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 did I make 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.”

“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 backside of her head 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.