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.”

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 formal 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.