Theodore surely took his time admiring the bag from every angle before giving her a beaming smile that made her heart flutter. “You're a genius. This is so beautiful that I can't even put it into words. You just started learning how to sew, and still, it looks this perfect. The patterns are simple yet elegant, and you managed to recreate the royal crest flawlessly even though it's rather complicated.” He smiled at the pouch for a while before turning to his lover. “I'll make sure to use this whenever I can. So that I can always think about you when I see it and be happy because I know that someone as wonderful as you is mine. It'll be my lucky charm for whenever you can't be here to kiss me.” He carefully set down the bag and pulled his lover into his arms.
Blanche gladly accepted his embrace and relished in the joy of knowing that he had liked her gifts. Her choices had been good. He even wanted to carry her gift with him, and the thought of that made her heart feel warm. Now she could finally relax.
The chocolate cake would be a little treat on top of her other presents, and there was no way that she could have messed up it that badly. After all, she and a couple of servants she met had taste-tested a smaller portion of the dough and cream, and it had been good. So, the whole dessert should be delicious as well. Her lover always adored her cakes, so this would earn her another beam. Then all of her gifts would have been successful in making Theodore happy.
That thought made her freeze, and her smile fell. “Theo, I forget that I have to give you something at the ball.”
The emperor didn't seem to care about the news as much as she did. “You gave me your presents already. If anyone asks, I can tell them that.”
The concubine shook her head. “It's a tradition that everyone hands over their gifts to the royal couple when they are sitting on their thrones. You know that I can't ignore that. How could I just stand around for the whole ball and refrain from coming to see you? I can't say that I forgot about bringing a gift either. I did that for the empress' birthday last year, and you remember how everyone reacted.”
Obviously, presenting the gifts like this was a sign of respect for the royal family, so it should be logical that everyone without an exception would have to take part and properly show their presents. Naturally, the items had to be of good quality and hold some value to be considered worthy enough for the emperor. So, Blanche could never show a cake or a self-made pouch. She lowered her gaze and stared at the only object that was left, the ring that she had bought. That was the only thing she had that she could possibly show in public without offending the Estien family. However, she still wasn't certain that this would be a good idea.
“Theo, I can't reveal that I bought something with the royal crest on it, right? Then it would be obvious that you gave me permission to order an item with it. And getting your approval for a gift would mean that you already knew what it would be. I can't make it seem like you chose your present yourself and just gave it to me to hold up appearances.”
Theodore eyed her for a while before a small grin appeared on his face. “You really worry about everything, don't you? That is absolutely not a problem. I don't know why you would be wondering about what others think that much, but I can assure you that few people over-interpret matters like you do. You don't always have to consider all alternatives. Besides, didn't I tell you that you wouldn't need to hand over your present during the ball? I didn't give the empress hers in front of others, and she never does so either. It won't be a problem if you choose to do it in private anyway. There is another reason why you shouldn't worry about that too, but I don't want to ruin the surprise. Please be patient for a while longer. Your gifts will be handed over in the evening, but I have some treats that you will get earlier.” That made it sound like he hadn't just chosen one small gift.
Blanche narrowed her eyes at him. “It's not just a singular accessory like I asked for, right?”
“Definitely not. Accessories are there too, but aside from that, there are a lot of other things.” The corners of his lips lifted. “My favorite will only be revealed at the very end of the day though. That is the most wonderful gift for both of us, so you and I have to be patient.”
The concubine scanned his expression in hopes of somehow being able to guess what he would try to give her, but she remained unsuccessful. Obviously, asking wouldn't help her either. Her lover was tight-lipped when it came to surprises, so she would have to accept this uncertainty for now. She had hoped for him not to buy her too much, but in the end, she still couldn't help but look forward to it. If Theodore enjoyed giving her gifts half as much as she adored handing over his, it would be worth it. She would show him as much happiness as possible.
Blanche beamed at him. “Then I'll look forward to the evening. The hours before that will be stressful though. We should probably get ready. Don't the servants always greet you on your birthday? We need to get you washed, fed and dressed so that everyone can admire the most handsome man in all of Artias.”
The emperor seemed to be pleased by that comment. He kissed her forehead before cuddling against her and whispering in her ear. “I'm glad that you think that way. After all, I need to maintain myself enough not to embarrass the most beautiful woman in the whole world.” With that, he began prepping kisses onto her neck and wandered down to her collarbone.
Blanche enjoyed that for a moment before stopping him by gently cupping his face. “If you continue like that, you know what will happen. We can't let the servants wait that long. So, please be a bit patient and hold on until tonight. We need to go through a lot of stress in public today, so it would be better for us to avoid being tempted the whole day.”
Theodore put on a playful pout. “But it's my birthday. Shouldn't I choose what I get to do? The staff can greet me a few minutes later too.”
“Of course. But they don't know when you will wake up, so they are probably all nervously waiting for the order to gather in the entrance hall. If you don't want to stress them, you should show up at least once. Then we might have a few minutes left until the preparations begin and all the guests show up. But we can't keep the servants from working too long, or they won't be finished before it's time. Meaning that we have to ask for breakfast now and then slowly get ready.”
Her lover groaned quietly as he buried his face in her neck. “Alright.” He said that, but seconds after, a smile tugged at his lips, and he began nibbling on her skin until she couldn't help but grasp his hair with her fingers. Then he slowly lifted his head and looked at her with round eyes. “Just a bit longer?” He was definitely playing unfairly by acting like a lost puppy. There was no way that she could or wanted to say no now.
So, Blanche gave up with a relieved sigh and allowed him to tip her over so that she was lying on the bed again. “If we're late, I will tell everyone that it's because you slept in.”
Theodore beamed at her and brought his face directly in front of hers. “I would be glad about everyone knowing that we sleep together as well. It clarifies some things for them, like the reason for the red spots on your neck.”
She had completely forgotten about that.
Blanche would almost have sat up and knocked her head against her lover's if he hadn't stopped her with a gentle hold on her shoulders. “Theo! Everyone will see. I don't have any ballgowns with a high neck!”
The emperor grinned down at her. “What would be the point of such a beautiful neck if you hid it? Naturally, I also ordered a new dress for the ball, so you don't have to worry about anything. You just need to wear it and let the tailor take a look at whether she has to change something. I doubt it since her last creations always fit you perfectly, but we can't be too sure.” That didn't get rid of her issue.
“But, Theo! I can't rush into the ballroom like that. If people see, they will start gossiping about that, and I really don't want any rumors that could enrage Duke Duremont even more. Especially not right now when he is already fuming because of the banquet and what you said about our children.”
Theodore put his hand against her cheek and gave her a soothing smile, which calmed her down a bit against her better judgment. “I said that you don't have to worry about that old man, right? I won't give him any chance to complain to you. Owen will stay with you the whole time and has the order to lead you away as soon as any unpleasant people approach you. If you give me a sign, I can also call for you at any given time to get you away from anyone you dislike. Even though I doubt that you will stay away from me for long anyway. And about your little love marks... That won't be an issue either. If anyone is audacious enough to ask, tell them to question me. You could cover them up with powder too. At least if you really are uncomfortable showing that you gave me the best imaginable birthday present before anyone else even saw me.” His smirk became more playful when he finished. But he wasn't wrong about what he had said.
Blanche could easily ask Stella to put on some powder, even though her maid would surely laugh at her for that. “Alright. But then you have to be careful not to leave many more. They can't be too dark, or the powder won't cover them up.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The emperor only grinned at her, which made it obvious that she should have stayed quiet about that issue. But now it was too late for her to discuss the matter when her lover captured her lips in a passionate kiss.
Something told her that she might not be able to leave the bed for a while now. Hopefully, they wouldn't make the servants wait for too long.
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When Theodore eventually asked for the breakfast to be delivered, it was there within a just few minutes, which made it seem like the staff members had been waiting.
There were even more mouth-watering delicacies than usual, so Blanche had a hard time deciding on what she would eat after having a slice of cake. But naturally, her present came first. She could barely stand the way that her lover teased her by pulling off the cover as slowly as possible.
When Theodore saw the cake, he stopped doing that though and hurried to reveal the rest. He gawked at the desert for a while before speaking up. “This could have been made by one of the chefs. Did you bake this by yourself? That's a stupid question. Of course, you did. It looks amazing.”
Blanche felt a warm sensation spreading around her chest when her lover praised her. She had indeed spent a lot of time in the kitchen just to realize what she had in mind. She had mixed three portions of dough to make a smaller, a medium and a bigger sized cake and stacked them up with cream with molten chocolate and mixed in pieces of chocolate. Blanche had spent hours decorating the result.
After making sure that the cream was completely smooth and covered every bit of cake, she had begun spreading chocolate chips across. Then she had asked the chef to show her how to prepare small figures of molten chocolate so that they would become solid when dried and had put them onto the cake as well. She had used different kinds of that chocolate with alternating levels of cacao so that the dessert was covered in multiple shades of brown. Along with some white chocolate, this created an elegant exterior, and she hoped that the taste would be just as exquisite.
“I did my best. It should be delicious too. I made a very small version without decoration too, just so that I could taste whether it was fine. I didn't use much sugar but a lot of chocolate. I hope this will suit your taste. Be careful not to get yourself dirty when you cut it open.” She handed him the knife and leaned forward to scan the cake one more time.
It seemed to have made it through the night quite well due to being stored in the cool cellar. This meant that it should have the perfect temperature. It had to be good.
Theodore slowly positioned the knife on the top layer of the cake before making the first cut. He repeated this and pulled out a pretty big piece, which he put onto the plate in front of him. It looked like he intended to share this slice with her since he didn't take another portion and moved the plate toward her. “From the inside, it looks delicious too. Is that molten chocolate?”
Blanche happily nodded when she saw that her plan had worked. “Yes. I mixed in some butter while it was hot so that it wouldn't get hard again. It should be a gooey mass now, but since there isn't too much sugar inside, it won't be as sweet. Come on, try it.” She almost began praying when her lover grabbed the fork and put the first portion onto his fork.
Theodore lifted it to his mouth and took his time to chew on the piece while his lover dug her fingernail into the tablecloth. Would he like it? Hopefully. She had put more effort into this cake than into most of her other desserts, and he had adored those too.
It shouldn't have been a surprise, but Theodore beamed at her as soon as he finished tasting the cake. “It's perfect. I don't know how often I can still tell you this today, but it's wonderful. You outdid yourself with this one. That should have been impossible since you made me fall in love with cake even though I never cared much for sweets. Now it seems like you'll turn me into an addict.” A second piece disappeared in his mouth, and he happily munched on it.
Blanche didn't hold back this time. She raised her fist in front of her chest and let out a relieved “Yes!” while grinning from one ear to the other.
Her lover continued to chew and held the fork in her direction with another piece.
Blanche opened her mouth and allowed him to put it inside before slowly eating the portion. It was really tasty. She could have used a bit more sugar, but this was exactly like Theodore liked it, so it was perfect. In fact, it might be better like this in general. The chocolaty flavor was great, and too much sweetness would only distract from that. So, even Blanche herself was very content with her gift. She beamed at her lover, who mirrored her expression.
The cake was way too big for them to finish by themselves. They would have to feast on this for a few days, but they would enjoy every little piece.
The amounts of food that had been brought for breakfast were just as exaggerated. Blanche barely finished trying a bite of everything before she was full already. Theodore seemed to be done shortly after she had finished, and both agreed on skipping lunch since the buffet in the evening would be lavish enough. That didn't change much since it was almost noon anyway, but at least they wouldn't eat enough to get sick.
After that excessive breakfast, it was time to get dressed and leave. But before she could open the door, her lover stopped her.
The emperor pulled her back to the sofa and sat down with her on his lap, even when she gave him a questioning look. He didn't force her to wait for her explanation. “I know that I shouldn't ask for anything more than what you've already given me. You did so much to make me happy, and you can't imagine how grateful I am for that.” He gently caressed her cheek while looking deeply into her eyes. “Still, I would like to ask you to do me a favor.”
The concubine didn't think about her reply at all. “Of course. What do you want me to do?”
Her lover smiled at her and cupped her face to make sure that she was paying attention to him. “It might be selfish, but I would like you to listen to my request. For today, please remember that this is only about us. For one day, I want to ask you to stop worrying about others. We didn't even leave the room, and you already thought about what some people might think. I want to enjoy our anniversary and my birthday with the person that I care about the most. That is obviously you. I don't want anyone else to interfere. So, I would like to ask you to ignore others' opinions, no matter what. We'll just do what we want today. Listen to your own wishes instead of what other people want you to say.”
Blanche paused for a moment when she heard that. It didn't sound like it would be hard to fulfill that at first, but in reality, it was almost impossible. The emperor and she would appear in public today, so she to mind her manners no matter what. She couldn't just do what she wanted. If she did, she would hug him despite Duke Duremont's presence and ruin the last bit of respect that Henry had for her lover. “Theo, I don't-”
Theodore shushed her by putting his finger onto her lips. He gazed into her eyes and carefully combed through her hair. “Please. For today. We can't live our whole lives like others want us to. I don't expect you to believe that I have everything under control immediately. But give me a chance to prove it. Be selfish for the day. Don't hold back. For me.” It sounded like trusting him would be easier than anything else.
Blanche bit her lip as her mind rushed through the scenarios of all the bad things that could happen if she acted thoughtlessly. She surely wouldn't offend anyone purposefully, but even by ignoring the Duremont's wishes, a huge fight could develop. But would her lover allow it to get that far? Wasn't he competent and intelligent enough to know when to hold back? He dealt with politics much more often than she did. So, his judgment couldn't be that off.
Maybe she should truly just believe that he knew what he was doing. The concubine looked at him while a dozen thoughts crossed her mind.
But his determined expression wiped all of them away after a few seconds. Theodore was sure that he was making the right decision. She trusted him with her life, so she wouldn't question him now. Besides, it was his birthday.
“Alright. I'll do my best.”
Immediately, Theodore's expression lit up. “Thank you.” He pressed countless small kisses onto her face as he beamed and lifted her off the couch. “I'll make sure that you won't regret it. This will be our day. Just for the two of us.” He gently set her down by the door and leaned down to steal one last kiss from her.
Blanche was grinning too and ran her fingers through his hair to straighten them a bit. “I would love that. But I feel like others want your attention as well. Do you want to bet? I say that they are right outside.” She glanced at her lover while putting her hand on the door handle and pushing it open.
Like the concubine had predicted, people were already waiting for the emperor. As soon as the couple stepped into the corridor, the first staff members greeted them with bright smiles. Theodore barely voiced a “Good morning”, and everyone seemed to be happy already.
Gloria was one of the people there, and even she showed an uncharacteristically joyful expression. “Good morning, Your Majesty. All of us are here to wish you a wonderful day. May you be filled with bliss during this special celebration in your honor. As every year, the servants and knights have gathered to greet you in the entrance hall. Will you see them?”
Theodore kept grinning as he had already done the whole day. “Of course. I would never ignore my loyal subordinates.” He looked at his lover and took her hand before following the head maid.
The group led them to the entrance hall, and the couple stayed a few steps behind her so that they could chat. But before they could have a conversation on their own, Owen moved closer to the emperor's side. “Happy birthday, Your Majesty. It is an honor to be able to stay by your side for another year.”
Theodore turned to him with a smile. “Thank you. I'm honored to have the loyalty of such an incredible fighter. I will give my best to be worthy of your service.”
Owen nodded towards the other man, and for once, his face seemed to be relaxed. He still didn't show any emotions, but he didn't look as scary as he normally did.
Blanche couldn't help but take note of that and whispered to her lover. “Look. Everyone is extremely happy just because it's your birthday. This only proves how important you are to them. Gloria even smiled. She rarely does that. Owen is happy too.”
Theodore laughed at her and squeezed her hand. “I don't think that my birthday is the reason for that. They are merely happy with my reign and use this day to show it to me. I'm grateful for that and swear to give my best to continue to be the competent ruler that Artias needs. Obviously, you're still my priority though.”
To the concubine's surprise, Owen chimed in at that. Instead of falling behind like he normally did whenever they walked somewhere, he turned to her. “I would like to congratulate you too, Lady Blanche. Today marks the day that you have spent two years in the palace, and I would like to voice my best regards to you. May you stay here for the next years as well and be at His Majesty's side. I will be here to protect you with my life.”
Blanche was a bit taken aback by that. She had known that the knight would defend her, but him actually saying that he would risk death to do that surprised her. “Thank you, Owen. I love the palace and feel at home here, so that means a lot to me. But please don't get hurt. I would hate that. I'm also happy to have you with me, so you absolutely cannot be injured.”
The guard bowed his head. “Naturally. I cannot protect you or His Majesty while having to recover, so I will do my best.” With that, he slowed his movements until he was walking behind the rest of the servants, which followed the couple.