Her lover barely proposed what they would do now, and she was already intrigued.

Blanche gave Theodore a skeptical gaze anyway. “A treasure hunt? Don't tell me you are going to make me search for my gifts?”

“Maybe. There were a lot, and I didn't want to overwhelm you with putting all of them inside a room again. I did store the items that were bigger next to our room, but some smaller things are scattered around the palace. Naturally, they are being guarded by competent people I trust. I thought that moving around would make it a bit more fun. Of course, I couldn't hide anything outside, but we can run around a little anyway.”

Now Blanche's curiosity was piqued. She could barely imagine how he had managed to plan this or how he would guide her without using obvious hints. Even if she was a bit worried about what he had gotten for her, she felt excited so that her ambition was already telling her that she had to win this treasure hunt. She was so excited that she would like to start immediately. But she didn't want to rush her lover, so she held back while replying. “That sounds interesting. When will we go?”

Theodore smirked at her. “Someone's excited. In that case, we shouldn't let our birthday child wait.” He lowered one of his arms and reached into his jacket to pull out an envelope. “There you go.” He handed it over to her and grinned as she impatiently tore it open.

Seconds later, Blanche let out a snort. “Obviously, I know where we had our first meal together. That was my old room. Will it get harder from here on?”

Her lover caressed her cheek. “It will, don't worry. I can't have you needing a hint for the very first question. It will get much harder. Come on. Lead us to that place.”

The concubine didn't hesitate a second before pulling him out of the entrance hall. She waved at the servants one last time before doing so and gazed over her shoulder to see how they scattered before focusing on her treasure hunt. It wasn't too hard, even if she had to think about some things for a while. Each time she arrived at her destination, a gift and a letter with another riddle waited for her.

All the items were as beautiful as always, with most being some kind of jewelry or accessory. She received a few decorations for their room as well, including some gorgeous fans. Everything made her happy, and she couldn't stop thanking her lover. By the end, she felt bad for Stella and Owen though since the two had been forced to carry everything for her. The final letter brought her back to the emperor's chambers, where the dressing room was filled with more things than she remembered owning.

Theodore acted like he had done nothing, but that her wardrobe had grown overnight wasn't something he could hide. Apparently, the tailor had truly been very content with these designs. Madame Charture had mentioned having a lot of ideas, and this proved that she hadn't lied about that.

The additional amount of jewelry was concerning too, but once again, Blanche had no choice but to accept it. Aside from all of these things, which Theodore disturbingly called small presents, she also received some more special gifts. Naturally, her attire for this day's ball was included as well.

This time, her lover had insisted on her putting it on without looking at it first. So, he made her close her eyes and helped her change before slowly leading her to one of the mirrors. He rustled around next to her before adding some jewelry too. A necklace and some earrings followed. Afterward, he carefully took out the butterfly ornament and laid it on a dresser. “We can put that on later when your maid did your hair.” With these words, he brought something else to her head and pushed it closer to her forehead.

Blanche didn't need long to guess that this was some kind of tiara. “Theo. That isn't...”

Her lover shushed her. “The emperor's wives can wear tiaras. Even if you insist on these useless rules, you have the right to put them on. After all, you will be my wife no matter what. You might as well already claim your place now. I'm sure that you only need one look, and you will agree with me saying that it's beautiful. Open your eyes.”

She complied and gazed at her reflection in the mirror in front of her. The first thing she saw was her own concerned expression as her light yellow eyes looked back at her. She barely dared to lower her gaze, but she had to. And as soon as she did that, she tensed. If any attire screamed that someone was wealthy and powerful, it was this one. It was definitely a dress with accessories that could have been made for no one but the empress. Blanche had been convinced that the last golden gown couldn't be outdone, but she had been proven wrong.

This ballgown was dark blue with tulle and a puffy skirt, just like she was used to. But the golden decorations on this dress were absolutely gorgeous and more elaborate than they had needed to be. It almost looked like real gold had been used as thread to weave the patterns into the fabric. The neckline was low with only two stripes of fabric holding the dress at her arms so that her shoulders were visible and the sapphire necklace on her neck could stand out even more. Thin golden lines began drawing patterns onto the blue background and went all the way from the top of part of the dress to the hem. It was as if stardust had been sprinkled onto the skirt and was now running through a dark ocean in small, curly rivers. This attire was completed by the golden tiara with sapphires on top of her head.

Obviously, it was beautiful.

It was definitely a challenge directed at Seraphina to appear like this, but at this point, that probably didn't change much anymore. The empress wouldn't keep her title for long after all.

Blanche still tried to find a way to justify her insolence upon arriving like this while gazing at herself in the mirror. She took a moment before finding her voice and slowly began speaking. “Maybe it would be fine if we go without the tiara? After all, I'm not your wife yet, and if people see it, they might guess it before we are able to reveal our engagement to the public.”

Theodore was standing behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He pressed a kiss on her cheek before replying. “But we wanted them to figure it out by themselves, remember? Then the reaction won't be that strong. This is why none of this is an issue. The attire was made for you, and it fits you perfectly. There is no reason not to keep it. It's your birthday, and you will appear as the main person. No one will be able to deny your influence after seeing that everything here belongs to you. Including my heart, of course.”

Blanche was quiet at that and stared at the accessory on her head. She still didn't think that this was a good idea. After all, the empress would show up like it was her duty. Then the concubine would be embarrassed upon daring to dress like this when the most powerful woman in the nation was appearing in a modest gown.

But at this point, did it matter? If her lover could have it how he wanted it to be, he would have given her the empress' crown already. This much wasn't that bad in comparison.

Theodore noticed her hesitation and whispered into her ear. “You can't refuse my sincerity when I tell you how beautiful you look, right? I want everyone to look at you and notice that you and I belong together. This attire also shows that you are my perfect partner. Let me continue increasing my efforts to prove that your position here is much more important than anyone could know” He paused before resuming louder again. “Besides, you are absolutely stunning. Isn't that right?” He just needed to glance to the side, and immediately, Stella came to support him.

The maid vigorously nodded. “My Lady is the most beautiful woman in the whole world. You will enchant all the guests! So, you have to wear this attire. His Majesty personally picked it out for you.” It wasn't surprising that she took the emperor's side without worrying about any consequences.

Blanche sighed and was about to affirm that she would wear this dress anyway when Theodore led her to the other part of the dressing room.

“We could also exchange the head accessory. I found something that you might like too. You can decide which one of them you want.”

The concubine wasn't calmed down by that. Somehow, it sounded like her choices could only be worse than what she had in mind. Still, she let her lover lead her around the corner and complied when he gestured toward something. She turned her head to face the stand and abruptly stopped.

There, on top of a soft pillow on a stand, was a crown.

Not just a small tiara or a diadem but a real crown. It wasn't a little one either but had about the same size as the one the emperor was wearing. It looked like it was made from massive gold with navy velvet adorning the top part along with countless gems.

This time, Blanche could just stare at her lover with a mix of disbelief and disdain.

Theodore grinned at her and began talking as if this was completely normal. “Naturally, this isn't the crown that the empress of the Estien family has worn for the past centuries, even if it looks the same. That one is still somewhere else, and we'll retrieve it for you later. This one was made for you. I asked a jeweler to create a lighter version of those crowns, but they were supposed to look like the heirloom of the royal family. He was successful, don't you think? And it doesn't even weigh that much anymore. Of course, it still isn't pleasant, but we will manage.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Of course. Somehow, this wasn't surprising.

Blanche was rather sure that her lover was a bit too convinced of something specific happening in the future, even when they had decided to talk about it later. At this point, he already seemed to see her as the empress. The concubine opened her mouth to ask her lover if he had gone insane now, but she gave up before she began since she knew the answer. It wasn't like this would make him change his mind. She would rather try to save what could be saved instead of trying the impossible.

She spoke up in a dejected voice. “I will take the tiara.”

Her lover beamed at her and gave her a quick kiss. “I knew it. Thank you. Let us get you out of this dress for now. We need to have lunch without risking dirtying this attire. Afterward, we will get you changed and let your maid take care of your hair before we can leave.”

Blanche nodded and let him guide her back to the other side of the room. She was already exhausted without even entering the ballroom. She had a slight suspicion that this might not be as relaxed as Theodore's birthday party had been, Surely, someone would step up to question why a baroness was acting like she was the empress this time. The concubine definitely didn't look forward to that. She knew exactly that she would inwardly die if Duke Duremont finally lost his temper. She didn't even want to think about it.

The inevitable would happen at some point, and she could only hope that this wouldn't be today. But she couldn't rely on anything going like she wanted it to. After all, Theodore was presenting her in a way that was completely unbecoming for her status. It was only logical that the people around them would understand the implications, and whether this might happen today or in the future was fully dependent on her luck. She wasn't sure whether she had the necessary fortune to go through this without issues, so she became tenser as the day progressed.

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Blanche had to admit that it wasn't as bad as for her lover's birthday, but her stomach was still churning as they stood in front of the closed doors of the ballroom. This ball would be crucial for her. She was the host and needed to appear as dignified as the emperor and the empress always did. How else could she justify becoming Theodore's wife in the future? She would have to be much more talkative than normal and approach the guests herself without ever seeming impolite. The thought of that was enough to make her stomach tingle.

And for the twentieth time, she couldn't keep her worries to herself. “Maybe going in through the main entrance isn't a good idea. I mean, that makes it seem like I am trying to be seen as your wife. And speaking up when everyone has a higher rank is problematic. Where exactly will the empress be? Will she even attend?” A hundred thoughts were going through her mind at the same time, and she struggled to voice all of them.

Theodore turned to her and put his hand on the side of her face while being careful not to wipe away her powder. “Don't worry about anything. Just focus on us and imagine that all the others aren't here at all. Their thoughts or concerns don't matter. They came here to celebrate your birthday, so you decide whatever will happen today. They have to bow to you, not the other way around.”

The concubine didn't like hearing him speak like that, but she didn't point it out. She just sighed and let her hand wander over his chest. She aimlessly touched some medals on Theodore's sash and readjusted them so that they lay smoothly on the fabric. “I'm still a bit nervous. Are our favorites here too?”

“I would assume so. There is no way that my brother will miss a chance to annoy us, unfortunately. If we are lucky, the dowager empress will be too arrogant to attend, but Cedar might drag her along. Obviously, Duke Vasquez isn't here, but his family might have come. As well as everyone from their faction. We will have to ignore them to the best of our ability, but that might be hard. Still, you can remember that they have nothing that can compare to us. Whether it may be influence or money or anything else. So, you are free to remind them of that if they get insolent.”

Blanche nodded at that, even if she had no intention of reminding anyone of her position. Her attire and Theodore's presence at her side probably said enough. She took a deep breath and glanced at the clock near them. “It's almost time, isn't it? Just one more minute.”

The emperor followed her gaze before pondering something. “Maybe coming a little later is better. After all, the main characters always arrive later.”

She gazed at him with slight annoyance. “Sure. But letting arrogant nobles wait won't make them happy. I would rather avoid upsetting them even if that isn't a real threat. I think that they are angry enough upon needing to bring presents for a baroness' birthday. That they are attending my party is basically an insult to...” She stopped herself to focus on another topic. “It's my party, but I almost forgot. I have to greet everyone.”

Theodore showed her a little smile. “You do. You also have to speak up first when they approach the thrones to give you your gifts.”

The concubine felt like something cracked inside her upon hearing that. It wasn't enough that the aristocrats would have to accept a baroness speaking earlier since she was a host and the birthday child. Blanche would also receive her gifts while sitting on top of the platform. “Last year, we did it at the table. Isn't that better? I don't want you to place a chair next to the thrones again, but you already did so, right?”

She hadn't expected that Theodore would not reply. But as soon as he looked into her eyes, a horrible thought came into her mind.

Blanche froze. “Please tell me that you put a chair up there.”

The emperor stroked over her cheek and gave her an encouraging smile. “It would have just been in the way. We are two people for two pre-existent seating possibilities. So, why wouldn't we use them?”

Blanche shook her head as dread began to rise in her stomach. “I won't sit on the empress' throne! You can forget that immediately!” She couldn't do that while the divorce hadn't even been announced yet.

“So, you want to sit on the emperor's throne? Do you want to switch seats or sit on my lap?”

She shook her head with even more vigor. “No way! I can't sit up there at all. That is just going to embarrass everyone present. And when the empress comes, she has to sit down somewhere too. Where will she go? Should she wait by the platform like I used to? I don't think so!”

Theodore tapped her nose to make her stop to listen to him. “Don't get so upset. There is no need to worry at all. I am asking you to sit there, so there won't be any issues. The empress is capable of standing if she does end up coming. She won't stay for longer than an hour anyway. Apart from the fact that you will be sitting on the spot that is rightfully yours, there is also the fact that you are the host. So, you and I have to overlook the entire ballroom to make sure that everything is fine. Naturally, you can do that best from the elevated platform. It will be fine, believe me. We'll go in now, and you can say a few words if you want to. Then we will dance for one music piece and sit down when we are done. Then we need to toast to Artias, and afterward, the nobles will come to greet you. Alright? It's the same routine as for my birthday, so nothing will go wrong.”

The fact that it was like his party only made this awful. How could anyone imitate the emperor's lavish celebration? Surely, he had been the one to plan this, but still.

Blanche almost cowered when she heard all of that, but she nodded anyway. She didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to refrain from making this any worse by ruining the schedule. Now she would only have to speak in front of every important noble in the capital. That definitely shouldn't be too hard, especially with her already shaking at the very thought of doing so. Great. She shook her head to herself before squeezing her lover's arm. “Then let's go in. It can't get worse anyway.” After all, it didn't matter whether it happened now or in two minutes.

Theodore gently caressed the side of her face before leaning toward her to kiss her. “It won't be bad. I planned this party. It will be the most wonderful one you've ever seen.” She didn't doubt that. It would be even more wonderful if their enemies weren't here though.

The concubine took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and went through everything that Theodore and Seraphina said when they entered the ballroom in her mind. Surely, she could copy a few things without accidentally saying something that only a ruler could say.

Hopefully.

The emperor watched her with a little smile before speaking up. “Are you ready?” When she nodded, he turned to the guard at the door. “Announce our presence.”

The man immediately complied. He opened the door and raised his voice to catch the attention of the guests inside. “His Majesty, the emperor of Artias and Lady Blanche.”

The concubine tried to ignore her shaking knees or the stares of all the nobles that seemed to stick to her and focused on walking as gracefully as possible. It might not have been good that she had begun moving forward without making sure that Theodore went first, but now it was too late. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other without bumping into her lover while going through what she wanted to say and how to dance in her mind. This was horrible. She was under so much pressure that it felt like she might burst.

Waltzing would be fine since her partner was way too good and she had practiced with Leon a few times. She had to be better than last time, and nothing had gone wrong then.

Speaking in front of a crowd was worse.

The couple slowly made their way to the center of the room, and Blanche froze for a moment. There were so many people here, and all of them were looking at her with different levels of worry or shock on their faces. Her attire had to be drawing more attention to her than she wanted. Her only hope was that some people were also smiling or seemed to be neutral about this. Still, she would have to greet everyone now. If she just pretended to be alone here, maybe it would be easier, but she didn't manage to do that.

So, Blanche copied the people she believed to have the most polite greetings, the emperor and the empress. She put a small smile on her face and began speaking without looking at any specific person and forced herself to act like she wasn't completely unsure of what she was doing. “I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you, who chose to attend my birthday party. It is an honor to see that all of you took the time to travel here. I wish for you to enjoy this evening as much as I will so that it may make up for your long journey here. Your mere presence already fills me with happiness, so I want to give something back to you with this event as well. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest and use the time to relax during a nice evening together. If there are any problems, the servants of the royal palace are ready to assist you and will take care of any issues that may arise.”

Her heart was pounding by the time she finished, and she felt warmth rushing to her cheeks. She hurriedly closed her mouth and looked around to see if anyone was laughing. Apparently, she hadn't messed up. That was good.

Theodore stepped in front of her, still with a grin on his face. “You did well. You are a natural.”

She returned a nervous smile. “I feel like my legs will give in, and I can't breathe. That's not very helpful.”

Immediately, her lover became more serious. “If you are feeling unwell, we will take a break. Tell me if you-”

“No, no. It's fine. But I feel like dancing now is...” She paused at that thought. “I forgot to announce the dance.” She gazed at her lover with a glint of hope in her eyes. “Does that mean that we can skip it?”

The emperor shook his head. “We can delay it if you are unwell. Then we'll just do it later after you get the gifts.” That sounded awful.

Blanche didn't want to think about the fact that she still had to present a perfect waltz the whole time and then dance after having sat for hours. “We'll do it now.” She spun around to the crowd again. “Then we shall have the first dance for this evening. All of you are invited to join us. Conductor, would you grant us the honor of playing a music piece for us?” She wasn't sure whether she should have claimed the right to instruct the orchestra, but she was the host, so it should be fine.

It seemed like that was the case since the conductor complied without hesitation.