As soon as the emperor and the empress rose, Blanche jumped to her feet as well. Immediately, her legs complained about her sitting almost motionlessly for three hours, and she fought the urge to stretch. Instead, she just wanted to follow the royal couple while they chatted to random guests.

But of course, Theodore didn't intend for her to do that. He linked his arm with her and led her down the staircase to the even floor.

The concubine hold back a sigh at that and whispered to him. “Do you still want to do this? I'm not sure if that is a good idea. I mean, you enraged the whole capital enough already. Isn't this the limit of what we should do?”

Her lover just laughed when she said this. “I haven't even started yet. There is no way that I'll let anyone keep me from escorting my angel. I would never give up on the chance of being able to guide you during a ball.” He gave her a confident smile and stayed true to his words. He led her to the middle of the room before leaning over to her. “Where do you want to go? We could dance again or go to the buffet. Or we can go meet some people.”

Blanche couldn't think of anyone that she wanted to see. At least she didn't before an image of Grace in the fountain crossed her mind. Maybe reminding Sophia to be careful was a good idea. The concubine looked around while ignoring the fact that most people seemed to watch her. She found the countess rather quickly but gave up as soon as she saw that Sophia was with the Duremonts. She definitely wouldn't approach Henry now, or the duke would really lose his temper. He was already glaring at her like she had murdered all of his children.

Blanche hurried to turn away and focused on her lover again. “I have no preference. I only know that there are some people that I do not want to meet.”

Theodore grinned at her. “I know who that is. Don't worry. I have no intention of speaking to them either. The only issue now will be that there aren't any people that I want to approach. Surely, we could stay here the whole time with everyone staring at us, but I doubt that this will be entertaining. Maybe we should-” He cut himself off when a servant came to him and whispered something. His face scrunched up as he listened to the other man before replying. “No. Tell her to do it another time.” Blanche gave him a questioning gaze, which made him explain quickly. “Apparently, the dowager empress wishes to speak to me. I would need to go to the balcony for that. But I won't leave you alone. I'm your partner, so I can't disappear.”

The concubine was silent for a moment before glancing over her shoulder. The empress had already left and was chatting with her family, so it seemed like Seraphina's patience was hanging by a threat. “Well, theoretically, you are the empress' escort, but she is done with you, I assume.”

Her lover kept his serious expression and responded with a shrug. “Hopefully. If she leaves us alone, I'm happy. But in any case, I was never her escort but yours. And I won't leave you on your own to fend for yourself after promising that I'll stay with you. That would only...” His voice trailed off as if he was considering something, but he stopped himself by shaking his head. “No.”

Blanche scanned his expression for a moment. “What did you just think about? Tell me.”

Theodore kept silent for a few seconds before speaking up. “This would be a great chance to check how people will interact with you when I'm gone. I could stand on the balcony and keep an eye on you as long as you stay by the buffet. It would be interesting to hear how specific people approach you when they believe that I'm not watching. But I don't want to leave you alone. That was a stupid thought.”

Blanche pondered about that for a bit as she tried to ignore that her stomach was churning. She didn't really want to be alone, but on the other hand, she was worried about her lover missing out on important information. “But if you decline the meeting, she will be angry, right? Wouldn't it be better to go along with what she says for now? She could accidentally tell you some helpful things.”

Theodore shook his head. “I doubt it. I won't risk you needing to chat with some of the unpleasant people here alone. It's not worth it.”

Blanche felt like he was curious about what his mother wanted and just didn't dare to go because of her. That only enforced her decision. “You should go. If I stand where you can see me, nothing will happen, right? You can leave for five minutes and I will just eat during that time. Owen is here too, so it will be fine.”

Her lover tensed, and he frowned at her. “Are you sure? I mean, I am pretty sure that most people here won't dare to offend you, but there are some I can't pass my judgment on yet. So, it might end up being uncomfortable.”

The concubine forced herself to smile. “It's going to be alright. You know that people always stare at me without doing anything, and this will happen again. If you are worried about seeing me with others, you can just come back.”

In reality, she was a bit more uncertain than that, but she really didn't want her lover to miss important clues because she was scared to be alone for a minute. To be honest, it took all of her self-control to ask him to leave, but she gave her best not to let that show. She really didn't want anyone to confront her about her insolent behavior today. But the other option was forcing the emperor to stay with her because she was uncomfortable speaking to people that didn't like her. That wasn't right. So, she would stick to her decision.

Theodore stared at her while he clenched his jaw as if he was pondering something. He was quiet for a few seconds before he raised his hand to stroke over her cheek. “If you say that, I will do so. But I won't leave you alone. I will stand there.” He pointed towards the railing of the balcony that was directly behind the opened door. “Stay at a spot from which you can see me so that I can keep an eye on you. Owen will accompany you as always, and Leon will be there too.” He scanned her expression once more before turning his head. He waved with his hand once before focusing on her again. “If I have to leave, I will use this as a test. Leon will stand a few steps behind you and listen to whatever people say. If any of them offend you in any way, you only need to tell me, and I'll make sure that they won't do it again. Alright?”

Blanche strained her neck to look in the direction in which he had turned just now and wasn't surprised to find Leonard approaching them. It seemed like her lover truly wanted to make sure that no one would do anything. She relaxed a bit at that, which made it easier to smile at Theodore. “Yes. I will go over there and treat myself to some cake. Or macarons. Or anything else. I will be content, so you don't need to worry.”

The emperor mirrored her expression before slowly letting go of her. “If you say so. Then I will go meet that woman. Until in a few minutes. I am hereby giving your permission to scold anyone that treats you unmannerly in my stead.” That wasn't something he should say to her.

She patted his arm and gave him a slight nudge. “Go already. You will make her wait otherwise, and then she won't be as tempted to tell you anything.”

Theodore listened to her. He gave her a small smile before turning to the balcony, and immediately, his aura changed. He put on a way more cold expression and exhibited the aloof behavior everyone knew of the emperor. He strode towards his destination with his cape swaying behind him. A couple of knights already stood at his destination and guarded him while he spoke to the dowager empress, who was greeting him with a just as icy stare.

Blanche had to tear her eyes away from that scene, which was already intimidating from afar. She turned to her companions, who were trailing behind her as always. Owen wore a more flashy uniform than normal, but that was the only part of him that revealed that they were celebrating. He was expressionless as always and didn't seem to be bothered despite being watched the whole time. Her maid appeared in the same uniform as always, but before, she had been way more excited about this celebration. Now she only looked upset.

Blanche observed them for a moment before trying to strike up a conversation. “This evening is certainly something, isn't it?”

Stella nodded with vigor and glared at the balcony. “His Majestic is taking care of you, and still, that person openly attacked both of you. How insolent.” She balled her fists in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes at the scene in the distance.

Blanche quickly stepped in. “You can't say that about the dowager empress. Don't look at her like that either. You should be a bit more careful in public. When we are alone, it's fine, but others will overhear in the ballroom.”

Stella pouted at that. “So, I can't state the truth just because of her rank? That's unfair. I don't get why His Majesty has to leave you to see her either.”

Owen chimed in at that. “Do not worry about His Majesty's motives. All of this is done to strengthen Lady Blanche's position.”

The concubine was more than taken aback by that, but Stella spoke up first. “What do you mean?”

The knight glanced to the sides to secure that no one was close enough to eavesdrop and explained in a low volume. “As he said, he will use this to determine who is friendly towards her and who dares to offend her. This will help him access those who may try to oppose his union with her later. Regarding their children, he will have to find out who will support them and who won't, and this is a good chance. At the same time, he proved that he trusts her enough to leave her alone in the middle of a ball. After all, she is currently taking on his part as the host by watching over the guests. He also stressed that he didn't wish to go and only agreed when she asked him to. Naturally, he also showed that I am guarding her and not him, even while he is meeting the leader of the opposing faction. All of this is meant to serve as proof of him being serious about her place being by his side.”

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Blanche could only blink when she heard that. Had Theodore truly thought about all of that just because of her? That sounded a bit excessive. “That would be considerate of him, but I doubt that he would plan that far ahead. Currently, he's...a bit thoughtless most of the time.” Or was he? At this point, she almost guessed something else.

Owen glanced at the balcony. “You have no idea how many plots he already came up with. He didn't use to be this calculating before, but it seems that he changed. Now he is way more deliberate before making his decision. He considers other people's goals and ambitions and thus finds out how they will act beforehand. It is almost terrifying how he can predict the future with his assessments sometimes. But I am glad that he will be able to use this against his enemies from now on.”

It was true that Theodore sometimes acted like he could guess what others would do, but Blanche had been sure that he always pondered about things this much. He had been good at reading her emotions from the very beginning. But hearing that he was only becoming more and more successful in his endeavors made her happy. The greater his advantage over his opponents was, the more relieved she could be.

The reason for Theodore's change shouldn't matter to her.

A little smile appeared on Blanche's lips as she pushed that thought away. “He is very intelligent. He's always been like that though. Well, let's not compliment him the whole time. I want to go to the buffet. The macarons are calling for me.” With that, the concubine turned to the grand table at the end of the room and approached it. Every few seconds, she looked over her shoulder to make sure that she could still see her lover, which made her fear that she would run into anyone. That worry had been unnecessary though.

The ballroom was fuller than normal, so she should have had trouble squeezing through without touching anyone, but there was always enough space for her to pass by without any difficulties. It was strange, but the people in front of her stepped aside to make way for her without an exception.

They usually just did that for members of the royal family or maybe the dukes.

Blanche felt a bit uncomfortable with that but ignored it despite the indication and only stopped when she reached the table. “Stella, could you prepare a plate with macarons and...” She interrupted herself as her gaze fell onto all the delicious sweets that were being presented there. There was no way that she could make a decision. She gave her maid a helpless look, and that was all the servant needed to understand.

Stella would take a bit of everything while being careful not to get too much to avoid being eyed with irritation by others.

It didn't take long, and Blanche finally had her wonderful plate of sweets in her hands. She was in the middle of choosing which sort she would start with when a voice called out to her.

“Lady Blanche, would it be alright for us to disturb you for a moment?”

Blanche gave the plate to her maid with a dejected look before greeting the two in front of her.

Fiona and Lucille were the only people standing anywhere close to her. The former one was as elegant as ever with a soft smile on her face while the latter one had lowered her gaze to the floor. There was no indication of what they could want from the other woman.

Thus, Blanche didn't have any desire to chat with them, and still, she forced herself to smile. “Of course, Lady Lamont. What do you need me for?”

Fiona gestured to the girl beside her. “If you do not mind, Lady Valerian would like to tell you something.”

Lucille bashfully looked up to see Blanche's reaction.

The concubine's annoyance faded when she saw that expression. Once again, a young girl reminded her of Nelly, who had always gazed at her older sister like this when she needed to apologize. The only difference now was that Lucille hid behind her red hair and not behind the same alabaster-colored locks both Blanche and her sister had gotten from her mother. There was no way that she could be angry at someone that looked at her like that. “I don't mind.”

Lucille finally lifted her head and met the other woman's gaze now. Still, she seemed uncertain with her slouched shoulders and her eyes occasionally darting to the side as if she was searching for someone. Lucille hinted a small curtsy before speaking up in a very quiet voice. “Good evening, Lady Blanche. I...uhm. I wished to...to...” She didn't manage to finish and wrung her fingers the whole time.

That was enough to awaken the desire to help in the concubine. This behavior was way too similar to a little child being shy after having messed up. So, she couldn't stay quiet. “I'm pleased to speak to you again, Lady Valerian. If you wish to talk to me, feel free to be direct. I do not mind you taking your time, but you do not have to hold back either.” She finished her sentence with a smile.

That only served to render Lucille speechless. She was silent and stared at the other woman for a few seconds before averting her eyes again. “I don't want to take away your valuable time, but I...I'm sorry. For what happened at the hunting festival. I...said horrible things about you, and you still showed mercy in the end. Thank you so much. I sincerely apologize for that incident from the bottom of my heart.” So, it truly was an apology.

Blanche had already forgotten most things about the conversation during that event and only vaguely remembered the girl insulting her and Allen. Back then, Lucille had seemed apologetic immediately after being confronted, which had been quite odd. Along with the complete personality change of that girl afterward, that had confused the concubine a lot. Her anger had disappeared soon after the incident, so naturally, her response now was obvious. “I will accept your apology. Just pay more attention to your words in public in the future. People might be hurt by your careless remarks, which is even worse than if you had merely offended them.” Briana had been rather shaken up after the comment about Allen possibly leaving her, which had been the most awful part of that conversation.

Lucille immediately lifted her head and replied in an a little louder tone. “No! That wasn't-” She cut herself when she noticed that she had gotten too loud. She grasped the skirt of her dress tightly and continued in a quieter voice. “I did not mean any of the things I said. I did not wish to state anything resembling that, but...I had to. I...I can't explain, but I never wanted to hurt anyone. It was just...supposed to make...His Majesty talk to my father. I'm sorry.”

Blanche had already guessed something like that. She didn't have evidence for anything, but Lucille had seemed uncomfortable with her words soon after voicing them. It had sounded like the girl had just imitated someone and hated that role herself after realizing that others wouldn't react kindly. But the concubine still didn't understand how someone had forced Lucille to say awful things to others. “I see. I am not quite able to comprehend your circumstances, but I will not hold it against you. Others were way more affected by your words than I was. If you wish to apologize, you should go to them.”

Lucille weakly nodded before staring at the floor.

Fiona watched her friend for a moment before speaking up. “Then I feel like this issue is resolved. We do not wish to disturb you any further, Lady Blanche. Thank you for your understanding.”

The concubine scanned the expressions of the people in front of her and went through her memories of the novel. It was certainly weird for the women to act like this. They had never played a big role in “To Be Empress”, but now they did even less than before. In the book, they should have tried to build a business connection with the royal family, so seeing them this distant was a bit strange.

Blanche pondered about it for a moment before opening her mouth. “Say, Lady Lamont. If you do not have anything urgent to take care of, I would like to ask you something. You have been a bit... How should I put it? Calmer than before. When we met at the first ball of this year, you seemed to be full of ambition, and now you appear to have changed your behavior quite a bit.”

Fiona was a little surprised, but she quickly showed a soft smile. “Do not worry about that, Lady Blanche. Back then, I might have had some strange ideas, but I have grown up. You are not the only one that changed a bit over the course of time. Besides, I know when to give up. There are many more important matters I need to tend to. I will dare to be a bit more ambitious and work towards what I really want.”

There Blanche had her proof. Fiona wasn't trying to impress Theodore anymore. That had been the only reason for the other woman's existence in the novel, and now the duke's daughter had changed her mind in favor of wanting to possibly take over her own household. Wasn't this another proof of Blanche's efforts being extremely effective? She hadn't just influenced her own storyline but the one of those around her as well.

And that wasn't all. It also proved that the characters around her had their own lives and made decisions for themselves or struggled with something. Even the ones that barely appeared in the novel had their own emotions and goals, like Fiona, who now didn't seem to need Theodore to gain power for her family. So, there was no way that the novel could suddenly correct its course near the ending and overwrite everyone's feelings either. The concubine had to keep herself from grinning at that thought.

Their world wasn't the same as the one in the book. No, in fact, it was wrong to limit what this world was to what had been contained in that mysterious novel. She had realized this a while ago, but every new piece of evidence filled her with joy over and over again. Besides, it was nice to hear that Fiona and Lucille would leave her lover alone. Especially if it allowed them to focus on gaining what they wanted without needing anyone else for it.

Blanche quickly replied. “I understand. Thank you for your honest answer. Well then, I do not wish to distract you any longer. May you have a pleasant evening. And I wish you good luck in your endeavors for the future.”

Fiona showed her a bright smile. “We will enjoy this ball as much as possible. I hope that you will find something entertaining as well. Goodbye, Lady Blanche. And I would gladly receive your wishes.”

Lucille muttered a “Goodbye” under her breath before being led away by her friend.

But only a few steps later, Fiona turned around again. “Ah, I almost forgot. If someone unpleasant wishes to ask you to dance, say that you are nauseous.” With that, she pushed against her friend's back and disappeared into the crowd.

Blanche could just stand there and look after them in confusion. That tip was certainly helpful, but the fact that the other woman had deemed it necessary to voice this only made her uncertain. There wasn't anything she could do though. After looking around a few times, she still hadn't seen anyone she didn't like close to her. Theodore was still on the balcony, and nothing much had changed about the others' positions either. She turned to her maid after a few seconds. “Now that this is over, can you give me my plate?”

Stella nodded and handed the item over to her mistress.

The concubine happily accepted it and gawked at the mouth-watering dishes. The decision was still hard to make when everything looked like it would be heavenly. The citrus tart and the cinnamon bun both were tempting, but she chose to start with a classic, a macaron. At the moment that she put the small pastry in her mouth, her maid interrupted her.

“My Lady!”

Blanche almost choked on her bite when a shadow fell on her face, and she looked up to see Cedar standing right in front of her. It was bad enough that he had to come here, but why did he need to appear at the second that she had a whole macaron in her mouth? She couldn't just chew it while he was standing here. But aside from being disrespectful, her only option was spitting out her food, which was even worse. For some reason, she was sure that the prince had done this on purpose. The way he smiled at her seemed to prove her true too. This idiot loved playing stupid pranks like this, and while it was harmless in this case, Blanche hated being interrupted while she ate. She hurried to hide her lips behind her hand and glared at the man in front of her.

Cedar, as always, looked like he was genuinely amused about her actions. “Did I come at an unfitting moment? If so, I apologize. I merely wished to ensure that you weren't bored while Theodore is talking to Mother.” He truly loved interrupting her while she ate, didn't he?