Everything had been somewhat fine during the celebrations. Blanche had been calm enough to greet everyone, and even the most troublesome guests had only unsettled her slightly. When she ignored Cedar's vague words about another surprise, it almost seemed like it would be fine. Though, she wasn't that lucky.

In the middle of a friendly chat, Leon seemed to focus on something else aside from the happy festivities. He suddenly changed his tone and became serious as he spoke in a lower voice. “I would like to point out that you were right, Your Majesty. It appears that that person is not present. It may mean that he is at his limit. But it may also prove that cornered people become ugly. We should keep our guard up.”

He meant Sefare, didn't he? Theodore had already warned his lover about that man's current situation, so it wouldn't be wrong to assume that things might start happening now.

Theodore instantly lost his smile as well. “I see. Do not worry about us managing the things up here. Prepare the knights for an emergency. I don't mind setting an example to prove that no one here will undermine our power.” He continued with a much louder volume again. “Then I wish you a nice evening, Lord Astame. Please visit the buffet if you want to try the items I recommended.”

Leonard bowed and replied with a little smile that perfectly covered up his previous seriousness. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will not miss out on that.”

Blanche looked from one of the men to the other in surprise about the sudden departure before quickly chiming in. “I hope that you will enjoy the rest of this event too. If there are any issues, we and the servants of the royal palace will be glad to help.”

Leonard gave her a smile as well before replying. “Thank you. Then I wish you a happy birthday once more, Lady Blanche. May you grace us with your presence for a long time. It is an honor to be acquainted with you. Goodbye.” He left suddenly as if he needed to take care of something quickly.

The concubine immediately turned to her lover. “This was about Sefare, right? He is missing today, and you said that he was quite cornered at the moment.”

Theodore's expression was grim as he leaned over to her to whisper with a small nod. “Sefare seems to have been affected by some of the recent gifts I gave him. We're unsure whether he is hiding or whether he is already giving up. In any case, it could get ugly if he decides to show his face. Maybe he will do something that helps us convict him, but I would rather prevent him from doing anything on your birthday. But we can't keep him from entering without causing a scene. After all, he has an invitation. I knew I shouldn't have sent one to him.”

Blanche let her gaze roam across the ballroom while he spoke. “It is true that this might mean something bad. But not necessarily. He didn't attend the first ball this year either. He could just be sick or unwilling to show up after you troubled him. I'm sure that it's nothing too bad. What would he even try? Isn't causing a scene only going to ruin him?” She paused, only to let out a sigh. “Well, it could be like you said. The dowager empress could get involved.”

The emperor gave her a little smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. “Yes. He wouldn't do it of his own volition, but I'm rather sure that there are some other driving forces here. If we're lucky, they won't take it that far. Cedar usually tries to keep their public appearances peaceful, even if his mother should be foolish enough to try to cut Sefare off in public. In the worst case though... That woman isn't always thinking clearly. Still, you can rest assured that nothing will cause issues for us. It may be unpleasant to deal with, but there is no need to be scared. We are stronger than they are. And since we fully support each other, there is no way for them to step between us either. I will do my best to show that until they understand and even after that.”

Blanche mirrored his smile and reached over to squeeze his hand once. “I'm not scared. As long as you are here, I don't have to fear anything. If you say that everything will be fine, I believe you. We will face whatever they throw our way.”

Her lover intertwined their fingers and leaned over to press a small kiss on the backside of her hand. “Thank you for your trust. I won't disappoint you. We will deal with all of this without stepping aside. We won't bow to anyone and will reach the future that we desire. This time, we won't-” He cut himself off when his eyes fell on someone in front of the thrones. “It seems like our next guest is here. They always seem to come when we are in the middle of talking.”

Blanche couldn't help but grin at that. “Maybe that is because we are talking the whole time. Let's greet them first and chat afterward.” She tried to pull her hand away, only to be captured by Theodore's iron-like grip. She glanced at her lover, who was just smirking, before turning to the guest.

It was time for all the marquesses and marchionesses to greet them, which took a while. But despite the rather exhausting small talk, it wasn't too bad since most of them were really polite and calm. The concubine didn't have any issues speaking to them for a bit before thanking them for their gifts, of which some were truly wonderful. All in all, she received a lot of expensive things, mostly jewelry and elaborate decorations, which was clearly something she enjoyed a lot.

The contrast to last year was pretty obvious. Back then, everyone had tried to be as distanced from her as possible, probably in fear of insulting the empress. This year, everyone looked like they tried to impress the concubine though. Blanche didn't care much, but it was better than being insulted. If those people stopped spreading rumors about her, she could only be content. So, she didn't struggle much while speaking to the last marquess, who seemed to be keen on complimenting her the whole time, either. It was a bit strange to hear a man who had previously ignored her showering her with flowery words, but aside from that, it was fine. Still, she relaxed when the marquess finally left.

Blanche turned to Theodore and expected that they would have a chance to speak a bit, but the next guests already approached them.

Sophia almost ran to the platform and hurried to curtsy before looking up at the concubine with shiny eyes. Her husband followed her after instructing their maid that was currently carrying a small bundle of blankets, which probably engulfed Grace.

Blanche didn't have to force herself to smile upon seeing the other woman and could finally show a real grin. “Good evening, Lord and Lady Ravillot. It is wonderful to see that you decided to attend this ball. How are the both of you and your lovely daughter?”

Sophia looked like she was about to burst with happiness and cry at the same time. “Thanks to you, all of us are safe. Lady Blanche, it is an honor for us to attend. We can't thank you enough. I wished to write you a letter, but I never felt like it expressed my feelings well enough. We owe you everything. So, please, if there is anything you ever need, tell us. Our whole family will support you wholeheartedly in all of your endeavors. Thank you for saving my daughter's life. I will never forget that.”

Before the concubine could speak up, Sophia's husband opened his mouth. “I can only support my wife's words. I may only be a count, but I will do my best to assist you if you ever require anything. Of course, Sophia's family will be much more helpful, but do not hesitate to ask anything of us. We are forever-”

Blanche stopped him by lifting her hand. She had gotten more uncomfortable every time that they thanked her, and she couldn't hear anymore. She would have never found out about all of this if she hadn't had the novel's memories. “I am thankful for your gratitude, but I don't require it. I did not save Grace because I wished to receive anything in return, which is why I am hesitant to accept your offer. I do not believe that helping another person when you have the chance is special. It should be normal for people to act like that. You should not feel indebted in any way. I do not have any wishes either. I only want to live peacefully alongside all of our acquaintances and get along with you. If you do wish to make me happy, take care of Grace and give her the wonderful childhood you intended her to have.”

Sophia was already tearing up at that. “We will. But we still cannot go without thanking you. I will make sure that my father will act in a way that is beneficial to you. Please rest assured that no one will forget what happened that day.” Announcing that Duke Duremont would back the mistress of his daughter's husband wasn't the most clever thing to do. But the countess probably wasn't in a state that would allow her to think clearly. For that reason, she wouldn't hold back anything she was thinking about, which might cause some issues, and even forgot to give the emperor a chance to greet her. It seemed like Sophia could barely stop talking. “All of us are aware that you never wished to gain anything from this, but we still want to pay you back somehow. There will be countless chances for us to do that when you have children later.” Saying that was risky too when everyone here knew that the concubine's children would be members of the royal family. But still, Sophia just rambled on. “I can assure you that we will do our best to ensure that their life will be as comfortable as possible even if they ascend to-” It was the perfect moment to have her be cut off.

Blanche relaxed for a moment upon believing that she had just avoided the most unpleasant comment imaginable. After all, she didn't need everyone to know that one of her children might be the next emperor or empress yet. But that relief quickly disappeared when she realized that the reason Sophia had stopped was a guard.

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The knight stood by the main entrance and spoke up in a booming voice. “Her Majesty, the empress of Artias.”

Blanche almost jumped up from the throne. Instead of doing that, she dug her fingers into the armrest and whipped her head around to her lover. “Theo, we should stand up. We can dance or go to the buffet for a moment. Please.” For a moment, she believed that she might be able to persuade the emperor. They couldn't let Seraphina see how she was sitting on the empress' throne after all, so it only made sense to avoid that conflict. But then she remembered what her lover was currently planning.

Theodore merely squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. “We won't stand up because you want to step aside for her. I already told you that we wouldn't bow to anyone. She won't cause a scene, and if she does, I can take away all of her arguments in two sentences. So, relax and enjoy how she finally accepts that this is your position.”

All of that was so wrong. Blanche didn't even know where to start. She opened her mouth and closed it again without having a clue what to point out first. None of the things he had said were good. That was exactly why she didn't say anything and just tensed while looking at the door.

It was already too late.

The double door had swung open and revealed Seraphina, who strode in with as much elegance as always. As usual, she also wore simple yet elegant clothes in the royal colors. There was only one difference to the other times at which she had attended a ball. She wasn't wearing her big crown but only a tiara. This could indicate that she didn't deem this event to be important enough to appear in ceremonial clothes or just showed that she didn't feel the need to prove her status, but that didn't bother the concubine.

What did upset Blanche was that she was rather sure that her own tiara was bigger. For once, she would have loved to see the empress coming in with the biggest headdress imaginable, just so that the difference between them would be pointed out. But now she was sitting on the throne and had the more extravagant attire. That was just great. She couldn't even bow to the empress now. In fact, she couldn't do anything without making it seem like she was ridiculing the other woman. Surely, Seraphina might not stay here for much longer, but the divorce would still take a few months and hadn't been announced yet, so this was a horrible situation. Blanche would have liked to sink into the floor and hide her face, but she couldn't do any of that without making it worse.

Every single person in the ballroom seemed to be as stiff as the concubine. Their gazes followed the empress the whole time, and no one dared to utter a single word. In reality, they were just waiting for a fight and hoped not to attract the wrath of the most powerful women in the nation.

Seraphina, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. She slowly walked over to the carpet in front of the platform while everyone in the room held their breath. She looked up at the couple with an expression that was seemingly indifferent at first glance. But she took a moment to stare at the emperor, which said enough, before turning to Sophia, who was in the middle of leaving. “There is no need for you to make way. I will just give my greeting quickly and retreat afterward. I would be uncomfortable with the thought of interrupting your conversation. Would you mind waiting for a short moment?”

Of course, Sophia and her husband nodded and immediately took a step to the side.

The empress saw that as her cue to walk the remaining distance and positioned herself in front of the thrones. Her gaze met the concubine's, and Blanche's mind just went blank. Would the heroine be upset and ask why they couldn't have waited a bit longer for this? How come she didn't say anything about this or glare at the other woman? It would have been logical for Seraphina to tell Blanche to stand up and apologize immediately, even when she knew that her husband would take his lover's side. That this didn't happen was strange enough, but there also was another problem.

How would the conversation start now?

A baroness couldn't just address the empress without being spoken to first. But Blanche was still a host, and Seraphina, even though she lived here, was a guest at the party. Did the concubine have the right to begin, or would the other woman start? What if they both began speaking at the same time? That would be extremely unpleasant.

Blanche felt like her head was spinning as she desperately pondered what to do. But she probably didn't have a choice in the end. She had already begun a discussion with the dowager empress about this. She couldn't just disregard her previous words now. By letting Seraphina address her, she would make it seem like those rules weren't that important when she had insisted on them just a few minutes ago. She had to speak up first, even if she was extremely uncomfortable doing so.

She felt like she was being pressured by so many things at the same time that she forgot how to use her mouth. Her throat was completely dry. She just sat there stiffly and inwardly yelled at herself for staying silent since this would only make everything worse.

But Theodore snapped her out of her trance. He lifted her hand and leaned over to kiss the back of her hand before giving her a little smile. The audacity to actually do that while everyone, including his wife, whom he had already embarrassed by letting a concubine take her seat, was enough to make Blanche wake up.

She wanted to pull her hand away but refrained from doing so in fear that her lover would hold onto her too strongly. So, she just turned to the empress and did her best to voice a polite greeting while dying on the inside. “It is an incomparable honor to have you attend this celebration. I wish you a wonderful evening, Your Majesty.” Would asking the other woman how she was feeling be offensive in this situation? Probably. So, the concubine didn't dare to do that. “I sincerely hope that you will find this party at least a little entertaining.” She wanted to hit herself as she finished. Telling the other woman that she should enjoy this celebration was even worse than asking how she was doing. This ball was being held for the emperor's mistress after all, and wishing the legal wife fun during this event was a bit harsh.

Thankfully, the heroine didn't seem to be too upset. Seraphina showed a stoic expression while listening. Then she put on her usual fake polite smile to respond. “Good evening, Lady Blanche. I wish you a happy birthday from the bottom of my heart. May you stay healthy and continue to live happily. I hope the best for you and pray that the gods will bless your future life. It is a pleasure to have been invited, and I am sure that this party will be very enjoyable.” This made it sound like the empress had received an invitation. It shouldn't be hard to understand that inviting a person to a ball in their own home was problematic, especially when this ball was being held for the emperor's mistress. To actually send Seraphina an invitation might be as disrespectful as seating the concubine on the throne.

Blanche had to hold back from glaring at her lover and just forced herself to smile. “Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. This means a lot to me. It is a great honor to receive such words from you.” She felt like a hypocrite as she said this while sitting on the other woman's throne. Hopefully, Seraphina wouldn't stay for too long, or the whole evening would just consist of stiff smiling. But more importantly, she hoped that Theodore wouldn't say anything disrespectful to the empress. She cautiously eyed him from the side and waited for him to greet the other woman.

The emperor didn't even have the decency to let go of his lover's hand while speaking. “Good evening. It's a surprise to see you here. Please do enjoy the festivities. Since they are wonderful, that should not be an issue though. Your family has already arrived, and they will be happy to meet you.” That sounded so horribly insolent that the concubine almost flinched. Had it been necessary to point out the empress was rather generous to visit the party of her husband's lover? And then hinting that he didn't want to speak with the heroine for long was inappropriate as well.

Blanche could barely keep herself composed as she turned her head to the side to avoid the other woman's anger. There was not much she could do about this conversation, and chiming in when the royal couple spoke was a terrible idea. But at the same time, Theodore showed as much tact as a block of ice, which could have catastrophic consequences.

Surely, Seraphina would slowly get upset now. That her husband had a huge celebration for his lover was bad enough. But he had also put his concubine on top of the empress' throne and appeared at her side while ignoring his wife, even though he should know that he could realize all of his plans as soon as their divorce was finalized. That was enough to justify her publicly scolding the emperor. Well, it normally would. In the end, their situation was a bit more complicated though. Seraphina would leave the palace soon, so her power in this regard was lacking. Still, she did have the right to complain.

Apparently, the empress was in a rather generous mood today though. She didn't show her discomfort or point out that Blanche was currently sitting somewhere she shouldn't even dream of being. The empress only stopped smiling at the emperor and replied in a cool tone after his provocation. “Good evening to you too, Your Majesty. How could I not accept an invitation to this joyous event when today is such a special day? I do not doubt that I will enjoy myself and will be happy to meet my family later. For now, it is appropriate to greet the birthday child and the host of this party though. A little patience will ensure that we will be able to relish in all parts of the evening. Good things come to those who wait, so we should not hurry. Are you aware of that saying, Your Majesty?” That could be a hint regarding the divorce that was already being finalized by the supreme judge. Maybe she was asking the emperor to show her respect for a bit longer since she would be gone afterward anyway. If so, that was a rather clever and calm way to ask him to stop insulting her in public.

That didn't mean that Theodore cared though. “Of course. But there is also another saying that is very true as well. Prolonging the inevitable isn't necessary. It will not gain anyone anything.” It should have been obvious that he would make such a comment.

Blanche seriously considered asking a servant for another drink, just so that she could stay out of the conversation and let the other two quarrel on their own. But that would be as disrespectful as insulting Seraphina directly. So, the concubine would have to speak up again. She would rather do it sooner than later too, even if interrupting the dialogue was brazen as well. She intended to wait for a small pause before beginning, but seeing how Theodore still had that far too confident grin on his face, that didn't seem like a good idea. So, she hurried to speak. “Both of those sayings are true, it just depends on the situation. But of course, we should rather take it slow during such a long event. It would be disappointing to rush.”

Seraphina put on a little smile as she responded. “Indeed. There is no need to skip pleasant interactions for the sake of moving on to the next part, which can wait. However, I fear that we will have to cut this conversation short. After all, I interrupted your meeting with the Ravillot family. I will merely hand over your gift and step aside so that we can speak later when no one is waiting for us. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy it.” She lifted her hand, and one of the servants brought a box that hadn't been standing on the table.

The man climbed up to the platform and wanted to hand the item to the concubine. Theodore took it in his hands and showed the empress a bright smile before offering the box to his lover.

Blanche almost sighed at that but received the gift without saying anything. Hopefully, her nervousness wasn't too obvious. She was stressed enough by this meeting and actually expected that the gift she received might not be too kind either. For a while, she had been sure that Seraphina and her would get along, but an event like today destroyed that.

Even if the heroine wasn't petty, she could never give the woman stealing her husband and position an honest gift while the whole capital was watching.

Maybe the concubine would receive another piece of jewelry with the same light blue gems from last year. The stones that looked beautiful but crumbled away as soon as they were a few days old seemed like a fitting present if one wanted to insult someone without showing it. Maybe that wasn't it though. Either way, it wouldn't matter as long as she just smiled at every gift without questioning it. Slowly, Blanche opened the clasp and lifted the cover.