The empress led her guest toward the seating area and sat down on one of the couches. “Please take a seat. Would you like to drink some tea?”
Blanche stiffly plopped down on the other sofa and shook her head. “No, thank you, Your Majesty.” She glanced at her attendants and was illogically relieved to find them waiting for her in audible reach at the other end of the room.
Seraphina waited for a moment before gesturing to one of her maids, who promptly began to move toward one of the cupboards. She folded her hands in her lap and lifted her gaze to look into the concubine's eyes. “You must be irritated by why I asked you to come here so suddenly. Rest assured that there is no reason to be worried. I will not complain about this unfavorable situation to you when you aren't at fault. If this was about the issues with His Majesty, I would have chosen to talk to him. Not that he would have met me either way.” She almost sounded bitter while saying this.
Blanche thought that something else would follow, but the heroine kept quiet while her maid served her tea. The concubine considered remaining silent as well, but the tension was too thick to make her go through with that idea. “I see. That is relieving. I am...a bit concerned about the current situation too.”
After all, Theodore always pulled his concubine into his arms while pushing away his wife with so much disrespect that it hurt to watch. He seemed so angry while doing it too, which made Blanche suspect that the royal couple had had some more arguments that she hadn't witnessed. But no matter what happened, the emperor and the empress had to work together and represent the country together. If they were this upset with each other, there would be issues in the future.
At least if both would keep their positions still.
Seraphina calmly lifted her tea cup and took a sip. She kept the cup in her hand and held the saucer below it in a manner that should not have been as dignified as it was. “That you are uncomfortable with this was rather obvious. Your face is like an open book. You would benefit from covering up your emotions more.”
Blanche didn't have an issue being honest about that. “I wish that I could. I am trying my best, but I fear that it is rather hard for me.” Since she had grown up in a commoner family, she had never been taught how to act in a noble society, where hiding your own interests was crucial. No matter how much she tried, she would not be able to reach the level of the people that had gotten used to hiding their feelings since they were children. Along with the fact that she couldn't hold back her tears when someone said one bad thing, this made it almost impossible to succeed in acting well. She doubted that she could fool anyone even if she was lying to save her own life.
The empress scanned the other party for a moment before responding. “You have made some progress. You should continue to work on that. Until now, it was good for us to determine whether we could trust you, but unfortunately, everyone else can read you too. If you wish to stay by His Majesty's side, you will need to veil your intentions in front of your enemies at least.” She sipped on her tea again.
Blanche forced herself to show a small smile. “I will give my best, Your Majesty.”
Afterward, both of them were quiet. That was even worse than when they had talked to each other before.
The concubine regretted not accepting the offer regarding the tea. She would be able to hide her nervousness by drinking something then. Sitting here quietly was way too stressful. A few seconds passed, and when the other woman still didn't speak up, Blanche tried to break the silence. She cleared her throat before beginning. “If you don't mind, I would like to ask some questions. Is Grace alright? And how is Lady Ravillot doing?”
Seraphina set down her cup and responded with an expression that was a bit more serious than before. “Thankfully, Grace wasn't hurt. She was upset after that incident and took some time to calm down, but as soon as Sophia stopped crying, she was fine too. Our whole family was in shock for a while, but since that person is in prison now, there weren't any further issues.” That was unlikely. After all, this reveal had been quite awful for the Duremonts.
Blanche couldn't help but be concerned. “I see. But if I remember correctly, Her Grace was also quite upset. Lady Lemares mentioned trying to harm her when they were children, so I would understand if she had trouble processing this now.”
Seraphina's expression became colder as she thought about that. “Yes, that is true. Mother is quite hurt by all of this. She doesn't want to believe this fully either. She suggested visiting that woman in an attempt to help her multiple times, even when no one in our family agrees with her. I fear that the future will cause some troubles because of this. A trial will be held soon, and we will need to testify as witnesses. My father insists on charging Lady Lemares for the insults and threats toward all of us too, and I agree. My mother is a bit reluctant since she believes that the rest will lead to a worse punishment anyway. His Majesty and Her Majesty, the dowager empress accused Lady Lemares of slandering royalty. This, as well as attempted murder, will be treated much more harshly than a mere insult. It is unlikely that she will ever be able to leave her cell ever again. From what I heard, she is in the most unpleasant prison in the capital, so she is in the right place.”
Evelyn deserved that and much worse. But due to her unstable mental state, it was probably appropriate to just lock her up somewhere.
Blanche hoped that that woman would rot in prison, preferably without Camille getting involved and killing that woman just because she could. “I am sorry that your mother has to go through this, but it is good that the trial is held quickly. If the judges decide that Lady Lemares is mentally unstable, they might have her brought to a mental institution, but either way, she will not leave the building she is confined in again. That should keep her from harming others. Will I need to testify too?”
The empress shook her head. “It would be possible, but it is not necessary. There are more than enough reports already. Since His Majesty already made the decision, the judge will not go against him. That is the one thing I'm thankful for.” She hid it well, but there was a glint of annoyance whenever she mentioned Theodore. It was rather clear that her husband's behavior angered her.
The concubine understood that fully. To her, the emperor's actions made even less sense. Since when did he see the need to get revenge after a fight? In the past, the royal spouses had forgotten about most conflicts after a few days, but now Theodore almost treated them like they were wars. This only proved that the issue of Blanche marrying him and the Duremonts being against that would be much bigger than he had accepted until now. Unwillingly, the concubine put her hand onto her ring to turn it around her finger. “Then the trial will not be a problem. That is good.” Evelyn was probably the smallest threat in their lives now.
Once again, both of them were silent.
Now Blanche didn't even have a new topic to address, so she just kept playing with her ring while being unsure whether to make eye contact.
Thankfully, Seraphina spoke up this time. “Lady Blanche, if you don't mind, allow me to address something else. To me, it seems like you are once again more unwell in my presence, even when you know that I am more than grateful to you. I believe I remember what event led to that change too. So, I would like to ask you something about the day that Allen delivered the birthday present for His Majesty.” What? That was sudden.
The concubine had almost erased that incident from her memory. After the empress' test had upset Blanche enough already, Cedar's appearance had ruined the rest of the day as well. She would have liked to say that she didn't remember anymore, but unfortunately, she couldn't forget no matter how much she tried. “I can assure you that I am not unwell upon meeting you...” She definitely was. “But I can remember your questions. What about that day? It has been a while.”
The empress gazed right into the other's eyes while speaking up. “Since you already seemed to understand my tactic that day, I wish to ask you directly. How did you know that I was trying to find out what your intentions were?”
Blanche was taken aback by that question, but she only needed a second to answer after processing it. “Then please allow me to be honest. You were acting strangely, Your Majesty. Lord Duremont as well. Both of you did things you would never do in my presence, and that made it obvious that something was off. I believe the thing that threw me off most was you smiling and making a joke while I was there. Then I remembered how all you were doing during the conversation was naming weaknesses that someone with ill intentions could exploit. Lord Duremont's nightmares, for example. Or you mentioning his fiancée and your close relationship to your maids.” Even repeating all of that made her bitter, but Blanche tried to keep her voice neutral. “That was obviously to make me learn about all the things that could possibly hurt you. And that coincidentally happened after Lord Duremont insisted on bringing the ring here and even discussed it with Leon despite them hating each other. That you were trying to find out whether I would use that knowledge by staging that whole interaction was the only logical conclusion. After the banquet, you probably assumed that I would become as prideful as in the past and needed to be sure about what I was planning. That was just what I was thinking.”
Seraphina scanned her expression without blinking once. “I see. I am surprised that you were pondering about things like that. That does not explain why you were so upset afterward though.”
Blanche felt a bit insulted about being told that she didn't seem like she was thinking about such matters, but she didn't point that out. She intended to keep quiet, but when the other woman didn't continue, she realized that the empress wanted a response. She struggled to find the right words that didn't sound too disappointed, but in the end, her voice would probably reveal her emotions anyway. “I apologize for being upset as it was not my right to act that way. Though, I do have a reason. I did not expect you to trust me, but that test proved that you still believed that I would harm you and your family. I never did or wanted anything like that. Admittedly, I used petty schemes to frustrate you, but I never wished to hurt anyone.” She truly hadn't, even as she had been named the villainess. “And obviously, I was a bit upset upon finding out that the things you said about me a few days before were part of the test too.”
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The empress's face barely moved, but a few slight wrinkles on her forehead proved that she was a bit irritated. “What are you referring to? I merely wished to see how you would react that day. What else should have been part of the test?”
The concubine balled her fists on her lap. “Our conversation in the labyrinth. About you not caring about my children being part of the royal family and your family possibly backing them. I believed those things when you said them, so I was disappointed to hear that they may just have been part of a test.” She lowered her eyes to her lap and dug her fingers into her palm. Even mentioning that was enough to make her want to furrow her brows and complain. Everything would be much more complicated in the future than Theodore could imagine. He could just push through with his opinion like before, but would that lead to a peaceful future?
Seraphina's voice pulled her from her thoughts. “I didn't lie when I said that.”
Blanche lifted her head and stared at the other woman in shock. Now a real frown appeared on her forehead. “But that wouldn't make sense. Why would you accept my presence here and even allow my child to become the heir? That will make it quite obvious that Theodore and I are a couple, and we were supposed to hide that from the very beginning. I know that everyone knows by now. But to accept the child of a mistress, who also happens to be a commoner, as the future emperor is rather difficult for most nobles. Especially since you are the empress. Your child should rule over the nation, and if that won't happen, it's understandable if you and your family are upset. It would be stranger for you to accept it without a second thought.” She frankly didn't trust this.
Seraphina listened to all of that while drinking her tea and maintained a neutral expression the whole time. When the other woman finished, she set down her cup and met the concubine's gaze. “It is surprising for you to consider my feelings all of a sudden. But I can assure you that there is more to think about than my husband's affair. The nation's well-being is much more important, and I believe that I made it clear that Artias is my priority. As you can clearly see, His Majesty and I do not get along well. Us having an heir together is out of the question. So, you being here is more of an advantage for me. From the beginning, I suspected that your children would be the only option if the emperor wished to name his descendant his successor.” A glint of frustration appeared in the heroine's eyes as she reminisced, but it quickly disappeared again. “Due to your abhorrent behavior in the past, I was sure that this would be impossible though. I believed that I would have needed to carry a royal heir to ensure that the Estien family can live on, no matter how much most of us might have disliked that. After you learned to hold back your emotions, my worries concerning you being the future emperor's mother decreased more and more though. That was why I did not get upset about the rumors about an alleged pregnancy either. To ensure that everything goes smoothly and to prevent tyranny under an inexperienced ruler, my family would also be willing to swallow their pride. Is that understandable?”
Blanche could only sit there in silence while trying to comprehend what the other party was telling her. All of this sounded too good to be true. Seraphina couldn't have planned to accept the concubine's child from the very beginning, right? If so, why had they gone through so much trouble? Hadn't the empress desperately needed an heir even back in the novel? Well, Blanche acted differently now, but this matter still made her cautious. “Your Majesty, are you serious about that?”
The empress replied with a cold expression. “Naturally. I would not joke about such important matters. It would be extremely tasteless to lie about topics like this. Did I seem like I was being dishonest?”
Blanche almost didn't know how to respond at that. “No...you did not. It's just that...” So, she had worried about useless things again? She had assumed that she would understand what the heroine was thinking and jumped to conclusions, which were logical but apparently not truthful. That wasn't enough. She had also voiced her suspicions like they were facts in front of the concerned person. She felt stupid for that, even if Seraphina's awful test had led to her being doubtful first. “I apologize. I misunderstood your words then.” She lowered her head slightly. But the embarrassment didn't last long. Not when she was well aware that this was a huge compromise for the empress. Blanche had to thank her properly now, if possible without showing her slight skepticism. So, she forced herself to smile. “Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I will be eternally grateful.” She didn't have anything else to say.
If Theodore and she were really allowed to have a wonderful life together with their children without the underlying threat of him needing to see another woman, she would truly be grateful. This was the most beautiful present she could imagine.
Seraphina stayed silent for a long time, which was good since Blanche could use that time to compose herself again. She only spoke up again after a few seconds. “There is no need to thank me for thinking about the well-being of the nation. To do that is my duty. So, my interests might not be without any ulterior motives either. I would not be happy about raising a child with a man that hates me.”
Blanche was slightly taken aback by that. Surely, she should have considered that the empress had her own personal feelings and wasn't pleased with all of this either. But to think that the heroine would put her own emotions above her responsibilities as the empress was surprising. In the novel, Seraphina had been so different in regard to this. Back then, she had seemed like she would put having an heir above a lot of things. Blanche had to admit that the relationship between the royal couple was even worse now though. Still, it sounded harsh if the sentence was phrased like this, so the concubine spoke up. “I do not believe that he hates you, Your Majesty.” Theodore hated Seraphina for sure. At least he acted like it. “I merely think that both of you are very...determined when it comes to reaching your goals. And if your goals differ and obstruct one another, you will inevitably clash. I believe that this situation will calm down after a while.”
Seraphina looked to the side with slight frustration on her face. “I doubt that this situation will be resolved. While I agree that our personalities are incompatible, we used to be able to decide on compromises in the past.” How exactly had those compromises looked? Seraphina was quite stubborn, so her judgment might be skewed too. Though, she was definitely correct about the rest. “His Majesty has changed at some point though. He now refuses to speak to me, and when I do manage to force him into a conversation, it will be like the one you witnessed. In most cases, Lord Astame is there to mediate, but even then, our discussions do not lead anywhere. I am only told to stop complaining the whole time, and all of my arguments are dismissed by some strange phrases His Majesty suddenly comes up with as he talks like I unjustly did him wrong. I would argue that I am able to read a person's face quite well. If hate is defined as a very strong dislike, His Majesty certainly hates me. I do not know when it started though. I would like to name a specific event, but nothing comes to my mind. At first, he acted a little, but when he stopped concealing his hatred at some point, it took me by surprise. I was a bit slow to catch on.”
That didn't sound good. How were political discussions supposed to go when one of the partners never talked to the other one?
Blanche listened while averting her eyes slightly. She felt bad about all of this, even though she had never done anything to cause an issue. She also didn't remember Theodore telling her about a fight that had been particularly harsh. At some point, their reality had to have changed from the novel and caused this difference. In that case, the one person with her memories of a different version of this world had to be responsible to some extent. But no matter how much she thought about it, she didn't come to a conclusion. When had there been a great conflict with Seraphina or the Duremonts?
Maybe after the empress' birthday ball, during which Theodore had caught his lover while she fainted? No, the emperor had still gifted this office to his wife afterward.
Had it happened after the attack on the day of Duke Lamont's birthday banquet or the hunting festival? Theodore had still protected the empress and seriously gotten injured because of that. He wouldn't have done that if he hated her, and that he had been upset because of this was unlikely as well.
Had a fight happened after the banquet with the Duremonts? No, Theodore had already avoided Seraphina as much as possible at that point.
Had it happened much, much earlier? Perhaps, at a time Blanche didn't even want to remember?
Blanche truly had no idea. This whole situation was so uncomfortable that she almost didn't want to speak. But it seemed like Seraphina was waiting. The concubine licked over her lips and cleared her throat before replying. “Unfortunately, I have no clue either, Your Majesty. I guessed that he was merely stressed due to his family's appearance and that he was taken aback by your persistence. Since he is just as determined, I believed that that was the reason.” She honestly didn't believe that. There had to be something more behind this.
The empress sipped her tea again and took her time before responding. “I wish that was the only issue. Things would be simpler then. But since that is not the case, we don't need to think about it at the moment. I do not have a solution for this problem either. If His Majesty refuses to see me, there is no way for me to confront him. So, I can only wait. This was not the topic that I originally wanted to address at all though.” She put her cup away and let her eyes roam across the other woman's face for a while. Then she waved her hand, which immediately caused her maid to hand her a book. She leaned forward and put it onto the table to push it to the concubine.
Blanche moved forward to read the title.
It was a tome about etiquette and manners in noble society. Apparently, it was the first part of this series with the other ones currently being stacked on the table by the maid. Along with this, at least eight books about politics and seven about economics landed there as well.
The concubine wasn't good at hiding her emotions upon seeing this. The scene in front of her was one of her worst nightmares. There were so many non-fiction books about topics that were definitely interesting but certainly would be portrayed in the most boring ways imaginable. All of them looked like they had five hundred pages. She didn't know what she should do with them, but she certainly would not read them. She looked up at the empress, with her missing enthusiasm being written on her face. “May I...ask why all of those are here?”
For a moment, it looked like a small smile appeared on Seraphina's lips, but that probably wasn't a real one. “You do not like books very much, do you?”
Blanche considered lying, but one glance at the stacks in front of her made it increasingly obvious that she wouldn't risk it. “I can understand storybooks and why they might be interesting. But things like this are...well.” She didn't want to admit that she would probably see them in her nightmares if she touched them now. This reminded her of the tome that Evelyn had given her, but it was even worse than that. There were at least twenty of them after all. She could only look at the heroine in worry about what would follow now.
Seraphina watched her for a moment before speaking up. “Those were the books that I was required to memorize when I was a child.” Oh, great. Of course, the perfect empress had been learning eagerly so early. “I learned to read when I was four, and at the age of five, my tutor began bringing me one of those books every six months. I was supposed to learn everything until I was eighteen after all. Naturally, I wasn't forced to remember every word, but I needed to be able to summarize the gist of each chapter. As the empress, I would need to be perfect after all. Whether it may be etiquette, knowledge about the history of Artias and the continent of Eswen or who our allies and enemies are. I was supposed to be able to respond correctly to all questions and lead a conversation.”
That sounded like more pressure had rested on the empress than Blanche could have imagined. Surely, she had known that the one who would marry the emperor had to learn as much as possible, but this was exaggerated. It wasn't like Blanche could compete with that, but this wasn't a competition in the first place, was it? Seraphina didn't seem to bring it up to make her feel insufficient. Instead, it seemed to be a simple story about her past. Though, Blanche worried a bit.
A five-year-old shouldn't be forced to study politics that early, at least not by memorizing such complicated books. Hadn't the heroine lost her childhood because of that?
Still, Seraphina was completely calm while explaining and didn't seem regretful once. “Unsurprisingly, I was not interested in this as a child, but I quickly became increasingly invested. But even I have to admit that those books were inefficient. The author was a brilliant person. Unfortunately, they were good at describing the most fascinating matters in the least capturing way while using such a slow pace that most would lose interest. Naturally, the information in those tomes wasn't the newest one either. Thus, I would argue that there are better ways to learn. So, I will not ask you to read them.”
Blanche froze at that. Had the empress considered telling her to read those? She gazed at the tomes and swallowed. She felt like she had narrowly avoided death with that.
Seraphina gave her a moment to inhale in relief before continuing. “But it is inevitable that you will have to learn more about other topics if you wish to be by His Majesty's side. As a member of royalty, you need to maintain some dignity at all times. I do not expect perfection since I believe that to be impossible. However, things like common knowledge, education about etiquette and the basics of politics, history and economy are crucial. Along with controlling your facial expressions. You will need to show the nobles of lower rank that they cannot dare to defy the royal family no matter what. If you cower under someone's gaze, that won't do.” She was right about that.
Blanche would have to learn a lot here. But why was the empress giving her tips about that?