. My love could never be fake, and I can assure you that your son is very much capable of differentiating between people who lie and people who don''t. During the two years I stayed here, I also never used Theo''s power to my advantage. I only got involved in politics once when I proposed a law during a casual conversation as every citizen could. He believed that it might help him and implemented it. But it rather led to advantages for our nation and not to disadvantages. What made you believe that I was attempting to make him do something that would harm Artias? It does not make sense.¡±

    As expected, Camille couldn''t stay silent for long. The fact that a concubine talked back to her enraged her so much that she had to interrupt. ¡°So, you claim that I should have believed in you after finding out that you were allied with a man that wanted to kill Theodore?¡± Technically, no decisive clue about Sefare''s assassination attempt had been found yet since it hadn''t happened at all, but that didn''t matter.

    Blanche clearly had the upper hand. Now she only had to add the final words that would hint at what she was really trying to say. ¡°I understand your concern, but did you ever consider my possible goals? Even if I was only a stupid, selfish and materialistic person that uses Theo to enrich myself, then why would I attempt to destroy our nation? Theo is the emperor, and he would only lose power if Artias suffered, so I would never benefit from our country losing wealth. In short, you do not have any reason to believe that I would commit treason when I''m completely dependent on Theo. Why did you assume that I would wish for his death? Even if you say that I don''t love him, it wouldn''t gain me anything. So, why did you think that I would have the motivation to kill him and were confident enough to announce it in front of everyone here? Without any proof, nonetheless.¡± There was no way to explain that.

    Camille could only have justified this by saying that people from her faction had promised the concubine more power and even the position of the empress. This claim would make it obvious that she was going against Theodore, and that was the one thing she didn''t want to and couldn''t admit. So, the dowager empress was speechless. But the fact that a mere commoner had dared to corner her filled her with so much rage that nothing but pure resentment was visible in her eyes. After a moment, she did reply, but her words weren''t a response in any way. ¡°You are a foolish woman.¡±

    That argument wouldn''t help her much.

    Blanche barely had to think about coming up with a response. ¡°Would you care to explain that accusation? What have I done to make you react like that? Do you perhaps not know how to reply to my questions? You must understand that your reasoning was lacking until now.¡±

    Theodore rubbed his thumb over his lover''s hand and gave her a little smile before returning to his serious expression and speaking up. ¡°I agree with everything Blanche said. It seems like you are unable to refute this. Do you know why this looks so bad now? It almost seems like you wanted to bring me and Blanche apart for no specific reason. I hope that this isn''t connected to you comparing her and Althea or you being upset because she refused to do anything that may hurt me. But no matter the reason, you attacked my lover publicly and tried to ruin her reputation. It should be obvious that this incident will not be forgotten any time soon.¡±

    Camille gritted her teeth and glared at the couple on the thrones, seemingly holding back the vilest insults her mind could come up with. For a moment, she was silent before turning to her second son and saying something to him quietly.

    Cedar finally tore his gaze from the door again before talking as his mother had instructed him to. ¡°Naturally. We are fully aware of how awful this may seem. We will take full responsibility to clear Lady Blanche''s name and ensure that everyone knows that she is innocent. This was a severe error on our part, and it will not ever happen again.¡± It was strange for him to take care of saying that when he had been the one wishing to postpone the conversation until they were alone while Camille had insisted on doing it in public.

    This also once again proved that Cedar was the only one thinking clearly in his faction. It made it obvious why Theodore had told him to stay quiet. Though, he seemed to ignore that fully.

    Blanche was enraged enough by the fact that they had wanted to ruin her relationship with Theodore, so this only served to worsen her mood. It might have been petty, but she wanted to upset the ones that wanted to hurt her too. So, she looked right into the prince''s eyes. ¡°It is reassuring to hear that you are aware of what your words could have done. But, Your Royal Highness, words are not enough to erase this event from everyone''s minds. If we do not clear up this misunderstanding, my reputation will suffer. So, I would like a public statement correcting everything. I want an apology from the responsible person too, just to show that they are sincere.¡±

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    Cedar was silent for a second and glanced at Theodore, seemingly being worried about being silenced again, before nodding when he realized that he could speak this time. ¡°Naturally. This was our mistake, so we will have to compensate you for that.¡± He bowed to her and spoke in a calm voice. ¡°We apologize from the bottom of our hearts. This incident should not have happened, and we will do our best to make sure that you will not suffer due to any consequences. Should any issues arise, we will resolve them quickly. We shall also remind the public that you never committed any crimes at any point.¡± It should have been humiliating for a prince to bow to a baroness, but it truly seemed like he didn''t care. As always, Cedar got the short end of the stick to ensure that Camille could escape the consequences of her own actions. But he wasn''t the person that the concubine wanted to provoke right now.

    Blanche waited until he rose again before beginning. ¡°I appreciate your honesty, but you were not the one that insisted on humiliating me in public. She cannot make you take responsibility this time.¡± She turned her gaze to Camille. ¡°That is why I would like to hear an apology from Her Majesty, the dowager empress. She was the one that repeatedly slandered me and accused me of trying to hurt Theo. It should be understandable that I am upset about that.¡±

    Camille''s face scrunched up immediately. Her voice became even louder now. ¡°Making the second prince of Artias bow to you doesn''t seem to be enough to ease your ego. You truly are much more power-hungry than I could have believed you to be. Bringing shame to the royal family isn''t a game, and it is time for someone to remind you of that. I am the dowager empress of Artias and the previous esteemed emperor''s wife. Daring to treat me like that is unacceptable.¡± Her voice was dripping with bitterness now, so she seemed to have reached her breaking point. No matter how often Cedar tapped her arm, she ignored him. Her arrogance would not let her see that she was currently risking staining her reputation, but that was only good for her opponents.

    Clearly, everyone here would remember it if someone refused to apologize after doing something wrong.

    Theodore immediately used that chance for himself as he looked at Camille with an expression that made it seem like she was merely an insect. ¡°So, you are claiming that your status protects you and justifies you committing crimes? I doubt that this is the way a member of the royal family should act. Speaking about shame after you attempted to frame an innocent young woman and tried to ruin her life is ridiculous too. It would be better for you to know when to give in and show some respect to the people you wished to slander. Don''t you dare blame this on anyone else when this was clearly your idea.¡±

    Seraphina, who had watched the whole conversation calmly, now chimed in as well and addressed the dowager empress. ¡°Since you committed a grave mistake, your rank should not serve as a reason to abandon your responsibility. I do not see why your status as a member of the royal family should change anything about this. You caused a scene during an event that was held in the royal palace and was hosted by Lady Blanche and His Majesty. That alone is enough of a reason to justify you apologizing to them. In addition, the rest of your words not only insulted Lady Blanche but also accused her of crimes she did not commit. At the same time, you repeatedly ignored His Majesty''s demands. There is nothing that would allow you to refute that you should apologize to both of them. The other option is to discuss this in front of a court. After all, the worst case could have ended in Lady Blanche being arrested or executed for treason due to your false accusations. Do you understand why it would be beneficial to deal with this now after I explained that?¡±

    Hearing the possible consequences for her made Blanche shiver a bit as she tried to keep herself still. Luckily, she wouldn''t be executed for treason. It would have been quite upsetting to be caught in such a horrible trap. But instead of being scared of a possible outcome she had avoided, she forced herself to focus on what was happening in front of her.

    The dowager empress didn''t take Seraphina''s comments well. She clenched her jaw and almost looked like she was about to snap. This whole evening wasn''t going like she had imagined it to, and she didn''t hide that even when Cedar tried to whisper something to her. She opened her mouth, only to close it again. A moment later, her face neutralized, and she spoke up in a calm tone. ¡°The issue is not that I am unwilling to voice my regrets about what happened today. I fear that the royal family bowing to anyone, especially a baroness of commoner origin, will make people believe that they can pressure us into obeying. That is why it is indeed rather inappropriate for me to-¡±

    Theodore cut her off with a freezing expression on his face. ¡°I can ease your worries about that. You will bow to someone that has a higher status than you. If that isn''t enough to convince you, I do not mind finding another way to ensure that you finally do what you were asked to do. I, Theodore Estien, the emperor of Artias, am hereby ordering Camille Estien to apologize. You are guilty of slandering an innocent person and even risking them being viewed as a traitor. Your inappropriate behavior in general will also need to be explained.¡± After he said this in a booming voice, everyone was silent.

    The dowager empress froze at her spot. It took her a moment to understand. Then she turned around to scan the faces of the people around her. No one could disobey the emperor''s orders unless countless others deemed the demands he had made to be unreasonable. She probably hoped for someone to speak up for her so that she wouldn''t have to listen.

    But no one did her the favor.

    Everyone here seemed to be convinced that she had to take responsibility for her actions now. There wasn''t anyone here that wished to anger the emperor. Camille continuously became more upset at that until pure malice was visible in her eyes.

    Cedar watched that for a moment before stepping closer to her. He grabbed her arm and brought his mouth to her ear to whisper something to her. The longer he spoke, the uglier his mother''s expression got.

    After a short while, the dowager empress stood still and glared into the nothingness in front of her.

    Only then, Cedar let go of her and stepped aside. He bowed to the thrones again. ¡°Please give Mother a moment. She is used to the royal family not ever showing something like submission. She is deeply sorry for this incident and will apologize though.¡±

    Camille turned her gaze to him and narrowed her eyes at his back before slowly turning to the thrones. Her face was full of disgust and hatred as she slowly bowed her head and lifted the hem of her dress to hint a curtsy. It was barely anything, but she wouldn''t do more than that. ¡°I apologize for bringing forward accusations during a ball instead of a trial, Lady Blanche. It was not my intention to harm you or stain your reputation. I was merely worried.¡± Her wrathful voice made clear that she didn''t mean a single of the things she had said.

    Cedar hurried to take over before she could add anything. ¡°We hope that you see it in your generous heart to forgive us just this once. There will not be any incidents like this ever again since we are fully convinced of your loyalty to Artias and the royal family now. We will make it up to you a dozen times. Please accept our heartfelt apology.¡±

    Blanche was very much aware that she could drive Camille mad by just denying it outright. But that would also risk other people questioning whether her motives were peace-oriented. Still, she wouldn''t ever forgive them for trying to make Theodore hate her. ¡°I will accept your apology, but it does not erase the memories left by this day. I hope that you will remember that words have consequences too. If you did destroy my reputation with this, you are responsible and will need to put in an effort to restore it. But this is nothing that can be seen today. Only time will tell what this unthoughtful action may have caused.¡± She didn''t say anything else.

    The dowager empress was fuming while Cedar put on his fake smile as he spoke up. ¡°Of course. I promised that we would deal with it personally if issues did arise. The Estien family values their promises. That is why you can calm down and rest assured that everything will be taken care of. Naturally, I also understand that you are quite displeased and do not wish to see us in the near future. That is why we will take your leave now as long as His Majesty gives us his permission.¡±

    That was a clever move. Camille shouldn''t stay here for much longer, or she would end up doing something that might trouble them even more.

    Theodore didn''t let his brother wait long. ¡°You successfully ruined this event, so there is no need for you to stay. Please do leave as soon as possible. And since you managed to enrage me a lot, I would recommend not appearing in my field of view for the next few weeks.¡±

    Cedar quickly nodded. ¡°Of course. We apologize for this once again. We will compensate you for this.¡± He took a step back and bowed. ¡°Goodbye, Your Majesty. Goodbye, Lady Blanche.¡± He straightened his posture again and linked his arm with his mother''s.

    Camille looked like she wanted to shake him off and protest, but one look at the people around them made her stop. Her face was nothing but a mask made out of wrath, but she didn''t refuse anymore and let her son lead her away. ¡°We will take our leave now.¡± Announcing that was completely unnecessary, but she seemed to have felt the need to maintain the image of a behaved woman even though she had already destroyed most of that.

    Thus, the dowager empress and the prince left the ballroom through the opened doors that led to the balcony. The two men that had brought Sefare followed them without saying anything.

    As soon as they were gone, Theodore''s expression turned from wrathful to annoyed. He let his gaze roam across the guests before facing his lover. ¡°I''m sorry that it ended up like this. I never believed that they would actually try something this grand. If I had, I would have prevented them from coming. I''m really sorry.¡±

    Blanche gave him a weak smile. ¡°It''s fine. It''s not like this was a pleasant event, but it helped us, didn''t it? The dowager empress messed up, and this will haunt her forever. We can always use this event to remind the people of whom the vile one here is. Then we have an advantage.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I would have favored it if this didn''t happen during your birthday. This was supposed to be a joyful day. I wanted it to be perfect for you, and now they ruined it.¡± Her lover looked like he was truly dejected because of this.

    The concubine leaned over to him and put her hand on his cheek. ¡°There is nothing to be sad about. It will never be as bad as the birthday right after my family''s death, so there is no need for you to feel guilty. This day was perfect. After all, I got to spend time with you, and if we end the ball early now, we can be together for even longer. So, don''t hesitate to send everyone home.¡±

    Theodore gave her a little smile, but his eyes were still full of sadness. ¡°Alright. I will make it up to you later.¡± He turned to the guests again and spoke up at a louder volume. ¡°It seems like this unexpected incident may have dampened everyone''s spirits a little. That is why I would suggest ending this ball now, even if I would have liked to deal with it differently. Due to Lord Sefare collapsing, it would be strange to continue celebrating though. I will not send you home if it is unfitting for you. You may stay here and spend the time meeting relatives or friends. Though, we will need to take care of the investigation regarding the incident here, so we shall retreat now.¡± With that, he rose to his feet and offered Blanche his hand

    The concubine stood up as well and accepted his offer. She accompanied him and walked down the stairs alongside him. They approached the door with the intention of leaving immediately, but they didn''t have the chance to do that.

    Sophia rushed toward them and stopped in front of them. She made a quick curtsy before looking at the other woman with round eyes.

    Blanche could imagine what this was about. She felt her stomach churning and barely dared to speak up. ¡°Lady Ravillot. Is there something you wished to talk about?¡± She didn''t want to hear that the other woman didn''t trust her anymore. That would probably upset her more than she wanted to admit. Though, in the end, she was quite sure that Sophia of all people would never treat her unwell even now.

 Chapter 258: Pitying the Past

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    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

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    ¡°

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 Chapter 259: Nothing But Lies?

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    us¡¯. Not in general and especially not in this case. I don''t think that that woman is sorry in the slightest. She regrets that she was forced to admit defeat, but she doesn''t regret trying to destroy our happiness. You probably tried to keep her from doing this, didn''t you? You are far too calculative to run into such mishaps at full speed. You knew that I would stand by Blanche and attempted to reason with our dear dowager empress, but you were ignored.¡±

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    Of course, you didn''t. Cedar, don''t joke with me. How could I ever believe that? You also didn''t hire the assassins that attacked me during the hunting festival after my coronation. You weren''t responsible for my mother''s death. You also didn''t frame Count Besseta and had him executed, which causes his family to suffer until this day. Naturally, you didn''t send your personal guard to watch me during this hunt either. Nor did you send the men that attacked us during our picnic or tried to poison Blanche.¡±

    is strange. I presume that she would only take that risk if Sefare was quite distant to her and barely knew things about her plans. But then she wouldn''t have a reason to want him dead. That''s odd. We need to make sure to interrogate Sefare as soon as he wakes up. I don''t want any information to be lost. Maybe someone else was involved here too. We will see.¡±

 Chapter 260: An Offer and A Request

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    our room from now on.¡±

    ¡°

    necessarily done to upset the current one and make it seem like I''m more powerful than her or something like that, right?¡±

    are more powerful than her. She doesn''t have any political influence at the moment, and I hate her. We are in the middle of a divorce too. You, on the other hand, have my unwavering love and will be the one benefiting from the laws I am currently designing. I want to give the position of the empress more power in the future so that she can be an equal partner to the emperor. Naturally, I will only do that once our obstacle disappeared. But then I will secure that our daughter could ascend to the throne as well and that you will be able to fight for the things you believe in too. No minister will ever say that you aren''t welcome during a meeting.¡±

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    ¡°

    <hr>

 Chapter 261: Preparing For New Positions (1)

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    and not being able to cuddle because people are watching. The other option is having a relaxed and calm day during which we can spend time with a nice mistress, who happens to be our friend, and another friend. And that happens after sleeping at least three hours longer with no one telling us to hurry the whole time. Are you insane? Of course, we''d agree!¡± By the end of her speech, she had gotten all excited already and was balling her fists in anticipation with shining eyes.

    is important. I need to ensure that everyone understands your position. For decades, it has been a tradition that...¡± He almost said something troublesome, but Blanche narrowed her eyes at him, so he held back. ¡°In any case, you need to have three maids. It''s wonderful if they are loyal people, whom you like. I will make sure that they are rewarded for their efforts. But of course, serving you is an honor in itself. I couldn''t imagine anyone I would like to work for more.¡±

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 Chapter 262: Preparing For New Positions (2)

    your cousin sent you a story about someone''s cousin taking over the family.¡±

    ¡°

    Of course, we will keep an eye on him and his whole family. Duke Vasquez should be getting uncomfortable by now. He will ask for an audience soon, and I will use that chance to humiliate him again. I want him to come to the edge of his breaking point. After all, I want him to admit what he knows, and him being enraged will certainly make it easier to do that.¡± He turned to his lover. ¡°Would you mind coincidentally appearing while he is there? It would be easier if I had your help, but I understand if you don''t want to see him.¡±

    too efficient. I used to do at least half of the work, but now he is so fast that I can barely keep up. Along with our decreased workload thanks to your law, this causes us to be much quicker. But it''s still weird. I feel like he sometimes knows what documents say before reading them.¡±

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    <hr>

    Because this world wasn''t the novel''s one. That realization allowed her to be strangely calm. She had lost track of the exact date of her original counterpart''s execution, but she didn''t even fear that. She knew that something like this wouldn''t happen again. For her, the book had almost lost its entire meaning. She would only use the additional knowledge from ¡°To Be Empress¡± if she needed it, but she wouldn''t believe in the novel''s storyline for one second.

    <hr>

    doesn''t mean that you have to follow me at all times though. It''s fine if one of you is with me, and even that won''t be necessary. I can ask someone else if something suddenly bothers me. You really don''t need to waste your time by standing behind me like this while I pick up Theodore.¡±

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 Chapter 263: One Last Time (1)

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    one. You know which one I''m referring to.¡± Oh, no.

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    <hr>

    never forgive someone like you. You are nothing but a power-hungry, materialistic bastard that is unable to think about anything else but himself. You are so arrogant and self-centered that you can''t see anything but your own gain and will gladly harm other people in the process. When someone is below your rank, you have no qualms about using them until they break. And if you have to let their entire family die for that, you don''t care. You would even ruin the whole nation to just get a few more gold coins even though you''re already swimming in money. How could you believe that anyone would ever forgive you? You deserve nothing but misery until the day you die.¡±

    That piece of garbage.

    I told you to stop lying! Why would you do that when you never cared about other people at all?¡±

    it had already happened.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 264: One Last Time (2)

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

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    What?

    like that?

 Chapter 265: A Lazy Day (1)

    The meeting with Sefare hadn''t changed much, even when it had felt like Blanche had faced her past directly. The next few days passed in the same manner as the previous ones.

    Blanche had become rather productive despite being quite relaxed at all times. After all, she had learned a lot. Her lessons with Leon and the occasional reading of some official documents with Theodore were enough to busy her while she felt like she did something useful. She could have done more, but the others held her back a bit, so she still had a lot of free time.

    She didn''t mind that much though. Being lazy was fun, especially when she got to cuddle with her lover at all times and could eat delicious food.

    But she was still a bit taken aback when Theodore proposed staying inside their room all day all of a sudden. He wasn''t even asking properly and had just wrapped his arms around her and kept her confined to the bed. After having breakfast without moving from that spot, Blanche had expected him to let go, but she hadn''t been correct about that.

    Theodore was still clinging to her with as much conviction as before. He might even be a bit more persuasive than before. He used all kinds of tricks to stop her from trying to tell him that he had to work and that she had to attend a lesson. From gentle kisses on her lips to steamy ones on her collarbone and stories of his childhood or his reign before he had met her, everything was used.

    Of course, Blanche was interested, but she still felt odd about still lying in bed when it was about time for lunch. She let her lover finish his narration of how his coronation had gone before slowly sitting up. She became a little dizzy from moving after having lain there for so long, but she fought the urge to complain about that. ¡°It seems to be about time for lunch. We need to get dressed before my maids come in. I don''t want them to see what is mine after all.¡±

    Theodore sat up as well and wrapped the blanket tighter around them while effectively trapping her in his arms. ¡°We will cover ourselves like this again. Then they can bring the cart here and place it next to the bed. We don''t need to stand up to eat.¡±

    The concubine glanced up at him and scanned his expression. She was rather sure that he wouldn''t listen to her today, even if she had no idea why. She let her head fall onto his shoulder and stared at the clock. ¡°Theo, we can''t just sit here for the rest of the day. It''s been at least four hours. Don''t you want to stand up and play a board game with me? We''ll surely find a chessboard here somewhere. Or you can ask Leon to bring us some documents so that you can go through them here. We don''t need to leave the room, but we could at least act like normal people and get dressed and washed.¡± She actually hadn''t believed that he would listen to her at all, and she was right.

    The emperor just buried his face in her neck and placed his lips on the spot below her ear. He nibbled on her skin until she gave in and let out a deep breath. Only then, he lifted his head again and replied. ¡°I think staying in bed sounds more endearing. I don''t want to let go of you for a single second today. Please do me the favor. I will make sure to entertain you.¡± He returned to leaving red marks on her neck.

    Blanche sighed and wasn''t sure whether she was annoyed or pleased by this. ¡°Again? We already distracted ourselves three times. You''re insatiable.¡± She absentmindedly brushed her fingers over the darker spot on his shoulder that had been left by the attack during Duke Lamont''s birthday. It was almost fully healed now, but the scar still stood out to her.

    Her lover chuckled at that and replied in a playful tone. ¡°Of course. When it comes to you, I can''t have enough. So, please let me take care of you.¡± He slowly let his lips wander downward and stopped when he reached her collarbone. ¡°I won''t stop looking at you for the rest of the day.¡± From the way that he acted, it didn''t seem like this was a lie.

    Blanche simply allowed herself to relax at that and enjoyed his small displays of affection. ¡°I don''t mind that. I just think that taking a break in between might be nice. For both you and me. Mainly for you though. We could also go bathe together, just so that we leave bed at least once today. If we stay here, I might fall asleep soon.¡±

    Theodore used a bit more energy to nibble on her skin and she jolted. He pulled back for a moment and grinned at her. ¡°That wouldn''t be bad, but I can do something against it if you want me to. I will keep you from falling asleep. Trust me.¡± Slowly, he turned them and guided her to lie down again. Then he positioned himself over her and continued to press so many kisses onto her upper body that her skin began tingling.

    Blanche ranked her fingers through his hair and sighed. ¡°You really are addicted to me. I must be-¡± She cut herself off to prevent an extremely embarrassing noise from coming out of her mouth as soon as he reached an overly sensitive spot. ¡°You''re really pushing me to my limit today. I should have gotten used to this by now, and still, you keep surprising me. In addition, it seems like you are very cheeky today. Will you really confine me to our bed for the whole day?¡±

    Theodore made her shiver with another kiss before raising his head to look at her. ¡°I intend to do that. Please give me this one day.¡±

    ¡°I don''t mind spending the whole day with you. Not wanting to leave the room is fine too. I just feel like lying around here the whole time will not help us much. We could use the time to try out something new. Like playing a game, or you could read a book to me if you want something to do. But me being your only source of entertainment has to be boring.¡±

    Her lover shook his head. ¡°You will never bore me. If you feel like we need more excitement, there are some things we could try. We could get documents from Leon. But I have a few ideas about more fun things we never did. I will make sure to take care of everything, so you don''t have to do anything.¡± He lowered himself again and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

    Blanche reached up to put her arms around his neck. ¡°I don''t doubt that you have more than enough endearing ideas. But we could at least stand up to eat in between, right?¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment as if he was seriously pondering it. Then he replied in a whisper. ¡°Just today. Until midnight. Please.¡± He sounded way more uncertain than he should be due to the relaxed situation in which they were right now.

    The concubine slowly but surely began to worry a bit. She stroked over his head and decided to let him stay in his position for a while longer. ¡°Alright. I don''t know why, but it''s fine. You can tell me if something worries you.¡± If she heard what this was about, she wouldn''t have to be concerned the whole time. She was already wondering about what was going on today. For some reason, her lover was way more clingy than normal. But if he had a bad day, she wouldn''t push him to do anything he wasn''t comfortable with. Even if that might cause her body to ache tomorrow because she hadn''t moved at all.

    Theodore seemed to be very content with her answer and immediately rewarded her by continuing to trail small kisses across her skin. Before he could finish his path, a knock sounded from the door. He sat up at that and quickly pulled the blanket over the both of them. He gazed at her and waited for her nod before speaking up. ¡°You may enter.¡±

    The door opened, and Stella moved her head inside. The maid greeted her mistress with a little smile while she explained. ¡°Two letters just arrived. One is for Your Majesty and one for My Lady. In addition, the cooks prepared lunch and wish to ask whether you would like to eat now.¡±

    Theodore was silent for a little moment before replying. ¡°You can bring the letters and lunch inside. We''ll eat in bed again.¡±

    Stella nodded and pushed open the door. She walked over to the bed and handed over two envelopes to the emperor while Darlene and Angelica pushed in a cart with the meal. It seemed like they had prepared everything before to not let the couple wait. As always, the maids were way too motivated for their job, which was probably the case because they currently had something to do for once. This would probably be one of the last tasks they would fulfill today. If they got lucky, they could help for dinner again. Darlene grinned at the concubine while she left, and Angelica exited the room with a smile as well. Stella was the last one that returned to the door.

    Theodore stopped her before she could get out though. ¡°You can take the time until dinner off. We''ll probably eat at eight like always.¡±

    The maid''s lips twitched for a moment as if she could barely hold back a smirk. She glanced at her mistress before bowing. ¡°We will be ready. Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Then she left after showing the concubine her extended thumb.

    Blanche let out a mix of a sigh and a laugh before gazing at the food. Seemingly, every single servant here had a clear picture of what was going on inside. But she didn''t care much as long as she didn''t have to talk about it later, which she surely would thanks to her caring maids. Right now, she had another issue though.

    Surely, lunch would be kept warm under the covers even if they took a few minutes longer until eating, but the fresher it was, the better it tasted. And to be honest, the concubine would feel a bit embarrassed upon asking her lover to delay the meal now after she had just repeatedly told him that they should get dressed first. But at the same time, it was his fault that she was conflicted now. She gazed at him with a pout.

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    Theodore, who was already inspecting the letters, put them aside upon seeing her expression. ¡°If you''re hungry, we can eat first.¡±

    She tried to hold her comment back, but she couldn''t keep herself quiet. ¡°I am indeed hungry, but that this goes two ways is your fault. You made me all tingly, and now we have to eat first. You meanie.¡±

    A wide grin spread across her lover''s face. ¡°Really? How strange.¡± He slowly climbed above her again. ¡°Then we obviously have to do something about this first. What exactly is my angel hungry for?¡±

    Blanche was unsure how to answer. There were some rather tempting choices, and each and every one was wonderful. She didn''t want to decide yet. She only knew one thing. If he wanted to tease her, she could do the same to him. ¡°I think that it might be...you.¡± She tangled her hand in his hair and pulled him down to kiss her. She only needed a little passion, and Theodore would melt for her immediately, which was only fair since he did the same to her.

    The longer their kiss went on, the more sure she became that their food might end up being cold by the time they finished.

    <hr>

    In the end, this incident only proved that the palace''s cooking equipment was unusually good. Blanche fully expected a cold soup when she uncovered her dish but was surprised to see that it was still steaming. Apparently, the covers were of high quality. Inwardly, she congratulated herself for making the right choice. She had gotten the best of both without needing to choose one over the other. She happily lifted her spoon and was ready to devour her meal when her lover intervened.

    The first thing Theodore did was switch their bowls and spoons. He ignored her confused look and moved her new bowl closer to her. ¡°Come on. It will get cold if we wait for too long.¡± She didn''t know what to say about that. For the last half an hour, he hadn''t paid much attention to the food''s temperature. Apparently, he suddenly did care now.

    But Blanche didn''t let that bother her. She happily gulped down her soup, which earned her a worried gaze from the emperor.

    ¡°Please don''t burn your tongue. It''s still rather warm, so be careful.¡± That was his concern?

    The concubine had already swallowed three spoonfuls of soup by now, and everything was fine, so she gave her lover an encouraging smile. ¡°It''s not hot though. You don''t have to be so worried. I won''t hurt myself with my own food.¡±

    Theodore didn''t look completely convinced. As soon as they finished their soups, he took her plate and cut her steak for her. Then he took a bite from her plate and chewed on it for a while before swallowing and picking up a portion for her.

    Blanche let out a chuckle at that. ¡°You aren''t going to let me eat by myself?¡± He already had cut everything for breakfast, and it seemed like he intended on doing it again. Today, he truly was even more cuddly than usual. But she didn''t stop him and just took the bite he offered.

    Theodore gave her a bright smile and gently brushed over her head once. ¡°Exactly. Today, I will take care of you without exceptions. You won''t have to do a single thing.¡±

    She finished chewing her bite and swallowed it. ¡°Does that mean you will carry me to the bathroom?¡±

    Her joke was met with a wide grin. ¡°Of course. I won''t let you walk around today. And more importantly...¡± Theodore put the knife he had been holding before far away. ¡°You won''t get a knife today. We don''t need you to cut yourself.¡±

    Blanche pretended to pout at that. ¡°I''m not that unsteady with knives. The last time I cut my fingers was at least four months ago. As long as I don''t have to cut a lot of vegetables, which I don''t do while baking, I''m fine. I also managed to cut all the cakes I made you, you know? You should trust me at least a little bit.¡±

    Theodore picked up another portion of her food for her and brought it to her mouth. ¡°I do trust you. Just not today. I don''t want to risk anything.¡±

    Blanche wanted to ask him what he was referring to, but she didn''t get to do that. She already had a piece of steak in her mouth, and when she finished chewing, her lover offered her some mushrooms. Apparently, he didn''t want to talk about it, and she would accept that. For now at least.

    They ate lunch in silence, and Blanche barely had to move since her lover fed her the whole time. She had insisted on returning the favor, and after some reluctance, he had agreed. Still, he hadn''t broken his promise of refusing to give her a knife. He had moved all the sharp objects far away so that she didn''t even have a chance to grasp anything. When they finished the main course and moved on to the desert, he finally let her eat by herself and took a look at the letters in the meantime.

    Both envelopes looked similar and had been written by the same person. Theodore only needed a glimpse of the sender''s name, and his face scrunched up. ¡°It''s our favorite duke.¡±

    Blanche''s expression darkened. She swallowed her portion of pudding before speaking up. ¡°What would he want from me? If he asked for an audience, he would only send a letter to you. Besides, this can''t be the letter asking for the audience. He already sent that one a while ago, right? You already set the date.¡±

    The emperor scanned the envelopes with a grim expression. ¡°Exactly. The fact that he actually dares to write something to us after all the recent incidents only proves that he is completely stupid. He seems to lack every single part of a normal brain. Why would I forgive him now after I told him that I would ruin him? He seems to be naive and arrogant as well. He should be happy that I accepted the audience, which I only did to embarrass him.¡± He sounded rather angry while saying that even as he tried to keep his voice from shaking.

    Blanche let her spoon disappear in her mouth and moved closer to her lover to look over his arm while he opened the letter. She finished her bowl and put it away before replying. ¡°Maybe he wants to apologize before coming here. He should be quite scared after all.¡±

    Theodore ripped open the rest of the envelope with more force than before. ¡°Oh, he is scared. After all, I closed down three quarters of his stores and made sure that ancient debt to one of my supporters'' family got revealed. In the future, he will have problems with money if he keeps bribing people everywhere and has to settle that debt and the costs of the ongoing trials. It would be better for him to give up and let himself be banished so that his family can stay safe. But I fear that he doesn''t care for his relatives that much. He would rather pull them down with him than go without his wealth and let them keep their status. Normally, the choice should be clear, but he won''t put anything above his own well-being. Egoistical bastard.¡± He unfolded the letter and read over it before letting out a dry laugh. ¡°It''s an invitation to the party for Duchess Vasquez''s daughter. The duke seems to be convinced that I am looking forward to meeting his youngest child. She is my cousin after all. I actually just don''t want to go because that would embarrass him in front of everyone. But we could probably anger them even more by showing up and causing some trouble. What do you say?¡±

    Blanche glanced at the paper in Theodore''s hands and then gestured to her own letter. ¡°Did I get an invitation too? I doubt that he wants me there. I''m not only his number one enemy, but he also kept insulting me and looking down on me because I''m a baroness. Sending me an invitation is hypocritical, isn''t it?¡±

    Theodore picked up her envelope and opened it for her. He handed her the letter after glancing at it for a moment. ¡°It''s the exact same. He just didn''t say that it''s your cousin but rather the daughter of a dear friend. And the note at the bottom is interesting too. If you want to stay in a good mood, don''t read it.¡±

    Blanche obviously didn''t have much of a choice. She took the letter and read through it. When she reached the end, she immediately prepared to rip the invitation apart and could barely stop herself. ¡°That bastard.¡± Claude had actually had the nerve to write how he had misunderstood her, and now that her past had been revealed, he allegedly felt bad about treating her so coldly. The worst thing was him expressing his condolences regarding her family. If he really had been the one causing them to be executed, he deserved to burn for writing this. ¡°I hope he falls off his balcony and breaks every single one of his bones.¡±

    The emperor carefully took the invitation from her to put it aside. ¡°If you don''t trust fate, we could arrange for that to happen after his trial. I will make sure that he gets convicted, and if he stays in prison for the rest of his life, he might as well get into an accident before he can be arrested.¡±

    Blanche was almost tempted to agree. Surely, a good person wouldn''t do this, but she was morally gray at most. If people did bad things to others, she didn''t care whether they were met with horrible fates as well. It would be different if her words directly caused another person to suffer, but a single thought about how Claude had been acting until now erased most of her doubts. ¡°If...¡± She could barely believe that she would say this now. ¡°If he did get involved in my family''s demise, then he deserves the worst you can offer him.¡± She didn''t dare to look up while saying that.

    Wasn''t Theodore always praising her for being so considerate? Suddenly asking him for such a favor would probably worry him. But before she could even regret voicing her thoughts out loud, her lover cupped her face with his hands.

    Theodore guided her to look up and brought his face right in front of hers. ¡°I will gladly fulfill that wish. Say the name of any person that hurt you, and I will take care of them. I don''t mind using their methods to repay them. You can be honest and don''t need to hold back. No matter how powerful their family is, I will crush them for you.¡±

    Blanche slowly met his gaze and took a moment to make sure that she wasn''t just imagining the determination in his eyes. ¡°Really? But then we might not be the good ones anymore. If that''s what it takes to be with you, I will gladly become evil, but right now, we are together, and there aren''t any problems. What if we ruin our own happy ending by doing something bad?¡±

    Her original counterpart in the novel had done that. Because of her jealousy, she had attacked Seraphina and committed crimes while only seeing her own personal gain. That had caused a bad ending for the villainess, who had been so twisted that her current version could barely even recognize herself.

    Now that Blanche had given her best to stay on the rightful path and support Theodore, she had been able to reach her goal and could stay with him. So, maybe stooping to their opponents'' level would only hurt them.

    Theodore kept his hand on her cheeks and made her look at him while he replied with absolute certainty in his voice and gaze. ¡°That won''t happen. We are the good ones. You were always good, and now I''m finally on your side. Getting revenge on the people that harmed you is perfectly fine, and I will support you during the whole process. If Duke Vasquez is the worst enemy right now, we will take him down first. You don''t have to worry about us not having enough time for everyone. We can slowly go from one to the other.¡± That almost made it sound like there were dozens of people who had tried to hurt them.

    ¡°There aren''t that many. Sefare will be put on trial now and Duke Vasquez too, and both can be executed later. Then there are only the dowager empress and the second prince left. And I feel like you don''t want to treat Cedar too harshly, so you''ll just put him in confinement again while his mother rots in some cell.¡± Blanche had to admit that she liked that choice more than any other options. ¡°We barely have anyone left.¡±

    Her lover was quiet for a moment. His smile came a little too late. ¡°If you say so. There were some others I was thinking about. But if you don''t count them, I won''t either. For now.¡± He was silent, and his fake smile slowly faded as he looked at her. He gently brushed his thumb over the side of her lips before just staring at her in silence.

    Blanche was more than taken aback by that action. ¡°Theo?¡±

    The emperor took a moment before responding in a hoarse voice. ¡°You are perfect, do you know that? I love you so much.¡± In an instant, he threw his arms around her and pulled her against him.

    She basically fell forward and was almost crushed in his hold. After getting over the initial surprise, Blanche quickly returned the hug and leaned into him. ¡°Theo, what''s wrong?¡± He had sounded so vulnerable and desperate again. There had to be something bothering him that he refused to tell her. But the longer she was clueless, the more she would worry. ¡°Please tell me what''s wrong. Theo.¡±

    Her lover just shook his head. ¡°I''m fine. I just need you here. I need you to stay safe, no matter what. Without you, I couldn''t-¡± He didn''t finish that sentence and gritted his teeth instead. He continued to hide his face in her neck and refused to look at her even when she patted him multiple times.

    As she had thought. It wasn''t just a coincidence. Something about this day wasn''t right.

 Chapter 266: A Lazy Day (2)

    It wasn''t like her lover never clung to her, but today, something was wrong.

    Blanche could barely move in her lover''s tight embrace, but she did her best to stroke over his hair and caress the side of his face she could reach. ¡°You can tell me about everything that burdens you, Theo. I love you. Please trust me. I don''t want to see you suffer.¡± She could already feel herself getting quite worried.

    That Theodore was crying too didn''t make it much better. He kept her caged in his hug and refused to loosen even a little bit. ¡°I trust you. I trust you more than myself. Please don''t leave me.¡± Those words were enough to crush her.

    Blanche tightened her hold on him as much as possible. ¡°What are you talking about? You know that I can''t live without you. You always promise that we will stay together no matter what. Why would that suddenly change?¡±

    The emperor shook his head. ¡°It can''t change. I will never ever let you go. I can''t. So, you can never ask that of me. And no one can take you away.¡±

    Blanche tried to shake her head too, but she barely had enough room to do that. ¡°I would never leave! I love you, so why would I go away? I will stay with you, no matter what. I promised that, didn''t I? Why are you suddenly worrying?¡±

    Theodore let out a quiet sob and clung to her as if she was the only thing keeping him anchored. ¡°You can''t go away today. Not even for a single second.¡±

    Today.

    The emphasis rested on that again.

    Blanche had already noticed that he seemed to be rather insistent on that. She dug her fingers into his shirt as she tried her best to make sure that he noticed that she was with him and wouldn''t let go. ¡°I''m here. I won''t go. Everything is alright.¡± She could barely bring out the words without beginning to sob too. If she lost her composure, she wouldn''t be able to console him at all. ¡°I love you, Theo. I would never go away.¡±

    Her lover took a shaky breath before replying. ¡°I know...I know... But I''m scared of people taking you away from me. I can''t let that happen. I love you.¡± He only tightened his hold on her after that.

    Blanche turned her head to kiss the side of his head. ¡°That won''t happen. I won''t let anyone take me away. I would fight until the very end. You are with me almost all the time, and you won''t let anyone hurt me either. Owen is there to protect me too and the rest of the knights as well, so no one would have a chance.¡±

    Her lover tensed at that. He didn''t move for a few seconds before slowly relaxing. He kept her in his hold but slowly turned his head and pressed a kiss on her neck. ¡°I will protect you. No matter what. I''m sorry. Today is...horrible.¡± He still hadn''t told her what exactly was going on, but at least she knew that it seemed to be the date and not something she had done.

    What could be off about today''s date? Had there been a special occurrence that somehow influenced Theodore''s worries now?

    Was there an event the concubine should remember?

    Blanche focused on stroking over her lover''s hair and let him rest his head on her shoulder. She kept whispering that she loved him in his ear, and he repeated those words each time. They took a while until they calmed down and just lay there to cuddle.

    Theodore lifted his head at some point and stared at her for minutes at a time while telling her how beautiful and perfect she was. She couldn''t help but be more worried each time, but he still wouldn''t tell her why this day was so awful for him. He only insisted on being as close to her as possible and showered her with kisses with even more passion than before.

    <hr>

    When the couple eventually sat up again to lean against the head part of the bed and just stayed there in silence, it was already late afternoon.

    Theodore had stopped crying and did his best to act like he hadn''t broken down a while ago. Yet, he refused to take his arm away from her and kept her close to him the entire time. It was like he was almost petrified with fear today.

    Blanche considered addressing the topic, but she didn''t dare make him cry again.

    He would talk about it once he was ready, and right now, he obviously wasn''t. He kept glancing at the clock as if he couldn''t wait for the end of the day. But time passed slowly when they weren''t doing anything.

    At some point, Blanche asked the servants by the door to bring some board games, and they delivered the desired items minutes later. She was relieved when she finally had something to do here. The couple played chess for a while, and unsurprisingly, Theodore was much better than she was despite him obviously holding back. She didn''t manage to win against him once, but she was more successful while playing card games, where she seemed to best her lover almost every round.

    In the end, they somehow spent the time until dinner with only three different games. After eating, they went right back to trying all the others out and quickly found their favorites. They played countless rounds of those, so it had become dark without them really noticing it. Midnight approached sooner than she had anticipated, so they decided to put the games back into their containers before going to bed.

    Blanche was almost sure that they would go to sleep immediately since their lazy day had been rather exhausting thanks to Theodore keeping her confined to the bed for so long.

    But her lover had a different idea.

    He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her while resting his head on her shoulder and just staring into the distance. He began talking about random things that sounded lighthearted at first, but his hold on her tightened a little with every minute that passed.

    After a while, Blanche couldn''t stand seeing him so tense anymore and spoke up. ¡°Theo, how about we go to bed? We''re both tired, right?¡±

    Theodore replied in a hoarse voice that sounded like he had to fight to even speak. ¡°Just a few more minutes. Please.¡±

    How could she ever think about refusing when he was this helpless? It was bad enough that she didn''t know what to do. She could at least stay awake with him until he wanted to sleep. ¡°Alright. Tell me when you want to lie down.¡±

    Theodore planted a kiss on her neck. ¡°Thank you.¡± He lifted his head again and turned to look at the clock. ¡°Just a little longer.¡±

    Blanche didn''t know to what amount of time this was referring, but she would have to endure it for a few minutes. While she was slowly but surely getting really tired, she could force herself to stay awake a bit longer. She leaned her head against her lover''s chest and closed her eyes.

    Just when she thought that this might not be a good idea and only cause her to fall asleep even quicker, Theodore already whispered to her. ¡°Don''t fall asleep yet. Just three more minutes. Please.¡±

    Blanche nodded and tried to catch a glimpse of the clock without her lover noticing. It was about two minutes before midnight, which meant that he was waiting for the next day to begin. Her lover truly seemed to hate this current day. She wasn''t sure what two minutes would change, but she forced herself to keep her head up to avoid nodding off and tried to distract herself by chatting with her lover. She didn''t have any topic to talk about though, so she just began with what came to her mind. ¡°Did we get any news regarding Northern Ocrea?¡±

    Theodore slowly nodded. ¡°Prince Linden arrived home without any issues. He is in good health, and his father is happy about the progress we made. The contracts are already in effect, and there will be a new road that connects one that leads to their capital with our capital. Aside from that, he didn''t ask for anything yet, unfortunately. I wanted to send a specific person to him.¡± It seemed like he still held on to that plan even while he was feeling horrible. That only made it even clearer that he didn''t like Seraphina at all.

    Blanche was still confused about why there was such a big difference and what had caused it, but she naturally wouldn''t address it. Maybe she could ask him after the divorce was finalized. Right now, she was still in the dark and completely clueless after all, and a part of her wanted to keep it that way. That thought gave her another question. ¡°How is the supreme judge doing? A divorce between members of the royal family is very rare, right? Does he have problems dealing with this?¡±

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    Her lover tightened his hold around her a little while keeping his eyes on the clock. ¡°I don''t think so. He only has to read the documents and sign them. I bet that he is only taking so long because that woman asked him to read everything carefully. She probably thinks that I added paragraphs that would cause problems for her. I should have done that and ordered the judge to sign. Then we would be done already.¡±

    Blanche was rather sure that ordering the supreme judge around wasn''t a good idea. Surely, that position was more for show since an influential nobleman usually had it and couldn''t talk back to the emperor, who served as the judge when it came to important cases. But still, it wouldn''t be beneficial if the supreme judge could just be forced to make his decisions. That role did have some authority.

    At the same time, it confused the concubine a little that the judge still hadn''t finished. ¡°He already had two weeks or so, right? Your documents should have the top priority, so how is he not done yet? How long is that contract?¡±

    Theodore still refused to look away from the clock as he responded. ¡°It should have about fifty pages. I had to make sure that she isn''t owed a single copper coin. I effectively stripped her of all rights to demand anything or to affiliate herself with the royal family in any way. There were a few things I had to clarify specifically, so it got a bit longer than I had originally wanted it to be. Leon was the one writing it, and he was rather upset with me because he had to read about marriage again.¡± It should have been obvious that he wouldn''t want to give Seraphina anything, even though she had been the empress for two years. The relationship between the two of them was too strained for that.

    That was something Blanche had to accept. Seraphina wouldn''t be here much longer, and the nobles would soon demand a new empress. And then they had the original problem, which she refused to think about, again.

    Blanche still didn''t want to ponder that and just tried to focus on her conversation. She had no idea what she should mention now, so she just chose the first thing coming to her mind. ¡°I want a wedding dress with a puffy skirt. It has to be white, and I want a long veil.¡± That was what she had always dreamed about as a child. If she finally was able to marry after longing for it for years, she wanted some things to be perfect at least.

    Theodore tensed for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡± After speaking with a quiet voice, he was silent for another few seconds and stared at the clock. Then his whole body relaxed. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± This time, he was much louder and more energetic. Without a warning, he suddenly moved and spun his lover around so that she faced him. He brought his face right in front of hers and cupped her cheeks. ¡°It will be perfect.¡± A wide grin adorned his lips, but at the same time, tears were glistening in his eyes. ¡°It will be exactly like you always wanted it to be. You will be the most beautiful bride this world has ever seen. We''ll exchange our vows at the altar and stay together forever.¡± With that, he pounced on her and tipped her over so that they were lying on the bed again.

    Blanche couldn''t contain the yelp coming out of her mouth and tried to find some hold by clinging to her lover. He fell down with her too though, so that didn''t help much.

    When they hit the mattress, she took a moment to understand what had happened and needed to give her pounding heart a chance to calm down. At first, she was in a panic upon seeing Theodore cry and wanted to console him, but seeing the blinding smile on his face made her realize that he was crying tears of joy. She reached up to cup his face, and immediately, he leaned down to kiss her.

    He almost didn''t let go of her when they had used up all air, and she needed to push against him to make him give her a break. Still, he was only beaming at her and gently ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°We will marry. You will become my wife and my empress. There will only be you. I love you. I love you so much.¡± He didn''t give her a chance to be concerned about the part about her being the empress. He simply pressed his lips onto hers again and removed his hand from her hair to intertwine their fingers.

    Blanche was still unaware of why he was this ecstatic, but she surely wouldn''t push him away. She wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him back until she was out of breath.

    Only then, Theodore lifted his head and let her take a break before repeating the same with another kiss. In the end, he kissed her about a dozen times before stopping and beaming down at her with nothing but love in his gaze. Blanche could barely calm her pounding heart down, but she refused to let off him.

    They just lay there for a while in silence and looked at each other.

    As soon as Theodore had caught his breath again, he continued speaking. ¡°Everything will be wonderful. We really will marry. You''ll be my bride, and I''ll be your groom. No one within the whole nation will doubt that the emperor loves his wife more than anything else.¡± It seemed like the wedding was currently the thing that made him the happiest.

    Blanche was glad to add to that. His sudden euphoria was way better than him breaking down. ¡°Yes. We will marry. We will have a celebration like in a fairy tale, and Madame Charture will make gorgeous attires for us. We''ll be the most prominent figures as the whole nation watches our union. Will we marry in a temple?¡±

    Theodore nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes. There will be a ceremony in the greatest one in the capital. Then we will ride through the streets in our carriage and go back to the palace. We will have a ball here afterward. Of course, we will invite every single noble in the whole country. My birthday will nothing in comparison to those festivities. And then we can finally belong to each other in every single way.¡± His grin only widened when he said that. He was overjoyed just by imagining all of this.

    That was enough to paint a smile on Blanche''s face too. ¡°I''m already yours, and you say that you''re mine. That is all we need, right? We will only get additional proof. Then I can finally call myself your wife and can address you as my husband.¡± She looked forward to that more than anything else.

    Surely, becoming a member of royalty would erase some issues regarding her rank and other people looking down on her because of that, but she didn''t care much. Maybe the people around them would finally stop saying that her lover would throw her away when they married. If not, there was little she could do about it. In the end, only her being with Theodore mattered. And once she was his wife, she officially had the right to accompany him to each event and stay by his side without feeling like she was out of place.

    The emperor nodded again and beamed at her while blinking some tears away. ¡°Yes, we will finally show everyone that we will stay together forever. No one will question it anymore when the whole nation can only talk about how much we adore each other. I will prove it to all of them. Making our wedding day a national holiday should be a good step after having a banquet for seven days after the ceremony. Or ten days. I haven''t decided yet. We will also do something for the citizens during that time. Maybe we will provide one free meal for every person in the capital. I should invite the rulers of our allies too, just so that they will see what true love looks like here.¡±

    All of that was way too grand, but Blanche had the feeling that her lover had already convinced himself that such a huge celebration was necessary. She wouldn''t crush his hope, not that she had the chance to refuse in the first place. So, she would have to accept that their wedding would be the biggest event of the last decades. She was still worried about where the needed money would come from, but she suspected that her lover would find a way. She didn''t mention that though. ¡°Alright. But we can''t invite every person within the nation. We need to hold back a little.¡±

    Her lover shook his head and grinned at her. ¡°You will finally become my wife. There is no holding back. Do you understand? We will show everyone that we are in love until they get sick of seeing us exchange so much affection.¡± Some people probably had already reached that point, and after such a grand celebration, many more would be annoyed as well.

    But Blanche didn''t care about that. As long as they were happy together, others could think whatever they wanted about them. She didn''t mind what others were saying and never would unless it was connected to political issues, but it seemed like worrying about that was unnecessary as well when Theodore openly declared his love for her whenever he could.

    Right now, he also couldn''t stop showering her with affection. He kissed her again and left a small trail of kisses on her neck. It was rather clear that he wasn''t in the mood to sleep right now. He was way too ecstatic for that. Thus, she would stay awake a little longer. Maybe she could distract him from his previous concerns just by being with him now. In that case, Blanche would gladly force herself to stay up for days at a time. But in the end, they only took another hour before dozing off in one another''s arms.

    <hr>

    When Blanche opened her eyes the next time, it was still dim inside the room. One glimpse at the window told her that it was early morning and that the sun was currently rising and painting the sky in a vibrant red. But right now, she didn''t care much for nature''s miracles and focused on her lover.

    Theodore was lying next to her and watched her with a little smile. ¡°Good morning, my angel. It''s early. You still have a few hours to sleep. Close your eyes again.¡±

    Blanche certainly felt the need to do that. She was still drowsy from sleeping so little and would have liked to rest her head on the pillow before falling asleep again. But she couldn''t bring herself to do that. She was too worried about her lover being awake at such a time. Something had bothered him yesterday, and he was probably still thinking about that. The concubine looked at him through half-lidded eyes and whispered. ¡°Did you sleep already? Don''t tell me that you were awake the whole time.¡±

    Her lover gave her a small smile. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll get my sleep tomorrow. I just needed to be sure of something. You can go to sleep again, I''m fine. You are here, so everything is alright.¡±

    Blanche just took that as her sign to open her eyes completely. ¡°So, you didn''t sleep.¡± She was silent for a moment and moved a bit closer to her lover to stroke over his cheek. ¡°You are worried about something. That only means that I need to be by your side the whole time. If you promise me that we will go to bed early today, I can stay up too.¡± Even if she was way too tired to actually consider standing up.

    Theodore leaned into her touch, and a small glint of sadness appeared in his eyes as he replied. ¡°I truly can''t hide anything from you. But you really don''t have to keep yourself awake. As long as you are here next to me, everything is alright.¡±

    The concubine propped her head up on her arm and scanned her lover''s expression while stroking over his hair. ¡°No. I worry about you if you are feeling unwell. You need to tell me how you are doing. You can''t just keep silent and force yourself to deal with everything alone. I want to support you. I will be your wife, you know? I need to stay by your side and assist you like you always help me too.¡±

    The emperor''s smile slowly faded. ¡°You are always helping me. There is no need for you to do more. And I will tell you. It''s just that I need more time.¡± He paused for a moment before brushing through her hair and added the rest in a barely audible tone. ¡°This is about my secret too. Even if you may have figured it out already.¡±

    No, she hadn''t. She had no clue no matter what he said.

    Not even a single guess.

    Blanche pushed herself up on her palm and moved closer to her lover. She climbed above him and pressed a kiss onto his lips before looking down at him with as much determination as she could muster. ¡°I don''t know anything except for you being aware of many things that I have no clue about. But that is fine. You could keep that secret forever, and I would never distrust you.¡± She''d be more than fine with it. ¡°If you want to tell me, it only proves how much you trust me. I will never change my mind about you, no matter what you tell me. So, you can be at ease. Just like you accepted my secret, I will accept yours.¡±

    Theodore let out a small laugh at that. He reached up to caress her cheek before pulling her down to him. ¡°You are always on my side no matter what. I don''t deserve so much love. That we met is truly a gift of the gods.¡± He tightened his hold on her, and she rested her head on his chest. He took a deep breath before beginning to speak in a low voice. ¡°There is something else I have to tell you. I think I can do that now. This secret isn''t as awful as the other one, but it still isn''t good. I told Leon and Owen without caring for their opinion much, but if it''s you, I can''t help but be scared.¡±

    She chimed in immediately. ¡°You don''t have to be. I trust you fully. Please tell me when you are ready. I will calm you down as soon as the words leave your mouth.¡±

    Theodore''s breathing hitched for a moment. He put his hand on the back of her head and stayed silent for a while. He inhaled deeply a few times before finally starting in an uncertain voice. ¡°You know about the rumors about me being a tyrant, right? They started due to the dowager empress spreading that gossip as much as possible. She originally did that to make my life as the emperor harder. You know about her hating me because I lived with Althea and rejected her. But she had another reason to despise me. Did you hear about-¡± He cut himself off and took a deep breath before resuming. ¡°About me allegedly killing my father?¡±

    That was enough to make her guess what he would tell her.

 Chapter 267: A Fathers Death

    ¡°Did you hear about...about me allegedly killing my father?¡± As Theodore said that, he sounded too uncertain.

    It made her guess the truth already.

    Blanche remembered how proudly Cedar had revealed a secret to her while claiming that the rumors about his brother killing their father weren''t just rumors. Maybe he hadn''t lied back then. But it didn''t change anything. Blanche lifted her head despite her lover clearly favoring to avert his eyes. She showed him a bright smile and raked her fingers through his hair. ¡°I heard it. Cedar also tried to convince me that that wasn''t a rumor once.¡±

    Theodore tensed for a moment before he forced himself to relax. Still, his hold on her tightened unwillingly. ¡°I should have expected that. What did you...¡± He almost didn''t dare to finish that sentence. ¡°What did you say to him?¡±

    She continued to smile at him while caressing his head. ¡°I said that I wouldn''t listen to him. And that I know that you would never do anything to hurt another person purposefully if there wasn''t a good reason. I explained that this would be your story to tell and not his. He was extremely disappointed by my lack of a negative reaction.¡±

    Her lover kept quiet for a few seconds before a little smile spread on his lips. ¡°You defend me without a fail. No one ever did that. Well, maybe Leon did, but he just says that what I do isn''t illegal most of the time. His moral standards are a bit different from the ones of most people. I used to think that he was too brutal, but now I feel like I got worse than he is. And that is necessary to-¡± He cut himself off as his smile died. ¡°I''m trying to change the topic, did you notice that?¡±

    Blanche carefully ran her fingers over his skin and pressed a kiss onto the scar on his shoulder. ¡°You can take your time. We could also delay this if you don''t want to talk about it now.¡±

    Theodore shook his head. ¡°No. I want to tell you. I wanted to do it for a while now, but I hate talking about it. Because it feels like I keep justifying it. I feel like it wasn''t wrong of me to do it, but at the same time, I did something horrible.¡±

    The concubine gently drew small patterns onto his chest while keeping her eyes on his face. ¡°You had a reason, right? You didn''t do it with bad intentions. Then it can''t be horrible at all. I will listen to the whole story.¡±

    Theodore nodded and took another deep breath. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before beginning in a shaky voice. ¡°My father was a good emperor. He lived to govern his nation and worked hard to ensure everyone''s well-being. But he was a terrible husband and father. As you know, he completely ignored the dowager empress most of the time unless it came to public events or needing an heir. That woman deserved it, but no one else did. Father also ignored their emotions though. He cared about Althea a lot, but even that was selfish to some extent. He neglected her to take care of work and only visited her when he was absolutely sure that he had nothing else to do anymore while he never helped her when the dowager empress insulted or hit her. The one who suffered the most under his personality was Cedar. I don''t think our father ever paid attention to him for longer than a minute even when there was a reason for it. He didn''t even intervene when my brother was covered in scars due to his harsh sword training and his unstable mother. I''m not sure whether Father secretly cared. He certainly didn''t show it in that case, and that was awful.¡±

    Blanche could imagine. She had heard this part of the story often enough. To her, Theodore''s father was a neglectful parent that had ruined the lives of both of his sons even when she had never met him. Not only Theodore''s words made her believe this, but this confirmation made her more certain. She didn''t interrupt though and just listened.

    Theodore sighed quietly before resuming. ¡°But that isn''t what the important part here is. My father wasn''t as loving as he could have been toward me either. He cared a bit more and spent time with me, but he was so focused on his rank that he couldn''t push his duties aside no matter what. Father just saw me as the future ruler of Artias and allowed nothing more. He mentored me and gave me lessons, but aside from that, he didn''t...seem to know how to show affection. Still, he was my idol in some way, and I clung to him while being eager to learn.¡±

    His voice alone gave away that something unpleasant would follow in the narration now.

    Theodore paused and focused on breathing for a while. He then met his lover''s gaze and gave her a sad smile. ¡°So, he couldn''t hide it for long when he got sick. At first, it was just something that occasionally made him tired, and he had to lie down for a few days to recover fully. That was fine because I already took over some of his duties back then. But it became worse with every day without us noticing it. As I explained to Prince Linden, Ocrea''s king seems to have the same illness. Now we have a cure, but seven years ago, we didn''t have access to that medical knowledge. When we did find some medicine that helped, it was already too late. My father was in more pain every day. Both Mother and the dowager empress cried the whole time. Cedar was somewhat dejected too but probably just because his mother didn''t even speak to him anymore. That time was hard for me too.¡±

    Blanche already guessed what would happen now. She unwillingly tensed as she held her lover tighter. ¡°I can imagine. That was hard on all of you.¡±

    Theodore let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Of course. But my father''s only concern was that he couldn''t rule the nation like this anymore. I think he got sick of the pain too, but he didn''t want to admit it. So, he prepared everything to make me take over. And one day, he had signed all the documents to ensure that no one could misunderstand his will. Then he called me to him with no one else there. You can imagine what happened. He asked me to kill him.¡± He scanned his lover''s expression and carefully resumed in a quieter voice. ¡°He wanted me to use the pillow to suffocate him. I wanted to release him from his pain, but I couldn''t do it by myself. I asked him whether he was absolutely certain or whether we should try out another kind of medicine about a hundred times. His answer always remained the same. He was sure, and he wanted me to be the one to do it. So, I obeyed, but I refused to use my own hands. I researched similar cases and found a poison that kills fast without any pain. I put that into his drink to prevent any servants from being accused of treason. He immediately drank, and he fell asleep soon.¡±

    The silence that followed said it all.

    Blanche quickly began stroking over her lover''s hand, but of course, this helped little.

    Theodore paused for a moment as if he tried to distract himself for a bit before continuing. His voice was a bit stronger now. ¡°Only a handful of his personal servants knew, and I later confessed the truth to my mother, Althea. She told me that I had done the right thing since he had asked this of me and hugged me because she wanted to ease my mind. I also told the dowager empress and Cedar. My brother didn''t care much. He already knew. Of course, he did. He always seemed to know what was going on behind his back. He had even warned me not to share the truth with his mother, but I was so foolish and...¡± He paused and forced himself to resume a moment later. ¡°I hoped that we could fix everything. That we could get along as members of the royal family in some way. I also felt guilty for killing her husband, so I wanted Camille to know what had happened despite Cedar''s request to do the opposite. That woman almost killed me at that moment. She yelled at me for being a murderer and a power-hungry tyrant that is incapable of love. She...wanted to attack me, and Cedar stepped in. Then she even hurt him and said horrible things about him needing to kill me if he wanted her to even look at him anymore. That was the day she made him swear that he would kill me. I want to say that he didn''t mean it when he agreed, but I''m not sure.¡±

    His hands were shaking even more now, even as Blanche tried to hold them tightly.

    Theodore tried to hide it, but that event seemed to have scarred him. He stared into the distance as if he remembered what had happened and saw it in front of his inner eye. ¡°She didn''t stop until she was dragged away by guards and confined in her room. I think Cedar was bleeding because she had scratched his face with her fingernails, but he just had that empty smile on his face as he asked for permission to take care of his mother. He didn''t change much that day. But Camille... Ever since then, she hated me even more than she already hated me from the very beginning. And I still don''t know how to feel about it. I don''t know if I''m the good one here or whether the dowager empress is right about me being too calm about that incident. I did feel guilty, but I never regretted my choice. After all, I had seen how much Father suffered for the past year before that. For him, death was probably a relief, and that is why he asked me to end his life.¡± He stayed quiet after that and looked into his lover''s eyes as if he expected anger or disgust.

    But Blanche only gazed at him with determination. She cupped his face with her hands and began speaking in a slow and steady voice. ¡°You just answered all of your questions yourself. He asked for it because he was suffering. You didn''t make it worse, you helped him. You even asked him whether he was sure multiple times. This was his choice. He was more horrible for asking his son to do something like this. He could have ordered anyone else to help him, but he chose the simplest option and approached you.¡± She could swear that someone had told her about that while calling the former emperor a coward. But few people would have been daring enough to do so, right? Maybe she was just imagining it. ¡°I can understand why your father would want death after suffering for so long, but that doesn''t make it any less cruel for you. But you did the right thing. If you don''t feel bad, that''s perfect because you shouldn''t blame yourself for fulfilling his wish. If you do feel bad, I will do the same thing Althea did and hug you until you feel better.¡±

    Theodore looked at her for a moment before a little smile spread on his lips. ¡°I shouldn''t have worried about telling you this. You''re with me as always, and you even say the exact things I want to hear. I don''t feel guilty about the incident back then, which is why I was worried for so long. Now I''m at ease with my decision. Can I still get a hug?¡±

    Blanche was hugging him already, but she let go of him to raise her arms in an exaggerated motion before putting them around him again. ¡°I will always hug you when you want me to. If it makes both of us happy, it''s perfect. Let''s see how long I can keep my arms like this without getting a cramp.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Her lover returned the embrace and gently stroked over her head. ¡°Thank you. I like this a lot, so you will have to hold on for a while. But you can relax your arms a bit.¡±

    The concubine only tightened her hold on him. ¡°Not yet. I still need to show you how much I love you. That is going to take a while.¡± She slowly lifted her head even though the muscles in her neck were protesting. Then she began spreading kisses all over the spots of his body she could reach. By the time she finished, her neck ached, and she gave up in favor of leaning it onto him again. A small yawn escaped her before she could prevent it.

    Theodore chuckled at that and carefully brushed his fingers over her eyelids to close her eyes. ¡°You can do that while you are sleeping too. You always cling to me whether you are conscious or not, you know? Just having you lie on top of me or next to me is enough to show me how close we are to each other. That means that you don''t have to force yourself to stay awake. I know that you''re tired.¡±

    Blanche shook her head despite the both of them knowing that he was right. ¡°I''m fine. I don''t want to leave you alone. I will stay awake until you fall asleep. We didn''t leave our bed yesterday, so I can be awake for a bit longer than normal.¡± She opened her eyes and fought the urge to close them again.

    Her lover just coaxed her into closing them as he whispered into her ear. ¡°You won''t leave me alone. You are right here. I can feel your heartbeat and your chest moving while you inhale. I feel your warm breath too and can hear the small noises you make when you move around. Everything is fine. Give yourself the rest you deserve after enduring my constant teasing yesterday. I made sure to exhaust you, so you don''t have to hold back.¡±

    She had wanted to stay awake, but she felt drowsy. It became harder to keep her eyes open with each second. Still, she stubbornly lifted her head again and looked at him. ¡°I know. But I want to hold back. Because I don''t want you to feel like you are alone.¡± She had to pause to yawn again. One look at the clock proved that she would definitely not make it until this evening if she was so tired before it was even six o''clock. Maybe she should try to sleep a little after all. She looked to her lover again. ¡°Do you really not want to sleep a little longer too?¡±

    Theodore remained stubborn as well. ¡°I will stay up for a bit longer. Don''t worry about me. You will lie in my arms and calm me the whole time. Playing with your hair is the best distraction. Believe me. I''m fine now.¡±

    The concubine still wanted to refuse. But she obviously didn''t have much of a choice left. She was too exhausted, and her eyes fell shut whenever she didn''t pay attention. Slowly, she gave in and let her head rest on his lover''s chest while closing her eyes. ¡°Alright. Good night. Don''t let go of me while I sleep.¡± She barely heard his reply before she already drifted off into unconsciousness. Though, she understood the meaning anyway.

    ¡°I won''t. I will never let you go.¡±

    <hr>

    Theodore always took his promises seriously. He seemed to want to prove that he wouldn''t ever let go of his lover during the next days without fault. He always had his hand close to hers in one way or the other. That didn''t bother Blanche much though. Instead, she enjoyed his affection and was happy to return an equal share to him.

    The days in the palace were calm and quiet as always except for when Angelica and Darlene used nearly every chance to cuddle, which caused Stella to playfully complain. The concubine was content with their current life and favored the calm days much more than the ones that were full of trouble. She had heard that their enemies weren''t in such a good mood right now though.

    Apparently, Theodore had used quite a few tricks to put the less influential supporters of his mother into checkmate. Sefare had been proclaimed dead, which meant that he also couldn''t help the second prince''s faction anymore either.

    The dowager empress herself had to fight countless rumors regarding the incident during Blanche''s birthday. Many questioned why it had been necessary for her to try to tear apart a young woman in public without knowing the full story. The nobles were doubting what she had been thinking since Camille had made a courthouse out of a ballroom. This seemed to have dented her reputation more than anyone had previously thought. Surely, Theodore had gotten involved here.

    The Vasquez family had been the emperor''s greatest victim though. It seemed like they had some problems with money all of a sudden after Theodore had closed down many of their shops and coincidentally revealed some debts of the household. Along with his promise that he would ruin Claude within a year, this had to scare every member of that household a lot. That was why it wasn''t surprising that Duke Vasquez had asked for an audience, which would happen today.

    Naturally, the emperor had prepared some things to upset the duke in return and had gone all out with ideas of how to provoke the other man. Normally, that would be an interesting incident, and Blanche would be happy to hear about how Claude was shocked once again. But since she was involved in this plan, she didn''t like it as much as she should have.

    Right now, Blanche was standing in front of their room and was about to make her way to the ballroom, where Duke Vasquez should already be talking to Theodore. At least she was supposed to go there, but she had to admit that she was fighting herself. It was too embarrassing to walk through the corridors in her fancy attire. There was no official event being held right now, so everyone that saw her would believe that she was eccentric. She shouldn''t worry about that too much, but she couldn''t bring herself to stop.

    By now, even her maids were encouraging her. Stella repeated the same thing for the hundredth time. ¡°My Lady, you look beautiful! There is no need to be shy. You also wore this attire during your birthday ball, and you looked astonishing, right? Not wearing it now would be a shame when you finally get to punish that old man for daring to offend you.¡±

    Blanche was indeed wearing the same attire since Theodore had asked her for it. But that was the problem. She was wearing a ballgown in the middle of a normal day, and it was in the royal colors nonetheless. In addition, she also had the tiara, which made everything a hundred times worse. Appearing in front of Duke Vasquez like this was bad enough, but she already knew how many servants would see her while she walked there. The looks she was getting right now were already making her avert her eyes. It was too embarrassing.

    ¡°Stella. Have you compared my normal attires to this one once? I''m dressed up like some princess that is in the middle of her coronation. But today isn''t anything special, so everyone has to think that I completely snapped and that I am narcissistic or something like that. They don''t know about the plan, so they will misunderstand and believe that I want others to notice me.¡±

    Stella immediately shook her head. ¡°Since when is wearing pretty things a crime? You are always gorgeous, so they will never stop staring at you. Besides, how could the servants tell you what you can dress in? You can just put on the things you like.¡±

    Darlene watched that exchange with crossed arms. She scanned her mistress'' attire skeptically before shrugging. ¡°You always wear extravagant dresses. Did you never notice that? There isn''t a single person that will complain about that. I think everyone already likes calling you the secret empress of this nation.¡±

    Oh, no.

    A cold shiver ran down Blanche''s spine at that. ¡°What? Could you please repeat that?¡± She almost trembled already.

    Angelica gave her lover a scolding look before returning her attention to her mistress. ¡°Please do not take those words too seriously. Among the staff, there are some people who really like you. You''re very kind to the servants and actually visit the kitchen to do something with your own hands and share the result. That you never look down on the servants and treat them like equals while you are there also made them change their minds. After finding out that you are a commoner, they only love you more. So, this nickname isn''t an insult but some kind of praise. Of course, no one will tell Her Majesty, and everyone is careful to keep silent in front of our superiors.¡±

    The concubine blinked at her maids a few times and almost wanted to let herself fall against the wall. ¡°So, you are telling me that they call me the secret empress? That is completely ridiculous.¡± Especially since no one here seemed to understand how odd this statement actually was. Along with Theodore''s insane plan, which he hadn''t even hidden anymore since calling her his empress, this only served to worry her more. ¡°There is absolutely nothing that qualifies me to be the most powerful woman in the nation.¡± Not that this would keep her from gaining that position soon.

    Darlene raised her eyebrows at that. ¡°Excuse me? Right now, you are doing more ¡®empress things¡¯ than Her Majesty. You work on His Majesty''s documents with him, spend every minute with him, accompany him during events and dress more like royalty than Her Majesty does. You also wear the same ring as His Majesty, share his room and bed, will carry his children and the next heir and discuss political topics with the emperor''s advisor. That sounds very much like the things the empress usually takes care of. The biggest proof was him making your birthday party so grand and escorting you while placing you on the empress'' throne. You hosted the evening from there, which certainly is something the so-called most powerful woman in the nation usually does.¡± The biggest issue about this was that it wasn''t wrong.

    Blanche was doing all of those things. It seemed like no one in the palace cared to complain though. That realization made everything worse. The only person that seemed to worry was Blanche after all, which was a bit humiliating. ¡°That''s awful.¡± Why did it seem like Theodore would succeed with his foolish plan?

    Stella made a rejecting movement with her hand. ¡°It''s not that bad. The servants like it that way and almost use the nickname in an affectionate way. I think it became even more widespread after you got three attendants like the empress traditionally has while His Majesty still didn''t give Her Majesty a replacement for the dirty traitor. The gossip about you actually living in His Majesty''s room made it more fun to joke too, you know? Because all of your clothes are stored there, and that your old room is vacant also proved that you are now officially sharing his chambers. Obviously, that you two are wearing the same ring as His Majesty also added to that joke.¡±

    The concubine almost sighed at that. ¡°Great.¡± But she still couldn''t do anything about it. She wouldn''t give up some of her intimacy with Theodore just to keep some rumors at bay. She wasn''t that selfless anymore. Hopefully, Seraphina wouldn''t be bothered too much by the gossip during her last weeks here. But in the end, Blanche couldn''t change it anymore and just trusted that the empress would generously ignore what was going on around her.

    And like always, Blanche''s thoughts seemed to take on their own form.

    Blanche heard the sound of a door opening and glanced in that direction, only to spot people coming out of the room of the very person she had just been thinking about. That announced that the empress herself would follow her attendants soon. Just a while ago, the concubine might have gotten nervous because of this, but now she only sighed inwardly. She should have guessed that she could meet the empress when she was leaving a room in the same hallway where the other woman''s room was. This was still a great coincidence, but it wasn''t a troublesome one. Blanche would just greet everyone and then leave after.

    Seraphina stepped out of her room along with Noah and her two maids. For a moment, it seemed like she was focused on her goal already, but then she turned her head too soon and made eye contact with the concubine. Her face stayed neutral, but the irritation on her attendants'' expressions made it quite obvious that they were confused about why the other woman was wearing such an attire right now.

    Blanche just told herself to ignore that and put on a little smile while bowing her head.

    The empress chose to be polite in return. She immediately steered toward Blanche and spoke up to greet her. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. You seem to be doing well. Is there a special occasion, or are you just spending some time taking care of yourself?¡±

    Blanche was a little taken aback by that question. She hadn''t expected that Seraphina would actually address topics like that when the empress usually hadn''t said anything about her attires no matter what. She quickly made a curtsy before replying. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Majesty. There is indeed a special occasion. I am on my way to the ballroom to do my best to infuriate His Grace, the Duke of Vasquez. He is currently speaking with Theo, and we wanted to annoy him a bit.¡± She felt almost childish while admitting that and quickly added the rest. ¡°Since he seems to despise me, we hoped that he would reveal some secrets if I show up while being quite daring. That is why I fear that my attire may be a bit too flashy. I will go back to change as soon as we are done with that little plan.¡±

    Though, it wasn''t like Seraphina could scold her for wearing this either. At this point, it didn''t matter much whether Blanche impersonated the empress. In the end, it seemed like Theodore had made his point already.

 Chapter 268: Audiences and Rage (1)

    Blanche had been quite embarrassed about her fancy attire, so she had immediately explained why she was even wearing it to the empress. That hadn''t been necessary at all though.

    Seraphina''s lips formed a faint smile as she showed no sign of even slight dismay. ¡°There is no need to justify what kind of clothes you appear in. I doubt that anyone will be able to prohibit you from wearing flashy outfits in the future. It may even be good to be a bit more extravagant. After all, suddenly changing your style would be odd.¡±

    That indication surprised Blanche even more than the previous greeting. ¡°I see. I would still hold back with so many accessories during a normal day though.¡±

    The empress replied with a small smile. ¡°As long as you choose not to wear a crown each and every day, I believe that it should be fine. Of course, no one can forbid you from putting on a crown each day, but I have to warn you. They are heavier than they look and aren''t pleasant to wear for longer than five minutes. But enough about attires. His Grace, the Duke of Vasquez currently visiting His Majesty, correct? I heard that he asked for an audience, and it seems that he is here today. If you wish to upset him, just make His Majesty interrupt the audience for a moment to ask something trivial. That will certainly anger any normal guest.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t help but grimace slightly. It was way too obvious how insolent she and Theodore were being. ¡°We are planning on doing exactly that. In fact, it will get even worse, so I can assure you that he will believe that we have lost our minds at the end.¡± She still wasn''t sure which one of her lover''s ideas had been the worst, but she would probably find out if she watched Duke Vasquez''s reaction.

    Seraphina thought about that for a moment before her smile widened a little. ¡°I see. It is a shame that I will not be able to witness what his expression looks like when he loses his trust in the emperor. But I can imagine it already. Please do your best to make him regret coming here.¡±

    The concubine almost couldn''t believe that the dutiful empress was currently telling her this. But she just nodded while trying to hide her shock. It wasn''t surprising that Seraphina wanted the people she deemed her enemies to suffer at all. Blanche was well aware. But that the empress admitted it like this was strange. ¡°I will put in a lot of effort.¡± Even if angering Claude was rather easy.

    After that, both women were silent for a moment.

    Blanche didn''t know what to say at first before she remembered what she had wanted to ask for a while now. ¡°Ah, by the way. Have you exchanged letters with Crown Prince Linden already? I haven''t heard much except for him arriving safely in Northern Ocrea.¡±

    Seraphina''s face became a little stiffer at that as if she was putting her stoic facade back on to hide her true feelings. ¡°Since he took two weeks to travel back and the messenger took another week to deliver the letter, I was only able to send one while waiting for his response. It just arrived, so I can finally send a second one. He seems to be fine, and his father is pleased with the development of the relationship between our nations. Linden was merely a bit exhausted due to the long journey.¡±

    For Seraphina, talking about this was probably harder than she showed openly. After all, she most likely had the desire to send letter after letter. But by writing letters despite not having received a reply first, one would indicate a very close relationship with the other party. Naturally, the wife of the emperor couldn''t accidentally reveal that she was close to another man. Even if she and Linden had to miss each other a lot. In just a few more weeks, Seraphina would finally be released though.

    This actually made Blanche look forward to the finalization of the divorce. It was still uncertain where the former empress could find a way to be with Prince Linden, but the concubine rooted for them. ¡°I see. I hope that he will rest a bit and feel more energetic soon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration. I will send him your regards in my next letter.¡± Seraphina turned her head to the side and scanned her attendants before continuing. ¡°I will take my leave now to not disturb you any longer. You still have to attend an audience after all.¡± She showed the concubine a little smile. ¡°But despite the interesting banter without our enemies, you should pay attention to your lessons.¡± Her expression became stoic in an instant. ¡°How many guards were given noble households after the revolt in 1427?¡±

    Blanche might have been surprised if the empress hadn''t done this to her a couple of times already. So, she just responded. ¡°One. The other four got it a few years later after they helped provide everything for the citizens after a flood in the north.¡±

    That was all it took to make Seraphina smile again. ¡°Good. I heard that you are also getting familiar with new documents now. Continue like this and never become lenient. The royal family depends on you. And thus, the whole nation and every single person in Artias too.¡± What a way to build up pressure. ¡°Goodbye, Lady Blanche. Have a nice day. Until we meet each other again.¡±

    The concubine tried her best to hide her uncertainty when it came to that topic and smiled as well. ¡°I hope that you will have a relaxing evening, Your Majesty. Goodbye.¡±

    Seraphina nodded toward her before turning around and leaving with her nervous maids and the gently smiling Noah.

    Before Blanche had any chance of relaxing, her own attendants already spoke up.

    Darlene put her hands on her hips and watched the empress leave. ¡°What is she trying to do with those random questions? She has done this often for the last few weeks. Didn''t she ask about what the ministers have to swear last time? You''ve always answered correctly, and still, she keeps questioning you. Maybe she just wants to see you fail.¡±

    Stella chimed in with a serious expression. ¡°I know. It''s been bothering me too. I know that becoming a member of royalty is special, but having to know that much is exaggerated.¡±

    Angelica nodded. ¡°The emperor''s secondary wives usually do not have any political role. That is why I am wondering why Her Majesty keeps acting like My Lady will rule Artias by herself in the future. There is no need for anyone to learn this much about history for no reason. The past is the past.¡±

    At that point, Blanche realized that she would have to tell her maids about the divorce soon. It became increasingly harder to give reasons for some of Seraphina''s ambiguous comments, but the concubine didn''t feel ready to say anything. Obviously, Owen had heard about it already too, but suddenly revealing such a big secret to her attendants would be risky. After all, no one could hear about this before the supreme judge was done reviewing the contract and it was signed by both parties.

    But the longer Blanche watched her maids discuss that topic, the clearer it became that she had to tell them the truth. It was already late, so she couldn''t wait that much longer. But it was hard to decide where to start. So, stalling for time for just a few minutes should be fine. She waved her hand through the air. ¡°Let''s talk about that later. We need to go to the ballroom now.¡±

    Suddenly, her attire wasn''t the biggest issue anymore, so she didn''t feel as embarrassed as she moved forward. Of course, she still felt weird, especially when people stopped to look at her and whispered. But she just forced herself to walk forward without tripping over anything. When they reached the first floor, she slowed down a bit to prolong their arrival and gain a bit more time to tell her maids. She didn''t know how to carefully introduce the topic, so she decided to just be direct.

    Blanche stopped at an empty corner and looked around a dozen times. She only stepped closer to her maids and whispered to them when she was sure that no one else could listen to them here. ¡°There is something I still have to tell you. It was decided a while ago, but the issue is difficult, so no one could know. But now the supreme judge already has the documents, and they only have to sign, so I-¡± She was beginning to avoid the real topic here again. She took a deep breath and forced herself to start again with the only thing that was important and would allow the others to understand. ¡°Theo and Her Majesty are...divorcing.¡± It was harder to say that than it should have been. After all, so much was connected to such a small sentence.

    For a moment, everyone was silent. The expressions of her maids were similar to what her own face had looked like when Seraphina had told her about this for the first time.

    Darlene was the first one to awaken from her paralysis. ¡°What?¡± She almost yelled that and took a step back as utter shock was visible on her features. ¡°That''s not a joke, right?¡±

    Blanche kneaded her fingers behind her back and shook her head. ¡°It''s not. Theo set up the contract, and she agreed on the day that Prince Linden left. The documents are currently being examined by the supreme judge. If he doesn''t find any issues, they will sign, and it will be final.¡± Then Artias wouldn''t have an empress anymore. It was somehow ridiculous that Seraphina would give up the one position that had even been emphasized in the novel''s title.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The main character of ¡°To Be Empress¡± would not be an empress for much longer. Even though that woman would have done anything to be empress, as the title had promised.

    Now the other two maids also began moving again. Angelica was as shocked as her lover, but Stella was beaming. The latter one jumped toward her mistress and grabbed her hands. ¡°Really? Do you know what that means? His Majesty only wants you! He won''t accept anyone else, and you will be his one and only wife!¡± As soon as she said that, she froze. Seemingly, she had only noticed what she had hinted at that moment. ¡°But that is...¡± It took a bit longer for the maids to process the news.

    But once again, Darlene was the first one to react. A wide grin appeared on her face. ¡°No way. You were modest the whole time while hiding something like this? So, you won''t be just the secret empress but also the official one!¡±

    Blanche would have liked to sink into the floor at that. But at the same time, she couldn''t stay quiet and disappear. She had to prevent her maids from continuing to yell so loudly after all. ¡°Be quiet! You can''t yell about something like that!¡±

    But Darlene only smirked at her. ¡°Why? This is amazing! You will become...you know what I''m referring to. I won''t say it if you don''t want to, but once the wedding comes, the coronation automatically follows as well. Then you will not be able to hide anything anymore. So, why not be honest from the very beginning? I think that all servants here would be ecstatic to hear that you will become our new mistress.¡±

    Stella blinked a few times as tears gathered in her eyes. ¡°My Lady... You will finally be by His Majesty''s side. You deserve it for being with him for so long. You will be a wonderful empress! He already gave you a crown too. We have to tell-¡±

    Blanche shook her head vigorously. ¡°You can''t tell anyone! The divorce will be revealed to the public when they are ready and not before that. And the chances that I will actually become... The chances that Theo will carry out that stupid plan are low. How could I, a commoner, be put on top of the noble society? He will lose all of his supporters if he tries that! And there is no way that I could actually govern the nation in a way that would benefit the citizens. I would ruin everything his family has worked for.¡±

    Both Stella and Darlene simultaneously began to protest.

    Angelica was the one who spoke louder than them though. ¡°That is nonsense, My Lady. His Majesty would still be by your side. There is no way that he would let you do something that could potentially trouble someone. He knows that you still have to learn, so he will assist you at all times. The nobles will certainly back his decision, no matter what.¡±

    Blanche could barely compose herself at that. Why did no one among her maids voice worry about this situation? She herself didn''t believe in her ability to govern anything, so why would anyone else? ¡°You shouldn''t just agree with that! It''s a horrible idea. Theo will only cause problems for himself if he actually tries this!¡± She was about to get way too upset about this, but all attempts to calm herself down were unsuccessful. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and made eye contact with Owen.

    The knight was expressionless as always, but he still managed to be comforting as he spoke up in a gentle voice. ¡°His Majesty is not careless. He would never do something that endangers the nation''s well-being. If he chooses to make someone his equal partner, that person has his deepest respect. You would not shoulder any burden alone, and with him by your side, there simply cannot be any issues. As long as you do not abuse your power, which I trust you won''t, there is no reason to assume that you would be an unfitting empress.¡± The fact that even the deliberate and stoic Owen didn''t see any problem here was even more concerning than the maids'' opinion.

    But Blanche understood that arguing wouldn''t get her far right now. She had something else to do. Theodore was waiting for her entrance, and she needed to do her best to anger Duke Vasquez. With a sigh, she turned toward their destination. ¡°We''ll talk about this later when I am a bit calmer. Please don''t tell anyone about this before the official divorce.¡±

    Stella mimicked locking her mouth with an imaginary key before throwing it away. ¡°Our lips are sealed.¡± Still, she was beaming from one ear to the other. That she would be able to hide this from Clark and George was unlikely.

    The concubine watched that with worry before pushing those thoughts away. She focused on repeating the things Theodore had told her to do if she wanted to infuriate their guest. She wasn''t sure whether she would be able to act like he imagined it, but she would do her best.

    The angrier Claude got, the more mistakes he might make. And the more errors he made, the more likely it was that his deeds got revealed. Every piece of evidence could help them in a trial and might end up being the final nail in that man''s coffin along with Sefare''s testimony. Of course, the matter regarding the execution of Blanche''s family was incredibly important to her. If Duke Vasquez really was involved, he would burn. To ensure that, she had no problem forcing herself to act a bit.

    She stopped in front of the door to the ballroom and smiled a little at the guards that stepped aside to let her in. She took one last deep breath before putting her hands on the double door. It was time to pull through with their plan now.

    Blanche remembered how she had done this exact thing during the ball after the royal couple''s wedding. This time, things were different but still somewhat similar. She wasn''t crying and hiding her grief and nervousness behind a smile. This time, there was the same amount of nervousness but even more wrath inside her. She would do her best to upset the man that believed that he could threaten her and get away with excuses afterward.

    That thought was enough to allow her to beam despite her stomach churning. She pushed down the door handles and then laid her hands flat against the double doors to shove them open with as much force as possible.

    The doors collided with the wall, and the loud noise echoed through the room.

    Duke Vasquez, who was standing in front of the platform with the thrones, jolted at that and whipped his head around to see who would dare to rush into an audience without being announced. Upon recognizing the concubine, his face flashed with rage for a moment, but he hurried to cover it up with a wide smile.

    Blanche didn''t stop to watch him though. She rushed into the room and kept her eyes on Theodore, who was sitting on his throne and smirked at her. She moved toward him without a pause and climbed up the stairs to the platform as fast as she could go without tripping. Then she did one of the most insolent things her lover could have come up with. ¡°Theo!¡± She called his name and hurried to him to fall into his arms.

    Theodore caught her with ease so that she was now lying on top of him and could wrap her arms around him. ¡°There my angel is. I was already getting worried. But it seems like you put in some extra effort while getting ready.¡±

    The concubine nodded at him with a bright smile and did her best to ignore the guest, who was watching them. ¡°I liked it so much that I wanted to wear it again. But I have no idea when the next party is, so I just chose to put it on today. Do you like it?¡±

    Her lover carefully helped her stabilize herself on his lap before putting his arms around her waist again. ¡°Of course. You always look like a goddess. How could I not be enchanted by your beauty no matter what you wear? If you smile at me like that, everything else is unimportant. But when you put on things I gifted you, I could not be happier. My heart is about to burst with joy.¡±

    Blanche leaned forward to press a kiss onto his lips. ¡°Then it was worth it. I will make sure to show you all the things you gifted me.¡± She tilted her head and placed a kiss on her lover''s jaw. Then she slowly wandered downward and left a trail of kisses. She only stopped when she was about to forget that they weren''t alone. She moved her legs back down and tried to climb off Theodore, but he kept her in his embrace. That made her kiss him again before he released her. Then she stood up with his help and combed through her hair with her fingers. Blanche turned to the side and climbed up the one step to the empress'' throne before plopping down on it as if it was a meaningless chair she could lounge on. Now she finally turned her attention to the guest and showed him a radiant beam. ¡°Ah. You were here too, Your Grace. I apologize for that just now. But it''s been an hour since I last saw Theo, and I needed to greet him properly. I should have gotten ready in time, but I wasn''t sure which attire I should wear, so I changed three times.¡± That was a lie and a pretty obvious one at that. Though, everything would be fine as long as she signaled the duke that she had let him wait on purpose.

    This time, Duke Vasquez didn''t even look mad. He just blinked at the image in front of him and tried to understand why the concubine was allowed to sit on the empress'' throne with a tiara on her head. That she had greeted him before letting him speak had to baffle him too. Apparently, he was so surprised that he forget to get angry completely. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. There is no need to apologize. You look ravishing, so the effort has been worth it.¡±

    Theodore replied with a smile. ¡°Exactly. This was her attire for the ball as well. It was a shame you missed it, but you were lucky and had the chance to see it today. It''s breathtaking, isn''t it? She looked wonderful on the throne back then too and still does. I could really get used to this sight.¡± He turned to his lover and whispered to her. ¡°But having you on my lap might be even better.¡±

    By now, Blanche''s embarrassment slowly became more noticeable. They weren''t alone here with Claude. Aside from Owen, there were countless other guards, and she was a bit unsettled about what they would think about her afterward. Hopefully, Theodore had informed them that they would do strange things on purpose, like he had promised. Still, those people were there, and she couldn''t make them unsee their cuddling.

    Blanche was pretty sure that her cheeks were burning up and that she would not be able to keep herself from blushing for much longer. But right now, that wasn''t an issue. In fact, acting like she was extremely embarrassed only enhanced their little act. She exaggerated a bit and put her hands on her cheeks while whispering back to Theodore. ¡°Maybe. But then I won''t be able to stop kissing you. You might not be able to continue your audience for long. You know that I can''t hold back when you are with me.¡±

    ¡°The sentiment is returned.¡± Her lover gave her a little grin and reached over to her to hold her hands. He squeezed her hand when she put it onto his and leaned to her to press a kiss onto it. He stared into her eyes for a while before he turned to the guest again. ¡°I hope you didn''t feel neglected, Your Grace. We just had to catch up with each other, and now you have our full attention again. What were we talking about?¡±

    Duke Vasquez forced himself to smile before replying. ¡°You were mentioning the ball, Your Majesty. It was indeed a shame that I could not attend, but I heard a lot about what happened. It appears that those were not just rumors. I did not expect to see that Lady Blanche is truly sitting on Her Majesty''s throne.¡±

    That was one of the sentences Blanche had been waiting for. She was almost too embarrassed to say what her lover had come up with now, but if she wanted to upset Claude, this was the best way. ¡°Well, I liked this one better. The other one is nice too, but I somehow felt more comfortable on the left one. Theo told me to choose, so I made my decision freely.¡±

    As expected, Duke Vasquez''s face scrunched up. He didn''t point out that no one was allowed to take the emperor''s spot though. One glance at Theodore''s expression was enough to show him that the ruler had agreed to this, so there was nothing he could do. But the gears in his head were still turning as he tried to come up with something he could say about this. In the end, he seemed to choose the simplest option. ¡°Is that so? Then we should just continue our audience. I do not wish to be disrespectful in any way, but there is something that I wish to inquire about first. Why is Sir Maillont here too? I feel like this is a rather personal matter, so including such a big number of people could possibly be avoided. Surely, he could leave the room for just a few minutes. After all, he also cannot protect his masters when he is sleeping for hours at a time. Thus, such a short amount of time doesn''t matter much, correct?¡±

    He wanted Owen to leave? That was suspicious. Did he plan something vile, or did Claude just feel embarrassed upon remembering being escorted out by that guard? But either way, he wouldn''t win here.

 Chapter 269: Audiences and Rage (2)

    ¡°

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    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    all you have to say?¡± She was pretty sure that she sounded more provokingly sweet than she had intended to.

    I can''t compare that? Why can I not compare me pointing out your mistakes with you insulting me openly for no reason? It should be obvious that I was the one being mistreated here from the very beginning. And you still dare to question my decision to not forgive you? I already promised that I would not accept it since I know that you aren''t genuinely regretful. If you didn''t understand that back then, it''s not my fault.¡±

    so much better than them. Don''t blame me for that pathetic mindset.¡±

 Chapter 270: Audiences and Rage (3)

    ¡°so much better than them. Don''t blame me for that pathetic mindset.¡±

    Pull yourself together! Your rank doesn''t mean a thing when you''re in the royal palace to apologize for committing a grave offense!¡± It was clear what kind of reaction this would provoke.

    our chambers. She can even go inside my office and read every single confidential document there.¡± Theodore''s grin was much too bright while he happily explained what Duke Vasquez certainly didn''t want to hear. ¡°I will do everything for Blanche and put the world to her feet if that is what she wishes for. I don''t mind crushing her enemies even if she doesn''t ask for it. If she asks for it, I will be even happier to do it. All of me belongs to her. From my mind, body and soul to everything else. My life is hers. Does that answer your question?¡±

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    ¡°

    special circle. Do you finally comprehend now? You will be accused of treason.¡±

    How can you talk to me like that?¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 271: Giving Up?

¡°

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    <hr>

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The secret empress, wasn''t it?¡±

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    ¡°

 Chapter 272: Visiting the Enemies Party (1)

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

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 Chapter 273: Visiting the Enemies Party (2)

¡°

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    ¡°

    Dresses. We''ll have a seven-day-long banquet. You need to have one for every single day. And each one has to be special and unforgettable in its own way.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 274: Of Antidotes and Hidden Pasts

    ¡°Please listen to the plan first. She will never be in any real danger since I will be right behind her, even when Owen goes away to purposefully create a chance. She only has to drink this and-¡±

    Theodore cut Leonard off in a freezing voice. ¡°No way. I will not let her drink anything that may be harmful.¡±

    Surprisingly, Owen chimed in too. ¡°I do not wish to agree to that either. Aside from us not being aware of the effects of such substances, I am positioned at Lady Blanche''s side to protect her. I will only leave in case of an emergency.¡±

    Leonard almost looked a bit frustrated at that. He glared at the two men while explaining. ¡°I was going to give her the antidote for the substance our enemies have ordered, not a poison. I know the medicine they want to use. Some of my previous colleagues used it to...distract people. It''s not deadly or harmful, especially not when she drank some of the antidote. How about asking her first before making the decision?¡±

    Theodore wanted to talk back, but he was too slow.

    Leon already turned to the concubine. ¡°We found out that someone wants to poison one of you, which probably means that you are the target. No one would be stupid enough to have the emperor drugged during their party, so you will be the one needing to swallow the bitter pill. We could easily blame our enemies by letting you act a little. I will give you an antidote now, and if someone else offers you a drink, accept it. You will probably feel dizzy and warm afterward, but this antidote will have lessened the effect. Then Owen and Theodore will coincidentally leave you alone so that you are vulnerable. Obviously, I will stay close to you to prevent anything from actually happening. Act like you are extremely sick and pay attention to what the people around you say while they believe you to be barely conscious. Then your beloved rushes in to save the day, and we arrest the perpetrators. The effect of that medicine is temporary, so it will go away after a few hours or so. Does that sound good?¡±

    Blanche could barely follow his words when he became faster and faster. To her, all of that sounded almost a bit too strange. ¡°That sounds like it may be from a novel or something like that. But is that possible in real life? And why exactly did you come up with such a plan?¡±

    Leonard shrugged and looked around before replying. ¡°Because we don''t have any clues, and I''m getting impatient. If we do this, we can have a trial in a month and use it to get rid of Claude Vasquez. We only need to cause a scene that allows us to arrest him so that we can freely search through his documents and unveil all of his crimes. This will also give us a chance to confirm whether he might be the secret third party we are worrying about so much. That it sounds like it might be from a novel isn''t my problem.¡±

    To be honest, that didn''t bother Blanche much either. This was about whether it could work. She was silent for a moment and bit the inside of her cheek before speaking up. ¡°What kind of medicine do they want to use on me? It''s nothing bad like ¡®Midnight Sleep¡¯, right? In that case-¡±

    Immediately, Theodore interrupted her. ¡°No. There is no way that you will knowingly ingest some kind of poison.¡±

    Leonard rested his elbow on the table and glanced to the side. ¡°I''m telling you that it''s not poison. It''s a medicine that makes you drowsy and makes you feel like you have a fever. The other effect won''t set in because she drank the antidote.¡±

    Theodore still didn''t listen to the other man. He spun around to his lover and placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Don''t do that. There is no need to bring yourself in danger when we already found out that something will happen. You don''t have to feel like you need to do this because this would be completely useless. Your health is more important than anything else. We won''t let someone drug you.¡± His expression looked so pained that the concubine was sure that she couldn''t agree. Not when he looked at her like that.

    But Leon was quick to speak up again. ¡°But won''t she be much safer if we finally get rid of Duke Vasquez? Now we may have been lucky enough to find out about their plot before, but we won''t always be that fortunate. And then the poison may not be as harmless as this one. It''s only more serious if Duke Vasquez is truly the man wanting to cause a war and take over the nation. We have to confirm whether it''s him quickly and then get rid of him. You know that I''m right and that this plan is foolproof. I wouldn''t propose anything that could pose a risk to Lady Blanche. I can intervene at any given time, you know? If everything goes downhill, I can make the whole situation look like an accident. No one believes that the secretary can fight, so it will be an easy win.¡± He was more than confident while saying all of that.

    Theodore''s face scrunched up at that. Apparently, he knew that Leonard was right with his assumptions. That didn''t mean that he wanted to accept it though. ¡°I won''t send my angel into danger while I go somewhere else. There is no-¡±

    Leon interrupted him this time. ¡°By the gods. You can stay behind her too if you want to insist. You suddenly became a professional at sneaking, didn''t you? If you manage to be silent, you can just follow me. Owen will be on the other side of the room and use another way from which he can still see us. I can even tell you where he needs to go right now.¡± He gestured to the other side of the ballroom. He seemed to refer to the area that was hidden behind some pillars that were carrying the second floor''s hallway. ¡°There is a corridor, and he needs to go straight and then go right, left and right again. Then he is right by the guest rooms, where almost no people are. He can reach the destination before us to ensure that nothing could possibly go wrong while Lady Blanche goes to that remote area to lure in anyone that may wish to harm us. The three of us should be the most skilled fighters in the palace. If we can''t protect her, then nothing in this whole world can.¡±

    The more Blanche listened, the more she seriously began to think about it. She wasn''t truly in any danger if these men were there to protect her. The poison didn''t seem to have the capability of harming her, so there was no need to be scared. She would only help her lover with this. Of course, she wasn''t screaming in joy at the prospect of drinking some weird drug while being fully aware of that. But it was better than letting Theodore ingest some lethal substance in a few months because they hadn''t gotten rid of their enemies in time.

    So, Blanche forced herself to speak up in a steady voice, even though her stomach was churning. ¡°If I can help in some way, I will do it. I''m always passive, so I might as well do something helpful at some point. I know that you worry about medicine like that a lot, but maybe I can do this. It shouldn''t be difficult.¡±

    Theodore whipped his head around to her and cupped her cheeks. ¡°Don''t. You can''t get hurt, no matter what. I don''t want to risk you getting injured or-¡±

    Leonard sighed and looked around with more worry. ¡°Would you keep it down, please? We don''t need everyone here to know that we are planning something. Your expression is traitorous enough. Besides, please listen to me. This here is safe. But if Lady Blanche becomes empress while those people are still here, it will be more than dangerous for her.¡±

    The emperor gritted his teeth and pulled his lover closer to him. ¡°I can''t let you do something that dangerous. I can''t.¡± That had been expected.

    ¡°Theo.¡± Blanche gently placed her hands on top of his and looked into his eyes. ¡°You will protect me too. You and Owen and Leon. Don''t you think that you will have an advantage over our unknowing enemies?¡±

    Theodore gazed at her with an expression that made her heart ache. ¡°I know. But my emotions will never be outweighed by logic. I can''t let you get hurt, I can''t-¡±

    Leonard took a deep breath before cutting the other man off. ¡°I swear on my name that I will protect her with my life. Is that enough to convince you? You know how important this name is to me, so you should understand that I''m being serious when I say that nothing will happen.¡±

    The emperor froze for a moment. Then he slowly breathed in and out before replying. ¡°I know that you will do your best. Owen and I will too. But I''m still scared.¡± He looked into his lover''s eyes and carefully stroked over her cheeks. ¡°Are you sure that you want to risk that? You don''t have to. You shouldn''t.¡±

    Blanche gave him a calming smile. ¡°I am sure. As long as you are with me, nothing will happen. So, I won''t be scared.¡±

    Theodore clenched his jaw at that, but he nodded. ¡°Alright. Alright. I will be right behind you. I will protect you with my life, and I won''t leave or look away for a single second.¡±

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    Leonard didn''t seem to trust that the emperor wouldn''t change his mind. He scanned the other man with skepticism before turning to the knight. ¡°Owen?¡±

    The guard was silent for a moment before replying. ¡°I will help. I refuse to take my eyes off Lady Blanche though. I will stay in the same room until I can be sure that you are behind her.¡±

    Leon nodded. ¡°You can do that. There will always be at least two pairs of eyes on her, so it will go smoothly.¡± He opened a wine flask and poured three glasses for them with seemingly flawless motions. One could barely see his fingers moving, but he pulled out something from his sleeve and put something of a second liquid into a glass, which he pushed toward the concubine after.

    Blanche was taken aback by his quick motions, but she didn''t say anything about that. Instead, she moved closer to her glass and leaned down to smell the wine. The fragrance was the same as always, so it would probably taste like normal wine too despite the secret added ingredient. She picked up the glass and held it to her eyes to gaze at it in the candlelight. The last time she had drunk poison, it had left a bad memory, so she was reluctant to even touch this antidote. She could only hope that it didn''t taste as sweet as that poison, or she might throw up. But, on the other hand, she hated bitter things. She asked before thinking about it. ¡°Is it sweet or bitter?¡±

    Leonard gave her a skeptical look. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡±

    ¡°Well, both extremes would be bad. Since I don''t like bitter... You know what, forget it.¡± Blanche lifted the glass and drank a big sip. She was relieved to find out that it tasted like normal red wine, so she just gulped down the rest of the liquid too.

    Leon watched her and began explaining when she was finished. ¡°After someone offered you a drink and you accepted it, you will feel normal for a few minutes. When you start to notice the effects of the medicine, you have to excuse yourself and go toward the guest rooms. You only need to seem as feverish as possible. Stumble a bit, hold your head and act like you are drowsy. Then our enemies will make their move. Alright?¡± That didn''t sound too difficult.

    The concubine nodded. ¡°I will do my best.¡± Even if her acting skills weren''t as good as they could be, she should be able to pretend to feel unwell. That was easy to do, right? After all, she had whined about harmless things often enough. She tried to seem at least a little confident, but she doubted that it worked.

    Theodore still looked like he was extremely unhappy about all of this, so it was hard for her to smile at him. He pulled her into his arms again and tightly held her against his chest.

    Leonard was silent for a moment before speaking up. ¡°It will be fine. In the worst case...¡± He turned to Blanche. ¡°You will use something interesting too. You put on the earrings like I asked you to, right?¡±

    The concubine gestured to her ears. ¡°There they are. I like them a lot.¡±

    Leonard crossed his arms as he began explaining. ¡°You may like them more or less after you find out what their specialty is, depending on your interests. If you put your hand on the bottom crystal and turn it toward you, it will open, and you will have something like a sharp needle in your hand. Do not pierce your own skin with that. If you use it on others, you just need to get the tip into their bloodstream, and they will collapse within a minute at most. They will just sleep for a while, but it should ensure that they won''t bother you anymore.¡±

    Blanche just blinked at that. ¡°Pardon?¡± Leon opened his mouth to repeat what he had just said, and she quickly cut him off. ¡°No, no. I understood that. But did you really give me a weapon with something like poison? I''m useless with knives, so-¡±

    Leonard nodded at her. ¡°I know. That''s why I didn''t give you a bracelet with a hidden blade. Trust me. You already sewed something for Theodore, and he even carries it around with him now. I looked at your needlework. It wasn''t perfect, but you should be able to stab a clueless person with a needle. You should still be careful with how you use those stingers though. I don''t want you to knock yourself out nor do I want them anywhere close to my face.¡±

    This was the point in time at which Blanche thought about how little she knew about Leon. He surely wasn''t a normal nobleman with his endurance and his great knowledge and skill when it came to fighting and weapons. Wasn''t he also interested in poisons and antidotes? It was almost scary how calm he was when dealing with matters like this. ¡°If you use such secret weapons, you make me worry. Leon, are you sure that you''re not actually an assassin?¡±

    For a moment, everyone was silent.

    Then Leonard gave her a little smile. ¡°You hit the bullseye. You shouldn''t be so open about your guesses in front of strangers though. They might not just calmly accept it.¡± When she was quiet and blinked at him a few times, he resumed after a sigh. ¡°You are right. I met Theodore seven years ago during that assassination attempt. I was actually hired for that job but didn''t want to get too close to the knights and just watched from afar. I planned to wait until most people were dead and kill the target then. But then I saw some young man, who was a horrible sword fighter at that time, defeat countless attackers by using tricks. A few things happened, and I saw Althea there too and felt some pity for them. It takes too long to explain, but I helped Theodore escape and came with him. He gave me a new name and made sure that I was appointed as the heir of my elderly father despite me only being an illegitimate child. Since then, I''ve been Theodore''s advisor but like to secretly deal with the less pleasant matters. That sounds like a novel too, right?¡± It did.

    But Blanche wasn''t too surprised. After all, she had seen some rather strange things in her life. From political intrigues to people that broke the laws of life and death to overly skillful individuals around her that learned how to fight overnight. That this story about Leonard was true didn''t surprise her much. She was only shocked to find out that Leon was an assassin. After all, she only knew him as her tutor and the snarky secretary that loved to comment on the couple''s cuddling. She didn''t even know what to say about that. ¡°I see. So, that''s why you are so good at fighting. And why you know so much about weapons and poison. That explains it in some way. Thank you for rescuing Theo.¡±

    Both Theodore and Leon looked rather surprised at that. The emperor was the first one to speak up. ¡°I was going to give you a long story about how he saved my life, but you already accepted it. I expected you to be a bit worried at least.¡±

    Blanche shook her head. ¡°Not really. You trust him, so I know that he is good. For the last two years, he''s always been kind to me too. He''s been mad at us for kissing in front of him so often that I couldn''t be scared about him doing anything. He never tried to harm either of us no matter how long we bothered him, so his self-control is probably much better than ours. Leon is on our side, so him being able to fight can only be beneficial.¡±

    Leonard stared at her for a few seconds before his typical grin spread on his face. ¡°Your morality is only dependent on who supports Theodore and who doesn''t. That shows that you are loyal, but it also shows that you may be a bit too naive. I''m glad that you didn''t start crying though.¡± He was joking about it now, but he seemed like he was genuinely glad that she hadn''t suddenly been scared of him.

    Blanche just gave him a wide smile in return. ¡°I cry at everything, so the tears might just follow when we face the bad people later. Please use your assassin skills to save me then.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Leon finished his glass of wine too and set it back on the table. ¡°I will go now, or they will notice that we are talking for too long. But first, I will give you a short summary of the plan so that you know what to do. For now, talk to the guests, and at some point, Lady Blanche can go to the group of women surrounding Duchess Vasquez. Then someone will approach her. She drinks the liquid offered to her and goes to the guest rooms over there.¡± He gestured to one of the two hallways leading away from the ballroom. ¡°Owen will leave earlier when he is being told about the commotion by the entrance and then go through the second hallway to reach the destination first. Theodore and I will act like we are absorbed in a conversation and then follow her. Alright?¡± He waited for everyone to nod before smiling at them. ¡°Good. Then I bid you farewell for now, Your Majesty and Lady Blanche. Goodbye, Sir Maillont.¡± With that, he spun around and left.

    To Blanche, all of this felt like it went by a little too fast. She was rather sure that one should come up with such a plan earlier. But now they had to act somewhat similar to what Leon had proposed without having any chance to prepare. Maybe this would overwhelm her a bit.

    As if Theodore had read her thoughts, he brought his lips to her forehead. ¡°Everything will be fine. I am with you no matter what. If that Besseta girl really works with the people that framed her father, I will make sure that their family understands what it really means to attack us. And Duke Vasquez will have spent his last days in freedom. I will take care of everything, I promise.¡± He wanted to comfort her, but at the same time, he was the one trembling.

    Blanche quickly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her. ¡°You''re right. Everything will be fine. Trust your most skilled men. They will be able to protect me when I am on guard.¡±

    Theodore nodded to himself and buried his face in her neck. ¡°Alright. I swear that I will protect you. I won''t ever let anyone hurt you again. I swear on my life, my name, the Estien family and all of Artias.¡±

    She raised her arm and gently patted his head. ¡°You don''t have to go so far. I believe you. You will definitely protect me and crush our enemies. That is why we will take care of the plan now. We can''t let them see that we are cautious.¡± She had said that without expecting a direct response, but the emperor immediately lifted his head.

    Theodore gave her a forced smile before putting on his perfectly calm mask. ¡°Then we will go entertain the nobles for a while. Let''s try to have some fun before everything starts.¡± He offered her his hand, and when she took it, he brought her to the center of the room again. It didn''t take long for other people to come to them.

    The Duremonts along with the Bellfaux family were one of the first ones to greet them. Henry was a bit disgruntled, but apparently, he had talked to Seraphina for a long time and forced himself to stay quiet because of that. He still glared at the emperor and the concubine but didn''t dare to speak up. Allen was escorting Briana, who beamed more than ever before, while Elaine watched her son with a smile. Madeleine and Marquess Bellfaux were polite and seemingly didn''t care much about whether Theodore was with his wife or not. That Madeleine kept glancing at Seraphina proved otherwise though.

    The empress herself appeared to avoid her husband as much as he avoided her. She had stepped aside to allow her family to greet him, and as soon as he was gone, she joined her parents and brother again.

    Even though they were in the middle of a party, many people began to gossip about that. If the royal spouses acted like this, most nobles probably wouldn''t even be surprised because of the divorce anymore.

    Blanche was a bit worried about that affecting the Duremonts too much, but she couldn''t do much about the emperor and the empress not getting along. She was a bit taken aback to receive a smile from Seraphina whenever their eyes met and gave her best to return it despite being pretty sure that Theodore was glaring at his wife. But luckily, no fight developed as the emperor just escorted his lover for a while.

    The couple continued their conversations and talked to whoever approached them. There was only one strange thing about that, and as they chatted with a few nobles, it became clearer with each conversation. For some reason, no one dared to greet Blanche first.

    Instead, the aristocrats waited until it became so quiet that the concubine decided that she had to greet them. Rank-wise that didn''t make any sense at all, but the other party always seemed to insist on her speaking first. It probably had something to do with her being next to the emperor, but it was still strange.

    Though, at this point, it wouldn''t be surprising if people had guessed that she would soon be part of the royal family either.

 Chapter 275: Besseta

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    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

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 Chapter 276: At My Mercy

    Blanche felt a bit uncomfortable suddenly putting on an act. It was embarrassing, but she had to do it. She was supposed to pretend to be sick, right? Then it should be fine to simply do what children did when they wanted to stay in bed instead of helping their parents. The concubine put her hand against her forehead and shuffled around in her seat a bit before closing her eyes for a moment.

    It only took a second before the marchioness next to her spoke up. ¡°Lady Blanche, could it be that you are perhaps not feeling well?¡±

    Blanche forced herself to suppress a smile and slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I have to admit that I do feel a bit tired. I should have slept longer last night so that I would have had more energy for today. Please excuse my exhaustion.¡±

    One of the countesses replied. ¡°There is no need to apologize for that. Hopefully, it will only be like this for a moment. You may get back your energy after a few minutes of resting.¡±

    The concubine forced herself to show a smile, which was supposed to look as fake as it was. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I am sure that you are right. I will simply sit here for a while longer and hope for it to get better. I did not mean to interrupt the conversation. Please do continue.¡±

    The other women didn''t need to be asked twice. Another marchioness resumed talking about the previous topic. ¡°I was in the middle of explaining how my husband bought that mine in the south, was I not? He managed to convince the previous owner to sell it to him in exchange for a small piece of land. And now he keeps bringing opals home as a gift for me. I still adore them, but I do believe that I will have to sell some soon.¡±

    Duchess Vasquez replied with a wide smile. ¡°If you decide to do that, please inform us. I believe that there are many people here who would love to buy some of them. Opals are less popular in the south now, but in the north, you could sell them for a fortune. From what I can see when looking at your jewelry, the gems also seem to be rather big and of high quality. You should be able to gain a lot by selling them. But you may be able to get even more if you hired a skillful jeweler to do it for you. Lady Peril, say. About the perfume that you are beginning to sell...¡± She continued to blabber on about that.

    Blanche didn''t listen anymore at some point. She just put her hands onto her cheeks and felt how warm they had gotten. By now, her face had to be completely red. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her stomach tingled while her whole body burned up. It was way too hot here, but she assumed that she didn''t feel like this because of the room. But aside from that, she could think clearly without any issues. So, she focused on acting a bit sicker. She let her head fall forward and rubbed over her face for a moment before hiding a yawn. Maybe she should pretend to shiver too, but that would be hard to fake. She just swayed a bit before leaning against the backrest and putting on a frown.

    Before another woman could comment on that, something else happened. A servant approached Owen with hurried steps and whispered to the knight. It was strange that he had come directly after the concubine had allowed herself to seem like she was barely thinking straight. The timing was too perfect. There was no way that this was a coincidence.

    Owen listened to the man before nodding. Then he stepped closer to her and spoke just loud enough for the other women to hear. ¡°There seems to be a commotion near the entrance area. I was asked to assist for a moment. Would Lady Blanche give me permission to leave for just a few minutes?¡± Owen looked right into her eyes while saying, which was enough to prove that this was part of the enemy''s plan.

    The concubine was almost baffled by how well Leon had guessed what would happen. She gave her best to look as naive while possible while replying. ¡°Of course. I am in the middle of a party. What should happen? Go and help the others. But don''t take too long.¡±

    Owen nodded and followed the servant while gazing at the other man''s back with a cold look. Apparently, he was disgruntled about having to leave now. He would probably turn around as soon as he had reached the entrance.

    One of the countesses spoke up a moment after the knight had disappeared. ¡°I still can barely grasp that His Majesty simply assigned his personal guard to you, Lady Blanche. You are so lucky to have someone care about you so deeply. It is like a fairy tale.¡±

    The marchioness next to the concubine added onto that before the concerned person could respond. ¡°It truly is touching. When we talk about what our husbands do for us, you must be bored because you are used to having much more. After all, His Majesty fulfills every single one of your wishes. He even built that winter garden for you, did he not? I managed to see it during his birthday party, and it was gorgeous. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous to not have a house like that too.¡± She let out a low sigh. ¡°I would like to have someone indulge me like that too. My husband just does not compare to most young men of today.¡± She glanced to the side as if she was looking at a specific person, which, for some reason, upset Blanche more than it should. ¡°But I fear that I will have to make do with what I have for now.¡± The marchioness turned to grin at the concubine. ¡°That winter garden is truly beautiful, Lady Blanche. All of us would love to see it seen again.¡±

    Another countess chimed in. ¡°Indeed. That winter garden looked like it came right out of a dream. Maybe we could have a tea party there at some point?¡± She asked that but just continued to blabber on. ¡°To see and hear how His Majesty dotes on you makes even women in my age believe in fairy tales again. That he saved you from the evil clutches of a manipulative traitor soundly like the romantic plot of a novel.¡±

    Blanche finally managed to respond. ¡°I am touched to hear that you think like that about us. That Theo and I met still feels like a dream come true. I can barely believe that-¡± She doubled over and coughed a bit. She didn''t expect to be able to convince the others with her poor acting, but after holding her hand over her mouth and breathing in and out sharply, the women actually seemed worried.

    The marchioness spoke up again. ¡°It seems like you may not just be tired. Are you perhaps sick?¡±

    Blanche inhaled and exhaled a few more times and dug her fingers into the couch below her. ¡°I don''t...I don''t know... I was fine before.¡± She paused and closed her eyes while purposefully swaying a bit and letting herself fall forward a little bit. ¡°I think...¡± She opened her eyes before narrowing them as if the light was blinding her. She put her hand on her forehead again. ¡°I may have a fever. My apologies. It''s not...good to come to a party while being sick. I would-¡± She cut herself off again and pretended to gag a little this time. She hurriedly held her hands before her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Then she slowly opened them again and tried to scan the others'' expressions while looking like she was staring into the distance.

    Selena''s face didn''t hide her discomfort in the slightest. She felt horrible and clenched her jaw while balling her fists. She didn''t want to speak up, but she did anyway after she had been quiet for the past few minutes. ¡°Lady Blanche, perhaps you should go rest in a guest room? They are over there.¡± She gestured to the hallway that Leonard had mentioned, which happened to be directly behind the seating area. ¡°Every single door at the end of the corridor leads to a small seating room. You can enter and lock the door behind you for some privacy. I will ask a servant to inform His Majesty.¡± She almost seemed to be pained while saying that.

    And it was obvious why too. No one would send a sick person on their way alone. One would accompany them or ask a servant to help them or immediately get their partner. The most logical thing here was asking Theodore to come. But the duchess didn''t seem to be able to do that. She was involved in this plot as well.

    Blanche tried to sway a bit more before nodding while holding her head. ¡°Thank...you. For your...kindness. Please tell...Theo...¡± She wasn''t sure whether this was convincing enough. She pretended to gag again before slowly standing up. It was easy to act like she almost lost her balance.

    A few of the women offered her help, but Selena quickly shut that down. ¡°Please let Lady Blanche walk alone. I fear that she doesn''t wish to be seen in her state right now. Especially if she might...you know.¡±

    The concubine almost grinned at this obvious excuse but just gave her best to seem more miserable. ¡°Thank you... I''d rather...be alone...¡± Everyone who knew her would be able to tell that she was lying. After all, she would always call for Theodore if she was feeling unwell. Maybe it was good that none of those people had talked to her more often. ¡°I will...leave...¡±

    Blanche forced herself to take a step forward while going as slowly as possible and lifting her arms as if she was worried about keeping her balance. The first few steps were a bit hard, but to her surprise, making it seem like she was stumbling was much easier afterward. She just steered toward the hallways and inwardly complained about the servants, who should definitely help a sick lady but ignored her. She arrived soon despite her slow steps and immediately stopped to lean against the wall.

    After a short pause, in which she blinked a few times to make it seem like her sight was blurry, she walked forward again while keeping one arm on the wall. She reached the end of the hallways after a while. The sounds from the ballroom were faint, and she was pretty sure that no one else was here. She was tempted to drop the act, but there was no guarantee that their enemies weren''t watching her. In fact, she was sure that someone was here with her. But she couldn''t look around to search for them or her protectors, or she would make it too obvious that she was thinking clearly.

    The concubine rounded a corner and almost forget acting for a second. There were two people right here, but she couldn''t look up without alerting them. So, she just pressed herself closer to the wall and acted like she was barely able to keep herself upright, letting her eyelids drop.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The man who spoke up in a mocking voice could be no one but Duke Vasquez. ¡°Ah, Lady Blanche. You arrived too. Are you perhaps feeling unwell?¡± Steps sounded, and he came closer to her.

    Now everything depended on her acting skills. Blanche lifted her head but let it slouch to the side while she looked at the duke with half-lidded eyes. ¡°Your...Grace?¡± She slurred her speech as much as possible and breathed out shakily. ¡°I...apolo...gize...¡±

    Claude''s wide grin appeared directly in front of her, and that would have almost been enough to make her gag for real. That man was way too close to her.

    She took a step backward but paid attention to stumble and crash again the wall with her back.

    Duke Vasquez clicked his tongue and smirked at her. ¡°Well, well. What do we have here? The emperor''s beloved pet.¡± He came closer again and lifted his hand to rest it on her head.

    Blanche resisted the urge to shove him away and just blinked a few times without daring to move otherwise. It was almost impossible to hold still with the strange tingling on her scalp, but she forced herself to do so anyway.

    Without a warning, Claude gripped her hair harshly. He dug his fingers into her scalp and pulled her toward him so that she let out a pained mewl. He brought his face directly in front of hers and grinned at her with nothing but malice in his eyes. ¡°Or should I rather say...his whore? You''re not so high and mighty now, are you? You were so arrogant before and looked down on me at every chance you got. And now you are completely at my mercy. You will regret ever making fun of me. You will be the one begging for forgiveness.¡± Before she could even process what was wrong with that man, he turned and shoved her away with so much force that she stumbled for a few steps before falling toward the floor.

    She had believed that she would crash to the ground, but she collided with someone, which pushed the air out of her lungs. A man caught her and held her upright. For a moment, she believed that this could be Theodore or Leon, but a glimpse of black hair proved otherwise.

    It was Luciano. She almost expected him to look down at her with indifference or a smirk as well, but he just looked pained. In fact, she was pretty sure that he was about to cry. But she wasn''t sure since she couldn''t stare at him for too long.

    Blanche just let her head fall forward against his chest and forced him to carry most of her weight. It felt weird to be held by a man whom she had always told to let go of her. Now she was leaning on him, and her whole body seemed to show its irritation by heating her up even more. She actually felt like she was melting.

    Luciano was silent for a moment before addressing Claude. ¡°Father, this isn''t-¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Duke Vasquez was yelling at his son from the top of his lungs so that Luciano flinched. For a few seconds, both were silent as the duke''s voice echoed through the hallway. Then he continued quieter in a hissing tone. ¡°I told you that you will follow the plan, and you will do it. I can personally show you how serious I am about throwing you and your brat of a sister out otherwise. Have you understood?¡±

    No response came.

    Claude waited for a moment before resuming in an even harsher tone. ¡°I asked if you understood me.¡±

    Only now, Luciano replied while letting his head hang forward. ¡°Yes.¡± His voice was shaking and so were his hands, even while he held the concubine upright.

    Blanche had no idea what their family normally looked like, but she was convinced that the duke was completely psychotic. And it seemed like his relatives were trapped because of that. As long as Claude would pressure them, they were a danger too. The worst thing was that she had no clue what they were trying to do though. She could only listen while occasionally letting out some barely audible noises to make it seem like she was struggling to speak. Inwardly, she repeated Leon''s words regarding her earrings though. In the case that something happened, she would have to try using that secret weapon.

    For a while, everyone was quiet before Duke Vasquez spoke again, his voice even colder. ¡°Don''t look at me like that. Our family depends on this, don''t you know that? Unless we become the royal family, the Estiens will crush us. Both sides are after us right now. Those damned brothers both dared to threaten us. We need to take them down first. So, pull yourself together and do what I say, you stubborn brat. Enjoy putting down the person that made fun of us.¡± That didn''t sound good at all. Especially not the part about becoming the royal family, which was probably the most concerning statement politically-wise.

    Luciano''s hold on her tightened a little. ¡°Never once did they-¡± He was cut off again, this time so loudly that he flinched.

    ¡°You moron!¡± Claude stomped forward to him, and Blanche almost feared being pushed to the floor for real this time. It truly felt like he was trying to shove her out of the way to get to his son.

    But Luciano took a step backward just in time and pulled her with him. ¡°I will do it.¡± He sounded much too desperate to seem like he was truly going through with their plan, but it was enough to satisfy the duke.

    Duke Vasquez stopped in his tracks and replied in a much friendlier voice. ¡°Good. It seems like I didn''t raise an idiot then. Go on, hurry up. You have to be done by the time the emperor notices that she is gone. Use the room I showed you and make sure to hurt her as much as possible.¡±

    Luciano''s fingers dug into the back of her dress, and she felt how much he was trembling, which made her own skin prickle in a strange manner. ¡°Of course.¡± He wasn''t happy about any of this at all. Still, he seemed to listen to his father. He carefully maneuvered Blanche to his side and put his arm around her shoulders to guide her down the hallway and spoke to her. ¡°I will bring you to a guest room. Don''t worry, I will help you.¡± After hearing the whole conversation, these words didn''t sound convincing at all.

    Claude added one other sentence before letting his son go. ¡°Take care of her and return all the mockery she gave to us.¡± Then footsteps sounded, which made it seem like he left.

    Now Luciano was alone with her, and he brought her to whatever their destination was with very slow steps. Blanche did her best to hinder his movements as much as possible while asking herself how long she had to continue this act. Did she have to find out what they were planning to do to her, or was this much fine? Maybe it would be better to reveal whether they could actually trust the duke''s son though. Right now, it seemed like he would listen to his father no matter what, which definitely made him an enemy. She was in the middle of thinking about that when she heard Luciano whisper.

    ¡°I told you not to drink anything. Why did you have to forget that?¡± He sounded like he was in pain while saying that. Then he was silent for a moment before looking around. He probably saw that they were alone and brought his mouth to her ear to whisper. ¡°I''m really sorry. I have to act like I will listen to him now. I won''t hurt you, I swear that on my life. So, just come with me, and I will find some way to contact His Majesty. Someone here has to...¡± He let out a shaky breath and stayed silent after that.

    The concubine was pleasantly surprised by that, even though the way she shivered after he had begun to speak irritated her. That stupid drug made her all confused now, but that didn''t matter. It seemed like Luciano was trustworthy after all. Of course, it would be better to wait a little longer to ensure that he wasn''t lying, but she was rather certain that he was extremely reluctant to do what his father proposed. In any case, she had to confirm whether he would listen to his own consciousness or his father''s. She would have liked to make sure that Theodore and Leon were there, but she still couldn''t look around. She just had to let Luciano, more or less, carry her to the end of the corridor while stumbling a bit.

    They rounded a corner, and he stopped abruptly, which almost made her fall to the floor, but he caught her once again. She barely managed to hold back her complaint and let her head roll to the side to glance at the area in front of them.

    ¡°Could you explain what exactly you are doing there, Luciano?¡± The one speaking with that authoritarian voice was none other than Cedar. He stood next to one of the doors with crossed arms, and behind him, Harris waited with a frown on his face.

    Luciano, who had tensed even more, was silent for a moment before replying. ¡°Good...evening, Your Royal Highness. Lady Blanche seems to feel sick, so I intended to bring her to one of the guest rooms so that she can rest in peace.¡± His voice shook too much for that to be convincing.

    Somehow, it wasn''t a surprise that Cedar picked up on that. He showed him his typical bright smile as he unfolded his arms and stepped closer to the other man. ¡°I see. Then I, as a part of her family, should take care of that instead, right? I fear that it may be a bit strange to let Lady Blanche go with a stranger after all.¡±

    Blanche was rather sure that many strangers had kinder intentions than the prince, but no one would ask her here. She just had to let her limps slouch and rest her weight on Luciano while watching the scene with half-lidded eyes.

    Luciano looked at the other man for a moment before speaking up. ¡°I understand. Unfortunately, I do not believe that it would be good to leave her alone with you either. After all, you are not very close.¡±

    The response came immediately. ¡°Are you saying that you don''t trust me? I have to admit that I trust you less than you could ever mistrust me. At least in this regard. After the whole thing with your father, I would rather be careful. You could have informed my brother, and yet, you didn''t, which is strange in itself. So, please do not make an issue out of this, and let go of her. I could just order you to if it makes you feel better. Harris can hold her instead. She will be more content with that than with either one of us doing it.¡±

    Silence followed, and only quiet footsteps indicated that the servant approached them. Blanche could see Harris'' blurry silhouette and fought the urge to open her eyes fully to see clearly. Instead, she just gave up using all of her muscles while Luciano carefully handed her over to the servant, who surprisingly still managed to hold her upright despite struggling a little. She didn''t even need to be able to see what was happening around her to guess that the situation was tense.

    She was rather sure that Luciano was worried to some extent. Whether it was about her or about his father''s plot being revealed was unclear though.

    But she had no idea what was going on in Cedar''s head. Would he try to hurt her? Maybe. She was just glad that he wasn''t the one touching her right now.

    But her body didn''t seem to care much.

    Every fiber in Blanche''s being complained and made her feel like she had a fever. She was burning up and every bit of skin that was touched by Harris or her clothes tingled as if she was overly sensitive. It felt horrible, like insects were crawling all around her. That made it hard to stay immobile but the slight drowsiness that told her to rest helped her enough so that she could force herself to be still.

    Cedar stayed quiet until Harris had managed to stabilize the concubine''s body before opening his mouth. ¡°Then I will ask you to leave now. Search for Theodore and bring him here. I''m serious about this being an order, so hurry up.¡±

    Luciano seemed to be taken aback by that but quickly regained his speech. ¡°I... Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± He spun around and rushed down the hallway to return to the ball. It sounded like he was actually doing his best to move quickly. Maybe he was really worried about what the prince would do now.

    Blanche was starting to get a bit uneasy too. It felt horrible to basically rest on other people and make them carry her while she was actually fine except for her fever-like state. She was way too close to them, and it made her skin prickle, but she still didn''t have a chance to back away. She only had to wait for what the prince would do now. She let her head fall to the side and rested it against Harris'' arm while trying to look like she was aimlessly staring into the distance. Maybe it was the slight drowsiness that had been caused by the poison, but she didn''t have much trouble acting like she was barely thinking straight.

    It seemed to convince Cedar. He had previously looked at Luciano, who was hurrying down the hallway, and turned to her now. He gazed at her face for a moment before stepping closer. ¡°Lady Blanche, can you understand me?¡±

    It was tempting to end her pretense now since the original perpetrators had disappeared, but this was a good way to blame something on the prince. If he tried to hurt her, Theodore would see and be able to use this in a trial. So, the concubine let her head sink forward as if she was falling asleep and let out a small noise that she couldn''t even define.

    It was no surprise to see that Cedar''s smile stayed upright like before. The surprising part was that he lifted his hand and put his wrist on her forehead. That touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she was pretty sure that she twitched. But the prince didn''t seem to have noticed that she was awake. He would definitely notice that she was quite warm now though, and the question was what he would do with that information.

 Chapter 277: Do It

    Cedar actually sounded a bit less cheerful than usual when he felt the concubine''s forehead. ¡°She is burning up. That''s not good.¡± He let his hand drop again and straightened his posture with a sigh, even when he was still beaming like before. ¡°Why did they come here if she was that sick? Is my brother an idiot?¡±

    Harris snorted at that. ¡°Obviously, she wasn''t sick earlier. Someone must have put something in her drink. I wouldn''t be surprised if your mother was involved.¡±

    Cedar was silent for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°I don''t think so. She didn''t tell me anything. I also hope that she isn''t stupid enough to try something during a party while Theodore is present. He will massacre us if he thinks that we did that. Anyway.¡± He backed away and made eye contact with the servant. ¡°I trust that you are able to hold her up with your frail arms for a moment. In the meantime, will look for Theodore while trying to refrain from causing a scene. I don''t know whether my cousin honestly wants to find him after all.¡±

    Harris scanned the other man with skepticism. ¡°I''m surprised that you want to help. Hurry up. She''s heavy.¡±

    Blanche held back a snarky comment at that and forced herself to keep her expression relaxed.

    The prince just beamed at the other man. ¡°You might just be weak too. I forgot that you were always the one carried by your dear lover.¡± He ignored how Harris glared at him for that and spun around. ¡°I will try to hurry though. Try not to drop her onto the floor, or Theodore will probably make your missing muscles your smallest problem.¡± He took a few steps before abruptly stopping. ¡°By the gods. Why does she have to come now?¡± He whipped his head around to the servant and hurried back the last few steps. ¡°Give her to me. Hurry and get Theodore.¡±

    Harris froze at that. ¡°Why? You won''t hurt her, right?¡±

    Cedar actually looked annoyed at that, even if he was still smiling brightly. ¡°Are you stupid? I won''t. My mother can order you around but not me, and she hates Lady Blanche. I need to stay here to keep her from doing something foolish. Get my brother before Mother turns this into a big problem. Now.¡±

    The servant paused before complying. He carefully let the prince hold Blanche before storming off in the opposite direction.

    The concubine had to force herself not to grimace at the fact that Cedar was carrying her now. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she feared that it would give her away. But the strange sensation in her chest and the tingling of her skin were much worse. Even her stomach seemed to churn now so that it took all of her self-control not to complain. Leaning against Cedar felt like she was only punishing herself, and she didn''t want to imagine how much Theodore was fuming. She also didn''t want to acknowledge that she felt quite safe and didn''t actually feel as disgusted as she should have been. In fact, Blanche almost felt like an old friend would protect her now, even when she knew how foolish it was that the drug upset her more than Cedar''s presence. Now she only had to wait.

    She almost expected the prince to do something. She had believed that he would speak up or look at her face from up close to ensure that she was really drugged.

    But Cedar didn''t do much but stare down the hallway. He only covered his expression with his bright smile while trying to hold Blanche as upright as he could while touching her as little as possible.

    Slowly, the rhythmic clicking of heels against the tiles became louder and announced the arrival of Camille. The dowager empress stepped closer without greeting her son and scanned Blanche''s face with disdain. ¡°I was already worrying about why you suddenly ran away, but it seems like you found something interesting. Does she have a fever? That''s not what the effect of a sleeping pill looks like. It''s more of an aphrodisiac, isn''t it?¡±

    Blanche froze at that before forcing herself to relax. Duke Vasquez, that bastard, had actually given her something like that? It made sense. Her body felt overly sensitive, and she might even feel the desire to fall into Theodore''s arms right now. But at the same time, her anger grew much more than anything else.

    Cedar''s smile only widened. ¡°Mother, what sleeping pill? What did you do?¡±

    Camille raised her hand to silence her son before replying. ¡°After the recent events, I believed that it may be necessary to get rid of her. In the best case, we would have brought her out of the back entrance while she was sleeping. If we had positioned her corpse in a more dangerous part of the city, no one could have linked it to us. I hoped that this would crush your brother, but it seems like she never got our medicine.¡±

    Cedar still grinned, but his voice had a sharp edge when he spoke. ¡°Mother. Do you know what Theodore will do to us if you even brush over her skin with your fingers? If you wish to hurt her, for whatever reason, you can''t do it while he is still alive, or he will kill you with his own hands. You can''t tell me that you forgot about that. I also hope that you didn''t purposefully refrain from informing me about this. You know that I am good at coming up with some plans that maybe don''t consist of actions that will get us beheaded for treason in two days. Besides, I already told you that she isn''t-¡±

    The dowager cut him off with narrowed eyes. ¡°You are becoming pettier with every day. Do not act like I am too stupid to come up with my own plan. It also upsets me greatly that you keep defending that disgusting woman. Did she fool you too and that is why you get more difficult each day? I don''t have to quietly accept your disrespect too when my first son already dares to defy me.¡±

    Blanche almost would have liked to chime in and tell her to shut up, but she had to act like a corpse.

    The prince seemed to have much better self-control. ¡°I apologize, Mother. I will just be extremely worried about your well-being if you continue to trouble Lady Blanche. You noticed that Theodore will skin you alive if you hurt her, right? And we don''t want to be skinned alive. That is why I would propose bringing her back to him, and everything will be fine. We didn''t use the medicine on her, so he can''t blame us for it.¡±

    Camille was silent for a while before speaking up in an indifferent tone. ¡°No, this can help us too. She looks like she is barely conscious, so it should be fine. If she remembers this conversation, we will kill her. If not, we can use her to do even more damage.¡± She turned to her son and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°Do it.¡±

    Cedar froze at that. He hid his emotions on his face well, but he couldn''t prevent his muscles from tensing. ¡°What? I''m not sure if I understand what you are talking about. You''re not... Please tell me that you''re not actually...proposing something that will get us killed. You surely mean that we will bring her to Theodore now, right?¡±

    The missing response was enough of an answer. The dowager empress had something else in mind.

    Blanche wasn''t certain what that was either, but she was pretty certain that this wouldn''t be something she would like to hear. She doubled her efforts to keep her face relaxed while letting her head hand forward in hopes of hiding that she was actually awake.

    Camille''s heels clicked over the floor again as she walked a bit closer and lowered her voice to speak to her son. ¡°There is no need to be so surprised. Someone else had the idea first. Even if this wasn''t our medicine, we can still take advantage of it. She may be dirty, but you will have to endure that. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure that Theodore will despair even if it''s just for a little while. He would be brokenhearted upon hearing that his lover was sharing her bed with his brother, whom she pretended to hate so much. Don''t you think that that would crush him? If we''re lucky, she may be delusional to believe that she can become your empress later, and we can use her. So, you just have to bring her into one of these rooms and lock the door. You don''t actually have to touch her. We can just make it seem like she was with you. It''s enough if Theodore and that whore feel crushed afterward, so don''t worry. I will make sure that Theodore is busy for a while.¡±

    At the moment that Blanche fully grasped what that woman was talking about, she was really about to throw up. She had clung to the hope that there was no way that Camille could actually be that vile, and now that hope was crushed. That woman was completely insane. The concubine could only tell herself that she was so glad to have drunk the antidote. Otherwise, she would be unable to do anything, and now she could at least fight back. And by now, her protectors should be here too.

    But despite being aware of what the dowager empress was saying, Blanche kept herself as still as possible. She didn''t manage to control her expression, but her hair was covering most of her face, so it seemed to be fine. She needed to hear the prince''s response now. Then she would know how far the mother''s malice had spread. For some reason, she already knew the response.

    For a moment, it was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop.

    It almost seemed like Cedar was frozen in place. He spoke up in a barely audible voice. ¡°You''re not joking, are you?¡±

    Camille turned her head to the side and confirmed whether they were alone while replying in a tone that showed how little she cared. ¡°Of course not. I understand if you are reluctant to touch a filthy commoner, so we will just pretend. It''s for the greater good. As I said, you don''t even have-¡± She wasn''t able to finish.

    This might have been the limit for the person that usually never expressed any dislike.

    Cedar stayed quiet, but his voice had such a sharp edge that Blanche unwillingly flinched. ¡°You''re actually insane. I knew that it was bad, but this is ridiculous.¡±

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    Luckily, the prince didn''t notice Blanche''s movement and still focused on his mother. The concubine could only glance up at him from the corner of her eyes. This was the first time that she had heard Cedar get mad, and it had a much bigger impact than she had expected. His smile was long gone, and for the first time, he looked genuinely furious, his brows furrowed and his disgust quite visible.

    Camille took a step back at that, but her voice was as shrill and confident as before. ¡°Cedar, how can you speak to me like that? This is only logical. If you bothered to think about this, you would realize that this is a perfect plan. There is no need to focus on your emotions in this matter. I get that you will not find this pleasant, but it will make it easier to ascend to the throne. And that is our final goal. You would do anything for that, right?¡±

    It didn''t make any sense in this situation, but Cedar''s smile returned immediately. Still, the look in his eyes remained cold. He didn''t say anything to his mother and spun around before carefully guiding Blanche away. ¡°I don''t know if you can even understand my reasoning, but I will bring her to my brother now.¡±

    The concubine was more than taken aback by that. She hadn''t expected him to just turn his back on his mother.

    Camille apparently hadn''t either. ¡°Cedar!¡± Her heels clicked over the ground as she followed them. ¡°Cedar, stop now!¡± She didn''t have an issue catching up with the person dragging another human being and walked around them to stand right in front of her son. ¡°I told you to stop. Keep your rebellious phase to yourself and listen to me. You won''t go back to the ballroom now. You will-¡±

    The prince still beamed and cut her off. ¡°Pardon me, but right now, I believe that it would be best to delay this conversation. I will have to retreat. We will see each other later, Mother.¡± He stepped to the side and wanted to pass by his mother, but she mirrored him.

    Camille put her hands on her hips and glared at her son. ¡°Why are you acting like this? Nothing I said was wrong. Is there a need for me to explain our advantages in even more great detail?¡±

    Cedar gave up on trying to avoid his mother and just stubbornly walked forward until she made way for him. He turned to her to give a smile, but it seemed somewhat desperate. ¡°Do I really need to explain why I won''t force someone to sleep with me or why I wouldn''t make anyone believe that something like this happened? That you even ask once again proves that this isn''t normal anymore. You see everything and everyone as a tool to hurt Theodore. That you hate him is fine, but you can''t just harm everyone else in the process of attacking him. There are people who have nothing to do with this, and you aren''t even satisfied just pushing them aside. You actually want to hurt them.¡± His voice got a bit louder, a bit less cheerful. It wasn''t much, but it gave away enough. ¡°And you don''t consider how they, or even I, will feel about this. And that is a little concerning in my opinion. But what do I know? I''m way stupider than my brother. So, why don''t we ask him what he thinks about your plan?¡±

    ¡°You dare-¡± The dowager empress gave up on following her son and stopped in the middle of the hallway. Blanche couldn''t see her face, but she was sure that it was distorted with rage. ¡°Cedar.¡± Her voice had a warning edge now. ¡°You don''t want to disappoint me, do you?¡±

    Cedar stopped in his tracks so that the concubine almost fell forward again. He didn''t even glance at her and just stared at the end of the corridor. He was way stiffer than before, so it felt like he had to force himself to move when he began walking again. Then he muttered something to himself, but Blanche didn''t understand it.

    Not when Camille was yelling after them. ¡°Cedar! Come back here this instant! Didn''t you hear what I said? I said that I am disappointed in you. You will come back and apologize for ignoring me! Then I might tell you that I love you!¡± Her shrill voice got so loud that it pierced even Blanche''s ears.

    The prince stiffened even more, but he kept his eyes on the hallway in front of them. He was still smiling, but for once, it didn''t seem convincing at all. Blanche had never seen him that dejected, angry and tired before. But it only stayed like this for a moment before Cedar''s wide and bright smile returned as if it was a mechanism.

    She could just watch that with worry as her mouth unwillingly opened. ¡°Cedar, that...¡± Without knowing it, she had given up on hiding that she was staring at him. That proved to be a mistake.

    Cedar''s eyes wandered to her face, and he stopped moving immediately. ¡°You''re awake?¡±

    Blanche couldn''t quite deny that now. She used her own legs to keep herself upright and stepped away when Cedar let go of her. She couldn''t keep herself from trembling at the sudden cool breeze that seemed to hit her and hugged herself. The situation was a bit strange, so she didn''t even know what to say. ¡°Well. We knew that Duke Vasquez wanted to poison me. I...got an antidote. We didn''t guess that you would show up though.¡±

    Blanche just stopped at that point because she had no idea how to finish. Should she thank Cedar for trying to help her? That seemed odd since he was actually just doing what every sane person should do. But he had intervened when she had been alone with Luciano, so it seemed like he had some kind of moral compass. Still, thanking him in general would be odd to her. Though, asking him whether he was fine seemed appropriate when she had just listened to his mother demanding such horrible things of him.

    But Blanche didn''t have the chance to make that choice when noises behind them revealed that other people were approaching.

    The concubine spun around just in time to see Theodore say something to Camille, which made the dowager empress take a step backward as her face scrunched up. When the emperor turned around to face his lover, it was obvious why Camille had been so scared of him. He actually looked like the personification of wrath. Even Blanche was taken aback by that.

    Cedar just stood there with his smile though even when his brother rushed toward them. ¡°Ah. So, this was a plan of yours. I should have guessed that when you kept reacting to what we were saying. I thought you were twitching involuntarily. Hopefully, he saw the whole conversation, or he will kill me.¡±

    ¡°That... I''ll make sure-¡± Blanche didn''t get to reply.

    The concubine almost expected Theodore to attack his brother as soon as he reached them and stepped between them, but her lover went toward her instead and pulled her into his arms. Theodore held her so tightly that he might actually crush her ribcage if he wasn''t careful, but Blanche didn''t complain even when he lifted her up and buried his face in her neck.

    Even her whole body told her to accept his embrace. That stupid aphrodisiac had probably begun to set in properly now, but she managed to ban all thoughts about that to the back of her mind. She didn''t have time for anything like that.

    Blanche just lifted her arms and tried to hug Theodore back, which was impossible thanks to him clinging to her. So, she began whispering to him ¡°Theo, I''m fine. You don''t need to worry about me. Cedar refused. That woman suggested something horrible, but nothing happened.¡±

    Her lover pressed his face closer to her and replied in a whisper. ¡°If you don''t hold me back, I will kill her right here.¡± His voice was shaking, and it sounded like he was serious about this.

    Blanche understood why he was in such a bad mood, but she really didn''t want him to murder Camille when there were witnesses. That would only cause him trouble. So, she struggled more than before to somehow hug him back. She barely managed to pat his back, but it was better than nothing. ¡°Don''t do it. We have witnesses, and you want her to continue living so that she can suffer because you are happy, right?¡±

    Theodore tightened his hold on her. ¡°I''m not sure if that is so important anymore. I won''t let anyone get away with trying to hurt you... I...will tear out...¡± He didn''t finish his sentence, but it sounded like he wished to harm his mother.

    The concubine gently stroked over his back and tried to ignore that she still felt extremely warm and that the desire to crash her lips onto her lover''s grew with every second. ¡°You won''t let her get away with this. You will make sure that she remembers this for the rest of her life. Right now, you won''t be able to get rid of her in a trial because of her rank, but you can weaken her. And you can accuse Duke Vasquez of poisoning me. That will make it much easier to defeat her.¡±

    Theodore nodded as well as he could while still holding her so tightly that it had to hurt. ¡°I will defeat her. We will crush her together. She will never beg for forgiveness or apologize, but she can rot in confinement until the end of her days as the cockroaches eat her alive.¡± That sounded like the best option for everyone.

    Next to them, someone moved around and stepped a bit closer to them.

    Theodore immediately whipped his head around to his brother and glared at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± He sounded so angry that it wouldn''t have been strange for him to suddenly pull out his sword.

    But Cedar didn''t look like he was very scared. He smiled, but he just seemed tired. ¡°Can I ask for something? I would like to borrow a carriage to get home since it would be unfitting to share one with Mother. Or will I get arrested now?¡±

    The emperor stared at his brother with a murderous gaze. ¡°You won''t. I''ll give you a carriage. You seem to have a bit of brain left. Depending on your answer, you might have been dead.¡±

    Cedar shrugged. ¡°Well, then I''m glad that I answered like this. I would like to ask for permission to leave.¡± He didn''t even try to hide the exhaustion in his voice this time.

    Theodore just nodded, and that was enough for the prince to bow to him before he turned away. For just a moment, Cedar had made eye contact with someone behind Blanche, but he didn''t say anything to his mother. He just rushed down the hallway and disappeared at the end after rounding a corner.

    Theodore looked after him before hiding his face in his lover''s neck again. ¡°At least he controls his breakdowns now. He didn''t react to his trigger when that woman called after him.¡±

    The concubine was pretty sure that he was referring to the sentence Camille had said about being disappointed. That had caused Cedar to freeze completely, and he had been reluctant to leave his mother afterward. If that was the case, that woman didn''t hesitate to use her son''s mental issues, which had probably just developed because of Camille in the first place, against him to obey her. Knowing that only made Blanche hate the dowager empress more. By now, Camille and Duke Vasquez were tied on the spot of the people she despised most. After all, it seemed like they both had messed their children up to the point at which the sons were forced to obey them in most situations.

    And still, both Luciano and Cedar had refused to do what their parent had proposed.

    Blanche had expected that she would need to explain that to her lover, but apparently, he had heard most things, for which she was thankful. That meant that he wouldn''t attack the less dangerous people now. She probably still had to clarify that Luciano had wanted to help her though. After all, he had only whispered that he would keep her safe. ¡°Theo, I know right now is a bad moment, but I need to tell you something. Lord Vasquez didn''t want to hurt me either. He said that he would bring me to a guest room to help me.¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°I know. He ran into us on his way back, and we made him stay in the hallway to not alert his father. He already heard about Duke Vasquez not living for much longer too.¡± It definitely hadn''t been pleasant for a son to hear that about his father, but at the same time, Luciano had most likely seen it coming.

    Before Blanche could reply to that, another source of sound came closer to them. She lifted her head and glanced over her lover''s shoulder.

    In front of her, Seraphina and Harris stood. The empress had a deep frown etched into her features. She stared at the scene in front of her for a moment before speaking up. ¡°What happened here? Is Lady Blanche unharmed?¡±

    Harris, who had probably brought the empress after being unable to find Theodore, visibly relaxed upon seeing that the emperor had already resolved the situation, but Seraphina stayed on guard.

    Theodore didn''t respond to her and just addressed the servant without looking. ¡°Harris. Get Duke Vasquez here. Now.¡± He was authoritarian enough to make Harris run off without a second hesitation and without thinking about why the emperor knew his name.

    It quickly became clear that the empress wouldn''t receive an answer like this, so Blanche spoke up to explain. ¡°I''m fine. Duke Vasquez wanted to drug me, but we knew about it first, and I drank an antidote beforehand. So, we tried to find out what our enemies tried to do. Apparently-¡± She cut herself off when she went through the things Claude had said in her mind. ¡°He said that he...¡± Blanche swallowed as she turned her head to Theodore. ¡°That he wanted the Vasquez family to become the royal one.¡±

    Claude wanted to rule the nation. That was obvious now, and it solved one of the mysteries they had worried about for a long time fully.

    Theodore gritted his teeth and drew in some air while tightening his hold on her. ¡°That''s them. That''s our third party. That bastard...¡± They had suspected that in the past before, and now it seemed like this proved that Duke Vasquez was actually ambitious enough to try to claim the emperor''s seat for himself.

    Blanche lifted her head and tried to look into her lover''s face, but he still hid it. ¡°Theo. Then we can get rid of the biggest issue today. You can arrest him and-¡±

    At the same moment that she spoke, Leonard raised his voice behind them. ¡°I told you to shut up. Are you deaf?¡± Blanche had never heard him so angry.

    She could imagine whom he was talking to.

 Chapter 278: The Noose Around Your Neck

    ¡°shut up. Are you deaf?¡± Leon sounded so furious that it wouldn''t have been a surprise for him to kill the dowager empress right now.

    Shut up! If I hear you utter one more word, I will cut off your tongue myself.¡±

    one good reason not to kill you right now.¡±

    You''re not so high and mighty now, right? You were so arrogant and dared to look down on me. Now you are completely at my mercy. You will regret ever having made fun of me. You will be the one begging for my forgiveness.¡± He emphasized every word with so much wrath that it made it seem like he would gladly slaughter Duke Vasquez right here.

    ¡°every single word. The only reason you aren''t dead right now is that Leon physically held me back.¡± Theodore used a bit more force to press the blade against the other''s neck so that it broke the skin. ¡°Is that enough to make you stop using excuses? I asked you for one reason why you deserve to live.¡±

    This is treason! You will-¡±

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    ¡°

    How do you know all of that?¡±

    just prevented Sefare from saving them! You knew that he wanted to bring them back home, and you made sure that it wouldn''t happen! You killed them, you monster!¡± There was no other way to describe it. Slowly, her eyes began to prick, and she felt the familiar sensation of tears welling up. She didn''t want to cry in front of Duke Vasquez, but she wasn''t able to hold back either. So, she buried her face in her lover''s back.

    ¡°

 Chapter 279: The Fate of a Criminals Family

    ¡°

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    Never!¡± Her voice was trembling, and she became continuously louder.

    No!¡± Her scream sounded so hysterical now that it was actually scary. The guards tried to calm her, but it had little effect.

    ¡°

 Chapter 280: The Aftermath of a Catastrophic Plan

    <hr>

    this is more disgusting than I could ever have imagined. They deserve death and nothing but death.¡± She punctured her words with another stab, which seemed to have had too much force since the knife remained stuck in the cutting board. This was the second time that the maid had destroyed one today, and yesterday, Darlene hadn''t been better.

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    ¡°

 Chapter 281: Traitors and Poison

¡°

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    no one.¡± He glanced at the servant, who hurriedly nodded.

 Chapter 282: Arrest and a Tea Meeting

    Just two days later, Harris was arrested. Apparently, he had brought some dangerous objects into the palace and had been caught in the act. He had used one of the popular side entrances that most servants took whenever they left to do to the capital, and he hadn''t hidden the weapons well. They had only been stored in a basket under a blanket. A witness stated that he hadn''t struggled or complained about being restrained and brought to a cell.

    It was painfully obvious that he had purposefully let himself be caught

    And it also became clear that Camille had to be planning something horrible. If she wanted weapons in the palace, nothing good was going on in her head. But she hadn''t actually made another move. Theodore had been worried about her trying to harm Harris to silence him, but no one had even attempted to poison him. Still, the emperor stayed on guard.

    Aside from that arrest, the palace had been completely calm. Fortunately, no one had approached Clark to harm him, which, unfortunately, also meant that they hadn''t found whether there was another traitor in the palace. But Theodore still gave his best to find out what had happened and dealt with the investigation for the trial while also working out some other plans. He spent a bit more time in his office now and also personally went to interrogate Harris.

    Blanche had to assure him that she was fine being away from him for three hours a day multiple times. That was barely anything in comparison to how little time they had spent with each other in the past. In fact, she was content having a bit of time to herself aside from the lessons with Leon, who refused to skip even a single one unless he absolutely had no other way to deal with his tasks.

    When she was alone, she could take some walks with her maids again and talk to them about lighthearted topics without feeling like she ignored them because of Theodore. Thankfully, the threats aimed at Duke Vasquez and the dowager empress had become less intense, but they were still audible occasionally.

    Right now, the maids were peaceful though, which was relieving since Blanche didn''t want to hear vague descriptions of torture while walking through the garden. Instead, the topic of marriage came up. That was a bit nerve-wracking too, but she could deal with it without thinking about the problem of possibly being an empress in the near future.

    After all, the subject was mainly what would happen if servants got married and wished to leave the palace. Angelica and Darlene held hands whenever they were in a slightly more desolate area and only let go of one another when they ran into larger groups of servants or guards. These two had gushed about wedding dresses for a while now without actually speaking about whether they wanted to marry.

    At some point, Stella addressed that. ¡°Say... You two have been together for at least two years now, right? Do you think that you could marry? Do you plan on doing that?¡±

    The women froze at that. Angelica was the one to respond in a hesitant tone. ¡°Well... I doubt that it would be possible. After all, we are both female, and the law states that there has to be a bride and a groom to go through with the wedding ceremony. Theoretically, we would be able to imitate a wedding within a temple. I heard about many couples that did that, and no one truly minded, but it wouldn''t be lawful.¡±

    Stella lowered her gaze and pouted a bit at that. ¡°How unfair. What even is the definition of bride and groom? If one of you wears a uniform, will that count as you being a groom?¡±

    Darlene shook her head. ¡°That won''t work so easily. We know it''s unfair, but we can''t do anything about it. There hasn''t been a married couple of the same gender in Artias ever since our nation was founded.¡±

    Blanche stopped in her tracks as she went through her mind once more. She was rather sure that she had learned something about this a while ago. ¡°That''s not true.¡± She had spoken before thinking about it, but now her maids already turned to her with wide eyes, so she had to explain. ¡°Shortly after the revolution that made the Estien family the royal one, there was a very influential army. It was just called the emperor''s army, as boring as that sounds. It doesn''t exist anymore since it was made into the troops of the royal guards, but you probably heard about it. Their commander was one of the most important people that supported the emperor during the first decade after Artias was founded. So, he was rewarded at some point. He was allowed to wish for one thing.¡± She remembered how Leon had talked about that and her wondering whether it was truly important for her to know. But the story had still intrigued her, so she hadn''t forgotten. ¡°He wanted to marry the person he loved. That was his second-in-command. Both were men, and they actually feared being punished for voicing such a wish. But the emperor wanted to fulfill it. He was worried about ruining his reputation by getting involved in marriage matters though and made his wife deal with it so that he could use her being a romantic as an excuse if problems arose. She wrote a royal decree and let the two marry. The couple lived together until their dying days. No one complained since everything had been lawful.¡±

    When Blanche finished, she asked herself whether Leonard had told her this to prove that the empress could help in more ways than anyone would guess at the first glance. But she didn''t have much time to think about that.

    Both Darlene and Stella were looking at her with shining eyes. The former one took a step forward and stared at her mistress. ¡°Really? The empress can do that? So, if you become empress, you could allow us to marry?¡±

    Blanche was a bit taken aback. She hadn''t thought about something like that yet. Surely, she would be able to write royal decrees as the empress, so she could basically order anything as long as it wasn''t a direct contradiction to the law. But that wasn''t even everything. As the empress, she could also change the law itself. Blanche would be able to deal with the topics that were concerning her. She could do things like making marriage for people that loved each other easier. She could also try her best to promote the rights of women and ensure that every citizen was being treated equally in general. At the same time, she could insist on raising the legal age for marriage to eighteen or twenty so that fewer children would be completely dependent on their parents'' choice for their partner. Needless to say, getting rid of group punishments and making trials more fair seemed like an important thing too.

    All of those were very ambitious goals, but for the empress, it would be fine.

    But Blanche couldn''t take that spot, right? Her very existence in the palace was a reason for some nobles to mock the royal family, and her being Theodore''s future wife made that even worse. If she became empress, the aristocrats might lose all respect for the emperor and refuse to obey. It was questionable whether even a single person would still support Theodore''s and especially her decisions if she was empress. So, thinking about what she could do with an unreachable position wasn''t helpful. But dampening her maids'' spirits was something she couldn''t bring herself to do.

    The concubine averted her eyes. ¡°I...doubt that I will...have a chance to do anything like that soon. I already told you that. But once you want to resign, I can ask Theodore to make you such a royal decree. He will definitely do it.¡±

    Angelica blinked at that and exchanged a confused look with her lover before replying. ¡°My Lady, we don''t plan on resigning. As long as we can be together, this is the perfect job. There is no need to search for another job even if we do get married. We promised that we would stay by your side, right? We won''t break that promise.¡±

    Blanche was actually surprised at that. She had assumed that the maids would retire at some point to settle down somewhere outside the royal palace like many servants did. ¡°You want to stay? But you won''t be able to raise children if you are my attendants.¡±

    Darlene raised her arm and put on a confident smirk. ¡°Don''t you think that we can adopt even if we need to help you? I mean, right now, I have more free time than as a child. And since we are in the palace, we could ask others for assistance, much like how others did it for Stella, who was raised here by multiple people too. And if you end up having children, they might even play together.¡±

    Blanche nodded before she could stop herself. She had heard enough about how lonely the childhood of the royal heirs had often been. She was more than grateful to hear that she might be able to grant her children a chance to make friends. It would be wonderful if they managed to do that so that even the princes and princesses had acquaintances of the same age. ¡°I would be very happy if you could stay with me.¡± She showed the other woman a bright smile. ¡°I wouldn''t want anyone else as my attendants.¡± The other women returned her beam, but she spoke up before they could. ¡°After all, you are-¡± She cut herself off when she caught a glimpse of a familiar shade of blonde behind her maids.

    It was Seraphina, who was accompanied by her usual entourage. The empress was already looking at the concubine and steered toward her upon being seen. ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Blanche. I hope that you have been doing well since that unpleasant incident. If you require any help, please do not hesitate to ask.¡±

    Blanche quickly made a small curtsy, which caused her to realize how rarely she had done this in the past weeks. Whenever she met people, she had held Theodore''s arm or sat on a throne, so she had barely had any chances to curtsy. She only greeted the empress like this. She had gotten so used to keeping her head upright that she had probably forgotten it a few times already. And she had almost forgotten it now too. Inwardly, she sighed in relief upon having remembered in the last second. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. I have been doing well. There weren''t any issues, and the medicine quickly stopped affecting me.¡± That Marguerite had been killed was a pretty big issue, but mentioning that now was probably inappropriate. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. How are things going for you, Your Majesty?¡±

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    Seraphina gave her a little smile in her usual graceful manner and folded her hands in front of her stomach. ¡°That is what I wished to talk about with you. Would you mind accompanying me for a short stroll? I believe there are some things that we need to talk about before that day arises.¡± She meant the divorce.

    Blanche''s stomach churned a bit at that. What could the empress need to tell her? It seemed like it was somewhat urgent too. ¡°Of course, I don''t mind. I assume that this is an issue that requires us to go to a place with a little privacy?¡±

    The empress replied without letting her small smile fall. ¡°Indeed. I wished to invite you to a small cup of tea. I asked for a table to be put near the fountain in the labyrinth. The last time we talked, we met there too, so I believed that that was a good choice.¡± So, she had actually planned on meeting with the concubine before they had run into each other.

    And she wanted to drink tea together in private. Anything else would have been fine, but this specific activity was somehow unpleasant to think about.

    That only made Blanche even more nervous. ¡°I am fine with that. Then we should go there.¡± She intended to let the other woman leave first, but Seraphina waited for her. It felt weird to walk side by side with the empress, but at least the atmosphere between them was much more relaxed than it had been in the past.

    It was calm, but the concubine couldn''t help being a bit worried. She always expected bad news when the heroine approached her, but for the past months, there hadn''t been a big fight between them, if one ignored the incident with the alleged theft. So, she should try to be more relaxed when interacting with the other woman, but it was hard for some reason. Maybe Blanche still hadn''t gotten over the fact that Seraphina was actually divorcing Theodore.

    Maybe Blanche was just far too scared of being forced to drink tea with the other woman too. After all, the villainess had been in a similar scene once, and it hadn''t gone well.

    The group arrived at the labyrinth, and the empress led the way. She used her trick of orientating herself on the left side of the hedges and followed the pathway until they reached the middle of the maze. The fountain''s water was the only noise in the otherwise silent plaza, where a table with cups of tea and a pot was already waiting along with some servants.

    Seraphina walked forward and gestured to the table. ¡°Please feel free to take a seat. I asked them to prepare some fruit tea, which I assume you will like.¡±

    Blanche intended to wait for the empress to sit down, but once again, she had to give in and sit immediately. She scanned the different teas for a moment and quickly figured out that the orange one had to be hers. It already smelled heavenly, like orange and cinnamon. So, it would probably be tasty too. Not that she wished to drink anything right now. Somehow, she felt like consuming anything was the last thing she wanted to do here. But she couldn''t say that. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I will enjoy it for sure.¡±

    The empress took a seat as well and raised her hand to dismiss the servants. The maids all went to the fountain so that they stood a bit further away while Owen and Noah only took a few steps to the side. Seraphina waited for them to distance themselves before she lifted her cup and drank a sip.

    Blanche picked up her cup too and was careful not to spill anything. She gazed at the tea with skepticism for a moment while being unsure whether she should drink it. For some reason, sitting at a table with Seraphina made her uncertain. She felt awfully stupid for it, but she considered simply pretending to drink instead of consuming anything. That made her compare herself with a child, but she still couldn''t bring herself to swallow that tea. After holding it to her mouth and resting her lips on the porcelain for a moment, she placed the cup on the table again and watched the other woman. Blanche was much more curious than she admitted to herself, and that made her stomach tingle. She didn''t dare to ask though. She needed to be patient and let the other woman speak.

    The empress took her time drinking before she slowly put down her cup. ¡°You are curious, aren''t you?¡± Then she lifted her cup again and drank one more sip.

    Blanche would have rolled her eyes if she wasn''t so shaky. Surely, the other woman was doing this on purpose. Of course, she was curious after being brought here without an explanation. She only had one little clue what this could be about. ¡°Yes, I am. I suspect that you wished to talk about the divorce since you mentioned a specific day in the future.¡±

    Seraphina gave her a little smile. ¡°Indeed. The supreme judge went through the documents and contacted me. He said that the contract was extremely harsh toward my side since I wouldn''t gain anything and give up on all my relations with the royal family, but there weren''t any secret troublesome paragraphs. I am fine with that. I will sign the contract within the next few days and bring it to His Majesty. When he signs too, everything will be legal. And then, according to the contract, I have exactly one month to move out. His Majesty originally wrote that I should have one week, but I was stubborn in this one aspect. I need at least two weeks to prepare everything if I wish to move back in with my parents.¡±

    The concubine couldn''t help but freeze at that. Why did this suddenly go by so fast? She had counted the days that had led to the divorce finally being processed, but now that time seemed to have gone by in a flash. She could barely imagine that she was now in this situation when her world had looked so grim a year ago. After gaining the novel''s memories, she hadn''t believed that she could ever reach such an ending, and now she was here. She was drinking tea with Seraphina, and it wouldn''t end with her being arrested this time.

    At least she hoped that.

    Blanche forced herself to snap out of it and reply. ¡°I see. That surely is fast. It''s good that you have a month now.¡±

    Seraphina picked up her cup again. ¡°It is good. Anything else would have been impossible. I will need to pack my things first. After all, I doubt that you wish to take over my old dresses and my jewelry. The room has to be empty when I leave. Even if I doubt that you will ever move in there since you live in His Majesty''s chambers. When did he manage to convince you of that?¡±

    The concubine averted her eyes before hesitantly replying. ¡°After my birthday. I slept there ever since the vacation. So, we brought some of my clothes there. And the longer I stayed, the more we put into his room. At some point, he just proposed that I should move in officially. I know that it wasn''t too clever, but I had a hard time refusing. I hope that the resulting rumors were not too bad.¡±

    Seraphina replied without changing her expression. ¡°The rumors were full of the truth, so there weren''t any issues. Everyone knows that the emperor dotes on his lover. Haven''t you been aware of that? Gossip about your rings also spread among the nobles, so they know basically everything. But let us return to the original topic. You do not need to justify it if His Majesty allowed you to sleep in his room. He is free to welcome whomever he wants to. It is not like you two spending the night together ever was a secret. Besides, I will not be here much longer, so there won''t even be a jealous wife bothering you.¡±

    Blanche paused at that. For a moment, she didn''t know whether she had heard it right, but she was rather sure. So, she didn''t ignore it. ¡°I don''t think that you ever were a jealous wife, Your Majesty.¡±

    Seraphina drank a bit of her tea before replying in a calm voice. ¡°It is strange to sit with you now. There was a time during which I resented you more than you could imagine. Aside from the fact that I was upset about knowing that your actions were understandable from your point of view and that you always seemed to be able to find my weak spots, there was another reason. I was jealous of you.¡±

    The concubine blinked a few times. Her mind momentarily stopped working before her response came out against her will. ¡°But I was the one being jealous of you. You are Theodore''s wife, and you are the empress, whom everyone adores. No one criticizes you, and all the nobles look up to you. They didn''t make fun of you for wanting to spend time with him. Your parents adore you, and they and your siblings are there to support you at all times. And you are the most beautiful woman in this nation and probably the most intelligent one too. Why would you need to be jealous of anyone...especially me?¡±

    Blanche was just a commoner with a deceased family, the annoying villainess. Seraphina was the heroine of ¡°To Be Empress¡± and was perfect in any way. There was no way that such a woman would need to be envious.

    She might have wanted the villainess dead above all, but that had been her single flaw. Now she was supposed to be jealous?

    Seraphina drank her tea before taking one more sip. It almost seemed like she was stalling for time, but at some point, she finally set down her cup. ¡°It seems like you didn''t see most of the facts here then. While I am the emperor''s lawful wife, at least for a few more days, he never even looked at me. I do not wish you to misunderstand and think that I had romantic feelings for him because that would not be true. I never saw him as more than a political partner, and he saw the same in me. But I have to admit that I was envious to see him loving you unconditionally. He always took your side and defended you no matter what. In front of you, the perfect emperor acted like a normal human being that just wanted to be with his lover. He even allowed you to call him by a nickname just a few weeks after you came here. I''ve known him since he was five, and he never even offered that I could address him with anything but his title. I was a bit...disgruntled about that.¡±

    Blanche had noticed. She had seen the other''s expression as she had first called Theodore''s nickname in front of her.

    The empress paused for a moment and gazed to the side. ¡°I didn''t have any interest in him specifically, but I longed for love in some way too. I wanted to fall in love. Now that I finally did, I fully understand what about this feels so great.¡± She took a moment to drink again before resuming. ¡°But back when I didn''t know that feeling, I was jealous. That you, who had been blessed with this unconditional love, wished to take even more from me upset me a lot. Especially since you had no reason to be jealous. You had His Majesty''s love, and now you will marry him soon. You may not be the most intelligent person in the world, but I am not either. I only learned as much as possible to help the nation, and it seems like you are a quick learner, so I wouldn''t worry too much. Your appearance is certainly not lacking either, which you would notice if you looked into a mirror or watched others'' expressions when you enter a ballroom. And I can assure you that the nobles criticize me all the time. They just don''t dare to do it publicly.¡±

    Blanche was a bit surprised to hear all of that. It almost sounded like the empress wanted to console her, which felt unusual too. She was silenced by all of this and had no idea how to summarize her feelings. She felt a bit guilty for having acted like a brat in the past without seeing that the other woman might have been uncomfortable with this arrangement too. The concubine almost wanted to apologize again, but she was rather sure that Seraphina had asked her to stop doing that already. So, she kept quiet.

    For a moment, both were completely silent.

    Blanche took a moment until she found something that she wanted to say. ¡°Then it seems like both of our positions were a bit difficult. I''m...¡± The words were already prepared in her head, and she was seconds away from apologizing again, but she voiced it differently. ¡°I regret that we had to meet each other in such a stressful situation. I always admired how dignified and calm you were and how easily you were able to follow the protocol. Of course, I never saw all the effort that you put into that and was just jealous. I regret that a lot.¡± She balled her fists under the table and averted her eyes.

    And somehow, even voicing that small bit of praise made her feel a tiny bit bitter. That wasn''t just because Blanche had always been jealous, was it? Maybe there was something else too, and as much as she tried not to remember it, it was getting hard to deny it.

    But now wasn''t the time to think about that.

 Chapter 283: The Consequences of an Affair

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 Chapter 284: Signing The Final Document

    someone insisted on not being my cook. And now you bring food here every day. I feel like you clearly favor someone over the other, which is a bit unfair. You keep giving her sweets and then complain about her eating them. I bet you also told Clark to bake something because you didn''t want to go into the kitchen yourself but wanted to present cookies anyway. You probably bragged a bit about how hard Blanche works, and her friends immediately volunteered to make something.¡±

    No one would dare to use her birthday party for an engagement announcement after all. But since that party won''t be for her from the very beginning and she will only assume that it is, the issue is solved.¡±

    ¡°

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    innocent victim that is only being hurt. She didn''t change at all.¡± He said that with so much resentment in his voice that it was quite obvious that something bad had to have happened.

    Finally.¡± He paused for a moment, which he was definitely doing on purpose, before continuing. ¡°She may enter.¡±

 Chapter 285: Congratulations

    Seraphina stood there while curtsying and waited for the emperor''s permission to rise. Unfortunately, Theodore stayed silent.

    It only took a few seconds before Blanche felt the tension in the room thickening. She would have liked to do something about this, but she couldn''t speak for her lover. Or could she? Theoretically, he had told her that she was allowed to use his name to order anything, but she was reluctant to do that. So, she just tapped his arm while searching for his gaze. When Theodore still didn''t speak or look at her, she forced herself to begin though. ¡°You may rise. It''s not good for-¡± She cut herself off before mentioning anything about the suspected pregnancy. ¡°Theo, please let her rise.¡±

    Theodore, who only seemed to wake up from his paralysis now, returned to the present and faced Blanche. He pressed a kiss onto the side of her forehead. ¡°If my angel wishes for that.¡± His previously soft tone changed into an almost threatening one as he addressed his ex-wife. ¡°You may rise.¡±

    Seraphina straightened her posture again and kept her stoic expression. Apparently, she wouldn''t change that even if her rank had been altered significantly. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Then she turned to look at the concubine.

    Blanche took a moment to understand. If one saw her as a member of royalty, which depended on the definition, everyone except for other members of the royal family would have to wait for her to speak. Suddenly going from being a baroness, who had to speak up as the last person, to the emperor''s fianc¨¦e was definitely a huge step. She would take a while to get used to the fact that she would address Seraphina first. ¡°Good day...¡± She had almost called the other woman ¡®Your Majesty¡¯, but she held herself back just in time. ¡°Lady Duremont.¡± It was odd to speak like this. There hadn''t been anyone with this title for a while now, and suddenly, the previous empress had it. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Even if saying this directly after witnessing the other''s divorce while sitting on the ex-husband''s lap was problematic. Everything about this greeting had been horrible so that the concubine already felt how her cheeks were heating up.

    But Seraphina just showed her a little smile. ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Lady Blanche. I wish you a nice day and a relaxing afternoon.¡± Then she turned to the secretary. ¡°I would like to wish you a wonderful day as well, Lord Astame.¡±

    Leonard shouldn''t be grinning as well, but he was. ¡°I''m sure that I will have one. Thank you for your concern, Lady Duremont.¡± With that, he grabbed the divorce contract off the table and brought it into the neighboring room, most likely to put it into one of the folders with the most important documents.

    For a moment, everyone was silent.

    After a couple of seconds passed, Seraphina spoke up. ¡°If there is nothing else you wish to tell me, I would ask for permission to leave.¡±

    Theodore let her wait for a bit before replying. ¡°Actually, there are still two things. The first one is regarding your departure. I assume that you will take everything you own with you and will refrain from touching any items that belong to the royal family. You can leave the attires in the royal colors here too since you will not be able to wear them.¡± Suddenly, it seemed like that rule was important when he had disregarded it so often in the past.

    Seraphina still listened to that and nodded calmly. ¡°I am well aware of which items belong to me and which ones to the one with the position as the empress. I am unsure whether you would wish to hand the future empress old jewelry which belonged to me, but I will leave them here. If you do not wish to keep them, please do donate them to charity though.¡±

    The emperor replied while scanning her with his cold eyes. ¡°I will do that as soon as you leave. And don''t forget anything, or you won''t see it again. The same holds true for your people. When you leave, take your servants with you. I won''t keep those two here.¡±

    Seraphina tensed at that, just for a split second before she managed to hide it. ¡°You would allow me to bring them back home?¡±

    Theodore glanced to the side, which only made him seem even more annoyed. ¡°I''m not sure if you could call that me allowing anything. I will throw them out as soon as you are gone. So, I really don''t care what you do with them.¡± While speaking, he stroked over his lover''s hair with so gentle movements that it felt like his voice and his expression belonged to a completely different person. He was so mean to his ex-wife while still pampering his fianc¨¦e as always. It was almost contradictory.

    Seraphina didn''t seem to feel as bad as Blanche did though. She actually seemed a bit happy upon hearing that she could take her servants with her. ¡°I will have them work in the Duremont mansion. There is no need to worry about them troubling you in any way.¡±

    The emperor opened one of the folders in front of him and began flipping through the pages while replying. ¡°It''s nice to hear that you are this overbearing when it comes to your family too. You never asked whether they would allow you to move back in. Did you tell them about the divorce? Probably not. And now you suddenly come back and bring three others, whom they never met, with you. His and Her Grace will be ecstatic.¡±

    Seraphina paused for a moment before she replied. ¡°I can assure you that my parents will welcome me and my attendants without any issues. It may seem like we are one step behind you, but even we could guess what you were planning ever since you stopped hiding it. There won''t be a problem since my parents are only waiting for the news. But I have to ask why you mentioned three people. I only have two maids, whom I will take with me. You do not intend to dismiss Gloria as well, or do you?¡±

    It couldn''t mean anything good when a complacent smirk spread across Theodore''s lips. He looked way too arrogant when he spoke. ¡°Oh, I didn''t mean her. I meant the child. Congratulations on your pregnancy.¡±

    In an instant, Seraphina''s posture changed, and her iron mask was forgotten. She went rigid and stared at the emperor with wide eyes. ¡°How?¡± She whipped her head around to the concubine a moment later, pure terror showing on her face.

    Blanche was as shocked as the other woman was and immediately shook her head. ¡°I didn''t say anything! I never even mentioned that topic!¡±

    The emperor began patting his lover''s hair again while he shushed her. ¡°Obviously, you didn''t. Noah did.¡± He lifted his gaze again and made eye contact with the petrified Seraphina. ¡°He was a genius as a spy. I never thought that he would be this efficient. I originally placed him by your side because I was waiting for you to attempt to hurt Blanche. It was a good choice of you not to do that. I would have executed you immediately. But it was also helpful to have been reported everything that happened. So, I managed to hear about how my plan worked out perfectly without even needing to question my judgment.¡±

    Seraphina didn''t seem to be able to contain her emotions upon hearing that. She balled her hands into fists and showed her panic clearly on her face. She took a moment to process the news that her trusted knight was actually telling the emperor everything about her before speaking up. ¡°Your Majesty, I would kindly ask you to treat this matter secretively. This child will not be an obstacle to you in any way. I will ensure that-¡±

    Theodore didn''t even let her finish. ¡°I''m sure that you know that me keeping quiet won''t change a thing. I do not hold any ill regards against this child, but you are aware of the truth, are you not? Anyone that can count will be able to figure out that the empress'' pregnancy started around the time she spent a lot of time with Prince Linden. You can imagine how harsh noble society might get with you if that came out. Which is why it''s even more important for you to...avoid all the trouble here. Did you write him already? I would guess that you already did so after receiving the documents.¡±

    Seraphina nodded while still being visibly shaken. ¡°I did write a letter to Linden yesterday. It should arrive in a little under two weeks. Maybe just one week if the messenger is quick.¡±

    The emperor showed a bright smile upon hearing that. ¡°Perfect. It will take another two weeks for him to come here to pick you up. I''ll give you a royal decree for your marriage.¡±

    Blanche was still shocked by him revealing that Noah gave him information as if it meant nothing. She was barely able to follow the conversations. Why were those two discussing such important matters so curtly? Especially the part about the royal decree surprised her though. She knew that marriages could be supported by the royal family, but she had no idea what this truly meant aside from permitting people to marry against their relatives'' will and ensuring that no one could talk back.

    Even Seraphina was a bit taken aback when Theodore mentioned that and gave him a skeptical look. ¡°I merely wrote about our divorce and hinted that there is something we need to talk about. There is no guarantee that Linden here all of a sudden. I doubt that he will be able to inform his people within a few days. A journey to Artias has to be prepared in advance.¡±

    ¡°He will come. If he doesn''t, I''ll send you there by carriage. But I''m very sure that he will be here as soon as humanely possible. After all, he can''t leave the neglected ex-empress alone. He couldn''t when he was here, and that won''t change so quickly either.¡± Theodore''s voice was dripping with mockery while he spoke, which was more than unusual.

    It was odd.

    He did hate Seraphina with all of his heart. But why? The heroine had never even committed any crime that could make him hate her so much, right?

    Blanche thought that she had managed to grab a figurative corner of an idea regarding the reason, but as soon as she did that, her chest just started to hurt. She averted her eyes for a moment while rubbing the spot that ached most, only to lose what she had wanted to remember and might need to focus on soon.

    Unfortunately, time didn''t stop for her to try again.

    Seraphina was silent for a moment. She scanned the emperor with an undefinable expression before reluctantly speaking up. ¡°This is something I would like to avoid asking, but I can''t help being worried. Ever since the very beginning, you told me to get along with Prince Linden because you claimed that we were extremely similar. Then you purposefully showed how distant we are from each other and gave Prince Linden and me countless chances to spend time together. When the rumors spread, you didn''t care and even seemed pleased despite normally grimacing when I''m mentioned. In fact, you only told me to continue like this and pushed us together as often as possible while saying that everything was going according to plan. I''m almost scared of assuming this. But is there the possibility of you having planned that Linden and I would become a couple?¡±

    Theodore didn''t give her a direct response. He just smiled at her. ¡°Would that bother you?¡±

    Seraphina''s expression became a bit colder. ¡°I do not regret getting closer to Linden, but I am slightly disgruntled about the fact that you were the one planning this. This will not keep me from going with him if he offers it though.¡±

    The emperor lowered his gaze to the table again and stroked over his lover''s head while scanning some documents without truly reading them. ¡°He will offer it. You will become the queen of Northern Ocrea and try to improve the relationship between our two nations. You surely want your beloved relatives here to do well, so you will keep political enemies away from Linden and work hard.¡± Was that an order? It sounded like one.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Seraphina was quiet for a moment before replying. ¡°Naturally, I will put my love for my home country above my personal feelings regarding that nation''s ruler. But since I get along well with his future wife, there should not be many issues even during diplomatic discussions. All of that will be dealt with in the future though. For now, I would like to request permission to invite my family. I will need to explain the matter of the divorce to them, and it may be better to do it here.¡±

    Theodore raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°You mean, it''s better if they directly want to complain to me afterward. You should have told them before, but I guess we have to do this now. Normally, I would decline, but I also have something to say to them. But you only need to invite your father and mother. There is no need for anyone else to come. Tell them to be here tomorrow at three o''clock in the afternoon. We can have tea while talking about everything necessary. I will endure it once more.¡±

    Seraphina ignored that insult and bowed her head. ¡°I will do that then. May I have permission to leave?¡± The emperor just lifted his hand and waved toward her, which she took as her cue to curtsy once more. ¡°Goodbye. I wish all of you a wonderful day.¡± With that, she turned around and left while tightly clutching the contract in her hands. She was trying to hide it now, but she still seemed to be affected by the news about Noah being her ex-husband''s spy.

    Blanche could understand well why that would shock the empress. After spending months with another person, it would be terrible to hear that they were only waiting for you to mess up before spreading all your secrets. But that wasn''t everything that had left the concubine speechless.

    This whole conversation had been filled with so much tension that it had felt more like a fight than a normal talk. And in the end, everything that had been said would distinctively shape the future of Artias.

    If the former empress really married Northern Ocrea''s crown prince, this would bind the two nations together and strengthen their alliance. It would also be a big advantage if Seraphina, who would keep her home country''s best interest in mind, became the queen of Northern Ocrea. Then Artias would definitely gain more benefits than if anyone else reigned. At the same time, Seraphina could be happy with Linden, and their child wouldn''t need to face as much trouble as they would here. It was almost too perfect. Now Linden just had to agree to that plan, or everything would go horribly wrong.

    But more than that, it was odd to know that the empress had lost her position. No, she had freely given it up. That would have never happened in the novel, but now they were here, and the documents had been finalized and signed.

    Blanche was silent until the door was closed behind Seraphina before speaking up. ¡°It''s over...just like that?¡±

    It took about a second before Theodore cupped her face and crashed his lips onto hers. He kissed her again and again before pulling back and grinning at her. ¡°It''s over. This nightmare is finally over. Now we''re finally on track to our perfect future. We will marry soon, and you will gain what has been rightfully yours from the very beginning.¡± He stroked over her cheeks with his thumbs. ¡°You''ll be my wife and the only one by my side. That person will be sent to Northern Ocrea, and she won''t bother us ever again.¡±

    Blanche was still a bit taken aback by that big amount of kisses. So, she took a moment before replying. ¡°Yes. But are you sure that you should be this mean to her? She will be the queen of an allied nation if everything goes well.¡±

    Theodore''s hold on her chin tightened. ¡°She will work as intended. Don''t worry. There is absolutely no need to feel any sympathy for her. She never had any for you either. She deserves much worse than that. I would have made sure that she gets it too, but this is necessary. We needed her as a pawn to keep Northern Ocrea in check. Because we need Linden to reign and not his sister. That manipulative woman is perfect to help him fight against his family. That''s the only reason that she''s still alive.¡± That was pretty harsh.

    Blanche blinked a few times before replying. ¡°She didn''t even do anything that bad. Maybe she was a bit unfriendly sometimes, but I understand why she acted like that. Saying that she deserves death is way too mean. That...¡± Was it? A small voice in the back of her mind questioned that, and she felt horrible because of that. She didn''t want Seraphina to die, but...

    That woman had watched Blanche''s execution without any sympathy, which soured the concubine''s view of her. But then again, the villainess had surely deserved it. The heroine had revealed all the proof for that.

    Proof that had been convincing enough to the judges, so it had to have...

    As she stopped herself and just froze in place, Theodore tensed. He scanned her expression and gently rubbed over her face as worry became visible on his face. ¡°Blanche, say... You don''t possibly...¡± He stopped himself and shook his head slightly. ¡°Not now. We''ll do this in the future when everything has calmed down.¡± He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. ¡°Just know that nothing I do is without a reason. I wouldn''t resent someone when they never harmed us. You trust me, right? I only pay back the people that deserve it.¡±

    Of course, she knew that. But it was still hard to be understanding when she had no idea what the conflict with Seraphina had been about. She certainly didn''t remember a single reason why this could be the case. She also didn''t remember why she was so reluctant to speak about this topic or why she was rather content despite those harsh words.

    Because the villainess had only ever been in a horrible conflict that might create such hatred once. And the events of the novel hadn''t happened yet, so that couldn''t be a reason.

    Right?

    The concubine averted her eyes and nodded. ¡°I trust you fully. Just tell me at some point, or I will worry my whole life.¡±

    Theodore gently patted her head and gave her another kiss. ¡°Of course. I will tell you as soon as I''m ready. But you need to promise that you will stay with me no matter what.¡±

    Blanche raised her arms and then pulled him into her arms. ¡°Definitely. I wouldn''t ever leave you, no matter what happens. That''s why you can tell me everything.¡± She rested her head on his shoulder and gently ran her fingers through his hair. ¡°I''m always on your side and-¡±

    Leonard came back from the storage room and cut her off. ¡°You keep repeating that. Don''t you two believe each other? I think you promise one another that you will stay together forever every day. No one would be able to bring you apart even if they wanted to. So, worrying like this might be a bit unnecessary. Don''t you have other topics to talk about?¡±

    Theodore shrugged. ¡°You will find out what it means to worry about another person when you finally fall in love. You won''t ever let go of that person then.¡± He underlined his words by wrapping his arms tighter around his concubine. ¡°We adore each other, and we really like showing it like this to one another. Others might-¡±

    The secretary gave him an annoyed look before walking over to the couch and plopping down on it. ¡°I was planning on bringing some wine to toast to this day, but now my motivation is gone. Maybe I should just go drink by myself. After all, you don''t seem to wish to discuss any future plans.¡±

    There was something that Blanche had been pondering though. She took a moment to recount the conversation before she was reminded of what she had been missing. She quickly spoke up. ¡°I have a question. I would like to know what a royal decree does for a marriage. I know that it permits people to marry even if they normally might not be allowed to. That isn''t needed in this case though. Why do you want to give Lady Duremont one for her marriage then? Is this...more of an order?¡± She looked up at her lover and waited for his response.

    Leonard chimed in before Theodore could. ¡°Exactly. This means that she is being bound to her new husband by law. It won''t apply to Prince Linden since he isn''t under the emperor''s control, but this basically ensures that Lady Duremont would go against the emperor''s wishes if she divorced. So, she won''t be welcomed back. In all honesty, this is only supposed to keep her from ever returning to Artias. But I''m not sure whether she got the message.¡±

    Theodore added something as soon as the other man finished. ¡°I''m doing this to prove that I''m happy about her marriage too. I don''t want any stupid rumors about me being jealous. I doubt that anyone would think that now that I made it clear that my angel is the only one I need, but we need to make sure that it stays like this. That''s why we''ll also send off that woman with a bright smile. Before that, we will get rid of all of her belongings of course. As soon as she leaves the royal estate, I want everything to be cleaned up.¡± He lifted his head to turn to Leon. ¡°You can tell the servants to get rid of the old portrait too. They can burn it or something like that. I don''t want to ever see it again.¡± He seemed to be talking about the painting that hung in the entrance hall in a forgotten corner. It was a bit problematic to burn the picture of the emperor and the former empress, but no one would dare to ignore his order.

    Blanche pressed her mouth into a thin line when reality caught up to her again. The divorce had been processed now. She couldn''t push away thoughts of the future anymore. There wasn''t an empress, and soon the nobles would find out and demand a new one. And then Theodore would have to deal with all of that pressure before he gave in and...made a choice.

    He could marry another influential woman, but judging by his words, that wouldn''t happen.

    The other option was his current fianc¨¦e becoming his only wife, which would make her the empress.

    Blanche, who happened to be that fianc¨¦e, unwillingly tightened her hold on her lover while pressing her face against his chest. There was no way that this could end well.

    Unsurprisingly, Theodore noticed her tension immediately. He began stroking over her hair while cradling her head. ¡°It''s fine. You don''t need to worry about anything. I will make sure that everything will be wonderful. What concerns you?¡±

    She didn''t want to say it so openly, but after a moment of silence, she responded. ¡°Artias needs an empress. The nobles won''t accept anything else. And I can''t take on that role even if you seem to believe that for some reason. So, you need to...¡± He needed to marry another woman, but she couldn''t bring herself to say that. ¡°You claimed that you wouldn''t multiple times...but you don''t have much of a choice here unless...¡±

    Theodore didn''t hesitate to bring his hand to her chin. He tilted her head upward and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. ¡°I won''t marry anyone but you. There is no way that I''d ever even look at another woman, and I will be happy to vocalize that no matter how often people need to hear it. You know that I said that the emperor doesn''t need anyone''s permission, right? That still holds true. I don''t need anyone''s help. But we do have supporters that will do their best to improve their relationship with us. They would never dare to complain. Most of our enemies might not stay nobles much longer. So, that issue is solved too. And since you are the only one I will marry, only you can become empress as well. I already promised that I would not force you. But please think about it before denying that possibility. Listen to me tomorrow and don''t underestimate yourself. Trust my judgment and Leon''s as well. Then you will change your mind.¡±

    The concubine doubted that. Becoming the most powerful woman in the nation was a great responsibility, and she wasn''t sure whether she could carry it. She would have to if things continued like that, but she was still worried. She was different from Seraphina. Blanche hadn''t been raised with the very purpose of becoming empress. She had been raised as a commoner with no expectation of doing much during her life since her family had been rich. There was no way that twenty years of education could simply be rectified within a few months. ¡°Theo. You know that my parents never taught me to take over a nation. I''m not prepared for that. I would take years to catch up. Of course, I would try, but everyone would just compare me to the previous empress. I...¡±

    Her lover shushed her and kissed her again. ¡°You''ll never be alone, remember that. The empress'' only job right now is appearing in public and taking care of some documents. You are already doing both. I plan on giving you much more power with some laws so that you will have the same amount of rights as I do. But we''ll do that slowly so that our political surroundings can get used to it. You will never be alone with Leon and me here to assist you. The ministers will also continue to work without many problems, so there will be little change at first. If there is anything else, let me teach you like I was taught by others. So, please think about it for a while before denying that possibility. It would be unfortunate if you gave up because you don''t trust yourself. Because I know that you can do it.¡± Theodore put his hand on the side of her cheek and looked directly into her eyes while speaking. ¡°Please trust me. Think about it. You don''t need to pressure yourself. You have more than enough time to get used to this thought before trying anything. Just don''t deny that possibility tomorrow. Alright?¡±

    Blanche couldn''t refute that. She nodded weakly without being sure what she should say. All of this was way too complicated for her. If she didn''t become empress, no one else would. Would that be better or worse than having a commoner as the emperor''s wife? Surely, the biggest portion of the commoners would love that fairy tale about a young lady without noble origin becoming the most powerful woman in the nation. That might give her enough support to carry her easily. But the aristocrats would fume about a person with lowly origins, as they called it, being put above them. Not all nobles were like that, Blanche knew that. But even a few loud voices could be enough to trouble her.

    Could the emperor''s power truly stay stable despite all of that? Blanche wasn''t sure. She didn''t know anything right now. It had advantages and problems. Being the empress gave her quite a few chances to change things. She might even be able to move society forward a bit by pointing out the problems she had seen while living among commoners and nobles.

    But she didn''t feel prepared for that at all. Not in the slightest. Upon seeing Theodore''s confidence when he appeared in public, she always felt small. He was a good ruler, and in comparison, she was completely useless. She was scared of the prospect of being put on a throne, which she didn''t deserve. Some empresses before her might not have done much either, but if she received power, she had to use it to do some good.

    She, Blanche, the one who never acted. The villainess.

    The concubine was completely lost in thoughts, so she almost didn''t notice when Theodore gently poked her cheek. He smiled at her and rubbed small patterns into her back. ¡°Don''t worry about it. You should consider that option and not pressure yourself. It''s unhealthy to do things like this. Just lean back and let me explain why you are perfect for that position. Then you can slowly get used to that thought. You don''t have to come to a conclusion overnight.¡±

    Blanche nodded even if she was sure that she would barely be able to hold herself back. She couldn''t just refuse her lover''s request when he was this gentle about asking her. ¡°I will try...to go slowly.¡± Even if the concerns in her head wouldn''t disappear if she just said this. She leaned her head against Theodore''s chest and closed her eyes. She wanted to have some time to relax without thinking about all of this, but she suspected that her mind wouldn''t allow her to rest.

    That proved to be true.

    For the whole day, she pondered her future even when her lover told her to stop to avoid over-exhausting her. But she couldn''t help herself. Even while they lay in bed, her mind was somewhere else before he began showering her in kisses. He managed to distract her enough so that she could fall asleep eventually, but when she awoke in the middle of the night, she could barely close her eyes again.

    The situation in general was bad enough, but that they would meet the Duremonts today made everything worse. The only good thing about Blanche''s nervousness was that she was awake as soon as they left the bed. In comparison to the other days, she was much more energetic, even if she was a bit too tense. She had hoped that it would get better with time, but the closer three o''clock came, the more nervous she got to the point that she was shaking.

 Chapter 286: Lady Duremont

    Blanche felt absolutely horrible about standing next to Theodore in front of the door. Still, she couldn''t bring herself to let go of his hand and gripped him even tighter when his fingers moved to the door handle.

    Duke Duremont would be quite upset when he heard about this. She was sure of it.

    Theodore paused for a moment to pat her hand once more and gave her a small kiss. ¡°You don''t need to worry. He will get angry at me and not you, at least not for long. He will only take a moment and yell and then stay quiet. You saved his granddaughter''s life. He can''t hate you even if he tries to.¡±

    The concubine nodded, but she didn''t believe that for one second. If she guessed correctly, they would announce the divorce and her engagement today. Both of these things would succeed in ruining Duke Duremont''s mood completely. She didn''t need to think twice before knowing that he would probably wish to slaughter them after hearing all of that. But she had no way to avoid that conversation anyway. At some point, Henry would find out.

    Theodore waited for a moment to let her calm down before he whispered to her. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He opened the door after she signaled him that it was fine with a nod. He led her inside and put on his typical polite smile, which he always showed in public. ¡°Good day. I am happy to see all of you here. I hope you didn''t wait for too long.¡± He probably didn''t call their titles to not immediately give away that Seraphina wasn''t the empress anymore. No one noticed yet though.

    The Duremonts were already sitting inside the guest room on one of the sofas, with Seraphina and Elaine being seated on Henry''s left and right. They had probably chosen that seating order to calm their father and husband as soon as the news came. It seemed like that would be necessary too.

    Duke Duremont already glared at the emperor, who was still holding his concubine''s hand. He looked like he would like to stay silent instead of greeting anyone, probably because he expected his daughter to speak up first. He glanced at her in confusion when she didn''t reply. His expression darkened, but he still followed the protocol after Seraphina patted his hand. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty. I am honored to be welcomed by you. What could be the occasion?¡±

    Theodore let out a quiet sigh. ¡°I am eager to finally bring this matter behind us too. But I do feel a bit disgruntled to hear that you will ignore the greetings because of your impatience. Neither your wife and your daughter nor my angel had the chance to speak up yet. Shouldn''t they say hello first?¡±

    Henry''s face scrunched up at that. ¡°My daughter should have spoken up already, but she didn''t do so. That''s why I assumed that you had already met her. But if you insist, we will continue the greetings first. Good day, Lady Blanche.¡± He addressed the concubine as curtly as possible in a voice that lacked all warmth.

    Blanche would have liked to curtsy, but her lover still held her hand, so she couldn''t do that. So, she just greeted the duke with a bright smile. ¡°Good day, Your Grace. I hope that you''ve been well and haven''t had any issues on your way here.¡±

    Henry ignored that and just glared at her.

    Theodore narrowed his eyes as well. ¡°I see that we should avoid having longer discussions today as you seem to be distraught. I understand that you must be surprised, but please do maintain some amount of politeness. Though, I shall ignore that you spoke in the wrong order as you did not do it with ill intentions.¡± He ignored the duke''s irritated expression and led his lover to the sofa. He sat down and pulled her with him.

    Henry took that as his cue to speak up again in a much angrier tone. ¡°What are you referring to, Your Majesty? Naturally, the correct order suggests that I speak first. A baroness'' rank can''t be higher than mine. You should be aware of that.¡±

    The emperor looked rather annoyed at that too. ¡°I planned on having that discussion a bit later, but we can also do it now. But if you turned to your daughter for a moment, you would see that she wishes to ease you into it. There are three topics that we need to discuss. I assume that your daughter will take care of two of them. You may speak, Lady Duremont.¡±

    Both Elaine and Henry turned their head to their daughter in shock after hearing that title. The duke''s expression became darker, but the duchess was a bit calmer. Elaine leaned forward to reach over to her daughter. ¡°Seraphina... What exactly does this mean?¡±

    Seraphina was silent for a moment before she reluctantly spoke up. ¡°It would be better for you to give me some time before we will address that topic. I need both of you to listen carefully before reacting. There have been some changes that will greatly influence our family and our nation, but I can assure you that it is for the best. So, you will need to listen until I explained everything. Please do not get angry first since I''ve given my permission to every single change.¡±

    Duke Duremont ignored everything his daughter had just said. He narrowed his eyes and turned to the emperor while grabbing Seraphina''s hand. ¡°What did you make her agree to?¡± He didn''t listen to his daughter''s attempts to make him turn to her again and kept glaring at the other man.

    Theodore rested his elbow on the backrest of the couch while showing Henry his cold stoic expression. ¡°It would be best if you choose to be a bit more patient. Your daughter was about to tell you what happened, and it was you who interrupted her. Since I believe that you would like to hear it from her instead, I shall let Lady Duremont speak.¡± He gazed at Seraphina. ¡°Tell him directly. It will be best to get it over with.¡± He leaned his head onto his palm and glanced to the side. ¡°This is a big change that may upset him after all.¡±

    Henry glared at the other man before whipping his head around to face his daughter. ¡°What is he talking about? Is it-¡±

    Seraphina lifted her hand and silenced him. ¡°Please allow me to explain. I will start with the most important facts, but you need to listen afterward. Will you promise me that?¡± She stared right into her father''s eyes while waiting for him to nod. She only continued when he did that. ¡°His Majesty and I divorced. We signed the documents yesterday.¡±

    The ducal couple froze in place. Henry became paler at that but didn''t find his voice quick enough. His mouth fell open, but he didn''t say anything.

    Elaine was the one that reacted first. ¡°Are you serious?¡± She stared at her daughter, who just nodded, with wide eyes.

    By now, Duke Duremont seemed to have processed the news. ¡°What?¡± He raised his voice and jumped to his feet. He whirled around to the emperor. ¡°How dare you do that to my daughter? Because of that woman?¡± He pointed at the concubine. ¡°This is it! I will-¡±

    ¡°Henry.¡± Elaine''s voice was sharper than normal. And that wasn''t all. The duchess'' whole aura was more intimidating than usual, so her husband had no choice but to listen. ¡°You promised that you would listen to Seraphina. You''ll sit down and close your mouth until she finishes.¡±

    Henry froze at that and met his wife''s gaze. ¡°But-¡± He cut himself off when he noticed that the duchess was still glaring at him. Then he slowly sat down.

    Elaine watched him until he had done what she had asked of him before taking over. She turned to Seraphina and gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Sweetie. You should have told us first.¡± She stood up and sat down next to her daughter before pulling her into her arms. ¡°We could have helped you earlier.¡±

    Seraphina quickly returned her mother''s hug while also reaching for her father. She only spoke when her father joined them. ¡°I did not mean to worry you. Now everything is settled, and there won''t be any issues anymore. I agreed to the divorce and signed without being pressured. I didn''t mind any of the paragraphs within the contract, and I do not regret signing it. So, there is no need to argue now. His Majesty did not wrong me in any way. Please do not feel bad for me or anger him when there is no reason for any of us to be discontent with this development. I am happy with this decision. From now on, I will have one month to move out along with my servants. Would you mind it if I return home then?¡±

    Elaine gently stroked over her daughter''s head. ¡°No. Of course not. We are happy to have you with us. We won''t take long to get everything ready, and we can help you transport your belongings. Your room is still untouched, you know?¡±

    Henry looked like he fought against tears while he hugged his daughter tightly. ¡°You will always have a place at home. You can come back as soon as you want. There is no need to stay here any longer.¡±

    Blanche watched that in silence while trying to keep her expression neutral. It was touching to see such a family care for one another. But obviously, it would seem weird for her to show any reaction to that now, so she forced herself to hold back. As long as she was silent, it should be fine since she didn''t want to disturb the family.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    But Theodore had less empathy. He watched the others cuddle with indifference while leaning his head to the side to rest it on his lover''s shoulder. Then he whispered to her. ¡°They will take a while longer, so we can distract ourselves for a bit. Will you give me a massage?¡±

    The concubine gazed at him with pure annoyance but let her head rest on his as she whispered back. ¡°Not now. I will do that later when we''re alone. Not when we''re in the middle of a meeting.¡±

    Her lover didn''t seem to have mercy though. He cuddled against her and turned his head to press a kiss onto the side of her neck. ¡°Why? You''re my fianc¨¦e. Who is supposed to stop me? I want to hug you now. Don''t push me back.¡±

    Blanche didn''t have the desire to do that, but she would probably have to. ¡°Theo.¡± She tried to voice this in a tone that warned him to stop, but it might not have worked. ¡°Theo. Don''t do it now. We have plenty of time later.¡± She feared having been too loud and glanced over to the Duremonts, only to meet Henry''s gaze. She hurried to avert her eyes and looked to the side. ¡°Theo, please... We need to focus on this.¡±

    The emperor finally obeyed at that. He lifted his head and whispered once more. ¡°Alright. Later then.¡± He turned to the Duremont family and ignored the duke''s grim expression before resuming. ¡°That was the most important thing. I believe you needed to hear this first. I would like to remind you that there are two other topics we need to discuss. One doesn''t have much to do with us and one doesn''t have anything to do with you. Still, I feel like your parents may wish to hear about them. Will you tell them about your new family, or shall I do it?¡±

    Seraphina narrowed her eyes at that. ¡°This is indeed our own personal matter, Your Majesty. I would appreciate it if we didn''t deal with that today. I will inform them a bit later in private.¡±

    Theodore tilted his head to the side and seemed to ponder about that. ¡°Naturally. It is your private matter after all. But make sure that they know before the surprise is there. I''m not sure whether they want to be shocked upon hearing that you''ll move to Northern Ocrea.¡±

    Seraphina sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, probably to hold back her anger. ¡°I am happy to hear that you are as sensible as always. I''m sure that you would be pleased with me revealing your secret too, Your Majesty. But I am of the conviction that one should be able to talk about such things of your own volition. Please allow me to do that.¡±

    Theodore raised his hand and made a rejecting movement. ¡°You are free to decide on your own as we have no affiliation with each other anymore. I don''t wish to be acquainted with you, and there is no need for me to act any differently either.¡±

    Henry''s frown deepened. ¡°Your Majesty. There is no need to be like this just because you are divorced. After all, you are the one that caused this. I will not stand for my daughter being disrespected, and now I do not have the need to hold back anymore. That you aren''t married anymore also doesn''t justify you ignoring your visitors to cuddle with a concubine. That is pure insolence even if you are the emperor.¡±

    Despite this, Theodore stayed fully calm. He just replied as if he had expected this. ¡°It seems that you are in a bad mood. As I said, I can understand this to some extent. But since the following news will only upset you more, it might be best for you to listen now. Whether I cuddle with Blanche or not is not something under your jurisdiction. You have no right to meddle in my relationships, much like I will not influence yours. I would also like to inform you that Blanche is not solely my lover without a title anymore. She is my fianc¨¦e as well, so it should be appropriate for us to be affectionate.¡±

    This statement was followed by silence.

    Blanche could only stare at her lover in shock while inwardly screaming about the discussion that would begin. This had been the worst way to reveal their engagement.

    Seraphina sighed quietly and leaned back, most likely to let the fight begin without her being included. After all, she had wanted to ease her parents into accepting the news, and now her efforts were rendered useless.

    It took a few seconds before Henry reacted to those words. ¡°This is a bad joke, right?¡± His voice was dripping with fury, but he didn''t jump up again. This time, he remained seated, but the expression of pure wrath on his face made him seem even more threatening.

    Theodore immediately felt how his lover tensed and leaned over to her to pull her into his arms. ¡°I do not think that my engagement with Blanche is a joke, Your Grace. We already signed the documents on my birthday, so she has been my fianc¨¦e ever since then. We have not made it public yet, but that doesn''t change the fact that she is legally a member of the royal family. That is why it would be best for you to accept that I will appear at her side often from now on.¡±

    Blanche didn''t say a single thing as a shiver ran down her spine. The tension was so thick that one could have cut it with a knife, so she didn''t dare to move. The duke''s anger was understandable, so she had no way to defend herself. What would she say? That she had gained a position that was unreachable for others of her rank was true.

    Henry glared at the couple with more hatred than ever before as replied to the emperor. ¡°No, surely, you must be joking. Because there is no way that you divorced my daughter just to marry that girl. Did you think that getting rid of a competent empress is a good idea because your concubine doesn''t like her? Do you really believe that your next wife will accept this person here by your side? Such a-¡±

    ¡°Father.¡± Seraphina chimed in to silence the duke. She took his hand before beginning to speak to him in a calm voice. ¡°Lady Blanche did not get involved in this process. Surely, she may have played a role too, but she never did anything in order to create this outcome. Besides, we got along well during the past few months, and I did tell you about that. There is no reason to offend her when she never did anything to trouble us. In the last months, that is. So, I would ask you to encounter her with a bit more respect. And please allow His Majesty to speak before coming to conclusions.¡±

    Henry''s face scrunched up at that, but he didn''t say anything. He turned to the couple and pressed his mouth into a thin line while glaring at them.

    Blanche felt like she might be hated the most here, so she barely wanted to respond. She clung to Theodore''s side and prayed that his presence would save her from the worst insults that could possibly follow. She just hoped that her lover would be able to deal with this conversation without losing the Duremonts'' support.

    Surely, Seraphina''s words were a little comforting, but they helped little when the duke was furious. It would be best for the emperor to calm his opponent down before attempting to explain anything else. But as expected, he didn''t care for that.

    Theodore looked like he wanted to become much harsher, but instead, he chose to be so indifferent that it was painful too. ¡°Your Grace, I did understand why you worried about your daughter, but why do you wish to get involved now? The matters of the royal family do not concern you. Since when has the emperor needed to ask for permission before his wedding? So, I refuse to accept any criticism. My only mistake is not making Blanche my wife sooner. I believe that would have spared all of us a lot of trouble.¡± He turned to his lover and lifted her hand to kiss her fingers.

    Blanche gave her best not to show her nervousness, but her heart was pounding in her chest. Sharing this information had been provoking enough, but Theodore didn''t seem to know a limit. Granted, it could have gone worse, but this was bad enough. Blanche felt like she couldn''t leave it at this, so she tried to speak. ¡°Your Grace, I fully understand your concerns, but this decision is something Theodore considered for a while. He didn''t rush into it nor-¡± It seemed like no one even listened to her as she was coldly interrupted.

    Henry already looked like he was about to murder someone. He gritted his teeth and balled his fists while his wife desperately tried to console him. ¡°You...¡± He breathed in and out a couple of times, but it didn''t calm him down. ¡°You seriously want to make her your wife? She is a baroness! How can she marry into the royal family? That is ridiculous!¡±

    Theodore narrowed his eyes before pulling his lover''s head against his chest. ¡°Why? There is no law that insists that the emperor''s wife has to fulfill any criteria. Some empresses never even knew how to govern and left everything to their advisors. So, there is no need for anyone to join a competition before they become my wife. Since my political power is strong enough for me not to need the daughter of any influential household, you do not need to worry. I understand that you wish for the best for the nation, but do hold back. There would be nothing keeping me from marrying Blanche tomorrow. The most ridiculous thing here is you trying to keep me from doing it.¡±

    Henry moved as if he wanted to stand up, but both his wife and daughter stopped him.

    Elaine stroked over his hair and whispered something to him before turning to the emperor. ¡°I apologize for this reaction. Henry is a bit surprised that he suddenly heard about this without a warning. Of course, that doesn''t excuse him being disrespectful, but I hope that you will excuse it. Congratulations on your engagement. May your union bless Artias with another decade of improvement and prosperity.¡± In contrast to her husband, she was completely calm, which made Henry whip his head around to her.

    ¡°Why do you act like this is completely normal? She is a commoner who never received any training that the emperor''s wives should attend! Why aren''t you shocked or angry at all?¡±

    Elaine sighed quietly and took her husband''s hands in between hers. ¡°Darling. You should have seen this coming. I knew that His Majesty and Lady Blanche planned on getting engaged ever since the ball after summer vacation. They wore matching rings, remember? And the way that he presented her in public was different too. Since His Majesty plans on making one of her children the heir, it would be beneficial for them to marry as well. If you thought about it for a moment, you would have understood that they would get married at some point.¡±

    Henry stared at his wife in utter shock. ¡°You knew? Then why didn''t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°You were always a bit slower when it came to topics like marriage. You remember how long I had to wait for my proposal even after hinting that I wanted it multiple times, right? So, we guessed that you would find out later than we did. That is why we attempted to do our best to make you get used to that thought. Apparently, it didn''t work out that well.¡±

    Seraphina inserted herself into the conversation when her father looked at her. ¡°Naturally, I was aware too. I knew before Mother did, and I was also informed on the day of the engagement. That is why there is no need for you to feel like I was mistreated in any way. I am perfectly fine with that decision. That is why you should accept it too. Just like you and Mother fell in love, those two are happy together. It would be unfair to deny them their right to be together as His Majesty''s position is stable enough to protect Artias. Besides, many commoners would be happy to have a royal lady that rose from their position. That could strengthen the Estien family even more. Do you not think so too?¡±

    Henry was quiet for a moment. He scanned his family''s expressions before slowly turning to the emperor again. He almost seemed to stall time before eventually speaking up. ¡°Congratulations on your engagement. I hope that this will bring you enough happiness to make up for the problems it will cause.¡± Then he addressed the concubine. ¡°Lady Blanche, I hope that you understand that this will not be as comfortable for you as you may believe. Being a member of the royal family is hard. And I can assure you that Seraphina was much more lenient than most other noble ladies would have been. No matter who becomes the next empress, they will definitely not treat you with kindness. That is why you will have to act accordingly and-¡±

    Blanche knew that it would have been better to listen, but she didn''t want to hear this. She didn''t even want to imagine Theodore marrying another woman, so this speech was too much for her. It was good that she didn''t need to listen to it at all. ¡°I apologize for interrupting you, Your Grace. But there is no need for you to worry about matters like that. Theo will not marry another woman.¡± She quickly noticed how bad that sounded and hurried to correct herself. ¡°I''m not forcing him to do this, it was his own decision. He himself stated that he would not agree to another marriage, no matter what.¡±

    Henry narrowed his eyes. ¡°I do not wish to crush your hopes, but that is impossible.¡± He turned to the emperor at that. ¡°You will need an empress. You cannot just refrain from marrying when there is no heir yet.¡±

    Theodore showed him a little smile. ¡°Exactly. I will marry one woman. I never said that I wouldn''t. But there is absolutely no need to worry about Blanche''s relationship with my new wife. Because she won''t have a problem with herself.¡± He only paused for a little moment to give the Duremonts time to react. ¡°It should have been obvious by now, but I refuse to even look at another woman. I will never marry anyone but her. Blanche will be my wife, and we will have our wedding after we dealt with my family. I don''t care whether you wish to attend the ceremony, but you should come to the coronation. After all, that will be done to honor the new empress of Artias.¡±

 Chapter 287: Do You Remember the Contract?

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    ¡°

 Chapter 288: An Empress Like Me?

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    everything.¡± She said this loud enough so that Noah could hear her and waited until the guard averted his eyes before resuming in a quiet voice. ¡°But he seems to feel bad about it, so I shall forgive him as he merely followed his master''s orders. To me, it''s worse that His Majesty actually believed that I would try to hurt you in some way. Apparently, Sir Aldis'' main goal here was to make sure that I wasn''t plotting against you. He was also supposed to keep me from putting some strange medicine in someone''s food, which was an oddly specific concern. His Majesty lets him stay with me until I leave because of that too.¡± She was silent for a moment.

    ¡°

 Chapter 289: Regain Your Confidence

    Seraphina had just talked about her mishaps and about how Blanche shouldn''t worry since Theodore was at her side. That was rather odd to hear. Especially the part about Seraphina making mistakes.

    Blanche couldn''t even imagine that the perfect empress had dealt with such issues too, even if it made sense. She turned away and stared at the floor while trying to put her thoughts into words. It was hard when there was so much on her mind, but she gave her best. ¡°But defending me burdens him. Theo is the most competent ruler you can imagine. His only issues are his brother and the dowager empress as well as my presence. People look down on him because he put me next to him. My background makes me his weak spot already. If I were to become empress, they would argue that his judgment is clouded, and he would lose supporters. And those who hate me would point out every single one of my mistakes. It was different for you, but my slightest error will be proof of me being unsuitable in their eyes.¡±

    Seraphina hummed to herself. Despite the topic, she still had a little smile on her face and seemed so optimistic that it was strange. ¡°Possibly. But you trust His Majesty, don''t you? He said that there wouldn''t be any problems. He will back you in any case and Marquess Astame will too. Duke Lamont will support you because he hates confrontations. Naturally, Count Ravillot would kill for you after you saved his daughter. My family will assist you too. You don''t need to worry about it when my father treasures our nation and knows that His Majesty is the best possible ruler. So, Marquess Bellfaux and anyone else that is close to my father will agree as well. Most of the servants seem rather fond of you too.¡± She glanced at the group of maids and the two guards, which were standing a few steps away from them. ¡°Some people even liked you a bit too much. It''s good that that neutralized. In any case, you don''t have to worry about winning people over. You are better at that than I ever was, but don''t overdo it, or His Majesty will be jealous.¡±

    Blanche doubted the last part, but the rest made sense. She was pretty sure that Seraphina was good at getting people on her side and could steer those around her easily. But Blanche didn''t say that nor point out that she, in contrast to some other people, would never purposefully do something that would make her lover jealous. She glanced at the other woman before lowering her eyes again. ¡°Even if enough people support me, that doesn''t make me a suitable empress. As I said, I''m not confident and majestic nor can I persuade people with heartfelt speeches. I also can''t act and pretend to like others when I absolutely despise them.¡±

    ¡°You might not have noticed it, but you got better at that. During your birthday, you hosted the party without any issues, did you not? You also stay composed while Her Majesty disrespected you, which ensured that everyone was on your side. Then you acted a bit pitiful, and immediately, her reputation was damaged. It was the perfect strategy. You won''t be able to take on my image, and you shouldn''t. How you act without instructions fits you much better. You don''t have to become the frigid empress. Being the gentle saintess might be more beneficial.¡±

    Blanche disliked that word. She vaguely remembered something unpleasant being connected with that but quickly pushed the thought away. She wasn''t sure why she had an image of a group of soldiers kneeling in front of a grave in her mind, but she didn''t want to think about that.

    Seraphina happily continued in the meantime. ¡°After all, people already know you as the person that melted the emperor''s heart and saved an innocent little baby from the clutches of an evil witch. That you also came up with the law that improved His Majesty''s situation a lot and allowed him to deal with other things will also boost your reputation. So, I wouldn''t worry too much about your personality being fitting. That you are even thinking about whether you can help Artias and that you might make mistakes proves that you have the right attitude to rule a nation. Of course, that isn''t enough, but you are eager to learn, so you will do just fine.¡±

    The concubine was speechless now. Why was the former empress supporting her too? That didn''t make any sense. Somehow, it seemed like everyone around her just told her that it would be alright. It made her think that she might worry too much about everything, but her doubts remained like a lingering cloud in the back of her mind. Maybe she wasn''t too concerned about the nobles and her own personality being unsuitable. Maybe she was actually scared of something else.

    She was scared of messing up and making other people suffer because of her. Gaining the right to rule a nation was the most important, and at the same time, the most intimidating part of becoming the empress.

    Blanche was silent for a bit and chewed on the inside of her cheek before she slowly dared to whisper the truth. ¡°I don''t feel prepared for so much responsibility. I was sure that I would never even be able to marry Theo, and suddenly...I''m here.¡± She slowly lifted her head and looked at the other woman.

    Seraphina was still smiling at her in that weirdly comforting manner. ¡°I don''t think that this will help you, but let me be honest. You never feel prepared. Even I, who knew that I would become empress since I was born, was happy about the wedding being delayed over and over again. Whenever His Majesty explained that he was too busy winning the nobles'' trust, I was relieved. That is why my father didn''t complain too much in the beginning. I was content with gaining a bit more time to go through all the things I learned. In the end, that was completely unnecessary though. Nothing can prepare you for the future. There will always be some unforeseeable changes. Do you remember that I told you something that seems a bit ridiculous now during the summer vacation? I told you that you would never be empress, and look where we are now.¡±

    Blanche put her hands onto her lap and began fiddling with them. Surely, she remembered that. How couldn''t she remember how intimidating the empress had been while saying that to her biggest rival? Since then, everything had changed, and all the things that had been true back then didn''t necessarily need to be true anymore. Seraphina used to be ready to do everything she could to be empress, and now she had given up on that position.

    Even Blanche herself had changed a lot too. She had to admit that she was more confident when it came to appearing in public now since she wasn''t scared of being condemned as the villainess anymore. Instead, she feared completely different things. Aside from her lover''s issues, she worried about her future role as well. She was slowly but surely losing arguments, but her brain still refused to give in. ¡°But...me being empress is...¡± It was too strange.

    Seraphina watched the other woman for a while before looking into the distance. ¡°I think that you might not fear the role itself that much. Maybe the title is just a bit scary. After all, everyone always acts like the emperor and the empress are gods when you mention their titles. But just like you didn''t have a problem running up to His Majesty and hugging his arm while calling him by a nickname, you shouldn''t have an issue accepting your place by his side.¡± She turned to the concubine, and her face lit up with a bright smile. ¡°In the past, you didn''t care much for titles. I''m not telling you to return to your original state, but you can be a little less cautious. Once you are the empress, you don''t have to be on edge the whole time. Be kind to those that are kind to you and scold the ones that disrespect others. You can be that honest.¡±

    Blanche had barely listened to the second half. Her mind was still in the middle of processing what the other woman had said about titles. It was true that the emperor and the empress had seemed like people from another world when she had been a child. Back then, the royal family had been something out of a fairy tale for her.

    When she had heard about Theodore first, Sefare had made him seem like some sort of god too. So, she hadn''t been able to imagine how he would be as a person before meeting him. When she had met Theodore, she had forgotten about all of that after a single conversation with him. She had just seen him as a kind person, whom she was completely smitten with, someone who generously helped her. She had only had some occasional worries about why he was so kind to a commoner. But in the end, she had never questioned whether he was a normal human being like anyone else.

    After only a few days, Theodore hadn''t been the emperor in her mind anymore but her lover. Similarly, she hadn''t seen Seraphina as the empress but as her rival, as the person that had married the man Blanche loved.

    After living in luxury for so long, the concubine hadn''t been surprised to see the royal couple with crowns and ignored how carefully others addressed them. That was probably why she had ignored their ranks and had even claimed to wish to be empress, just because she liked being wealthy, lazy and being Theodore''s wife.

    That had only changed after she gained the novel''s memories. Since then, she had been overly cautious to avoid her death as the villainess. Was that why she was so reluctant to accept her new situation now? She had done her best not to ask for much in the past year and had still steadily grown to desire more. Maybe that was the reason why she didn''t dare to accept the position of the empress when it was offered to her. If so, that was a stupid reason. She already knew that this story wasn''t the novel''s one anymore. And her becoming empress would be better than having no one on that throne, right?

    Blanche was pulled out of her thoughts.

    Seraphina watched the concubine with a smile on her lips. When she made eye contact with Blanche, she spoke up. ¡°Maybe you should regain a bit of your confidence. During the wedding, you managed to rush into the ballroom to pull out His Majesty without caring for others. I can''t get used to seeing you this worried about social ranks.¡±

    Blanche snorted at that. ¡°I still can''t get used to you smiling at me. It still feels weird in some way. But I guess everyone changed over time. I just hope that our nation changes for the better and not the worse. Theo has many good ideas, but he will have to fight to make the nobles accept them. He wants women to be able to lead their households, and he said that he would like to give the empress an equal standing. But for now, he has to deal with his enemies first. Hopefully, this trial will help us so that his brother''s faction is weakened afterward.¡± She was well aware that she was changing the topic, but her head was spinning, and she needed a break. So, she would rather discuss the trial. But after addressing that topic, Blanche remembered something important that they still had to mention. She whipped her head around to the other woman. ¡°I don''t know if you heard it yet. Duke Vasquez was the third party that tried to become emperor. He unintentionally admitted to having falsified the letters to Ocrea, trying to kill Linden and Sefare as well as poisoning me.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Seraphina didn''t seem surprised to hear that. She just nodded slightly before gazing at the terrace. She confirmed that they were alone and that their companions were still a few steps away before she began speaking. ¡°You said that while I was there. And to be honest, I had guessed so. He was the only person that had enough power and arrogance to become so delusional to think that he could become emperor. I assume that he believed that his wealth and his distant relation to the royal family would have been enough to enable him to ascend to the throne. I researched this Midnight Sleep poison for a while and found something similar. There was a case in which an uncle was brought into the palace to take over after his nephew had become sick, so Duke Vasquez might have believed that he could do the same. I was trying my best to investigate, but His Majesty had already sent men to infiltrate the Vasquez household.¡±

    The concubine should have guessed that Theodore would spy on Duke Vasquez. Maybe he had known about the plan for the ball because of that. Blanche was extremely glad to know that her lover had been able to find a way to get information from their enemies. And she was glad that they had found the third party that had posed a great danger to the nation in general. Still, she was a bit worried. ¡°This doesn''t get rid of the dowager empress and the second prince, but at least we managed to defeat one problem. I still don''t understand why Duke Vasquez believed that he would be able to win against the royal family though.¡±

    Seraphina replied immediately. ¡°He wanted to use both factions against each other, we can be sure of that. He proved that he wished to worsen the relationship between His Majesty and His Royal Highness on multiple occasions. For example when he appeared at the tea party. He knew that His Majesty would be angry and argue with Her Majesty since she brought Duke Vasquez there against the emperor''s will. I believe that his fight with you might also have been staged to some extent. After all, he could be sure that His Majesty would defend you and that one could use the rumors about the emperor listening to a baroness instead of a duke against the royal family.¡± That sounded more logical than Claude losing his temper for no reason. But Seraphina didn''t even give the concubine a chance to think and just continued. ¡°And if His Majesty and the dowager empress fought, the chances of their conflict escalating would be bigger. Duke Vasquez could have used that or a war with Northern Ocrea. In the end, he just wanted the Estien family to lose power and hoped that the factions would destroy each other so that he could step in and take over. It was a foolish plan, but he must have believed that it would work. It''s astonishing how delusional power-hungry people can become.¡±

    That alone wasn''t what bothered Blanche the most. Duke Vasquez was certainly arrogant enough that it was imaginable that he had wanted the crown for himself. But something didn''t make sense. During the ball, Claude had tried to get Luciano to bring Blanche into a guest room and told him that this was necessary for them to become the royal family. What did harming a concubine have to do with becoming the ruler of Artias? There shouldn''t be a relation here. The most that could have happened was Theodore massacring Luciano, which would have worsened the emperor''s reputation and the Vasquez family''s too.

    Claude had to have had some kind of reasoning for why that part of his plan was crucial for him to be able to become emperor. Just angering Theodore wouldn''t allow him to do that, so there had to be something else behind it too.

    Blanche pondered that for a while before she thought about Luciano''s warning. He had told her not to drink anything during the party, but he had also sent some other clues first. The note in her birthday present had hinted at his family being responsible for the poisoning, but there had also been something else on that note. Hadn''t there been a story about some count losing his son and the cousin taking over instead? That had probably been supposed to hint at his father''s ambitious goals. But the fact that this story hadn''t ended with the uncle being the new count but with the cousin taking over could show that there might be a bit more to it.

    Maybe Claude didn''t want to become emperor himself. He had never said that. During their fight, he also hadn''t threatened others by speaking about him having the crown. No, he had mentioned that everyone would regret offending him when some other man had become emperor. The concubine remembered that scene well because she had actually believed that Claude was insane during that discussion. He had seemed so convinced that he would win while threatening them.

    Back then, everyone had believed that he had been referring to Cedar becoming the next ruler. But maybe he had been referring to Luciano instead.

    Blanche''s mouth opened, but she didn''t dare to voice her theory. Though, this was enough for Seraphina to notice and turn to her. That didn''t leave the concubine with another choice. She took a moment to phrase her explanation better before speaking up. ¡°Maybe Duke Vasquez hoped for his son to become emperor. After all, Lord Vasquez is related to the dowager empress while the duke has only married her sister. So theoretically, his son is closer to the royal family even if he isn''t blood-related to the main heir-line either. Duke Vasquez mentioned someone else becoming emperor at some point, so maybe this is his true goal.¡±

    Seraphina stroked over her chin with her fingers. ¡°I considered that option too. But then I thought that the duke is far too greedy to hand over his position to anyone else. He surely wishes to rule the nation himself, just because of his huge ego. Being called the most powerful man in Artias would definitely make him happy.¡±

    ¡°That''s true, but as long as he controls his son, he can still rule without holding the official title. From what I heard, he often tells his family what to do, and refusing him is hard. He threatened Lord Vasquez with throwing him and his sister out. It''s ridiculous, but he has absolute power in his house. It isn''t unlikely that he could continue this even if his son happened to become emperor.¡± Blanche spoke as if she was convinced of this now, and she had to admit that she trusted that theory despite having no proof. She could only reason with what she knew.

    Everything from her experience hinted at the fact that Duke Vasquez wanted to make someone else, who was probably a cousin of the ruler like the story from the vase had hinted at, emperor.

    Even the novel made it seem like that option was possible.

    In the book, Luciano had tried to curry favor with the empress, which made sense if one wanted to gain power. Maybe Claude had hoped that his son could marry the widow of the previous emperor to legitimize his reign. But then it didn''t make sense that Luciano hadn''t done it this time.

    The concubine pondered for a moment before adding a question. ¡°Did Lord Vasquez ever try to approach you? Did he try to chat with you or impress you?¡±

    Seraphina''s expression became a bit colder as she remembered the past. ¡°No. He started a fight with me during my birthday and tried to make me condone His Majesty after he caught you when you fainted. I wasn''t happy about that, and we only exchanged taunts that evening. Afterward, there has been some tension between us. He was with you much more frequently.¡±

    Blanche remembered how confused she had been upon hearing that after the ball.

    When the love interest suddenly offended the heroine, something had gone wrong. The start of their relationship had been bad, so they hadn''t gotten closer either, which made sense. So, Seraphina hadn''t been showered in compliments and received gifts at every chance. Luciano hadn''t approached her during every event either. They hadn''t unsuccessfully tried to make Theodore jealous. Seraphina hadn''t tried to test Luciano with the help of her brother either. None of that had happened. In fact, those two had barely interacted, which didn''t make much sense if that man had been sent to impress the empress.

    Hadn''t Luciano instead focused his attention on Blanche?

    Now that the concubine thought about it, she herself had been forced to interact with Luciano much more now. In the original storyline, there barely had been conversations between her and him. At least she didn''t remember too many. She had heard someone else speak about him much more often than she had talked to Luciano in person.

    But in this life, Luciano had insisted on bringing her home after she had gone out and gifted her an expensive necklace afterward. He had danced with her at the ball and pulled her away at the hunting festival. In ¡°To Be Empress¡±, he had done similar things with the heroine, but now he had approached the concubine. For what reason exactly?

    Had Duke Vasquez predicted that Theodore would try to make his lover empress? Surely not. Claude had always been so surprised to see Blanche being defended, and her gaining more power had annoyed him a lot. So, he definitely hadn''t expected this. That meant that he had to have some other benefit in making his son get close to her. In the end, he had even tried to force Luciano to bring her to bed, which for some reason had seemed like an important part of his plan to him.

    But no matter how long Blanche thought about how sleeping with a concubine could give Luciano any chance to win power, she didn''t come to a conclusion. Maybe Claude had hoped that Theodore would throw her out because of this, but that still wouldn''t increase Luciano''s odds of becoming the emperor in any way. Blanche didn''t manage to progress, so she decided to discuss this with Theodore later and turned to the other woman again.

    Seraphina was already staring at her. ¡°Are you going to keep quiet, or will you tell me what you were thinking about?¡±

    Blanche felt like her theory didn''t make much sense without the novel''s knowledge, but she still replied. ¡°I was asking myself why Lord Vasquez was supposed to get close to me. I received a gift from him, and he also made me dance with him. I assume that his father was the one that told him to approach me, but I don''t know why. You already heard what happened at the party too. I''m not quite sure what benefit it would give any to...you know...to do something that horrible while I was drugged.¡±

    The other woman''s expression darkened at that. ¡°That does not make any sense to me either. It only proved that both Duke Vasquez and the dowager empress are despicable beings that deserve to be eliminated.¡± She glared into the distance before taking a deep breath and resuming a voice that was less tense. ¡°At the first glance, I cannot see an advantage either. Maybe he wished to blackmail you into doing things for him in exchange for keeping that secret. Then he could have had a person within the palace that listened to his words. That might have helped him tremendously. But at the same time, I don''t understand how he didn''t think about what would happen if His Majesty found out about that. I can assure you that the whole Vasquez family would have already been burned down to the ground if something had happened. So, it was quite a risky gamble for him. I don''t understand what caused him to try that.¡±

    Surely, Duke Vasquez had to have had a reason for that, right? His pride couldn''t have been so hurt that he risked losing his everything just because he wanted to have revenge. At least Blanche hoped that. If they could figure out his goal, they would have another advantage in the trial. But it wouldn''t help to ponder that more. Asking a person that knew was much easier.

    Blanche proposed the idea without thinking about it much. ¡°Maybe we could talk to Lord Vasquez during the next ball. He will tell us what he knows, and we can use that against his father. He feels indebted to Theo because his family can keep their rank, so he will definitely answer if we ask.¡±

    Seraphina listened until the end before replying with a skeptical look. ¡°I am unsure whether a ball is a good opportunity to talk about confidential topics, but I believe that you will be able to make that judgment.¡± A little smile returned to her face. ¡°You only need to be patient. You can rely on His Majesty. I heard that Lord Astame has convincing methods of making people speak. Duke Vasquez won''t keep quiet for long. Then you only need to wait for the trial, and everything will go well. Don''t worry too much when you put your enemies in checkmate. I heard that your performance that evening was breathtaking. You managed to make everyone think that you were completely drugged while actually being fully awake.¡±

    In reality, most of Blanche''s acting had consisted of relaxing her muscles and letting others drag her around. There wasn''t anything special about that when the aphrodisiac had done enough to make her drowsy. But she didn''t say that. ¡°Thank you, Your Maje...¡± She cut herself off and almost signed. ¡°I will need a while to get used to that.¡±

    Seraphina let out a small huff before smiling at the concubine. ¡°Believe me, it will be much worse to get used to being called by such a title. You will feel the need to offer your friends and family to address you normally in public, but they can''t do that. That rule doesn''t seem to apply to you though, so I wouldn''t concern myself with that. You have enough other worries right now. Clear your head first before you think about anything new.¡±

    Blanche would have liked to do that, but it was hard to flip a switch. ¡°I will try my best.¡± She returned the smile before she turned her gaze to the sky again.

 Chapter 290: Making Up Her Mind

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 Chapter 291: His Beloved Person

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 Chapter 292: A Winter Ball Full of Surprises (1)

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    not do that. You''ve already cuddled with me enough.¡±

 Chapter 293: A Winter Ball Full of Surprises (2)

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    no, most likely, she would even enjoy picking a fight with the other woman today.

 Chapter 294: Announcement

    What a single greeting could do was incredible.

    The dowager empress'' smile disappeared, and her face scrunched up. ¡°Lady Blanche. It seems like you are as brazen as last time. If you are unable to follow the protocol in private, that is one thing. But in public, we must remain respectful. What gives you the right to address me first?¡±

    The concubine considered forcing herself to smile, but in the end, she allowed her disdain to show. She spoke with a much sharper edge in her voice than she would normally use in public. ¡°Why is it that I am always insulted whenever I am giving you a heartfelt greeting? Moreover, you scold me when I am clearly in the right. Your Majesty, I am still a host of this party while you are a guest. It''s perfectly normal for me to address you first.¡±

    Camille raised her chin and looked down at the other woman. ¡°I never criticized you unreasonably. To me, it seems that you always have an excuse to disrespect me. Did you not use a different reasoning during the last ball? You insisted that you, as the birthday child, were able to speak first. I did not wish to make a big deal out of this, but do I not have the same right now? It is my birthday, and consequently, I am allowed to greet everyone else first.¡± That wasn''t even true.

    Blanche definitely hadn''t said that because it simply wasn''t accurate. The proper etiquette only pointed out that a host could address the guest. So, Blanche didn''t feel intimidated in the slightest. She was the one that had said the correct thing, and she didn''t have a problem pointing out the other''s errors. She almost had to hold back a smile while replying, but her growing annoyance was an effective way to steer against that. ¡°I never once phrased it like that, Your Majesty. The only thing I said was that I was hosting my own birthday party, which was why I could speak up first. But you are neither a host nor is this your birthday party.¡±

    Only now, it seemed like Camille understood what this was about. She turned to look around the venue. For the birthday party of a member of the royal family, there normally was a seating area with a large table, where the gifts were stored. After all, the birthday child couldn''t sit on the thrones and still needed to have a chance to unpack their presents. But that seating area hadn''t been built today nor was the grand table with gifts here.

    That was the ultimate proof that this wasn''t a birthday party, and it only took a moment for the dowager empress to understand that. Her face filled with anger as she locked eyes with the grinning emperor. Why was she even mad? The invitation hadn''t said anything about this being a party for her. She had never asked either and had just assumed that it would be for her. It should have been obvious that Theodore wouldn''t freely do something for her, so that Camille was surprised was a bit stupid.

    This time, Blanche couldn''t even keep her grin hidden, so she was happy that she had turned her back toward the guests. Staying silent was by far the better option, but she couldn''t bring herself to swallow her petty comment. ¡°Is something wrong, Your Majesty? You just got a bit pale. Did something surprise you?¡±

    That comment made the dowager empress fume. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the concubine. She looked like she had countless insults in her mind and only waited for a moment to use them.

    But Cedar spoke up before she had the chance to do so. ¡°I believe that you may have over-interpreted something, Lady Blanche. Mother is a bit under the weather due to her sprained ankle, but she is not sick in any other way. Thank you for your concern. I would like to wish you, and my brother, of course, a wonderful evening as well. We are happy to attend this winter ball. This may not be a party for Mother, but it is one of the best gifts she could imagine. After all, meeting so many of the people that we hold dear will make this a perfect evening.¡±

    It was just like Theodore had said. Cedar had reverted to his old self that always helped his mother when she didn''t have enough self-control to convince anyone of her not having any ill intentions. Even though he had been so angry last time, he almost seemed like nothing had happened. He had fallen right back into Camille''s hands and was unable to cut ties with her despite him acknowledging that she wasn''t mentally stable.

    But what could one expect when the dowager empress had had twenty years to raise a person that would follow her every command? At this point in time, Cedar might as well but a will-less puppet. Knowing that made it seem more remarkable that he had actually refused to follow his mother''s order, even if his decision should have been explained by using common sense. But he still wasn''t a good person, which Blanche had to tell herself again. He would still be their enemy unless he managed to stray away from the path that his mother had made for him. But he wouldn''t be able to do that anytime soon. That realization was far more bitter than it should have been.

    The concubine might actually hope for Cedar to have a happy end a little bit too.

    Theodore greeted his brother with a smile, even if it was definitely a fake one to cover up his anger. ¡°I see. The matter about her leg is unfavorable. I fear that I cannot do much about that now, but we will certainly punish the criminal that is at fault for this horrible injury. You can rest assured that Duke Vasquez will pay.¡±

    Camille gritted her teeth at that, and for a moment, her eyes wandered as she inspected the room. She probably saw Leon there and glared at him before looking back at her son. ¡°That is the least that you can do now. Make sure to punish the right person though. And their superior too.¡±

    The emperor certainly wouldn''t punish his advisor and himself, but he replied with a bright grin. ¡°I will definitely punish any criminal whose crimes I can reveal. No matter what rank they may have, they will suffer from the consequences of their doings. Much like Duke Vasquez. He isn''t only on trial for hurting you, but he will receive separate punishments for each crime. I will be the judge, so I can guarantee that. But let us refrain from discussing such depressing topics during our wonderful ball. I would like to keep my high spirits, and talking about such a man only awakens murderous wishes inside me. So, we should focus on other things. Has there been anything special recently? Have you been forced to deal with some problems? I''m specifically asking you, Cedar, because the dowager empress seems to be pretty sensitive right now. Certainly, that is thanks to the injury, right? Otherwise, I would be extremely disappointed in how she treats the woman I love.¡± He barely seemed to have an issue making those words sound like a threat.

    Cedar was quick to pick up on that tone and responded in a hurry. ¡°Ah. Yes, I apologize sincerely. She is in pain, so she may be a bit more...harsh than normal. Of course, she doesn''t mean to offend you or Lady Blanche.¡± He turned to the concubine. ¡°So, please do not take her odd greeting to heart. We apologize from-¡±

    He apologized again. Cedar seemed to be good at that, even when he wasn''t at fault.

    Blanche cut him off there. ¡°I do not wish to hear an apology from you when you were not the one that treated me unkindly. I have noticed that you tend to apologize when you are not at fault, which is a trait that you should get rid of. If someone had to express their regret, it would be Her Majesty. But since I am understanding regarding her sour mood because of her leg, I will forget this incident. I am sure that you will be happy to do the same.¡± She renewed her smile to prevent it from fading before continuing while ignoring how Camille glared at her. ¡°In any case, I would suggest that we speak about a pleasant topic now, like Theo proposed.¡± Obviously, the things Blanche had in mind weren''t supposed to ensure a pleasant conversation. They would do little more than provoke their enemies. ¡°Once again, I would like to congratulate Her Majesty for her birthday.¡± She grinned at the dowager empress. ¡°Have you already decided when you wish to celebrate? Until now, no invitations have arrived, so you must wish to do it in spring, correct?¡±

    Camille''s face looked like a grimace of anger by now. It was easy to bring her to her limit with only a few comments. Merely a whisper from Cedar made her hold back. It took her a moment, but she became calmer again. ¡°Thank you, Lady Blanche. I believe that it will still take a while until I can hold my party since I misread something. I mistakenly assumed that the ball His Majesty planned for today would be for me, like it would be expected for his mother''s birthday. Unfortunately, it seems like he did not consider that option.¡± It seemed like she wished to gain others'' sympathy by acting like her son was the bad one. Naturally, she wouldn''t win with that strategy.

    Theodore feigned surprise when he heard her explanation. ¡°I am truly inconsolable that such a misunderstanding arose. I really should have talked about it with you, but you never visited the palace. I had believed that you would like to plan your own party since you always have very specific ideas for what you want. And I never mentioned anything about your birthday, not to you and not in the invitations. I would have done that if I had planned something for you.¡±

    That made it obvious that Camille had just assumed that this would have been for her despite there being no indication of that. That visibly frustrated the dowager empress.

    But once again, Cedar chimed in to distract from the situation. ¡°I admit that the mistake was on our side here. But there was no harm done. We will simply take care of a party a bit later. Next time, we will be more careful, but this year, we were a bit...beside ourselves, regrettably. Mother''s sudden injury after one of our oldest acquaintances turned out to be a dangerous criminal of the vilest sort was shocking. That was enough to make us worry, and we may have been a bit surprised because of your sudden divorce too. We were never informed of anything, and at some point, we suddenly read the news. We were quite taken aback, to say the least.¡±

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    It was obvious that the news had spread across the whole capital, if not the entire nation, within days. Of course, the prince and the dowager empress knew too. And they would certainly try to use this against the emperor now.

    But Theodore stayed completely calm when he heard that. ¡°Saying that it was a surprise wouldn''t be true. I hinted at it numerous times. The divorce actually already started months ago, but we had the supreme judge go through the documents to ensure that everything is well and that the contract is binding a couple of times. I''m pretty sure that we discussed topics like that on a few occasions. There is no way that I would have hidden it from my dear brother.¡±

    Camille''s face remained as cool as always before her expression darkened. That change happened a few seconds too late, which made it seem like she was acting. ¡°I can''t believe that you divorced Lady Duremont. She was one of the most competent empresses that our nation ever had. She has been your fianc¨¦e ever since you two were children. Your father chose her for you. And you not only disrespected her for years but also threw her out without giving her a single copper coin. For whom? For that woman by your side?¡± She glanced at the concubine with dismay. ¡°It''s concerning that no one has ever told you that this was a horrible idea that seriously makes people question your judgment.¡±

    Theodore didn''t hold back the sigh that escaped his throat. ¡°Since when are such personal topics discussed in public? You prying into my matters is insolent enough, and doing it now will only cause an unpleasant situation for the Duremont family. That is why I would suggest that you drop the topic now.¡± His expression looked calm at first glance, but there was anger visible in his eyes, which revealed that he was less than happy about this. The tone of his voice was much more intimidating than before as well. ¡°Just because my father didn''t get the divorce he desperately needed, that doesn''t mean that I can''t, and I don''t need your permission either. Everything is lawful, and any change in retrospect is made impossible due to a royal decree. You should accept that now.¡±

    Camille''s rage flamed up at that. ¡°You have no reason to be so upset because someone dared to point out the truth. You haven''t thought about the nation or your future at all while making this decision. You will need a new empress now. Do you know how hard it will be to find a suitable candidate? Are you aware that no dignified woman would allow you to keep such a person next to you?¡± She gestured to the concubine.

    That only served to anger Theodore even more. He didn''t hold back the wrath in his voice when he responded. ¡°Are you blind as well? It seems so. Aside from being deaf since you didn''t hear me saying that this should be discussed in private. But that isn''t the only thing about your words that doesn''t make any sense. The emperor needs someone''s permission before he acts now, does he? I''ll tell you something. I don''t need anyone''s approval to do what I want. I also don''t need to get the affirmation of a court if I want to put you on trial for some things that happened in the past. Even if you keep refusing, I will drag you into a courthouse at some point. And I can assure you that you will receive a harsher punishment every time that you insult Blanche. The list of your crimes and insults is already so long that you will regret opening your mouth with every fiber of your being.¡±

    The dowager empress raised her chin, but the way she scanned her son''s expression before speaking made it seem like she actually feared making him even angrier. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±

    The emperor replied without any hesitation. ¡°If you see me telling the truth as threatening you, yes. You aren''t the first person I told something like that. Remember how I said this to Duke Vasquez? Look where he is now. And I haven''t even gotten revenge for the incident of the last party.¡±

    The dowager empress opened her mouth, but Cedar was faster than she was. ¡°It is understandable that you are upset, but please calm down a bit, Theodore. Mother didn''t wish to anger you on purpose. She is merely worried about the nation. No matter how competent you are, it is good to have a strong empress by your side. That was what she was referring to. So, please forget about this conversation. Other guests are waiting, and we can''t steal too much of your time.¡± He stepped a bit closer to help his mother walk again.

    Theodore let out a snort and pulled Blanche even closer to him. ¡°I won''t forget this conversation at all. But it really would be better to end it now. We will certainly have another discussion later, and that one will answer all of your questions.¡±

    The concubine leaned her head against her lover''s chest and stroked over his arms. She intended to stay silent, but her mouth almost worked on its own. ¡°You will indeed hear the responses to your important questions then. Please look forward to it. After all, we have a big announcement to make.¡±

    Camille froze in place when she heard that. Seemingly, she understood what this meant rather easily, and she didn''t like this at all. ¡°You don''t intend to reveal-¡±

    A wide grin appeared on Blanche''s face. Seeing the other woman''s despair was much more satisfying than it should have been. ¡°We don''t just intend to, we will definitely finish this today. We will make sure that everyone here finally hears the wonderful news of our engagement. Aren''t you excited?¡±

    Surely, the dowager empress was excited, but her reason was the complete opposite of joy. She probably despised this since announcing the engagement would trouble her if she really tried to kill Theodore. She didn''t need another person that stood between Cedar and the throne after all. So, Camille began to argue. ¡°Is it not an unfitting day to speak about such important topics? It would be better to-¡±

    Theodore didn''t listen to her at all. ¡°That''s none of your business.¡± He sounded much harsher than usual. ¡°Enjoy the ball. We will now go to greet the other guests. Don''t walk around too much. One of the servants will give you a chair if you ask. Goodbye.¡± With that, he pulled his lover away. He didn''t turn around, even when the dowager empress tried to follow them and let out a huff of pain a second later.

    For Camille, it was impossible to catch up to them right now, and that was perfect. Still, she attempted to join them a few times, but the couple always ran away. The dowager empress didn''t give up though and sent Cedar to tell Theodore to delay the announcement, but the answer remained the same.

    In the end, the whole ball consisted of having meaningless chats with the guests and ignoring Camille''s complaints. It was somewhat fun to see the other woman''s face become more and more strained until she stopped her efforts. Most likely, she had realized that she barely had any way to prevent Theodore from doing what he wanted.

    That didn''t keep her from trying it one more time when it was finally time for the announcement though. It was a few minutes before ten o''clock, which marked the approach of the end of the ball. It was the perfect moment to announce something that would shake Artias to its core.

    As soon as the couple stepped into the center of the ballroom, Camille forced Cedar to bring her there. Her expression was full of fury as she stopped in front of Theodore, who gazed at her with pure mockery. ¡°You...¡± She took a few deep breaths. ¡°You are the most insolent person...I ever met.¡±

    The emperor replied while turning away to watch how the guests'' attention landed on them. ¡°I''m the most powerful man in this nation. Being insolent is my job. Don''t you get tired of picking a fight with me? You should know that you won''t win. I won''t let you ruin our announcement, so go sit down over there.¡± He gestured to the chair, which stood on the other end of the room. He didn''t receive a response, but he ignored that and prepared to face the guests.

    The dowager empress panted for a while, which proved that jumping around on one leg was rather exhausting. She took a moment before resuming almost normally again. ¡°You don''t seriously want to make a commoner your wife, right?¡±

    Blanche was getting significantly more annoyed with each complaint and spoke up this time. ¡°It''s funny that you keep saying that as if it was an insult. You are aware that the commoners are the ones that are working for Artias'' wealth? It''s your duty to improve the world for them and not to look down on them. If you don''t even understand that much, there is no use in you having any political position.¡±

    The dowager empress'' face distorted with anger, but Theodore replied faster. ¡°See? I told you that you are more than suitable for this role. Then let us announce it to our citizens.¡± He turned to Camille and hissed at her. ¡°Step aside.¡±

    His tone was so hostile that Cedar chose to pull the dowager empress away despite her trying to refuse. It almost seemed like the prince had given up on arguing a while ago and just hoped that the announcement was made so that his mother stopped whining.

    Theodore was happy to do him the favor. He waited for a moment until the guests quietened down. Then he spoke up loudly. ¡°I would like to ask for a few minutes of your time. At the beginning of this ball, I said that I had a huge announcement to make. Now it is time for us to reveal it. This will not only change our life completely but also shape the whole royal family, and it will influence Artias in its entirety. Some of you may have already guessed it, but others may be clueless. But in any case, we hope that you are as overjoyed as we are.¡±

    Blanche''s heart was beginning to pound loudly. Everyone was staring at them. In just a few seconds, she would see their reactions. She hoped for something calm, but the odds of that happening were rather low. She could just pray that no one would cause a scene, but one look at Camille proved that that woman would definitely throw a tantrum. But the concubine didn''t want to focus on that now. She looked into Theodore''s eyes while he spoke and got lost in them for the moment.

    Theodore turned to his lover and intertwined their fingers on both hands. ¡°How much Blanche and I love each other has been obvious for a long time. She has been with me for over two years and supported me in every way imaginable, and now it is finally the right time to make it official in every way.¡± He smiled at her before turning his head to gaze at the guests. ¡°I am proud to inform you that Blanche has been my fianc¨¦e ever since my birthday. We do not have a specific date yet, but we will marry in the near future. And from the very beginning, I will be very firm in saying that she is the only one for me, and I will never consider changing my mind about this. She will be my first and only wife, which will make her the empress of Artias.¡±

    For a moment, everyone was silent.

    One could clearly see how about half of the people were rather calm and only slightly surprised. But the other half looked like they were petrified in their shock.

    Blanche already thought that it was over now, but only a few seconds later, some people began clapping. They started almost simultaneously, but the first one was Sophia, who showed them a beam that was brighter than the sun. Seraphina began almost at the same time. Count Ravillot and the Duremonts chimed in only a bit later. From then on, it was only a matter of singular seconds until the other guests started too, and soon after, the whole ballroom was clapping.

    This only lasted for a moment though, and then everyone present bowed or curtsied to the couple. It was a strange sight, a very strange one, but at the same time, Blanche couldn''t keep a grin from spreading across her face. This almost seemed like a dream.

    No one had questioned the emperor''s decision or refused to accept it. They had all bowed to them and showed their respect to the future empress as well. It didn''t make any sense at all, but everyone had been fine with this decision.

    Everyone but Camille, of course.

 Chapter 295: Why I Am Suitable (1)

    How dare you? Marrying her is bad enough, but you want to make her empress? You are completely insane! Do you look down on the royal family and nobility that much? You are insulting every single one of our ancestors by daring to bring a dirty commoner here!¡± Seemingly, the empress'' position was her weak spot. The possibility of a commoner having this position made her so hysterical that she could barely pull herself together. That was an ugly sight.

    ¡°

    Did you hear that? The empress'' position is holy, and she dares to make fun of it! You cannot dirty it with someone like her!¡± It seemed like she tried to appeal to Theodore. Unsuccessfully, of course. ¡°Can you really not think clearly right now and understand that she is only using you?¡±

    Camille Estien.¡±

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    that woman is, it is clear that she could never help our nation. She is lacking education, knowledge and manners. Her past behavior should have made that rather obvious. She was always known as the troublemaker among noble society!¡±

    can''t, she still doesn''t have the qualities of an empress. She will ruin everything!¡±

    I was born and raised under the prospect of becoming the next empress. I received the necessary education and etiquette training. I have the political and economical knowledge to lead the nation to a better future. She doesn''t!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± No one had probably expected Seraphina to chime into the conversation. She had walked forward at some point and stopped next to the dowager empress while speaking in a calm voice. ¡°While you are the second most powerful woman in this nation, there seems to be the need to remind you of this. Insulting the future empress will not do you any good. Should you not try to maintain an amicable relationship with your daughter-in-law instead of condemning her in front of all of her citizens? If you feel like Lady Blanche may not have as much experience as you do, you should offer your help and not deal with it like this. In case you worry about the empress'' position, you should rather back her so that she can rule in a more secure manner instead of undermining her power. Upon wishing to express your doubts, you should have acknowledged that this should be done in private in a calm discussion as well.¡±

 Chapter 296: Why I Am Suitable (2)

    ¡°

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    dowager empress. I could insult anyone within this nation, and

    someone who insisted on defending his concubine no matter what. I will not allow him to punish any of you. Speak your mind. You can''t truly wish to accept that woman as the empress.¡±

    Cedar.¡± Her tone was freezing, which didn''t make any sense when she was clearly asking for his help.

    Don''t apologize! Tell them that I don''t deserve to be punished. I did nothing wrong.¡± It was almost sad how sure she was about this. She was so certain that she was in the right that she didn''t even question it once.

    once? Did I hear that correctly? Saying that when she already ruined my birthday party is a bit unreasonable. This is the second time that she dared to interrupt one of our balls to cause a scene and the second time she expects you to clean up the mess she made. Surely, I wish to forgive her, but hearing an endless amount of excuses is tiring. I do not want a reason, unless she can tell me why she hates me. What I want is an apology for my Theo, Lord Astame and me. Not from you, from your mother.¡±

 Chapter 297: Discipline

    ¡°

    something when he asked his mother to apologize. Blanche was actually truly frozen in shock for a moment upon seeing this.

    You will never be empress! No matter what, there is no way that any noble will accept you on the throne. I''d rather die than let you grasp that power, you filthy whore! You are nothing but a dirty, little-¡±

    Mother. We will go home now.¡± He turned around to say something else but stopped himself when he saw his brother''s expression.

    cannot do whatever you want. There is a limit to how much disrespect I have to accept without being able to talk back. But I believe that no punishment is necessary for today. After all, you punished yourself enough by showing our citizens how disrespectful you are and how you desperately try to justify everything you do with your rank. You yourself just proved that you are unable to pull yourself together despite us being in the middle of a ball. Whether anyone will still see you as the dignified dowager empress after this is questionable.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±

    How dare you? What did you-¡±

    now. Get out.¡±

    ¡°What? Do you think you have the right to discipline me? I am the dowager empress!¡± It was somewhat pathetic that she didn''t understand that she only worsened her stance every time she yelled. The best she could do was give up and leave. She should have used her medication as an excuse and then excused herself for the evening.

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    How dare you?¡± This seemed to be her favorite sentence today, but it still didn''t get her any further. Instead of giving up now, she turned to the guards though. ¡°Stay away from me! I am a member of the royal family. You have to listen to me!¡± She seemed to forget that the royal knights served the emperor and not her. Only when she saw that, she turned to the others again. ¡°Send them away! How can you allow your mother to be disrespected by some random woman? You should be on my side and protect me from such treatment!¡± It wasn''t even clear whether she told this to her older or younger son, but it didn''t matter.

    ¡°

 Chapter 298: A Fathers Plots (1)

    Luciano''s question about whether Camille hadn''t known about the engagement could be answered easily.

    Theodore looked to the side while replying with anger in his voice upon remembering the incident in the Vasquez mansion. ¡°We told her. After she proposed that Cedar should do the same thing your father told you to do. During your sister''s baby party.¡±

    Luciano paled a bit at that. Of course, he wouldn''t react kindly to being reminded of the drug incident. ¡°What? Her Majesty actually suggested...that? And Cedar...¡±

    Blanche hurried to speak up. ¡°Refused. He did it in a more aggressive manner than you did and told her that she was insane. That upset his mother a lot, and then Theodore came to help us. He explained how this was treason and threatened her a bit. Leon almost broke her leg because she annoyed him, and then they got your father and arrested him. He will have to take the fall for that injury now.¡±

    Luciano blinked a few times upon learning so many new things at the same time before nodding weakly. ¡°That is fine. It''s better to get him in prison than to trouble Lord Astame.¡± He paused for a moment and stared at the floor. ¡°It''s just...horrible how... I thought that my father was the only one that was so sick. But apparently, that woman is too.¡±

    Theodore gave him a cold look. ¡°You''re not the only one with a parent that is nothing but a disgusting excuse for a human being. The dowager empress and your father were friends when they were younger and basically forced your mother to marry your father so that they could use each other''s power. Human lives or others'' well-being mean nothing to them. Do you understand why I hate her now? I should have tried to kill her before she could attack me. But it''s too late for that now. I will have to ensure that she doesn''t have any supporters anymore. Your decision to go against her is a wise choice for you and your family. As long as you are on our side, we will protect you, but I can assure you that the dowager empress will not like it if you turn away from her.¡±

    Luciano balled his empty hand and kept his gaze glued onto the floor for another moment. ¡°I made that decision while being well aware of how Her Majesty will act. But even my mother, who knows best what her sister is like, agreed that this is for the best. My father was the power-hungry one. We just want to live in peace. If we want that, you are the best choice to be the emperor. So, we will support you. That is why I wanted to tell you everything I know about my father''s plan. He didn''t tell me every little detail, but there were some bits that he had to reveal.¡±

    Blanche looked around for a moment. The ballroom was almost empty except for the guards, servants that were cleaning up already and Leonard, who stood near the door. Surely, it was unlikely that someone here listened to them, but it would be better to make sure that everything went by without risks. ¡°That would be good. We should go to Theo''s office to discuss confidential matters though.¡±

    Theodore nodded at that. ¡°Definitely. We will go there now. Follow us.¡± He linked his arm with his lover''s one and led her toward the exit.

    Luciano trailed behind them, and Leon followed with some distance as well. While they walked through the palace, all of them were silent, which created a strange atmosphere. But still, no one said anything until they reached the office.

    Leonard began making tea despite him normally insisting on not being a maid and served it while the others had sat down in the seating area.

    Blanche cuddled against her lover and rested her head on his chest while drinking some of the tea, which she had just received.

    It took a moment until Leon was done and took a seat on the armchair. He pulled out a notebook and a pen and gestured toward the emperor.

    Theodore immediately spoke up. ¡°First of all, I would like to know what kind of crimes your father committed. We aren''t sure what thoughts went through his head and don''t have details. We have some suspicions, and he confirmed them by accidentally revealing a bit. Still, it would be better to hear it from a witness too. A chronological order would be best.¡±

    Luciano tightly held onto his cup. He was silent for a few seconds and looked like he was lost in thoughts. Blanche almost thought that she should ask again, but after a short while, he replied. ¡°I think the first thing I noticed was that he is pretty greedy and power-hungry. Father was never content with what he had and wanted more. If you asked him why, he couldn''t really respond with anything but that more money meant more power and vice versa. Aside from that, his ego has always been...fragile. Mother and I weren''t allowed to talk back on most occasions. The only time I was able to justify speaking my mind was when I had ideas that improved our business. Then he praised me despite me not having listened to him. But otherwise, he got angry fast when someone had a different opinion. I don''t think he ever... No. I never saw whether he hit Mother, and she never told me, but it probably happened. He hit me too, so it wouldn''t be surprising. But of course, I didn''t see him as a bad person despite that.¡±

    Hearing that alone made Blanche feel a bit bad. But she knew that pitying Luciano wouldn''t help now. She stayed quiet and let him explain.

    Luciano paused for a moment and shook his head before he looked up again. ¡°I''m sorry. You didn''t want to hear all of that. I''ll move on. Even when I was younger, I saw Father dealing with strange people. He always had the tendency to speak to people that didn''t seem like they were trustworthy. Muscular men in dark coats that carried weapons even in our estate. I never liked them. In addition to that, I often wasn''t allowed to deal with Father''s stores directly. When I secretly peeked at the documents, I saw that he wasn''t in debt like I feared but that he had committed every crime that you could imagine. Embezzlement, tax evasion, smuggling illegal goods. Everything. He even got involved in some court cases. He bribed the judges to execute some people earlier to prevent them from being able to flee. He then took over their businesses and their trading deals.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Blanche felt her blood drain from her face. This case sounded far too similar to what had most likely happened to her family. Luciano spoke about multiple cases though. Had Claude ruined many people like that? Had many families lost their lives because of a power-hungry monster like Duke Vasquez? The thought alone filled her with a mix of utter dread and hatred for Claude. Her lover seemed to notice and hugged her tightly, but Blanche couldn''t calm down anymore.

    Luciano didn''t notice what she was thinking at all. He didn''t meet her gaze and just tried to keep himself from shaking as he spoke, his honest feelings openly seeping out. ¡°I wanted to scold him and make sure that he stopped that, but...¡± He exhaled and gazed at his cup as resignation took over his expression. ¡°But back then, I just quietly put the papers into the cupboard again. Talking back never ended well, as I said. That was about five years ago, and there were a lot of documents, so I assume that he''s been doing this for a long time. I tried to get him to burn the evidence when I got older, but for some reason, he never did that.¡± Luciano took a break to drink a sip, and his gaze wandered to the concubine. He just seemed more dejected now. ¡°And then, two years ago, you, Lady Blanche, appeared. It struck me as odd that rumors about a nameless girl showing up and charming the emperor made my father come to the conclusion that she must be called Blanche. Even before he met you, he described your appearance and told me that you were one year younger than I was. That was pretty strange considering that he shouldn''t have known who you are.¡±

    Ah.

    So, Claude had already discussed her presence in his plan with others then. He had been wanting to use her after killing her family and ruining countless others, just to get a chance to win power.

    It wasn''t like Blanche hadn''t known this, but the reminder made her grit her teeth. It took a lot of effort to speak as she balled her fists. ¡°He gave away that he knew me already. Then I presume he already hoped that he could use me without any issues.¡±

    Luciano weakly nodded, averting his eyes again quickly as he resumed. ¡°Yes. But I didn''t question it until he began telling me about your past piece by piece and mentioned how you were working for Sefare. Back then, Father also called you naive and said that you believed that you could become empress. He claimed that we would only have to feed into your delusions and that you would make sure that the royal couple would divorce. Then getting rid of His Majesty would make Cedar the next heir. That much made sense, but treason is the most stupid thing one could try. Especially by using such an obvious method. So, I told Father not to get involved with that. He just replied that we wouldn''t kill anyone but let the two factions have their war. I didn''t understand that back then, but I also didn''t ask. So, a year passed without anything special happening except for one thing.¡±

    The noise of Leon''s pen remained a constant companion while the duke''s son explained. It seemed like the secretary was writing down everything that he could, and he was rather quick while doing that. There hadn''t been much of a leeway for him, but he managed to write without ever asking for a pause.

    Luciano confirmed that with a single glance and still waited for a moment before being sure that Leon had finished. Then he resumed. ¡°Every few weeks, Father made a servant come to him and gave them a pouch with gold coins. I don''t know where they brought it, but it seems like they didn''t meet just one person but different people each time. Bribing people wasn''t new to my father, so I shouldn''t have cared. But I believe what made it strange to me was that I occasionally saw what Father handed over. Those were letters signed with the names of Your Majesty and the king of Ocrea.¡± He glanced at Theodore. ¡°Father was a minister at that point, so I thought that he was maybe reading through your ideas first so that he could get rid of errors, but that wasn''t the case. He wrote the letters himself and sent them along with the people that visited him. Then he received letters with the royal seal and ones with the Ocrean seal when they returned. He used some wax to glue the seals to the envelopes he used and somehow managed to reuse them like this. Of course, I wasn''t sure back then. Now I know that he was the one that falsified the letters to Ocrea''s king, but I only understood much later.¡± He stopped to drink another sip from his cup. It almost seemed like he was only doing it to give himself some time to think about what had happened and about his behavior.

    Blanche was fine with a break as well. She met Theodore''s gaze. Neither of them spoke, but they both knew that they had just heard more about Claude''s attempt to create a war between Northern Ocrea and Artias. Needless to say, this was important. But from now on, they could only hear more. After all, the story wasn''t over yet.

    Luciano paused for a minute or so before he forced himself to continue despite clearly hating the topic. ¡°Then, at the beginning of the last year, a few things changed. Father talked about how he and Sefare needed to have you, Lady Blanche, meet an important person.¡± He looked right at Blanche now, but he lacked all confidence as he narrated this. ¡°That is why he tried to approach you, but you kept avoiding him, which was probably for the best. Around that time, you stopped writing letters. At first, no one was concerned. It was a bit unfavorable, but they assumed that you would just return to writing as you normally did. But you didn''t do that. Then, a bit later, we met in the capital, and as soon as I told-¡± He didn''t get further than that.

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    Theodore had already stiffened and whipped his head around to his lover. ¡°When did you meet in the capital? Leon didn''t mention that when you went to the jeweler''s store.¡±

    Blanche felt warmth rushing to her cheeks. It had been so long that she had completely forgotten about that incident. She had gone out without her lover''s knowledge, and that could certainly worry him quite a bit. But she couldn''t stay quiet now that Luciano had revealed it. She stammered around for a moment before sheepishly replying. ¡°The hole in the palace walls. Before I told you everything, I might have sneaked out once. But I only went to the capital and met Lord Vasquez before returning immediately.¡±

    Theodore paled at that. He took a moment before he gripped her shoulders and brought his face directly in front of hers. ¡°Do you know how dangerous that is? You could have been hurt or worse. I promised that I would always let you out if you took some guards with you. Why didn''t you just ask me? But you went out without me knowing it, so I couldn''t even have reacted if something had happened!¡±

    Blanche couldn''t really explain that she had been sure that they would follow the novel''s story back then. She had searched for an emergency route that allowed her to flee, but fortunately, it had never become necessary. But telling her lover that would be impossible. So, she had to come up with an excuse. ¡°I...uhm... I was bored. And I wanted to go out by myself so that I could look around. Nothing bad happened, and...¡± She couldn''t bring herself to finish when Theodore gave her that look. So, Blanche sighed and gave up. ¡°I''m sorry. Back then, I wasn''t thinking clearly and just wanted to try something new. That was stupid, and I know that I could have run into some serious trouble. But I only did it once and never again. And I told you about the hole, and it''s closed off now.¡±

    Theodore didn''t reply immediately. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. He took a few deep breaths before whispering to her. ¡°You little troublemaker.¡± He buried his face in her hair. ¡°Don''t ever do that again, you hear me? Don''t try something that dangerous. I could have lost you because of some random bandit.¡±

    The concubine returned his hug and let him pull her onto his lap. ¡°I won''t do it again. I never even planned on doing it twice. So, everything is fine.¡± She patted his head and tried to ignore how much her heart ached as soon as she saw how much her lover worried about her.

    The couple remained in that position for a while without saying anything. At some point, Theodore raised his head, but he didn''t let her go. ¡°At least I finally found out about that after a year. I should have been more careful about palace security from the very beginning, and...¡± He cut himself off and took a deep breath before talking at a normal volume again. ¡°Please continue, Lord Vasquez.¡±

    Luciano nodded and watched the couple with sight concern. ¡°I apologize for mentioning that, but it was important for the story.¡± He waited a moment, and when he didn''t receive a response, he resumed. ¡°So...my father heard about us meeting and immediately told me to win you over in some way. You were supposed to think that we were on your side and trust us, and he thought that I was the best option to ensure that. He had said that before we met too, which was why I gave you the address of one of my stores, but after that meeting, he was much more certain about it. As always, I listened to him without thinking about it. After all, being nice and occasionally a bit intimidating wasn''t much of a problem since it wasn''t a crime. Then you visited the store along with Lord Astame. I heard that you liked extravagant jewelry, so I thought winning your trust would be done best by gifting you something you like.¡± A little smile appeared on Luciano''s lips, but his eyes remained somewhat sad. ¡°In hindsight, I should have known that you were much more intelligent than my father gave you credit for. Obviously, receiving a gift from a stranger, who was later revealed to be your lover''s enemy, would be odd. I apologize for that.¡±

    Ah, right. He had gifted her a necklace back when she had visited his store first.

    Blanche almost felt a bit bad when she saw that Luciano truly hadn''t had any bad intentions, so she replied. ¡°The necklace was pretty though. In the past, I might have kept it. But as you said, we were enemies at that time, so it was impossible for me to accept it. Theo made me a replica, and the original was sold. If your intention was making me happy, I thank you.¡± She gave him a small smile, which he mirrored.

    ¡°That is good to hear then.¡± Luciano stopped to drink some of his tea before resuming his narration. ¡°In any case, the former empress'' birthday party came. Prior to that, my father reminded me to continue trying to gain your trust, but at that point, I guessed that it wouldn''t be easy. You were too cautious of me, which was the right decision at that time. When I told him that, he just said that I had to double my efforts. At the same time, I should do something to cause the royal couple to divorce.¡± He lifted his head to gaze at Theodore. ¡°The easiest way to do that was mostly making Your Majesty and Lady Duremont fight. And that always happened when you chose Lady Blanche over your former wife. So, I was told to create such a situation during the birthday party. I could only imagine one thing that might cause you to ignore the empress during her birthday. I tried to make you jealous, and it worked well. A long dance was enough to do that.¡± He scanned the emperor''s expression while saying that. ¡°I am terribly sorry, by the way. I may have tried to make Lady Blanche jealous of Lady Duremont in hopes of a fight developing. Luckily, that didn''t work though.¡±

    Distant memories of that ball came back to Blanche. She found it quite strange to look back at something that felt like it had happened an eternity ago. How much had changed ever since then. It was a bit strange. But Blanche didn''t point that out and stayed quiet to let the story resume.

    Luciano turned to the concubine again and quickly added more. ¡°But then I saw that you were sick. I couldn''t do much when you send me away though. When you fainted and had hallucinations, you looked so scared that I had to approach you even though my father told me to leave it alone to avoid attention. And then His Majesty helped you and carried you out of the room. Somehow, the situation had worked out as intended, upsetting the previous empress by making Your Majesty choose Lady Blanche over her. But that didn''t seem to be enough for my father. After that, he told me to speak to the former empress. I was supposed to make her angry, but as you probably heard, that didn''t go as planned. She was rather clear about the fact that helping a sick person was much more important than a dance. After that, I held back to avoid getting into even more trouble with the empress. I just focused on my own family and some business matters. In the end, I didn''t do much until Sefare sneaked into the palace to meet you. He used a secret passage, which he later complained about being closed, so apparently, it was the one you used too.¡±

    Theodore squeezed his lover''s waist a bit tighter at that. He had heard about that already, but he probably wasn''t too happy about it still. Blanche was just glad that he didn''t get as upset as before again.

    Luciano waited for a bit to let Leonard catch up with writing, which only took a few seconds. Then he could resume. ¡°Sefare told us that you were throwing a tantrum and that you knew about our plan for some reason. Then Father explained that we should make sure that you returned to normal again. After all, our important ally wanted to meet you under any circumstances, and we couldn''t keep delaying it. At that point, I asked who that person was. I didn''t really expect to receive an answer, but I did. Apparently, Cedar wished for you to visit him in the south palace. I was a bit skeptical, but we tried our best to make you rethink your decision.¡±

    Theodore stiffened again when he heard that and just pulled his lover even closer. She tried to calm him by patting his head, but it took a long time until he relaxed slightly. It was understandable. Blanche didn''t like the thought of being invited by Cedar either. Especially since she knew that she would have visited him if she hadn''t had the memories of the novel, the ones warning her that Sefare was an enemy, at that time.

    In that case, she would have interacted with Cedar much earlier.

    As she got lost in thoughts, Luciano had already continued his story. ¡°But at that point, I was already sure that nothing we did would help since you were just too careful. So, we chose a different approach during the hunting festival. I would be the good one, and Sefare would threaten you. We explained that we wouldn''t try to harm His Majesty, which you didn''t believe at all. In the end, that didn''t change much either.¡± His eyes wandered to the side a bit as he met Theodore''s gaze with slight unease. ¡°Unless one counts Your Majesty scaring my father and me near the end of the hunting festival. You truly seemed intimidating just by repeating my words to me to prove that you eavesdropped and telling me that you would cut off my hands if I came too close to Lady Blanche again.¡±

    Theodore showed the other man a small smile. ¡°And I was serious about that. You saved your limbs by staying away from her.¡±

    Luciano mirrored his smile, but he looked a bit nervous. ¡°I''m glad I listened. But I didn''t have many chances to speak to her after the hunting festival anyway. It was time for summer vacation. As you already know, we went to Travuan. At first, it was a normal family vacation.¡± His expression darkened as he remembered the summer. ¡°But at some point, my father stayed inside while reading a few books. Then he suddenly demanded that we travel to the swamps despite previously agreeing that we wouldn''t go there. He somehow found a little store there and bought two things. Little vials with a blue liquid inside and some flowers. I only found out that this was poison later, but I returned home without knowing what it was. Then Cedar and the dowager empress somehow managed to invalidate their trial and got out of confinement. And almost overnight, my father changed his tactic. He said that he had much greater goals than just supporting the dowager empress and that I had to...¡± Luciano was obviously a bit embarrassed to voice this and averted his eyes while continuing. ¡°To seduce Lady Blanche for that.¡±

    That was the part they needed to listen to. Unpleasant memories of the drugging incident came back to Blanche, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had to listen and find out why Claude had decided on this part of the plan. This was the thing they hadn''t understood yet after all. ¡°I see. Continue.¡±

    Luciano quickly nodded. ¡°As you might have noticed, I didn''t try that. I didn''t really have any chance of winning your trust, but to be honest, I was a bit too worried about what Father was planning too. After all, it didn''t seem to be logical considering the rest of his plan. Especially because you had a fight that made him lose his position as a minister afterward. Father was absolutely furious, but he still wanted me to get closer to you.¡± He paused and balled his fists. ¡°Even while he met with some people that helped the dowager empress. A pair of brothers, I think. He gave them money and told them to scare someone. I only heard about the attack on you two later, and it seemed like my father was a bit too angry at the mercenaries being dead to have no connection to them.¡±

    The assassination attack during the picnic in the forest. That was where Blanche had met a pair of brothers. Theodore had killed the assassins in self-defense while assuming that Camille had sent them. Seemingly, this hadn''t been her idea though.

    And the narration only gave away more as it continued.

    Luciano added the rest quickly. ¡°Afterward, Father seemed to use another approach. He sent a servant to some tree near the royal estate with a lot of money. A day later, I noticed that one of the blue poison vials was missing. From what I heard later, I could conclude that he poisoned you through that maid.¡±

    Blanche remembered that too. Of course, she did. The memory made her grit her teeth as she remembered how Cedar had claimed not to have been connected to that incident. Maybe he hadn''t lied. Had that event let him find out that Claude was acting without orders? Probably. That might be why Cedar had warned them later. But that didn''t matter right now. Blanche forced herself to listen.

    Luciano took a deep breath before resuming. ¡°At that point, I got really scared. All crimes had felt so far away before, and then... Suddenly, I heard about assassination attempts my own father planned. I didn''t trust that. So, I confronted him.¡± This time, he took a much deeper breath and tensed even more before he pressed out something he clearly hated remembering. ¡°Father didn''t feel bad. He just cruelly analyzed what this attack would gain him. He said that both outcomes regarding the poisoning would be perfect. Either His Majesty would believe that you were paralyzed and would turn away from you, or he would take care of you and neglect his wife. Both would have helped Father in some way. At least he thought that, but the situation for us only worsened. An anonymous person, whom I expect to be Your Majesty, kept finding out about my father''s crimes. Father lost more and more money and power.¡±

    This time, Theodore nodded. His expression was grim as he spoke up. ¡°I did do quite a bit. I take that your father reacted negatively.¡±

    Luciano gave them a small nod. ¡°At some point, he finally snapped and told me what he truly wanted. He wanted to rule the nation. For that, the two heirs to the throne had to disappear.¡± A smile spread across Luciano''s face, but it seemed like he was only trying to comfort himself with this. ¡°I told him that he was insane, which earned me a rather harsh scolding. Still, I insisted that Father had no legitimization to sit on the throne. Then he began laughing and put his hands on my shoulders. He looked like he had lost every bit of his sanity at that point. I was terrified, but I didn''t dare to move. So, I was paralyzed as I listened to him saying that I should become emperor. I was speechless, which was probably better since asking him whether he needed a doctor would have gotten me into a lot of trouble.¡±

    Blanche just tensed more. Now they would finally hear the unfiltered truth about the third party''s actions in this conflict. She listened carefully while trying to calm her pounding heart.

    Luciano obviously hated the topic but continued as calmly as possible. ¡°Father then explained that I was the only descendant of the dowager empress'' bloodline if both Your Majesty and Cedar were gone. He claimed that we have enough money and influence to win the noble''s trust. And that the citizens would rather have me with some barely logical legitimization than someone who had no relation to the royal family. In his mind, the heirs only needed to disappear, and then I would be able to rule. He didn''t listen to me saying that I didn''t want that or my warnings though.¡± Luciano paused for a bit longer this time. It seemed like he was both tense and relieved to open up to someone at the same time.

    Theodore and Blanche didn''t rush him. They just held onto one another as their frowns deepened while they waited to hear more about the mind of the person that had deemed all of this cruelty fine as long as he made his son the emperor after.

    Luciano struggled a lot now, but he forced out the rest as well. ¡°He kept holding onto that plan even when Prince Linden arrived. I barely knew what was happening, but Father kept meeting strange people and paid them so that they would do something suspicious in the palace. Then the tea party happened. When Your Majesty threatened us, we got really scared, and Father was extremely mad when he came home. The only good thing about that was him telling us what had happened. He had falsified letters to Northern Ocrea''s king to cause a war. He wanted to make it seem like Your Majesty''s incompetence had led to Prince Linden dying. Then a war with Ocrea would have followed, and the Estien family would have been weakened so that he would be able to do something to Cedar. But Prince Linden left without anything happening to him.¡±

    And of course, that hadn''t stopped Claude. That man had just changed his strategy.

 Chapter 299: A Fathers Plots (2)

    What?¡± He only noticed that he had raised his voice afterward and quickly forced himself to be quieter again. ¡°I sincerely apologize for that, but... Sefare is really alive?¡±

    Luciano took a  longer to compose himself enough to speak, but even then, he was still visibly shaken and kept averting his eyes as he replied. ¡°My father probably just proposed all of that because it would give him a chance to see you suffer on a daily basis. I have no idea why he was that insistent on hurting you, but...¡± Once again, he stopped. Only a single second was enough to change his mood, and he continued with much more anger in his voice. ¡°Actually, I think I know why. Because he is a psychopathic, sadistic bastard that needs to have absolute control over anyone and anything so that he can feel satisfaction. And I couldn''t hold back for a moment and told him that. He got angry again, at me this time. He said things that were supposed to encourage me to do it, and I refuse to repeat them.¡± He shivered at that thought, which immediately wiped away Luciano''s anger and only left behind exhaustion and disappointment as well as dejection and disgust. ¡°I obviously still refused. Even when he said that our family depended on this, I said that we should find another way. Then he told me that he would throw me out of the house. I reminded him that he needed an heir and that my stores were enough to keep me, Mother and Rebecca in safe living conditions. At that moment, he understood what he could use to threaten me. He said that an accident would happen to my little sister if I didn''t listen to him.¡±

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 Chapter 300: Judging and Misjudging People

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 Chapter 301: Predicting the Future

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    <hr>

    very specific. Is there a reason why you can''t tell us? Normally, you don''t even try to hide the fact that you are stealing food from the kitchen. We barely saw you for two weeks, and now you act like a criminal on the run as soon as you see us.¡±

 Chapter 302: A Traitors Judgment

    Blanche was much more intimidated by the dark staircase that led to the cells than she should be. She couldn''t even give a reason to make that illogical fear disappear. Luckily, she didn''t have to. Within a second, all of that tension was wiped away when someone spoke up.

    Clark had been walking next to Blanche and came a bit closer to talk without the guards eavesdropping on them. ¡°I saw that you are wearing the flower ornament that I made for your birthday. It''s the best out of all the ones you got, right?¡± It almost seemed like he had noticed that she was feeling unwell and wanted to distract her.

    Blanche gave him a gentle smile. ¡°It is very pretty, isn''t it? I''ve always loved roses, so wearing one is wonderful. But the others I got were beautiful as well. You have tough competition.¡±

    Stella, who was walking behind them, leaned forward to chime in. ¡°Exactly. Mine are beautiful too. But to me, it doesn''t matter whether mine are the best. I''m happy as long as those clasps make My Lady more gorgeous.¡± She beamed while saying that in a cheerful voice.

    Clark let out a snort at that and turned his head to the maid. ¡°Are you sure that you don''t like girls too? Lady Blanche has to be careful around you. Or rather, His Majesty has to be careful because you want to steal his beloved.¡±

    The maid lifted her hand and threw her hair over her shoulder, only for it to fall back to its original position. ¡°I''m wonderful enough to win even My Lady over. His Majesty is lucky that I''m just content staying by her side.¡±

    The concubine chuckled at that, but her attention was pulled away from her friends. They had reached the end of the staircase. In front of them, a long hallway with a few doors waited. She was pretty sure that those led to the different parts of the cells.

    All the doors looked exactly the same, but when they arrived at the third one on the right side, her stomach churned.

    For a moment, she worried about gagging, but she wasn''t nauseous. She just felt like the air around her got colder and constricted her chest. In an instant, the aura from before returned and hit her without warning. She didn''t want to go through that door. She couldn''t.

    That was such a ridiculous thought, but Blanche was sure that her body wouldn''t go along with anything else. She forced herself to calm down for a bit, but it didn''t help much. So, she turned to her friends and prayed that they wouldn''t pick this door. If Clark went inside, she wouldn''t be able to follow, she knew that. Being downstairs here was fine, but she wouldn''t go there.

    When Clark put his hand on the door handle of the door on the opposite, a wave of relief crashed over her. She slouched her shoulders and followed him after letting out a deep breath. She tried her best to seem unaffected despite her previous terror and held her head upright while walking forward.

    It seemed like they were heading toward the nicer cells. There weren''t as many guards, and there were fewer rooms. Only the people that were supposed to testify for the emperor were brought here.

    Blanche was glad that she didn''t see Sefare anywhere and used that thought to push away the ones about the other door. She kept her eyes on Clark''s back and only looked around when they had passed a few cells.

    Clark seemed to know exactly where he needed to go. He rounded a corner and reached the bars to one of the cells. He stopped there and stayed quiet for a moment while smiling down.

    It took a moment before the concubine noticed Harris, who was sitting at a desk and reading a book. Apparently, he had even gotten some entertainment, which was rather unusual for prisoners. That only proved that Theodore truly didn''t intend on punishing the victim of blackmail and only did this to keep up appearances.

    Harris continued to read for a bit before Clark cleared his throat. That made him look up in surprise. ¡°Ah. You''re here already? You''re a bit early.¡± He closed his book after putting in a bookmark and stood up to walk over to the bars. ¡°I''m happy to see you too, but shouldn''t you finish your work before coming here? Otherwise, you will end up being even slower than you normally are.¡± He smirked up at the other man. ¡°Or did miss me too much to endure even a few hours without me? You truly are absolutely enamored-¡± He cut himself off when he noticed the two women there. He stared at them in shock for a moment before turning to his friend, who was definitely his lover too. ¡°You...¡±

    Clark didn''t even bother correcting that statement. He grinned and pulled over a chair and a small table that proved that he had been here a few times already. ¡°I didn''t mention that I would bring guests, did I? The future empress helped me come here. You should be honored.¡±

    Harris faced the concubine again and lowered his head as if he wanted to bow to her.

    Blanche quickly raised her hand. ¡°That''s not necessary. I just happened to meet Clark while he was on his way here. I only came to make sure that no one stopped him. I won''t stay for long or disturb you.¡± At least she hadn''t planned that, but it seemed like she might change her mind. Theodore had interrogated Harris a few times, but she hadn''t ever found out much about that. Wasn''t this her chance to inquire a bit more? It only took a second before she used a different approach. ¡°But since I''m here already, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?¡±

    Harris seemed a bit surprised at that. ¡°I don''t mind. I already told His Majesty everything, but I can repeat it again. There aren''t many helpful things I know about though.¡±

    The concubine stepped closer to the cell and once again noticed that the interior was rather cozy for a cell. There were a normal bed, a chair and a desk as well as a wardrobe and a curtain that could hide the biggest part of the room. Seemingly, Harris'' imprisonment wasn''t very harsh. That was a stark contrast to what Duke Vasquez had to experience.

    Blanche stopped in front of the bars. ¡°It''s fine if you don''t have anything new. I don''t really need to know anything special either. I''m just curious since I overheard Cedar threatening you once.¡±

    Harris responded while averting his eyes. ¡°I remember. I thought that you hadn''t heard that part, but it seems that you did. His Majesty also said that you were the first one to find out they used Clark to blackmail me. That was impressive. I''m pretty sure everyone thought that I hated him and vice versa.¡±

    Blanche let out a huff. ¡°That''s what you two thought. Do you know that every single person was able to see that you two still cared for one another? You did way too much for each other. Clark was worried when you were sick and helped you when you fainted. You panicked when he was poisoned, and the way that you genius actor stopped acting when you fought with him was odd too. By the way, I feel like you stopped acting entirely. Did that happen after those people began threatening you?¡±

    Harris almost seemed a bit embarrassed upon hearing that first part and looked to the side. He quickly became serious when she finished though. ¡°You are right about that. I was used to acting so that people like me. But my goal was getting fired after the dowager empress began ordering me around. I thought that that was the easiest way to prevent damage.¡± Slight annoyance came upon his features as he continued. ¡°But no one cared enough to dismiss me no matter what I did. At the same time, everyone seemed to ignore all the hints I was giving you about me being a spy. That was pretty frustrating. And then I heard that His Majesty already knew for a long time. Well. Life is odd, I guess.¡±

    Blanche glanced over at Clark, who was already setting the table while listening to them. She didn''t want to bother them for too long, so she would try to hurry. ¡°I see. Can you tell me what those people made you do? They must have planned to use you and your connections for something that would benefit them.¡±

    ¡°You would think that. To be honest, most things until now were rather petty.¡± Harris looked more frustrated regarding that conclusion than he was angry. ¡°I obviously didn''t bring any weapons inside because you found them, luckily. That was based on the dowager empress'' order. It seems like she truly wishes to harm His Majesty, but she lacks any sort of patience or tactical thinking, so she ended up barely using me. It was different with His Royal Highness'' orders. He does have the strategic ideas he could do damage with, but... Most of the things I was supposed to do for him were basically useless. Like spreading rumors about you and His Majesty, which I didn''t really do because they had no way to confirm whether I had obeyed. But mostly, it was bringing letters and gifts from Cedar to you, or rather His Majesty, who got rid of them for you. There was also one case of me breaking into the previous empress'' chambers and putting some of her jewelry in your room.¡± He paused at that before continuing while being a bit quieter. ¡°I am sorry about that. I tried to make it very obvious that there was something strange about it, but I heard that there were still a few issues. I want to apologize for that. To you and to Stella.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    Blanche had already forgotten about that, so she didn''t have any problems just leaving it behind them. ¡°It''s not like you did it voluntarily, so it''s fine. Lady Duremont got her jewelry back, and everyone knows that Stella and I didn''t take it.¡±

    Stella, who had previously been silent, walked over to her mistress now. ¡°You''re lucky that His Majesty places unconditional trust in My Lady. He immediately knew what this was about, but those stupid servants of the former empress tried to cause trouble anyway. If My Lady had been hurt because of that, I would not let you off the hook. But it''s fine like this. If you work to make up for that mistake now.¡± She crossed her arms as she refused to look at Harris. This was probably the closest to an ¡®I accept your apology¡¯ they would get.

    A faint smile appeared on Harris'' lips before he remembered that he had been in the middle of explaining something. He quickly faced Blanche again. ¡°I should probably admit that the worst thing I did was give them information. If I was asked something, I had to reply truthfully to some extent. I didn''t know how much they truly knew, so I told them about the layout of the palace for example. They wanted to know something about secret passageways, but luckily, I had no idea. Servants aren''t really told much about such escape routes, but you should probably keep in mind that those people are searching for them.¡± That did seem like an issue.

    Blanche wasn''t too scared though, so she gave him a little smile. ¡°I can calm you in that regard. Those two spent a lot of time in the palace. The dowager empress certainly knows about countless passageways. She wouldn''t be aware of any new ones though, which means that Theo has an advantage. He knows about everything she knows after all. But enough about that. Can you tell me a bit about how she and Cedar acted?¡±

    For a moment, Harris looked like he was extremely annoyed upon thinking about that reply. ¡°I should have remembered that she lived here for a while too. It makes sense for her to be aware of some secret passageways. But if His Majesty knows as well, that is good.¡± He calmed down a bit after sighing, but it was still obvious that those two had irritated him a lot. ¡°Regarding those two... Cedar is...a difficult case. When you saw us in the pavilion, he acted like he did when we met. A constant smile on his lips, a great actor and you can only see through him when you know what he is like. If you provoke him, he stays completely in character for the most part. And then at some point, he just suddenly becomes intimidating while still grinning like that. He certainly has the necessary aura an emperor would need to have.¡± Harris admitted that outright without even being upset about it. Seemingly, he didn''t hate Cedar as much as he could. ¡°At first, I was more scared of him. After all, he was the one that found out about me being rather popular and about my weak point without setting foot into the palace. But he actually never did more than threaten me when I made some snarky comments. The more often I interacted with him, which was pretty often since I needed to work their mansion every second day, the less he mentioned that they were blackmailing me. Instead, he acted a little different.¡±

    Now Blanche was definitely intrigued. ¡°I see. What do you mean?¡± She furrowed her brows while listening carefully.

    ¡°He is a very sarcastic person once you get to know him. I''m serious. Cedar constantly has snarky comments ready whenever someone annoys him. Sometimes, he voices more ironic things than normal ones.¡± Harris turned to his lover. ¡°He is similar to you in that regard. The first time he made a joke, I thought that I had misheard. But he can actually be rather funny. Of course, I don''t think that this meant more than him trying to win my trust, but some conversations were interesting.¡±

    Clark lifted his gaze from the table and looked at Harris with a somewhat skeptical expression. ¡°You know, I appreciate you thinking about me, but I''d rather not be compared to a sociopath. You should be a bit careful how you view him too. That man definitely doesn''t have anything but causing trouble in mind.¡±

    Harris scanned his expression. ¡°You sound like you''re pouting. Don''t tell me that you are jealous now.¡± He ignored how Clark opened his mouth and continued. ¡°I''m not saying that Cedar is nice. He''s really not. I''m saying that he''s actually not a bad person to have a conversation with. It''s a just shame that he was raised by a horrible woman. He might have turned out as a good person if he hadn''t been in her presence, but I don''t think that he can escape her claws anymore. It''s almost like she trained him to listen to her. He would do everything for a tiny bit of affection, and he only receives that if he is doing what his mother asks of him. He seems annoyed and tired and even says that he is aware that the dowager empress is sick, but he can''t reveal too much. Of course, I have no idea, but I feel like his constant smiling is an unhealthy coping mechanism. The worse he feels, the brighter his grin. He can stop smiling, but that only happens when he puts on another expression on purpose or when you truly catch him off guard. That rarely happens though.¡±

    Blanche nodded to herself as she made a mental note to remember that. ¡°I saw it a few times. When he pretends to be worried or something like that. Or after he refused to follow his mother''s order to abuse my allegedly drugged state to pull me into some bedroom.¡±

    Stella was the only one here that knew about that, so both men were shocked. Clark probably had no idea what they were talking about, but Harris quickly understood.

    Harris might have had a somewhat clear grasp of what that drug had been and paled when she said that. ¡°No way. She actually did that?¡± It only took a few seconds before his shock was replaced with anger. ¡°The dowager empress is the worst person I ever got to know. That despicable woman is filled with nothing but wrath and sadism. I have no idea how she managed to fool anyone. She makes it very clear that she doesn''t care about anyone around her unless they benefit her somehow. I barely talked to her, and I''m relieved about that. It''s just horrible that she was the one that raised Cedar. It''s a wonder that he made his own decision, but I''m pretty sure that she wasn''t happy about that.¡± He looked down at the floor. For a moment, Harris was silent before he slowly lifted his head. ¡°I don''t think that I can tell you much more than that. I don''t know anything about other spies nor did they talk to me about their plans. Officially, they obviously don''t want to harm His Majesty, but that is a lie. The most I can testify about is Her Majesty wanting weapons to be brought here, but a single servant''s word won''t mean much. If I had any proof, I would show it to you, but...¡± Of course, he didn''t have anything.

    Blanche understood what that meant too. Harris had nothing left to tell her, so she could spare herself the trouble of asking more questions. Since the two men here obviously wanted to eat, she wouldn''t disturb them any longer. ¡°I see. Thank you for the information. Then I will take my leave now. I don''t want to trouble you after all. Please have a nice meal together.¡± She already prepared to turn around, but Harris stopped her at the last second.

    ¡°Please wait for a moment!¡± When Harris noticed that she was listening, he hurried to resume. ¡°I just wished to ask you a question that I was wondering about for a while now. Did His Majesty tell you why he owes me something?¡±

    Clark furrowed his brows and paused in the middle of pouring juice into a cup. ¡°What are you saying? Obviously, our emperor doesn''t owe you, a little servant. What made you think that?¡±

    Harris crossed his arms and gazed at the other man from the side. ¡°He told me that he did. He said that I did something for Lady Blanche and that he is thankful for that. When I said that I had no idea what he was talking about, he just claimed that it was normal for me not to remember. I am slightly confused about that, so I wanted to ask her.¡± He turned to the concubine again and looked at her with an expectant gaze.

    Blanche would like to respond, but she had no idea. She remembered telling Theodore to be careful because she had thought that Harris might be a dangerous person. But she surely hadn''t mentioned anything that she didn''t remember either. ¡°I''m sorry. I have no idea. I don''t think we really talked about you. Maybe he is referring to how you brought Cedar''s gifts to him instead of giving them to me? But that would be a bit exaggerated. I really don''t know.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Harris put his hand to his chin as he pondered it for a moment. ¡°Well. It seems like I will need to wait until His Majesty tells me then. That is a bit strange, but we should find out at some point. Hopefully.¡±

    Blanche nodded. ¡°I hope so too. It was nice to talk to you. I will take my leave then. May you enjoy your romantic candlelight dinner.¡± She turned around before the men could complain, which they would have done based on their expressions. She couldn''t hold back a grin as she went back through the hallway. Since Owen had stood behind her, she had almost run into him, but of course, he avoided her in time. That wiped away her smile. ¡°Owen! You scared me. You really blend in like a shadow. Maybe you need colorful clothes to avoid people from bumping into you. I feel like I didn''t see you for hours.¡±

    Owen replied without showing any emotion. ¡°It is my task to blend in with the environment. I am supposed to disturb your daily life as little as possible.¡± It was nice that he thought about that, but wasn''t it a bit stressful for him?

    Blanche scanned him for a moment before continuing to walk the way back to the staircase. ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, but I like you. You can talk a bit more often and stop standing behind me all the time. I know that you are rather quiet in general, but don''t hold back because of us. We would be happy to chat with you more.¡±

    ¡°I will remember that. In the near future, you may wish for your guard to speak a bit less though.¡±

    The concubine stopped in her tracks. ¡°Are you talking about another knight? Will you go back to Theodore?¡±

    Owen stopped as well and gazed at her. ¡°No, I will not. If I may say this, I doubt that His Majesty will ever order me to leave your side, even if he may officially let me keep the title of being his guard to calm you. You will most likely receive a second guard though. After all, you will be the empress and lack any knowledge of how to defend yourself. Safety is the most important thing from now on.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t keep her face from scrunching up. ¡°I know. But I''m in the palace. This is the safest place in this whole nation. There are walls around the estate and guards are everywhere. Theo, who happens to be a great sword-fighter, is glued to me, and you, the most skillful knight in Artias are protecting me. Who is supposed to do anything to me?¡±

    Owen gestured to the stairs, which made her move forward, but they continued the conversation. ¡°There may be a time in which the guards of the palace cannot help you. It may be necessary for us to split our forces to gain an advantage, and then it would be good to leave one person at your side while the other is fighting. This most likely sounds odd to you, but please keep in mind that His Majesty is aware of what he is doing. He would not order something without thinking about it.¡±

    The concubine definitely believed that, but still. Having one extremely strong guard was enough, wasn''t it? She opened her mouth to complain but forced herself to stay quiet. Owen was right.

    Theodore knew what he was doing. There was a reason why he was this overprotective. She had witnessed the attack in the forest herself. She remembered exactly how the arrow had pierced the ground next to her hand and how Theo had killed a man in front of her. Only a little bit later, she had been poisoned too. She wasn''t completely safe in the royal palace, not while the dowager empress and the second prince were still roaming around freely. Having another guard for the time being wasn''t too bad. When the situation with their enemies got resolved, she would just ask Theodore to withdraw that guard. That should be fine.

    For a few seconds, Blanche thought about that before pushing those ideas away. She had no way to argue against her lover anyway. She would just accept his decision. For now, she had other things to do than worry about a possible future guard.

    She needed to visit the doctor for her regular examination. Even if that man didn''t have much to do, she didn''t want to let him wait. She quickened her steps a bit while moving toward the doctor''s office.

 Chapter 303: You Didnt Have It Last Time

    Blanche assumed that this meant that Duke Vasquez was in a terrible state. She didn''t need to see that, much like her lover said. ¡°It''s fine. I don''t really have the wish to go there. I''ll simply not do that anymore. It was the first time that I went down there, and for now, it will also be the last time. Does that make you feel better?¡± She reached up to pat her lover''s head.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°

    <hr>

 Chapter 304: A Lax Ending?

    The next morning was less relaxed than the evening, even when worries about the doctor''s visit still distracted Blanche. She woke up while still being drowsy and hoped to get some sleep without needing to worry about a possible pregnancy, only to notice that her lover was up already. Apparently, Prince Linden would arrive earlier than expected, and she was the only one that wasn''t ready yet.

    Luckily, Theodore and her maids helped her prepare, so she could continue to think about whether her missing period meant anything while being dressed. She yawned the whole time and only felt a bit more awake when they left the palace and the cool, fresh air filled her lungs. Still, she shamelessly used the excuse of being tired as a reason to lean against her lover while walking. She sighed in relief when she realized that the Ocrean carriages hadn''t reached the entrance yet. She could see them at the far horizon, which thankfully meant that the couple wasn''t tardy because she had wanted to sleep a bit longer.

    Despite that, Blanche took a moment to scold her lover. ¡°You do know that ¡®My fianc¨¦e was so adorable while complaining about not wanting to wake up that I let her sleep for another half an hour¡¯ isn''t an acceptable excuse to miss the arrival of the prince of an allied nation, right? I surely hope that you do. If we had made him wait because of that, I would have seriously gotten mad.¡±

    Theodore grinned down at her and gently poked her cheek. ¡°That''s easy for you to say. You didn''t see that adorable display that I got to witness. You are extremely cute without trying it, and when you cuddle against me and tell me to give you five more minutes, I can''t resist. That should be obvious. If you want to get up earlier, say that while you are lying in bed.¡±

    She would do that if she was able to think clearly while being drowsy. But sadly, the warm blanket and the embrace of her lover made it hard to even think about why standing up was actually a good idea. ¡°Don''t tell me that it''s my fault now. You are supposed to be the emperor. You should control what happens within the palace. If you become weak because of me, that isn''t a good sign.¡±

    Her lover just smirked at that and pulled her closer to him. ¡°I''m always weak because of you. I can''t resist you no matter what. And that makes you the most powerful person in this nation. I will never give you an order or forbid you from doing anything, except for one thing. You can''t leave me. I won''t allow it.¡± He tightened his hold on her for a few seconds to underline his words but didn''t get to add anything. When footsteps approached them, the couple turned to the other person. Theodore scanned the head maid for a moment before he spoke up. ¡°It''s been a while, Gloria. I assume that you were busy taking care of the matters I instructed you with. Say, have you been training again too? And you changed your nutrition plan a bit.¡±

    Gloria bowed. ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. Thanks to your advice, I managed to take an hour a day to return to old habits. It was refreshing to do so. Of course, I did not neglect your orders either. Everything has been taken care of. The concerned people have been rewarded, interrogated or dismissed. We were very much surprised about the accuracy of your hints, Your Majesty. May I ask how-¡±

    Theodore raised his hand and held his index finger in front of his lips. ¡°I never reveal my secrets to anyone but my Blanche. So, I can''t tell you how I knew. I have my sources. I am proud of you for dealing with everything. The last big problem within the palace will be disposed of in a few days too, and then we will finally be done with the inside.¡±

    Blanche watched that conversation from the side while secretly examining the other woman. She hadn''t seen the head maid in a while either.

    To her surprise, the elderly woman looked rather different now. Gloria''s face was a bit slimmer while her body seemed to be more muscular. Surely, one couldn''t see much due to her uniform, but it still appeared like the head maid had changed a little. As if she had noticed that she was being stared at, she turned to the concubine and made eye contact while her expression remained as stern as always.

    Blanche took a moment before remembering to speak up. ¡°Good morning, Gloria. How have you been?¡± That was a boring greeting, but it was too early for her to think clearly.

    The head maid remained quiet for a few seconds before replying. ¡°I wish you a wonderful morning too, Lady... I apologize, but I am not entirely sure how I am supposed to address you now. As a member of the royal family, you would-¡±

    The concubine quickly lifted her hand. ¡°No, no. Everyone kept using the same name as before. I''m content with that.¡± She didn''t need to get used to another title, only for it to change again in a few months.

    Gloria nodded at that. ¡°I understand. Good morning, Lady Blanche. I have not had the chance to give you my regards yet. The staff members will collectively congratulate you on the day of the engagement party, but I would like to do it now that I have the chance.¡± She bowed to the couple. ¡°Congratulations on your engagement. May your union bless Artias with prosperity and happiness. I congratulate you for becoming the future empress as well. I look forward to serving you with all of my loyalty.¡±

    Blanche wasn''t sure whether she had expected that reaction.

    Didn''t Gloria hate her? Working with that woman later might be one of the biggest problems. After all, the head maid was faultlessly loyal to Seraphina, who had now lost her position and was sent to another nation. Certainly, Gloria wouldn''t be happy about that. So, pledging loyalty to the person that had basically pushed out her old mistress wouldn''t be pleasant for the head maid. Still, she seemed to be calm instead of just hiding her anger.

    The concubine was taken aback by that, so she almost forgot to respond. When she noticed that she had been silent for a while, she quickly spoke up. ¡°Thank you, Gloria. I am honored to have a skillful head maid like you among the staff. I will do my best to become worthy of your services.¡±

    Theodore chimed in as brushed over his lover''s head. ¡°You already are. You are the most wonderful person in this whole world, after all. That''s why every day with you feels like a divine blessing.¡± He bent his hand and caressed her scalp with his fingertips until small shivers ran down her spine.

    Blanche had intended to ask him to do this later when they were alone, but the massage already convinced her of the opposite. She leaned into his touch and enjoyed the small tingling that spread through her entire body. Her lover truly had magic hands. Only he could make her melt this quickly. She almost forgot that they weren''t alone within a few seconds.

    Gloria''s voice was what reminded her of their position. ¡°If I may ask, Your Majesty, am I allowed to inform...Lady Duremont of our guests'' arrival now? The carriages will reach us in a few minutes, and it would be appropriate for her to greet the guests too.¡± The way she said this made it sound like she hadn''t been allowed to inform Seraphina before.

    Theodore''s indifferent expression also made it seem like that could be the case. ¡°Sure. But I think she already noticed that her husband came. She''ll do her best to be here on time. Give her a few more seconds and watch how she''ll glare at me. So, you don''t need to waste your time.¡± He turned to his lover again and grinned at her before continuing his massage.

    No one had to ask why he hadn''t told Seraphina yet. Even during the former empress'' last days here, which she had mostly spent at the Duremonts'' and the Ravillots'' mansions, he hadn''t shown her any kindness. He had ignored his ex-wife when he could, and when he couldn''t, he was unnecessarily harsh and smug.

    Even Blanche was a bit annoyed with that by now. Luckily, the other woman would leave in a short while so that she could have her peace. But the concubine didn''t point that out. She just leaned into her lover''s touch and closed her eyes for a bit. ¡°How far are the carriages away?¡±

    Theodore rubbed small circles into her skin while replying. ¡°They are at the main gate. Only a few more seconds, and they''ll come in. But they will still take two minutes to get to the building due to their slow pace. You can relax a bit more.¡±

    She had intended to do that, but hurried footsteps made her open one eye.

    Seraphina had stormed out of the palace and stopped on top of the staircase when she saw that the guests weren''t there yet. Her maids arrived a moment after her and paused to calm their breathing. But they didn''t get much of a chance since their mistress already walked forward again. Seraphina still had the authority of an empress even though she had lost her title. She still could immediately seem elegant again even after her hurried entrance as she carefully lifted the hem of her dress to climb down the stairs before striding toward the couple. Even then, she kept a cool expression, but there was a glimpse of anger in her eyes, which looked similar to how she had acted while fighting with the concubine in the past. When she reached the emperor and his lover, she stopped a few steps in front of them before curtsying.

    Of course, Theodore did the most disrespectful thing he could do. He just turned away to watch the carriages. That earned him a glare from his lover, which he took as his cue to kiss her cheek.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Blanche almost sighed. If he wasn''t nice, she would do it for him. She showed the other woman a smile and spoke up. ¡°Good morning, Lady Duremont. It''s a pleasure to meet you here. How have you been?¡± She narrowed her eyes at Theodore while adding something he should have said. ¡°You may rise.¡±

    Seraphina waited for a moment while scanning the emperor''s expression before straightening her posture again. ¡°I wish you a wonderful morning as well, Lady Blanche. I apologize if my sudden appearance startled you. I, unfortunately, had to rush here because I did not hear about our guest arriving earlier.¡± She glanced at Theodore, who still ignored her completely. ¡°That is why I almost left too late. I am glad that I managed to come downstairs in time.¡±

    Blanche stared at her lover for a while longer, but he remained stubborn when it came to ignoring Seraphina. So, she just continued the conversation. ¡°I am relieved that you arrived in time too. Our guests should already have reached the gate. They will be here in a few...¡± She turned around to see that the first carriages already moved onto the plaza. Apparently, the coaches had been a bit faster than expected. ¡°Seconds. You came at the perfect moment.¡±

    Theodore now had found his excuse to refrain from greeting Seraphina. He turned to the carriages and pulled his lover toward them. ¡°Let''s go see Linden. I''m sure that he will be happy to come back here. And he may push us aside immediately, but don''t concern yourself with that.¡± He stopped next to some of the more plain coaches and waited for a moment until the door of one opened.

    Prince Linden climbed out a second later. The first thing he did was look around for someone who was probably Seraphina. As soon as he found her, a faint smile appeared on the normally expressionless man''s face, but he quickly hid it again. After a few seconds passed, he tore his gaze away from his lover and searched for the emperor, whom he quickly spotted. He walked toward the couple and met them halfway.

    Theodore put on a bright grin as he greeted the other man. ¡°Good morning, Prince Linden. I''m happy to welcome you back so quickly. I hope that your journey here wasn''t too stressful.¡±

    Linden, who had returned to his neutral expression, nodded once. ¡°I have to thank you for welcoming me once again despite the short notice. This time, I will not elongate my stay while bothering you unnecessarily though. We will depart the day after tomorrow so that we can rest a bit before leaving again.¡±

    Theodore accepted that with a smile and squeezed his lover''s hand to signal that he was done greeting the prince.

    Blanche knew what that meant and quickly spoke up. ¡°We are honored to have you visit us, Prince Linden. There is no need for you to worry about staying here for a bit longer. After all, the journey here must have been exhausting, especially since you have barely had a break while staying at home. We took care of the previous problems, so there is no need for you to be as cautious this time. You could visit the capital if you wish to.¡± She wasn''t too sure whether it was fine to greet this important visitor first, but then again, she was pretty sure that the customs in Ocrea were a bit different.

    Linden didn''t seem to care much about her addressing him first. At least he didn''t look or act like he was offended and just replied normally. ¡°It is an honor to meet you again too, Lady Blanche. While I would love to see more of Artias, we have a somewhat critical situation at home. I doubt that my sister would be vile enough to use this chance, but I wouldn''t be too sure about her ally. My father should have everything under control, but there can always be some unforeseen incidents. That is why I am reluctant to stay away for longer than necessary. We will have to postpone another long visit until the situation back home is better.¡±

    The concubine gave him a little smile. ¡°That might be for the best. If you stayed now, you would risk meeting Cedar again too, and you probably wish to avoid that.¡±

    Before the prince replied, Theodore chimed in. ¡°Since you are here already, we could discuss one or two more contracts, but aside from that, I won''t hinder you from returning quickly. Make it three days.¡± He scanned the carriages and gestured to the servants. ¡°Your people are tired, and the horses are too.¡±

    Linden turned around to gaze at his people for a moment before responding. ¡°I will listen to your request then. It may be better for us to take some time to discuss something I wish to bring up too.¡±

    The emperor grinned at him. ¡°I have a rather clear picture of what you could be referring to. I doubt that that will take very long, but I am fine with having a discussion. But first, we should focus on the important things. I have a few questions for you. Let us start with the most important one. How is your father?¡±

    Linden bowed his head for a moment. ¡°I will need to sincerely thank you for your help. He is feeling much better. I am not sure whether this is because he believes in the medicine or because it actually works. In any case, we are overjoyed to see him laughing again. We are forever in your debt.¡±

    Theodore didn''t seem surprised to hear that in the slightest. ¡°There is no need to thank me. I am content as long as the king is healthy. If you wish to do me a favor, secure the peace between our nations. But we''re already doing this without needing a reason, so everything is fine.¡± When he finished speaking, he turned to his lover. ¡°It''s good to hear that you have pleasant things to tell us though.¡± He paused, and his smile got brighter. ¡°We have some good news too even if ours are a bit less important. You actually do not really need to know this, but I am too proud to keep myself from bragging.¡± He grinned and lifted his hand that was intertwined with his lover''s. ¡°Blanche is now officially my fianc¨¦e, and she will become the empress of Artias as soon as we marry.¡±

    Either Linden was amazing at holding back his shock, or he truly wasn''t fazed by the news since he responded without any special reaction. ¡°I am happy to hear that you were able to reveal it now. Then it seems like I can congratulate you again.¡± He made eye contact with the concubine. ¡°May you become a wise ruler that has the best for the people in mind and leads our nation to prosperity. I am not sure whether this saying makes sense in Artias since your system is a bit different, but we greet the future queen like that. I hope that it is somewhat appropriate.¡± There was no way that anyone would complain about a prince from a neighboring nation using his own greeting, but it was pleasant to see how he confirmed that he didn''t wish to offend anyone.

    Blanche smiled at him. ¡°Thank you. I hope that I will be able to do that. I will certainly do my best.¡± Even if the empress wasn''t truly much of a ruler and just supported the emperor at the moment, that might change soon.

    Linden nodded at that before his gaze wandered to the side. It was easy to guess whom he was looking at even without turning around. But he didn''t make any attempts of walking over to Seraphina, most likely to not be disrespectful toward the emperor.

    Theodore only needed a glance to see what was going on though. He made eye contact with the other man. ¡°Go on and greet her. You don''t have to hold back. We will not disturb you. Blanche and I don''t mind giving you some privacy for a moment.¡±

    For a moment, Linden froze at that. He scanned the emperor''s expression for a while before speaking up. ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°From the very beginning. I hoped that you would get along, and it seems like I judged that correctly. You are rather similar, do you know that?¡± Theodore grinned at the other man, which earned him a long stare that seemed to reveal Linden''s concern. He quickly added something else. ¡°There is no need to be so cautious. I truly don''t care, that much should be clear. I asked you to take her with you last time already, didn''t I? I would have been very happy if you had done that, but this is fine too. As long as you are honest now. I know that you wanted to make your appeal later, but you don''t have to bother with that. I agree to you marrying her, and I will give you a royal decree. That will erase any problems that could arise. Her parents are by far the bigger threat to you right now. They will probably come here every day to get to know you, and I will warn you. Duke Duremont is harsh sometimes. But if you tell him that he can''t threaten you, he becomes uncertain quickly. You will find a way to deal with them. Go see your future wife now.¡±

    Linden actually seemed a bit skeptical for a moment. Normally, an ex-husband wasn''t happy to find out that his wife had had an affair, but the situation here was a bit different. He took a few seconds to believe that before he turned to Seraphina and walked over to her. At first, he still tried to move slowly, but he quickly became faster, probably without noticing it. When he reached his lover, she was already smiling at him.

    Seraphina moved her mouth to say something and seemed like she was happy about seeing him again. But she couldn''t fool anyone by hiding her nervousness in plain sight. This was probably still about her pregnancy and about how she didn''t know what Linden would say. But despite that, she tried her best to keep up the facade of being pleased to meet an acquaintance.

    For a moment, it seemed like Linden attempted the same. But after the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, he gave in. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her.

    Seraphina reacted before she could stop herself and returned the embrace. She only realized that they were in public when it was too late. She raised her hands as if she wanted to push Linden away, but she stopped midway. Now that they had hugged, it was too late already, so they could just continue. She was silent for a bit before she brought her lips to the man''s ear and whispered something.

    Linden slowly pulled back at that, but he held onto her hands. It was a strange sight as the former empress was openly showing affection for a man whom she had met prior to the divorce.

    But Blanche was sure that no one here would blame Seraphina. She didn''t either. After all, that woman hadn''t had any emotional connection to Theodore, who had publicly shown his concubine without a care in the world. So, it was just fair that the former empress had a chance to be happy too. Blanche turned to her lover. ¡°They look like they have a lot to talk about. We should give them some privacy.¡±

    Theodore was already gazing at her with a strange expression. ¡°Are you happy for her?¡±

    She was taken aback by that question but still hurried to reply. ¡°Yes. I''m happy if she is going with the man she loves. Obviously. I adore romance, you know that. Besides, she will be a good queen for Northern Ocrea.¡± A small tiny bit of her might also feel relieved if the heroine of the novel wasn''t here anymore. After all, the villainess wanted to keep her happy end. She scanned her lover''s expression for a while before adding something in a whisper. ¡°Are you discontent with this?¡±

    Theodore reached over to tug an alabaster strand of her hair behind her ear. ¡°I''m ecstatic. Just three more days, and we won''t have to see that witch again. But this is a very lax ending for her, so I''m wondering why you are happy. Surely, the past months weren''t pleasant for her. I''m pretty sure that being hated by most of the servants caused many issues for her, but it wasn''t really intimidating. I considered making sure that there would be some more...troublesome occurrences, but it would feel bad to involve Prince Linden in that. Since I would like to avoid harming other people, I can''t do much about it. If I don''t send her to Northern Ocrea, Linden''s sister will take over the throne, and that woman is ruthless. She would attack Artias and try to gain the territories in the east again. We can''t risk a war just because of our own grudges. But I am still pondering it.¡± He sounded convinced that this would happen, and at the same time, he actually sounded dejected about not being able to cause problems for Seraphina.

    Blanche stared at him for a moment before replying. ¡°You seem so sure about that. How do you know so much about Linden''s sister when you''ve never met her? But more importantly, why do you keep insisting that Her...¡± She almost used the wrong title. ¡°That Lady Duremont deserves some kind of revenge? I know that you can''t tell me yet, but it''s a bit concerning.¡± Because she definitely didn''t remember the reason.

    Her lover stroked over her head and looked at her with a serious expression. ¡°I apologize for not being able to say it yet. But you should know already. That woman deserves nothing but the most horrible fate. And the fact that we''re going to let her go is...upsetting. Especially for you. I know that she will face some trouble due to the political situation there, but it''s not nearly enough to make up for all the harm she caused.¡± His hand wandered to her cheek, and he gently tilted her head up. ¡°If you say the word, then I will exchange this lax plan with something way crueler. I will make sure that-¡±

    The concubine cut him off by bringing her hands to his face. ¡°Theo, I still don''t know what you are talking about. How could I when you aren''t telling me anything?¡± She surely couldn''t guess it by herself after all. ¡°I''m fine with you waiting a while longer, but don''t try to hurt anyone. We don''t need any violence unless they attacked us first.¡±

    ¡°But she did attack us first.¡± Theodore didn''t seem like he was exaggerating. He said that with utter conviction.

    That was a phrase Blanche didn''t like very much. The indication was a bit unpleasant.

 Chapter 305: The Last Time

    Theodore didn''t mind declaring that Seraphina had been the one to attack them first and thus deserved revenge with conviction.

    Blanche looked into her lover''s eyes for a few seconds before breathing out. ¡°As I just said, I don''t remember that.¡± She definitely didn''t. Or did she? ¡°But I do remember that Duke Vasquez and the dowager empress are our enemies. If you want to focus on troubling someone, choose them. They deserve it, and their safety won''t directly influence the stability of the peace between us and Northern Ocrea. Alright?¡±

    Theodore nodded at her. ¡°I will do that if you tell me to. I won''t try anything after Prince Linden leaves. But it''s troublesome if I need to warn that woman. Prince Linden needs an heir to ensure that his sister doesn''t have an advantage over him. So, her pregnancy has to go well.¡±

    The concubine was completely speechless at that. Theodore certainly said strange things at random times. ¡°And warning her about that is bad in what way? I mean...every pregnant woman should be careful.¡± Blanche included, at least if she was truly pregnant.

    Theodore replied with a serious expression. ¡°I don''t want to talk to her. Seeing her makes me sick, and helping her will make me gag. Besides, I don''t need anyone to think that I care for her or wish her a happy future, especially not her.¡± That those were his greatest worries was the worst part.

    Blanche could barely keep herself from grimacing. ¡°I don''t think that anyone assumes that. You treated her rather coldly in public. Ignoring your wife to spend time with me won''t have made them believe that you worry much about her feelings. I think the servants know too. So, you don''t really have to worry about others misunderstanding.¡±

    By now, the whole palace knew that the emperor had despised his ex-wife for the last few months of their marriage. Theodore continuously avoiding the former empress in a barely hidden manner had made that much clear. That had probably been the reason why no one had been surprised about the divorce. Even the Ocreans had seen how he ignored Seraphina, which had most likely made them wonder why the emperor had neglected his wife that much.

    Theodore was quiet for a moment before responding. ¡°Good. Because other people thinking that I care would be a grave punishment. The only one I care about is you.¡± He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss onto her fingers as he gave her a little smile. ¡°The whole nation should know that by now.¡± Based on the way that he was acting in public, it was easy to assume that the rumors had already reached even the most southern territories.

    Blanche smiled back at him even if she was still a bit taken aback by his grudge against Seraphina. ¡°It doesn''t matter much what the nation thinks. You just need to convince me. And so far, you have been doing a great job.¡±

    Theodore pressed another kiss onto the back of her hand. ¡°That''s good to hear. Then I fulfilled my goal. Now I only have to continue doing that for the rest of my life. Aside from getting rid of our enemies, I just have one more goal. I will take care of the nation. But that is only a small part of my future. The priority is you and our family. So, you have to let me pamper you.¡±

    It wasn''t like she could do anything about that when he was being stubborn. ¡°Of course. But you have to let me return that favor. I want to be able to make you happy too. I don''t feel like buying you something will do the trick, so you need to let me cuddle with you as much as possible.¡±

    Her lover leaned down to kiss her nose. ¡°Gladly. Your presence alone is enough to make me happy, but I will happily accept any affection that you could offer to me. I will never get enough. That''s why we will retreat now and eat breakfast in private so that we can go back to bed for a bit. I don''t want you to fall asleep while we are walking around. So, let''s just say goodbye to those two and leave immediately.¡±

    He didn''t need to wait for her response. Going to bed sounded wonderful right now. Blanche would gladly fall back into the warm blanket and cuddle for the rest of the day. She had enough time to take care of work later.

    With that in mind, they stepped back to allow Linden and Seraphina to reunite properly.

    <hr>

    Three days passed by in the blink of an eye. It was actually surprising to see that everything was similar to Linden''s last visit. The prince spent all of his time with Seraphina.

    On the second day, Linden had formally asked Henry for permission to marry his daughter. Duke Duremont had seemed rather torn from afar, but he had obviously agreed to make sure that his precious Seraphina was happy.

    In general, it had seemed like the Duremonts got along well with Linden even if they were a bit disgruntled at the fact that he would bring their daughter or sister away from them. Both Henry and Allen seemed to have been rather harsh, but in the end, they accepted their beloved''s future husband. Sophia, on the other hand, had been eager to meet Linden immediately even if she seemed to miss her sister already, which wasn''t surprising.

    Blanche didn''t know much more about their conversations since she hadn''t been present, which was probably for the better. She didn''t want to insert herself into a family discussion even if Sophia had invited her once. The concubine had just left them on their own and spent time with her lover instead.

    In the end, she had worked a lot too, which she was rather happy about. It felt good to finish a stack of documents and to know that she had done this, even if her stack was much smaller than Theodore''s. At first, she had thought that he was just giving her fewer tasks as some sort of preferential treatment. But it seemed like Leon also didn''t do much more than she did before he returned to the cells to interrogate someone, who was probably Duke Vasquez.

    The others didn''t work slowly, Theodore was just incredibly fast. He skimmed through the pages as if he was barely reading them and still understood as much as Blanche did. He had a good memory and told her about the contents of documents that she hadn''t seen him read at all. That meant that he had to have gone through them weeks ago and still remembered. She was a bit jealous of those abilities, but she couldn''t do much about that. She could only try to improve herself in hopes of reaching that level at some point.

    Aside from the work in the office and the daily lessons with Leon, Blanche only did one thing, and that was allowing her lover to cuddle with her at each chance they got. They took walks, visited the winter garden and the pavilion or ate together. It was very relaxed for them even while the servants seemed to be busy preparing the guests'' departure the whole time.

    Especially bringing Seraphina''s suitcases downstairs from the third floor seemed to trouble the staff members that kept complaining about them being heavy. Blanche was rather sure that they hadn''t whined that much before the vacation, during which there have been much more to carry down, but she didn''t comment on that. She had no right to do that when she hadn''t brought a single item to the carriages.

    So, the time passed, and the day of Prince Linden''s departure arrived. It was odd to know that Seraphina, who had lived here for so long, would leave alongside him. She would never return for more than a visit, and it was even questionable whether Theodore would allow that.

    Even though Blanche and the former empress had always had their conflicts, it would feel disrespectful to part without a short conversation. That was why the concubine had prepared a little gift. It was just a big chest with multiple smaller containers for the sleeping herbs and a list of the ingredients, but this should be helpful to Seraphina to prevent nightmares in the future. She was sure that Theodore wouldn''t even like her giving that small present to the other woman though. She also feared interrupting the goodbyes between Seraphina and her family, so she chose to hand her gift over before the preparations were done.

    There were about two hours left before the servants should be done storing everything in the vehicles. Blanche had brought the concerned items from the doctor and now stood in front of the empress'' chambers, which probably wouldn''t be used for the next decade after the current inhabitant moved out. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She remembered doing this as well after the attack on Duke Lamont''s birthday, but so much had changed ever since then. Blanche wasn''t terrified of losing her lover to the other woman nor was she scared of her anymore. Still, there was an odd feeling of unease inside her while she waited for someone to respond.

    A voice from the inside spoke up a moment later. ¡°I''m coming.¡± After a few seconds, the door opened. It was one of Seraphina''s maids. The woman seemed surprised to see the concubine here, but she caught herself quickly. Still, she didn''t dare to speak up and just bowed.

    Blanche probably wouldn''t get used to the fact that some servants even paid attention to that now when they had just called her name normally in the past. At least she wouldn''t get used to it any time soon. She gave the attendant a smile. ¡°Good morning. I would like to speak to Lady Duremont. Is that possible? If she is busy preparing, I don''t want to disturb her, but I brought a small goodbye gift.¡±

    The maid opened the door a bit more. ¡°I...will ask her.¡± She turned around and disappeared from the concubine''s field of view. Some faint voices were heard from the inside.

    Then Seraphina replied while being a bit louder. ¡°You may come in.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Blanche slowly stepped forward and went into the room. For a moment, she looked around without saying anything. The room didn''t look as bare as she had imagined it to be. Countless decorations still adorned the cabinets and dressers, including jewelry and all kind of lavish goods that probably only held ornamental value. It was a bit similar to the emperor''s chambers, but there were fewer decorations here, and these were less extravagant. But the heroine had probably already disliked this number of fancy ornaments.

    Blanche walked forward and made eye contact with the former empress, who sat on the grand double bed. She was silent for a short moment before speaking up. ¡°Good morning, Lady Duremont. I hope that I''m not disturbing you. If that is the case, please do not hesitate to be honest.¡±

    Seraphina stood up to make a small curtsy. ¡°You needn''t worry about that, Lady Blanche. I am done with everything, and most of my suitcases are already stored in the carriage. Packing all the books from my office was a hassle, but we are finally done.¡±

    The concubine felt a bit strange even when she received such a nice response. She still didn''t know how to interact with the other woman. So, she looked around again. ¡°And you definitely finished packing already? This room is still rather full.¡±

    Seraphina gave her a faint smile. ¡°Most items here were prepared before I moved in. I never liked those flashy things, so I don''t feel too bad about leaving them. They belong to the royal family, so I will not touch them. But I gave my best to clean everything out even though I doubt that someone will use this room.¡± She glanced at the other woman. ¡°I took all of my personal belongings and most of my dresses. I assume that they would only be thrown away otherwise since the only two women that can wear attires in royal colors won''t take them. I hope that this is fine.¡± She looked into the concubine''s eyes as if she waited for a response.

    Blanche didn''t know what to say about that. ¡°Well... Those are your gowns. You should be able to do what you want to do. You can take your jewelry too. Theo will give it away otherwise.¡±

    Seraphina let her gaze roam through the room as well. ¡°Theoretically, they don''t belong to me. They were made for the empress, so they belong to the royal family. That is why I wanted to mention this to you. I would have asked His Majesty to give me permission, but it is easy to imagine how he would have reacted. Since this is basically your palace already, I thought that asking you might be fine too.¡±

    The concubine blinked a few times. ¡°I don''t think that you should say that. I''m not married to Theodore yet.¡±

    The other woman gazed at her again. ¡°But if it is more accurate to say it like this, it is not wrong. Do you not know? His Majesty already made it very clear that you are the mistress of this house. All the servants were instructed to interact with you as if you were empress. They did not seem to mind that. In the past, most were not keen on serving you, but it seems that your cake melted their heart while they have grown to hate me for some reason. But that is not what you came here to talk about, correct?¡± Seraphina gestured to one of her maids. ¡°Please prepare some tea for us. Apple tea would be wonderful.¡±

    Blanche quickly lifted her hand. ¡°Oh, no. That is not necessary. I don''t want to disturb you any longer. I merely wanted to come in for a little moment and bring a small gift.¡±

    Seraphina gave her a smile that looked like it hid a few secrets behind it. ¡°But this is the last time that we will have the chance to chat in peace. I am done with my preparations, so you can surely give me a few minutes of your time. Just for a nice cup of tea before we say goodbye.¡± If she put it like this, there was no way that someone would refuse.

    The villainess would also like to bid the heroine farewell without a hurry.

    ¡°Then I will gladly accept your offer.¡± Blanche turned to face Stella, who was holding onto the chest that contained her presents. ¡°Then I can at least bring a gift to thank you for inviting me. I asked the doctor to give me a few portions of the sleeping herbs that we both use. They are dried, so they should last for a while. I also made him write down the ingredients so that you can recreate the mix in Ocrea.¡±

    Seraphina let out a quiet chuckle, which almost made the concubine believe that she had misheard. She pointed to a lonely little suitcase that was standing next to the table. ¡°Thank you very much. You can put it there. It seems like I will be able to open up a store soon. My maids and I all already gathered as much of this as possible. I do not wish to have another nightmare again after all. But now it seems like I don''t have to worry about that anymore.¡± It should have been clear that she would think about that herself when the other option was having traumatizing nightmares.

    Blanche felt a bit stupid, but she returned a smile. ¡°Well... If you have too much, you can at least offer it to others as well. They don''t need too much space, so it should be fine.¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to worry. If I use them each day, they won''t last as long. That is why it can never be bad to have more. And they are supposed to be good for pregnant women, so I can''t do anything wrong.¡± Seraphina walked over to the table and gestured to the chair on the opposite. ¡°Then would you like to sit down? Our tea will be prepared in a moment. Please be patient for a little while.¡±

    Blanche thanked her and sat down. The table was quickly set by the maids, but the tea would take a bit longer. For a few seconds, everyone was quiet before the concubine spoke up. ¡°Has anything special happened recently? Aside from you planning on getting married to Prince Linden, of course.¡± That was the only topic she could think of after she had silently decided not to mention anything related to the option of her own pregnancy.

    In return, Seraphina gave her a little smile. ¡°Not much happened. I prepared to depart and spent time with Linden. After only having interacted with him for four weeks in person, marriage feels a bit quick, but at least he behaves like last time. I was a bit worried about him suddenly changing his mind about me, but he seems to find me bearable at least. That is much more than I can say about my last husband, but we''ll see. I hope that Linden doesn''t act similarly to His Majesty in the future and that he doesn''t have a lover in Northern Ocrea.¡± She made it sound like that was a joke, but maybe she was really worrying about that. After all, she had never visited Linden''s home country. She couldn''t be sure about who he really was, and now she was following him into another nation. That was awfully risky for the normally so calculative woman.

    Blanche scanned Seraphina''s expression for a moment before speaking up. ¡°I think that it will be fine. You are good at judging people. You would have known if he was hiding something. So, I trust that you two are a good fit.¡±

    Seraphina smiled at her. ¡°Thank you. I can only hope that this is true. I used to pride myself in being able to see through most people, but recently, my odds of success have decreased tremendously.¡± Her expression became more serious. ¡°I did not expect Lady Lemares to try to drown my niece, for example. I always knew that she was jealous of my mother and that she sometimes took it out on Sophia, who was too kind to assume that her aunt had bad intentions. I tried to point out that something was wrong, but my family was rather naive. And over the years, I stopped expecting the worst. I just thought that it couldn''t be helped since that woman cared for my father. But that she could actually try to hurt a baby was something I could never have imagined. You deserve my whole family''s gratitude and utmost respect for being able to intervene in time. I cannot thank you enough for that, so I will not even try.¡±

    Blanche wanted to respond to that, but the other woman already continued.

    ¡°I also would have never guessed that His Majesty would change into a different person overnight. That he would despise me so much that he looks like he wants to murder me. But apparently, changing over the course of a few hours is normal here. You did it too.¡± The smile on Seraphina''s lips returned. ¡°I misjudged you more than anyone else. Even before we talked for the first time, I believed that you were merely here to gain a bit of power while being too naive to understand the world of nobles in the slightest. For that, I want to sincerely apologize one last time. Even if you may have acted rather petty on some occasions, I did too. And since both of our stances were understandable, I would like to move past this. From now on, I would like to see our first pleasant conversation as the starting point of our relationship. Only if you are fine with that, of course.¡±

    Blanche still felt like she had done much more troublesome things than the other woman. Assuming that they were both responsible for their fights to the same extent was a bit odd, even if she agreed that Seraphina hadn''t always been cool-headed when it came to her. But she also wanted to let go of the past. It was true that she had changed. The lonely version of her that used throwing tantrums to address her problems didn''t exist anymore. She was surrounded by wonderful people now and had managed to open up to someone aside from Theodore, to whom she was much closer too. There was no need to hold on to the past that had forced her and Seraphina into the roles of enemies.

    Though, forgiving the woman that had pushed for the villainess'' execution was never easy. And as much as Blanche would like to forget that, she could never.

    Still, Blanche returned a smile while trying to seem as friendly as possible. ¡°I would be happy about that. I would like to be able to move on as well. I will apologize one last time too. Because you were Theo''s fianc¨¦e, and later his wife, I only saw you as that and nothing more. So, I got jealous and saw you as my opponent, which is why I was so disrespectful. Back then, I did not understand why I couldn''t be with him while you accompanied him in public. I vented that frustration on you and your family. For that, I apologize from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    Seraphina scanned her expression for a short while. ¡°So, this is the last time that you will apologize?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± After all the time that had passed, Blanche wanted to close the chapter of her life that had been related to so many misunderstandings. She could stop apologizing at some point. It wasn''t like the other woman hadn''t gotten revenge already after all.

    Seraphina looked at the concubine and only glanced to the side when her maid brought two cups of tea. ¡°I am pleased to hear that you wish to move on too. I already thought that you would insist on apologizing a hundred times more. It was getting a bit repetitive.¡± She thanked her maid before inspecting the tea. ¡°It should be done in a few minutes. That gives us the chance to talk for a bit longer.¡± She made eye contact with the other woman. ¡°But our time is still limited. If you want to reveal that you were acting the whole time and fooled me completely, this is the last chance. You could make a great scene out of ridiculing me for trusting you and make fun of me for losing to you. I would actually be very impressed by your acting skills, you know.¡±

    Blanche''s face fell. ¡°What? I didn''t act. I just-¡±

    Seraphina cut her off with a chuckle. She stared at the concubine for a while before speaking up with a soft grin. ¡°Your expressions are still as amusing as ever. You really do need to work on that. The empress can''t show others that she dislikes them, so you will have to keep a straight face around Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. I don''t have an idea how you could train that though. It might be hard to learn acting, but I assume that you will find enough people that would be happy to help you.¡± She paused for a moment and added something when no response followed. ¡°What I said before was a joke. If you didn''t understand it like that, I apologize. I''m always told that I am not very good at showing when I''m joking.¡±

    Indeed, Blanche had been taken aback a bit when the other woman had asked her whether she was acting. It was strange to hear Seraphina speak so casually. Blanche showed a little smile while replying. ¡°I see. I was getting a bit worried already. But I can assure you that this is not an evil plot. I lack the vile intentions, the acting skills and the patience to go through with something like that.¡±

    ¡°It''s good that you say that about yourself. If you had vile intentions, our nation would be in a lot of trouble. I am rather sure that His Majesty would do anything for you no matter what the consequences might be. But having acting skills and patience would be helpful. In the future, you will have to deal with more complicated matters that require caution and strategic thinking. But I don''t have to tell that to someone who went over my father''s contracts and found ways to improve them. You have my respect. It seems like His Majesty and Lord Astame managed to teach you more than you noticed.¡±

    Blanche wanted to explain how she wasn''t sure why some people believed that doing the work that she took care of was hard, but she stayed quiet about that. ¡°To be honest, I didn''t know that His Grace was the one that proposed that contract. I read through some more unimportant ones, and Theo just put them in between the others. But His Grace is definitely much more skilled than most merchants that appealed to the emperor. He didn''t have any spelling errors, and his paragraphs were in a logical order.¡±

    The corners of Seraphina''s lips lifted. ¡°I''m sure that he would be thrilled to hear you compliment him.¡± He would probably be more upset than happy. Seraphina, who knew that too, chuckled at the concubine''s expression, which probably showed what she was thinking. ¡°Don''t worry. The Duremont family will always support the people that wish to protect Artias. As long as you don''t start a war with another nation, even my father will have to yield and pledge his loyalty to you. He may be a bit harsh, but he doesn''t hate you. Not anymore at least. If you pay attention to his words, you will notice that he worries a bit about how you will do as the empress. Many will criticize you no matter what happens, and you will need to ignore them, which can be difficult at times. But if you remember that two of the dukedoms should support you, everything will be fine.¡±

    Those were oddly motivating words.

 Chapter 306: Looking Forward To the Future

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    And I will have enough time to be with Linden and prepare for our child while also beginning to steer Ocrea toward a wealthier future.¡± That almost made it sound like living in Northern Ocrea would be much more pleasant for her than staying here would be.

    ¡°

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    me a heart attack.¡± It shouldn''t have been surprising that he knew where she was without her telling him. She usually always mentioned where she would go, so not saying anything had made it pretty obvious that she would see the person that he despised so much.

    ¡°

 Chapter 307: A Bitter Surprise

    Your Majesty. I never told anyone within the palace about that sickness. In fact, I am sure that only my family knows, and it was never important enough to talk about it in public. Even Sir Aldis could not have told you. How did you know about that, Your Majesty?¡±

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 Chapter 308: Farewell and Closing a Chapter

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 Chapter 309: Vows and Trials

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    ¡°

 Chapter 310: The New Duke (1)

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    ¡°

 Chapter 311: The New Duke (2)

    What are you talking about? I kept you alive for all this time! I brought the money home and fed you until you were old enough to do business yourself. The same holds true for your Mother, who still can''t survive by herself. You need me, you-¡±

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    What? How can you dare to do that?¡± He was ignored by everyone aside from one of the knights, who gave him a rather ungentle nudge with the elbow.

    Shut up! I will crush you as soon as I get out of here! I will never forget that you deserted your own father today. You don''t even have to come back home when I return to being the righteous duke. I will make you regret what you did!¡±

 Chapter 312: Business Plans and Setting a Date

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    will attack. She has no other choice because I was prepared this time. Her allies are gone. Cedar is more upset with her than ever before. Everyone else is turning their backs on her. If things continue without her intervening, she will lose her place in noble society. That she kept asking for a postponement of the trial about the assassination attempts on me wrapped a noose around her neck. That is one thing that she is doing again. Running away and refusing to give up on her pride. I wonder how far she got with that before. Even if everything is different now, I hope that she will stay the same. If she does the same thing that she did back then, she has put herself into checkmate.¡±

    ¡°

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 Chapter 313: Fire

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    poor, young future empress had only worsened it. Now that woman''s support base was in shackles, and she was deemed a criminal that had tried to kill her own son. It was known that she wished to get rid of witnesses while risking the death of over fifty people, who had been in the Vasquez mansion at the time of the fire. She didn''t have anything to rely on now. She was cornered. Camille couldn''t be arrested at this point in time, but she wouldn''t be able to delay the trial much longer. And once that happened, she would be convicted for sure. Her missing backing would ensure that she didn''t have any chance to complain either.

 Chapter 314: Predictions and Reality

    Blanche chewed on her cake while scanning her lover''s expression from the side. He had already scolded her for speaking while her mouth was full since it had caused her to choke a few times, but waiting was annoying. The second she opened her mouth, Theodore''s finger landed on her lips and kept her from saying anything.

    She was slightly frustrated at that but finished her piece of cake before beginning. ¡°So, are saying that the odds of a fire in Southern Ocrea are rising because of the lacking rain there? Then we can assume that they won''t sell us any wood for the time being. But since we never got much from them, there shouldn''t be any issues. In fact, we sell them wood, which the territories near the northern border would need if their forests were burning. And you still say that we should sell them less to allow the people from Northern Ocrea to trade with them.¡±

    Her lover nodded. ¡°Basically, yes. In that case, they would develop an economical dependency and would start talking to each other. Linden will try his best to make progress, but it won''t go as fast as we would like it.¡±

    The concubine paused for a moment before replying. ¡°Yes. I understand all of this, but something else is strange. If you are so sure that there will be a fire, why don''t we prepare them for that? We can''t bring water there when the fire starts. So, you should kindly recommend that they build a few big containers all around their forests so that they can take water from that in case something happens. It''s better than nothing, and having spare water is never a bad idea. They only have to find a way to shield it from the sun, but the northern part of Southern Ocrea isn''t too hot, right? If they build something that keeps away the sun, most of the water should be ready to use in an emergency. If your advice saved them, they will certainly owe you a favor, and you can ask them to meet with Linden too. So, you have the advantages that you mentioned and can still avoid some of the fires becoming bigger than they would have to be.¡±

    Theodore slowly lowered his fork and stared at his plate as he got lost in thoughts. ¡°I...didn''t think about preventing it at all. I was sure that I couldn''t keep a natural disaster from happening, but we may be able to do something about how severe the consequences will be. That is a much better method, you are right.¡± His face lit up as he lifted his head to smile at her. ¡°We can start looking into it. Thank you, Beloved.¡± He raised his fork and offered her a piece of cake, which she gladly accepted.

    After Blanche finished chewing and swallowing, she spoke up again. ¡°That wasn''t a demanding conclusion at all. If bad things happen, we try to prevent those. And if that isn''t working, we will make sure to keep the people there safe. Surely, it won''t always go according to the plan, but thanks to your scarily accurate predictions, I am certain that it will be fine. That you mentioned a fire made me think about something else though. Did you hear something new about the Vasquez family? I didn''t hear anything after them moving into a smaller mansion far away from their original estate. You said that the duchess doesn''t want to stay near the burned-down building. Did anything else happen to them? They are fine, right?¡±

    Theodore replied after a few seconds. ¡°Well, the baby sister didn''t get to know her father before he died, which is good for her. She will probably sleep through this. Her mother is a bit more affected though. Even if she knew that her husband was horrible, she was married to him for a long time. She won''t get over this so quickly, and seeing her son in pain has to be horrible too. Luciano is still hurt. The wounds on his back seem to have been worse than they were believed to be. Surely, he will recover, but he is in a lot of pain, and the wounds might leave scars. We''ll hope that he gets better soon too.¡±

    Blanche nodded quickly. ¡°It would be nice if he isn''t in pain for too long. It would be better if the injuries heal without scars too. But as long as they don''t hurt, even having scars wouldn''t be too bad. You have a scar too, and I don''t mind it much. The one on your shoulder.¡±

    A small smile formed on her lover''s lips. ¡°How could I mind it when that scar reminds me of the fact that I will always return to you? I received it on the day that I finally woke up, so I will treasure it. You kissed it so often that I have come to like it very much.¡±

    Blanche brought her lips to his shoulder and give him a small kiss even though she had no idea whether she had actually found the right spot. Then she leaned back again and returned to poking her cake before offering him a bite. ¡°I don''t know. I would have favored it if you didn''t get hurt. But then again, you seem oddly content with the events of that day whenever we mention it. So, I guess that it''s... No, it''s not alright at all. You have no idea how scared I was back then. I must have looked like a living corpse.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine well how you felt then. Did you forget that you collapsed at a ball? That we got attacked during a picnic and that you got poisoned a bit later also didn''t make me euphoric. Everyone that had seen me on those days has to have noticed that my whole life depends on your existence. Hopefully, they will get it without me needing to be terrified much more often.¡±

    Blanche ate a piece of her own cake while staring at her lover. She was aware of how worried he had been whenever she had been in danger. She had seen that often enough. ¡°I hope that the both of us don''t have to worry that much in the future. After all, worrying feels horrible. It''s like it''s eating at you from within. So that your chest gets all constricted, and you can barely...¡±

    Then something interrupted her. It was quiet and barely audible, but she had noticed it.

    Blanche paused and remained silent for a moment. ¡°Did you hear that too? Someone seems to have an argument somewhere.¡± She was sure that she had heard someone raising their voice, but now everything was quiet.

    Theodore shrugged and offered her a bite of his cake. ¡°You know how they are. There are a lot of new recruits for the royal guards. They are young and full of adrenaline. It''s annoying, but they will calm down with time.¡± He said that but still seemed to listen to whatever was happening outside.

    No other noise came though.

    The concubine chewed on her cake before swallowing. ¡°I guess it was nothing then. We were talking about being worried, right? I think you forgot one of the most horrible times in our lives.¡± She pointed her fork at him. ¡°Spending one month without you was torture. I felt like a picture of misery the-¡±

    This time, she was sure that someone had yelled. She turned her head to the door and stayed silent to listen.

    There were multiple voices that were louder than they were usually. But that was only the beginning. A bunch of strange noises filled the building right after. It sounded like they were far away but so loud that one could hear them here.

    Blanche was still petrified while trying to find out what was happening and could only stare at the door.

    But Theodore reacted already. He jumped up and carefully pulled her up from her chair as well. He led her to the side of the room and picked up his sword, which made her blood freeze.

    She barely dared to talk but forced herself to whisper to him. ¡°What is going on? It''s not dangerous, right?¡±

    Her lover pressed his lips into a thin line while listening to the surrounding noises that only seemed to get louder. ¡°I have no idea what this is, but it''s not good. We''ll ask Owen.¡±

    As if he had waited for his cue, the door swung open, and Owen rushed inside. He was accompanied by Leonard, Noah and Gloria, who closed the door in a hurry as soon as they stormed inside. It only took a second until they reached the couple. Leonard spoke up immediately. ¡°We are under attack. A big group of fighters. They got inside somehow and now spread. We will need to get you out this instant.¡±

    Blanche froze in place and gripped her lover''s clothes tighter as fear welled up in her.

    But Theodore didn''t say anything. He didn''t move either.

    For a moment, Blanche just looked up at him before she became too scared. ¡°Theo?¡±

    That made the emperor snap out of it. He squeezed her waist before replying with the same blank stare as before. ¡°What are they doing? Any special moving patterns?¡±

    Leon''s frown deepened. ¡°We have no time to-¡± He interrupted himself when he saw the emperor''s expression. ¡°We don''t know how they got in. They knocked out most guards from behind and the rest disappeared in some way, so we can''t depend on too many helping hands. No known deaths, and all servants are unharmed. A group runs around to make noise and scares off anyone that can''t fight, and the other one is focused on attacking. The only goal seems to be you. They are on the way here. We need to leave right-¡±

    Theodore spoke up before the other man could finish. ¡°Are they wearing black masks? The ones that cover the area around their eyes and the right side of their faces?¡±

    The way that Leon froze already was enough of an answer. ¡°Yes. How did you know that?¡±

    A moment of silence passed before a quiet chuckle sounded through the air.

    A smile spread on Theodore''s lips while he pulled his lover into his arms. He pressed a kiss onto the top of her head and completely ignored her terror to respond with a beam. ¡°It''s the same. They are doing the exact same thing. That means that I know exactly what they will do.¡± He kissed her head again before whipping his head around to the others. In an instant, his seriousness returned. ¡°We will pull through with the plan that I told you about. This is the exact situation on which this idea was based. If you follow the guide I gave you, everything will be resolved in an hour. Trust me.¡±

    Owen and Gloria immediately nodded and bowed to the emperor. Leonard and Noah, on the other hand, couldn''t keep their uncertainty to themselves for a moment. But after meeting their ruler''s eyes for a few seconds and seeing his conviction, they gave in as well.

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    Theodore nodded at that and then turned to his lover. ¡°I told you about this plan too. We will need to leave now and do our best to defeat them without anyone noticing. My plan is going to work, I promise. I know exactly how our enemy will move, so we have a huge advantage.¡± He took her hand and began to pull her to the back of the room.

    Blanche stumbled behind him while her mind was in utter disarray. She couldn''t think clearly, and it felt like everything around her was spinning. They were under attack? People had actually broken into the palace and were searching for the emperor now. Without a doubt, they wanted to kill Theodore. Thinking about that made her heart pound faster, and a surge of adrenaline rushed through her veins.

    But it didn''t help much.

    Her feet barely worked, and she felt like she would fall to the floor if her lover didn''t hold her. After a few steps, her whole body began protesting, but she forced herself to follow. What had Theodore told her about his plan? What would they do now? It seemed like he wanted to fight himself, but that could get him killed. There was no way that she could accept that.

    Her mouth called out to him even when Blanche hadn''t actually wanted to speak. ¡°Theo...¡±

    Her lover slowed his steps as soon as she said his name. He turned his head to her while carefully maneuvering her toward the dressing room. ¡°I''m right here. I know what I''m doing. I will defeat all of them without getting a single injury. Let me promise you that. You can trust me. We will find a way to end all of this differently this time.¡±

    Those words should calm her, but Blanche''s chest constricted, and her heart felt like it had shattered into pieces. She couldn''t focus on anything around them as a hundred thoughts raced through her mind at the same time. Theodore wasn''t the only one in danger. Everyone here could get killed. Panic rose inside her as a realization crossed her mind. Her maids should have waited in front of the door. Why weren''t her maids here? ¡°Where are Stella and-¡±

    Owen replied before she could finish her question. ¡°They are safer if they are not with us. They are not the goal of this attack. The servants are being driven away, and then they are ignored completely. They will not engage in any combat. Bringing you to safety at this point in time is much more important.¡± He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her forward so that she was a bit faster again.

    It was logical to listen to him and to leave like this, but that thought made Blanche sick. She couldn''t bear the thought of abandoning her friends. A sudden image of Stella covered in blood and with cuts on her arms in her mind made her want to turn around and call for her immediately. But that wouldn''t help any of them. She wouldn''t even be able to turn around with Owen and Theodore guiding her forward.

    Blanche''s eyes pricked, but it felt like no tears were coming. She was much too terrified for her body to do anything properly. She almost tripped over nothing when they entered the dressing room.

    Gloria closed the door behind them, and Leonard immediately began pushing aside one of the jewelry stands. Behind that wooden pedestal, a hole came into view. It was just broad enough for a muscular man to fit through, and a thin ladder rested on one of the sides. It led downward into darkness without any source of light revealing how long it was.

    Theodore pointed into it and spoke up a moment later. ¡°This will lead you downstairs to the first floor. From there, you will only need to walk a few steps outside and reach another secret pathway. You can open it by-¡±

    Blanche vigorously shook her head. He wouldn''t say that if he planned on coming with her. She remembered what her lover had said about a possible plan. He had said that there could be a time at which he would have to leave her side.

    He wanted to fight after sending her away to safety.

    That meant that Blanche would sit around somewhere without knowing whether she would ever see her lover again. Anything could happen to him while she was cluelessly waiting for his return. She wouldn''t endure that. ¡°Theo, you can''t leave me alone.¡± Panic sounded in her voice, and now the tears finally came out. The concubine dug her fingers into her lover''s clothes in an attempt to make him change his mind, but she knew that she was fighting a lost battle.

    Theodore put his hand on the side of her face, which was probably supposed to calm her down but only made her tear up more. ¡°Blanche, my angel.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, no. I won''t go without you.¡±

    Her lover wiped away her tears and shushed her in a gentle voice. ¡°Everything is going to be alright. I just want you to get away from all of this. I will return to your side in a little while. You can wait for me in a safe place. There is no need to cry. I promise you that I won''t get hurt.¡±

    She began crying harder at that and shook off his hands to press herself against him.

    Theodore cradled her head and talked before she could. ¡°Noah, you will bring Blanche out of the palace. We went through the plan a dozen times. At the end of the ladder, you need to be careful. If you are sure that the servants'' quarters are empty, you can go through the room, cross the hallway and open the wall on the other side. The pathway there will get you into a smaller house at the edges of the royal estate. I showed it to you often enough. No one should be there since they are searching for me. Be careful nonetheless.¡±

    Noah immediately bowed his head. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I will protect her with my life.¡±

    Blanche was still in denial. Her head refused to accept all of this. She just wanted it to be a bad dream that would be over in a moment. She wanted to close her eyes to open them again to a better reality. And even if that wasn''t an option, she didn''t want to leave her lover here. ¡°Theo, you can come with us.¡± She barely brought these words out, and she was way too quiet.

    Still, her lover understood her. He patted her head and gave his best to speak in a soothing voice. ¡°I need to fight. A ruler can''t just leave behind his nation like this. But you don''t have to-¡±

    Blanche wanted to keep silent so badly, but she couldn''t hold back the sudden rush of despair. She lifted her head and looked at him with panic. ¡°You said that I was more important than the nation! So, come with me. We can return later with more forces, and you can immediately take care of everything again. You don''t have to fight now!¡±

    Theodore leaned forward to rest her forehead against hers. ¡°I have to. Of course, you are more important than everything. That is why you need to leave. I wouldn''t stay here if I wasn''t sure that I would return. I fought in a war and learned a thing or two there. There is no way that any of those cowardly bastards here could win against me. I will definitely bring back victory for our nation. So, trust me.¡±

    The concubine wanted to do that. But it was impossible. There was no guarantee that he would be safe. Theodore couldn''t just expect that he would survive due to a wonder. She had seen him fight and kill efficiently countless times. She knew that he was strong, and yet, she was scared. Scared of the same catastrophe happening again. Scared of Cedar taking his brother''s life once more.

    Blanche knew how selfish it was to wish to get Theodore away from here while leaving other knights to die, but she couldn''t stop herself. ¡°I don''t want to go without you, I can''t. If you can''t go, let me stay. Please.¡±

    Her lover gently brushed over her hair and guided her head so that she could look at him. She could swear that there was something wet glittering in his eyes as well. But he managed to stay composed while he spoke to her in a quiet voice. ¡°Please don''t say that. You don''t know how weak I get when you start talking. I don''t want to leave your side either, but there is no choice. If we want to win, I can''t run away now. As soon as we win here, I can finally convict Camille and prevent countless people from dying, so I need to stay here. Of course, I would like to keep an eye on you, but more than that, I refuse to let you get hurt. You need to get out so that I can fight without being scared the whole time. It''s the same as last time, Blanche. The same exact strategy. Right now, I know what will happen in the next two hours. I can use that to our advantage and defeat them without losing any more royal guards.¡±

    Blanche gritted her teeth at that. He was right. While they were arguing here, people were hurt. Some could even die because she refused to follow Theodore''s plan. He was so confident that this was for the best. Then she should trust him like she always did. Still, it was hard to ignore the way her heart was aching. It felt like there was a knife being plunged into her chest over and over again ¡°Theo...¡±

    Leonard chimed in as she barely whispered her lover''s name. ¡°Don''t think so lowly of us. We won''t lose. Theodore came up with this plan a while ago. It''s perfectly safe. There is no way that we can mess this up. There is a second hidden pathway too. Gloria and I will use it to get into the neighboring room. We will begin our attack from there while Theodore and Owen stay here. We will crush our enemies from both sides. The people here are the most skillful warriors within the palace. You can trust that we will win.¡±

    Blanche cried even more at that. If something went wrong, not only her lover could suffer. Everyone else here could get injured or worse too. That didn''t make her desire to leave grow. But she knew that she was only wasting their time if she insisted on staying here. She closed her eyes for a moment and forced herself to use all of her self-control to listen. She took a deep breath before listing to the one rational voice in her head. ¡°Stay safe, all of you.¡± She lifted her head and looked around while desperately hoping for some sort of affirmation.

    Leonard was the one that spoke up while he gave her a smile. ¡°Of course. We all have our job to do. We can''t rely on others to do it, so we need to stay alive. We won''t get hurt so easily. You won''t be able to avoid your lessons just like that.¡± If the situation was less grim, she might have smiled at that.

    But right now, Blanche could only continue sobbing. She slowly forced herself to let go of her lover, even though every fiber of her being was screaming. Her plan had been to go to the hole immediately so that she couldn''t be tempted to keep holding onto him. But she couldn''t do it. She stepped forward again and fell into Theodore''s arms one last time. ¡°Theo, you need to come back for me. Cedar can''t defeat you again.¡±

    Her lover pulled her into his embrace and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. ¡°He won''t because I will actually fight back this time. There is no way that I would give up like this after we went through so much. I would even come back to you if death should part us. You know that. But this time, it will be different. So, I need you to remember one thing. We have a plan, Blanche. Everything will be fine, and we will stick to it. Those people will claim that I am dead, but that isn''t true. We will make them believe that we have died. Then we will slowly make our way through the enemies and get rid of them one after the other. And after that, I will immediately come back to you. So, don''t despair when you hear about my alleged demise.¡±

    Blanche hated that thought with every bit of her soul. She wouldn''t be able to stay calm if she heard that her lover died just because he had said that he wouldn''t. He couldn''t control this world. There was no way for him to guarantee that he would be fine, no guarantee that they could gain another chance after their deaths again. And she should just rely on some of his words?

    But she would have to do that. It would be the only thing keeping her sane. ¡°I understand. I expect you to come back, no matter what.¡±

    Theodore gave her a sad smile. ¡°I always do. Even if I had to go through three years of suffering, lose my mind and be sliced open with a sword for that. I will always return to your side. Now that I finally have you back, I will never let go.¡± It was a horrible sensation to pull back from his embrace after he said.

    But they had no other choice. Time was slipping through their fingers. It was only a question of time when the first attackers would appear here, and that Gloria and Owen guarded the door proved that it was serious.

    Blanche wiped her tears away and rushed over to the hole.

    Noah had already climbed inside and quickly went down when he saw that she was following him. ¡°There is no need to worry, Lady Blanche. I am right below you. You can''t fall nor can anything dangerous reach you.¡±

    To be honest, she wasn''t scared of being hurt herself at all. Her friends and especially Theodore were in far more danger. Still, she nodded and crouched down to follow after him.

    Leonard helped her by stabilizing her and giving her an encouraging smile.

    Blanche could barely pay attention to him, but she forced herself to mutter a ¡°Thank you¡± while her eyes were still directed at Theodore. Her lover was smiling at her too, but she could only remind him of one thing. ¡°You have to keep your promises. All of them. You can''t let Cedar hurt you again.¡±

    Theodore''s response followed immediately. ¡°I won''t. I''ll defeat him this time. I love you.¡±

    The concubine''s legs almost gave in as she held back a loud sob. ¡°I love you too.¡± With that, she forced herself to take the first step of the ladder. She stopped to make sure that she wasn''t slipping and then went down another step.

    When her head reached the level of the floor, Leonard prepared to put the stand back on top of the hole. It would be horribly dark in a moment, but she couldn''t bring herself to care. She didn''t need to see anything right now, not that she would have been able to make out what was around her with her blurred sight anyway. Her mind was already in turmoil. All the fears in her mind were too much for her to bear, so her head banned them without her being able to prevent it.

    It became completely dark.

    She focused on keeping herself steady as she climbed down to avoid falling and hurting Noah. But even that thought faded away when noises from the room above them came. Something was happening there, and it could be good or bad. She had no way to know and thinking about it would kill her.

    So, her brain did the only thing it could do to keep her going, the thing that had saved her mental health once already. It forced out all unpleasant memories. It distracted her and repeatedly gave her excuses for why it would be fine. She had only one thought as she descended into the dark hole.

    Theodore was the main character. He had to win.

 Chapter 315: Escape Route

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 Chapter 316: Carved Riverbed

    Blanche insulted the prince without holding back. She wasn''t worried about the consequences, but Noah had seemed to expect backlash.

    As expected, Cedar just responded with a smile despite her harsh comments. ¡°Oh, don''t worry, Sir Aldis. She called me a bastard a few times already. If I was upset because of that, I would have made myself clear already. I can take some petty comments.¡± He locked eyes with Blanche, and his smile looked much more sinister now. ¡°But once I become emperor, you will have to behave better. We can''t have anyone undermining the power of the royal family after all. You will have to get used to that soon. Theodore may tolerate everything you say, but others won''t.¡±

    Blanche probably should have backed down, but she met his gaze without any intention of withdrawing. ¡°What makes you think that you can become emperor? Everyone in this nation knows that you and your mother are responsible for this.¡± She spat out those words while holding back all the insults that her mind had prepared. ¡°You will be known as the man that tried to kill his own brother out of greed. There is no way that you will ever be accepted by the nobles or the citizens. And Theodore also won''t hand over the crown. He cares for his nation, and he would never ever risk it getting destroyed because of a power-hungry brat. No matter what happens.¡±

    That wasn''t true. Her lover had made it clear that he would choose her above anything else. He would bring the whole country to the brink of destruction if it saved her. She couldn''t even blame him for that. After all, she would do the exact same thing for him if she had to make a choice.

    Unfortunately, Cedar knew that too. He chuckled at her pitiful attempt to lie to him. ¡°Of course, he would give me anything in exchange for you, silly. Even a blind person could tell by now. He would even sign a contract that makes me the emperor. I would actually favor it if we can just do it like that, even if Mother doesn''t. I promise that I won''t hurt you though. This isn''t your fight, so we can keep your involvement minimal. Let''s stop arguing and let us move to our destination.¡± He gestured toward the door, and one of the masked men opened it. Then he turned back to the concubine. ¡°After you, My Lady. Please lead the way to the ballroom. Ah. And don''t try to run away. You with your dress won''t be faster than the soldiers here.¡± He had suddenly sounded much more intimidating at the end.

    Blanche would have loved to just flee, but she was aware that it was impossible. She wouldn''t have tried it even without Cedar''s warning. Maybe she would have attempted to bargain about Noah leaving, but she doubted that the knight would ever agree to that.

    So, she had nothing left to do but to just follow Cedar''s lead even if it was revolting. She could barely bring herself to move, but she walked forward.

    The hallway was empty except for a few masked men standing at the side. They didn''t try to intervene when she passed by, most likely because the prince had already appeared at her side. She refused to look at him and focused on the path in front of them.

    Cedar didn''t read the mood though. As usual, he began blabbering. ¡°Say, where exactly is my brother? Is he still in his room? Or did he flee too? I can barely imagine the second option. You probably know where he is, right?¡±

    Blanche truly didn''t. She reminded herself that Theo had planned to start in his room, but he might be far away already. Hopefully, he was. She didn''t want anyone to find him. Even if he was fighting well, there was no way that he could defend himself against the countless men that would storm in. The concubine didn''t say anything though. She kept her gaze trained on something in the distance.

    Of course, the prince didn''t do her a favor by staying silent as well. He annoyed her again. ¡°Are you sulking? Don''t tell me that you are seriously that mad because I appeared here unannounced. That would be a bit exaggerated. Come on. Talk to me. The way to the ballroom will be boring otherwise.¡±

    Blanche bit her lip with the full intention of not responding, but she couldn''t help it. ¡°You are trying to kill my lover. How could I not despise you? Do you know that Theodore is still worried about you after all that happened? He always says that he regrets how that horrible woman raised you and not Althea. He hates himself for not having done anything about it while you were young. And what are you doing? You pay it back to him by trying to murder him.¡±

    She didn''t know what she expected as a response. Maybe more mockery or that he would get angry.

    She hadn''t expected that Cedar would turn his gaze away from her. ¡°I regret it too. But once the riverbed is carved into stone, the water''s flow will not change.¡±

    Blanche hated that metaphor. She knew that it wasn''t true. She herself had believed that her future might be predetermined. Just over a year ago, she had been so scared of losing Theodore to Seraphina. But in the end, she had managed to change that ending. It was possible to alter your fate. As she kept staring at Cedar even when he didn''t meet her gaze, she pressed out her response. ¡°You can change it. With some effort, you can shovel up the dirt to free the path you would like and fill up the future that you want to avoid. It''s possible if you start trying. If you don''t like it, why are you doing it? This is supposed to be your life.¡±

    Cedar didn''t look at her while replying. ¡°Who said that? I don''t think that much of what I did was ever done to make me happy. But that''s fine. It''s normal for nobles and especially the royal family to live like this. Arranged marriages are similar, aren''t they? That''s why it isn''t special to feel like that. You are lucky for being able to live how you want it. Everyone else is a bit more restricted. But we never knew it differently, so we are content with it.¡± Even though what he said was more than depressing, he didn''t stop smiling for a second.

    Blanche averted her eyes again and stared at the floor. She might have had sympathy for Cedar if he was actually trying to do something different, but now she could only feel irritation.

    She knew that it was hard for him. Being trapped in the same mindset was horrible, and it could make a person believe that no way out was possible. But how come Cedar knew that he was doing something wrong and that he still didn''t do anything to prevent it? He couldn''t just be doing all of this for his mother, right? For Camille, who manipulated him and hit him when she didn''t like his response? That left a bitter taste in the concubine''s mouth.

    It only got worse when they left the wing of the servant''s quarters.

    When Blanche looked around and saw some of the royal guards, her hopes were reawakened for a moment. But then she saw that the two men just stayed away from the group. It was clear that they would have no chance, but still, it was strange to see how those knights ignored a threat to the emperor. Even when she made eye contact, they just looked to the side. She balled her fists at that. It seemed like they were truly on their own right now.

    Cedar immediately read her expression. ¡°Are you wondering why aren''t they attacking us? The reason for that is quite simple. Since Sir Owen Maillont''s location is unknown, the second-in-command took over. And to avoid any harm on their side, he ordered them to stay back. That means that no one here will give us a hard time. Don''t be mad at him though. It would have happened anyway. The emperor disappeared, right? That would make the second one in line to the throne stand in for him. I would have ordered them to stay calm either way. But I was still surprised, you know? Who thought that invading the royal palace was this easy?¡±

    Blanche had barely been able to listen to the whole rest. She could only pray that Owen was with Theodore and that they were both fine. But, among with worry, anger welled up in her. How could another knight disappoint his superior like this? By just giving up and betraying Theodore as soon as they were attacked? She didn''t believe that for one second.

    Every single one of the guards that she had met had been absolutely loyal to the emperor. Surely, a few of them could give in when confronted with so much pressure. But there was no way that Owen''s most trusted comrade would ever give their enemies a chance to strike like this. She refused to believe that. She knew that Theo had a plan. This had to be a part of it. It had to. Even if she told herself that over and over again, a little bit of concern remained. She was pretty sure that her mood couldn''t get worse, and then Cedar opened up his mouth.

    ¡°You know, I told you that I would favor winning without violence. But that might be impossible. I don''t think that Theodore would be able to accept his loss. He would fight against me for the rest of his life. And since he has the noble''s support, I would be in trouble. That means that I probably need to ensure that he can''t take over the throne from now on. There is only one way to get absolute certainty. I might have to use it that way. He might already be dead, but if not, that wouldn''t be too bad either. Just for that, I brought this. He hid it in one of the storage rooms, but I found it quickly. It was as if it secretly called my name.¡±

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    She shouldn''t have looked, but her panic had gotten the better of her. As soon as Cedar lifted the sword and showed her the gems on the handle, she recognized it. That was the sword that he had gifted Theodore for his birthday.

    The one that Cedar had promised to kill his brother with.

    That should have been enough to make Blanche''s blood boil. But the first emotion she felt wasn''t rage. What she felt was pure and utter dread. Something flashed inside her mind and made her whole body freeze with fear.

    It was the image of her lover lying in front of a grave while butterflies flew around him. He was bleeding out, but a soft smile graced his lips as he extended his hand toward her. His lips formed an ¡®I love you¡¯ before he closed his eyes.

    Instantly, Blanche''s legs gave in. She almost fell to the ground while she had to fight the urge to gag, but Noah caught her in time.

    Cedar actually seemed taken aback by her reaction so that his smile disappeared for a moment. ¡°Lady Blanche?¡±

    Normally, the concubine might have seen even that confusion as her victory, but right now, she could only think about that horrible image. Why did her mind have to come up with such a vivid picture of her lover dying? Even now, even though she knew that this hadn''t happened, her legs trembled, and she felt like she would plunge to the ground at any moment.

    Noah tried his best to calm her, but it was almost impossible. ¡°Lady Blanche, everything is fine. I am right here with you. Those people will not hurt us. We are safe. I will protect you no matter what.¡±

    Blanche wasn''t content with that alone. How could she calm down when her lover was at risk of getting hurt because some insane person wanted to kill him to gain power? She felt like her chest was constricted, and she had trouble breathing. If she was alone, she would lie on the ground for a while and cry, but she wouldn''t grant Cedar that sight. No matter how much it hurt, she wouldn''t give up now.

    Theodore was alive. He needed her to be strong.

    So, she slowly shifted her weight onto her feet and let go of the knight. She could barely keep herself upright and had to force herself to stand without help again. It was much harder than it should have been, but she managed to do it. She took a deep breath before speaking up in the most confident voice she could muster. ¡°Thank you, Noah. Let us move on.¡± With that, she walked forward again even though her knees felt like they were made out of glass.

    She could feel how the prince''s gaze was burning into her back, but she forced herself to keep going. Blanche wouldn''t give in now. She wouldn''t. She refused to do that.

    At least her momentary breakdown had given her one advantage.

    Cedar didn''t speak to her for the rest of their walk.

    When they arrived at the ballroom, even more masked men were waiting for them. The mercenaries were positioned at every door, but they looked into the room and not out of it, which proved that they actually didn''t expect an attack from the outside. They were only supposed to intimidate the hostages. One of them opened the door for them, and the group stepped inside.

    There had been absolutely no need to go here but to brag, Blanche was sure of it. Aside from the prince''s soldiers, no one was here. She didn''t know what he wanted to do now that they had gathered in this room. But pondering that was better than thinking about the nightmarish vision that she had seen just now. How was she supposed to react to viewing a lifelike image of her lover dying?

    Blanche wouldn''t react at all. She refused to acknowledge that, and being forced to focus on Cedar''s presence now was helpful to distract herself. She wanted to fall into Theodore''s arms and hear him promise that everything would be fine so badly. But she wouldn''t be able to run away now. She had to face the monster that had separated her and her lover first.

    After taking a few steps into the room, Blanche spun around. ¡°And now? What will we do now? Are you going to hold a ball with the mercenaries here?¡±

    Cedar came closer to her, and she fought the urge to back away. She stayed put and met his eyes even when he stopped right in front of her. As always, he showed her a bright smile that seemed so genuine that it was rage-inducing. ¡°That may be my only way to get you to finally dance with me, wouldn''t it? But don''t worry. It would be macabre for you to dance with another man on the day that your fianc¨¦ lost his throne. That would be too strange. For now, we will just do one thing.¡± Of course, he didn''t give her a response immediately.

    Blanche wanted to refuse to play his games but if she wished to know what would come, she needed to hear his reply. ¡°What exactly is that thing?¡±

    The prince beamed at her and brought his face a bit closer to hers. ¡°Waiting.¡± With that, he turned away from her and strode toward the thrones. While he wasn''t looking at her, he still spoke. ¡°We will wait for news to come from. We will see how your dearest is then. Maybe he will be fine, maybe he won''t. We shall find out soon enough. There is no need for us to worry about that now. The answer to all of our questions will come in a while, and then we''ll know which one of us will end up being happy by the end of the day.¡±

    Blanche couldn''t do anything but stare at his back while he walked away.

    Just a moment ago, Cedar had made a mistake. He was a phenomenal actor. Maybe he was even so good that he could fool himself, but people''s eyes couldn''t lie. He had come close enough to show her what he should have tried to hide. His eyes didn''t show the maniac joy that a true murderer would feel upon knowing that he could kill the person he had hated for so long.

    Cedar just looked tired. Tired of all of this.

    Maybe it was a risky gamble, but now that Blanche knew this, she could try to use it for herself in some. She opened her mouth as soon as the thought crossed her mind. ¡°You have absolutely no desire to kill Theodore, isn''t that right? You actually don''t want to do any of this today. Your mother trained you to hate him with every fiber of your being, but when you see him, you can''t help but wonder why that woman despises him so much. You know that she is the one that is at fault for all of this, don''t you? And deep inside, you want to do something about it, but you feel like you can''t. You don''t have to live like this though. You can change your life. Luciano Vasquez, your own cousin, did it too. He cut his father off when he noticed how horrible that man was. Even if he was raised to obey. You, too, can-¡±

    Cedar let out a chuckle that sounded so deranged that she closed her mouth immediately. ¡°Don''t compare that moron, Claude Vasquez, to my mother. You have absolutely no idea what kind of person she is, and you don''t know who I am either. Stop trying to assume what I feel like. It''s getting really annoying by now. When I doubted your devotion to Theodore, you got upset. So, stay out of my relationships too.¡±

    That reaction proved two things. One, he knew that she was right. And two, he wouldn''t do anything about it.

    Blanche stayed silent after that. If Cedar didn''t want help, there was no way to force him. Even if his end might be tragic, she couldn''t pull him off that bad path. So, she didn''t have to pay more attention to him.

    Even if it was more painful than it should be.

    The concubine pushed that thought away and turned to Noah to whisper to him. ¡°Are you alright? They didn''t hurt you in any way, did they?¡±

    Noah shook his head. ¡°I''m fine. You almost collapsed. Are you feeling better now?¡± He only seemed less worried when she nodded at him. ¡°Good. Then what will we do now?¡±

    The concubine looked around as inconspicuously as possible before replying. ¡°We need to wait for Theo or his men. Now would be a good time to tell me whether his plan will help us from now on. Surely, us getting caught by Cedar wasn''t part of it.¡±

    Noah paused for a moment before responding. ¡°His Majesty mentioned that his brother might do unexpected things. But he also said that we should be fine as long as we don''t address any of his triggers, whatever that means. The rest went exactly as he claimed that it would though. His plan contained detailed information about how the enemies positioned themselves. As you can see, they aren''t very careful. They walk around in pairs, but their backs show in the same direction. That means that they are vulnerable. Not to us but to people from outside. Every few minutes, the people by the door leave, and new ones come in, which our people could use to their advantage. His Majesty said that we would need to distract the prince in such a case. So that he can''t draw his sword. Apparently, His Royal Highness is a good fighter.¡±

    ¡°Then we should be extra careful about that. I don''t think that he is planning on fighting himself. But keep an eye on him, just in case. Maybe we-¡± Blanche was cut off before she could finish.

    Cedar''s voice echoed through the quiet room. ¡°What are you two whispering about? Did I miss something?¡±

    One look at the prince made the concubine freeze. He was sitting on the emperor''s throne. He actually had the courage to claim Theodore''s seat while she was right here.

    Anger flared up in Blanche, and she opened her mouth before thinking about it. ¡°That is the emperor''s throne. Doesn''t your mother always scold me for ignoring the rules? Now it seems like she raised you in a manner that shows that rules aren''t that important to her. That is quite odd.¡±

    Cedar grinned down at her. ¡°I''ll be emperor in a few minutes anyway, so it''s not that important. It''s pretty comfortable up here. And the view is nice too. But you would know that already, right? After all, you sat on that seat multiple times.¡± He patted the throne next to him. ¡°But are you the empress? Not yet since Theodore didn''t marry you. If you can use your throne prematurely, I can do the same with mine. By the way, I would also give you permission to sit here again one last time. You don''t have to stand down there for the next minutes or hours.¡±

    Blanche''s response followed immediately in a harsh tone. ¡°No way.¡± She wouldn''t ever take a seat next to that man.

    The prince shrugged. ¡°I knew that you would reply like this. That is your loss. I don''t really care. After all, we can still have a conversation like this. Being quiet the whole time would be boring, right? So, do you have anything exciting to tell me?¡±

    The concubine considered being silent, but she felt annoyance rising inside her. It would be better to vent by complaining so that she wouldn''t end up doing something stupid. ¡°Not much. There is an assassination attempt on my lover being executed right now. I wonder if he is even fazed by this. After all that happened, he should slowly get used to it. How often did you send people already? Let me count.¡± She raised her hands and exaggeratedly lifted one finger after the other. ¡°Once after his coronation. Then the second time just a few minutes after that. The third case was during the hunting festival, during which he killed your personal guard. My condolences. The fourth time, you attacked us during our picnic, and now you are here again. If you count you trying to make me feed him the nuts that trigger his allergy, we have six cases of attempted murder here. I seem to be well off in comparison. I only got attacked once and poisoned once. By you, at least. Oh, and we could count you threatening me twice too. Then I feel like I''m not too happy with my result either.¡±

    Complaining about that didn''t help at all. Yet, Blanche was glad that she had taken the chance to release some of the pent-up anger that was steadily growing inside her.

 Chapter 317: News From the Front

    ¡°

    ¡°

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    ¡°

    ¡°

    The concubine would have liked to ask the prince why he wasn''t celebrating. Why wasn''t he smirking at her with malicious intent and taunting her for losing the most important thing in her life? Why didn''t he even look happy in the slightest when killing his brother had been his lifelong goal? But maybe she already knew the answer.

 Chapter 318: You Wont Be Emperor

¡°

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    Your Royal Highness.¡±

    ¡°

    you? The man that abandoned her and the woman that sent her away to Ocrea?¡±

 Chapter 319: How We Both Can Benefit From This

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

 Chapter 320: The Victors and the Losers

    Theodore didn''t even need to respond to the question about whether the others were fine.

    Instead, it was enough for two of the men to step forward while they took off the masks and revealed themselves to be the people that Blanche had mentioned, Owen and Leonard. Almost immediately, the rest of the alleged mercenaries also get rid of their masks.

    Leon gave her a smile as he spoke up. ¡°So, you do care for someone aside from His Majesty. That is good to hear. You don''t want to know what we had to endure until now. Him complaining about being worried because of you was worse than the whole fight. You can calm down now. We have everything under control. All the people here are royal guards. We swapped out those intruders with our own people, one after the other. That is why it took this long. I apologize for that. This lowlife here didn''t do anything, did he?¡± He lifted his foot and pushed against Cedar''s leg.

    The prince still remained motionless and didn''t make a single noise. It wasn''t surprising. The wound on the side of his head was pretty big, and blood was coloring his light hair. That didn''t look good at all.

    Even if Blanche had told herself that she wouldn''t have sympathy for him, she cringed at that. She couldn''t even imagine how much pain Cedar had to be in right now. Maybe it was good that he was unconscious. She slowly lifted her head. ¡°You should probably treat that wound. I don''t think that he tried to hurt me. He purposefully used the dull side of the sword. He was just trying to keep up appearances until his mother arrives.¡±

    But Cedar had still stood side by side with people that were hired to kill her lover, even if he had hated every second of it. Why hadn''t that idiot refused? He had to stop listening to Camille at some point. He had always been an idiot that didn''t do what he wanted. Cedar always held back for others, and he always ended up getting hurt because of that, no matter in which version of this world.

    Theodore watched this whole scene with skepticism before he turned to his lover and gently cupped her face. ¡°I''m sorry for not being more careful. He had his sword right next to you, I couldn''t risk it. That''s why I needed to make sure that he couldn''t move either. I hope that wasn''t too...¡± He glanced over at his brother and raised his voice. ¡°Cedar?¡± He didn''t receive a response. That made him frown as he resumed. ¡°Leon, take care of him. Make sure that he doesn''t lose too much blood until the doctor comes.¡±

    The secretary nodded and immediately examined the wound before sending one of the guards to get help from the royal doctor. That was all they could do for now.

    Blanche gazed at Cedar for a moment before looking at her lover. ¡°Is everything alright now? Did you arrest the attackers?¡±

    Theodore nodded. ¡°Every single one.¡± A smile grew on his face as he stared at her. ¡°My plan worked out perfectly. We managed to lure them to us in pairs and could knock them out from behind before tying them up. Their patterns were so uncoordinated that we were even able to get the people from the ballroom without letting anyone notice. Since we pretended to have given up, no one expected backlash, and the royal guards could move without any losses on our side. I predicted everything that would happen without any issues.¡± Slowly, his smile faded again. ¡°But if I had known that Cedar would find you, I wouldn''t have let you go. I''m sorry for not being able to prevent that. I''m so glad that you didn''t get hurt.¡± He leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

    She gladly received that while breathing out in relief. Everything had gone according to plan. So, the knights hadn''t betrayed them. She was more than thankful for that. But still, she felt like crying. ¡°I''m glad that everyone is fine. I was so worried about you and everyone else too. Please tell me that you won''t leave me alone like that ever again. I can''t bear the thought of you getting hurt. You can''t imagine how much my heart ached when they said that you were dead. Even though I knew that you were fine.¡± She could barely keep herself from crying and nuzzled her face into her lover''s clothes.

    Theodore gently patted the top of her head and cuddled with her to calm her down. ¡°I know. I''m sorry, I really am. It won''t happen again. I promised that I would stay with you forever. We will get married and have children, you know? There is no way that my life can end already. So, you never have to worry about me disappearing. I will always be right by your side.¡± He leaned forward to rest his head against hers but lifted it again when footsteps approached them. ¡°What is it?¡±

    The guard that had come to them bowed for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Her Majesty, the dowager empress arrived. She is being escorted here right now, so she should arrive in a minute.¡±

    The emperor''s expression darkened at that. ¡°There she is. The last thing she heard was the claim that I was dead. Let''s see her expression when she finds us here.¡± He tightened his hold on his lover and gave her a chance to lean her head against him once more. Then he turned his gaze toward the door.

    A few moments passed before their guest arrived.

    The doors swung open to reveal Camille, who was accompanied by a few knights. For the first time, she seemed to genuinely show a soft smile that proved that she was more than satisfied with what she had heard. But as soon as her gaze fell on Theodore, her expression changed. First, it was utter shock, then disbelief and lastly unrivaled rage appeared on her features.

    From now on, the guards also didn''t have to act like she would be treated courteously here. They grabbed her shoulders and shoved her toward the couple.

    Camille didn''t even yell this time. It looked like she was so eaten away by hatred that she couldn''t focus on anyone but her despised son now.

    Theodore met her gaze with a bright smile. He waited until the guards with their guest stopped in front of him. ¡°You didn''t think about me when they told you that the emperor wanted to see you, right? How unfortunate misunderstandings can be. You don''t look too happy to see me.¡±

    Camille gritted her teeth and stared at him with nothing but unfiltered fury. ¡°How are you alive? Everything was planned out. There was no way for you to have known about this attack.¡±

    The emperor clicked his tongue. ¡°You are more predictable than you think. I knew that you would snap after what happened during the past few weeks. But it''s refreshing to hear you admit it immediately. Even you probably know that you couldn''t have erased all evidence this time. You will spend the rest of your pathetic life in confinement, you know? There you can rot away without sunlight and think about what you did wrong until the end of your time.¡±

    The dowager empress glared at him for that. ¡°You...you...disgusting, pitiful excuse for a human being. You should have never been born.¡±

    Blanche had intended to stay out of this discussion, but she wouldn''t stay quiet about that. Rage welled up in her too, and she couldn''t help but address the woman she despised most directly. ¡°Your existence is the one that harms people here and makes everyone want to throw up. It''s true that Theodore shouldn''t have been born to you. He should have been Althea''s son from the very beginning. And Cedar too. You are such a horrible person that you can''t even see that the trail of pain and misery you leave behind is your fault alone. You blame others for everything and insist that you were the one being mistreated when you are the villain here. You never loved or cared for anyone. If you did, you would have already turned to your son who is unconscious and lying on the floor while bleeding. You truly are despicable.¡±

    Camille only gazed to the side to find Cedar now. She stared at her son before calling his name in a shrill voice. ¡°Cedar? Cedar, what are you doing? Stand up.¡±

    She received a low groan as a response.

    Theodore immediately turned to his brother as well. ¡°Cedar, are you awake?¡±

    The prince''s arm twitched a bit as he gave a slurred reply. ¡°Give me a minute, please.¡± It actually sounded like he was in a lot of pain so that he was barely clinging to his consciousness.

    Leonard changed his position to crouch down on the other side of Cedar''s head and pressed the cloth he had been using tighter onto the wound. ¡°Do not move. I am trying to stop the bleeding.¡±

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    Cedar replied in a faint voice. ¡°Thank you very much. I shall show you my gratitude later.¡± It was rather strange that he was acting like this when he was clearly not in the right state to think clearly.

    But despite this, his mother still didn''t seem to show any compassion. Camille immediately began addressing him again. ¡°Cedar, get off the floor. You are embarrassing the royal family if you do something like this.¡± She couldn''t be serious.

    Blanche was actually speechless as she stared at the other woman. The dowager empress wasn''t scared about losing her son in the slightest, was she? What was wrong with Camille? Shouldn''t that woman have even a bit of love left for the person that had done anything she wanted ever since he had been born? The concubine could just narrow her eyes at the other woman.

    If she looked closely, maybe Camille was a little uncertain. Maybe the dowager empress was beside herself because her plan had failed and wasn''t able to process the situation properly. But the reason didn''t matter. No mother should react like this when their child was clearly in pain and lying on the floor because they were knocked out. Blanche had no words to say about that. To her surprise, she didn''t have to.

    Cedar didn''t lift his head or move much as he responded in a voice that was slightly clearer than before. ¡°Hello, Mother. I''m happy to see you too. But as you can see, I''m in a bit of a predicament. The world is currently spinning for me, so standing up would be a bad idea. Please let me lie down for two more minutes.¡±

    Camille took a step toward him at that. ¡°Cedar, don''t you know what situation we are in right now? Your brother tried to kill you, and now he wants to frame us for treason!¡± She had returned to denying everything. It was quite a pathetic display. There was no way for her to prevent the just punishment now, and everyone here knew.

    Even Cedar sighed at that. ¡°I remember it differently, but that may be because of the punch. Did you start training how to hit people, Theodore? Anyway... I would like to recover before needing to memorize false alibis again. Is that fine? We lost this time, so I doubt that I will even need to put in the effort.¡± He let out a huff of air when Leon used a bit more force to press down the cloth.

    Blanche felt conflicted about seeing that but chose to speak up anyway. Being in pain while no one consoled you was horrible. She could at least say one thing. ¡°The royal doctor will take care of you soon. He can give you some medicine against the pain. So, just hold on a bit longer. Don''t move.¡±

    Cedar replied in a rather dry manner. ¡°It''s not like I can run away, so you don''t need to worry about that. I''ll stay here for a few more minutes if that''s fine with you.¡± After that, he closed his mouth and let Leonard cover the wound.

    Theodore watched his brother for a while before he turned back to his mother. ¡°This is the end, Camille. From now on, you will never have the chance to hurt anyone ever again. All the responsible ones for this attack will be arrested as well, and they will meet the fate that they deserve. So, you can stop your lies now. Because I will find every single piece of incriminating evidence and bring it to the court. You will never ever have the chance of even defending yourself when we have so much that we can use against you. You can spare your breath and refrain from voicing threats since you will relinquish all of your power now. We win, you lose.¡±

    The dowager empress'' features were overcome with even more fury than before. She raised her hand and began gesticulating wildly. ¡°You will never win, do you hear me? You are nothing but a curse to our family! You traitor, you murderer! Your own father died at your hands just because of your greed for power, and then you decided to make me your scapegoat. You heartless monster!¡±

    The emperor narrowed his eyes at that. ¡°That''s rich coming from you. If you were swayed by the truth, I would explain it to you from the very beginning as well. But I know that you actually don''t believe what you are saying. Your true problem is your immense hatred for Althea, my mother, because Father loved her. Even her death didn''t pacify you, and now you direct your fury onto the people that remind you of her. You hate me because I chose her over you as my mother, and you hate Blanche because I love her and it reminds you of your own failed relationship. If I say this directly, it must sound ridiculous, even to you. How about you stop deluding yourself and just admit the truth?¡± Theodore demanded that, but he didn''t leave a chance for anyone to speak before continuing. ¡°You are only being driven by two goals. Getting revenge on Althea, who never did anything to harm you, and grasping more power. By doing that, you hope to fill the empty spot in your chest where your heart should be, but that won''t ever work. Now you will suffer for all the people that you hurt while making your path toward your goal without any care for human lives. Give up.¡±

    Camille''s expression had become nothing more but a grimace out of pure hatred. It made her look like she had lost all reasons to live except for her hatred for her own son. ¡°You are so disgusting that it makes me want to kill you with my own hands. How could I have given birth to such a monster like you?¡± There was no way that this woman would ever regain her sanity, that much was clear.

    Blanche knew that arguing didn''t do anything. It wouldn''t help them in the slightest, but she couldn''t hold back. ¡°The monster here is you. You are the one that killed countless people and still blames everyone else. Can''t you see? You are the evil person. Let us end all of this now. You can cry and yell as much as you want. You will never end up being happy if you keep on living with hatred as your only goal. And now you will receive what you caused others as well. Misery. You will spend the rest of your life knowing that you lost today because of your flaming rage that blinds you to even the slightest bit of human affection.¡± While she spoke, it felt like her blood was boiling. She was way too angry because of that terrible woman. Because she knew that both sons had suffered so much because of Camille.

    Theodore gently stroked over her back and pulled her closer to him to whisper. ¡°Don''t waste your breath on her. We will be done in a moment. I will send her away now.¡± He lifted his head, and in an instant, his expression turned from soft to hateful. ¡°I, Theodore Estien, the emperor of Artias, will now announce the punishment for this horrible crime, the attack on the inhabitants of the royal palace. This will be seen as treason, and thus, everyone involved will receive harsh punishments. I declare that-¡±

    Camille cut him off without any hesitance. ¡°Duke Vasquez was involved. He helped us make contact with the mercenaries. You need to ensure that he and his family are punished too if you want to be fair.¡± She was still raging when she said that but had forced herself to say this in a quiet tone. She wouldn''t receive the answer she would like anyway.

    Theodore smiled at her. ¡°Oh, you haven''t heard? Claude Vasquez is dead. The new duke is his son, Luciano Vasquez. You must have messed up the titles.¡±

    But Camille didn''t act surprised. ¡°No, I am referring to the right person, Luciano Vasquez. He was playing with all of you. He acted like he was so innocent when he was actually just extorting your sudden kindness that you never showed your own family. Luciano helped us contact the mercenaries and plotted this attack-¡± Camille got louder with each sentence until she was cut off by a quiet complaint.

    Cedar groaned a bit before moving his head despite Leonard''s warnings and blinked at the emperor and the concubine while showing them a bright smile. ¡°I don''t know if it helps, but she''s lying. My cousin didn''t contact anyone, not even us, for at least three months. She is upset because Luciano won''t talk to her anymore and because he ignored her letters. She doesn''t like him suddenly being on your side. That''s why she wants to drag him down too. So, don''t trust her too much. You are used to that already though, right?¡±

    Blanche was in shock for a moment. Why was Cedar telling them that? Information like this was very important. Wasn''t he going to support his mother''s words?

    Camille seemed to be as taken aback as the concubine and balled her fists while almost shaking with rage. She whipped her head around to her son as soon as he spoke. ¡°What are you saying? How can you dare to talk back to me? Those people betrayed me, don''t defend them! They suddenly turned their backs on me even though Selena is my own sister!¡±

    Cedar let out a low chuckle that was followed by another groan. Only then, he spoke. ¡°Maybe you should have thought about that before burning down Aunt''s house and killing her husband. She surely won''t be happy to see you anymore. Especially since you would have liked her and her children to die during that fire too. What makes you think that she owes you something after you attempted to burn her alive?¡±

    That made Camille lose her composure completely. ¡°What? Why are you saying that? She''s my sister! I always stood up for her when we grew up. I gave her to a rich husband so that she could live comfortably! I only asked for loyalty in return. And when she turned her back on me, I only paid it back to her. None of this would have happened if she had stayed by my side. And why are you arguing against me now too? Don''t tell me that you plan on betraying me as well. Is that why this failed? Because you told them what would happen?¡±

    The prince let his head sink to the floor again. ¡°Don''t be ridiculous. Do you think my head would hurt like this if I had helped them? I obviously got caught off guard by my brother. He was one step ahead of us, as always. I would say that we can try again, but I doubt that we will have the chance.¡± He slowly titled his head toward Theodore. ¡°You were in the middle of announcing our punishments, right? Is it the south palace again or execution this time, just to change things up a bit?¡±

    Theodore looked at his brother with conflicting emotions for a while before replying. ¡°Why are you... None of those. You will be put in confinement for now, but I found a more troublesome location for your mother.¡± Blanche vaguely remembered him mentioning a rusty cellar as an alternative, and she could guess that he would actually pull through with something like that.

    Cedar, who should expect something horrible, didn''t seem to be too scared though. ¡°I see. As generous as always. Then I will gladly accept that offer. Can I make a request? Take out all the vases, please.¡±

    Theodore was quiet for a moment before replying with traces of dejection on his face. ¡°I will see what I can do.¡± He gazed at his brother for a bit longer before turning to the guards. ¡°I will now declare what kind of punishments the traitors will receive. Due to the obvious guilt of the two main perpetrators, there will be no trial for them. I, Theodore Estien, the emperor of Artias, hereby order the eternal imprisonment of Camille Estien. She shall never take a step out of the estate that I sent her to ever again while being confined in a cellar without any light or access to the outer world while being kept in chains. I will deal with how exactly her life there will look myself until the day I have her dragged out there and beheaded in front of the whole capital. For now, she will be put in a cell in the palace until she can be brought to her future home. Cedar Estien will accompany her to that estate for the time being. His punishment will be specified later, and for now, he will be brought to the doctor''s office so that his wound can be taken care of. All mercenaries that were arrested here will be put on trial so that they can be judged based on how deeply they were involved in this incident.¡±

    Blanche had the feeling that he only said that to keep her from hearing that all the mercenaries would most likely be executed. The men''s involvement in this case consisted of breaking into the royal estate, bringing weapons here, attacking royal guards and attempting to kill the emperor. This was obviously treason. In some cases, they might be brought to some prison in the south, but execution was more likely. She didn''t have much to say about that though.

    What surprised her more was that Theodore had left a chance of him pardoning Cedar. Even though he had said that he hated his brother often, there had to be some trace of sympathy there. Or he still felt bad about being raised by Althea while his brother had suffered. At least her lover didn''t want to punish Cedar by locking him in with Camille for his entire life.

    The concubine scanned her lover for a moment. Theodore was obviously exhausted as well, more than she was. She had only been faced with emotional difficulties, but he had actually been forced to condemn his own mother after a strategic battle, so that was understandable. She would have liked him to avoid fighting, but she couldn''t change it now. So, she would do her best to calm him down by showing him some of her affection. She gently ran her fingers over Theodore''s back and nuzzled her face against him. ¡°Theo, you are doing well.¡± She whispered that to him, which earned her a small kiss on her forehead.

    Theodore brushed his fingers over Blanche''s head while whispering back. ¡°We only need one more moment. Then we can cuddle all we want.¡± They were obviously in each other''s arms already, but it seemed like that wasn''t enough for him. They would probably have a long and teary reunion after this. For now, he focused on the last thing he needed to do.

 Chapter 321: You Have Some Digging To Do

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    completely unexpected breakdown. You surely don''t want us as guests during your wedding after all. But I digress. What did you wish to ask of me now? It seems like I will have to follow your lead no matter what it is.¡±

    ¡°

 Chapter 322: My Secret

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    never loved anyone but you, and I never stopped loving you. No matter what I said. And I know that I don''t deserve forgiveness, but as long as you keep looking at me, I will be content. I will do whatever it takes to make you forget how horrible I was.¡± He paused and tightly squeezed her hands while gritting his teeth. ¡°You should have noticed what this is about. We even talked about it a few times. It was quite obvious. Because I did so many things that only make sense if you guessed what I was thinking. Ever since the attack, I was different. You should have noticed that. Do you know why? The thought must have come to you at least once already.¡±

    didn''t know.

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 Chapter 323: Happy Ending?

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    Happy ending?¡± There was so much desperation on his face that she froze too. ¡°Without you, I was never happy for a single second. I was suffering the whole time while waiting for the next excuse to put myself in danger in hopes of being able to die so that I could come to you. But something always saved me, no matter what. Either it was the vilest luck one could have, or you appeared. You pushed me away when the chandelier came crashing down, you warned me about the attacking soldiers. Every time I caught a glimpse of you, I just wanted to throw myself out of the window, and the only thing keeping me from doing so was you trying to protect me. I even went to war and gave up all humanity while hoping that someone would finally aim an arrow right at my head, but I returned unharmed. I lost my mind on the very day that you left me because I... Because I-¡± He cut himself off and gritted his teeth while hugging her tighter. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m sorry.¡±

    You died because of me!¡± Of course, he had been rather harsh with his lover after being with Seraphina, and he had ordered her execution, but that wasn''t a surprise.

    ¡°

    resent her more than anything else. Words can''t contain how much I hate her. I would have killed her if it wasn''t for the situation with Ocrea. We can''t have a war if I want you safe. I planned on killing her anyway, but you were always so insistent on me being kind to her that I took that as you wanting to spare her. But I didn''t know that you didn''t remember everything. If you want me to do it, I can immediately-¡±

 Chapter 324: New Memories and the Beginning of a Second Chance

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    there. But the gods had listened to my wish. I had memories of this world too. Of things that had never happened in that horrible past. So, those memories seemed to belong in this world, and I did too. I was allowed to stay here with you.¡±

 Chapter 325: My Memories and Yours

To be empress, I would do anything.¡¯ That''s what she told you to justify her actions. That damned-¡± He cut himself off and pressed his face into the crook of her neck while letting out a few sobs.

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 Chapter 326: The Day After

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 Chapter 327: A Journey to the Past (1)

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    generously decided that she would have the final say in that matter. At least she pretended to have that motive. Later, she claimed having wanted to protect me and the nation from getting hurt because she loved both me and Artias with tears streaming down her face.¡±

 Chapter 328: A Journey to the Past (2)

    she got involved to prevent that by saying that I wouldn''t be able to judge clearly. And she was right. I would have found some way to get you out. But of course, she effectively got rid of that alternative and used her own judges. Once during the trial, you said that it wasn''t a real one since everyone there just blamed you without wanting the truth. That everyone was just silent after that proved more than enough. Back then, I should have just ignored what others were saying and ended it right there. I was always seconds away from doing that when you looked at me, but I never dared to. The only thing I managed to do was get the judges to offer you exile again. And you said that you would rather be executed in front of the whole courtroom. No one could change the judgment after that. Of course, I should have just done it anyway. No one would have been able to stop me, but I was so, so stupid.¡±

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    ¡°

    ¡°disgusting person also grieved because I didn''t go see her. And her family began to fall apart at the same time. Lady Sophia Ravillot slowly lost her mind after her daughter''s death and began to resent her sister out of jealousy. After all, that wretched woman had been pregnant at that time. That caused a lot of problems for the Duremont family, especially since Allen Duremont also got worse every day. He felt guilty for lying and bringing false evidence and began seeing you in his dreams. Of course, I only heard about that much later.¡±

 Chapter 329: A Journey to the Past (3)

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 Chapter 330: A Journey to the Past (4)

Oh.

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 Chapter 331: A Journey to the Past (5)

    Theodore scanned her expression as if he waited for recognition.

    Blanche just nodded at him. ¡°I remember the war. I know what the border looks even though I never saw it in this life. I can remember what the camp was like too. How many soldiers were there and how often you got hurt. It was horrible there. You were in danger the whole time, so I began acting like a spy. I tried to sneak into the enemies'' camp a few times in hopes of getting helpful information, but I couldn''t go far away from you. I could just run around the battlefield and watch everything. Since I was connected to death in some way, I was always drawn to the biggest dangers and used that to save you.¡±

    Her lover gave her a weak smile. ¡°You did that so often, and I couldn''t bring myself to ignore your warnings even when I wanted to die. So, I spun around when you told me to or stepped to the side. I evaded countless attacks like that, which only made the enemies fear me more since they claimed that I could foresee the future. Our soldiers admired me. They asked how I could read the enemy''s attacks like this, and I told them the truth. Except for Owen, they all thought that I was insane. At least until you warned me about an attack that could have ended with the entire troop being subdued. They acted like I was accompanied by an angel or some goddess afterward, and they weren''t completely wrong by saying that.¡± He stroked over her hair once before caressing the side of her face. ¡°You saved so many people by saying things that I never knew about, so I finally convinced them of you being real. You helped even more than anyone else ever could. You led me to injured soldiers or warned me about attacks and anything else that posed a danger. You even helped wounded people. Because the ones that were closest to death could sometimes see you, and you either calmed them in their final moments or distracted them and encouraged them to hold on. It isn''t false to say that you were the most important person in that war, so it was obvious that people believed you to be a deity. Because of you, we had a huge advantage, but my fighting skills were still not perfect. I got hurt. A lot. Those things were very painful but not as bad as the heartache, even if that sounds like an exaggeration. So, I got numb to those wounds quickly, which is why I didn''t mind the little cut on my arm when I came here.¡±

    Blanche knew that too. ¡°I was always more worried about you than you were worried about yourself. I always sat there and cried when you were being treated because I got scared about you being in pain. I gave my best to comfort you during those times, but you didn''t get much better. Every few days, you got more injuries. Those only became fewer after you fought for a while.¡±

    Theodore responded in a soft voice. ¡°Yes. Because I forced myself to get better at fighting. I didn''t want to worry you after all. So, I improved until I was one of the best warriors and could even keep up with Owen. It took months, but in the end, we won despite the countless casualties on our side. Everyone screamed out of joy when the enemies finally capitulated. But I was as cold as always, which probably made the men notice how bad my mental state was. I went to Northern Ocrea''s capital and met Linden''s sister there. She is as manipulative and calculative as that woman. She wouldn''t ever be peaceful even if she was on the verge of death. But she cared for her nation and agreed to end the war because of that. Still, it was obvious that it was only a matter of time until she tried something again.¡±

    Blanche had the exact image of that woman in mind. She had disliked her from the very beginning. That might have been because that person had tried to manipulate Theodore, but the aura around her had seemed odd from the very beginning. ¡°She is the type that would do everything to improve her nation''s standing, right? That''s why she would have liked to use the war to steal Artias'' mines as compensation. And when she failed, she even dared to...¡±

    Theodore put his arms around her waist and tightened his hold on her. ¡°So, you remember that. She tried to gain my favor to receive the best for her nation. She probably hoped that I would be lenient as long as she blinked her eyes a few times and physically came closer. I refused her by saying that my heart belonged to another person. She asked whether it was my wife, and I automatically denied that. At that point, I started being honest out loud too. If you remember what she tried, you will also remember how quickly she gave up after I told her that I loved you. She must have seen that she had no chance. So, she changed her strategy and began to negotiate. She tried to get us to relinquish every bit of territory that was claimed during the first war. I would have agreed, but there was no way that the citizens would have been content. We needed to replace the fields Ocrea had destroyed somehow, so it would definitely have taken a lot of convincing to make us give away the new land. Linden''s sister didn''t change her mind though. That short conversation was enough to make one thing clear.¡±

    Blanche could imagine.

    Theodore''s expression darkened and the well-known wrath that was only reserved for Seraphina came back. ¡°In contrast to Linden, his sister isn''t against violence, which is why he needs to rule under any circumstances. That is why I needed to let that woman live. She has to deal with Linden''s sister, or he will lose the fight for succession and a war will come. I couldn''t risk that. So, I needed to...let her get away. But believe me. One single mishap, and I would have slit her throat. She kept quiet, so I managed to hold back, but each time she argued with me or dared to say anything about hiding my relationship with you, I was close to snapping. I despise that woman with all of my heart. It''s good that she is far away now, or I wouldn''t have been able to accept her being alive. Seeing her during every ball would have been too much.¡±

    Blanche carefully stroked over her lover''s hair. ¡°I finally understand that now. I was always wondering why you disliked her so much and said that she deserved death. The motives she named for framing me were logical, but I could still never accept that she came between us because of that.¡±

    Theodore gave her a dejected look as he tugged a strand of alabaster-colored hair behind her ear. ¡°You should be just as upset with me. Because I allowed her to do it from the very beginning. I should have woken up at some point. I swear that I was always seconds away from just doing the right thing, and I regret not acting with my whole heart. I will regret that for the rest of my life too, no matter what you say. But I will not push you away or live without you. I''m too selfish to keep you from showing me that much affection. In return, I will-¡±

    She shushed him carefully. ¡°I told you to stop apologizing. If you keep saying such things, I will get sad. So, don''t focus on that. Tell me your story until the end, and we may begin this discussion again. Only for me to end it with one sentence, of course. Because I still haven''t changed my mind about loving you. I still adore you with all of my heart and will never give up on us. That''s why this past of ours won''t be an issue. It only brought us together. Having those memories made sure that nothing bad could ever happen again, right? It also prevented two wars and many other catastrophes. It did something good for us too.¡±

    Theodore''s face scrunched up at that. ¡°I refuse to say that. I will never say that me betraying you in the worst way was good. I hate that past more than anything. That is why I will make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again. I will protect you and...¡± He stopped himself when she gave him a kiss. Then he rested his forehead against hers and continued in a calmer voice. ¡°You want to hear the rest of the story. There isn''t that much anymore, but one of the most important parts comes still. I thought about killing Linden''s sister, but then I would have risked her psychopathic guard or one of his followers taking over. I couldn''t do that. So, I just left after signing some contracts and put a person I trusted in charge of watching over her. Then our troops returned home. On our way back, we passed Ibela, where I met the owner of that small restaurant and ate the salmon dish for the first time.¡±

    The one they had visited this time too for very different reasons. Blanche just listened as her lover gave her a sad smile.

    ¡°Of course, it reminded me of you. Knowing that you could never taste it made me break down completely. Afterward, I could just cry and locked myself in the inn the entire day. I didn''t even find the motivation to pretend to celebrate with the others. We didn''t stay there long and quickly continued our way back home.¡±

    Blanche vaguely remembered her lover having a conversation with the owner of that restaurant back then. The man had given his best to cheer up Theodore despite not knowing who he was until a bit later. Even though the emperor had been cold, the other man had kept attempting to help and had done it in the sweetest ways possible. It was good to see that he lived happily with his family right now.

    Theodore couldn''t focus on that part though. He paused for a moment before resuming in a bitter tone. ¡°When we came back to the capital, our army was celebrated like we were heroes. And I couldn''t even fake a smile. The war had taken any desire to fake anything. We returned to the palace, and the first thing I did was go to your grave even though people were waiting for us. Surprisingly, a big group of soldiers followed me because they thought that I would visit your temple. They wanted to thank the deity that had saved their lives. That day, they found out that you were actually not a goddess that had granted me her protection but the love of my life that had died at my own hands. We all knelt there and thanked you for your help.¡±

    She remembered that scene. The image of all those men kneeling in the small glade had burned itself into her brain. But the most important part had been her lover being back home without any lethal wounds. Though, that hadn''t helped much. Even though he had seemed healthy from the outside, he had been broken. Seeing this had hurt her too even if she had tried to smile brightly for Theodore. Then they had gone to see Seraphina though, and Blanche''s fake happiness had quickly turned into shock.

    Her lover stroked over her head as if it helped him calm down and continued speaking about that exact same thing after he swallowed. ¡°When we greeted that witch, her smile disappeared upon seeing me. Leon was pretty concerned too, so it had to have been bad. Apparently, that wasn''t just because of my scars but because of my face. I was told that I had the eyes of a cold-blooded warlord afterward, but I don''t really know whether that was true. But I have to admit that I was pretty cold in general at that point, so it might have been accurate. My passion and all of my emotions were reserved for you back then, and I just proved that once again.¡± Theodore let out a depressing chuckle. ¡°The first thing I greeted everyone with was asking whether a high priest could give you a saint title. The servants must have thought that I was a maniac by then. Giving a person that was convicted of treason a saint title seemed ridiculous. But when that woman dared to say that you could never deserve something like that, she received the backlash she deserved. I told her about how you had saved at least a thousand people and probably a hundredfold if one accepts that our battle had decided the whole war. Of course, my soldiers agreed.¡±

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    Blanche remembered that ridiculous question well. ¡°I was so embarrassed when you did that. I only wanted you to stop, but you told me that I deserved recognition. The problem was that no one but you saw me, so everyone that didn''t believe in me thought that you lost your mind when you loudly had a conversation with me.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I had lost it a long time ago at that point. I would have gotten you your saint title if I hadn''t died before that. I''m happy that I got killed though. That allowed me to be here after all. I would tell you how grateful I am again, but you told me to explain the story until the very end.¡± Theodore took a deep breath before resuming. ¡°When I slept here for the first night after the war, I was almost assassinated. Harris tried to kill me. He had been one of your close friends and saw how lonely you had become because of me, so he wanted to get his revenge on me. I wasn''t even mad. He brought a knife in the middle of the night and held it to my throat to end it. I was only awake because I had been lying next to you while trying to talk about something else but how I regretted losing you. He completely caught me off guard, but he didn''t use his chance. I listened to him yelling at me for minutes and couldn''t even refute how horrible I was.¡±

    Blanche knew exactly what that scene had looked like too. She had been in utter panic while trying to tell Harris to stop while he threatened the emperor. But her friend hadn''t heard her. He had just cried and reminded Theodore that him abandoning his lover had caused her death. The emperor had cried too and agreed to everything while accepting his death. Harris would have truly killed Theodore if Owen hadn''t come in because of the noise.

    Maybe that was why Blanche had been so mad at Harris in this world from the very beginning. She had desperately pushed everything about being close to Cedar from her brain because she knew that she had hurt Theodore with that. Thus, she hadn''t remembered Harris, whom she had only befriended after he regularly brought her to the prince, and only the hint of him trying to kill Theodore had remained in her mind.

    Obviously, she would have been upset about that. She still was. Not only with Harris though.

    ¡°You know... I was really mad at you then. You were in danger and just offered him your throat. I was a moment away from breaking down, and you just acted like you wanted to die.¡± Blanche immediately continued when Theodore opened his mouth. ¡°I know that you thought like that back then. Don''t say it again. I dislike hearing it when you say that, just like you hate hearing me promising that I would die if I lost you. Alright?¡± She puffed out her cheeks and let her lover stroke over her face as he weakly nodded before she continued. ¡°So, you understood. Perfect. Then let us continue. Isn''t this where...he showed up?¡±

    Theodore caressed her skin while replying in a hoarse voice. ¡°Yes. The next morning, I found out that Cedar and the dowager empress had come. That they had made some great progress during the war. My brother had won a lot of power while I was away, and I couldn''t even bring myself to care. It was probably easy for him. The nobles had the choice between the charismatic younger brother or the insane emperor that was still covered in blood from the war. I didn''t do anything to steer against those troubles either. I just went to meet him when he requested to see me. He greeted me with a smile... One that was even brighter than what he shows us now. I immediately knew that something was wrong though. That look in his eyes was far too cold. Even his smile couldn''t hide that he resented me. Even so, I could tell that he was grieving too. Or at least, he had grieved before pushing away all of his emotions like usual. He was just...dead inside, more so than ever before. Like me.¡±

    And even so, the brothers had been destined to only destroy each other more from then on.

    Theodore looked like he imagined his brother''s expression while he continued. ¡°In fact, I never saw Cedar without that stiff smile in my presence in that world ever again. He only changed that expression when he acted and openly glared at me to show that he hated me or announced that I was unfit to rule the nation in front of witnesses. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew that he despised me. That should prove how serious it was. I could imagine where that hatred came from, but back then, I didn''t know that you had been innocent yet. I didn''t find out too soon either since he didn''t say anything at first. It only took a little while until Cedar told me a part of the truth though. That he had cared for you so much after getting closer. And that he would never forgive himself for letting you go back when he had warned you countless times. But more than that, he told me that he wouldn''t forgive me. He swore to take away the nation that I loved so much and that he would crush everything I care about. And I said that you were already dead because of me and that my heart had died with you. That he couldn''t find anything to hurt me anymore.¡±

    Blanche bit the inside of her cheek. All memories that were related to Cedar were somewhat blurry because she had tried to distance herself from him in each way imaginable. But she did remember that she had been in so much pain while watching that conversation. Because she had known that two of the people she cared most for would tear each other apart in the near future. She had begged Cedar to refrain from doing something like that, but he hadn''t heard her. Later, Cedar had started to believe that his brother could see Blanche''s ghost, but he had never had the chance to talk to her himself. Blanche regretted that again, but at the same time, it might have been for the best. After all, Cedar had been merciless at that time. ¡°He told you that he would find something anyway, didn''t he? He knew that you cared for Owen and Leon and targeted them.¡±

    Theodore replied in a whisper. ¡°Later. In the beginning, he didn''t do anything but gain more power. I stood by and watched. His ultimate goal was hurting me, and he still held the ace in his sleeve at that time. He didn''t reveal it back then. Cedar wanted to crush me later. He was only honest about three things from the very beginning. That he had cared for you more than anyone else, that he would get revenge and that he despised the empress. He didn''t hold back when publicly calling her a murderer and announcing that he would personally watch over her execution in a few months, which only proved that no one could really do something about a prince voicing threats. He hated that woman more than anything but wouldn''t give more than vague hints about the reason. I assumed that it was because she had been your greatest enemy and because she had been the alleged victim in the trial, and that wasn''t wrong. But he hid the most important information from me.¡±

    That Blanche had been innocent. Cedar hadn''t explained that immediately, probably to be able to break Theodore down later. Though, the emperor had been broken at that point already.

    Theodore averted his eyes and pondered about something before resuming in a quiet voice. ¡°The dowager empress wanted to talk to me at some point. That was the first and only time that she seemed like a normal human with emotions to me. She told me that she had sympathized with you because you reminded her of herself. Then she said that I was as horrible as my father for leaving behind the woman that had loved me so much. She was right about me being horrible, but I couldn''t tell her how right she was back then. Because if I did, I would have given away the last bit of my sanity too. So, I just muttered that I knew and was waiting for them to pay me back before I left. But I soon forgot about Cedar and everything else because... Because...¡±

    His expression was enough to tell her what came next. The most horrible part of all of this, without a doubt. This was the time in which Theodore had lost the last thing that had kept him somewhat sane.

    Blanche put her arms around his body and pulled him closer to cuddle against his chest. ¡°Take your time. You met Leon because he had something important to tell you, right?¡±

    Her lover shivered slightly and nodded. ¡°He brought me evidence regarding your trial. Before, he had wanted to protect me, but upon seeing that I almost allowed Harris to kill me, he knew that my mind was already irreparably damaged. So, he thought that honesty was better. But at the exact moment that he wanted to tell me, Allen Duremont came. Apparently, he had had a horrible nightmare about you and couldn''t stop himself from telling me the truth back then. He had felt so guilty that he had ignored all the knights and rushed into my office without knocking. Then he confessed to everything.¡±

    And so, the facade had come crashing down.

    Theodore''s hold on her tightened and wrath took over all of his other feelings. ¡°How that woman framed you for every single crime. How her brother had helped create evidence and broke the butterfly ornament. How he had brought the poison vial into the palace. How you also had never had any feelings for Cedar nor tried to harm that witch at all. How the only thing you had done was try to get my attention when you thought that I left you behind for another woman.¡± He held her in his crushing grip as he breathed in and out for a while to calm down.

    Blanche knew how his expression had looked upon hearing that. He hadn''t gazed at Allen at all while listening but had only stared at her with wide eyes as she had tried to calm him with a soft smile. But it had been too late. She had seen how the pitiful remains of his sanity had cracked in two at that.

    And in that exact moment, the rest of the Duremont family had arrived to visit the emperor.

    ¡°It''s alright, Theo. You can skip that part if you want to. I know that...¡± Everything had only gone downhill from there.

    Theodore was insistent though. ¡°No, I want to tell you everything. After hearing that, I had stumbled out of my office. I don''t know where I wanted to go, but it didn''t matter. Because a moment later, I saw that disgusting, vile person.¡± His voice trembled with anger as he said that. ¡°I absolutely lost my mind then. I put my hands around her neck and slammed her head against the next wall. I almost killed her that day. Her expression made it clear that she knew that I had found out. Her father was already screaming at me, but I ignored it completely. I yelled at her, but I don''t know what I said. I probably told her that she would suffer from the wrath of all gods for all eternity or that I would kill her before she could even lift a finger. I definitely called her a murderer too and told her how disgusting she was. Her father tried to pry me off her at that point, but I was much stronger. He kept telling me to get myself together until I snapped at him. How could I ever calm down when the person that murdered my beloved stood in front of me? By then, she had begun apologizing over and over again. I obviously got more angry at that.¡±

    Blanche remembered standing directly next to him while trying to stop him. But her words had remained unheard since Theodore had been much louder. He had been so immersed in his hatred that she hadn''t been sure whether he would even be able to see her. She had actually feared that he would break Seraphina''s neck at that time, but her greatest concern had honestly been his mental health. So, she had just wanted to tell him that she loved him, but he had been in the middle of a scene full of yelling.

    Her lover watched her expression for a moment before he continued with despair on his own face. ¡°I really thought that I would end her life that second, but Leonard came to stop me. He told me that you wouldn''t like to see me like that. That made me turn to you. You were clinging to my arm, but I obviously hadn''t noticed you before. I immediately let go and began apologizing to you.¡±

    He had apologized many times before that, but that day, he probably said it more times than ever again. His throat had been completely sore by the evening, and even with his hoarse voice, he had apologized again and again. As long as he had still been able to speak, he had used that ability to the fullest to express his regret while being full of despair and trying to hug her even though she had had no physical form.

    It had been the beginning of a long-expected end.

 Chapter 332: A Journey to the Past (6)

¡°

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°

 Chapter 333: Letters and Planning

    The next days were a strange mix of hectic moments and pure relaxation, which might have been good because it distracted the people in the palace from their worries. After the emperor had announced both the date of the engagement party and the wedding and coronation, it seemed like everyone was in an utter panic. Everything had to be perfect despite the recent problems, and everyone seemed to share that opinion.

    Blanche and Theodore also planned many things themselves like the decorations and what food would be offered. They decided on their vows and consulted Madame Charture, who was happy to tailor a few attires for them. The couple worked in the office a bit as well, but aside from that, they were even lazier than normal.

    If people had been concerned about them cuddling too often before, these worries only grew now. The two of them had begun to share even more sweet declarations of eternal love. To Leonard''s dismay, they didn''t care much whether they were alone or being watched. In both cases, they just began telling each other about their devotion whenever the chance came up. Most people assumed that this had happened because of the revolt and the couple''s fear of losing one another. But of course, no one could guess the real reason.

    Blanche spent each moment making sure that her lover didn''t doubt that she belonged to him entirely for even a single second. It wasn''t hard to offer all of her when he gave so much. Theodore indulged her even more than before, and her complaints about it being too much were ignored. So, she accepted his affection, his gifts and his vows. But she insisted on returning something each time.

    When they took walks, she held his hand. When they ate, she fed him too. When she had received a gift, she would cuddle with him until she felt like they had enough, which never seemed to happen.

    It would take a while to convince him that he didn''t need to live with guilt, but she was sure that she would manage to persuade him at some point. She would just shower him with her love until he understood. What was more important than anything else was that they were happy. Nothing stood between them anymore, and the both of them wouldn''t accept anything else from now on. Each one knew what the other knew, and the only exceptions were surprise presents. It was wonderful to not be forced to hide anything anymore.

    Not only the relationship between the couple was harmonious.

    The rest of the people around them were recovering from the revolt as well and eagerly looked forward to the next events. Even if some servants might have been stressed because of the sudden decision.

    Leon, especially, had to deal with most things and contact the high priests to ensure that they would take care of the ceremony in the temple. The secretary acted like he was much more annoyed than ever before, but he couldn''t help smiling when he thought that the couple wasn''t looking. He was truly happy for them, which earned him a lot of jokes about him needing a lover himself.

    Owen stayed by the concubine''s side as always, which thankfully meant that he also protected the emperor at the same time. The knight was as calm as usual, but he was forced to speak a bit more now because of this talkative colleague.

    Noah seemed rather content with his new position. After the revolt, he had apologized for not being able to do much during the attack and for giving his sword away. He admitted to having done that out of fear that the concubine would hurt herself with it after Cedar had pointed it out. He voiced his regret for a while until he had been told that it was fine and had been relieved. Since then, he had become even more overprotective and swore to protect the couple more often than necessary. But at the same time, he stayed cheerful and blabbered a lot, which caused Owen to join in sometimes too.

    Stella was rather content with that development. After all, she could finally talk to someone even when her fellow maids were busy cuddling. She was still as eager to serve her mistress though. And most importantly, she was completely healthy and genuinely seemed happy. The maid had reacted a bit surprised upon having Blanche hug her as soon as they saw each other the morning after the concubine had found out the truth. That she had been asked to always take care of her herself and never get hurt confused her even more, but she had gladly returned the embrace.

    Angelica and Darlene happily used their free time during their job to cuddle and do some things for which they hadn''t had time before. They had needed some time to calm down after the attack, and especially Darlene had been a bit too worried about the palace''s safety afterward. Thankfully, they had calmed down after a few days passed, which might have been connected to all their friends being fine.

    George apparently had been with most of the servants in the breakfast room near their quarters, where he hadn''t been in any danger. He had been shocked too but recovered way quicker than some of his colleagues.

    Clark had gotten over the incident even faster though. He had been in the cellar to visit Harris during the attack. None of the mercenaries had truly cared for the cells, so the both of them hadn''t noticed much except for the knights telling them to stay quiet.

    Harris had been released a day later, and thanks to the emperor''s official explanation of him being a spy that was sent to infiltrate the enemy, his reputation was as flawless as before. He had started to work again and spent time with Clark and George as well as the concubine''s maids when they had been forced to take a day off. It seemed like they would get along well despite their problems a while ago.

    Luckily, there weren''t any problems with the criminals either.

    Even though Theodore had offered to have one more conversation in hopes of clearing up some misunderstandings, Cedar had departed a day after the doctor had treated his wound and only left behind a note that said that he wished the couple the best for the future. He had added that he would need to find a better shovel if he wanted to change a riverbed now too, which seemed to show a little hope for him. Though, that he refused to even speak to his brother indicated that things might take a while.

    Camille had been sent after him two weeks later. Apparently, the dowager empress had demanded to see the emperor, but she was refused without any further comments. Theodore had already begun to prepare some ugly gifts for her, so it seemed like her life would only go downhill from here on out.

    To Blanche''s surprise, some mercenaries were brought to a prison in the south instead of being executed. It seemed like Theodore was serious about changing the laws in regard to the death sentence and wanted to limit its use to only absolutely urgent cases. Though, about half of the responsible ones had been found guilty of treason against the entirety of Artias and had been executed anyway. It was no surprise with how dangerous this attack had been, even if the royal guards hadn''t had any losses.

    Sefare had been sent away as well. Due to Claude''s sudden death and Camille''s imprisonment, his testimony hadn''t been necessary anymore, so he had left the nation without a trial. He seemed to believe that he could build a new life, but of course, he would be imprisoned. The concubine had been pleased with not seeing him again, so she naturally didn''t feel bad about him being treated like that either.

    Things were slowly getting wrapped up as the last decisions regarding their former problems were made, which created a satisfying feeling. Even outside the palace, everything seemed to go well. Slowly, letters from all nobles began to arrive as they wished the emperor the best and promised their loyalty once again. Many also announced their presence at the events they had been invited to. It seemed like no one was outright refusing the invitation because they disliked a commoner as the empress, which was a pleasant surprise. This hinted that there might not be too many problems for the concubine when she went into politics, and that raised her mood even more.

    That Blanche was able to prepare her wedding with Theodore was enough to make her euphoric. But the fact that everything around her was wonderful made her question whether feeling so ecstatic the whole time was even healthy. Her friends were well. Artias flourished. Her lover was with her and wanted to marry her. It was almost too perfect to seem realistic. Her greatest worry right now was whether she wanted red roses or violet tulips in the vases, which proved how content she was. After she hadn''t needed to ponder unpleasant things for a while, she even asked herself how long that would go on.

    She regretted that a tiny bit just a few days later.

    <hr>

    Upon wondering about decisions, Blanche had immediately evoked that she would have to make one again. But even after staring at the letter for minutes, she still wasn''t sure. ¡°Theo, I don''t know.¡± She whined again and chewed on her cookie to distract herself.

    Theodore gazed at the envelope as if he was watching a disgusting parasite. ¡°I should really not tell you my opinion on this matter. Because you know that I would like to burn it along with the sender.¡± He lifted his cup and drank a sip while still eyeing the letter with caution. He had made sure to let someone check whether it was safe before but still seemed to distrust it. That only proved how little he trusted Seraphina.

    Blanche rested her chin on her palm and picked the envelope up to hold it against the light. ¡°It may be good that Ocrea is so far away. Then I don''t have to worry about you making that threat a reality. She already needs to deal with her husband''s sister, and that is bad enough. In any case, I would argue that I made a big mistake on my part here. She said that she wanted to exchange letters, and I agreed, so I should have expected this. I forgot, and now I''m not sure. I should read the letter, shouldn''t I?¡±

    Her lover carefully reached over to remove a crumb from her lips while he replied. ¡°You heard my answer. I wouldn''t touch it. I cannot speak for you though. This is about what you want to do. Do you want to read it?¡±

    The concubine tilted her head and sighed. It shouldn''t be hard for her to listen to what she herself wanted. But she didn''t know what she wanted, which was the main problem here.¡°I''m indecisive. I can''t ignore the letters of Northern Ocrea''s future queen. We will have to consult with her at some point anyway. I mean...if you won''t even invite her to diplomatic meetings, we need to write letters, right?¡±

    Theodore''s expression was enough of an answer. ¡°I would never ever allow that wretched thing to take a step into our nation ever again. She can rot over there. I won''t even consider interacting with her through letters. Linden is there too, so I''ll write him. He knows that his wife and I will never get along. I warned him about trying to bring her here again, so he definitely understood.¡± It wasn''t surprising that he had taken such precautions at all.

    Blanche gave him a small smile and patted his hand to calm him down before tearing open the letter. ¡°I will read it to make sure that everything is fine with Linden.¡± She unfolded the papers that had been inside the envelope and began to skim through the pages.

    Of course, Seraphina had once again written everything in beautiful cursive letters that conveyed a sense of grace. Apparently, the former empress was skilled in writing letters. At least these wouldn''t cause someone''s downfall.

    The concubine''s expression darkened for a moment before she focused on reading. ¡°They arrived in Ocrea without issues and used a bird to bring this here faster. They were greeted by many happy citizens and went to the palace. Linden''s father seems to already have accepted her as his son''s beloved, and he will gladly support their marriage. The wedding will happen in a week.¡± She let out a snort. ¡°Who thought that the diligent empress would go through with something like this so quickly?¡± She paused to read a bit further ahead before resuming. ¡°She met Linden''s sister. They hate each other.¡±

    Theodore scanned the letter with narrowed eyes as he drank a sip of his tea. When he set down the cup, he replied. ¡°That''s not surprising. Power-hungry people either group together to use each other or become mortal enemies. The both of them are just as cunning, so it''s not surprising that they saw through the other''s facade. Maybe they will crush each other now.¡±

    Blanche looked up from the paper for a few seconds. ¡°I thought we wanted her to win for Linden. Then both losing isn''t good. We''ll need to see her as a person and as a political figure separately.¡± She continued to read again. ¡°She liked Ocrea until now, but she didn''t do much yet. Linden''s family, except for the sister and her creepy guard, seems to be nice. She visited a doctor and consulted him about your advice. Apparently, they will look into it. She thanks you for thinking about her child.¡± Blanche waited for Theodore to frown before resuming. ¡°She also wrote that she knows that this isn''t because you care about her but rather for Linden, but she thanks you anyway. Then she went on to talk about the landscape and how the capital looks. We both know that already though...and she added something about...¡± The concubine paused and read it again. Then she slowly let her eyes wander to her lover.

    Theodore immediately recognized what that meant. ¡°What did she write?¡±

    Blanche lowered the letter and put it away before responding. ¡°She said that her brother dreamed about me dying a few times and how he always felt incredibly guilty afterward. Sometimes, he apparently saw the butterfly ornament too, which is why he asked me about it once. We knew that, and she just gave more details. But the other part may be a bit more....well. You knew that she dreamed about feeling guilty, right? Well, she saw my grave and how you died on it. Last time, she said that she had no idea who the people there were. Now she admitted that she believes that we were the actors in that dream. But it sounds like she still has no idea why she dreamed that. She drinks her herb tea daily now and won''t get any nightmares anymore, so she won''t find out anything more either.¡±

    The emperor''s eyes flickered with wrath. ¡°Good for her. You can write that this will save her life. If she ever remembers, she should give her best not to let us notice, or she will get what she deserves. And then she will regret ever being born.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The concubine patted his hand again. ¡°She doesn''t remember. I''m pretty sure that she wouldn''t have been so confused by all of this then. She also wouldn''t have opened up to me of all people if she did know. She would probably have run away if she remembered.¡±

    ¡°Which would have been her only way to survive.¡± Theodore held her hand tighter and picked up a cookie with his other hand to bring it to her mouth. Even while he was fuming, he thought about feeding her, which she gladly accepted. After all, eating while she needed to think about her decision was best.

    Blanche still didn''t know whether she wanted to respond. If she personally began exchanging letters with the person that had caused her doom in the past world, it would feel somewhat strange. As the empress, she would certainly need to write to Seraphina, but that wouldn''t include any private information like the other woman''s thoughts about the people in Ocrea. But at the same time, the concubine was uncertain whether being cold to a person that didn''t even remember their huge conflict was a good idea.

    Blanche was unsure in general, especially since she feared that her lover would misunderstand her decision. If she treated the events of the past as solved problems, her choice should be obvious. She had never once blamed Theodore for anything that had happened in that other world. To her, he didn''t deserve to be blamed for anything either, even if she admitted that her judgment might be a tiny bit clouded when it came to him.

    She saw Seraphina as the main responsible one. So, not forgiving that woman was different to her than forgiving her lover. Still, ignoring the former empress could make Theodore think that she was upset with him in some way too. On the other hand, writing to the new queen could make him believe that she didn''t condemn Seraphina for manipulating and drugging him, bringing the couple apart and framing the concubine for treason.

    Blanche sighed again and admitted defeat. It had been five minutes, and she was already drained from not cuddling. So, she gave up and moved her chair closer to her lover to lean her head on his shoulder. ¡°Theo, I''m overthinking it again. I feel like each decision will make people that aren''t directly involved jump to the wrong conclusions. Tell my brain to stop.¡±

    Theodore wrapped his arms around her as soon as she came closer to him and whispered to her. ¡°If you worry about what I think, you can calm down. I won''t read anything into your actions nor feel offended because of that. I certainly wouldn''t be happy if you became friends with that woman, but you can write her if you want to. You can use that to get information from Ocrea so that we can react quickly if trouble is developing there.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think that you need to worry about me getting close to her. We talked more often near the end, but I was always a bit tense in her presence. So, writing is the closest I''m going to get.¡± Blanche took a deep breath and let her whole body fall toward her lover, who caught her with ease. She turned her head up and scanned the ceiling for a moment before she continued. ¡°I think I will write her occasionally. I can be a little nice in my letters. It won''t be anything special nor do I plan on writing often, but it would be good to be in contact with Ocrea''s queen.¡± And she would feel bad about promising to write and then not doing it.

    Theodore gently combed through her hair with his fingers. ¡°I thought so. We have enough letters and pens in the office, so it would be easier to write there. It can wait until we work tomorrow, right? She surely won''t mind waiting one more day, will she?¡±

    The concubine nodded. ¡°Of course. I could even wait another day after that. But I will just do it tomorrow before I forget. I can collect ideas for what to write already. After all, I have no idea what I want to tell her. Nothing here is...¡± She paused before realizing that this was completely stupid. ¡°Actually, many things happened. I think I can write a lot. It will feel good to announce that our enemies are gone.¡± She grinned at that, and her smile only widened when Theodore offered her a cookie.

    He beamed at her too. ¡°It''s good if you''re eager to spread good news, but don''t we have other priorities? Our engagement party, for example. We have five days left, my angel. That''s not much. We have to make some final decisions. Like whether you want roses or tulips. The gardeners from the capital are about to despair because they don''t want to prepare both to throw them away afterward.¡±

    Blanche grimaced at that. ¡°I know. But if we have decorations in the royal colors, red roses aren''t fitting. We would need blue ones.¡± She paused at this thought and couldn''t help but imagine it. ¡°Does that exist? Did someone already create blue roses?¡±

    Her lover chuckled and tapped her nose. ¡°Of course. And before you ask, yes, the vendors will certainly give the emperor some if I ask. Does that mean that you want blue roses? And red ones for the wedding since the decorations will be white then?¡±

    Blanche imagined that for a moment and quickly began nodding. The venue would look so beautiful that she herself would probably be impressed. And she would be having her engagement party there. She couldn''t keep herself from beaming at her lover. ¡°Theo, I still can''t believe that we will get married. I''m so happy.¡± She wrapped her arms around him and gladly accepted him patting her head. ¡°Then I can finally say that I''m your wife and call you my husband. And I can announce that you are mine without sounding audacious.¡± She stopped Theodore before he could refute that. ¡°I know that I can already say that, but then I can do it with more elegance. I just have to say ¡®my husband¡¯, and everyone will know. And then I can grab your arm and tell them that it''s part of the protocol.¡±

    To be honest, she hadn''t really cared about that in the past months either, but now it would be official, and she loved that.

    Theodore hummed at her while caressing her scalp until it began tingling. ¡°You do have to keep in mind that you being able to do that is not related to your title as my wife. You always had a claim on me. And now it will be lawful too. I can''t help but look forward to signing the contract too, even if that seems like the boring part. And before that, we will have our ceremony. Just imagining you in your white dress is enough to make my heart skip a beat.¡±

    Blanche''s eyes were probably shining when she added to that. ¡°You will wear a uniform and wait for me at the altar. I can barely imagine how handsome you will look. Everyone will be jealous when they see you because you are too charming when you put on your soft smile. And you be there only for me. We''ll exchange our rings and our vows. And then we will finally be together and bound by law. I''m sure that Leon is already in the middle of writing our contract.¡±

    Her lover let out a quiet laugh. ¡°He was already finished. But then I had some more ideas, and he needed to revise it. I want to make sure of one thing after all. This contract will not be broken in any way. As soon as we sign, we are married for eternity. Divorce will be literally illegal and impossible. Which means that no one can ever do anything about this union. I was so extreme because I can now technically accuse someone that tells us to end our marriage of encouraging a crime. Just so that I have an excuse to deal with anyone that is stupid enough to make us angry. I also wanted that no one can ever question your position, so I once again needed to ensure that you can use my power in a legal way too. You will have the chance to sign with my name, you know? That is the best I can do at this point in time. But in five years, you will have the same amount of power as me anyway. Then the empress and emperor will be equal.¡±

    Blanche raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Last time you told me about that, you talked about a decade. How did the time span get shorter by five years?¡±

    Theodore grinned at her. ¡°I''m efficient. And I have to admit that I''m impatient. I want to make sure that you get what you deserve as soon as possible. Then no one will ever question whether the emperor truly loves his wife. Whether he would do absolutely anything for her and offer the whole world to her. Everyone will be convinced of me being a fool for you.¡± He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss onto the back of her hand. ¡°We will be known in history as the royal couple that loved each other more than anything else.¡±

    She didn''t doubt that he would actually try to make sure that this happened. And judging by his plans for their wedding, their celebrations alone would prove that he adored his wife. Blanche was still overwhelmed when she heard how big the festivities would get, but she couldn''t think about that much. She would need to focus on hosting and talking to the guests after all. Only thinking about that was enough to make her want to beam with joy and shiver with nervousness at the same time.

    Blanche linked her fingers with her lover''s and gave him a bright smile. ¡°I think that our engagement party will already be named the most wasteful event in history. And that you want a week-long banquet for our wedding will definitely be special too. Believe me...no one will forget. We cuddle way too much in public, so the rumors won''t ever subside.¡±

    Her lover gently stroked over her hand. ¡°That is a good thing. Every single person in Artias, no, on the whole continent should stop doubting my commitment to you. We''ll have the most wonderful wedding you can imagine. Everyone will be jealous, and then we will finally be married after a long ceremony. During that time, we will have enough chances to prove how much we love each other. Even the priest will be taken aback by how happy we are, and the guests will be impressed by our beautiful party.¡±

    Blanche didn''t doubt that. She was already excited, and she only became happier with each day. Taking care of the preparations was extremely satisfying, so she loved involving herself in the planning. Everything should be perfect in the end, and all the people around them worked for that. The hardest part was mostly making choices for what she wanted to have since the other options were always tempting as well.

    The concubine sighed and leaned her head against her lover. ¡°I feel like both my head and heart are going to burst before we even reach that day. I get so nervous just while thinking about it that I could faint. I''m worried about our preparations. There is so much on my mind that still needs to be taken care of, it''s ridiculous. At the same time, I get euphoric whenever I remember that I will marry you. So, it''s hard to decide what I''m feeling. I only know that I''m concerned about everything going wrong. I don''t want to ruin our day by doing something inappropriate. What if I forget my vows?¡±

    She could imagine how she would trip over her own words and end up embarrassing herself when it was her turn to tell her lover how much she cared for him. She would end up crying if that happened. Well, she would probably already be crying before that too, so it might not change too much.

    Theodore grinned at her and poked her nose. ¡°Are you sure that you are the one that has to worry about that? I think I will start sobbing as soon as I see you in your wedding dress as you walk toward me. Leon will definitely make fun of me. I swear to the gods that I will pay him back if he dares to joke around during our party.¡±

    Blanche smiled back. ¡°He won''t dare to do that. You know that he is happy to help us even if he always acts like he is offended. He even offered to bring me to the altar. I think he is the most suitable person to do that. I could also ask Owen, but in the end, he will probably bring me to the room already.¡±

    Normally, the father would bring his daughter to the altar, but in her case, that was sadly impossible. So, she would gladly accept the offer and let the secretary lead her to Theodore. She was sure that Leon would be careful about doing anything that could cause problems even if he joked around constantly.

    Blanche chuckled when she imagined that and spoke up. ¡°Even if Leon may try to make fun of us for crying, you know how flawless his attitude in public is. He won''t do anything too bad. If he does, I will just cry and make him feel guilty.¡±

    The emperor finished drinking his tea and set the cup down on the table. ¡°I don''t doubt that you have your ways to make him regret trying to annoy us. But I can assure you that I would be much more drastic. Even if he is my friend, he won''t ever be allowed to do anything during our wedding.¡± He gave her a smile. ¡°I''m pretty sure that he is very happy too though. After all, he likes you, and having an empress he gets along with is wonderful for him. In addition, he absolutely despised the Duremonts from the very beginning, and his intuition was right. So, he will be glad to see that you are by my side.¡±

    Blanche paused for a short moment and finished the last cookie before becoming a bit more serious. ¡°Say... Did you ever tell him and Owen anything about that other world? You trust them a lot too, and they probably would have done their best to help.¡±

    Thankfully, her lover''s smile didn''t disappear despite her question. ¡°I didn''t tell them. That would have sounded a bit too strange for them. But I did give them hints about specific things. I warned them about every dangerous person and pointed out the political issues we need to take care of. For example, I told Owen to never duel Cedar''s personal guard. In the end, he luckily never had the chance. He was a bit confused about what I said, but he accepted it. Leon believed me too, but he was a bit more open about wanting to know the reason why I suddenly changed my mind about some people. But he never questioned that we would crush anyone that tried to hurt you.¡±

    The concubine showed him a little smile. ¡°Then I guess that I need to thank him for that in a less obvious way. Maybe I should bring food for him in return a few times. But then I will have to get something for my lover too, or he will get jealous.¡±

    Theodore brought his face closer to hers and kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°Very jealous. You can''t forget about me. I will gladly remind you though.¡± His lips wandered to her ear, and he ghosted a few kisses onto the side of her neck.

    She tilted her head to give him some leeway until he suddenly stopped.

    Theodore met her confused expression with a grin. ¡°We wanted to take a walk in the garden, didn''t we? If I start now, we won''t stop any time soon. Should we really end our day early just because of a few kisses?¡±

    Blanche glanced at the window and pressed her lips into a thin line. Surely, they had wanted to go out, but right now, she didn''t have the motivation to do so. After sitting here so comfortably, she didn''t want to get changed and leave the room. When they went out, the same as always would happen anyway. They would walk around while holding hands and cuddling until they sat down in the pavilion. That would lead to more cuddling. In the end, Theodore would carry her to their room, and it would create the same outcome.

    She turned her attention back to her lover and brushed her fingers over his upper arm. ¡°I almost forgot. We still need to decide which food we want during our wedding too. And we need to order the flowers now that we know what we will use. And the garlands have to be bought too. I think we need to contact a jeweler that will take a look at the crowns as well. There is so much to do. Will we even finish that today?¡± Obviously, they still have over two weeks to do that, but exaggerating made her intention clear. ¡°I don''t know if I have the energy left to do all of that.¡± Blanche let her head sink onto her lover''s lap in a dramatic gesture. ¡°I''m so exhausted. I can''t move a single one of my muscles. If we go out, you will have to carry me.¡±

    Her lover knew very well what her plan was. He smirked at her as he patted her head. ¡°You will begin nibbling on my neck as soon as I do that. And then it''s only a matter of seconds until we go back to our room. Very well, we will stay here for the rest of the day. We can come up with something else to do. But if you are exhausted, that will be hard. Or do you want to want me to distract you a bit from your tiredness? I could help you relax.¡±

    The concubine inwardly congratulated herself and gave him a little smile. ¡°Yes, please. Maybe you could give me a massage in bed. That would sound good. And I would guess that it will busy us for a while. Would you do me the honor?¡± She asked that without actually needing to wait for the response.

    ¡°Gladly. Do you think that there would ever be a time in which I would be able to resist such a sweet offer?¡± Theodore took his hand off her head and let her sit up so that he could stand up too. He bowed down to pick her up and carried her the few steps to the bed, where he slowly laid her down. Then he followed her and scanned her expression with a smirk. ¡°You are too adorable. I need some recognition for being able to work even with you sitting next to me.¡±

    Blanche brought her hand to the backside of his head and pulled him toward her. ¡°I will give you all the recognition you could want.¡±

    As their lips met, it was once again obvious that they were going to enjoy this to the fullest for the rest of the day. And not only for this day.

    They would stay together for the rest of their lives, and nothing would be able to separate them.

    <hr>

    The preparations for the engagement party went smoothly, so the day of the celebration arrived soon.

    As Theodore had announced, every important noble from Artias had been invited, which meant that the festivities were bigger than for a normal ball. The decorations were so gorgeous that everyone had to have been jealous upon seeing them, and the buffet was as rich as it could be expected of the royal chefs.

    To Blanche''s relief, no one complained about her becoming the emperor''s wife during the whole party. Instead, everyone tried to leave a good impression, which was a bit exhausting but more pleasant than being cursed. Still, the number of gifts they received was overwhelming. Blanche accepted every single piece with a bright smile even though she was sure that she wouldn''t ever touch some of the presents ever again. There were some very extravagant things among the gifts that even she didn''t find beautiful anymore. But the people had obviously given their best, and she had managed to act at least a little happy. That wasn''t too hard when she knew that this was the celebration that honored her union with Theodore. This made smiling rather easy even while she was showered with random compliments by people she had never met. Still, she was relieved when the party ended and she could lie down with her lover.

    Many guests spent a night in the palace afterward and bid them farewell the next morning. After that, it only took a few hours until the last person had left, and the servants began cleaning the ballroom and the garden.

    Almost instantly, the preparations for the wedding began. While the ceremony would happen in the temple, the rest of the celebrations, including the coronation, would be held here again in the ballroom. Then there would be no break for seven days full of festivities, so they needed to have everything ready before the first day. This meant that the servants were busy the whole time and ran around the palace even more than usual.

    To Blanche, all of this felt weird. She still couldn''t truly believe that her greatest dream would become reality now. She would become Theodore''s wife and didn''t need to worry about them being harmed by anyone else. She had him for herself, and the people around them supported the couple. It was almost too perfect to be real.

    But as she thought that, another month passed in the blink of an eye.

    <hr>

    The day had finally come.

 Chapter 334: The Bride

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 Chapter 335: The Ceremony (1)

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 Chapter 336: The Ceremony (2)

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 Chapter 337: Meeting Our Citizens

    Blanche almost felt like she was in a daze. It was too wonderful to be real. She was really Theodore''s wife now. He was her husband. She shared his last name now and belonged to his family. They had grasped their happiness this time, and all the people that were gathered here accepted her. It meant that their relationship was finally official and that no one would ever dare to ask her to hide her feelings anymore. Her heart was about to burst with love. She couldn''t think about anything else but to stand up on her tiptoes to kiss her husband again.

    Theodore already waited for her and happily returned the kiss. He pulled her against him so that she barely stood on her own feet anymore and smothered her with all his affection while capturing her in an iron-like embrace. She had her arms wrapped around his back and had as little motivation to let go as he did. Even if she knew that they couldn''t stand around here for too long.

    This ceremony was only the beginning of a long and exhausting day. They would enter a carriage as soon as they left the temple and ride back to the palace. Then her coronation would be held in the ballroom, and afterward, a ball would follow. As if that wasn''t enough, they would celebrate for the next six days too. It would be more than stressful, but she couldn''t bring herself to be annoyed by this exaggerated event.

    She was married to Theodore now. It was only right for everyone to find out just how overjoyed she was. It was her wedding with the man that she loved with her whole heart. How could she not look forward to every single second even if it would be tiring to have a banquet each day for a week? It was wonderful.

    Everything was wonderful.

    Blanche could barely accept that this dream-like scenario was reality now. She was still crying and pressed herself against her lover while doing her best not to break down completely.

    Theodore slowly moved his face away, just enough so that he could look at her. He gave her the brightest smile imaginable and whispered to her. ¡°It''s finally time. You''re my wife, Blanche. Finally.¡±

    She could only nod and beam back at him. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but that would have to wait until she had calmed down a bit. For now, she was still way too emotional.

    Her lover just gave her another kiss before he linked their arms and turned to the guests. Within a moment, it got silent, and everyone bowed to the couple.

    The emperor gave them a little moment before he spoke up. ¡°I sincerely thank all of you for coming here to celebrate our union. I would like to say much more to you, but I will need to calm down a little first. I will speak to all of you to express my gratitude later. Please excuse it this once. For now, I will just invite all of you to the coronation of my lovely wife. We will return to the royal palace and continue the festivities there. Please stay safe on your way there.¡±

    Maybe Blanche should have said something too, but it was plainly impossible. She would begin to sob as soon as she opened her mouth, so she kept it closed tightly. She gave her best to keep her expression from revealing how much she would like to cry now and held back with everything she had. She would need to do this for a little while longer. After all, she had to show her face to the public now. She knew exactly what would follow during royal weddings, so she had prepared to stand on the balcony to greet the citizens that had gathered to meet their future empress.

    Theodore just said his curt greeting before turning back to her. ¡°Are you ready to go out? You don''t need to be scared when I''m by your side.¡± He gave her a soft smile that made her want to agree, but that would be a lie.

    ¡°I wish that it was this easy. I know that I''m safe, but...I''m so nervous that I feel like throwing up. This is going to be nerve-wracking.¡± Just the thought of seeing hundreds, maybe even thousands of people that came to the plaza in front of the temple to catch a glimpse of the emperor''s new wife made her feel sick. She shouldn''t be so worried when she only had to walk up the stairs and smile and wave at them, but she couldn''t help it.

    Her lover showed her a bright smile. ¡°Then I guess that I have to distract you a bit more when we''re up there. You have no right to complain about that when I do it. I will do my best to keep you from worrying.¡±

    That only made Blanche even more concerned. But she didn''t have much time to think about it.

    The priest had already approached them and bowed to them.

    Theodore was silent for a moment and seemed to consider kissing his wife again but then decided to greet the man first. ¡°You did well. You managed to cut out all the unimportant parts after all.¡±

    The high priest gave them a soft smile and folded his hands. ¡°I did my best to comply with Your Majesty''s wishes. I hope that you were content with the ceremony. We were uncertain whether it would be fine to use older traditions even though the royal family refrained from including them in their weddings for decades, but it worked out well. If I may voice such an insolent comment, I would like to express that this was the most enjoyable wedding I witnessed in a while. One can truly see that this marriage was decided because of selfless love and devotion.¡± While saying that, he actually looked like he saw this rarely, which was a bit sad.

    The emperor smiled at him and pulled his lover against his side as he replied to the priest. ¡°It was a wonderful wedding. Most likely, the most wonderful wedding Artias ever saw. That is exactly what we needed. Everyone shall see how infatuated their ruler is with his adorable wife.¡± He glanced at Blanche while saying that.

    She could barely keep herself calm. Just hearing him call her by that title filled her with joy, and she leaned her head against his arm. This probably didn''t look dignified at all, but Blanche didn''t care. Right now, she only wanted to cuddle with her lover, with her husband.

    The priest gave them the same patient smile as before and responded without hiding his joy. ¡°I do not doubt that the whole nation will celebrate your union. Upon hearing that Your Majesty finally married the woman that he loves, the citizens will be overjoyed. It is simply encouraging to find out that a marriage of love is possible even among the ones with the highest rank. I will speak for the temple today when I say that we are honored to have been allowed to bless your wedding. We are certain that the gods will protect you and give you a harmonious future.¡±

    Theodore returned the smile. ¡°We are extremely grateful for that. We will take our future into our hands though. But we still accept all the support we can get either way. I do not wish to cut the conversation short, but we will need to greet our citizens now. Please excuse us. I am sure that we will have enough chances to meet again soon.¡±

    The priest just continued to beam as he stepped aside. ¡°Of course. Goodbye, Your Majesty and his esteemed wife.¡± He bowed to them again and left Blanche slightly taken aback.

    She would have to get used to such formal titles soon, wouldn''t she? Since she hadn''t been crowned yet, she wouldn''t be called ¡®Her Majesty¡¯ for now even though she theoretically already owned that title. Addressing her like any other female member of the royal family was unfitting as well though. So, she was referred to by such a strange title. And in just a few hours, she would be called by an even more distant phrase. That would feel strange. Maybe she would ask those close to her to address her differently in private. She definitely would.

    For now, Blanche couldn''t think about that though. She needed to concentrate on keeping herself from crying in front of a huge crowd. She was getting nervous already, but she had to endure it. She waved to the priest before paying attention not to trip over her dress.

    Theodore led her forward at a slow pace, and they climbed down the few steps to the floor before walking around the altar. While the middle was shielded by a huge white wall, there were gaps on the sides which allowed the couple to step out of the huge room into one that was much smaller. There only were a few cabinets and glass stands as well as a long staircase here. They would need to climb it up soon, but for now, they took a short break.

    At least Theodore seemed to have that in mind. He came to a halt as soon as they were shielded from the others'' view and immediately pulled her into an embrace again while his lips found hers.

    Blanche wasn''t surprised at all and happily returned the kiss. She didn''t care whether her maids and Leonard were complaining inwardly. She just wanted to be with her lover right now. Obviously, she should wait until they sat in the carriage, but the both of them wouldn''t last that long. So, kissing for a bit now was just perfect. She tangled her hand in her lover''s hand and put all of her passion into the kiss.

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    When it ended, she could only look into Theodore''s eyes and tell him one thing. ¡°I love you, my husband.¡± She could see how his eyes twinkled when she said that.

    Her lover held onto her and rested his forehead against hers. ¡°I love you too. I can''t believe it. We''re finally here. I''ll introduce you as my wife to the whole world. We will finally be known as the royal couple. No one will be able to voice any concerns about us cuddling or kissing in public because we''re entitled to do so. We were from the very beginning, but now it''s really official. We will be together forever as husband and wife.¡±

    Blanche nodded happily. The corners of her lips were aching already, and still, she couldn''t stop smiling. It was too perfect. ¡°For all eternity, I will be yours, and you will be mine. I love you, Theo.¡± She wanted to say more than that and Theodore did too, but then they felt hands, on their backs.

    Leonard gave them a gentle shove as he showed them his typical smile that was supposed to show his fake annoyance. ¡°Please go ahead and greet your citizens. They have been standing there for a while now. Do what you need to do in the carriage. Come on.¡± He only stopped pushing them when the couple began moving.

    Theodore gave him a smirk and leaned over to his wife to whisper to her. ¡°Say... Doesn''t he really need a lover now? He will get lonely soon.¡±

    Blanche nodded and put on a playful grin as well. ¡°He definitely does. He can''t cling to our children later because he has nothing to do but teach them etiquette.¡± Her throat hurt a bit as she spoke, which might be related to her previous crying.

    Leonard just rolled his eyes. He sighed at them and gave them a little push again. ¡°You seriously won''t stop bothering me with that? How ridiculous. I wanted to congratulate you, but it seems that I won''t be able to do that now that you hurt my pride.¡± He pretended to sulk for a moment before he smiled at them. ¡°Congratulations on your marriage. I wish the best to both of you. May you always be happy and light up the room with your smiles. That shouldn''t be an issue as long as you are together. Now go greet the people, or they will get annoyed.¡±

    The emperor was quiet for a few seconds and just smiled at Leon, who eventually turned away. ¡°You actually think that it''s sweet that Blanche and I are like this. Admit it.¡±

    ¡°Not a million years. Hurry up.¡± Leonard vaguely gestured to the staircase and refused to reply afterward.

    Blanche chuckled quietly and wiped a few tears away before uttering her response. ¡°Thank you, Leon. We will definitely be happy.¡± By now, speaking was a bit easier, but she was sure that she would begin crying more as soon as they stepped in front of the crowd. So, she gave her best to stifle all of her sniffling now and let her lover bring her to their destination.

    Theodore began climbing up the stairs, and she walked beside him while lifting her dress to avoid stepping on it. They moved slowly, and she became more nervous with each step. It didn''t help that the guards standing next to the staircase all bowed to them. That only made her worry about seeming somewhat elegant more.

    She could see the sunlight illuminating the balcony at the end of the stairs. They had gone up half of the steps already, and still, she didn''t feel prepared at all.

    After a few seconds, Theodore slowed their pace and began talking to her. ¡°You don''t have to worry about a thing. I''m right here. Everyone will adore you, you will see. Just smile and wave at them, and they will be content. Rely on me and let me put you up on a pedestal.¡±

    Blanche gave him a smile that didn''t hide how nauseous she felt by now. ¡°My heart is beating so fast that it could jump out of my chest in a moment. My legs feel like pudding. Even if my mind tells me that it''s fine, I can''t stop worrying. Since you will be there, it will definitely be alright though. I will take a bit longer to get used to this much attention, but I will manage at some point. I will stand tall next to you and show the people that I''m a worthy empress. Now I just need to take the first hurdle. As long as you stay with me, I can do it. I can do anything if it''s for our happiness.¡±

    Theodore gave her a soft smile and kissed her cheek before he led her up the staircase again. ¡°I know. The same holds true for me. I will do anything for us. But we already overcame the biggest issues. We just need to reap what we sowed now. First, we will let the citizens admire my darling little wife, and then the nobles will swear their loyalty to you in a moment. We will prove our political knowledge after our honeymoon. There is absolutely no need to worry on this wonderful day.¡± He paused for a moment before whispering to her. ¡° I will never forget how beautiful you look in this dress. You are stunning in general, but when I saw you as you walked to the altar my heart gave in completely. This image burned itself into my mind.¡±

    Blanche''s grin only widened at that. ¡°I can tell you the same. You can''t imagine how I lost my breath upon seeing you. You smiled so brightly that I thought I was going to faint. If I could draw, I would paint a hundred paintings of your expression. But I may not need to do that if you promise to smile at me like this each day from now on.¡±

    ¡°I won''t even need to try hard to do that. If I can look at you, I will smile until my face hurts, and then I will smile even more.¡± Theodore brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss onto it. ¡°That''s what I want to show to everyone now too. Their cold emperor is unable to stop beaming when he looks at his wife. There is no way that anyone can ignore that.¡±

    Blanche let out a quiet laugh before she glanced at the end of the staircase. ¡°You don''t need to tell me that. No one ever doubted your feelings for me. Not ever since you carried me out of a full ballroom because you refused to let anyone else touch me. And I''m very much content with that. No one will ever question whether we are fully devoted to one another. You proved that, and I will prove it over and over again too. We''ll be the most adorable couple in this whole world.¡±

    She was exaggerating now. She didn''t truly care whether other people believed them all that much. Surely, it was great if people knew that they couldn''t convince Theodore to marry another woman. But all in all, it only mattered that he and Blanche knew that. Still, it would be pleasant to be free to show the public how much they adored each other. That thought made her look forward to seeing the citizens a little bit.

    But the moment that they reached the top of the staircase, she worried again. Was she really fine as the empress? As the person that others looked up to?

    Her questions were blown away by Theodore''s radiant smile. ¡°You are heavenly in every aspect. They will cheer for you. Trust me.¡±

    Blanche gave his hand a little squeeze before returning the smile. ¡°I do. I trust your every word. Then I guess that I need to expect them to love me now.¡± She didn''t actually do that, but motivating herself couldn''t be bad. ¡°Even if they don''t, you are with me. I will be fine.¡±

    The couple stepped onto the balcony, and the blinding sunlight shone onto them. In an instant, it seemed to get quiet, and the previous chattering stopped. Blanche took a moment to brace herself before she gazed at the crowd.

    The plaza in front of the temple was full of people. There had to be at least a thousand pairs of eyes that were staring at her, if not more. She froze for a moment. It was a lot to take in. She couldn''t make out anyone, of course, but just seeing so many people was touching in some way. Before she could think about that though, the silence was wiped away by noises.

    The people below the balcony were loud. It was impossible to understand what they were yelling, but the mood was easy to read. They were happy. The crowd cheered, some applauded, and the ones that stood close enough that she could see their faces were smiling. It looked like even kids were present during this celebration, and they yelled with as much vigor as their parents. The atmosphere here was much more pleasant than she could ever have imagined. It was wonderful and hard to put into words. But the fact that the people here cheered for her was enough to make Blanche tear up again as she gave them a bright smile.

    Theodore brought his mouth next to her ear and wrapped his arms around her from behind as he whispered to her. ¡°Didn''t I tell you? Everyone here admires you. The woman that arrived in the palace like in a fairy tale and captured the cold emperor''s heart is greeted with all their enthusiasm. That a commoner will become empress means more to them than you can imagine. It won''t destroy the gap between nobles and commoners, but it gives them the confidence to believe that they will do better in the future. Even if my father did a lot and I gave my best to improve their situation, there is still a lot to do. I want to take care of that along with you. We will create the best version of our nation that we can. We will lead Artias into the most wonderful future together.¡±

    Blanche turned her head to him and gave him a wide smile through her tears. ¡°Yes. Yes, let us do that. I love you, I love you so much. And I love this country too. I will do my best to help anyone within Artias. I promise you that I will become a good empress to those people.¡± She gazed at the crowd again and lifted her hand to wave at them.

    When she received countless greetings back, she was almost overwhelmed for a second. Those people didn''t know her at all. How could they be so trusting? Just because a commoner woman married the emperor, that didn''t make her a good person. If a vile woman was in her place, it could cause a lot of problems.

    Blanche was glad that she had this position now. She definitely wasn''t as experienced in politics as many others, but she wasn''t alone. She would live up to the expectation of the people. Blanche would learn all she needed to make good decisions for this nation, and everything would be just fine. She was convinced of that for the first time. With Theodore by her side, she would do well and become an empress that her citizens could be proud of.

    With that thought in mind, she beamed at the people below the balcony and gave her best to show them that she intended to work hard for them. She almost didn''t notice when Theodore moved next to her. At first, it seemed like he would say something, but it was obviously too loud for that. He had a completely different idea. After giving her a smirk, he leaned closer to her and kissed her.

    To her surprise, that only caused the people to cheer louder.

    Blanche froze for a moment before melting into the kiss as always. If the spectators were happy about this, she didn''t need to worry about what they were thinking. She just relaxed in her lover''s arms and let him take over the kiss until he slowly pulled back. Then she stood up on her tiptoes to steal another short kiss from him before she gazed at the people again.

    Theodore rested his chin on her shoulder as he whispered to her once more. ¡°Did you hear that? They know that we love each other, and they are happy about that. To them, we probably look like a fairy tale couple. We are as close as one could be, and we will bring the nation as much hope as one would expect in a fairy tale as well.¡±

    She hugged her lover''s arms, which were still wrapped around her body, and replied in a soft tone. ¡°But this isn''t a story. We are in reality right now. All of this is like a dream, but it''s real. And we are here together with nothing but happiness waiting for us. I will never let go of this wonderful future.¡±

    Her lover kissed her ear. ¡°Good. Because I won''t do that either. I''ve been waiting for this too long. And it seems like we weren''t the only ones anticipating this. Look at all the people cheering for us. We will return their kindness by making our country flourish. To do that, we will crown you the empress in just a few hours. Let''s not make everyone wait for too long.¡±

    Blanche watched the people with a bright smile and waved to them again. ¡°Just a bit longer. They came here all the way to see us. Let us greet them properly if we can''t express our thanks vocally.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then we will let them see our cuddling for a bit more.¡± Neither Theodore nor Blanche minded that one bit, and the citizens only seemed to be content with that as well.

    In the end, the couple stood on the balcony for much longer than expected. It would have felt odd to Blanche to just leave, so she insisted on staying there for a few minutes to wave to the people. Her anxiety had almost completely disappeared after seeing their reaction, so the rest of the scene on the balcony was rather relaxing. For a moment, she had been sure that the commoner''s support would keep her motivated and confident the whole day.

    Unfortunately, she didn''t manage to keep that stance for long. The coronation would make all of her nervousness boil up again soon enough. Yet, she knew that she would always do her best.

 Chapter 338: Coronation

    The carriage ride back to the palace had been full of cuddling and love confessions. Blanche was content just resting her head on her husband''s chest and gladly talked to him the whole time. She was still euphoric because of their wedding and couldn''t keep herself from smiling for even a single moment.

    When they arrived at the palace and needed to change for the coronation, her panic came back though. Maybe it was because she wore such a lavish dress in the royal colors with a navy velvet cape and a sash. Her attire was definitely one an empress would wear, even more so than usual, and that made her understand how serious this was. She gave her best to push away the underlying worries about whether she was even competent enough to deal with politics and being the most powerful woman in the nation. But it was rather hard.

    Even when she stood next to Theodore, who was dressed up with as many symbols of influence as she was. The only difference was that he wore a crown. Not just some crown but the main one. The family heirloom of the Estien household, which every emperor wore for the most special occasions.

    And in just a few minutes, Blanche would have the exemplar for the empress on her head. No matter how much she thought about it, it was ridiculous. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and let out the dozenth sigh of the past minutes.

    Her lover gave her an encouraging smile and patted her hand. ¡°I know how you feel. It was horrible for me during my coronation too, even though I was raised as the crown prince and used to attention from the public. But you have me by your side now, so it will be fine. I will lead you through the whole ceremony. It''s not even that long, so you can relax as soon as we put the crown on your head. Before that, I will just talk about how much I love you for a while. That isn''t boring to listen to, right?¡±

    Blanche would like to say that this calmed her, but that unfortunately wasn''t the case. ¡°I have to admit that I still don''t feel very comfortable with this thought. Even if I adore hearing how much you love me, I won''t feel calm at all. We won''t be alone, you know? Every single noble from the capital is here and even some others. If I remember correctly, every important aristocrat of our nation will be present, right? You even bragged about that, so you can''t deny it. And I have to step in front of them and claim that I will be the person that stands on top of their society. As a young woman that wasn''t raised as the future ruler of Artias, I have to say that I''m worried. I need to stay strong from now on and always keep a dignified appearance in public to show that we deserve respect, but I''m already messing up now. How is that supposed to work?¡±

    Theodore turned to her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you actually think that they will disrespect you if you show any weaknesses? You should know that that isn''t true. I openly revealed how much I care for you countless times. Then I even carried you through the whole palace while you were unconscious. I can assure you that I didn''t look dignified when all I could do was search for the doctor in a panic. There were a lot of incidents that included me not being as calm as I should have been, and no one dares to disrespect me. If anyone annoys you, just glare at them. If that doesn''t help, ask if they want to insult the royal family. That shuts up most people. I''ll deal with the rest.¡±

    ¡°I don''t doubt that. But I will need to start relying on my own confidence more. I need to become a bit more...¡± She paused and searched for the right word. ¡°Well, like a ruler. I want to be an empress that can actually stand up for herself and the nation. So, I will have to do some things by myself. If that is my goal, I will need to go through the coronation without breaking down though.¡± She showed him a nervous smile and took a deep breath.

    It would be fine. She only had to do what she did during the last balls and accept the crown after swearing that she would do the best for the nation. It wasn''t that hard at all. Telling herself that didn''t calm her down much though.

    Theodore seemed to notice that very quickly. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose before stroking over her head. ¡°There is no need to be so nervous. I will be the one crowning you, so everything will go perfectly. If we bring this behind us, we only have six days of celebrations in front of us.¡± A smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°And the wedding night, of course. You could just look forward to that if you want to distract yourself.¡±

    Blanche let out a snort at that. ¡°That will just keep me from focusing on the ceremony. I can''t suddenly blush when you ask me whether I want to be your empress. But the idea is tempting.¡± She let her fingers trail over his collar. ¡°This time, I don''t have to drag you out, right? I can just leave with you without beginning a big fight with the Duremonts. Because you are legally mine too.¡±

    Her lover let his lips brush over her forehead before replying. ¡°Don''t think about them during our wedding day. This is about us. And this time, everything is perfect. I will bring you out myself. I could also carry you if you want that. That may be more effective than us just silently leaving. And...¡± He caught her hand, pressed a kiss onto her fingertips and lowered their hands again while interlocking their fingers. ¡°If you aren''t careful, I might also insist on us leaving earlier because I can''t wait. I don''t mind that, but you may find that a bit embarrassing. So, don''t smile at me too sweetly.¡±

    Blanche grinned at him while trying to hide that she would sink into the floor in shame if he actually did that. ¡°Then I already messed up, didn''t I? I think I smiled at you the whole day already. But I can calm you. Do you think I can even feel embarrassed? I was the one that stole you during the last royal wedding in the most brazen way imaginable. Now I''m finally your lawful wife. So, it seems like my impudence paid off. Shouldn''t I be even more insolent now if I want to obtain something?¡±

    Theodore brought his hand to the back of her head. ¡°Don''t tempt me. I will not break my promise if I tell you that I will ask you to leave earlier with me today. But since I know very well how you would react if I...¡± He paused and continued in a whisper that made a shiver run down her spine. ¡°Told them that I couldn''t hold back anymore because my sweet wife is irresistible in great detail...¡± He spoke at a normal volume again. ¡°I will force myself to endure it until the ball ends. I refuse to reveal how adorable you are to anyone else. You''re all mine. I don''t mind showing you that tonight, but we will have to be a little patient.¡±

    When he pulled back, Blanche didn''t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Surely, it wasn''t a good idea to kiss too passionately when they had to enter the ballroom in a moment, but she would have liked to tease her lover a bit. Especially since she knew that he would definitely return the favor later. But for now, it was probably better if they progressed with the event. Still, she wanted a small reward now.

    Blanche gave him a peck before showing him a bright smile. ¡°Then I guess that we have to deal with the exhaustion for a while. It''s just a party without a determined ending, so it should be fine. It''s not like some of the guests will probably drink until it''s five o''clock in the morning. Do you want to wait until then, Theo? Can you really be patient until the early morning?¡±

    Her lover shrugged. ¡°I don''t have to. They can go on for the whole week if they want to. But we don''t need to be there too. We will retreat at midnight no matter what. Maybe even before that but not later. I refuse to give up our wedding night, but we still need to sleep a bit. Tomorrow, we will have a banquet, so we need to have recovered from today a little. And since my wife is very tired if she doesn''t get enough sleep, we have to make sure that she goes to bed at some point.¡±

    Blanche tapped his chest and looked up at him with a fake pout. ¡°Whose fault is it that I go to sleep so late? It''s yours. So, it''s only right if you are the one that wakes me up too. You will need to take responsibility anyway.¡± She gave in to the urge to beam at him at this point. ¡°Since it''s our wedding night, it will be fine if I sleep less. Especially since we can stay in bed until noon if we want to. There is no need to worry about that. For now, we should focus on the ceremony. I don''t want you to mess up because you got distracted by something. It would be nice if you didn''t stutter during your speech because I will need to respond with a sentence that makes sense. But I have the feeling that you don''t intend to stick to the norm anyway.¡±

    Theodore replied without skipping a beat. ¡°Obviously not. The past emperors just talked about how their wives needed to help them rule and how the empress is a loyal subject or something like that. I already made it clear that you are not inferior to me in any way, so I will not phrase it like that. I have my own ideas. Those are much more enjoyable, I can guarantee you that.¡±

    Blanche was a bit skeptical. She might truly end up blushing if he talked about her for too long. She scanned his expression for a moment before replying. ¡°I hope that you won''t just repeat how much you love me again.¡±

    ¡°I will definitely do that.¡± Her lover pressed a kiss onto her forehead before grinning at her. ¡°I want everyone to know that your place is at my side after all. I will clear out all misunderstandings today. Everyone will understand that you will be empress for as long as you want to. And they will find out about my plan of giving you the same amount of power the emperor has. You can look forward to seeing their reactions.¡± She didn''t look forward to this at all. The nobles would definitely be shocked, but she would have to go through this now.

    She sighed and patted her lover''s arm. ¡°I guess that worrying about that won''t help us. So, we should go inside now. After all, I want to get it over with. We will just do it now before I can think about what could go wrong.¡±

    Theodore leaned forward to give her another kiss. Then he let go of her for a moment to link their arms. ¡°Your wish is my command. We will enter now.¡± He only needed to look at the servants by the door, and they immediately opened it for the couple.

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    One of the guards quickly announced the arrival of the people that entered the room. ¡°His Majesty, the emperor of Artias and his esteemed wife.¡±

    The emperor gave off a calm aura as always and held his head high as they strode forward. The only difference to any other ball was that he was smiling much more brightly.

    Blanche allowed herself to stare at him for a few seconds. If she reminded herself that Theodore was here, it should be fine. A smile automatically formed on her lips as well, and she matched his pace while trying to imitate him. She needed to keep her posture straight and walk without tripping or looking to the side. Even if the temptation to catch a glimpse of the nobles was big, she gave her best to seem as majestic as possible.

    Despite that, she already noticed how full the ballroom was. She would even claim that she hadn''t ever seen so many people here. Still, the guests all made way for the couple and bowed to them.

    Theodore led her toward the platform with the thrones, and as usual, they climbed up the stairs. This time, they didn''t sit down though. Instead, they stood in front of a servant that carried a grand pillow with the most important family heirloom of the Estiens. The crown was made from gold with countless sapphires being implanted into the frame and navy velvet that adorned the inside. It had to be extremely heavy, so Blanche didn''t envy that servant as he had to hold it for so long.

    Only thinking about how she would have to balance that thing on her head in a while gave Blanche a headache. The last crown she had worn had been lighter, so she wasn''t prepared at all. What if she collapsed under the weight all of a sudden? Thankfully, she couldn''t worry for long.

    The emperor already spoke up. ¡°It is a grand honor to be able to welcome you to such a joyful occasion. We thank every last one of us for coming here and attending our wedding as well as the coronation. I believe that we have waited long enough, so that there is no need to draw it out much further. I would like to ensure that Artias has a wonderful empress in just a few minutes. So, I will begin the ceremony now.¡±

    Of course, no one complained about that.

    Theodore seemed content with that and gave his lover a smile as he turned to her. ¡°As my one and only wife, Blanche Estien has the right to become the lawful empress of Artias. She will be the most powerful woman in this nation and thus share a great number of responsibilities with me. I can personally vouch for her interest in Artias'' safety and her desire to improve our nation along with me. Since I am of the utmost conviction that she is competent and very much capable of ruling our country by my side as my empress, I wish to hold the ceremony that will grant her that title now.¡±

    He looked into her eyes, which made it seem like the part during which he would address her followed now. This theoretically meant that she would have to kneel down to him so that he could set the crown on her head later. But her lover not only didn''t tell her to kneel, he also took her hands into his as she attempted to stick to that tradition at least. It seemed like they wouldn''t do a normal ceremony then.

    Blanche should have expected that when he told her that he wanted to make clear that they were equal. She heard the murmur that went through the crowd at that and gave her best to ignore it.

    Theodore beamed at her as he began speaking again. ¡°It was only a matter of time until you would receive this position. It was clear from the very moment that we met that you are the only person that can stand by my side. Now we came this far, and you are where you belong. Right next to me. You have been my lover and loyal companion for a long time. You were the person that gave me the most strength and always supported me. As the years passed, you helped me both in my private life and as the emperor. You even developed a law that improved our political situation tremendously and revised countless contracts with me during the past months. You hosted balls with me and organized them as well. You already fulfilled all the tasks that are due to the empress, so it is time to grant you the official title.¡± He gave her a soft smile, which was only meant for her and made her heart skip a beat. ¡°I love you with all of my heart and wish to have you with me for the rest of my life. You are my wife, whom I adore more than anyone could imagine, and now only one thing is missing. This is why I wish to ask you this. Will you, Blanche Estien, stand at my side as my equal partner and lead the nation into a better future as my empress?¡±

    It was understandable that the crowd began to murmur at that once again. Normally, an emperor would never mention his personal feelings during the coronation. It was always made clear that the ruler was more powerful than his wife to the point at which she would kneel and swear to be his loyal subject.

    But as expected, Theodore wouldn''t have any of that. He had even called Blanche an equal partner when the empress never had been seen like this in comparison to the almighty and untouchable emperor. He probably destroyed even more traditions with this than he had during the wedding, but what else should happen when such a stubborn person came to a conclusion?

    Blanche definitely didn''t feel the need to revise these statements. She was happy with being treated as an equal. She had always been equal in their relationship, so it shouldn''t be any different now either.

    Blanche gave her lover a radiant smile as she replied. ¡°Yes. I wish to be with you in all situations that may arise. I want to support you and the nation of Artias so that our citizens may live the best life possible. That is why I wish to accept this responsibility.¡±

    Theodore mirrored her expression as he stroked over her hands. ¡°Thank you, my angel.¡± That pet name hadn''t been necessary, but no one would dare to complain. The emperor led his lover to the thrones and, to her confusion, asked her to sit down in a whisper.

    Blanche wasn''t sure what he wished to accomplish with this, but she would need to go through with it. Only then it dawned upon her that he might have wished to make it easier to carry the heavy crown for her. Or he just didn''t want her to bow to him in any way.

    In any case, Theodore gestured to the servant, who brought the crown over to him, and took the crown to lift it between his hands. He turned to the guests and spoke in a voice that was dripping with confidence. ¡°Today, all of you shall be witness to this coronation so that you will remember whom your loyalty belongs to. I, Theodore Estien, the emperor of Artias, will use the power that has been granted to me as the ruler of this nation to crown my wife, Blanche Estien, to be my empress. If anyone wishes to voice their concerns or doubts, they may do so but will need to take responsibility in case that their words are careless.¡±

    Normally, the emperor would allow his citizens to express their concerns now. In reality, no one ever spoke to attack the possible empress, but the question was still asked. But making it into a threat hadn''t been part of the goal.

    As expected, no one even dared to move after that.

    Theodore was obviously satisfied with this. He turned around to his lover and stepped to the side of her throne. He gave her an encouraging smile before he whispered to her. ¡°Unfortunately, this is a bit heavy. Please hold on for a while.¡±

    Blanche immediately straightened her posture at that and stared into the distance. It felt like her heart was jumping around in her rib cage, and she barely managed to keep her fingers from digging into the armrests. This was definitely too nerve-wracking, but she gave her best to smile. ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    Her lover was quick to notice her tension. He tugged a strand of alabaster-colored hair behind her ear and used that chance to stroke over her head in an affectionate manner before he whispered again. ¡°Everything will be fine. I''m here to prove that you own my heart and are the most powerful person in this nation.¡± Then he raised his voice so that the guests could hear him too. ¡°From now on, Blanche Estien shall be known as Artias'' empress, the only person that could ever rival the emperor''s power. I will now grant you the crown of the Estien family that may prove your position to anyone that doubts my words.¡± Once again, he had twisted the words so that the empress'' position wasn''t defined as being less powerful than the emperor''s one.

    But Blanche had no chance to think about that when the most important part already followed.

    Theodore gently set down the crown on her head. He made sure to let go slowly so that she could get accustomed to the new sensation.

    Blanche was pleasantly surprised until she noticed that it hadn''t been the whole weight yet.

    When her lover completely let go, she almost winced and asked herself why in the world someone would create something so heavy to wear on your head. Unfortunately, an answer would not help her. She could curse the jeweler that made this crown, but it wasn''t logical to condemn a poor person that lived a few hundred years ago and had just wanted to obey the orders of the royal family. Still, it was almost ridiculous how anyone could value looks over keeping his head intact when it came to a crown.

    Blanche gave her best to keep her expression from showing her emotions. She would just focus on this being her wedding day and beam because of her happiness instead of complaining. She had to voice her vow to Artias anyway, so she at least had something to do. Upon gazing at the guests, she almost lost all confidence again, but she didn''t allow herself to yield. She had repeated this even more often than her wedding vows. She would definitely be able to do it.

    Blanche took a deep breath before speaking up. ¡°I am honored to receive such an important position. I will not disappoint the trust that has been put in me. I, Blanche Estien, the empress of Artias, swear to act with our nation''s best interest in mind. As the most powerful woman in this nation, I will protect the citizens of our country and strive to improve whatever I can. I will be our emperor''s partner and support him in all of his endeavors so that he as well as our nation shall flourish. I wish to express my gratitude for your unwavering loyalty to the royal family and ask you to aid us in the future as well. In return, we shall do our best to make Artias the most wonderful place for every single one of our citizens.¡±

    When she finished, she would have liked to slouch her shoulders, but she needed to keep herself upright no matter what. After all, she shouldn''t ruin the following scene.

    Among the guests, three men and two women stepped forward. The three dukes and the two duchesses were the first ones to bow and curtsy while the rest of the nobles followed a moment later.

    As the most influential person aside from the royal couple here, Henry spoke up. ¡°Greetings to His and Her Majesty, the emperor and the empress of Artias. We, as loyal subjects to our nation and our citizens, once again pledge our loyalty to the royal family. May the Estien household continue to reign for the next centuries and bring as much prosperity to us as they did in the past.¡±

    This was it. The ceremony was over now.

    And suddenly, the concubine had become the empress. It was almost ridiculous how such a big change could happen in an instant, and yet, it had occurred just in this moment.

    Blanche wanted to breathe out in relief at least before a movement in the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She immediately panicked and grabbed her lover''s hands to get him to stand up. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Theodore gazed at her as if the emperor kneeling to someone was completely normal. He brought her hand to his cheek and gave her an innocent look. ¡°I''m pledging my loyalty to you. Can''t I, as your husband, do that?¡±

    Blanche narrowed her eyes and whispered to him in an attempt to hide this incident even though everyone had to have seen already. ¡°If you insist, you may do that later in our bedroom but not now. The emperor has to show his superiority at all times. You can''t just kneel in front of someone.¡± She already knew that this wouldn''t convince him, so she added an argument that had a greater chance of success. ¡°Theo, you didn''t want me bowing to you. Likewise, I don''t want you to do this now.¡±

    Her lover seemed to understand that at least. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He shattered her hopes immediately though.

 Chapter 339: Empress

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    ¡°

 Chapter 340: Wedding Celebrations

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 Chapter 341: A Painting and Its Changed Circumstances

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    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°

    <hr>

    and cared for, but she managed to live with that. It was a bit odd to remember how he had become her close friend, but those memories still made her smile when they resurfaced. That made her quite uncertain how to address Cedar in her response letter when she eventually sat down to write it. She took a while before even deciding on whether she wanted to use his title or first name, eventually picking the latter as she hoped that a more friendly tone could change the mood from an official letter to a more personal one. She didn''t expect much to come out of this, but she found herself hoping for a quick response when she sent her letter to be delivered to the prince. But aside from her view on Cedar, not much shifted.

    have to be somewhat pretty. I need to be on your level after all. I have to stand next to you, so being similar to you in terms of beauty is a requirement.¡± She led his hand to her face and gave it a kiss.

 Chapter 342: Future

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    ¡°

    am happy. When I''m with you, I am full of nothing but pure bliss. I will make sure that everything can stay as wonderful as it is now. No, it will be even better. I will create the most perfect world someone could imagine for you. I will stay by your side and take care of you, the both of you. No matter what, I will fulfill your every wish. I will not forgive myself, but I will move forward with you and bring you far away from the darkness of our past. You are right. There is only room for happiness here. Happiness and love. And I will gladly provide you with as much as possible of both. I love you.¡±

 Epilogue (1)

    ¡°

    explicitly told you not to get one, fetch it yourself!¡±

    again? Maybe your curse wasn''t lifted at all. But that isn''t what we were discussing at all. Are you sure that you suddenly want to accompany me?¡±

    ¡°

    fetch something, so it could take a while. We will have to wait and see.¡±

    apparently way too dangerous for her, but she mastered that without any issues and began eating her reward. The sweet taste of strawberry cream filled her mouth, and she could only think about one thing.

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 Epilogue (2)

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    ¡°

    That woman and Allen Duremont are more likely to regain their memories, and as long as it doesn''t happen to them, we can be safe. Of course, someone may be injured and gain them overnight like you did, but I''m sure that it won''t happen. I can''t guarantee it, but I feel like there won''t be anyone but us who truly remembers. My intuition tells me that.¡± If this world wanted to give everyone another chance to be happy, leaving Cedar without his memories would be much more logical. Blanche just hoped that their world kept that in mind. ¡°If Cedar did remember, he would already have tried to contact me, but he didn''t. He doesn''t trust me, you know? That means that you can relax and wait for Leon to find him.¡± She cupped his face and stroked over his skin.

    ¡°

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (1)

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    ¡®No!¡¯

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 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (2)

    Blanche did her best to hide her disappointment at the lost contact but was sure she hadn''t succeeded. Her skin was still tingling where Theodore had touched her, and she wouldn''t complain if he ran his fingers through her hair again or continued to caress her cheeks. It was hard for her to keep herself from pouting, but then she noticed what situation she was in again.

    This man here in front of her wasn''t someone she could fall in love with. That was the emperor, the most powerful man in the nation, who could order her death with a single word. She should do her best to stay away from him and avoid Julien''s stupid plan, but...

    How should she do that when Theodore looked at her like that? As if he was just as enamored as she was. Most likely, she was imagining it, but still. He didn''t seem to hate her at least.

    Theodore watched her the whole time and took in all of her features from head to toe before staring right into her eyes again. He opened his mouth but was cut off by a loud voice.

    ¡°Your Majesty, what are you doing? Please step away until we can confirm whether this person is a threat!¡±

    For the first time ever since she had seen the emperor, Blanche looked to the side. There was another man here, and he towered above her without even needing to try. He had dark hair and glowing eyes that made him look like a predator in the darkness. There were scars covering his whole face and proving that he had fought a lot of battles. His enemies had probably suffered much more than he had though. This man looked like a personified warrior with a very intimidating muscular build. He could tear Blanche apart without even looking at her. And this person was currently threatening her by holding a sword in her direction.

    Blanche wanted to stay calm, but she couldn''t keep herself from letting out a quiet wail at that. Would he kill her? She hadn''t done anything! He couldn''t just end a human life without consequences, right? Even if she had broken into the royal estate, killing her just like this was too much. She felt tears pooling in her eyes, but before the panic could set in completely, the emperor moved.

    Theodore put an arm around her shoulder and laid his other hand against the blade. ¡°Owen, take your weapon away from her. What do you think you are doing here with a sword? Does this young woman look like a threat to you? She is scared already, and you''re making it worse. Put that away!¡± He sounded much more authoritative now, so it was surprising that this Owen didn''t listen immediately.

    ¡°Your Majesty-¡± Owen cut himself off when he saw the expression on the other man''s face. The emperor glared at him for a moment, which finally made the knight pull away the sword.

    Then Theodore turned to Blanche again, and in an instant, his expression had softened. He spoke in a gentle voice again. ¡°No one will hurt you here. He is just worried about my safety. Since you have no ill intentions, there is no need for you to be scared.¡± He reached for her face again and froze in place when she unwillingly leaned into his touch.

    How could someone''s affectionate actions be this addicting? He was a stranger, and yet, Blanche was doing things like this. Didn''t she have any shame? Apparently not. Even the emperor had to be shocked.

    Blanche slowly forced herself to speak up. She wanted to apologize but not many useful words came out. ¡°This isn''t... I didn''t...¡± She was more embarrassed than she should have been. Staying quiet about this would have been better, and now she had only pointed her mistake out. This was dejecting. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±

    To her satisfaction, Theodore didn''t let go of her this time. He only stroked over her cheek again and whispered to her. ¡°What for? You didn''t do anything wrong. Everything is fine. I will take care of anything that is troubling you. We have all the time in the world. For now, let''s get you off the floor.¡± He slowly lowered his hand, only to offer it to her.

    Blanche stared at his hand for a moment before she put hers on top of his. Once again, a jolt ran through her body. She felt as if every fiber of her being was on edge as she shivered and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She almost tripped thanks to her weak knees, and only his hand on her back gave her stability. Normally, strangers didn''t touch each other this much, she was sure of that. But right now, she didn''t want him to stop no matter what. In fact, she would appreciate even more contact with him.

    Theodore scanned her dazed expression and spoke in a gentle voice again. ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    Blanche wasn''t, but after he gazed at her with such intensity, she shivered again. There was no way that she could just admit that this had been because of him, so she simply nodded. She hadn''t been cold ever since seeing his face, but lying was better than saying that she was burning up whenever he touched her.

    Without saying a word, Theodore reached for his neck. After fiddling around a little without letting go of her hand, he took off his cape. Before she could protest, he carefully put it over her shoulders and wrapped it around her.

    Was it normal for the emperor to do things like this? Certainly not.

    But Blanche couldn''t bring herself to complain. She got even redder and cuddled herself into the soft velvet. No piece of fabric had ever felt so wonderful. Knowing that Theodore had just worn this made her feel warm and protected like a hug. Her brain was definitely not working correctly, or she wouldn''t have been so enchanted by a man she had barely talked to. But right now, she could barely question what she was doing.

    Theodore still held her hand and scanned her figure that was hidden by the soft velvet cape. He moved it around a bit before he was content with it and gave her a little smile. ¡°Is that better now?¡±

    Blanche thought that her heart might stop at that. He was so attractive, it was unfair. She tripped over her own words before she began speaking. ¡°Uhm...yes. Thank you very much.¡± She looked to the side and only lifted her gaze again when Theodore''s empty hand moved to cup her cheek once more. This time, her foolish brain was sure that he would kiss her, but in the end, her selfish desire wasn''t fulfilled again.

    The knight next to them spoke up again. ¡°Your Majesty. We have no information about who that woman is. She is not from one of the noble families in the capital.¡±

    Blanche had almost forgotten about that knight. Upon hearing him once more, she was a bit scared. What if this guard decided that she was a threat and ended her life just like that?

    But Theodore''s voice soothed her immediately. ¡°I know. But that doesn''t mean that she is some sort of threat. Have you looked at her? She was trembling like a leaf. No one would hope that someone this frail could overpower me. So, don''t worry too much.¡± The emperor turned to her again and gave her a calming smile. ¡°You don''t have to worry either. Everything will be fine.¡± He gently caressed her cheek again before continuing in a tone that was a bit more serious than before. ¡°What family are you from? I never saw you before. I would have remembered that. Are you from the capital?¡±

    Blanche''s throat dried up at that. She wanted to be honest. Every fiber in her being told her to spill the truth.

    But then she remembered her circumstances. She had been sent here to impress Theodore. Julien had told her to slip into the emperor''s bed to gain leverage on him. Like that, she would have received some amount of power and money and might have been able to dream about becoming empress and living comfortably. That sounded so embarrassing and disgusting to her now.

    Theodore was a human like anyone else and wouldn''t be happy about her coming here to extort him. If he found out, he would certainly not touch her with such gentle gestures anymore. He also wouldn''t call her name and look at her like this.

    Blanche panicked more the longer she stayed quiet. She needed to say something now, or she would be found out no matter what she tried. ¡°I...I...¡± She had no idea what to tell him. The only thing that came to her mind was what Julien had said. If the emperor found out who she was, she would die. That thought made the lie come out easier, even though it still made her uncomfortable. ¡°I...don''t remember.¡±

    Theodore''s eyes widened slightly at that. ¡°You don''t? What exactly do you not remember? Your family or your home?¡± He paused, and when she only averted her eyes in response, he resumed. ¡°Do you remember anything but your name?¡±

    Blanche slowly shook her head. She felt miserable. What kind of horrible person she was for lying like this. She should just tell the truth, but that would only get her in trouble. Lying until she was brought out of the palace was the better option. Even if she didn''t like the thought of never seeing the man she had fallen in love with again, it would happen without a doubt. So, it would be better if she left without causing too much trouble.

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    Theodore stared at her in shock and scanned her expression. ¡°Really? You don''t remember anything? Then it''s...¡± He paused, and she thought that he would figure out her lie for a moment. Then he put his hand on top of her head and carefully touched her scalp before checking his hands for traces of blood. ¡°You aren''t injured, are you? If anything hurts, please tell me.¡±

    That would be hard even if something did hurt. Right now, it felt as if he was patting her, and that made Blanche''s mind spin around in circles. Why was she so content with only a little touch? She shouldn''t allow a stranger to stand so close to her and to touch her this often, but she adored every second of it. She even wanted to hug Theodore. He wouldn''t allow that, would he? She couldn''t risk making him angry even if it seemed like he didn''t mind touching her much.

    A few seconds passed before she realized that he still wanted a response. She snapped out of it and lifted her gaze to him. ¡°I''m not injured. At least I don''t feel anything.¡±

    Theodore slowly moved his hand over her head again, and when he didn''t find any wound this time either, he pulled his hand away. ¡°I see. We should still make sure that a doctor looks at you though. We cannot risk you being endangered by this. It might be better to deal with that as soon as possible. Is that fine with you?¡±

    Blanche wasn''t sure what exactly he proposed, but she nodded. She would follow him wherever he led her right now.

    The emperor looked at her without ever averting his eyes. He was silent for a moment before speaking up in a quiet voice. ¡°Then we will go to see the doctor right now. He will find out whether you are truly fine or whether you need treatment. But that isn''t the only problem. If you don''t remember anything, you have no place to stay, do you?¡±

    Blanche nodded again. When silence followed, she forced herself to speak up to make her lie a bit more believable. ¡°I don''t remember anything but my name. And that I''m twenty.¡± She had only added that because she wanted to prove that she was an adult too, even if the emperor didn''t need that information at all. He surely didn''t intend on getting closer just because she had fallen for him in an instant. ¡°Apart from that...there is nothing. So, I can''t...go back home.¡± She would need Julien to offer to take her in. Then she would act as if she didn''t know him, and everything would end. Just that thought alone made her sad, and she looked downward.

    Theodore''s hand wandered to her chin, and he tilted her head up with two fingers. ¡°I told you that everything would be fine. We''ll figure it out together. The royal palace has enough empty guest rooms. You could...¡± He paused and swallowed before continuing in an even quieter voice. ¡°Stay in one of them until you get better or remember something. We also have the best doctors in all of Artias. Maybe one of them can help you. And I can easily access any information that you need if you want to research something. So, it would be better to stay here to regain your memories. Possibly. If you want to.¡±

    Blanche''s heart skipped at least three beats. ¡°What?¡± Had he really offered her to stay in the palace? She could barely believe that. There was no way that strangers would be allowed inside this easily. She could be a dangerous person, and he would just invite her in? No, the emperor certainly hadn''t meant it like that. Still, her heart had regained its will to live and pounded in her chest now.

    Theodore cleared his throat and averted his eyes. ¡°If you have nowhere to stay, I thought that being here is better than wandering around aimlessly. We can find your family with some time. And...we really do have enough rooms here, and since I can decide about who stays, I can get you a room immediately. You would receive warm meals every day, and there would be countless servants tending to your needs. Of course, I won''t force you. This is purely based on your decision. But I would be calmed to know that you are safe and...¡± He rambled on for a bit before stopping himself. He almost looked bashful as he avoided her gaze now.

    Blanche could barely keep herself together at that. Her eyes widened as she stared at the emperor. ¡°Really? You''re not joking?¡± Her eyes probably shined with hope right now. Only imagining being able to stay in the same building as the man she had fallen for made her euphoric even if she knew that it was ridiculous. Her common sense had bid her farewell a while ago, and now her emotions were the only thing controlling her. It was obvious that this was a horrible idea, but being in the middle of such a luxurious palace with this man here by her side was way too tempting.

    Theodore barely dared to look back at her and seemed surprised to see her expression. He blinked at her before responding. ¡°It''s not a joke. I would never say something like that for fun. It''s an honest offer. But you don''t have to feel pressured because I''m...well...the emperor.¡± He was way too adorable when he was this shy.

    Blanche fell in love even more than before, and every second that passed made the man in front of her seem even more perfect. He was kind and gentle, considerate and helpful, but he could get stricter like when he had protected her from that knight. Everything about him lured her in. Even his voice and his appearance. She wasn''t sure whether she managed to keep herself from gawking at him even now.

    The emperor nervously waited for her response, and she could swear that his cheeks reddened slightly as she beamed at him.

    ¡°Yes! I would-¡± Blanche cut herself off and reminded herself that she couldn''t speak so carelessly around him. She fiddled with the fingers of her empty hand while trying to calm herself down. ¡°I would be happy to accept that offer. Thank you.¡± Tears of happiness appeared in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. There was no need to be scared of her ending up on the streets anymore. Because Theodore had taken her in even though they just talked for the first time.

    For a moment, Theodore looked at her as if he had been struck by lightning before he squeezed her hand once. ¡°Good. Then we''ll...¡± His voice shook a bit, and he turned his head away to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. ¡°We''ll go inside. To see the doctor.¡± He seemed to want to veil his bashfulness, so he turned around and pulled her toward the exit by her hand, which he was still holding.

    Blanche was a bit surprised by the sudden movement and stumbled after him. She barely kept herself from crashing into his back and was relieved when she managed to follow him. But the possibility of a collision had made her tense, and she had messed up. She interlinked their fingers without thinking about it.

    At that moment, Theodore froze, and she did as well. He would definitely be angry now.

    She let out a shaky breath and hurried to apologize. ¡°Ah. I''m sorry, I...I didn''t-¡±

    Theodore didn''t turn around, but he squeezed her hand. ¡°It''s...fine. I''m not angry.¡± His voice sounded uncertain while he said that, but he had already changed his hold on her hand so that it was more comfortable for the both of them.

    Blanche couldn''t keep herself from beaming at that, even though her heart still made her worry tremendously. It wasn''t healthy for it to beat this quickly for so long. She stared at the emperor''s back and paid attention to keep up with his steps this time. She only gazed to the side once to check whether the knight was still there, and said man seemed to glare at her even though his expression was unreadable. Blanche quickly averted her eyes again and walked a bit faster to catch up to Theodore.

    The emperor seemed a bit surprised at her suddenly being next to him, but he quickly directed his gaze onto the pathway in front of him again. He led her out of the small spiral of hedges that circled around the pavilion and brought her to the tiled stone path again. He walked toward the palace, which was brightly illuminated from the inside, and began talking a bit later. ¡°I know that it looks rather...overwhelming if you are here for the first time, but I will show you around in the morning. So that you can find your way around and...¡± He stopped himself when another man came rushing toward them.

    This person had blonde hair and carried a crown in his hands. He didn''t even wait before raising his voice. ¡°There you are. Finally! Everyone''s waiting for you. Do you have any idea how infuriating-¡± He cut himself off when he reached the emperor. His eyes wandered over Blanche, who sank in herself under his judgmental gaze. The man made eye contact with Theodore and showed him a smile that didn''t seem calming at all. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± His voice had a warning edge to it. ¡°Who is that?¡±

    Theodore looked toward her as if he knew that it was hard to explain why he was suddenly holding hands with a random woman. But he still didn''t let go of her and responded to the other man. ¡°Her name is Blanche. I found her in the pavilion.¡±

    The blonde man''s smile widened at that. ¡°A random woman, whom no one here recognizes, shows up in the royal estate during your birthday and immediately throws herself at you. And that didn''t make you suspicious in the slightest?¡±

    The emperor averted his eyes before shrugging. ¡°There is no way that the dowager empress would send someone like her as an assassin. You don''t need to think twice about why using such a tactic would only hurt her sore spot. She would rather choose direct attacks, and I doubt that Blanche is one of the mercenaries that woman likes to hire. I talked to her for a while, and I trust her.¡±

    Seemingly, the rumors about him having a horrible relationship with his mother were true. No one seemed surprised about him worrying that the dowager empress might send assassins. But he still trusted Blanche so suddenly, which made her stare at him in awe.

    Theodore looked so confident while he declared the next part. ¡°She''ll live with us from now on.¡±

    The other man froze at that. ¡°What?¡± He paused for a moment and only understood when Theodore just avoided his gaze in response. It only took a second for rage to come onto his features. ¡°Are you stupid? Theodore, what are you doing? It''s obvious that this isn''t just a coincidence! Do you think a commoner just appears in the middle of the royal estate out of thin air? There is no way that she just came here on accident!¡± He whipped his head around to Blanche and glared at her. ¡°How did you get in here? Who sent you? Reply.¡±

    Blanche wanted to cower and hide, but she barely found the strength to move. ¡°I...¡± She was way too scared to respond until Theodore stepped in front of her. He was protecting her. That thought made her heart skip a beat, and she swallowed her cowardliness to reply. She leaned to the side to be able to make eye contact and glanced at the blonde man while trying to sound somewhat confident. ¡°I wasn''t sent here. I don''t know how I got in. I don''t remember.¡±

    The man in front of her narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, she''s lying. It would be best to just drag her into a cell to interrogate her. I''m sure that she will remember if we ask nicely.¡± That didn''t sound like an empty threat. He would truly be willing to throw her into prison in an instant.

    Blanche felt panic welling up inside her as the blood drained from her face. She could still lose her life, couldn''t she? Just because she had fallen in love today, that didn''t mean that this couldn''t end up as the worst day of her life. She took a step back, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

    Theodore had pulled her into a gentle embrace and replied to the other man for her. ¡°Don''t scare her. She made no attempts to attack me. Do you really think the dowager empress would use such a method? There is no way. You know that, right? So, there is no need to treat Blanche harshly. She has amnesia, and we don''t know anything about that. We need to find out what happened to her, and then we can be certain. It would be better to ask a doctor instead of insisting on knowing it better than the professionals.¡±

    The blonde man''s face scrunched up at that. ¡°If you think about this clearly, there is no way that you can trust her. If you don''t want to suspect her, we''ll bring her out of the estate now. There is no way that she will stay here, and you should know that too. Why are you acting like this? Did she drug you or something like that?¡± He gazed at the knight. ¡°Owen, what did she do?¡±

    Owen shook his head. ¡°I have to deny the use of any typical drug. She did not do anything but talk to His Majesty. He did touch her though. If any drug was administered, it had to be done through her skin.¡±

    The blonde man gritted his teeth before he glared at Blanche. ¡°You definitely aren''t just a small fish. They hired a professional this time. But it''s too bad that you won''t win like this.¡± He took a step toward her. ¡°I don''t mind using cheap tricks either. If you don''t tell me what you did, I will personally-¡±

    Theodore stopped him with a single sentence. ¡°Leon, back off now.¡± His voice was so cold that even Blanche froze. He sounded completely different from before, and his angry expression was much more intimidating than she could have imagined. But he wasn''t upset with her. He was still holding her in his arms as if he was protecting her from the whole world.

    She could only look up at him with admiration even though she had to admit that he was scary when he got serious. That only made him seem more attractive to her when he got so protective for her sake.

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (3)

    ¡°Leon, back off now.¡± Theodore had become quite authoritarian while ordering that.

    very long explanation. I still have the right to know what''s going on here. Did you see her and fell in love or something?¡±

    ¡°

    I don''t know, murdering you in your sleep.¡± He narrowed his eyes and scanned Blanche once more. ¡°Surely, you don''t plan on doing something like that, right?¡± His tone revealed that there was only one correct answer here.

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    ¡°

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (4)

    ¡°

    <hr>

    Who are you?¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Great. She averted her eyes and spoke up quietly. ¡°Oh. I''m sorry for yelling. I was just...surprised. I didn''t expect anyone to come.¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°your palace!¡± The voice came from the door, and the one yelling had definitely been the blond man from yesterday. That Leon.

    and considerate.

    ¡°

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (5)

    ¡°

    Do we have dresses here...¡± He began massaging his temples and took a deep breath before responding. ¡°Yes, we do. It should be obvious that there would be some dresses in the royal palace, even if I doubt that our emperor will wear any. But I am rather sure that the ones that are here are unsuitable. We can ask whether one of the servants would lend us clothes though.¡± His voice sounded so sharp that it was clear that he wouldn''t accept other ideas. It was only too bad that his opponent was the emperor.

    empresses, she will stand out like a flare anyway. You can explain why she wears the royal colors all of a sudden to all the people that will ask. Especially to Duke and Lady Duremont. I won''t even help you suppress the rumors that will develop because of this. This is all your responsibility.¡±

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    ¡°

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (6)

    ¡°

    ¡°

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    divine. She would only admire them from afar. But she hadn''t been really inconspicuous with this.

    ¡°

    Have you lost your mind? What do you think will those maids tell their colleagues now?¡±

    that? What did you do? There is no way that anything was worse than this. You have to be kidding me. Both of you! Did you listen to yourselves? ¡®I would never touch others like this¡¯? ¡®Yesterday was the first time that I ever¡¯? Which you said right before explaining how you brought her to her bedroom. And now you act like you have to take responsibility while she covers her whole body with your cape. Do you have any idea how that sounded?¡± He plopped down on an armchair and glared into the distance. Blanche was about to apologize, but his gaze snapped to Theodore. ¡°What happened in front of her room?¡±

    Still, it''s problematic. Because giving a random woman you just met a dress that was designed for an empress will only underline what you just made everyone believe. This is a horrible idea.¡±

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (7)

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    she can''t. Do you want me to remind you why? These items belong to the deceased members of the royal family. You cannot just give them to a person that you met a day ago, that should be obvious. So...¡± His gaze fell onto Blanche. ¡°You will keep your hands off those things unless you receive explicit permission to touch a specific item. Understood?¡± He didn''t wait for her response before he turned to the emperor again. ¡°Theodore, we will need to talk about this. The sooner, the better. It''s quite obvious that this will be a long-term problem.¡±

    Wonderful. Who wanted to be careful a minute ago?¡±

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (8)

    The first week of Blanche''s new life passed with every day being rather similar. She woke up and ate breakfast with Theodore before waiting for noon to arrive so that she could see him again for lunch. Then she tried to find something that didn''t include going out and facing the judgmental crowd to distract herself during the afternoon.

    If she was lucky, Theodore also ate dinner with her, and then they could take a walk. He only accompanied her out when he was done with his work, which was often rather late, so they usually walked around while the sun set or after that. But that was good too since most servants were gone during that time.

    Blanche loved every second she got to spend with Theodore. She couldn''t imagine anything better right now. With every conversation that they had, she became more comfortable around him and could speak without feeling like her heart would explode. She was still undeniably enamored with him, but at least she could have a normal conversation with the man she loved now.

    Even so, she still had to hold herself back whenever he smiled at her. The more often he showed her that expression, the more she wondered whether she might not be deluding herself. What if he liked her too? It seemed like he thought that she was beautiful, which he had told her a few times already, only to reduce her to a stuttering mess with that. And he was very nice to her and did more than he had to for her too. It truly made her think that he cared about her a little bit.

    The fact that he came to see her whenever he finished his overwhelming amount of duties and sacrificed his little amount of free time for her made her feel special as well.

    That feeling only grew when she met the tailor for the first time. Madame Charture was one of the most chatty people she had ever met, which was a bit strange to Blanche. But the other woman was kind and happily introduced her to the dresses in the most famous styles.

    At that point, Blanche realized that Theodore had to like her more than a little bit. After all, the clothes she received hadn''t needed to be this fancy, but he had gone out of his way to make sure that she would like them. It was almost embarrassing how happy that made her. She was torn between thanking him over and over again with a bright smile and feeling guilty because he paid so much money for her.

    But she had to admit that her worries were quickly wiped away when he assured her that it was fine. It was his money, so it was alright as long as he agreed, right? He was surely responsible enough not to buy more than he could afford. So, she didn''t bat an eye when he gifted her a dozen dresses so that she could wear a different one each day.

    The only time that she did freeze upon receiving something was when he gave her a little box after dinner without telling her what it was. Blanche stared at him with wide eyes before slowly opening it. She was greeted by a gorgeous necklace that took her breath away in an instant.

    Was that a gold chain with a real ruby? She almost couldn''t believe it. It was certainly normal for the emperor to own something so valuable, but she definitely didn''t have the right to accept this. That was her first thought upon holding the necklace in her hands. But there was no way that she would ever reject a gift from Theodore. She would keep it even if she felt incredibly bad about it.

    After she had stared at the necklace for a while, Theodore spoke up. ¡°And? Do you like it?¡± He rested his chin on his palm and watched her expression closely as she examined the gift.

    Blanche quickly nodded at him. ¡°It''s beautiful. It''s one of the most wonderful necklaces I ever saw. I just...¡± She barely dared to say anything and bashfully looked up at him. ¡°I feel like I can''t accept so many presents from you. I feel bad when you pay so much for the things I own. I mean... The dresses may have been necessary, but you didn''t have to get them from the tailor. You could have found much less expensive ones. But I understand why buying them from a tailor was easier. A necklace, on the other hand, is not something I need. You just gave it to me without a reason. So, I have to ask this. Why are you spending so much money on me? That you took me in without a second thought is kind enough, and now this... Why are you going so far? I''m only a stranger with an unknown past.¡±

    She wasn''t sure why she was this direct now when she had wanted to avoid asking him what he thought about her. She didn''t want him to tell her that he didn''t see her in a romantic way after all. But maybe a part of her also wanted him to define their relationship because she could stop over-interpreting his actions if she had a response. Because right now, she felt like he might actually be interested in her too, and she would rather get rejected now than later when she already started hoping for something. Still, she was tenser than anything else after asking him.

    Theodore was quiet for a moment and avoided eye contact. He looked like he pondered his response carefully before gathering the courage to reply. ¡°I''m not doing it because I''m selfless. I do have an ulterior motive. So, there is no need for you to feel responsible for any of this.¡±

    Blanche tilted her head to the side and watched his expression carefully. She wasn''t sure what he was talking about. Until now, he had been nothing but kind to her. There was no way that this had all been an act. ¡°I don''t think that you are a bad person. You''ve taken care of me this whole time. I believe that I would have noticed it if you wanted something selfish in return.¡± Especially since they both knew well that she had nothing to offer. She couldn''t give him money, power nor anything else that would require him to put in so much effort in making her comfortable.

    The emperor smiled at her and drank some of his tea before replying in an ominous tone. ¡°You shouldn''t trust me too much. We only met each other a week ago. I could be hiding a horrible secret, and you wouldn''t know it.¡±

    Blanche grinned back at him. ¡°There is no way. If you had a secret, I would only need to step out and talk to one of the gossipy maids, and I would know immediately. Keeping a secret here in the palace with all of these nosy people around is impossible.¡±

    Theodore chuckled quietly, which made shivers run down her spine once again. ¡°You are right about that. Apparently, I can''t unsettle you this easily. But that is good. You don''t have to worry about me after all. I have no intention of doing anything that is unfavorable to you. I won''t do anything you don''t like, and you won''t be forced to stay any longer than you want to. You can rest assured that I''m not doing this because I want anything materialistic in return nor do I expect a reward. I''m doing it because I want to help you. But I still have to admit that I''m not doing it only for you either. I do collect some reward without you even noticing it.¡± He stopped at that point and drank his tea again.

    Blanche waited for a moment, but it quickly became clear that he had no intention of continuing to speak. But she definitely wouldn''t allow him to keep her on edge like this. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He ignored her question and just smiled at her, which made her speak up again. ¡°You can''t just stop there! I want to know what your reward is.¡± She didn''t have anything in mind that could cause him to benefit from taking her in. In fact, her presence had only caused problems thanks to the rumors that were circulating.

    Once again, Theodore ignored her question. Instead, he gestured to the box in front of her. ¡°Shouldn''t we talk about something more important than that? Aren''t you going to wear your gift? It will get lonely if you don''t look at it.¡±

    Blanche was well aware that he was changing the topic, and still, she quickly lowered her gaze. ¡°Ah. Yes, I will.¡± She pulled out the necklace and carefully held it between her fingers. There were multiple small rubies that were sitting on top of this graceful chain, and she feared breaking it if she just made one wrong movement. Blanche found the claps and barely dared to press down on them while trying to put the necklace around her neck. She managed to open it, but closing it behind her neck was impossible. She tried it a few times before giving up. ¡°Theodore...¡±

    Before she could voice her question, she realized that Theodore was already in the middle of standing up. He rounded the table and stopped behind her. ¡°I will close it for you.¡± His voice was directly next to her ear now, and that was enough to make her shiver. He carefully took the necklace from her hands and put it around her neck. It should have been easy to close the clasp while seeing it, but he still took a little moment, and his fingers brushed over her skin in the meantime.

    A jolt went through Blanche''s body when she felt that, and she immediately scolded herself. There was nothing special about such an accidental touch. She shouldn''t make a big deal out of it. But that was easier said than done. She had no idea how to hide her reaction when her whole body began tingling because of those few seconds.

    When Theodore pulled his hands away, she let out a shaky breath and forced herself to calm down. ¡°I... Thank you for...¡± She turned around while intending to thank him properly, but seeing his face directly in front of her made her stop. He was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her skin. This wasn''t good.

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    Theodore''s eyes drew her in again, but this time, his lips were just as distracting. He would kiss her now, wouldn''t he? He had leaned down to her for a reason, and he certainly wouldn''t get so close if he intended to pull away, right?

    Blanche''s heart pounded in her chest. She had no way to calm herself anymore and had to pray that she wouldn''t faint. This was her first kiss, and if Theodore was the one taking it, she was definitely ready. But she would probably get more excited than her poor heart could manage. She mentally braced herself for feeling his lips on hers and imagined how wonderful they had to feel.

    And then all of a sudden, Theodore pulled back and straightened his posture as if he had been hit by something. ¡°I...I didn''t-¡± He looked almost panicked for a moment. He took a few seconds to calm down and then quickly spoke up again. ¡°I apologize for that. That was inappropriate. I''ll make sure that it won''t happen again.¡±

    That shattered the dream again.

    He wouldn''t let it happen again? So, he didn''t like being close to her. Bitter disappointment rushed to Blanche''s stomach and almost made her want to cry. She was stupid. Of course, he didn''t like her like that. She should stop deluding herself before this first love of hers got even stronger. This was more embarrassing than everything she had done before. Hopefully, he hadn''t noticed her expression.

    She averted her eyes and forced herself to let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°It''s fine. Thank you for the gift. It''s very pretty.¡± Her voice lacked the necessary confidence, but she had other problems right now. She had to blink a few times to keep herself from making this situation even worse by crying.

    Theodore moved over to his chair and picked up his jacket before emptying the teacup. ¡°I''m glad that you like it. It fits you well. It''s getting a bit late, so I will go back now. Goodnight.¡±

    She had made him so uncomfortable that he wanted to leave immediately. Had her intention been so obvious that he wanted to flee now? Great. Blanche''s heart ached at that, but she forced herself to put on a smile. She only had to hold on for a few more seconds, and then she could let her feelings flow out. ¡°Goodnight and have sweet dreams. Don''t work for too long.¡±

    Theodore gave her a small smile as well, but it seemed more forced than usual. He waved to her when he reached the door and left before closing the door behind him.

    Blanche immediately jumped up and rubbed over her eyes. Why was she so sensitive to this little incident? It should have been obvious that Theodore wouldn''t like her. He was the emperor of Artias, and to him, she was a random woman with amnesia. He had only been kind to her, and the inexperienced little girl that she was had misinterpreted all of that.

    How wonderful it was for her first love to end like this.

    She walked over to her bed and let herself fall forward. She landed on the mattress while hugging the pillow. Blanche began shuffling around to get under the blanket without using her hands while hiding her face in the cushion and letting out small sniffles. She felt horrible now even though nothing had happened. She truly had gotten too attached to a man that she had barely met. That he now left after she had only wanted to get closer to him broke her heart.

    But wasn''t it partly his fault? Why did Theodore keep on doing things like that? Of course, she would misunderstand if he was this close in front of her and looked at her like that. And now she had probably made him think that she was delusional. Maybe he wouldn''t visit her anymore because of this. That thought made her chest ache even though she knew that spending time with him would only give her false expectations.

    Blanche lay there in silence for a few minutes, and only her quiet sniffles sounded through the room. She couldn''t start crying out loud now. That would be even more embarrassing than what had happened. She needed to get herself under control, and then she could face Theodore again and act like a decent human being. She would just apologize for making him feel uncomfortable, and if she managed to keep a straight face, he would probably forgive her. It would be better to just be friends with him than to have him avoid her. He already trusted her enough to eat with her without Owen in the room. She couldn''t lose that now.

    ¡°My Lady?¡± Stella''s voice pulled Blanche back into the present.

    Blanche didn''t dare to lift her head though and just kept her face pressed against the pillow. ¡°I''m fine, thank you.¡±

    There was no response from Stella, and no footsteps sounded, which made it seem like the maid hadn''t moved. It took another minute before she spoke up again. ¡°Are you sure that everything is alright? Should I bring you some macarons? Or water?¡±

    Blanche wanted to refuse, but the offer was too tempting. ¡°Macarons, please.¡± If anything could distract her, it was sweets. She heard how her maid hurried away and stayed in bed until the other woman returned

    Stella brought over a tray to the bed and presented her mistress a full plate of macarons.

    The first three disappeared in her mouth immediately while Blanche still kept her head down.

    The maid gave her a moment before beginning again. ¡°If you want to talk about something, I am willing to listen. If you wish to tell me, that is.¡±

    Blanche knew that this was probably a horrible idea. After all, the maid worked for the emperor and would certainly tell him everything she knew. But she couldn''t bring herself to stop herself. ¡°Theodore helped me put on the necklace. Then he was so close in front of me that I thought that he would kiss me. I was so nervous and waited for it, but he didn''t do anything. And then he ran away a moment later as if I made him feel uncomfortable.¡± She felt like a bratty child while complaining about that. She even pouted, and upon noticing that, she hurried to hide her face again.

    Stella was quiet for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°But it does seem like he cares for you. He would not allow just anyone to move into the royal palace. So, he will definitely not be angry. I can''t imagine him running away in such a situation if he was uncomfortable. Maybe he was just flustered?¡±

    ¡°Why would a man like him be flustered? He is perfect. Every single woman in this world that wants a male partner would like him. He is probably the best choice in this nation.¡±

    That thought left a bitter aftertaste. What if Theodore was really used to being swarmed by women that had fallen for him? Maybe that was why he behaved as if he liked her. Because he was used to dealing with people like her that had fallen for him at first sight. Maybe he even regularly met with others that loved him as much as she did.

    Even though Blanche had absolutely no right to feel that way, she got jealous immediately. She gave her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she spoke up again. ¡°Does Theodore do this with many people? I''m sure that everyone here is madly in love with him. It wouldn''t surprise me if he already had countless relationships.¡±

    Stella was quick to reply this time. ¡°I have never even seen him having a conversation alone with a woman, and he wasn''t involved in any scandal. He never had a relationship either as far as I know. Of course, he also never let a woman move into the royal palace before. And I can assure you that not too many staff members are interested in him...in that way. I don''t know how to say this without sounding insolent. Well, His Majesty is usually...rather strict. He smiles, but when he does, it is a very polite smile, so you know that it''s not real. And when he doesn''t smile, he looks so authoritarian that no one approaches him. I don''t think that many people from here dare to like him. Some noble ladies might, but I doubt that he is interested in one of them. He doesn''t even seem to like his fianc¨¦e. He is always quite polite but distant with her.¡±

    Blanche swallowed at that. Of course. Of course, the emperor would already have a woman he planned to marry. She had expected that already after Leon had kept mentioning how a Lady Duremont would hate that an unknown woman suddenly moved in with Theodore. To be honest, that should be enough to make her stop thinking about the emperor. If he was taken, there was no way that she should try to get in between the couple. But giving up her first love because of this would feel too horrible.

    She blinked a few tears away and nuzzled her face into the pillow. Why was she thinking about that? She wouldn''t be forced to decide here when Theodore clearly didn''t like her in a romantic way. That had to be it. After all, he had turned his back on her as soon as she had dreamed about kissing him.

    But hadn''t he also held her hand and told her that she was beautiful? Had he done that to mislead her on purpose?

    No, he wasn''t that type of person. His kindness had seemed way too genuine. But why was she still lying here in uncertainty when he should know that giving her a clear response would be best? He should have noticed that she liked him by now. Her facial expressions were way too open for her to hide anything. Had him leaving been the response? Or him giving her gifts and coming close to her?

    Blanche felt like her head was spinning when she thought about that. She didn''t want to say anything at all, but the words came out of her mouth on their own. ¡°I like him a lot. A lot, you know? And there are times when he acts like he might like me too, even if it''s just a tiny bit. But then things like this happen, and I think that he will kiss me. But he never does anything like that. I feel like my heart will explode if it goes on like this. How can I figure out whether he likes me?¡±

    Stella walked over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs before replying. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have any experience in regard to this matter. Since I leave while you eat, I also haven''t seen a lot about how you interact with each other. But even that was enough to make me see that...you two are at least a little interested in one another. You stare into each other''s eyes for way too long, and there seems to be some tension between you. Not a bad one though. Maybe I can give you a clearer response when you tell me more. How did you meet exactly?¡±

    Blanche didn''t even need to think long. That memory had already ingrained itself into her brain. ¡°I was crying in the pavilion because I suddenly woke up there and didn''t know where I was. Then Theodore came and consoled me. He crouched down at me and wiped away my tears. He also cupped my face and held my hand later. And he gave me his cape because I was cold. Then he protected me from Leon, who thought that I was a spy, and hugged me. And he told me that I could live here until I don''t want to stay anymore.¡±

    The maid was silent for a moment before she replied. ¡°My Lady, I do not wish to unsettle you, but...no person would act like this if they weren''t interested in you. Romantically, I mean. Helping you is one thing, but holding your hand is definitely not an ambiguous gesture. And hugging you after you just met isn''t normal either. I feel like the fact that he keeps giving you gifts is also hinting at him liking you. This necklace is from him as well, isn''t it? And you should remember that His Majesty never allows anyone around him to call him by his name. You are the only one that ever said his name.¡±

    That wasn''t true. Leonard also used Theodore''s name when they were alone or when he was incredibly angry.

    But Blanche didn''t say that. Wasn''t Leon the emperor''s most trusted advisor? And if she received the same rights as that person, it had to mean that she was special to Theodore in some way, right? That thought was enough to give her some newfound courage to face the man she loved again.

    Unfortunately, this courage didn''t last long.

 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (9)

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 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (10)

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 Extra Chapter 1: Meeting Like a Fairy Tale (11)

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    Stolen story; please report.

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    Please.

    Theodore was her fate.

 Extra Chapter 2: Awakening (1)

    Everything. Blanche loved you more than anything else. She would have never betrayed you or even thought about anything like that. She would have done anything for you, and you pay it back with this? You threw her away and still act like you can tell her that you love her. Are you stupid? You betrayed her in the vilest way with that-¡± He cut himself off, his expression only seeming to turn more sour and hateful. ¡°Blanche should never have loved you. Anyone else would have been better.¡± He looked like he was going to lift his sword to stab his brother again but stopped at the last moment. And just like that, all emotions seemed to leave him. As always when he got too upset, the damned smile he was clinging to appeared on Cedar''s face as he stared at the other man and continued in a whisper. ¡°And no matter what you did, she still loves you. Even now, she probably hates me for killing the man she loves. It''s pathetic, isn''t it?¡± He ran his hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. Maybe he had expected a response, but he didn''t get one.

    He had sent her to

    Seraphina Duremont. The murderer of his beloved. That she was still in the palace was a miracle, especially since he had threatened to kill her multiple times. Maybe he should have just done that. Then he wouldn''t be forced to hear her revolting voice. But he didn''t have the energy to deal with her now when his life was slipping through his fingers. That woman wouldn''t take even a single second from his time with Blanche.

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    Shut up, Murderer. He is talking to Blanche.¡± That order alone ensured silence.

    murderer could see the silhouette of a kneeling figure that cried for the emperor. Or maybe just the thought scared her. She scrambled backward and held her hand in front of her mouth. She let out a whimper before only a few words left her mouth. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m so sorry...¡±

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    dead. He could feel his entire body again.

    that damned witch? Maybe she hadn''t realized that he hated her yet, or she wouldn''t have saved him.

    That wouldn''t happen.

    How wonderful. Now he could find another way to finally end this.

    There was no way.

 Extra Chapter 2: Awakening (2)

    ¡°Blanche?¡±

    Theodore''s voice was barely audible and had cracked in the middle, but she heard him.

    Blanche let out a shaky breath and gave him a smile as tears began rolling down her face. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It''s me. I''m here next to you. We''re in the doctor''s office right now. He took care of your wound. It only needs time to heal, and you will be fine in a few weeks.¡± She had spoken so much by now, and still, she wasn''t hoarse. She could speak properly in full sentences and clung to his hand.

    That made the last gears in Theodore''s head turn as well. It didn''t matter where he was when he could really hold her hand in this world. But she spoke as if they were in the palace. She seemed to have waited for his recovery after he had been hurt. It was clear to see that she was right here, but he couldn''t believe it. Was his angel really with him? He stared at her with widened eyes and dared call out her name once more. ¡°Blanche?¡±

    His lover stood up to sit next to him on the mattress and tightened her hold on his hand. ¡°Yes. I''m right here. See? I won''t leave.¡±

    He could still touch her. This wasn''t an illusion. Theodore shot up into a sitting position. ¡°Blanche!¡±

    She immediately lifted her arms to stop him. ¡°What are you doing? You''re hurt, you can''t just-¡±

    He didn''t listen for one second. His angel was here. That was all Theodore could think about. He wrapped his arms around her in fear that he might phase through her, but he made contact with her body. He could pull her against his chest and hug her so tightly that there was no way that she could slip away. Theodore''s heart was pounding so loudly that he wouldn''t be surprised if it suddenly stopped. But he couldn''t die when he finally had his angel back.

    Blanche was trying to loosen his hold. She didn''t dare to use much force, which made it even easier to pull her closer. She hadn''t had a chance of getting him off in the first place. There was no way that he would let go even if she tried to argue with him. ¡°Theo, your wound will open again! Let go of me. We have to call the doctor!¡± His embrace only got even tighter, and at that point, she stopped struggling. ¡°Theo!¡±

    It had been so long since he had heard that from her while she was in his arms. This wasn''t a dream, was it? Theodore could feel Blanche''s skin on his and how warm her body was. No dream could be this realistic. Wherever he was, his angel was here too. The tears came within a few seconds, and he didn''t even try to hold back. He finally had his lover here in his arms, and she didn''t push him away.

    Instead, Blanche let out a sigh and carefully returned the hug. That tipped him over the edge.

    He pressed his face into the crook of her neck and began sobbing. Blanche was here. His Blanche was truly here. There was no way that he could ever go back to anything else when he was already addicted to her, more so than ever before. He could smell her, touch her, hear her breathing. He recognized every part of her. There was no mistake about this being her. She was here in a physical form. He wanted to say so much about that, but his thoughts only went in circles. ¡°I love you.¡± Those were the first words he muttered, and between his sobs, more and more flowed out. ¡°I''m sorry, I should never...have let go... I won''t ever again. I love...you.¡±

    He apologized countless more times even though he was aware that his words were so slurred that there was no way for her to understand. He was too quiet and wanted to say too much too fast while sobs were wrecking his throat.

    Even now, Blanche was here to console him. She gently stroked over his back and whispered to him. ¡°Theo...Don''t cry. I''m here, and you are safe. Everything is fine now. I love you.¡±

    He loved her too. He loved her so much that he couldn''t bear the thought of losing her. If she wasn''t truly here and his sanity had just bid farewell completely, he would break down. At that dreaded thought, Theodore''s head shot up, and he looked right into her teary eyes. He could even see his reflection in her irises. There was no way that all of this was an illusion, right? And she wouldn''t just disappear, would she?

    Theodore couldn''t let that happen. He needed to know that Blanche was here without the chance of her vanishing into thin air. If he could touch her, he had to be able to kiss her too. Without thinking, he brought his hand to the back of her head and pulled her to him to press his lips onto hers.

    They fit together perfectly.

    His body remembered exactly how she had felt in his arms, and just now, he felt that same sensation. He could even taste her on his lips. There was no denying it. His Blanche was back. He lost all self-restraint at that and kept kissing her while holding her as close as possible. His angel was here. How could he ever let go of her again? He probably kissed her for an eternity, but since he had no sense of time, that didn''t bother him. He only pulled back when he noticed how she had trouble breathing.

    Blanche''s face was reddened, and she panted in an attempt to get the much-needed air into her lungs. Still, she was so beautiful and warm. She was real.

    A bright smile lit up Theodore''s face. His angel had come back to him. He pulled her into a tight hug and pressed her lips onto her forehead. ¡°I love you.¡± He had longed to do that for so long. ¡°I love you.¡± He kissed her nose and then her cheek. ¡°I love you.¡± He had missed each part of her. He kissed every bit of skin that he could reach and told her that he adored her over and over again.

    Blanche accepted all of that with worry ingrained in her features. She occasionally kissed him back and told him that she loved him too. Those gentle gestures only made him want to remind her that he loved her more often.

    He continued to shower her with kisses for a long time. He wasn''t sure what gave him the strength, but he forced himself to stop at some point. Still, he refused to take his hands off her and kept his eyes glued on her. He could only smile at her and patted her head, just like she had enjoyed it in the past. The way that she leaned into his touch made his eyes water again, and he quickly blinked the tears away.

    He needed to talk to her, but it was hard to form a single coherent thought when he had his treasure back. He had to confirm where they were and whether they could stay here together. And he needed to find out what she knew. Why she wasn''t surprised to see him here and why he hadn''t died. But all of that could wait when he could just look at his angel while caressing her.

    Blanche returned a soft smile and enjoyed his affection for a moment before she spoke up. ¡°I''m very happy that you are awake too. And it''s great that you aren''t in too much pain, but you still need to be careful. The doctor stitched your wound, and the thread might come out if you move around too much.¡±

    Theodore was more than reluctant to take his eyes off her, but he needed to confirm how he had survived those wounds or whether he was truly dead. He kept his hands pressed against his lover and looked down. Bandages were wrapped around his left shoulder, but he couldn''t even feel the wound.

    This was why he had scared his angel to death? For something that didn''t even hurt? That was ridiculous. He had endured way worse things. At least he had thought that. But the huge gash on his stomach and chest was gone. He wasn''t bleeding, and just the bandages covered his torso, so he was pretty sure that he saw every bit of skin that could have been injured. That made him realize one more thing. None of the scars from the war were there. So, this couldn''t be his body.

    But he didn''t care about that now. He needed to know how deep the wound was. Theodore bargained with himself, and despite hating to let go for even a second, he withdrew one hand from his lover to press onto his shoulder. Now he felt a little sting. Surely, this would have pained him a lot if it happened a few years ago, but he was used to much worse things. That could only be good since he could calm his angel now.

    He raised his head and shrugged while smiling at her. ¡°It hurts a bit, but I''ve through worse. The doctor already took care of it, so it should be fine.¡± It felt strange to speak so much with her all of a sudden. But it was wonderful that he could have a proper conversation with his lover again. He would definitely spend the next years talking to her much more.

    Blanche pouted at him and scanned him with concern in her eyes. ¡°Still. It was awful. While you slept, you were definitely in more pain. Don''t overdo it. I don''t want you to make it worse again after you just got better. And you shouldn''t even think about working for the next few weeks.¡±

    Theodore could only smile more at that. Blanche was as adorable as ever and sat by his side because she had waited for him to wake up. He didn''t deserve any of this, but he would never let go. He patted her again and then let his hand wander down to her cheek. When she nuzzled her face into him, he thought that he would lose his mind for a moment. He grinned at her as his chest felt warm like it hadn''t in three years.

    But only a second later, his brain felt like it was fed way too much information at the same time. Theodore remembered sitting in a carriage and speaking to someone. The other person had talked about something, and he hadn''t understood what they were referring to. Hadn''t they spoken about him and Blanche doing something indecent? Then he had begun laughing at them, to the other person''s dismay. But a moment later, the carriage had stopped, and yells had become loud.

    His face fell. That memory...was a bit familiar. But it felt fresher than it should have been. When had the last assassination attempt on him happened? Hadn''t that been a while ago? He quickly gave up on wrecking his brain and addressed his lover. If she had been waiting for him to wake up, she had to know what was wrong with his memory. ¡°What exactly happened? I remember...¡± He paused and furrowed his brows. His memories were hazy. ¡°I was in a carriage in a forest... I think there were guards with me too.¡± Then mercenaries had come, and he had fought. But those men hadn''t been good. How had he allowed himself to get injured like this?

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    Blanche met his gaze and nodded. ¡°Yes, you went on an outing with the empress to visit-¡±

    Immediately, Theodore''s attitude changed. He narrowed his eyes as he tried his best not to yell out some curses. Now that he was back with his angel, there was no way that he would allow that woman to interfere. He would get rid of her as soon as possible. But before that, he had to find out why he would ever sit down in a carriage with that murderer. He spoke up before Blanche could finish. ¡°Why?¡±

    His lover looked at him as if he had lost his mind. She tilted her head and gave him a calm explanation. ¡°You were on your way to attend Duke Lamont''s birthday banquet when you were ambushed. For some reason, you didn''t tell me about you going there before though. I just found out today when I searched for you, and you weren''t there.¡±

    Something inside Theodore clicked at that. The attack on Duke Lamont''s birthday had happened three years ago. If he was experiencing what had happened back then now, hadn''t he gone back in time? Then his missing wounds and Blanche not being hurt would make sense. Had this world really given him another chance?

    But had Blanche originally been with him after he had been injured? He didn''t think so. She had heard about the attack rather late, hadn''t she? And this time, she had been waiting for him even though he hadn''t told her about the banquet.

    Now that he thought about that, why hadn''t he?

    For some reason, Theodore immediately knew the answer. Leon had asked him not to tell Blanche anything because Theodore had found her letter for Sefare a while ago. Out of worry, the secretary had wished to hide this outing so that they could confirm whether to trust her before sharing information with her again. Theodore hadn''t cared for that logic, but he had agreed for another reason. He hadn''t wanted to make his lover jealous. After all, he had been forced to go alone with the empress, and that had been a sensitive topic to Blanche in the last few weeks. Had he done that the first time too? He wasn''t sure about that, but right now, that didn''t matter. He had to assume that he had gone back in time.

    Theodore let his gaze roam across the room and froze upon seeing Owen in the corner.

    Owen, with both eyes fully intact. The knight was expressionless again as he nodded at his ruler and didn''t gaze at him with concern while begging him to stay alive.

    The emperor almost sobbed at that. He had gone back in time. He thanked all gods in this whole world for that and quickly looked back at his lover.

    Blanche moved closer to him and gently placed her hand on his cheek. ¡°What''s wrong? Should I get the doctor?¡±

    Theodore paused for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°No, no. I''m alright. I remember again. It''s just you...¡± It only took a second before he pushed his worries away. He had received another chance. He would keep every single one of the promises he had voiced before his death. He would protect his angel.

    Theodore couldn''t hold back this time either and pulled her in for a kiss. He tried to be gentle now to avoid surprising her again. It felt like she melted in his arms, and that was the most wonderful thing he had witnessed in years. He grinned into the kiss and did his best not to cry again. He had longed for this so much. If he had known that dying would have granted him this chance, he would have ended it sooner. But that didn''t matter anymore. He was with his angel now and could give her what she deserved this time.

    The emperor could barely bring himself to pull back, but he did it to cup his lover''s cheek to tell her the most important thing. ¡°I should have told you more often. I love you more than anything else in this whole world. I won''t allow anyone to ever stand between us. No matter who attacks us, I will always come back to you.¡±

    Blanche seemed a bit surprised, but she quickly responded. ¡°I love you too, Theodore. I''ll be by your side forever.¡± If she wasn''t used to him declaring his love for her without a warning, he definitely needed to do it more often.

    Theodore swore that he would tell her this over and over again until she understood. And this time, he would keep his word. Tears brimmed in his eyes, and he barely held back as he took his lover''s hands in his. For now, he had to hide his euphoria. There was no way that he could explain that he had gotten a second chance so that he could be loyal to her instead of throwing her away.

    He had other things to take care of. He would get rid of everything and everyone that had wished to harm his angel and would bring her a wonderful future full of happiness. For that, he had to get used to this world first. So, he swallowed all his thoughts and smiled at her for the time being. He needed to orientate himself, so asking questions would be the best option, especially since he could finally hear Blanche''s beautiful voice again. ¡°What day is it today? Did I sleep for long?¡±

    She weakly shook her head, and this time, no traces of blood were visible on her neck as she did so. ¡°No. You drove to the banquet yesterday and were unconscious for the whole afternoon and the night. I didn''t leave your side during that, so I know that you didn''t wake up in between, but it''s only...¡± She turned her head to look at the clock. ¡°A few minutes before half past five. So, you didn''t sleep for more than twelve hours. By the way, the doctor or one of his assistants will come at six to check on you.¡±

    Theodore began kissing her hand and fingers wherever he could reach. He wasn''t surprised by what his lover had said. Blanch had always been by his side when he was feeling unwell and when he was happy. He had paid it back by abandoning her. There was no way that this would happen again. He would cherish her this time. He would give her the world and grant her what she had longed for most. His eternal love and the position as his wife. He would get rid of the current monster empress within the next couple of days, and then everything would be ready for Blanche to take her rightful place next to him.

    He continued to shower her hand in kisses before he spoke up. ¡°Of course, you stayed with me the whole time. You always do when I need you. And since there will never be a moment in which I don''t need you, you will have to be by my side forever, like you promised.¡±

    Blanche should have been glad to hear that. But she averted her eyes, and for a moment, she couldn''t hide the sadness in her gaze. ¡°I would love to. As long as I make you happy, I won''t ever think about leaving.¡±

    It pained him to see her like this. At Duke Lamont''s banquet, nothing bad had happened yet. But even now, his angel didn''t trust that he would stay with her. And he hadn''t reassured her but proven her doubts to be true. He gritted his teeth and quickly leaned forwards to give her a short kiss. This time, it would be different.

    Theodore looked right into her eyes as he spoke up. ¡°Forever means forever. I won''t ever let you go, my angel.¡± Even if he didn''t have the right to be in her presence and enjoy her laughter. But he didn''t have the strength to stay away either. So, he would be selfish in this case and grant her whatever she wanted in return. The only thing he could not give her was a chance to let go. He would make up for that by doing everything else for her. He would stay by her side and defend her no matter what. Theodore would listen to her and believe her when she told him about her problems, no matter what. He would-

    Theodore froze at that thought. Hadn''t Blanche already mentioned wanting to visit him in his office when he hadn''t been there? Didn''t this mean that he had already been missing when she needed him once? He cursed his stupid past self at that and immediately spoke up. ¡°You said that you wanted to meet me yesterday. Did you want to tell me something?¡±

    Blanche''s eyes widened for a moment, and then she looked to the side. She was uncertain whether she should respond honestly. That only meant that he hadn''t been there for her until now to the point at which she was scared to voice her thoughts. He needed to make sure that she would trust him from now on. He was about to tell her that he would support her unconditionally, but Blanche already began talking. ¡°I wanted to warn you about a gap in the palace''s security measures.¡± She gave him an uncertain look and waited for his reaction before she continued in a quiet tone. ¡°By a coincidence, I found a hole in the walls behind a tree and a bush during a walk. It is big enough for an adult human to go through easily, so it might be better to close it off and look for other cracks in the walls as well.¡±

    The secret pathway. The one that had only been revealed during Blanche''s trial because assassins had used it to enter the royal estate. For a moment, Theodore felt like he couldn''t breathe. Why did she know about it now? Blanche had sworn that she hadn''t been aware of it before, and after all of her other crimes had turned out to be lies, that had confirmed that she hadn''t known about the pathway. She surely hadn''t found it due to a coincidence either. She was too nervous for that and avoided eye contact for a few seconds before finally meeting his gaze. Did she...

    He couldn''t think about that. Theodore immediately pushed that idea away. The people around him didn''t remember as well, right? Then a second chance was almost useless if he had already broken Blanche''s heart.

    But even if she did have her memories, she was sitting right here and cuddled with him. She still loved him. No matter whether she was truly aware like he was or not. She was here in his arms, and that was the only thing that mattered.

    When Theodore moved forward to kiss her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he gladly took her breath away again. After reluctantly separating from her lips, he ran his fingers through her soft hair and massaged her scalp.

    Just a few seconds were enough for her to melt into his touch as she closed her eyes.

    Theodore looked at her the whole time while his thoughts raced through his mind. He needed to make sure that this was truly the past. Theodore would only need to talk to Leon for a moment, and then he could be certain about this. If it truly was the same as three years ago, he needed to prepare a lot to ensure that everything went right this time. Even if he didn''t want to let go of his angel, he needed to get rid of the people that wanted to harm her before doing anything else. Maybe he should ask her to come with him so that he could hold her hand the entire time.

    He quickly eliminated that thought again. He couldn''t let her know what kind of methods he planned on using. Leonard would be happy that he finally stopped being overly cautious, but his lover might be terrified. So, he would have to fight the urge to cling to her to protect her in the long run.

    Still, his heart ached as he spoke up. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I will take care of that matter this instant. I''ll be back in a minute.¡±

    Blanche''s eyes flew open as she stared at him in shock. ¡°You don''t intend to leave now, right?¡±

    He didn''t truly want to, but he had to. He gave her an apologetic look and tried to explain it as well as he could without giving anything away. ¡°I have to go see something for a moment. If I''m up already, I can tend to this matter at the same time.¡± He forced himself to look away to avoid immediately being swayed by her pleading gaze. Theodore moved his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to stand up. His wound didn''t hurt, but his movements were a bit uncoordinated. Apparently, the doctor had given him something strong against the pain since he took two attempts before he stood up. He didn''t manage to take even one step away from the bed though.

    Behind him, something rustled, and a second later, arms circled his waist as Blanche threw herself against him. ¡°Don''t go! If you go now, you''ll...¡± Her voice cracked, and she just began crying quietly.

    Theodore felt as if his heart was splintered into a million pieces. Why was she so desperate? She sounded almost like she had upon begging him to stay while waiting for her trial in the cell. He spun around immediately and put his arms around her. Seeing her tear-stained face made his chest ache, and he fought to keep his composure. Still, he couldn''t suppress the panic in his voice as he replied. ¡°Blanche? What''s wrong? I''m alright, so it doesn''t matter if I walk around and-¡±

    He froze at a single thought. She wasn''t just worried about him hurting himself. She would have been angry then and not in such utter despair. But she was here and pressed her face into his chest while clinging to him as if he would leave her. Did she know something he didn''t?

    ¡°You...¡±

    He didn''t speak more than that as a memory appeared in front of his inner eyes. It was the moment in which that witch had first sunken her claws into his relationship with Blanche. He couldn''t deny that he was at fault as well. But using his euphoria about having survived an assassination attack and being able to save someone''s life to steal a kiss and then blackmailing him with it was one of the most manipulative things someone could do. There was no way that this would happen again.

    He wouldn''t ever go see that disgusting insect. If he ended up doing it, it would be to take her life.

    But right now, he couldn''t focus on his anger. There was something that only filled him with grief. The fact that Blanche was in a panic might be because she knew what had happened at this point in time in the past.

    She remembered. She remembered for sure. And still, she held onto him. Even though he had been the one that pushed her away so often.

    He would never do that again.

 Extra Chapter 2: Awakening (3)

    ¡°

    differently. There were some events of which he had two sets of memories. He had barely noticed before, but thinking about the empress'' birthday ball made it clear. Blanche originally hadn''t fainted during that event. This time, she had had a panic attack, and he had caught her as she fell to the floor.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    nightmares, and all of them depicted scenes from their past.

    something right. Still, it wasn''t enough. He would fix everything from now on. He took a deep breath before meeting his lover''s gaze. ¡°I hope so too. But if you ever have another nightmare or something that resembles one, tell me, and I''ll run to you no matter when.¡± He ignored the small scraping in the background that made it seem like someone had stood up in the neighboring room and gave his angel his full attention.

    Theo! In the beginning, the wound has to be disinfected multiple times, and they need to confirm whether the thread is positioned correctly.¡± Objectively speaking, she was right.

    ¡°

 Extra Chapter 2: Awakening (4)

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    that woman would be Blanche''s now while the empress could grit her teeth in the background.

    that witch, who still called herself empress, rotted away.

 Extra Chapter 3: A Bumpy Road

    everything, had to start learning it too despite never having any interest in it earlier. Having someone you wanted to protect seemed to make being strong a lot easier. Then it was no wonder that Cedar always lost.

    ¡°

    ¡°so much more experience.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (1)

    It was a fond memory of his. One of the few ones he had.

    ¡°You''re an idiot.¡± Cedar knew that it was nothing he should do when he wanted to keep at least a little elegance in front of this guest. But in the end, it was over anyway. Since he already had the chance, he just squeezed her cheeks gently, easily fitting both sides of her face between his thumb and index finger.

    As always when Blanche got mad, she was more than expressive. Her forehead showed small wrinkles as she glared at him with that typical fiery personality of hers. ¡°I''m an idiot? How am I the idiot when you lied to me for the past few months? You could have told me who you were!¡± She was probably the only one that dared to speak to the prince like this.

    Also, the only one that still didn''t gaze at him with disgust or fear even when he was her lover''s mortal enemy.

    Cedar let out a chuckle upon seeing her scrunched-up face.¡°Anyone with working eyes should have been able to figure it out. If you had thought about it for even a second, you would have too. You didn''t, so you''re an idiot.¡±

    Blanche should certainly be at least a bit more intimidated, but she still didn''t seem to understand what situation she was in. She just puffed out her cheeks and pressed her lips together. She was seriously pouting at him.

    Cedar almost laughed again, but he held back. This was a new reaction to someone finding out who he was. Well, this single title a servant had accidentally used changed a lot anyway. Blanche now knew that he was her enemy, so she would keep her distance. Cedar didn''t allow himself to question how he felt about that when it didn''t matter. He wouldn''t see her again after this, and that was fine since he had fulfilled his only goal of getting to know Sefare''s puppet. He knew that she would never betray Theodore, so he should ignore that they had met for weeks and focus on getting out of confinement instead.

    Cedar decided not to draw it out unnecessarily either. He had to go back to training, so he should end this here somewhat gracefully. ¡°You seem quite upset. Did I offend you? Don''t take this to heart. I call many people idiots.¡± He gave her cheek an affirming pat after and only remembered to withdraw his hand a moment later. This was inappropriate. He should know better than to make this even more uncomfortable for Blanche. Cedar turned and prepared to walk back to the south palace while giving her a single wave with his hand. ¡°Have a safe travel home, Lady Blanche. I wish you good luck for your future.¡±

    He only took a few steps when he heard Blanche''s voice again. ¡°Wait.¡± She sounded a little more uncertain now, which made Cedar turn to face her. He fully expected some insults or threats, but instead, he was met with Blanche''s obvious dejected expression. She barely seemed like she dared to voice this, but she did it anyway. ¡°Can I...come again anyway?¡±

    That was the last thing Cedar had expected. It confused him so much that his smile widened. ¡°What?¡± He was sure that this had been a mistake, but Blanche didn''t correct herself and just lowered her head. This made Cedar turn to her fully as he couldn''t help but be a little cautious, his smile still as wide as ever. ¡°Are you aware of what this looks like? You do know what my relationship with Theodore is like, don''t you?¡±

    Blanche grasped the sides of her puffy dress tighter while keeping her eyes glued to his feet. She didn''t dare to meet his gaze and still ended up saying something quite daring. ¡°I know that this is strange. I also know that I shouldn''t be here. But...¡± She swallowed. ¡°I don''t want to stop seeing you like this. Even if this might be wrong.¡±

    What a surprise. Theodore''s loyal little lover wasn''t too aware of what was going on after all. Why else would she wish to drink tea with someone who conspired against the emperor?

    Cedar shouldn''t have any personal feelings about this at all. He should just see this as a chance to find out more about the palace. So, he forced his voice to stay calm while he replied. ¡°Well, if you are self-aware about doing something stupid, it''s good. You''re less of an idiot than many others.¡±

    He wanted to keep speaking like that, but when Blanche''s shoulders slouched, she seemed a bit too upset to him. Did she really want to see him again? Maybe this was her way of gaining information on her enemies in return. Cedar should only read it as this, and he should also ignore Blanche''s moods when he knew that she got upset far too quickly even when he hadn''t even meant to offend her.

    But as usual, Cedar found himself reacting to this more selfishly than he should. He replied almost immediately, just to keep Blanche from looking so dejected, even when he still didn''t dare utter an invitation. ¡°You should have figured out that I am stuck in this property by now. If you want to come again, it''s not like I can run away.¡±

    And that was enough for Blanche''s face to light up with relief like the most beautiful flowers that blossomed in spring.

    They hadn''t made an empty promise that day. Blanche had indeed visited him many times after that, and they had become close friends despite her knowing who he was. In the process, Cedar had also forgotten to keep his personal feelings out of this and had grown to cherish Blanche more than he should.

    But that didn''t matter now.

    Those were only fond memories because they could never go back to that. After all, Blanche had been executed over two years ago.

    <hr>

    Cedar''s whole life had been miserable. Somehow, it was no surprise that he also couldn''t enjoy the thing he had worked for ever since his very birth. It might be pitiful to admit it, but he didn''t even feel a tinge of satisfaction as he sat on his throne and waited for his coronation.

    The ballroom of the royal family was full. Even though the murderer of the former emperor would be crowned today, almost all nobles of Artias had come. Not a single family had refused to attend, not even Theodore''s closest allies. They were all standing here silently while waiting for the ceremony to progress without uttering a single complaint. Neither of the high priests that would join the coronation seemed bothered either. Instead, the most powerful one of them just stood there in his white robe with a golden cross while he spoke about the temple being the royal family''s loyal servant. He went on with this for a long time even when he should know that the future emperor couldn''t care less.

    Everyone waited for a new coronation just barely a month after the last emperor had bled out on the grave of his falsely executed lover. A month after Cedar had marched into the palace while publicly demanding a duel from the grieving emperor that had barely taken care of Artias anymore.

    A month since Cedar stabbed a sword right into his brother''s body.

    He had thought that this would alarm the people around him a little, but apparently, that wasn''t the case. Many nobles had already changed to the second prince''s faction after Theodore had started drinking and becoming overly harsh with anyone that tried to offer help while neglecting the nation in favor of grieving for Blanche. After his death, most others had also joined Cedar''s side. He could understand those people as they had seriously doubted the previous emperor''s capabilities to rule.

    But there were also some people that had clearly just wanted to profit. They had left Theodore''s side while he had fought in the war against Northern Ocrea to keep Artias alive. All of those liars had only supported him until Cedar had brought the capital''s economy into his hands in the meantime. Dirty traitors. He should probably take note of those names to ensure that they wouldn''t stab him in the back later, especially those that didn''t even seem uncomfortable with the fact that their new ruler had killed the old one.

    Though, Theodore truly hadn''t wanted to live at the date of his death anymore anyway. He had been known as a true tyrant during the past few months, so none of this was a surprise. His death left people uninterested and even relieved since the nation had to be in better hands now.

    Just two years ago, Theodore had been the golden child that was always blessed and never lost. Now he rotted in the ground after he had been buried next to his Blanche.

    All of this was so ridiculously tragic that Cedar couldn''t help but be upset. He should be content sitting on this throne, but he wasn''t. In fact, he was more than angry. And that was enough to make his face want to return to his usual expression. Holding back his smile during the whole coronation was bad enough, but getting upset and still not being able to cover it up was almost torture. That stupid smile was usually edged into Cedar''s face, so going without it strained him more than anything else. Apparently, it was noticeable.

    Camille, who stood next to his throne, took a step forward and put her hand on his shoulder to whisper to him. ¡°You are smiling again, Cedar.¡± It was ironic to hear her say that while her smile shone as brightly as the sun. She was so content with herself.

    But Cedar agreed that he couldn''t grin after being crowned for murdering his brother. He quickly concentrated on keeping his expression grim again. ¡°I apologize, Mother.¡±

    Camille squeezed his shoulder gently. ¡°Don''t apologize. We finally did it. I can''t keep myself from being content either. But it is important that you seem serious now.¡± Then why was it fine for her to beam like her greatest dreams had come true after her second son had murdered her first one? Maybe because that had been her greatest dream. At this point, she didn''t bother hiding it since she knew that she had won anyway. But correcting her would be useless too.

    Cedar directed his attention to the ceremony again. It seemed like the high priest was finally done with the speech. The man faced the servant carrying the most important object of this ceremony, who happened to be Harris, and gently picked up the heirloom of the Estien family. He presented the huge crown to the crowd and then turned to the thrones to progress with the ceremony.

    Cedar wanted to get this over with quickly too, but he knew that he couldn''t rush things. He had to do one last thing before the ceremony finished. He lifted his hand to stop the high priest and faced the guests as he addressed all of them at the same time. As usual, he didn''t even feel a hint of nervousness upon talking to the whole group that was forced to agree with him no matter what he said anyway. ¡°Before we continue, it is my responsibility to give the nobility of Artias a chance to speak up. I would understand if some of you have qualms about crowning me as the emperor due to the nature of my brother''s demise. It was a fair duel with both parties agreeing, but some questions might remain. For that reason, I would ask those who worry to raise their hands and voice their concerns now.¡± This was the last chance for them to interrupt.

    But as expected, not a single person snapped out of their cowardice to speak. Even though their new emperor had murdered the former one and everyone here knew that, no one protested. Maybe because they didn''t dare or because they knew that Theodore had lost his mind before his death. Either way, this meant that no one would stop Cedar anymore.

    The high priest looked around nervously and seemed relieved that no one spoke. So, he continued. ¡°As there are no objections, we will resume the ceremony.¡± He slowly walked toward the crown. ¡°Cedar Estien is the only male member of the royal family and thus, has a claim on the throne. Will you accept this duty and swear to live for Artias first and foremost and that you will lead our nation to fortune?¡±

    Cedar had been forced to memorize the words he needed to say now ever since he had been a small child. Now they felt unnatural when he said them officially without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡°I accept. I swear to take on the responsibility that the crown carries with it. I, Cedar Estien, shall devote my life to nurturing Artias and leading us into a future that is full of peace, prosperity and fortune. I shall give my all to ensure that each citizen of our nation can live the best life that I can possibly enable them to live. I will make it my goal to protect each of the people of Artias and promise to support the commoners as well as the nobles. Thus, I ask you to put your trust in me and pledge your loyalty to me.¡±

    Now it was the guests'' turn to reply, which they did while bowing to their new emperor. They all accepted the future ruler and could not change their minds without being accused of treason anymore.

    The high priest could finalize it now. He lifted the crown before bowing down and slowly putting the ultimate symbol of the royal family on Cedar''s head. ¡°With the power that has been granted to me by the temple, I am hereby crowning the righteous heir to the throne, Cedar Estien, the emperor of Artias. May Your Majesty be a wise ruler and protect our nation from more pain and loss.¡±

    The crown was as uncomfortable as Cedar had found it to be upon being a child. He remembered being seven and being quite excited when Theodore had actually let him carry that crown just once, only to be disappointed since it weighed more than the heaviest books in the royal library. Now the crown fit Cedar''s head properly, and it still wasn''t any more pleasant. The rim of the crown was cushioned to protect his scalp from the pressure, but it still felt like this symbol of power could only drag him down.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The ceremony resumed anyway. The three dukes and duchesses stepped forward to bow down once more in an exaggerated manner to show their loyalty to the new ruler. If one didn''t know the background here, maybe that would seem more convincing. With the background information, it was quite obvious that Duke Duremont tried to hide how tired he was, but he couldn''t do it. After Theodore''s death, it had been quite obvious that his family would lose a lot of power, especially since their daughter had been put on trial for framing Blanche as a murderer. Now their family had to live with the knowledge that their daughter had caused the former emperor''s insanity and also had to maneuver in a difficult situation with a new ruler that was technically their enemy.

    A glance at them alone filled Cedar with disgust, but he didn''t allow himself to show it. Every second he wasted on thoughts of Seraphina Duremont took away more of his patience. He didn''t plan on hurting her family for her crimes, but if his anger rose any more, he might change his mind. But that didn''t matter yet. He had to stabilize the capital''s suffering political system before he could have his revenge.

    Cedar just focused on the dukes in front of him and accepted their pledges one after the other. He ignored how sickly Duke Duremont looked and also how smug Duke Vasquez seemed to be. It looked like Claude still had no idea that his nephew knew what he was planning and that he wouldn''t play along with it. Cedar treated all three dukes the same before moving on.

    Before he could really continue, Camille leaned down to him though. ¡°Will you already announce your advisor, or do you want to have the day for ourselves? Both would be fine. Just don''t let him wait too long, or he will get impatient.¡± True. She expected him to make Claude his secretary. After all, the Vasquez family had supported them for a while.

    But today would have to be the first time that Cedar knowingly refused to obey his mother. He wouldn''t play into Claude''s hands. ¡°Do not worry, Mother. I will take care of this right now. Just give me ten minutes to finish the ceremony.¡± He turned his gaze to the guests again.

    What followed was half an hour of people coming to congratulate him while they also tried to win his favor. Some others were quite scared, but most seemed to be willing to bet everything on this new emperor. Though, it was also clear that everyone still treaded carefully while trying to figure out how harshly this new ruler would react to their words. Cedar would have to find a slim middle ground between dealing out harsh punishments to his enemies and also seeming composed and generous. Though, that might not be too hard when he was compared to Theodore, who had doubled the number of execution each month during the last year of his reign.

    For now, Cedar just opened the buffet and the dance floor after giving a short speech about Artias'' future. Then he decided not to delay it any longer and addressed the topic of the royal advisor. Everyone seemed sure that Claude would be named, so Cedar was happy to smash their expectations. ¡°As you all know, a royal advisor is necessary to ensure the safety of our nation''s political foundation. Thus, I can only think of one extremely capable person that could take on this post. They already proved that they are well-versed in many topics and that they can work hard for Artias. I wish to rely on their skills even now. I am hereby granting the title of the royal advisor to Marquess Leonard Astame.¡±

    The people in the ballroom gasped. Cedar only glanced at Claude though. The other man looked like he had seen a spirit, and then he became so wrathful that it was obvious that he already planned an execution in his mind. Cedar almost smiled in response, just because he forgot to hide his usual expression. Though, he forced himself to seem indifferent quickly as he glanced at Leonard Astame and waited for a reply.

    Leonard Astame, Theodore''s former close friend and advisor, had been eaten up by grief ever since the previous emperor''s death. He hated Cedar. And yet, he had come today. Yet, he would consider this option. He knew that meddling in the political affairs here could only be beneficial for Artias. Then he could at least save the last things Theodore had left behind in this world. So, his reply wasn''t surprising as he stepped forward and bowed to the thrones. ¡°I accept.¡±

    The people in the ballroom almost lost their minds and started whispering loudly. No one seemed to understand this.

    Especially Camille didn''t find the situation funny. She hurried forward and dug her fingers into Cedar''s shoulders while hissing at him. ¡°What are you doing, Cedar?¡±

    Cedar turned his head to her and whispered to keep others from hearing him. ¡°Allow me to explain.¡±

    As usual, Camille didn''t listen. She just grew angrier and snapped at him again. ¡°No, you tell me what this was right now. Are you insane? You can''t just put that bastard into such an important position because you-¡±

    Cedar knew that she would just get louder if this resumed. So, he leaned closer and whispered again, with more emphasis in his voice now. ¡°Mother. Don''t you think that Claude is becoming quite arrogant? Just because he is our close friend, he already believed that he could control you. Do you remember how he tried to tell you what to do? Should we continue like that? No. Of course not. We need to remind Claude that he is just our dog lying in wait, that he will only receive treats when we decide to give them to him.¡±

    And just like that, Camille was easily convinced to comply with her son''s idea. She calmed down instantly but seemed a bit skeptical still. ¡°I see. But...is putting your brother''s stupid servant at your side a good idea?¡±

    Cedar could easily justify that too. ¡°I need to win over Theodore''s last supporters. How could I do that better than by taking in one of his best people? It also allows me to control Lord Astame without any issues. Do you think I''d trust that man? No. I''ll keep an eye on him at all times.¡± And Leonard was also one of the most skillful politicians in this nation. Cedar needed him for that and possibly for some secret assassinations too. But he didn''t say that. He just left it at this.

    As expected, Camille fell for it easily. A smile grew on her lips as she threw away her last doubts and replied while reaching over to pinch his cheek. ¡°Oh, Cedar. My clever little boy. I knew that I could rely on you.¡±

    Cedar smiled at her in return. Finally being able to cover up all his annoyance again was more than relieving. ¡°Always, Mother.¡± He slowly stood up from his throne and fully ignored how the heavy crown and cape weighed him down. Turning to his mother, he offered her his arm. ¡°Please allow me to escort you. We should speak to our citizens now.¡±

    His mother complied immediately. She locked her arms with him and seemed more than content as he led her toward the guests. For her, this probably felt like another part of her victory celebration.

    For Cedar, it symbolized something else. He switched back to his scheming view of the world as he scanned the people in the ballroom. He rarely had the chance to gather everyone in one room, so he had to use this chance to find out what everyone was planning.

    One glance at the visitors already revealed much about the factions that had formed. The minority was still neutral and tried to stay away from the main factions, which consisted of the people that had once supported Theodore and the others that followed Cedar. Frankly, Theodore''s death had made this much more difficult. Both sides basically seemed to lie in wait to attack the other at this point, which was dangerous since the former emperor''s supporters were getting weaker day by day.

    That was a huge issue. Artias needed a few powerful groups to function without turning into an unstable mess. To ensure that they could continue peacefully, Cedar had to intervene. The political stability would fall apart soon if one faction lost, which meant that he needed to strengthen the apparent losers while weakening his own people. He had to do most of that behind closed doors, but choosing Lord Astame as an advisor had been the first step in the right direction. This wasn''t enough though. He had to do more.

    As Cedar wandered through the room and greeted all guests, one question rested on his mind. How could he use these people? That was the only thing he needed to consider. Each family and person here could be a threat to him, but he could also use them to win if he did it right.

    Starting by Duke Duremont. This man would basically have to do everything for him at this point. Henry Duremont had been Theodore''s strongest supporter, but ever since his daughter, the former empress, had been divorced and accused of treason, he had lost a big portion of his power. With the emperor''s death, it might seem like his household had no chance to continue to exist. Though, he would get an opportunity to fight for his family now. Henry was more than aghast when Cedar greeted him before the Vasquez family. The conversation was tense, but that the emperor had even acknowledged the Duremonts meant a lot.

    Cedar didn''t spend a lot of time with them, but he already thought about ways to use them. When this conversation was done, he led his mother, who complained about the Duremonts quite openly, to the Vasquez family. He already prepared for a troublesome interaction here, so he wasn''t surprised when he barely uttered the greeting and was immediately snapped at.

    Claude was boiling at this point, his head utterly red as he raised his voice a little. ¡°Good day, Your Majesty. How could you make that man your royal advisor when you-¡± Maybe Theodore had dealt with this kind of disrespect, but the new emperor wouldn''t.

    Cedar shut down every small bit of resistance immediately, meeting Claude''s gaze directly while smiling at him so openly that this could only be understood as a threat. ¡°Your Grace, it would be best for you to remember to be quiet. You are raising your voice at the emperor of Artias.¡±

    Claude backed off immediately. He seemed to know that he wasn''t powerful enough to gain anything here yet. That was why he gritted his teeth and then forced himself to be quiet instead of screaming at the other man. ¡°You promised that I would become your advisor.¡± How upset he was about this.

    Cedar beamed back at him. ¡°When did I do that? I do not remember uttering those words. I said that I would reward everyone on my side, but I did not assign positions yet, did I?¡±

    The other man was right, and that angered Duke Vasquez so much that he got louder again. ¡°No, but you could at least have told me when we discussed this. I fully relied on Your Majesty. Why would accept that useless man? We were the ones that paved the way for you!¡± How arrogant. He wanted to be close to the new emperor despite being nothing but a damn traitor?

    Did he really think that Cedar didn''t know what he had done? At this point, it was quite obvious that Duke Vasquez had never supported the second prince. Instead, he had merely pushed Cedar forward to hide his true intentions. The fact that he was trying to gain power in the background was rather obvious.

    Cedar was well aware that Claude wanted him dead and that he had to be careful. That was the only reason he didn''t admit everything openly, but he still found clear words. ¡°Were you truly? Did you do anything to help me? As far as I remember, I personally took the crown by winning over my allies and defeating my brother in a duel. This has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Claude wanted to talk back, but he seemed to notice that he wouldn''t progress here. He forced himself to be quiet despite his pride, which was the first sign that announced that he would try to eliminate Cedar soon. That was the only reason why he settled down quietly now. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. I do not know what came over me. Of course, you are correct. This will not happen again.¡± He would use much more violent weapons from now on.

    Cedar would know when to strike back, and he wasn''t one to hold back. But for now, he just put on a bright smile and decided to prepare everything slowly. ¡°Good. Then we won''t have to discuss this in such an ugly tone.¡± He kept beaming as he turned to Selena, his aunt, who seemed quite unhappy upon seeing her husband quarrel with the new emperor. Even now, she looked like she wanted to make up for Claude''s mistakes. But she might not know how big her husband''s plans were. She wouldn''t stay with him if she knew that he wanted her nephew''s death. So, Cedar wanted her to stay out of this. ¡°I wish you a wonderful day, Your Grace. Has your journey here been pleasant?¡± He held his hand toward her to offer her a small hand kiss. He rarely did that. Usually only when he wanted to tell the concerned person something.

    Selena already recognized that as she took a step forward and lowered her head to listen to him. She was utterly worried before he even spoke. ¡°Your Majesty...¡±

    Cedar didn''t have much time when they stood directly in front of Claude, so he did it as swiftly as he could and whispered that under his breath. ¡°Divorce him. Quickly.¡± He let go and stepped away.

    Selena had understood him, but his words scared her. Her eyes widened as she just stared at him in shock. ¡°What?¡±

    Cedar was quick to cover up her reaction with a bright smile. ¡°I apologize. Did I speak too quietly? I just wished to tell you that you look stunning today, dear aunt. It seems like the past weeks were very kind to you.¡± He swiftly directed the conversation in another direction and smiled at Luciano. ¡°To all of you. Then let me greet you too. I wish you a wonderful evening, Lord Vasquez.¡±

    Luciano frankly looked like he hadn''t slept well for the past weeks. He was a clever man, so Cedar assumed that he had seen through his father''s ridiculous plans. It was no wonder he barely managed to fake a smile in return. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your coronation.¡±

    In contrast, Cedar showed his perfect smile without any issues. ¡°I sincerely thank you. It is wonderful to have all of you gathered here.¡± He turned to the last person in the group, even when she wouldn''t be able to reply to him much. ¡°And here we have the small lady of the family. How have you been, Lady Vasquez?¡±

    Rebecca was Selena and Claude''s daughter, who was two and a half years old now. She was quite the sweet little girl, who was very attached to her mother and older brother. She also liked her cousin a lot, so it was no surprise that she favored him in this huge group of people. Her pronunciation was still a bit slurred when she addressed him, but he could understand her. ¡°Cedar...¡± She extended her short arms to him, probably to hug him like she always did when they met. But doing that wouldn''t be possible now.

    If there was something Camille was sensitive to, it was people ignoring her son''s rank while daring to act like he was close to them, no matter what her son said about this. She couldn''t care less that this was a toddler or that Cedar liked Rebecca. Instead, she raised her voice to snap at the girl with much more resentment than a child should face. ¡°Does this ball seem like a casual event to you? Don''t call the emperor by his name. Did no one teach you to use his title from now on?¡±

    Rebecca, who typically cried easily, only needed that much to tip her over. She hurriedly hid behind her mother as quiet wailing came from her and tears ran down her face. This just earned her a dirty look, which she couldn''t even see.

    Selena saw it though. She immediately panicked as she tried to hug her daughter while also talking to Camille. ¡°Sister, I sincerely apologize. But Rebecca didn''t mean it. His Majesty allowed her to-¡±

    As always, Camille didn''t let her talk back. She just interrupted her. ¡°But Cedar is emperor now. Do you wish to question the validity of his title?¡± She said that right after demonstrating that she was the only one that was allowed to say his name. As if to underline that fact, she linked her arm with his quickly and stood even closer to Cedar than before. ¡°Are you looking down on him just because he''s your nephew? Do you think that''ll give you the right to address him however you see fit?¡± She got louder near the end.

    Selena understood that her sister was serious now and hurriedly tried to please her. ¡°Of course not! We never intended to say any of that. Please, Becca just-¡±

    ¡°Stop with your excuses. Your child should learn to behave. She''s already this old and still can''t obey despite knowing the rules. How disappointing. It''s even more useless than it was with you as a child.¡± Camille said such harsh words without a sliver of shame or even sympathy. She truly just pushed for what she wanted without regard for others. It was painful to witness and also embarrassing.

    Rebecca was a toddler. She shouldn''t have to focus on things like this. To her, Cedar was simply her cousin who sometimes played with her. Of the nobles in this room, merely a single person would blame her for calling him by name and reaching for him. Children of this age usually weren''t even brought to events like that, and when they were present, they weren''t expected to act by all noble conventions. Criticizing her like this was ridiculous.

    It made Cedar want to ask his mother how she still hadn''t understood that children didn''t like this treatment after raising him. But of course, he just smiled brightly as he chimed in to mediate. ¡°Now, now. There is no need to be so harsh, Mother. Today is a joyous day. Naturally, Rebecca would be excited as well. She must be happy for me.¡±

    And once again, Camille seemed to have changed her personality in an instant. She gave him a soft smile now and leaned against him while reaching up to pat his cheek. ¡°Of course. All of us are happy for you, my dear son. The only one that could be happier than all of them is me, your mother.¡± She always had to push herself into the foreground. That was quite typical for her. It was also no surprise that she was still upset with her sister and her niece, which caused her to announce that they would leave quickly. ¡°Anyway. Cedar and I will greet the others now. Have a nice evening.¡± She pulled Cedar away after without even asking what the emperor wanted.

    Cedar didn''t complain. He had to meet other people to figure out whether he could use them anyway. He might as well use this ball properly.

 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (2)

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    ¡°ay, . Though, it seemed like he wouldn''t get the chance to do that.

    ¡°

 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (3)

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    one task because she had done it of her own free will. ¡°Oh, there is so much to do. I know that you will do well, but we shouldn''t begin already. We need to celebrate properly first.¡±

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    profit, so this will not take away your ability to pay your workers. Since you mostly own luxury stores that make millions of gold coins each month, such lies are quite brazen.¡±

    because I own luxury stores. Suddenly paying twenty percent more taxes is simply impossible for me unless I want to throw out my workers and close my shops.¡± What a liar. Those taxes only applied to his stores because his earnings were greater than a specific number each month. There was no way that he was in trouble with his money.

    ¡°

 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (4)

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    I have to calm down?¡± Her voice became shriller and louder. That usually announced a hysteric fit. They truly didn''t need that right now, but Cedar might not be able to prevent it. He still tried that, but he wasn''t quick enough.

    How dare you? You are nothing but a dirty illegitimate child of some unknown whore, and you think you can criticize me?¡± She turned to Cedar again. He could hear the order before she even said it. ¡°Did you hear what she just said? Punish her. Right now.¡±

    ¡°

 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (5)

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    ¡®Choice¡¯.

    choice.

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 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (6)

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 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (8)

    if he fell for his own wife, which certainly wouldn''t happen since he wasn''t able to form real human connections, why would that be an issue? It would only be helpful for all of them. But of course, he didn''t say that. ¡°Do you truly think that foolish little girl could influence me? I am the one controlling this, Mother. Not the other way around.¡± He acted even more confident than usual, just to get his mother to react.

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 What Could Have Been I: The New Emperor (9)

    kind?

    He had been the reason. Cedar couldn''t have guessed that the empress would go that far, but he had known that it would be dangerous. Just because Cedar had been selfish enough to insist on meeting Blanche again and again, he had indirectly caused her death. He simply shouldn''t have reached for something he could never have. Whenever he did that, his life usually punished him harshly enough to remind him to stay in his place. He knew that, and yet, he had foolishly pulled Blanche into his problems.

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    The war? The war with Northern Ocrea?¡± Artias hadn''t been in any other war recently, but the two with Ocrea had troubled the nation greatly. If Luciano meant this... Cedar slowly understood that this was indeed what his cousin meant as Luciano only nodded. Cedar''s smile faded. ¡°What did he do?¡±

    Luciano. What happened?¡± His voice was so cold that it could have frozen an entire nation.

 What Could Have Been II: The Former Empress (1)

    Yes. Her family was still suffering because of her crimes. She hoped that it would get better after her death. It was also a lie to deny that she was breaking down more and more each day she was kept in this cell. She would rather end it soon. But she also knew that Cedar would never fulfill any of her wishes. So, she lied. ¡°No.¡±

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    Sophia would never!¡±

    No!¡± Her voice broke as her head fell forward. She couldn''t keep the sobs that rose in her throat down. She began crying loudly, not being able to hold back as she prayed for Sophia. How should she accept that her sister was dead? There was no way. Seraphina refused to believe this.

    could be that cruel.

 What Could Have Been II: The Former Empress (2)

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 Through Other Eyes I: Two Princes and a Music Box (1)

    It was gone. Theodore knew exactly that he had placed his beloved music box right in this room, only to find it having vanished into thin air. Playthings usually didn''t do that, so someone had to have taken it. The options in the royal palace were limited. Even when Theodore was only thirteen years old, he had enough authority to be treated with respect by those around him. Only one person would steal the crown prince''s belongings.

    Theodore stared at the dresser for a few more seconds before he balled his fists and cursed the responsible person under his breath. ¡°Cedar, you damned brat.¡±

    His younger brother had sneaked into his room to steal some toy once again. By now, this wasn''t even surprising anymore. Cedar often did this. Theodore only got more upset each time. Usually, he could ignore it for a while though. Not today. This music box was the one his mother had given to him for his birthday. Theodore cared for it more than for any other of his belongings, which was probably why Cedar had taken it as revenge for their fight yesterday. He had to get this back now.

    A part of him considered informing his father immediately so that the emperor could just order Cedar to give back the music box. That would be the easiest option. Cedar might be scolded a bit, but that was his fault for stealing in the first place. Though, Theodore also knew that he should probably do this himself. He was thirteen now, so he should be able to deal with his younger brother. He was supposed to become emperor. It was about time for him to become more confident and to use his power without asking for help.

    So, Theodore decided to try to solve this issue on his own first. He whirled around and left his room to stomp down the hallway. He had no idea where Cedar was around this time, but he could guess. His brother usually either had lessons with one of his countless teachers, or he was at the training grounds and learned how to wield a sword from the royal guards and some private tutors. Theodore decided to check the training square first. As he approached, some people watched him with confusion, but he ignored them. He kept his eyes on the area in front of him until he finally found who he had been searching for.

    Of course, his brother was training. He seemed to do nothing besides that when he had free time. It had almost been too predictable.

    As Theodore approached, many guards noticed him and bowed to him, but his brother stayed focused on his training. That allowed Theodore to catch a good glimpse of how Cedar dueled one of the adult knights while doing quite well. That was enough to make him narrow his eyes.

    Cedar was just like he had been yesterday before the fight, his expression showing that he was focused on the duel while nothing else mattered to him. He looked so innocent, like any other eight-year-old would look. With his big eyes and soft hair, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that Cedar could look like an angel when he wanted to. The problem was that his personality was the very opposite.

    Just yesterday, Cedar had ended an argument by holding a sword to his brother''s throat while claiming that he would kill him soon.

    Theodore was physically stronger and taller, but he hadn''t had a chance to react at all. Cedar had been so quick to grab that decorative sword from the wall that his brother hadn''t noticed before it had been too late. Theodore found it embarrassing to admit it, but Cedar had really scared him that time. He had wondered whether his life was over for a moment before eventually pushing his brother away. He assumed that Cedar had stolen the music box to get back at him for that.

    How ironic. Cedar had threatened Theodore, and now he was the one being upset?

    That angered Theodore even more. That thieving brat really could only cause trouble for him. Whenever something upsetting happened, it was usually connected to his younger brother, whose temper was as uncontrolled as the one of a wild animal. How come Theodore was always supposed to pay attention to that? He refused to keep his head down just because his spoiled brother wasn''t being educated properly. His expression turned to one of fury as he raised his voice. ¡°Cedar!¡±

    Cedar had been fully immersed in his duel, so he whirled around upon being called so suddenly. As he saw his brother stomping toward him, he probably knew what this was about. Yet, he acted like he had no idea, putting on that fake innocent smile as he gestured to his teacher to make him pause. Despite being sweaty and a bit red from exhausting himself, he managed to look quite presentable as he faced Theodore and beamed at him. ¡°It seems that my beloved older brother came to visit me. What grants me this honor?¡±

    Theodore had no time for such hoaxes. He reached his brother and fought to urge to grab his collar. He just towered above Cedar while he glared at him. ¡°Where is my music box?¡±

    It would have been too easy for Cedar to just admit it, it seemed. He tilted his head to the side and acted like he was confused. ¡°Music box? I fear I have no idea what you mean. Did you misplace your things again?¡± That lying bastard.

    Theodore couldn''t keep himself from getting a bit louder. ¡°Of course not. You stole it, you thief. Again.¡±

    Cedar''s smile faded as he pursed his lips and pouted at his brother. ¡°What a mean accusation. Aren''t you too quick to judge me?¡± He used that far too sulky tone to complain now, which just made it obvious that he wasn''t really upset. He just wanted to annoy his brother.

    Unfortunately, it was working. Theodore would usually say that he had great self-control, but when it came to his brother, he lost his temper far too easily. Now he couldn''t keep himself from leaning down to bring his face in front of Cedar''s to snap at him. ¡°Whenever my stuff is missing, you took it. Don''t act innocent. You wanted to get back at me because of yesterday.¡±

    And again, Cedar put on that clueless look. ¡°Yesterday? What do you mean?¡±

    Theodore wanted to wring his neck. Of course, he couldn''t do that, so he ended up using an even sharper tone but forced himself to quiet down so that no one else would hear them. ¡°You tried to kill me yesterday, you brat. Don''t act like you don''t remember.¡±

    Cedar furrowed his brows a bit and whispered back. ¡°I think I''d remember trying to kill you, Theodore.¡± He slowly tilted his head back to look right into his brother''s eyes, his head tilted sideways as the corners of his lips raised into a smug grin. ¡°Especially since your self-defense skills are so useless that I could easily have finished that already if I had wanted to.¡± Now he broke character.

    Theodore couldn''t hold anymore and grabbed Cedar''s shoulders. ¡°You damned-¡±

    Cedar''s smile disappeared in a split second as he suddenly started whining. ¡°Ouch, it hurts. Don''t be so mean to your younger brother. I didn''t do anything that would require you to be so awful now...¡± He pouted at his brother while letting his forehead wrinkle a bit like he was really upset.

    Theodore would fall for it if he didn''t know his brother personally. Anyone who had found what kind of person Cedar was knew that this boy was only using his acting skills to upset his brother, but even some onlookers would guess that the crown prince was bullying his brother when they saw this.

    And as annoying as it was, Theodore couldn''t just ignore how this looked to others. He forced himself to let go of Cedar and just glared down at him. ¡°How am I mean when you are the one that started this problem? If you just left me alone, I wouldn''t have to come and see you.¡± He wanted to get his music box and leave, nothing more. It probably wouldn''t be that easy though.

    As expected, Cedar just ignored his brother''s mood entirely. He beamed at him again. ¡°So, you don''t want to see me either. Good. I was in the middle of training. If you would please make way for me, I could continue.¡± He took a step to the side but was stopped.

    Theodore blocked his brother''s path while glaring down at him. ¡°You got it. We both don''t want to see each other. Give back my belongings, and you won''t have to see my face again.¡±

    His brother''s smile only seemed to grow. ¡°You are so sure that I was the one that moved what you lost. Do you have proof that it was me?¡± Seeing him act like he had never made a single mistake was more than infuriating. Both of them knew what he had done, and he didn''t only pretend to be innocent. He also did it while being so smug that his brother was itching to finally wipe that smirk off his face.

    Theodore had tried to calm himself down, but he was at his limit here, his voice getting louder as he balled his fists. ¡°Cedar, I swear that I''m going to-¡±

    Cedar lifted his hands as if to signal him to quieten down while he still smiled far too brightly. ¡°Calm down, Theodore. Really, you are much too aggressive. How are you going to become the ruler of our nation like this?¡± Now he attacked his brother''s position as the crown prince? He was going too far today.

    Again, Theodore just wanted to make him shut his mouth. His voice worked before he had even thought about it. ¡°You were the one that held a sword to my neck!¡±

    They both remembered that clearly, and yet, Cedar had the nerve to lie to his face. ¡°As I said, I don''t remember that.¡± As if that wasn''t bad enough, he also made it worse. Cedar turned his head to the side a bit and lowered his voice to whisper into his brother''s ear. ¡°And you probably shouldn''t remember it either. It would be quite pathetic for you to feel threatened by your baby brother. Do you think a boy my age could overwhelm you? That''s sad.¡±

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    That. Little. Bastard.

    Theodore really had to hold back some insults now, so he chose not to say anything. He just glared at his brother, knowing that his expression said enough.

    Cedar at least partially understood. He pretended to think while slowly turning away. ¡°Now. What can we do about that missing music box? If I think about it a little longer, I might be able to grasp some memories. Right. I have that item in mind.¡± Theodore had hoped that he would give up and finally admit it now, but as annoying as Cedar was, he just made it worse again. ¡°But I need a bit more before my brain remembers the rest.¡±

    The meaning of that was clear even to Theodore. He narrowed his eyes as his brother glanced up at him. ¡°What do you want in return?¡± If it was something small, he could do that. If not, he would have to use other methods. But of everything, Theodore certainly hadn''t expected this response.

    ¡°Apologize.¡±

    Theodore heard the word but struggled to understand why this was necessary. ¡°What?¡± He only noticed that Cedar might be referring to the fight they had had yesterday. That was enough to make Theodore''s mood shift yet again. Fury rose in him as memories of how terrified he had been rose in his mind. ¡°Are you joking? You want me to apologize for being threatened?¡± He almost yelled now, not caring about who heard.

    Yet, Cedar kept his composure. He just shrugged in response. ¡°I never threatened you. That was all just child''s play.¡± His smile grew wider again. ¡°Come on, Theodore. Don''t tell me you took that seriously. You seem so mad about nothing. Besides, you started that argument, so you can''t complain now.¡±

    Oh, Theodore would complain as much as he wanted to. ¡°Argument? I just told you to stop acting like a brat, and you attacked me.¡± He was shaking with anger now.

    Cedar should know that taking a step back might be better, but he didn''t do that. He just kept provoking his brother. ¡°That isn''t all you said, but I guess you wouldn''t remember. Your brain has many holes. I''m not sure if that is good for the future ruler of a nation.¡±

    This time, Theodore almost pushed him. He held back once again, choosing to just yell at him. ¡°You''re so arrogant when you''re only a child!¡±

    Cedar shrugged as he directed his attention to the wooden sword in his hand. ¡°Aren''t you a child too? No matter how much we act like adults, we can''t change the fact that we''re quite young.¡± He took a step back before slowly lifting the training sword and pointing it at Theodore, his face showing that smug grin again. ¡°But if you can''t even bring yourself to apologize, let''s put up another bet. If you can defeat me in a duel, I will give you your music box.¡±

    It should be easy. Theodore was five years older and had trained enough to be able to defend himself. His physical strength alone should give him an advantage.

    But Cedar was a master when it came to sword-fighting. That brat had started muscle training at the age of three and had received his first sword shortly after. He had trained for as long as Theodore at this point, and he showed far more skill, which he refined by training for hours every single day. It seemed like using the sword was just the one thing Cedar was a genius at. Everyone praised him when they watched him train, and allegedly, he had already defeated some of his first sword teachers. Even the adults were shocked by his level of speed and weapon control. Winning against him in a duel, which would be focused on who wielded the sword better, was impossible.

    In every other regard, Theodore could put up a good fight. When it came to literature or mathematics as well as politics, they always fought hard for the first place, with Cedar usually being a mere one or two points behind Theodore in tests. That he reached so much while being five years younger was quite troublesome for his brother, but in those situations, there at least was a battle.

    When it came to sword-fighting, which Theodore didn''t like too much, Cedar would wreck him. In other words, this condition was unfair.

    Theodore couldn''t keep himself from glaring at Cedar with even more anger than before. He should try to hold back and keep his composure like a good crown prince, but this music box was really important to him. He didn''t want to lose it. So, he ended up hissing at Cedar. ¡°You can''t withhold my belongings from me like that.¡±

    As expected, Cedar just made fun of him in return. ¡°Are you scared you''re going to lose?¡± There that smug overconfidence was again.

    It infuriated Theodore to no end. But what was he supposed to do? He could try to search the palace to find his music box, but Cedar could have hidden it anywhere. Theodore couldn''t just waste weeks on this. Should he try to involve his father? Maybe that would help, but it would also lead to Alastair hearing about how Theodore had let his younger brother threaten him while being unable to even get back a single item from him.

    Those weren''t the qualities of a proper ruler. Cedar was much better when it came to dealing with subjects.

    Theodore had noticed that a few times already. He was aware that his father claimed that the position of the heir had been set and that nothing could change it, but if they were honest, that wasn''t entirely true. Alastair could change his mind at any time. If Cedar, who was younger but just as capable as Theodore while being far more ambitious and socially gifted, was also backed by the empress... It could throw off the power balance a lot. If Cedar wanted to be emperor, many problems would develop.

    That thought was enough to make Theodore ball his fists. He couldn''t tell his father. That would risk him finding out that his son couldn''t even deal with his brother. But Theodore wanted his music box back, so there was only one choice. ¡°Fine.¡± He spat that out while desperately trying to hide his growing nervousness. He doubted that he could win this duel, but he would have to try at least.

    Cedar''s confident grin already made him worry though. This whole fight was just supposed to boost his ego, and it seemed like Cedar would get what he wanted while once again flaunting his better sword skills. ¡°Oh, my. Really? I am so honored to receive this chance to duel with you. You should warm up a bit before we start.¡± He was far too certain that he would win.

    Theodore would like to prove him otherwise, but he doubted that this would work. ¡°Don''t be so arrogant. You''re just a baby, so what are you going to do?¡± He turned to walk over to the weaponry to get himself a wooden training sword. Then he came back to Cedar and stretched a bit, his unease growing even more.

    Even a single glance at the brothers right now should give away who would win. It was a bit embarrassing, but Cedar was so confident while Theodore was clearly worried. It was no surprise that things didn''t go well for the crown prince.

    Mere seconds after the duel started, Cedar already commented on it. ¡°Your form is awful. You should train a bit more.¡± He jumped forward and slammed his sword against his brother''s with such force that he almost knocked it away.

    Theodore struggled to keep the sword in place as he snapped back. ¡°Not everyone can be a violent brat that likes to hurt others.¡± He backed away, focusing on his steps to regain his balance while keeping an eye on his brother.

    Cedar''s typical smile was missing, an obvious sign of how focused he was now. He wanted to win this badly, didn''t he? He still had the time to argue. ¡°If I liked hurting others, you would have noticed already.¡± He scanned Theodore''s movements with great care before dashing forward again.

    In the end, it had been expected. Cedar was far too good for a child. By now, it felt like the sword had become a part of him as he skillfully moved like any royal knight would. No, Theodore would even say that Cedar moved differently. Knights would focus on using their strength and defending their positions. Cedar almost exclusively focused on offense, and somehow, he still managed to avoid every attack Theodore aimed at him. He was quick and small, and he used that to his advantage easily.

    Theodore didn''t like seeing his brother move like that. It wasn''t just because he might be jealous of the fact that Cedar seemed to become the best sword-fighter in all of Artias. He was also worried. No child that age should be used to training for hours a day while clearly neglecting their health. It wasn''t like it was new for Cedar to overwork himself. He always seemed to do that as he juggled training, attending his lessons and working for his mother whenever she had requests. Just because he could do it, that didn''t mean that this would be good for him though.

    In fact, Theodore was sure that it was unhealthy. Much like that far too focused expression on Cedar''s face as if he fought for his life. The rivalry between the brothers had always been strong, but right now, it seemed like Cedar would lose his mind if he lost. This was just a meaningless duel. Why did he act like his life depended on it?

    Theodore hadn''t a chance either way, and he was almost relieved when it was finally over as a knight interrupted. They didn''t even have to ask for the result as both brothers were fully out of breath.

    Cedar took a moment to compose himself, but then he quickly forced that stupid grin back on his lips. ¡°You lost. So, you''ll leave and let me train.¡± He wanted to train even more? He looked like he was already at his limit.

    Theodore was worried for a moment, but then he remembered that Cedar would do the very opposite of what his brother said, so he held back his comment about that. Instead, he focused on what he had come here for. Right. This was still about his music box. If he wanted that back, he needed to act now. Theodore had to focus on breathing for a bit longer before he decided to speak up again. His heart still beat a bit quicker, but he managed to talk without panting. ¡°I won''t step away before you give back my music box.¡± He slowly moved forward to step in front of Cedar. ¡°It will be hard to train like this, won''t it?¡±

    Cedar didn''t seem to believe that his brother would cause that much trouble. He just grinned at him. ¡°Do you want to spend time with me that badly? Or are you upset about the result of our fight? We can have a few more duels if you want me to prove how much better I am. That would take a while though. I''m not sure whether the crown prince has enough time to waste like this.¡± Did he think he could push his brother away with such obvious excuses? What a fool.

    It was rare that Theodore clung to Cedar to annoy him when it was usually the other way around, but he could easily take on this role for a while. He forced himself to look cold as he crossed his arms. ¡°I think I can spare a few hours for my dear baby brother.¡± He reached out to pinch Cedar''s cheek, which immediately made his brother slap his hand away.

    Cedar still smiled, but he did look a bit irritated. ¡°Ah, really? What a pleasant surprise, Brother.¡± He said that with enough venom in his voice to reveal that he wasn''t pleased at all. ¡°I don''t mind you watching. Would you step aside to make way for my tutor?¡±

    That was exactly what Theodore wouldn''t do. He immediately closed the distance between them again and leaned down to bring his face in front of Cedar''s. ¡°No. Actually, I think I want to be as close to my brother as possible.¡± He would have liked to smile provokingly in return, but he was far too annoyed for that, so his words came out in a cold voice. ¡°If I stand here, it would be hard for you to train without accidentally hitting me, right? I fear that you will have to take an elongated break.¡±

    It seemed like Cedar understood that his brother wasn''t joking here. He forcibly clung to his smile as he replied. ¡°That would mean that you''ll have to stick to me for the next few hours though. Shouldn''t you instead meet your mother or attend some lessons?¡±

    Theodore crossed his arms. ¡°No. I have all the time in the world today. My music box could distract me enough to make me go away though. If you were willing to give that back to me, I would quickly disappear.¡± He really wanted to ruin his brother''s day, so he leaned down again and whispered before Cedar could even reply. ¡°I''m serious. That means no training for you before you give back what you took, you thief.¡±

    Now that stupid smile finally faded. Cedar''s face scrunched up as he glared back at his brother, seemingly being quite ready to punch Theodore in the face. He didn''t seem to be near a breakdown though. Cedar was just upset, not aggressive and violent.

    Theodore decided to be careful anyway. They were being watched by many knights right now though, so he should be safe. That allowed him to be even more confident as he just lifted his head and triumphantly stared down at his brother.

 Through Other Eyes I: Two Princes and a Music Box (2)

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 Through Other Eyes II: The Day I Met my FiancÃ©s Mistress (1)

    someone had suddenly pulled him out.

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    Title?¡±

    ¡°Of course, she did.¡± Blanche turned to Seraphina and met her gaze directly. Now she actually held her head up high and seemed much more confident than before as anger fueled her reaction. ¡°I am asking again. Did you just mean to chastise me?¡±

    Excuse me?¡±

    As his fianc¨¦e, you should have shown your face at least once during the past five weeks. Theo is constantly drowning in work while being more than exhausted, and you don''t seem to care at all. If you cared in the slightest, you would at least come to distract him a bit.¡± She became more and more exasperated as she spoke, not understanding that she criticized someone far above her status.

    will not speak to me like this. You should remember who I am very clearly. I am Seraphina Duremont, the future empress of Artias. You will be my subject like everyone else and obey when I give you orders. You will not talk back or-¡± She didn''t get to finish that order either.

    her? After how many rules his lover had broken, he was upset with Seraphina? How could she accept that? ¡°Your Majesty, this-¡±

    ¡°I said this was enough.¡± Theodore never raised his voice at his fianc¨¦e. At least he hadn''t done it until today. Now he hadn''t yelled either, but he certainly hadn''t been kind either. He only seemed to realize how harsh his tone had been as Seraphina silenced herself. When he continued, he tried to sound normal but couldn''t hide his current mood fully. ¡°I understand that this meeting was unfavorable, but you have to admit that your words were quite harsh. I will make sure to give Blanche etiquette lessons, and then we can avoid such discussions. But I also expect you to hold back.¡± As if this wasn''t enough, he also allowed that mistress to hug him again while adding the final words that added the final nail to the coffin. ¡°Blanche is not under your authority.¡±

    that woman walk by his side.

 Through Other Eyes II: The Day I Met my FiancÃ©s Mistress (2)

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 Through Other Eyes III: Changing Overnight

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 Through Other Eyes IV: The Threat Close to You

    ¡®The empress is to be treated with as much caution as the dowager empress. All kinds of schemes and dangers might come from her. She will be under surveillance from now on. Noah Aldis is a new knight in the royal palace, and he will take care of this issue for now. Make sure to keep an eye on her at all times. That woman might be a threat to Blanche, so she cannot come close to her. More information will come later.¡¯

    ¡®The empress isn''t to be trusted.¡¯

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 Through Other Eyes V: The Hunting Festival

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 Through Other Eyes VI: Inappropriate Feelings

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 Through Other Eyes VII: Brothers Reunion

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 Through Other Eyes VIII: The Deposed Empress and the Traitorous Brother (1)

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 Through Other Eyes VIII: The Deposed Empress and the Traitorous Brother (2)

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 Through Other Eyes IX: The Neglected Empress and the Prince from Far Away (1)

    Prince Linden was a quite peaceful person. Being around him was simply pleasant. He was polite and friendly, seemed to be interested in Artias and good literature and listened carefully whenever others spoke. He was understanding as well, which made him seem like a good future ruler for Northern Ocrea. With how willing he was to learn and compromise with others, Seraphina didn''t necessarily worry about why she liked spending time with him.

    She only ever began wondering when Theodore, her current husband who wasn''t anything like the understanding Linden at all, said something quite troublesome as she left with Linden after dinner.

    ¡°You are quite close to our guest. It seems like you understand one another very well. It would be a shame for you to waste this relationship. Please do deepen your bond with him.¡± Theodore had said that with a far too fake smile, almost as if he was mocking her.

    Back then, Seraphina had merely told him that she was getting along with a diplomatic guest in the royal palace, but by now, she was uncertain. She had spoken to many guests throughout her life, and never once had she liked any of them as much as she liked Linden. Maybe it was foolish to even have a personal opinion on a political guest, but she could not bring herself to deny that she held some fond feelings for the prince. Linden was a wonderful conversation partner, so it would have been unfair not to acknowledge that. Spending time with him could not be a mistake either, could it? After all, it was important to improve the relationship between their nations.

    In addition, Seraphina had to ensure that their guest wouldn''t be alone with any problematic individuals. For that, she had to watch his every step. Even that didn''t fully push away their most persistent visitor though.

    Linden couldn''t quite ask the prince of Artias to leave him alone either, so he was stuck facing Cedar Estien whenever he visited. Due to the emperor''s warnings, he at least seemed to understand that this prince was an enemy, but for Seraphina''s taste, he was a bit too careless. While he did keep his distance from Cedar, he didn''t seem to view him as a threat either, which might be a huge mistake. Linden was so trusting that he even suggested something quite foolish. ¡°I heard that you were a skillful sword-fighter. Even your brother couldn''t help but praise your abilities, so I am curious. Would you be willing to duel me so that I could see that for myself?¡±

    Seraphina felt her heart drop as she heard that. Having a political guest and the second prince of Artias aim weapons at one another, even if those were training swords, was far too much of a risk. She couldn''t let anything go wrong, so she hurriedly intervened. ¡°Prince Linden, I do not wish to make decisions for you, but I would advise you not to do this. Even imitating combat may seem dangerous to outsiders. What if people misunderstand?¡±

    Thankfully, Cedar seemed to be quite aware of his position as well. He swiftly replied without attempting to find any excuses. ¡°I fully agree with Her Majesty. Even if a duel is held with wooden swords under the watchful eyes of others, I fear that would create an unnecessary risk. It would be troublesome if one of us got injured accidentally. Especially considering that we know that someone here wishes to cause a dispute between our nations. We should not give them such an easy opportunity to create discord.¡±

    Linden had been told that this was a bad idea by two people now, and it seemed like that was enough to make him understand. ¡°That may be the better approach. Though, I am still quite curious. I would like to see you fight once.¡±

    Cedar showed the other man a bright smile as he replied. ¡°I do not mind dueling one of the royal knights in front of you. Though, I believe that will have to wait a bit. We might have to ask Theodore for permission as I assume that he would not be elated to have me pick up a weapon without his knowledge. Let us ask at a later point. Today, we will not have any time for that. My brother ordered me to leave the royal palace after exactly two hours, and those seem to be over by now.¡± He glanced at the building as if to check whether he could determine the time from here. Then he glanced at the other two again. ¡°I fear that I will have to retreat for the day.¡±

    Finally.

    Seraphina caught herself being relieved that she could be alone with Linden now, only to scold herself. This wasn''t about her being able to spend time with anyone. She just wished for the second prince, who was the emperor''s political rival, to disappear. That should be all she was thinking about. ¡°I hope you will arrive home without any issues, Your Royal Highness. May you have a wonderful afternoon.¡±

    As usual, Cedar returned a far too convincing smile. ¡°Naturally, I wish the same for you. I hope that you two will enjoy the rest of this day.¡± He turned to Linden to meet his gaze. ¡°If there is anything else you require, do not hesitate to inform the servants. I assume that there aren''t any problems with the service you receive here, but if you are discontent with anything, please tell me. I shall visit again in two days. I hope you will have a peaceful time until then.¡±

    Linden could simply have bid him farewell, which Seraphina hoped he would do. But when he scanned Cedar for a bit too long, it already gave away that he wanted to discuss something. His expression was unreadable, but even so, Seraphina could guess what this would be about already. ¡°I am truly grateful to receive so much care even though I am merely staying here for a short time. I will always remember this.¡± He left a short pause that already announced that the tone of his words would shift a bit before he eventually spoke. ¡°Though, I would like to inquire something if you do not mind, Your Royal Highness.¡±

    Cedar should have guessed what this might entail by now too, but he didn''t let that stop him and kept acting friendly. ¡°How could I mind? Please feel free to ask about whatever you wish to hear.¡±

    That was all Linden needed before resuming. He just openly voiced his concern despite knowing that he would never receive a direct response. ¡°If you are aware of the fact that Northern Ocrea would always support the righteous ruler of Artias, why do you put so much effort into meeting me? Wishing to create diplomatic connections between our nations is one thing, but it seems to me that you may have a more personal goal.¡± It was useless to ask that in front of Seraphina. After all, the odds of hearing the truth were always low, and they were even lower since another witness was with them.

    The topic was quite serious, and still, Cedar kept smiling like nothing was wrong. As expected, his reply barely gave them anything to work with. ¡°It would be quite selfish of me to bring forward a personal goal when we have just established friendly bonds between our nations. I believe I should avoid such rash steps. Though, I can imagine what goal you believe me to have.¡± Those words were enough to make Seraphina tense as she carefully listened, but much like she had expected, nothing substantial followed. ¡°In that case, I can calm you. I do not expect you to care for our family feud. How could I? The political matters of our nation are not something Northern Ocrea could be asked to be involved in. Naturally, that is not something you would need to worry about.¡± What a perfect answer. He just seemed to know how to act neutral.

    Seraphina had to admit that Cedar wasn''t bad at doing things like this. If she herself hadn''t spoken to him a few times already, she might have doubted Theodore''s description of his manipulative brother. Even though she knew that he was dangerous, she had caught herself being uncertain about whether he was acting at all times already. But ever since their private conversation about a possible truce between the factions, Seraphina had given up on that fully. After all, the prince had just told her that she would soon lose her position as the empress back then.

    It wasn''t like he had lied, but that comment had still stung.

    Linden didn''t seem to trust Cedar too much either. As he met the other man''s gaze, he kept his composure fully despite most likely being annoyed about being fooled like this. ¡°That is what you claim. But in that case, you would not need me as an ally. You must have a reason to come see me whenever you can.¡±

    Of course, Cedar had the perfect reply prepared for that as well. ¡°I share the same reason that brought you here.¡± He put a hand on his chest and spoke with far too much softness in his voice. ¡°I want the best for my home nation. Even though I cannot be sure whether my words will change anything, I at least wish to share them. That is what brought you to Artias too, correct? That is what made you trust us despite previously believing us to be your enemies.¡±

    That wasn''t anything Linden could deny. After all, it was the truth. Though, he still forced himself to respond. ¡°It is true that I came here with the intention of letting our nations bond. I do not doubt that you hope for that too, but there may be another reason as well.¡± He didn''t let his expression budge, even though he slowly seemed to become a bit frustrated.

    Cedar still didn''t change his approach. His voice just seemed to become softer. ¡°I know what Theodore is accusing me of, Prince Linden. I also know that you trust my brother''s words. It is calming to know that Northern Ocrea will support our emperor no matter what. But in the end, how did he earn your trust?¡± He left a short pause in which he just smiled at the other man. Then he resumed, his words merely becoming even more manipulative. ¡°He contacted you first. Even before you came here, Theodore sent you letters revealing how he views this situation. That is why you support him. I cannot blame you for that. But if the order had been different, you might have viewed it from another perspective. That is all I wish to say about this.¡± It had been too much already though.

    Linden seemed to be unsure what to respond with, so he merely looked at the prince.

    Seraphina didn''t like the way this situation was going at all though. She swiftly decided to interrupt as carefully as she could without giving Cedar a chance to confuse Linden more. ¡°Your Royal Highness, it is completely unnecessary to bring internal political struggles into this conversation. Prince Linden is responsible for Northern Ocrea and not for our own issues.¡±

    But Cedar just smiled at her. ¡°Naturally, Your Majesty. I am aware. I shall merely respond to Prince Linden and then drop the topic.¡± With that, he faced Linden again and then spoke. ¡°As I said, I am not asking you to act in any way that would benefit one party our the other. Our political situation will resolve itself without any influence from the outside. But I would ask you to at least trust that I do not wish any harm to Artias. Aside from that, I merely hope for the bond between our nations to grow and wish for you to stay safe despite the issues we encountered recently. I do not wish for more.¡± When he said that with that much too warm smile, he did seem quite convincing.

    Previously, Seraphina had been certain that it would be fine since Linden had always assured her that he would support the emperor and no one else. Now she worried a bit. After all, it was true that Linden had no knowledge of what was truly happening in this nation. He could just rely on what others told him. If he happened to believe Cedar more than Theodore, that might cause a huge issue in the future.

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    Seraphina tried to find out what Linden was thinking by looking at him, but it was hard to read him. She just decided to discuss this as soon as the prince was finally gone.

    Thankfully, Cedar didn''t add any further issues after that. He merely bid his farewell and then left as intended. The others watched him walk away from the training square while staying behind.

    It didn''t take long before Linden spoke up. ¡°He wants me to keep being Artias'' ally should he take over the crown and rule. That is what he truly asks for. He doesn''t need my support. He just needs me to acknowledge him as a possible emperor.¡± He slowly turned to Seraphina and merely looked at her for a moment.

    Seraphina met his gaze while already understanding what he was concerned about. As the heir to Northern Ocrea''s throne, Linden couldn''t risk refusing to acknowledge the ruler of Artias. If Cedar happened to take over, Northern Ocrea''s entire royal family would treat the new emperor like the former one. Linden most likely felt guilty about that. But in the end, Seraphina would not blame him. ¡°It seems like that is what he aims for. It is true that you could never be involved in another nation''s power struggle, so of course, you can just accept the result. Either way, peace between our nations should be secured. That is why you will not have to worry about this.¡± Even if any person within Artias had to worry.

    Linden nodded weakly, but he talked back quickly. ¡°Though, having an incapable ruler in our neighboring nation would still impact us. I cannot judge His Royal Highness'' skills well enough to decide whether it would be wise to trust him, but...¡±

    If Seraphina was fully honest, she couldn''t judge this too well either. She had heard mixed things about Cedar Estien, rumors ranging from calling this man a violent monster to those that praised him as a genius. She couldn''t even be certain about whether many stories that circulated were true. Seraphina could only rely on what she knew for certain. ¡°It at least seems that His Royal Highness impressed his teachers from a young age onward. He did learn how to rule a nation due to his mother''s request. I presume this means that he is capable in theory. Though...¡± She glanced to the side to confirm whether anyone unwanted was listening to them. Thankfully, they were almost alone, so she could speak to Linden without letting anyone eavesdrop. So, she stepped a bit closer and whispered to him while not daring to be too loud. ¡°I would be more worried about the influence of his personality on his rule. As well as his mother''s presence. The dowager empress herself is the bigger threat. At least I believe that.¡± It wasn''t like Theodore told her a lot about this topic though.

    Linden listened carefully as he seemingly took in every word. He spoke up a moment after she had gone silent. ¡°Then...His Royal Highness received training to become the possible heir as well? Even though he was never truly appointed as the future emperor?¡± When he asked like that, it did sound like that decision had been foolish.

    But Seraphina had to defend the previous emperor''s decision a little. ¡°Yes. It sounds foolish, but this was the best solution. The head of every household is able to freely decide which of their children will be the future heir of the house. At the moment, male heirs are preferred over female ones, but aside from that, no rules remain. Usually, the oldest son is chosen, which the previous esteemed emperor did as well. When His Royal Highness was born, the decision wasn''t altered to ensure that no political trouble would arise. Though...things didn''t go too smoothly for long. His Majesty lived a quite dangerous childhood. When he almost died a few times, it was recommended to prepare for the case that he may not be able to take over the nation. So, His Royal Highness received the training to be the emperor as well, merely with other teachers.¡±

    Regarding that decision and the princes'' childhood in general, many different stories circulated. Seraphina could never be certain which ones were fully true since Theodore barely spoke about that.

    So, she merely said what she knew for certain. ¡°His Royal Highness showed quite promising results as a young child. Since the former empress also supported him and he revealed great social skills and political knowledge, people began to speculate whether he might not be a rival to his brother. Since they had many competitions even as children, first worries about a future political fight also developed. Even so, the previous esteemed emperor decided to let His Royal Highness attend his lessons like before to grant him access to all the education he could receive. Partially so that he could replace His Majesty in an emergency and partially because he may have hoped for them to work together as allies. As you can see, the decision was meant to support Artias, but it turned out to bring some unpredictable consequences.¡±

    Linden paused for a moment as if to consider all of this. After thinking about it carefully, he spoke again. ¡°If His Royal Highness once prepared to be emperor, he should not be willing to harm Artias though. Shouldn''t he...be wary of creating problems for this nation?¡± As he met her gaze directly, his question was already clear.

    Seraphina checked their surroundings again before stepping closer and whispering to him. ¡°I am aware of what you mean.¡± This was about whether the prince and his mother might be connected to the assassination attempt on Linden''s life. Of course, she couldn''t make any decision based on clues since they had none, but she could guess. ¡°I would personally still consider them, both him and his mother, as the possible perpetrators. His Majesty insists that his brother would not start a war with Northern Ocrea though. I...am not certain whether he can judge this objectively, but he may know His Royal Highness better than I do.¡±

    ¡°He is certainly hard to read. His Royal Highness, I mean.¡± Linden seemed distracted for a few seconds, only to look at her with a slightly grimmer expression after. ¡°But also His Majesty. He...has been saying some things I fear I may have misunderstood.¡± Oh, no. If someone as composed as Linden got worried, it had to have been upsetting.

    Unfortunately, Seraphina could guess what this was about. She swallowed and then quickly forced herself to calm down before asking, even when her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Regarding...our frequent meetings?¡± She barely dared to say that despite usually being so confident, which just made her more self-aware of how nervous all of this made her.

    Linden didn''t seem to be too happy to discuss it either though. As he averted his eyes, he sounded like he had to force out his reply. ¡°Yes.¡±

    That was all Seraphina needed to hear to be certain. It seemed like Theodore hadn''t just made inappropriate comments in front of her but also in front of their important guest. That was quite humiliating for the entire royal family. But of course, she couldn''t tell Linden how unwell this made her. She just tried to give a response that both admitted the emperor''s fault and calmed the prince. ¡°He has been telling me things like that as well. Please do not take it to heart. His Majesty can...lack tact in some situations.¡±

    Linden didn''t meet her gaze as he responded. ¡°I have noticed that. He does not treat you too well.¡± After that, he got silent as if he wished to stop here, but he decided to speak again a moment later. His voice was quieter now. ¡°Do you wish to take a walk with me?¡±

    It seemed like the rumors wouldn''t stop them after all. Previously, they had agreed to interact less to keep people from suspecting troublesome things, but they had ignored all of their promises right after. Maybe that was foolish of them, but...

    Seraphina couldn''t keep herself from being relieved. She knew that she shouldn''t act like that, but her true feelings quickly slipped out. ¡°Gladly.¡± She once again ignored her responsibility to keep rumors away from the royal family in favor of her selfish desires.

    The couple took the same path as always when they walked around together. They were much too close to one another despite trying to keep a distance that would prevent strange comments about them, which once again showed that they couldn''t bring themselves to care about the rumors. That was merely because they were fond of one another in a platonic way. Seraphina had never met anyone she could relax around this much ever before, which was why she would love to have Linden as a good friend. Nothing more.

    But lying to herself might only help for so long.

    Linden was quiet for the first minute of the walk. Then he spoke up quietly, almost so hesitantly that it seemed like he barely wished to talk. ¡°May I ask how you two got engaged?¡±

    Seraphina was a bit surprised by the question, but a moment later, she understood. She disliked talking about Theodore when he was the last person she wished to mention around Linden, but she forced herself to reply neutrally. ¡°Our fathers decided on this union when we were quite young. I believe I was five and His Majesty was six. It was a purely political union. The engagement was established in a contract that year. Ever since then, I have visited the palace to attend events at His Majesty''s side, but it would be a lie to say that we were especially close. We only started to meet more often when our marriage was about to occur. Even so, we...stayed quite distant.¡±

    It had been the truth and nothing else. Then why had she been so focused on mentioning that she wasn''t close to Theodore? Normally, she didn''t feel the need to specify this.

    Linden seemingly hadn''t even noticed that emphasis. He had noticed something else. As he glanced at Seraphina, he even seemed a bit dejected. ¡°That means he met Lady Blanche when you were already his fianc¨¦e.¡± Oh. He wanted to pity her now.

    Seraphina truly didn''t wish to discuss her husband now, but she hoped that the truth would make the topic fade quickly. ¡°That is correct.¡± That was all she said. Then she looked straight ahead again.

    This should have been a sign to drop this, but Linden spoke again. He didn''t ask further questions though. Instead, he seemed rather disappointed when he spoke. ¡°Then he did betray you after all.¡±

    That made Seraphina turn to him again. ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Linden came to an abrupt halt. As he suddenly turned to the empress, he looked right into her eyes while responding, his voice almost hoarse. ¡°You must know what I mean. You told me that you only married His Majesty after Lady Blanche arrived here. Thus, I thought that you consciously decided to accept this situation. But he had already been promised to you before taking in a lover.¡±

    That wasn''t a lie either.

    If she wished to deny this, Seraphina would twist the truth. So, she decided to stay quiet instead. There was no need for her to defend her husband, who seemed to despise her so much for no reason. But as she waited for a few seconds, she did feel uncomfortable. Not because Linden criticized Theodore. No, that part was welcome. It was more because Seraphina saw him pity her. She didn''t like that at all, so she hurriedly tried to reject that idea. ¡°We were never in a romantic relationship, so I did not see this as a personal insult. It is quite normal for the ruler of Artias to have multiple lovers. Besides, few arranged marriages end in love. I was aware that this could happen from the very beginning.¡± She didn''t need to be known as the pitiful deposed empress after all.

    But Linden didn''t seem to give up on this. His brows furrowed a bit as he unconsciously reached for her hand. ¡°Even if it may be socially acceptable, it was still a betrayal on his side. He-¡± Linden stopped himself right at that moment, just before he grabbed Seraphina. He abruptly pulled his hand back and made sure to keep the expected distance between them. Still, she could see that he truly cared as he kept speaking. ¡°If...His Majesty planned on marrying you for political benefits and you were both truly fine with this kind of relationship, I could not...blame him for losing his heart to someone else. But then he should have stood at Lady Blanche''s side. It created unnecessary trouble for him to marry you, only to hurt all three of you for political gain. He seems confident that he will be able to secure the capital without your family now. Why could he not make up his mind before?¡±

    It was nice to hear someone being on her side. Someone who spoke about this with an understanding of both the political and personal reasons for Theodore''s actions. Seraphina''s family often antagonized him in their narrations, and while a part of her held some dismay for his treatment of her, she did enjoy talking to Linden, who rather argued that Theodore should have made the decision to fully devote himself to Lady Blanche instead of demanding for that woman to be thrown out.

    Maybe that was the case because Linden seemed to understand what it meant to love despite political problems. Because he didn''t just say that powerful people should throw their emotions away for political gain.

    Maybe Seraphina wanted to hear that because she felt like she was facing a similar situation at the moment. And while she had previously told herself to simply ignore her personal feelings, she wasn''t certain whether she could keep doing that for too long.

 Through Other Eyes IX: The Neglected Empress and the Prince from Far Away (2)

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 Through Other Eyes X: What Good Did You Ever Do?

    not to do this numerous times.

    What was that?¡± She was so loud that all knights immediately looked at them.

    what? The truth? I only told everyone what happened. How can you demand that I apologize to that murderer for that?¡± She had only gotten louder by now.

    How arrogant do you think you can be? What good did you ever do for our faction? You would be nothing without me!¡± She was the one to say that.

    something to help her plan. He had lived his whole life for this, so it would be fair to thank him a bit, right?

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I told you to shut your mouth.¡± Her voice echoed in the empty garden as she just glared at her son as if to check whether he would dare to disobey again. If he did that, she would surely make him regret it. She didn''t want the truth right now, so Cedar stayed quiet. Camille lowered the hand she had raised already again. Her expression was grim as she spat out the next words. ¡°Finally. I will go to the carriage now, and you will take a walk and come back when you calmed down and are ready to apologize properly.¡±

    ¡°

 Through Other Eyes XI: How to Take the Crown, Impatience or Diligence

    ¡°

    ¡°

    ¡°

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°

    careless words, rumors could spread quickly.¡± That alone gave away that he wanted to spread even more rumors, seemingly with a clear goal in mind. ¡°And if the former empress happens to marry Prince Linden, which she will have to do to protect her child, our relationship with Northern Ocrea will be strengthened. At the same time, everyone will find out that Theodore cannot even keep his wife at his side. They will see him as weak and won''t complain about the empress leaving or him being challenged by another.¡± That was the positive version of events.

 Through Other Eyes XII: Arrogance Knows no Bounds (1)

    Damn it, damn it, damn it. He knew. That moronic prince knew. Of course. It had been expected that he would quickly understand despite not being told anything directly. After all, he hadn''t given the orders for those assassination attempts, which had to have come from his faction since no one else would have attacked the emperor. Seemingly, Cedar knew well that only one person would take the reins into their own hands here.

    Your Grace?¡± The way he said that title didn''t reveal any respect. It was a threat instead.

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    my stores? You have no right to take my belongings from me.¡±

    Who do you think you are? You arrogant-¡± And just as he said that, he regretted it.

 Through Other Eyes XII: Arrogance Knows no Bounds (2)

    ¡°finally shut that brat up?¡±

    ¡°

    What?¡±

    Now even my own son accuses me of some crimes? Come here, you ungrateful brat!¡±

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    Shut up!¡± His voice echoed through the entire room. He almost expected someone to hear, but he couldn''t bring himself to stay quieter. His life''s work and all of his influence were threatened here. How could he stand still? ¡°Both the emperor and the prince want us dead now. Do you know what that means?¡± Claude closed the distance between him and his son and grabbed Luciano''s shoulders to shake him. ¡°Neither of their factions can win, or they will ruin us. You heard what that bastard emperor said to us, right? He announced that he would crush our entire family in front of witnesses.¡±

    You are insane!¡± The sudden impact made Claude stumble away, which Luciano immediately used as a chance to back away. His eyes were wide now, filled with fear and something a bit more hateful. His face was scrunched up as well as he held his chest and seemingly didn''t take what he had heard well at all.

    and you are calling me insane?¡± He took a step forward.

    ¡°what?¡± Claude shook his son again. ¡°Do all we can to protect us? You don''t want to try that? Do you care that little? You are the heir of this family! How can you just hide and hope that it will turn out fine? If you want power, you have to dirty your hands too! If you aren''t even willing to do that much, you can leave this house right now!¡± He got even louder at the end and then pointed at the entrance door to prove his point.

    Nothing. After years of taking care of them, they paid him back like this?

 Through Other Eyes XIII: Its Yours

    It had been so long since she had seen him last time. It had taken about two months, and those had felt like a punishment over and over again.

    Maybe it was foolish, but Seraphina felt like her self-control splintered as soon as she saw how the Ocrean carriages arrived. As she balled her fists and tried her best to keep her expression unreadable, it became unreasonably hard to avoid running toward the visitors to welcome Linden immediately. She reminded herself to be patient, but that was difficult. This was worse than any political conversation or verbal battle she had ever been part of, and that meant a lot. Seraphina heard her maids trying to calm her, but she couldn''t bring herself to pay attention to them.

    After what felt like hours, the carriages finally passed the main gate and arrived in front of the entrance. The doors of the first carriage opened, and a familiar man jumped out.

    It was no one but Linden himself, who immediately turned as if to search for someone specific. His dark eyes wandered across their surroundings, and then, it happened.

    Their gazes met, and for just a moment, Seraphina thought she would fall to her knees. They hadn''t even greeted one another yet, but being able to look at Linden in person instead of only seeing him in her dreams was far too wonderful. Again, Seraphina just wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him and kiss him immediately.

    But she couldn''t.

    She had divorced Theodore, but everyone knew that she had first met Linden while being married to the emperor. The rumors had been bad enough. She couldn''t also ruin her reputation further by throwing herself at their guest as soon as he came. Now she did understand why Lady Blanche had almost knocked her lover to the ground after finally reuniting with him after the vacation though. It was a strange thing, but now she almost wished she could care as little about onlookers as that couple could. But Seraphina was in a quite different situation. Her actions might influence the way Artias and Northern Ocrea worked together, so she had to be careful. She couldn''t do anything foolish now.

    But as she thought that, Linden reacted to her already. He discarded his usual emotionless expression as his lips formed a natural smile. It seemed to light up the entire world. His smile was so beautiful. She almost wanted to cry.

    Seraphina''s heart actually hurt just because of that sight. Her breath hitched as she struggled to keep herself still. She caught herself taking a tiny step forward to just be closer to Linden but held back. He had to greet the emperor first. If they didn''t remember that, they would insult Artias far too much, so she had to wait. Maybe she would even have to be patient for a whole hour or so because the rulers wished to have another political discussion first. She felt like she might collapse if that was the case. Her pounding heart already made her feel like she was getting sick after all.

    What made this even worse was that Linden stared right back at her. He seemed like he didn''t even remember where he had to go, like he only saw her in this entire world. But a moment later, he arrived in the real world again too. He knew that he couldn''t just ignore Theodore, even when he might want to. So, Linden forced himself to look away as he restored his calm mask once more. He glanced at Seraphina again before he finally walked in the right direction.

    Theodore and Blanche were already waiting for him. And luckily, it seemed like no bad blood was between them. Theodore greeted Linden with more kindness than Seraphina had received during the past couple of weeks. That was relieving. After all, it showed that Theodore didn''t seem to hold a grudge against the prince now. That would be important for future relations between the nations.

    But Seraphina''s patience was limited. It took an eternity for Linden to speak to the couple. Normally, she might not mind, but right now, she could only stand there like a lost puppy as she hoped that Linden would come to her soon. She was the highest-ranking person here after the royal couple, so she would surely get away with being greeted quickly, right? She hoped so.

    The conversation in front of her just didn''t seem to end though. They chatted and chatted like they had all the time in the world. Seraphina thought that that was bad enough, but then she understood the real issue.

    Theodore said something with the same smile as before, but Linden turned rigid. For a few seconds, Linden seemed almost scared, only to calm down slowly after. That just terrified Seraphina more. Surely, Linden had liked her after spending three weeks with her, but he might be influenced by others'' opinions since he didn''t know her too well. And when it came to people who hated her most, Theodore probably took the first spot. Hopefully, he wouldn''t also ruin the one thing Seraphina cared for more than anything else now. He certainly had enough bad words about her in mind to make this horrible. She was helpless and just hoped that he didn''t.

    But whatever Theodore had said also seemed to bring the end of the conversation.

    A moment later, Linden already turned to Seraphina. And when he met her gaze, he didn''t show her disdain. He didn''t even seem worried anymore. Instead, it looked like he had to hide his growing joy to avoid being caught by all those people around him. He clearly approached Seraphina as his eyes stayed right on her, but he was quite slow. Maybe he was as impatient as she was since he sped up though. He almost ran the last few steps.

    Seraphina knew that this was dangerous, but she was far too happy to see that he was longing for her too. A mix of so many feelings rose in her, and she didn''t know how to deal with them. She couldn''t hold back a smile. She should probably force herself to be a bit less obvious with her happiness, but she found herself speaking up. ¡°Hello, Linden.¡± It was hard to speak when she could barely breathe. Her stomach churned so much. Was all of that happening because she was so excited? Possibly. She thought that she might die as the man she loved finally arrived in front of her.

    Linden came to a halt. For a moment, he just looked at her while his eyes seemed to show an entire book''s worth of emotions he might hold for her.

    Just seeing that again made Seraphina''s heart throb. Oh, she was so glad to have Linden here again. But this didn''t just bring good things. Their situation was quite complicated. She couldn''t forget that even when she just wanted to fall into his arms.

    It wasn''t just their political situation either. Seraphina wished that that was the only thing she needed to worry about, but unfortunately, that wasn''t it. She actually had to pay attention to other troubles as well, including one quite personal thing.

    Maybe it would be best to avoid thinking about this for now since Seraphina could just tell Linden after their greeting. But it was quite hard not to think about what might happen when this wasn''t just a small concern but a change that could ruin their entire relationship. Seraphina still hadn''t fully grasped that she was pregnant now and that she would give birth to a child in just a few months, but she had to tell the father. Needless to say, this would be a shock to Linden too. He had spent the night with her, but he certainly hadn''t expected to end up with a child after giving in to the passion just once. What if he didn''t want this? What if he had changed his mind and didn''t want to marry her anymore, even though he had written that in his letters? Seraphina would break if she saw Linden turning around and leaving as soon as she told him. So, she desperately prayed that he would at least stay calm enough to discuss this with her.

    But that was another problem. Seraphina had to stay calm herself while telling him, and she wasn''t sure whether she would be able to do this. What if he wasn''t ready for this? He did seem happy to see her, but he might not wish to marry her immediately. And if Linden got upset with her-

    Just as she thought that, she was cut off.

    Linden had probably misread her silence somehow. But he didn''t get angry at her. Instead, he just stepped forward without a warning. Then he hugged her. As his arms wrapped around her, he pulled her against him, and suddenly, everything seemed warm and safe. Such a small gesture shouldn''t have changed the entire world, but it did.

    It truly did.

    She couldn''t help reciprocating it. Her arms closed around him as soon as she could. Seraphina became far too weak as she leaned against Linden and held him as tightly as possible. She couldn''t do this in front of anyone else, she knew that. But she couldn''t even bring herself to push him away. In fact, Seraphina just wanted to hold him closer. Now that they had done this anyway, it wouldn''t change much, at least she told herself that.

    Linden seemed to long for every bit of contact he could too. He didn''t allow her to break away, not that she would have tried that in the first place, and just hugged her like he had missed her for months. As he brought his mouth to her ear, he whispered to her. ¡°I''m so happy to see you again.¡±

    And once more, Seraphina''s stomach churned with an emotion she couldn''t even identify. Was she glad that Linden seemed to hold fond feelings for her still too? Did she like the fact that he openly showed that he cared? Or was she truly just scared of telling him about the big surprise he needed to hear about? She wasn''t entirely sure. And in the end, it didn''t matter. Seraphina had to ignore her nervousness no matter how overpowering it seemed to be. She had to tell Linden about their child quickly. She knew that she would try to delay it for longer if she didn''t say it now, so she forced herself to at least address the topic quickly. First, she had to greet Linden properly though. ¡°I''m happy to see you too. Very happy.¡± It was a bit embarrassing. Usually, Seraphina was known to be good with words, but right now, she didn''t seem to be able to express what she was thinking at all. Too many thoughts flew around her head. That was why she just forced out the thing that came to her mind first. ¡°I have to tell you something.¡±

    It was almost like her words woke Linden up. He slowly loosened his hold on her, and despite her desire to keep him close, she lowered her arms too. Linden took half a step back to look at her face. It both calmed and worried her when Linden showed her that beautiful smile in return. ¡°I have something to say as well.¡± Oh. He did?

    Seraphina could just pray that it wasn''t anything upsetting. But surely, Linden wouldn''t be cruel enough to tell her that he wanted to end this relationship with a smile on his face, right? He hadn''t coincidentally fallen for another woman in Ocrea and wished to wed her instead, or had he? Seraphina scolded herself for that oddly specific worry, but she couldn''t help but think about that. After all, she had bad experiences in that regard. ¡°I see... Then we should probably...find a quiet moment to talk about all of this.¡±

    Linden''s smile only seemed to become brighter. ¡°Yes. As soon as possible.¡± With that, he slowly lifted his hands to grasp hers. Her breath hitched as she realized that he did that in front of all of those people, but he didn''t seem to worry at all. Instead, he refused to let go of her and just kept staring at her like he had found a miracle right in front of him. He seemed so enamored. She almost wanted to believe that his feelings hadn''t changed.

    And even when Seraphina dared to hope for that, she knew that showing that their relationship had begun back when she had been empress wasn''t intelligent. Still, she couldn''t bring herself to let go of Linden and got lost in his black eyes, almost like she was being put under a spell she would never be able to free herself from. She wasn''t sure how much time passed as she just stared at him.

    Seemingly, it had been for too long.

    The couple was interrupted as a third voice chimed in. Seraphina flinched when she heard Theodore speak, only to turn and find him looking far too content with this situation.

    Like usual when Theodore met her gaze, he didn''t hide any of his thoughts. He despised her as much as ever, but when he saw her with Linden, he showed her so much gleeful contempt that she worried even more. His voice dripped with satisfaction as he spoke up. ¡°It seems that you are quite content with this reunion. We shall not interrupt your conversation. How about you take the day off to rest, Prince Linden? We can continue any discussions tomorrow.¡± He wanted to push together the people he had wished to unify in marriage even more now. And for once, Seraphina didn''t mind if that gave her a moment with Linden.

    Linden didn''t talk back either. Instead, he hurriedly accepted. ¡°That would be very kind. I sincerely thank you for welcoming me here again.¡± He said something else after, something about their nations working together well. But Seraphina could barely bring herself to listen, especially since she heard that Linden was much more curt than usual. He was impatient too, wasn''t he?

    Luckily, Theodore seemed content after finally having gotten rid of his ex-wife. He didn''t trouble her any longer and just bid farewell before leaving with his lover, who smiled at Linden and Seraphina once more. Even Lady Blanche was happy about this union. It made sense. After all, this would finally allow her to be Theodore''s only wife, and she could receive this spot without causing a big political rift.

    This could even be a great chance for Artias since connecting this nation with Northern Ocrea through marriage would link the nations inevitably. If so, wasn''t this good for everyone?

    Seraphina knew that she desperately searched for all the positive aspects of this to justify her foolish decision to divorce the emperor for a man she had barely known for three weeks. But she couldn''t help it. Linden made her too happy for her to hold back in this regard. She was willing to offer her all to give this a chance and had even thrown away everything she had worked for before, just for this. Now the only question was whether Linden would accept everything she wished to offer. The thought of him possibly rejecting her hurt far too much already.

    But Linden didn''t show her any uncertainty or guilt or hatred. No, he seemed rather content and even smiled despite usually never doing so in public. He still didn''t let go of her hand as he finally invited her to step away. ¡°Let''s go to the labyrinth. I want to be alone with you.¡± They would go to the place where they had kissed first and confessed their feelings for one another. Surely, he wouldn''t break off their relationship at such a wonderful place.

    Seraphina still had to swallow before responding. After all, being in a relationship was quite different from marrying and having a child together. She wasn''t certain whether Linden loved her enough for that. ¡°Yes. Let us go.¡± She stiffly turned and pulled Linden away, doing her best to ignore all the whispering and the many stares of the staff members around them. It was still a bit hard for her not to worry about her reputation, but then again, Theodore had successfully made everyone within the palace dislike her, so she should probably give up on that. She didn''t want Linden to hear about any nasty rumors though.

    It was a bit painful to worry about what Linden would think the entire time even though he was finally here again, but Seraphina had quite troublesome news for him. So, it was only natural that she could feel her heartbeat quickening as she walked toward the labyrinth with him. Still, she tried to stay somewhat calm and collected while telling herself that she could only find out what Linden would say once she admitted the truth. Panicking now wouldn''t help her. She should just bring him to the labyrinth and share the news with him then.

    Seraphina still couldn''t switch her worries off, so she found herself tightening her hold on Linden a bit as they progressed. When they finally arrived at their destination, she almost got lost in the labyrinth, which was another sign of how distracted she was. Thankfully, Linden found the way for her though. She stopped thinking at that point and let him lead her to the center. She only turned to address one of her attendants as they were at the rose arch that revealed that they had reached their destination. ¡°Sir Aldis, you will stay here.¡± She often sent Noah away anyway, but ever since she had found out that he seemed to be a spy for her ex-husband, she hadn''t been willing to let him hear anything even remotely important. So, she quickly kept him at a distance. ¡°Do not eavesdrop.¡±

    Noah at least seemed a bit ashamed upon remembering how he had fooled her. Maybe that was why he gave in quickly now and stopped right where he was. ¡°Of course, Lady Duremont.¡±

    Seraphina just met his gaze for one more second to remind him to listen to what he had promised. Then she turned around and focused on looking in front of her to avoid tripping during the last few steps. It might not have been necessary at all since Linden paid attention, but she wanted to make sure anyway. Maybe she also just didn''t dare look at her lover though.

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    Linden was the one that spoke up first, his voice as soft as ever. ¡°That is your new title, correct? Lady Duremont.¡±

    When everyone else said it, Seraphina usually felt a bit strange since she was used to being addressed as the empress. When Linden used that name, it might be a bit more pleasant than before though. After all, he didn''t have to address her as someone else''s wife again. Seraphina found herself liking this, even when she had to say that she favored it when Linden called her by her first name. ¡°Yes. Since the divorce progressed without any issues, I received the title I held as my parents'' daughter again.¡± She slowly turned to him to check his expression as she mentioned the important thing they should probably speak about first.

    To her relief, Linden didn''t seem guilty or hesitant like he might be if he had changed his mind about her in any way. His lips showed her a little smile as he slowly stopped and then turned to her fully. He lifted her hand gently and brushed his thumb over her while giving his response in a whisper. ¡°I feel guilty for it, but when you wrote about the divorce, I couldn''t help but be ecstatic. I desperately wished for this, even when I knew that it was wrong to be selfish. But in the end, this was what I wanted so much. I should probably wait a while longer to make this easier for you, but I don''t want to waste any time.¡± Without even giving her a moment to say something, Linden suddenly sank onto one knee.

    Seraphina wasn''t certain what she had expected but certainly not this. As she looked down at her lover, she could only stare at him with wide eyes. ¡°Linden...¡±

    Linden still held her hand, which he carefully brought to his lips to kiss her. As he met her gaze, he seemed to be full of love and longing to the point at which his emotions flowed out far too easily. ¡°I wish to marry you, Seraphina. Please give me a chance to make you happy as my wife. I already did this in my letter, but I want to give you this promise in person too.¡± And then he just gazed at her while waiting for the response.

    He hadn''t changed his mind. He wanted to marry her after all.

    Seraphina felt like her whole world stopped. Her heart burned up as she could only stare right back at Linden. He didn''t act like he wished to be elsewhere or just said this to erase his guilt. No, he actually seemed to long for this. He wanted to hear her response.

    It was right at this moment that Seraphina found herself shaking. She had never reacted like that to something nice, but this was the first time. Linden had asked her to be his wife. She couldn''t do anything but be ecstatic about it. Her heart hammered in her ears as she opened her mouth. She barely heard her own voice as she gave her best to speak up. ¡°Yes...¡± She almost wasn''t sure whether she had just thought that or said it out loud, so she repeated it. ¡°Yes, I want to be with you.¡± She couldn''t lie to herself about this. She had loved Linden ever since she had gotten to know him, so how could she even think about this for long?

    Even Linden''s reaction just made her fall for him even more as his eyes widened for a moment. Then he immediately jumped up and almost knocked her over as he abruptly threw his arms around her and pulled her toward him.

    Seraphina fell right into Linden''s arms. For a moment, she was more than shocked, only to reciprocate the hug as soon as she noticed what was happening. As she was in Linden''s arms now, she felt much better than before. After all, she knew that he wished to marry her. Seraphina could finally allow her feelings to overwhelm her without needing to be scared of being disappointed after having been swept away by this sudden change. Though, there was still a concern she had. As she was almost crushed in Linden''s hug, she knew that she desperately needed to tell him this before they talked about anything else. A part of her wanted to keep quiet just because they were happy right now, but she knew that she couldn''t just go silent and get it over with like that. This was far too important. If she kept her mouth shut now, Linden might end up being upset later, and she couldn''t risk that. So, there was only one choice.

    Seraphina tightened her hold on Linden as she forced herself to whisper. ¡°There...is something I have to tell you.¡±

    Even that quiet sentence was enough to make Linden pay attention. He lifted his head while his hand gently came to her cheek so that he could cup her face. As he looked at her now, she could swear that she saw tears in his eyes. He was truly far too happy to receive her affirmative response. It almost knocked all air out of Seraphina''s lungs. But she couldn''t help herself, especially as Linden responded with all of his love being audible in his tone. ¡°Tell me. I will listen.¡±

    Seraphina wished that she had been able to just speak honestly without any hesitance, but again, she worried too much. ¡°I...¡± This was such a sudden topic. How could she just say it? ¡°Before you left, we...¡± She swallowed before beginning again, this time at an even quieter volume. ¡°We spent...the night together.¡±

    Luckily, Linden didn''t get as embarrassed as she was upon hearing that. He just remembered what had happened and seemed confused to have her bring it up so suddenly. ¡°Yes, we did. What...about that?¡±

    Seraphina forced herself to take a deep breath before trying to slowly address what she truly had to say. ¡°This must sound odd when I tell you. After all, we merely¡­¡± She only noticed it here. More than wishing to ease Linden into it, she was trying to avoid saying it directly with that. She would never say it if she continued like that. So, Seraphina swallowed again and forced herself to reveal it. ¡°I...seem to be carrying a child.¡± She was too scared of seeing shock or anger on Linden''s face, so she lowered her head before confirming one more thing. ¡°Your child.¡±

    And then she prepared to face the reaction she would now receive. Surely, Linden wouldn''t be exhilarated to hear that he would have a child in half a year. They had only shared a single night, so it would even make sense for him to be distraught or annoyed now.

    Seraphina still didn''t want to see that expression on his face. It might be selfish, but she was uncertain enough, so she wanted him to console her. To hug her and tell her that it would be fine. But unfortunately, she couldn''t demand that of Linden, not when this surprised him even more than it had surprised her. Maybe she was too expectant if she just stared at him and waited for him to process this within a few seconds when she had taken hours to understand. Seraphina once again didn''t know what to do, but upon glancing up and seeing that Linden''s eyes widened as he just looked at her in disbelief, she forced herself to say something. ¡°It...was quite sudden for me too. But the doctor did confirm that...I am pregnant. I would understand if you were upset or-¡±

    And within a second, Linden''s expression shifted. Instead of the anger she had feared, he showed her a far too lovely smile. Without even giving her a second to prepare, he dove forward and pulled her into a tight hug while pressing his lips onto hers.

    The kiss was so overwhelming that Seraphina was almost knocked over, but she managed to keep her balance with some effort. Still, she was quite surprised. It took her a moment to understand what was happening, but when she did, she was still barely able to believe it. Was Linden truly kissing her right after she had told him that she was pregnant? He wasn''t angry with her? He at least didn''t seem to be. No, he seemed quite happy instead. But of course, that couldn''t be it. There was no way that Linden would truly be fine with this.

    Or was there?

    Judging by his actions, Linden wasn''t pretending to make her feel better. He genuinely didn''t seem to hold negative feelings about this. His kiss was much too passionate for that.

    Seraphina couldn''t help but return all of that as soon as she got the chance. They stayed connected like that for a long time. She wasn''t even sure whether it had taken a minute or five.

    But when Linden eventually let her pull away, he cupped her face immediately and showed her that far too beautiful smile that seemed to reveal that he might be far less tense than she had been upon finding out. ¡°How could I be upset? This is sudden, but it is wonderful nonetheless. We have all the resources to take care of a child, and many people that could help us. There will not be any issue.¡± There actually were some.

    Seraphina truly didn''t wish to ruin the mood now when she was so relieved, but she felt like she had to say this, just to inform Linden before anyone else could. ¡°Isn''t...it troublesome if you suddenly return with a child? Especially if the mother is a citizen of Artias. I am luckily not a part of the royal family anymore, but my background does not change.¡± She found herself being far too worried about this as well.

    And yet, Linden didn''t hesitate to erase her concerns. ¡°It would never be a problem for me to have a child with the woman I love.¡± That sentence alone made Seraphina''s heart beat quicker again, which Linden seemed to notice. As he looked at her with all of his affection, he quickly added something else. ¡°Please marry me. Become my wife and the queen of Northern Ocrea.¡±

    It was happening so suddenly. Hadn''t they only met one another for three weeks? How could they already discuss marriage and possibly letting Seraphina rule Northern Ocrea at Linden''s side? He seemed to trust her a lot.

    But Seraphina couldn''t even bring herself to worry about his judgment. She felt flattered to know that Linden thought that well of her. He seemed to know that she would work hard to protect any nation she might be living in. He wanted to give her a chance to use her political knowledge too while being her devoted partner. If Linden, the man she loved so much, offered this to her, how could she reject it? Finally, after weeks of worrying about all of this, Seraphina could calm down and believe that things might not be as horrible as she had feared them to be. A smile grew on her lips as she met Linden''s gaze and replied. ¡°I accept.¡±

    It seemed like her response alone almost overwhelmed Linden. He looked far too happy as he smothered her in his hug and kissed her forehead a few times. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you.¡± Then he kissed her lips, and just that single touch was enough to make her heart swell with so much love that she barely knew how to deal with it.

    Seraphina had never felt anything like this, and she already knew that she would never be the same from now on. She had fallen for Linden so easily, and she would hold onto those feelings for a long time. That thought was what made her reply as soon as Linden removed his lips from hers. ¡°I love you too.¡± The words left her mouth so easily, even though this was the first time she had told him that so directly. She had somehow thought that she would find it hard to express this, but that hadn''t been the case at all. How odd. Maybe it was simply this easy because she knew that Linden would reciprocate her feelings no matter what.

    Even her small response seemed to have cheered him up quite a lot. Linden just kissed her again, this time with even more passion. When he released her lips now, he already pulled her against him again. To Seraphina''s surprise, he lifted her a tiny bit and spun her around for a moment before he looked at her again. At this point, Linden was basically glowing with how happy he was. He seemingly couldn''t hold back anymore at all. Maybe that was why he almost tripped over his words as he hurriedly addressed her. ¡°Then I will speak to His Majesty first thing tomorrow. I will tell him about us and ask for him to allow me to take one of his citizens as my wife. We can deal with everything necessary so that I can bring you to Northern Ocrea with me as soon as we go back.¡± He only seemed to think about what he had said a moment after and furrowed his brows a bit before hurriedly adding something. ¡°That is, if you wish to move to my homeland with me. I...will never make decisions for you.¡± Now he worried about pressuring her.

    Seraphina almost had to laugh at how sweet Linden''s reaction was. She was about to cry just because he had promised to marry her, and now he worried about her opinion? She had already revealed it. ¡°I already agreed to become your queen. Of course, I would have to move to your nation for that. I am quite willing to do that.¡± In fact, she was more than happy that Linden had offered it. While she would miss her family, this was her only option from now on. That thought made her smile lessen a bit. Right. She would have to leave Artias soon, if possible before her pregnancy showed. Otherwise, Theodore would surely throw her out as soon as he could. She couldn''t risk her family''s reputation being destroyed, so she had to move quickly. Searching for Linden''s gaze, she began quickly. ¡°I believe leaving quickly might be the best option. His Majesty... He...didn''t seem to be upset about the thought of us being together. In fact, he told me to marry you multiple times.¡±

    Linden leaned forward once more to kiss her forehead before he whispered to her, his expression full of softness. ¡°That is wonderful. Then he will certainly agree. I will receive his permission to announce this marriage as soon as possible. This will just strengthen the ties between our nations, so he will not reject it. Having the child of a woman from Artias on our throne will benefit all of us.¡±

    Seraphina had thought that too. She hoped that this was enough to convince Theodore. Until now, he had often said that he wished to send her to their neighboring nation, but a part of her was still scared of him forbidding this, just because he knew that it would crush her. But Seraphina didn''t wish to worry about this now. She wanted some clarity at least. She met Linden''s gaze while slowly lifting her arms to wrap them around his neck as she whispered to him. ¡°I...became pregnant without being the queen. Would that not make it hard to present this child as the heir to the throne?¡±

    Linden hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No. Not at all. In Ocrea, all children of the queen and king are named heirs to the throne when their parents rise to the throne. As long as you are my wife, any of our children no matter the age would be named princesses and princes as soon as I am crowned to be king. You don''t have to worry about anything, I promise.¡± He said that so easily, but this was still quite a big change. After all, Seraphina would risk it all while moving into a completely different nation. Maybe Linden knew how unsettling that was too. He tried his best to calm her down. ¡°If anything concerns you, tell me, and I will solve the problem. I don''t think that anyone in Northern Ocrea would reject this marriage. My father and mother already gave their informal permission when I told them about you, and I promise that no one else will mind that I brought back such a wonderful queen. And no matter what happens, I''m on your side. If there is anything you want, I will make it happen.¡±

    It wasn''t like that was a special promise. Everyone could lie. But when Linden said it like this, it sounded like he was serious. For the moment, he truly seemed to be devoted to her.

    Only time could change that.

    Seraphina knew that you could never guarantee anything, but she wanted to hear Linden calm her down again. Maybe that was selfish, but she wished for him to promise this, so she asked. ¡°Now that you mention that, I do have one request.¡±

    Her lover immediately nodded. ¡°Whatever it is that you wish, I will find a way. What is it?¡±

    Seraphina did feel a bit foolish saying this directly, but it was too important to her. So, she brought her hand to Linden''s cheek and whispered to him again. ¡°Don''t have a mistress. If you ever fall for someone else, divorce me quickly so that I don''t have to see you wandering away from me.¡±

    With Theodore, her main concerns had always been of political nature. When she imagined Linden possibly parading around with another woman like her ex-husband had done it, it hurt her far more than that though. The pain in her heart almost felt like needles were pricked into her just because of the thought. She would certainly not be able to stand by and watch him love someone else without being depressed every single day. She couldn''t do that, Seraphina knew that already. So, she at least wanted to receive a warning in case that ever became a risk.

    But when Linden looked at her with so much certainty and proudly replied, he almost seemed to be sure of his feelings. ¡°You don''t have to worry about that.¡± He gently let his hands wander to hers and cupped them while he met her gaze and continued speaking with nothing but sincerity. ¡°Whenever I look at you, I feel like I could live happily with just you at my side. I don''t need anything else but your love. No one else ever made me feel like this. I hold my friends, family and allies dear, but they are different. While I would grieve upon losing them, I could still imagine living a happy life after some time. When it comes to you, I feel like my heart is broken each day I don''t wake up next to you. Every single hour back at home felt like torture simply because I couldn''t be sure when I would see you again. I only longed to speak to you, hold you, look at you. This cannot be anything that fades, I am certain of that. My heart carries all of those feelings for you. There is no space for anyone else.¡± He gave that whole speech without ever hesitating or looking away from her. ¡°The only one I love will be you.¡±

    It was quite romantic. Almost so romantic that it seemed unbelievable. But Linden made those words sound like they were truthful and came right from his heart.

    Seraphina had wanted to hear just that. She had desperately needed Linden to affirm that he would stay with her and never ever look at anyone else. Now she was more than content upon finally having received what she had wanted. A smile spread on her lips as she looked at her lover and replied. ¡°I never knew you were so romantic.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t know either. Until now, I never felt the need to share this with anyone, but now... I hope those words sounded as wonderful as the feelings I have for you are. It''s hard to express something this overwhelmingly beautiful. I am quite new to this. I hope that I will get better at telling you how I feel soon.¡± Linden once again said that so sweetly that she only wished to hug him.

    Seraphina gently locked their fingers as she responded. ¡°It was quite sweet. But you don''t have to worry about not finding the right words.¡± Since she herself wasn''t always sure how to convey her feelings best. She only knew one thing. She valued honesty more than anything else. ¡°As long as you are always honest with me, it will be fine.¡±

    Linden didn''t even hesitate while meeting her gaze directly. ¡°I will never lie to you. I swear that on my name.¡± He did seem to be serious.

    That was all Seraphina needed. In the past, she would have called anyone foolish for giving their all so quickly, but now she couldn''t wait to be with the man she adored. ¡°Then I am willing to give my heart to you. I love you, Linden. I will do my best to be a good queen and a loving wife. I am more than happy to receive a chance to stay by your side.¡±

    Linden looked like he wanted to kiss her immediately, but he held back to tell her something else in return. ¡°I am the one that is glad to be given this opportunity. I will honor it with everything I am. This might be quick, but I want to finish everything already. I should meet your parents tomorrow. So that I can ask for permission to marry you.¡±

    Right. He would have to meet her family too.

    Seraphina was a bit embarrassed to already decide on her marriage with a man her parents only knew as a diplomatic guest. Something else worried her far more. ¡°It might be best to do so.¡± Especially since she might already leave with her lover in a few days. She had told her parents about this relationship, but they would still be shocked. She couldn''t imagine them reacting kindly to someone that would move their daughter so far away from them. Seraphina knew how mad her father could get, so she would rather warn Linden. ¡°I already told them about you, but they might be surprised about this. My father will probably be very harsh, simply because he doesn''t trust many people. Especially after how the last marriage ended, he might think that I am rushing too much. But do not worry. I will speak to them again before they say anything unfitting.¡±

    And again, Linden replied with the perfect answer she had simply wished to hear. ¡°I won''t hold it against them if they are worried. I would be too in their place. But I will do my best to win them over in the short time we have. Let me speak to them so that I can show how much I care for you. And I will also give your family some promises to rely on. I will grant you a beneficial marriage contract. If I add the condition that you will receive half of my belongings in case of a divorce, your father would certainly be calmed, wouldn''t he?¡± Certainly. After all, that would ensure that Seraphina could live comfortably even if her husband changed his mind about her.

    But Seraphina still found that surprising. ¡°Isn''t it unfavorable if you as the heir to the throne give such promises? I could ask for national treasures in case of a divorce. That would be troublesome for you.¡±

    Linden couldn''t even deny it, but he didn''t seem worried about the treasures. ¡°Maybe, but I do not hope to ever need to use that contract anyway. I believe I would not survive hearing you ask me for a divorce. I will ensure that you don''t ever consider that.¡± If he gave his all to allow them to have a happy marriage, that would be nice. Currently, it seemed like he wouldn''t even have to do much.

    Seraphina gently pulled Linden closer to her to bring her face right in front of his. ¡°I don''t think you need to worry about that if you just stay like you are.¡± Right now, she didn''t want to imagine a life without him either. Seraphina couldn''t believe that she was so dependent on someone, but she wasn''t even upset about it. She was far too content being with Linden. Her heart was so full of joy that she just had to let it out once again. ¡°I love you.¡±

    Her words were enough to make Linden''s face light up with a little smile that seemed to hold the power to change her entire world. ¡°I love you too. Please allow me to make you happy.¡±

    Seraphina gratefully accepted that, but she had something to add too. ¡°That responsibility will not be yours to shoulder on your own. I believe I picked a path that will make me quite happy. Let''s walk on it together.¡± She had truly decided to do something no one else would have expected her to agree with only weeks ago. But when Seraphina could stay in Linden''s arms and had him close to her, she didn''t doubt that it had been the correct choice for one second.