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 off much better.

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. Surely, 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's 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-sent. 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.