When they finished the preparations, Blanche took a short look into the mirror while putting on Theodore's necklace. Her attire for this event was definitely breathtaking, and Stella had outdone herself with this hairstyle. Her alabaster-colored locks framed her torso while one streak was braided and wrapped around the backside of her head. The green dress fit her body shape perfectly, and the accessories didn't stand out too much but blended in nicely with the rest.

Except for the necklace. The part of her that would attract the most gazes was certainly the golden chain around her neck. The sapphire hanging on it glistened in the daylight and would sparkle even more in the illuminated ballroom. That wasn't a good idea after all, was it? Would this be too eye-catching? Now it was too late though.

“You look beautiful, My Lady. His Majesty will be overwhelmed when he sees you.” Stella's eyes shined while she said that.

“Thank you.” Blanche hadn't wanted to keep her response this short, but her brain was refusing to work correctly.

Now that the ball would begin in a few minutes, Blanche's nervousness grew with every passing second. This event would be the starting point of all of her efforts to change the novel's outcome. If she failed here, there was a chance that she wouldn't get another opportunity ever again. Even though she had rehearsed countless replies and revised the ballroom manners, nothing could prepare her for all the incidents that might happen. She needed to appear well-behaved and polite while not drawing too much attention to herself no matter what. The empress should unquestionably be more prominent than her.

Blanche was quiet for a moment before she turned to her maid. “Stella, do you think that I can avoid people looking at me if I simply stay silent the whole evening?”

The other woman smiled and folded her hands before answering. “Definitely not. My Lady is so charming that no one is going to be able to take their eyes off you!” Stella had tried to cheer her mistress up, but her response was as exaggerated as it was discouraging.

Blanche faced the mirror again and restrained herself from sighing loudly. Being watched by the nobles was the last thing she wanted. She needed to give her letter to Marquess Sefare without causing a scene in front of all influential aristocrats in the capital. Breaking up all contact with him was crucial to evade the political intrigues, but she couldn't risk anyone knowing about their previous connection at the same time.

Maybe she should refrain from putting on the necklace after all. But wouldn't Theodore think she disliked the gift then? He had probably given it to her to cheer her up. If she refused the necklace now, she would end up hurting his feelings and worrying him. So, she would have to wear it today.

“My Lady, we should go to the venue, or we might arrive too late.”

The moment of truth had come now.

Blanche took a deep breath and moved her eyes away from the mirror. She nodded towards her maid before standing up. She gave Stella the letter for Sefare and asked the other woman to hold it for her, to which the servant agreed. Then she left her room and used the small spiral staircase to get to the first floor while carefully lifting the hem of her dress. With every step she took, her legs threatened to give in. She desperately hoped that her legs wouldn't suddenly give in when she was in front of the nobles, but there was little she could do here. She could only pay attention to the rules.

To enter the ballroom she couldn't go in through the main entrance, which was reserved for the hosts, the royal couple. She also couldn't follow the guests that would come from the foyer or the servants from the kitchen. Instead, she needed to cross the big dining room and had to enter through the smaller door on the northern wall, so she took a bit longer.

When she arrived in the dining room, two servants were already standing next to the double door. They waited until she had positioned herself in the doorway and then moved to open the gate.

Blanche's mind raced to repeat all the plans she had worked out, but she couldn't focus on anything except for her hammering heartbeat. She balled her hands into fists and tried to focus on walking forward as gracefully as possible. She needed to keep her head upright at all times.

Slowly, the light from the ballroom shone through the gap between the doors and reached her face. The concubine straightened her posture, lifted her head and stepped into the ballroom. Balls were always a bit stressful, but today it would be even worse. She could only pray that she would be able to stand in the corner silently without being bothered.

The first impression went well, but not as good as it could have.

Most nobles had already arrived at the venue and stood around while talking to each other. Many used the balls as opportunities to meet distant family members or gossip about the newest events in high society. Of course, they had already started with that before the hosts arrived. That itself hadn't been a problem. In fact, that the guests stopped chattering was the problem.

Blanche had hoped to avoid drawing attention to herself with her dress, which was way less striking than her last attires. Still, this had been to no avail. As soon as she entered, countless gazes jumped to her, and it sounded like some voices had been quietened.

The people that were scanning her from head to toe mostly had expressionless gazes. Some of them, however, stared at her with disdain.

And for once, Blanche reacted as she would have before knowing the novel's story. She ignored the people around her while trying to forget how they were judging her. She walked to the platform on which the thrones stood and waited next to it. From this position, she had an unobstructed view of the whole room and still didn't stand out too much since the thrones were much more eye-catching. At the same time, she was close to Theodore without making it seem like she was getting in between him and the empress. That was perfect since no one could trouble her like this.

Blanche let her gaze wander around the ballroom as she searched for Marquess Sefare. If it was possible, she wanted to give him the letter before Theodore would arrive. Going to meet the marquess now would seem like she was just greeting him, and thus, it probably wouldn't arise suspicion. The emperor would still dislike it if she had a conversation with his political enemies, but he hadn't shown up at this point in time, so this was the perfect opportunity to approach Sefare.

But she was unlucky once again.

Blanche recognized many influential families, and unsurprisingly, the members of the three dukedoms of Artias had come as well. It would have been to be expected that Sefare was near the Duke of Vasquez, but she didn't catch a glimpse of the marquess there. She also couldn't find him anywhere else in the venue.

A deep frown appeared on her face as she scanned every visitor again. Still, Sefare wasn't anywhere to be seen. Great. Why had she spent hours pondering on how to greet him then?

Stella took a step forward and whispered into her mistress' ear. “Are you looking for someone, My Lady?”

Blanche was almost sure that the marquess should have been present. She probably just hadn't been able to spot him. It was tempting to ask for Stella's assistance. Nevertheless, it also would be strange for her to search for Sefare without a real reason, so she denied it. “No, I just wanted to get an overview of whoever is present today. These are the usual people, right?”

The servant nodded and spoke after scanning the nobles again. “I can't see anyone I don't know. But the Vasquez's son and Marquess Sefare seem to be missing even though they have been at most of the balls until now.”

Blanche tried to appear unimpressed by this information but began to worry. If Sefare wasn't here today, how would she be able to give him the letter? The next event was probably months away, and she couldn't wait that long. Should he really be absent today, she would have to send the letter to him. But she could still hope. Maybe he would come later. After all, the party had just begun.

The concubine wanted to change the subject after letting out a low sigh before she stopped to think about her servant's previous words. It was surprising that the maid had been able to identify who wasn't here within seconds. “You are quite attentive, Stella. I didn't know that you would be able to find that out within a few seconds. You were much quicker than I was. And you memorized all the names too even though you have nothing to do with them. Are you a genius?”

Stella smiled and lowered her eyes for a moment. “Thank you. But it's nothing special, I just-” The maid interrupted herself and stared at the space in front of her mistress while taking a few steps backward.

Blanche followed her gaze and turned towards the ballroom again. A man was approaching her slowly but with confident steps. She immediately recognized him as Allen Duremont, and confusion rose inside her. A few short glimpses to her side also proved that only she and Stella were standing at this spot. This meant that he had to move in their direction.

What would Seraphina's brother want from her? Until now, Allen had given his best to avoid the concubine if he hadn't opposed her for provoking his beloved sister. Was this what this was about? Maybe he intended to confront her because of some incidents she didn't remember. Blanche quickly went through the events of the last weeks in her mind, but she couldn't remember much. Except for her tantrum at the banquet, she hadn't begun any fights with the heroine recently. At least none that were important enough for the empress' brother to get involved.

So, most likely Allen would address the conflict of the banquet again. But he couldn't really demand an apology as she had already asked the empress for forgiveness, right? Either way, it would be uncomfortable.

Allen arrived in front of her, and she made a curtsy. To her surprise, he returned the greeting and bowed. “Lady Blanche.”

She took a few seconds to collect herself before responding. “Good evening, Lord Duremont.” Hopefully, her nervousness hadn't shown.

For a moment, they just stared at each other while the silence quickly became uncomfortable.

Allen's face alternated between many expressions, which Blanche couldn't quite identify. At first, he seemed reluctant to open his mouth but then he finally did. “When we met last time, I forgot to properly voice my gratitude. I am thankful for your assistance.”

The concubine had already being prepared to apologize for an occurrence that she had forgotten and froze at these words. She blinked a few times before realizing that he had actually thanked her. This would have been unthinkable in the past, and it still seemed impossible to her. While she had remembered leading him through the palace, her mind had been focused on other problems than not receiving a ‘thank you’. But hearing him say it gave Blanche a somewhat calming feeling despite it sounding strange. It proved that her endeavors to change the future might be worth it. A little smile spread on her lips. “Oh, it was my honor. I'm glad I could help.”

Allen nodded, and the unnerving silence returned. This time, it was accompanied by him staring at the concubine like he intended to reveal her deepest secrets. That only made her even more nervous even though she didn't have to hide anything from him.

Blanche cleared her throat and started small talk, just to stop his gaze from piercing her. “So, Lord Duremont? Have you had a pleasant carriage ride to the palace?”

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Allen was visibly taken aback by her question and frowned. She feared that he would become angry or ignore her, but then he responded despite his baffled expression. “Yes. There weren't any problems.” He paused and appeared to want to ask something in return, but he didn't speak up.

So, Blanche had to push the conversation forward again. “That is good to hear. Are you and your family doing well?”

This time, Allen answered without letting her wait. “Yes, certainly. We are all healthy, and except for some small annoyances, nothing is bothering us. Are you in good health, Lady Blanche?” His response had definitely hinted that she was the one who caused the most trouble for his family, but she ignored that. He had come to her, so he had no right to insult her.

“I cannot complain about anything that troubles me at the current time. I feel well. Thank you for your concern.” That was a lie. Blanche's mind had been filled with all of her problems for the last week, but she surely wouldn't tell him.

The both of them stood there in silence for another moment, and she wished that he would finally leave. Still, he didn't.

Blanche's gaze wandered away from Allen's face, and the nobles behind him caught her eyes. Most of the people in proximity stared at them. They probably waited for another dispute to gossip about, but she wouldn't begin one as usual. Nonetheless, their glaring made her feel like her stomach was tingling, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. What did Allen want from her? Couldn't he get it out of the way quickly?

Allen turned around for a moment before facing her again and then finally opened his mouth. “Did you ever-”

He was cut off by a guard that yelled from the other side of the ballroom. “His and Her Majesty, the emperor and the empress of Artias.” The voice was loud and echoed throughout the ballroom.

Instantly, every person inside faced the grand entrance door and focused on appearing dignified.

Allen looked at Blanche for another second before he went back to his family at the other end of the room.

The concubine breathed out in relief and then followed everyone's example. She watched as the wooden doors slowly swung open to reveal Theodore and Seraphina.

The royal couple wore formal attires, which were navy and gold and decorated with countless accessories. The emperor's uniform was complemented by a sash with numerous medals as well as a long cape. The empress' ballgown was made out of dark blue velvet and the part around her torso was adorned by golden ornaments. Her collarbone wasn't covered by the fabric, and instead, a necklace with several sapphires hung around her neck. Both wore golden crowns with gems on their heads. Their whole appearance could be summarized in one word.

They were majestic.

But what was more noticeable to Blanche was that their arms were linked. Seeing this made her want to cover her eyes, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from them.

The couple strode to the throne platform and stopped in front of it. The nobles all bowed or made a curtsy and remained in that position until Theodore spoke up. “I sincerely thank all of you for joining us for this ball today. I hope that you had no problems on the way to the palace and wish that you will enjoy the event. It has been a while since the last ball, so I will not talk for long. Conductor, would you play the first music piece?” The small orchestra by the balcony began playing a slow composition, and Theodore offered Seraphina his arm.

The empress put her hand into his, and both put an arm around the others' waist. They began to dance in the center of the ballroom while everyone's eyes were glued onto them.

Neither of them made any mistake, at least as far as Blanche could tell. But as the royal couple twirled through the room, her heart ached in her chest. The spouses were too close to each other, and she was forced to observe how Theodore looked directly into the heroine's eyes for the duration of the whole dance.

The concubine's only wish was to stop staring at them. She wanted to distract herself, to put out the spark of jealousy that was burning inside her. Yet, she kept her gaze fixated on them. It was better if she got used to that image now, or the couple's romance would eat away at her in the future. She needed to slowly accommodate to maintain her sanity despite the novel's progression. Otherwise, she would snap, and then she could forget saving her own life.

Still, she hated how perfectly the couple matched while they danced with unattainable grace. Their whole appearance was coordinated, and each one of their steps was taken at the same pace. Of course they were a perfect match. The author of “To Be Empress” had created them to be the main characters, who were supposed to become fated lovers in the end.

Blanche balled her fists, and a sickening realization sank in. She didn't fit together with Theodore that well. While she loved him more than anything, she had to admit that they were very different from each other. She adored sweet dishes, which he hated. He spent most of his time with politics, about which she had no clue. And these were only a few of the contrasting parts of their personalities.

Even dancing with him wouldn't be as easy for her as it was for the empress. Blanche had learned how to do it, but she wasn't very good at coordinating her movements and would only disturb Theodore's steps. In the past, they had danced occasionally, but she had always felt like she was just troubling him with her inexperience. Maybe the etiquette teacher would be able to teach her how to dance better, and she could join her lover in the future.

The first music piece ended, and the second one began playing. Some couples began dancing along with the emperor while the rest went back to conversing.

In the meantime, the concubine simply stood in the corner next to the thrones' platform. She felt lost and didn't know what to do except for waiting for Theodore to finish the dance and the subsequent conversations with the nobles. Naturally, the emperor would approach the most influential people first and chat with every single person. This would take a lot of time until he finally reached the person with the lowest rank, the only baroness here.

That meant that Blanche could only stay here in the corner until he was done and came to her. During the last few events, she had always been the one to approach him which was about the worst thing she could have done. That had not only appeared disrespectful to all the aristocrats that were first in line, but she had also pulled him away from Seraphina on multiple occasions. Now she could neither ignore the social conventions in public by daring to approach the emperor nor could she attempt to keep the spouses apart. But being bored the entire evening wasn't something she looked forward to either. She should just talk to Stella when the first three dances were finished.

The third composition was played, and the royal couple still continued to dance. That was probably surprising to the ball's guests. It was quite rare that Theodore managed to reach the third music piece since Blanche had usually interrupted earlier.

The concubine could practically feel the gazes of that many people staring at her. They most likely wondered why she hadn't stopped the emperor or started a fight with the empress yet. She didn't like being watched that closely, but it was beneficial for her. Like this, more people would notice her change of heart. She was behaving like a well-mannered person now. They needed to see that. Hopefully, her calm demeanor would make them understand this quickly.

Blanche let her eyes wander across the ballroom and searched for Sefare once more. But the marquess still didn't come into view, at least not from her position. She would have to move around later to confirm whether he was really absent.

Instead of him, she found Owen, who was discussing something with one of the other palace guards. The head knight usually followed the emperor when he entered and then continued to search the ballroom for threats the entire evening. He had probably been directly behind Theodore, but since Blanche's eyes had been glued onto her lover and his wife, she hadn't spared Owen a glance until now. It was good that he was here. Then he could intervene in an emergency.

Once again, Blanche felt how her gaze was drawn to the royal couple. They were still dancing. This made her worry whether there had been a scene in the novel in which the main characters had become enchanted by seeing the other one dance. But she didn't remember something like that happening. Still, the scene in front of her made her panic a little.

Theodore opened his mouth and said something. After a moment, Seraphina answered and they continued to respond alternatively. Blanche's chest tightened, and she clenched her jaw while trying to suppress her emotions, which threatened to become overwhelming at that sight. They were only talking. This shouldn't be enough to make her jealous but it was.

Then, all of a sudden, Seraphina's gaze met hers. It had only been for a few seconds, but those were enough to make Blanche freeze.

The empress turned back to her husband and spoke again. Whatever she said had made Theodore look at Blanche for a moment too. Then he turned back to the heroine and answered. Clearly, they had discussed something related to the concubine.

Blanche didn't know what they had said, but it was probably something bad. The empress never said nice things about her, and knowing that Theodore heard all of that was horrible. Every word out of Seraphina's mouth could only make the emperor like his mistress a little less. Blanche's mind began to go over the worst possibilities, and she quickly felt the shame rise in her. The spouses had probably noticed that she had been staring at them while she looked like a pathetic mess that sat in a corner. She felt a knot forming inside her stomach and lowered her eyes to the floor.

When she wasn't with Theodore, she was always uncomfortable at social events, and right now it was worse than on every other day. She almost wanted to leave the ballroom and return to her chambers. But she couldn't do that without appearing disrespectful since she didn't have the emperor's permission. So, she would have to endure it without showing her dismay too much. She couldn't make any of this worse by suddenly looking devastated for no reason.

Faintly, she heard how the orchestra began playing a faster piece, and she slowly lifted her gaze again. The royal couple had finished and let go of each other. Theodore responded to the empress' words, and now they would go to talk about all of the nobles around them. Which only meant that he could hold Seraphina's arm even longer.

Blanche immediately lowered her gaze again and fiddled with her fingers while trying to distract herself. She couldn't put on such a dejected expression. If it got too bad, she would have to excuse herself to visit the bathroom for a while. That was a good idea. She could lock herself in there if she felt her self-control wavering, and then she would put on a fake smile again after a short break. As long as she returned in time for the end of the event, it should be fine. Or maybe she should go to the buffet and eat. That was a nice option too. Maybe they had-

“Is everything alright? You looked like you weren't feeling well.”

The concubine almost jumped at that. She whipped her head up, and her mouth fell open as she saw Theodore right in front of her. What was he doing here? This was the completely wrong order. “Theo?”

Theodore didn't even give her a smile and just looked at her with concern. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you. You just seemed like something was wrong. Were they any issues?”

Blanche quickly shook her head while still staring at him. Hadn't he just finished dancing? And he had seen that she was unwell from all the way over there? If he had been able to read her mood even from a distance, it meant that he had paid attention to her even though he should have been focused on the waltz. Within a second, most of the tension left her body fell. A smile formed on her lips. “Don't worry. I've just been a little bored.” She needed to calm him quickly so that he could return to following the protocol.

Theodore didn't seem fully convinced. “Are you sure?” He waited and only smiled back at her when she nodded.“Ah. That's good. I was already worried. I can help you with your boredom too. That should be solved because I'm here now. I promise that you will be busy the whole evening.”

Blanche grinned at his words. He obviously wouldn't be able to stay close to her for much longer, but just talking to him for a moment gave her more energy again. She would last until the end of the ball if he just smiled at her for a bit longer. Still, she was torn when the emperor showed no intention of leaving her alone.

Theodore's eyes wandered to her collarbone, and he lifted his hand as if he wanted to stroke over the necklace before he caught himself. “As expected. The necklace looks perfect on you. Do you like the gift?”

The concubine couldn't help but smile back even though she was starting to worry about him standing here. She responded with a nod. “You hit the target once again. I adore it. This is the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen. I want to thank you so much.”

Theodore's proud smile widened a bit. “Of course I was successful again. I always find the best presents, don't I? It's my specialty. I'm glad I could make you happy. You look gorgeous, as always.” Saying that in public was a bit risky, but he probably wanted to cheer her up. It worked well, and no one had heard them, so it should be fine.

At least, it would be fine if he left now. But her lover had other plans.

Theodore let his gaze roam across the ballroom before turning back to her. “Now the unpleasant part will begin. We'll have to entertain these nobles before they get too bored.” That almost made it sound like he intended to have her accompany him.

Blanche had probably misheard him, so she replied in a quiet voice. “You mean that you will go to entertain them now. I will stand in the corner and try to steal something from the buffet without being seen.”

“No, no.” Theodore gave her a little smile. “I think it would be better if you come with me. We can make an exception today.” He took a step away from the wall and seemed like he wanted to walk towards the center of the room.

Blanche stared at his back while trying to ignore how every single person in this damned room watched them. What was her lover saying? There was no way that she could accompany him. But it seemed like he was serious. He also acted like he was convinced that she would just agree. He was partly correct. In the past, she would have clung to his arm after just a few seconds, but she couldn't do that now. She needed to remind him that this was a horrible idea. She would just promise that she wouldn't cause trouble so that he could let her stand in the corner. However, she had to get a bit closer unless she wanted to yell. She hesitantly followed her lover but slowed down just a few steps later.

Theodore steered towards the spot where the Duremont family was standing. As the host, the emperor needed to have conversations with all the guests, and due to his rank, he had to approach them first. He would address the most influential visitors at the beginning, which were the Duke of Duremont and his relatives. Then the other dukes would follow and after that, the marquesses. Naturally, the empress would accompany him while he interacted with them. But right now Seraphina wasn't by his side, and he took his concubine, who shouldn't be a part of this interaction at all, with him. If Blanche was the one to stand next to him, others would be extremely irritated by this.

Especially Seraphina's family was very sensitive when it came to any offense directed at their beloved's honor and wouldn't accept someone disregarding the royal conventions quietly.

In general, Blanche should rather avoid her lover in public situations to not fuel the rumors about their relationship. So, it might not be clever to completely mess up at the first ball that she visited with the novel's memories. She gritted her teeth and slowed down even more while trying to raise her voice and whisper at the same time. “Theo?”

Theodore heard her and turned around with the same concerned expression from before. “Yes? Is really everything alright?”

Blanche stepped closer to him and assured herself that no one stood close enough to listen to their words. Still, she whispered when she questioned him. “I'm fine. But...uhm... Theo...” She scolded herself before speaking up properly. “You have to escort the empress. Where is she?”

Her lover wasn't really impressed by that argument. He just nodded in the direction of the Duke of Duremont. “She is with her family already. Since she can't see them as often as before, she uses the ball to spend more time with them. Besides, she is able to take care of herself for an evening, so I don't need to follow her every step.”

That was just plain ridiculous.