The palace had always seemed somewhat foreign to Seraphina. Even when she had been young, she had felt like an intruder upon visiting. Everyone had treated her like an outsider too, so she was used to it. Though, she could easily tell that today was different. When the emperor's fiancée visited, the servants usually greeted her politely, but all of them seemed to be averting their gazes today. That only confirmed that it was about time for Seraphina to visit. She was almost sure that her concern wasn't just based on a misunderstanding.

The servants watched her with far too much uncertainty. She was used to some interest and had expected to be met with surprise since she had arrived without sending a letter before, but this was too much. She could hear all the staff members chattering about her arrival even more than usual. There was a reason she wasn't wanted here, and Seraphina could guess what this was connected to as well. After all, the rumors had reached her ears already.

Now she was certain that her decision to ask about this had been a good one.

Seraphina kept her head up high as she looked around. The servant that currently greeted her shrank under her gaze, which she took as a sign that this person knew the details of why she was here. She wouldn't waste any time. Since her fiancé hadn't been called yet, she knew that she had to be the one to approach him. “Where is His Majesty?”

The servant flinched as she asked that so directly. He only bowed even deeper. “He should be in the garden, Lady Duremont.” He didn't even lie about anything to hide what was going on. Theodore was usually stuck in his office, and now something or someone had suddenly pulled him out.

This was something Seraphina needed to confirm. “It does not seem that he is working then. Still, there must be a reason why you didn't run to inform him of my arrival. Is he busy at the moment?”

That question was enough to make the servant seem even more unwell. He opened and closed his mouth, seemingly trying to come up with an excuse but being unable to voice one in time.

Seraphina could guess why they were so keen on keeping her away. “I see. Then I believe I should see him right now. Is that woman with him?”

The fact that she knew about the rumors spreading in the capital shouldn't have been surprising. Everyone had heard about the fact that the emperor had suddenly allowed an unknown woman to move into the palace and that he spent every single day with her. The servant was well aware too. That might be why he was especially quick to defend his master. “Lady Blanche is only a guest. She-”

Lady Blanche? It sounded like she was a noble. But that family name wasn't one Seraphina recognized. Then the family was probably from outside the capital. Why had she suddenly come here?

Seraphina had many questions, but she wouldn't just ask anyone. It would be best to directly approach the people responsible for this matter. She wasn't willing to waste any time. “I believe that alone gives away why I am here. Lead me to them.”

The servant seemed dejected as if he had been caught doing something bad, but he just lowered his head to hide it. “I will inform His Majesty-”

Usually, Seraphina would naturally wait for her fiancé to come pick her up first. Today, she felt like that would just give him a chance to hide what was happening though. “No. Bring me to them immediately. This is something I have to confirm with my own eyes.” She met the servant's gaze directly as if to warn him. She knew that she had no authority over the palace staff, especially when their actions could trouble the emperor. But today, she had to rely on the fact that her rank would still force them to obey.

For now, it seemed like the servant had no choice. He hesitated for a moment and swallowed, but then he bowed and began moving. He brought Seraphina to the backside of the royal estate, to the terrace.

Following the path, they passed by the many beautiful flowers that were planted in the royal garden. Seraphina couldn't enjoy the sight in the slightest. She was already reminded of her reason for appearing here when she heard laughter echo through the garden. Her eyes narrowed as her eyes fell onto the two people it was coming from.

The couple took a walk in a rather empty area of the royal property, choosing to stay close to the high hedges that surrounded the labyrinth. The young man was currently looking at the woman in front of him as if she was the light of his life. He accepted how she cupped his cheek with her hand and even turned to kiss her fingertips. That sight would have been quite sweet if it had been anyone else, but seeing your own fiancé do this with another woman was quite a shock. Seraphina had to stare at them for a few seconds to even recognize the emperor, who usually had such a cold expression that no one would believe that he could be vulnerable. And here he was parading around with someone he had met just a few weeks ago. He didn't even try to hide his affair.

Even now, this woman was clinging to the emperor's side while they laughed with each other, not caring about whether servants saw. He didn't seem to mind and even accepted her touch as if he was happy about it while looking at her with more affection than anyone could feel for a friend. It was also Theodore's bright smile that gave it away. Theodore never smiled like that. In fact, Seraphina was sure that she had not seen him be so happy even once before.

And he only felt so happy because he was here with his mistress.

Seraphina had prepared herself for this already, but this went above her expectations. Her fiancé didn't only have a mistress, he also seemed to view her with quite a lot of affection. So much so that Seraphina might not be able to rely on her mother, who had seemed hopeful while saying that it was probably just a meaningless rumor, and her father, who had claimed that this would only be a short-term issue. This was something she had to face now.

Without asking her for further orders, the servant already rushed forward to the emperor. He bowed hurriedly and then said something as soon as the couple looked at him.

Theodore froze in place. For a moment, it seemed like he didn't want to move at all as the corners of his lips sank. Then he stiffly turned and made eye contact with his fiancée.

As soon as he saw her, it seemed like his joy fully faded.

That was a bigger hit to Seraphina's confidence than she had expected. Maybe a part of her had hoped that Theodore would come running and explain that this had been a misunderstanding, that this woman was a distant cousin or a childhood friend. Someone he might be uncomfortably close with but held no romantic relationship with. But then again, she could go without such lies. The truth was already clear to every person here.

Even the woman by Theodore's side seemed to have realized that there was an issue. Her features were quite delicate, so she even looked innocent as she furrowed her brows and turned her head to face the emperor. Her lips formed some words. Seraphina couldn't understand her, but it was obvious what she asked. As Theodore whispered back, the woman tensed and then glanced at Seraphina again.

They wouldn't get along. That became clear instantly.

That woman suddenly didn't only seem a bit confused but furious. In an instant, the atmosphere became freezing as she just hugged Theodore's arm tighter and glared at the person that had apparently interrupted the lovers' free time with resentment. It seemed like she knew who Seraphina was.

Of course, Theodore knew who his fiancée was even better. Yet, he didn't have the decency to remove his arm from that woman's hold. He just allowed her to stand by his side as if it was only natural that she appeared with him, even as he slowly led her toward his fiancée. Merely his expression and his hesitant tone gave away that he understood that problems had appeared. “It...is an honor to meet you, Lady Duremont. You should have announced that you would visit. Then I could have prepared some tea.” Greeting his fiancée politely only did so much when he still held his mistress tightly.

Seraphina usually prided herself in being able to keep her composure at all times while being quite calm in general, but her mood already soured. The affair was bad enough, but now her fiancé also dared to act like he hadn't just wished that she would disappear. Her voice was far colder than usual as she greeted him. “Good day, Your Majesty. I fear that it was needed for me to be impolite for once. You can imagine why I am here. Judging by this view in front of me, I do not have to ask about the validity of those rumors.” She almost expected Theodore to deny it. When the emperor didn't do that, she wasn't sure whether to feel like he was honest or shameless.

“Yes. This...” Theodore glanced at the woman by his side before he replied, still not looking directly at his fiancée. “I should have told you, but this is a rather new development.” Now he was certainly being shameless.

Seraphina had folded her hand in front of her body as an excuse to grasp herself tighter while attempting to calm down. If Theodore had met this woman a day ago, she would have agreed with it being new, even when that was not an excuse for him to take in a lover all of a sudden. Things were quite different here though. “Rumors have spiraled for a month already. I believed us to be able to work together for long enough for you to admit to such important matters. This was something I should have known.” This was something that shouldn't have happened either.

It was true that the emperor of Artias was permitted to take in multiple wives and that even having mistresses wasn't too frowned upon. The previous esteemed emperor had also had a concubine. That woman had raised Theodore herself, so maybe Seraphina should have expected this.

But she had thought that Theodore, who had never shown any interest in a woman from the capital, would surely not suddenly bring home someone before he was even married to his first wife. Maybe that had been foolish, but Seraphina had expected him to ensure that his empress had a secure standing before frolicking around with someone else. Maybe she had even expected him to ask for her opinion before doing this and risking the loyalty of his most important supporter, her father, who wasn't overjoyed by any of this at all.

Theodore at least seemed to understand that he had done something wrong. He was clearly uncomfortable. “I am aware that this was my mistake. I understand if you are upset too. This...” He paused before he forced himself to use a calmer tone. “Maybe we should discuss this in private.”

The suggestion had been directed at his fiancée, but the one responding was the woman by his side, who turned and put a hand on his chest as she leaned even closer. Her voice clearly betrayed that she was both pleading with her lover and also trying to show how close she was to him. “Shouldn't I be present too? This concerns me as well, Theo.”

Seraphina had already stared at this mistress to determine how she would act from now on when she felt something break inside her as she heard that pet name. She looked right at the emperor now, expecting him to correct that woman.

He didn't do that.

Theodore didn't even react to that as if it was normal for this woman to call him by that name. “Of course. But we won't talk about our relationship. This is more about the political consequences of this situation. I will tell you everything we discussed after, I promise.” Even now, he ignored his fiancée to speak to that mistress.

Seraphina understood the meaning quickly. Still, she was stunned. She had known that there wasn't any love between them, but she had thought that Theodore considered her a meaningful ally. But even after over a decade of standing by his side, he had never allowed her to use his name. She still addressed him by his title despite being his fiancée. And this woman here had won him over within less than a month and was allowed to call him by a nickname? That was dangerous. Very much so. Theodore didn't usually make such rash decisions.

Even more than before, Seraphina understood that she had to step in here and slow all of this down. If the emperor's judgment was skewed, it was the empress' task to watch over him a bit. She would do just that now. She decided to start at the very beginning. “May I ask for your name?”

Her words seemed to interrupt the lovers' small conversation. As the woman turned to face Seraphina, she didn't look as hostile as before, but she was still on guard. She even seemed to be confused about the question. “You wish to ask for my name?”

Seraphina didn't intend to address her as ‘the mistress’ for the entirety of however long this would go on. A name would be helpful. “Yes. Due to our current situation, it would be better for me to know who I have in front of me. Will you introduce yourself to me?” Just as she voiced that question, she knew that she wouldn't receive it politely.

The woman's expression shifted again. It seemed like she tried to hide it, but she viewed Seraphina with obvious dismay. Her voice was cold. “Gladly. If you give me your name first. Is it not the norm to introduce yourself first?”

“I believe you already know who I am.” Usually, Seraphina would introduce herself, but she felt like she would have to remind that woman of where she currently was. Otherwise, problems might arise soon.

Though, that woman still replied with enough care not to offend a duke's daughter directly at least. “I do. It's still impolite to assume.” She was right. It was a fact that you would have to introduce yourself before asking questions. It seemed like Theodore had at least taught her some rules of nobility. Though, she didn't seem to know all of them. Otherwise, she wouldn't cling to an engaged man.

Seraphina already didn't like that this woman argued with her instead of merely giving her name, but she decided to budge this single time. After this, she would have to act according to her rank though. “Then allow me to introduce myself.” She lifted her head and straightened her back while meeting the woman's gaze directly. “I am Seraphina Duremont, the oldest daughter of His Grace, the Duke of Duremont. I am also His Majesty's fiancée, which is why I visited the royal estate to speak to him.” Her introduction was barely finished when she was interrupted.

The woman had previously spoken to Seraphina at least somewhat politely, but she seemed to give up on that fully. She averted her gaze and commented on this as if she hadn't just met a duke's daughter. “You surely came early. You haven't visited once during the past month.” Had she just truly criticized Seraphina for not coming here before?

Seraphina hadn't met anyone so disrespectful in a while. She was stunned for a moment.

Instead of her, Theodore opened his mouth. “Blanche.” He glanced at his lover while seeming quite unwell. Though, Seraphina had expected him to say anything more about this. He didn't. He kept holding that woman's arm, called what seemed to be her first name and barely even chastised her as if this huge disrespect didn't matter to him at all.

That woman also seemed to be arrogant enough to keep going despite the emperor's indirect request. She lowered her voice, but her tone was still full of disdain. “I only told the truth.” This was how she wished to act? In that case, it might be needed to remind her of whom she was speaking to.

Seraphina certainly wouldn't let a mistress offend her. She used a much colder tone to put up some boundaries. “How often I visit the palace is of no concern to you. This is a matter I will discuss with my fiancé alone. I believe you might not be aware, but as the future empress, I have many duties and lessons to attend to. Some people may be able to parade around carelessly in the garden, but most of my days are filled with tasks for me to complete.” She was rather sure that this Blanche let out a snort as if she made fun of her. Seraphina chose to ignore that though and just tried to receive the information she had asked for. “I hear that your name is Blanche. May I have the family name too?”

It hadn't been a troublesome question, but for a second, that woman's expression changed. She didn't look angry but quite dejected as she lowered her gaze. “I...can't use that one at the moment. I apologize.” She didn't seem to lie. So, this probably wasn't an attempt to upset anyone. She truly couldn't use her family name. Was she from a fallen family then? Or had she been thrown out of her household? Either way, it was suspicious.

This only made Seraphina wish to find out more. Even if she didn't have the full name, she could find out a lot. “I understand. Then I shall not ask for a last name. But could you at least tell me who I am dealing with? Am I aware of your family? Which city are you from?”

Again, that Blanche acted like Seraphina had hurt her. She turned her head away fully and wrapped her arms around Theodore's even more. “That is not something I can share.” She had been insolent before, but now she also turned and leaned her head against Theodore's shoulder. Was she truly trying to get the emperor's help here? Because of something that small?

It did seem like Theodore wished to speak up for her. He didn't stop her or push her away and instead looked at her with obvious pity as he opened his mouth.

The sight was enough to upset Seraphina even more. She forced herself to keep an indifferent expression as she hurried to speak up first. This was something she would discuss with that Blanche alone. “Is it something you cannot share, or do you not wish to do it?” It certainly felt like this person didn't respect the future empress after all.

That question made the woman's anger flare up again. She glared at Seraphina before giving her response, her tone much sharper than before. “Both. Who are you to interrogate me like I'm some criminal?” She was quite courageous.

Seraphina had no intention of letting this kind of behavior continue. She would have to be a bit harsher too. “This-”

She didn't get out a single word.

Just at that moment, Theodore decided that he couldn't let the women's conversation continue. But instead of backing his fiancée, he kept hugging that mistress by his side and even looked at Seraphina as if she was wrong for stepping over some troublesome boundaries. “Lady Duremont, I am asking you to show a little consideration. It's hard for Blanche to talk about her past. For the time being, please do not address her background. You can simply address her as ‘Miss Blanche’ until she receives her title.”

Seraphina had barely processed that her fiancé was shameless enough to ask her to be considerate of his mistress when she was hit with the next insult. She usually kept her composure quite well, but this made her frown. “Title?”

He couldn't truly...

Theodore did seem a bit ashamed as he caught himself and realized what he had said. He didn't take it back though. As if to calm himself, he put a hand on his mistress' shoulder and glanced at her while replying. “That is something I have to inform you of too. I am planning on making Blanche a baroness. For...obvious reasons.” Making that woman a noble would make it easier for him to keep her close to him. That meant that this wasn't just a temporary way to spend his time. He was serious about taking in this suspicious person as his lover for a long time.

It couldn't have gone worse. Not only was the emperor willing to suddenly take in a woman no one in the capital knew without caring for her rank or the fact that she might be a threat, he also wanted to make her a noble. That made it seem like he knew that she wasn't one and still hid her background in front of his fiancée, whom he hadn't told about any of this at all. He didn't intervene when this lover disrespected the future empress nor did he seem like he was ready to let his fiancée fight for the respect she deserved. Since he didn't even stop cuddling with that woman while Seraphina was watching, it made his future goals rather obvious.

Only this morning, her father had said that Theodore would surely return to sanity after a few weeks. But looking at this, that wouldn't be the case.

Seraphina's mood was as bad as it hadn't been in a while. If Theodore's mistress had at least been obedient and polite, she could certainly have ignored this. If it had been a high-ranking noble, she might even have agreed to let her take on the political rank of a secondary wife to support the overworked emperor. But what she was currently seeing would make that impossible. She fought hard to keep herself from glaring at that insolent couple in front of her. “I see. I believe this is something we should discuss, Your Majesty. I request a private meeting.”

Seemingly, Theodore had understood how serious she was. He didn't let her wait this time but instead agreed with a little nod. “Let us do that. We can go to my office immediately.” He slowly turned to his lover and then whispered to her as if he had to explain his decision to her. That alone was bad enough, but it only got worse.

Blanche's face revealed more and more dismay as her lover kept talking. In the end, she was so upset that she suddenly wrapped her arms around him to hug him tightly as soon as he tried to step away from her. “Theo, I don't want to let go of you.” She buried her face in his uniform and held onto him like she would fall apart without him. Putting on such a disgusting act in front of his fiancée was clearly meant to upset the other woman. What a cheap display.

Seraphina had been convinced that the emperor would have enough experience to understand that as well.

But Theodore hesitated. Not only did he slow down, he also let himself be coaxed into hugging that woman again. That was bad enough, but when he also decided to start cupping her cheeks while looking at her with so much affection, it was too much.

A bit of whining was enough to convince him to stay? What had happened to the confident and composed emperor who always thought about his actions before he moved? This woman couldn't have manipulated him so much within a month, right?

Seraphina couldn't keep herself from staring at the scene in front of her.

Blanche was certainly a beautiful woman with clear skin and shiny hair, which gave away that she had most likely grown up in a rich household. Her behavior didn't fit the one of a noble though. Right now, she clung to Theodore and looked up at him with teary eyes like she was desperate to even receive an ounce of affection. Seraphina couldn't believe that anyone would truly be that shameless and clingy. That woman was acting, wasn't she? She played the emperor like a fiddle by pretending to be so innocent. Was that the type of woman Theodore liked? Someone so dependent on him that she would cling to his arm no matter what?

It seemed to be that way. After all, Theodore fell right into that woman's hands. As he saw how upset she got, he kept whispering and even ended up kissing her forehead as if to calm her.

That was what finally made something within Seraphina snap. She wanted to open her mouth and tell Theodore what she thought directly, to let out her honest opinion about something that upset her even once in her life. She couldn't address him directly though. After all, criticizing the emperor wasn't permitted. If she did that, Theodore would without a doubt remind her of who he was, and she couldn't risk being ordered around in front of his mistress, who was already arrogant enough.

Though, that didn't mean that Seraphina couldn't show what she was thinking.

Of course, she would have to keep her dignity as the future empress, but Seraphina could certainly point out the errors of someone below her rank. There was no need to wonder whether clinging to an engaged man in public was troublesome. They were within the royal estate, so they weren't fully in public, but enough people had seen. Seraphina had the right to speak here. She did just that too. “This is certainly new for you, but I must ask you to maintain some sort of dignity. You are in public, so please behave yourself accordingly.”

For a moment, it was silent after she had said that. Her words seemed to have reminded the couple that they weren't alone. It hadn't been a pleasant reminder. Theodore seemed quite unhappy, and that woman wasn't pleased either. Though, that wasn't the end of it.

It took another second until Blanche's expression turned cold. As she spoke now, she didn't hide any of her disdain. “Are you talking to me?” She held no hint of respect anymore.

Theodore noticed that too. But instead of scolding her, he reached for her hand and tried to calm her down. “Blanche, please. She didn't mean it like that.” That didn't stop his lover.

“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?”

Seraphina hadn't expected such a direct confrontation, but it seemed like one would be needed. She was in the right here, so she didn't intend to hold back. “I would not call it chastising you. I am merely offering some advice. In noble society, people will always watch you, and they will expect specific conventions to be kept in mind at all times. If you plan on staying here, there are some rules you have to obey. If you keep acting as inconsiderate as now, you will trouble His Majesty.” Those words were harsh but truthful. Though, Seraphina wouldn't put the blame on this woman here entirely.

It seemed like Blanche was a commoner. Theodore was the one responsible for teaching her the noble conventions and telling her what not to do. The fact that he hadn't done that said a lot.

Seraphina turned to look at him. Even now, Theodore held onto that woman's arm despite his fiancée being right in front of him. It just upset her more. As she met his gaze directly, her mouth opened almost on its own. She had fought the urge to insult him for long enough, so the next words slipped out. Seraphina never spoke with the sole goal of upsetting someone, but she caught herself doing it here. “In general, I would suggest not appearing with her in public too often. It may ruin Your Majesty's reputation if you face our allies like this. It would be best to avoid being seen with someone so far beneath your status.”

It worked as intended. Theodore's expression darkened. Though, his fiancée had hoped for shame and not the obvious hint of anger he felt upon being told this.

And even before he could reply, another voice chimed in. This time, Blanche got louder than before. “Excuse me?”

Seraphina was forced to glance at her again. For a single second, she regretted her words as she saw how furious the other woman was. It had been quite rude of her to say this. After all, she had just told someone that their presence would trouble their lover. She should have said that in a more diplomatic way. But it wasn't like she could be blamed for her words either. Seraphina decided that it was better to be honest from the very beginning. “I apologize if you feel that these words are harsh. Though, you must understand that the ranks of people in this society are rather important. As an unknown woman with no known noble origin, it would be best not to appear with His Majesty, the emperor of our nation. You may spend your time together in the palace, so there is no need to carry this relationship out to the public.” It was common sense for nobles that mistresses of low ranks were to be kept a secret.

But when you told a commoner this, it might not be met with too much understanding.

Blanche let out a small noise that sounded a bit like she was venting her irritation while acting like she had to have misunderstood. She didn't leave a second for anyone to add to this though. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke up again. “Who do you think you are?”

Seraphina narrowed her eyes in return as she got ready to remind her who she was. She didn't get the chance.

Theodore, who already looked quite upset, still seemed to wish to mediate a little. He reached for his lover and made her turn to him while he spoke to her. “My angel, don't get so upset. Lady Duremont didn't mean to anger you.” He tried to undermine his fiancée's words instead of having his mistress accept them.

It didn't help either way. Blanche's expression just turned grimmer as she grabbed Theodore's uniform as if to calm herself. Her rage still buried fiercely, her hatred obvious as she spoke. “But she did. Didn't you hear what she said? She said that appearing next to me could ruin your reputation. Do you think that too?” She got louder here, expecting the reply immediately.

It wasn't surprising that Theodore hurriedly supported her. “Of course not.”

That just convinced his mistress that she was in the right though. “See? Then let me tell her what I think about people that look down on others.” She let go of Theodore and turned to Seraphina, her expression not hiding her anger at all. She put her hands on her hips as she spoke up. “I asked who you think you are. You have no right to order me around, Miss. I'm in a relationship with Theo, so I will appear with him wherever I want. This doesn't concern you.” That she even said this was ridiculous.

Seraphina felt her patience coming to an end as well, but she still gave her best to speak calmly. “As his fiancée, it is certainly-”

Blanche interrupted her without a hint of regret. “As his fiancée, 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.

Seraphina could just grit her teeth. She knew that Theodore was locked away in his office almost daily. If they had gotten married already, she could have helped him with his documents too. It was his fault for having put off her coronation. And apparently, Theodore had enough free time to find a mistress somewhere, so Seraphina shouldn't need to worry. “His Majesty is always busy, which is why I didn't force my visit on him. If I had known that he had the time to take leisure walks like this, I would have visited more often.” Again, she had wished to criticize Theodore, but he wasn't the one to reply.

Blanche just allowed herself to get even louder. “Do you think Theodore's life should only consist of work? He's been miserable for a while now, and this finally gave him a chance to go outside and get some fresh air. And you criticize him for it?” She looked like she wanted to use much harsher words, but as Theodore grabbed her hand and pulled her back a small step, she forced herself to swallow those words. Still, her face was scrunched up as she snapped at Seraphina again, growing louder and louder. “You treat him like he isn't human at all. Then you are confused when he falls in love with someone else and wants to spend time with her? I am the only person around here that helps Theodore relax and helps him get better. He needs me and loves me, and you claim that he shouldn't be seen with me? If someone deserves to be at his side, it's me!”

Seraphina grasped her folded hands tighter, almost digging her fingernails into her skin. She never struggled with keeping her self-control, but right now, she did. She had been ready to accept that her comment about Theodore needing to focus had been phrased poorly, but as she heard the rest, fury rose in her. Blanche had only known Theodore for a month. How could she speak about love? “Do not dare to speak for His Majesty. I have been by his side for over a decade, helping-”

Again, Blanche dared to cut her off and just became even more arrogant. “You don't think I know more about Theo than you do? You have no idea what he's really like nor do you truly care for him personally. You didn't come here at all for weeks while I was by his side and took care of him. And now you show up unannounced and dare to tell him that he should hide me? Are you going to call me a dirty commoner or something like that? Will you still act so high and mighty while continuing to insult me when you know that Theo picked me? It seems like you're quite arrogant for someone who means nothing to Theodore.”

That was the limit.

Seraphina took a small step forward, raising her voice as she prepared to become very clear about their difference in rank. “You 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.

But it wasn't Blanche that interrupted.

Instead, Theodore was the one who spoke. “Lady Duremont, this is enough.”

The words were enough to make Seraphina freeze in place. Her anger was replaced with confusion and another emotion that made her feel unpleasantly small. She was sure that Theodore had been mistaken in his words and that he would correct himself. But that didn't happen. As she met Theodore's cold gaze, he seemed sure of what he had said. He chastised 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 fiancée. 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.”

All of this was far too much for Seraphina. Her face felt a bit warm and cold at the same time, so she wasn't sure whether she would become red in shame or turn pale in shock. She could barely force her words to come out. “Pardon?”

Theodore looked at her for a moment, seemingly almost regretting his words. In the end, he forced himself to continue in his typical cold polite tone though. “I meant what I said. Blanche is a guest in the royal palace. The one holding the power here is me. You will not chastise her nor will you give her any orders. You cannot be upset about her disobeying you either. After all, it is true that you did say some offensive words about her.” That was what he was so upset about? Such a small thing had been enough to fill him with such disdain that he would turn on his fiancée like this?

Seraphina had to admit that she was more than shocked. Certainly, she had been direct about her way of approaching this. She had never intended to attack Blanche though. This had mainly been supposed to upset Theodore more than anything else, but seemingly, that had worked too well.

If the emperor now told her that she had no authority over this Blanche, he basically took away her rights as the future empress, who should be able to manage all inhabitants of Artias. Was he trying to say that his mistress was more powerful than the daughter of a duke? That almost seemed to be the message he was trying to send. He had also taken away Seraphina's chance to scold Blanche for any mistakes she might make and didn't permit her to defend her rank. Clearly, this meant so much more than just a small attempt to keep her from complaining. He effectively put Blanche above his future wife. If that was a sign of what was to come, it was more than dangerous.

This woman was far more important to him than she should be.

Seraphina's head was spinning a bit, but she forced herself to calm down. This was far too important. She had to keep her composure and discuss this in a less heated setting. Apparently, Blanche's presence only made this impossible. Seraphina needed to be alone with Theodore for a political discussion though. So, she asked for that immediately. “I would like to ask you for a private conversation, Your Majesty.” This time, she wouldn't let them stall for time.

And luckily, no one talked back.

Theodore still looked grim, but he nodded. “Yes. We will do that in my office.” He prepared to move toward the palace, only to be stopped again.

Blanche once again held onto him and looked at him with that pleading expression. “Come back to me immediately after, yes?”

Theodore lifted his hand to gently stroke his knuckles over her cheek as he responded. “Of course.” His voice alone held so much love that it was sickening. The contrast became even more obvious when he turned away and put on his unreadable mask again as he began approaching the palace. “Please follow me, Lady Duremont.”

Seraphina quickly did that. She could basically feel Blanche glare at her back as she began moving with Theodore, which made her glance over her shoulder. It seemed like that woman was following them. This upset her quite a lot, but she didn't say anything about it. She just coldly met that person's gaze before focusing on their surroundings.

The servants chattered even more than usual. The reason was clear even to someone with no clue. They had known about their master's affair for a while and were now surprised that his fiancée had found out. Why were they more nervous about this than the emperor himself?

Theodore should be apologizing by now. Both for the fact that he had an affair and for his unfair treatment of his fiancée. But during their walk to the office, he neither turned around to look at Seraphina nor did he slow down so that she could reach him. He just walked in front of her without even checking whether she followed him. It was normal for the emperor to act like that since people usually walked behind him, but it was still unpleasant.

Surely, he let that woman walk by his side.

Seraphina caught herself thinking that and quickly got even more upset. It shouldn't matter to her how her fiancé treated that woman. What mattered was that she was informed of happenings within the palace and that she protected her rank. That was what she would focus on now too. She kept her head high while acting as dignified as possible even when she knew that many onlookers pitied her. Her fiancé had already found a lover before the wedding, and if Theodore was anything like his father, he would neglect his empress to cling to that woman. Seraphina wouldn't bother trying to fight that. After all, Theodore meant nothing to her personally anyway. She would merely make sure that she kept her influence as the future empress.