Theodore scanned the baby with his perfect polite smile and spoke up too. “I am convinced that she will look very similar to you, Your Grace. Just wait a few more months, and you will see what I mean. How old is Rebecca now? If I remember correctly, the birth was a little over four months ago.”

Selena's eyes lit up when she heard that, even though she should hate the emperor. “That's right. But she is still very small and doesn't do anything but sleep, eat and cry when she isn't being pampered by anyone. She has a very relaxed life. We hope to keep it that way for a long time.” She looked down at her baby with nothing but love in her gaze.

The emperor took that as a sigh to address the last person of the family they hadn't spoken to yet. “Good evening, Lord Vasquez. It is nice to see you here.” Again, he ended without even asking the other man a question and looked expectantly at his lover.

So, Blanche forced herself to chime in once more. “I wish you a wonderful evening, Lord Vasquez. I hope that you have been well ever since we met at the last ball.”

Luciano showed them his bright smile, but it looked a bit more lively and less arrogant than in the past. “I am pleased to meet both of you as well. Good evening, Your Majesty. And I thank you for your inquiry, Lady Blanche. I am a bit exhausted at the moment since my sister tends to complain if someone aside from us touches her. The servants cannot take care of her, and when Mother is asleep, I need to deal with her crying. But she is so cute that no one would ever hold it against her.” He leaned forward to reach Rebecca's face and caressed her cheek.

The baby moved for a moment before returning to her previous position and continuing to sleep. That interaction was much sweeter than it should have been.

The concubine was about to melt, but in that second, Claude spoke up and ruined everything. “Our daughter is truly adorable, is she not? I'm sure that she will be a gorgeous and dignified woman later, much like her mother. Her future husband will fall for her within the blink of an eye.”

For just a moment, Luciano's smile dimmed as he glanced at his father from the corner of his eyes. But he quickly covered it up again.

Theodore scanned the duke for a second longer than necessary before replying. “Yes, indeed. That is likely. But you shouldn't think about marrying her off already. I'm surprised that you believe in love at first glance though. I remember you always being rather critical about that, Your Grace.”

Duke Vasquez put on a surprised expression at that. “Did I say something like that? Then I must have been confused. After all, I pursued Selena after seeing her once too. I became acquainted with Her Majesty, the dowager empress during a ball, and we got along well. Then she introduced me to her sister, and I was smitten immediately. And now the girl that caught my eyes is sitting in front of you as my duchess.” He gestured to Selena, who gave him a little smile. If anyone else had told that story, it might have been cute. But there was nothing that could make Claude sympathetic.

Blanche wasn't even sure how to respond to that. So, she just did what Leon had taught her to say when she had no interest in the topic and had no additional knowledge either. “I see. What a wonderful story, Your Grace. I could have never imagined that you had met under such romantic circumstances.” Complimenting their narration and then adding something about having been unaware of those facts. That was all it took for the other party to continue.

And surely, Claude was happy to resume talking. “Oh, just because we are a bit older than you, that doesn't mean that we can't experience true love. I can remember how that evening went until this very day. I know what kind of dress my beloved wore, and I can remember the very first words that I said to her and how shy she was while responding.” He glanced at his wife before looking back at the guests. He wasn't finished yet, that much was obvious. Claude wouldn't just chat about his family's past for fun, so the catch would follow soon. “The first meeting always leaves a very important impression, doesn't it? The circumstances of that first meeting can determine how the whole relationship will go. At least I heard that a saying in the south went like this. That sounds romantic, doesn't it? But for others, it may not be good to dwell on how they were brought together by external circumstances.”

That was what Blanche had been waiting for. He was trying to mock her for coming to Theodore with the goal of betraying him. But she didn't care about that. She had exactly what she wanted. If she didn't like the subject another person brought up, she only needed them to ask her about her own experiences. She could finally take over and make Duke Vasquez regret mentioning this topic. If there was something she could talk about for hours, it was her relationship with Theodore and their first meeting.

Blanche didn't even need to force herself, and the smile grew on her face without her trying to control it. “So, we finally met someone who does understand. Theo and I also love to remember how we met. It was during his birthday, in the middle of the night as the stars were sparkling in the clear sky. The air was fresh, and gentle breezes made the trees and hedges rustle. I was all alone and prayed to the gods to send someone to save me because there was no one on my side. And then they sent him to me. Theodore walked around the corner, and we looked at each other. At that moment, I finally woke up from the dark slumber that had held me captive and let me realize how wonderful our world was. It was like a fairy tale.”

The more she gushed about this, the more annoyed Claude looked, even if he tried to hide it. Selena actually seemed to find this story sweet, and Luciano almost appeared to laugh at his father's anger. But if Blanche could upset Duke Vasquez alone without his family, it was enough. And she didn't even need to do it by herself.

Theodore was happy to support her. He gently led her hand to his face and replied in a similar tone to hers while looking directly into her eyes. “Our first meeting was like our relationship. Perfect in every regard. When I saw you, my heart stopped for a moment, and then I was brought into real life for the first time. I could not help but console you and hold your hand while knowing that I would never let you go. I only regret one thing about our meeting.”

The concubine knew exactly that he wouldn't bring up an actual complaint, so she didn't fear asking. “What do you mean, Theo? It was perfect. You kissed me for the first time at that same spot.” Their first kiss had happened in the pavilion two weeks later, but the date wasn't important. “We looked into each other's eyes and were overwhelmed by a sudden rush of euphoria while we fell in love. What could have been better?”

“I should have proposed to you immediately. That is a mistake I can correct though.”

That response almost made Blanche cough. From the corner of her eyes, she could see that the whole Vasquez family was surprised and stared at them with shock. She herself was shocked too but quickly gave her best to conceal the fact that Theodore had already proposed to her. “You know what? I would have said yes immediately.”

Her lover wrapped his arms around her and pulled her toward him. “Blanche.”

Blanche knew exactly what would follow. She normally was a bit embarrassed to exchange displays of affection with so many people watching her, but if it angered Claude, she was happy to do it. She leaned against the emperor and replied by saying his name. “Theo.”

Within a second, their lips crashed onto each other. Blanche couldn't help but melt into the kiss even though they were being watched. That only caused her to completely forget the time.

When she pulled back, reality caught up to her, and blood rushed to her face. But she neither apologized nor regretted this and just hugged her lover's arm to lean her head against him.

Theodore gave the Vasquez family a bright smile and spoke up. “I am terribly sorry about that. I cannot control myself when my angel is so close to me. I hope that we didn't disturb you.”

Duke Vasquez looked like he wanted to say something about this, but Selena replied before he could. “There is no need to worry, Your Majesty. There isn't a single issue with you being here with Lady Blanche. Everyone is aware of your relationship already, so you do not have to hide affectionate actions. I assume that the guests will watch you with worry if you continue like this, but there is no reason to forbid you from doing anything. Not that we could even do that.”

The emperor let out a chuckle. “That's right. Thank you for not feeling attacked though. So...” He changed his expression a bit so that he looked more serious again. “Now for the important part. This is a party to celebrate the birth of your sweet little Rebecca. Naturally, the royal family is happy to gift you some small items that may help you raise her.” He lifted his hand and made a gesture in the air.

This caused three palace servants to place the boxes they had been carrying on the table in front of Selena before they retreated.

Theodore pointed at the presents. “As I said, these are the gifts of the royal family, but I assume that Cedar, the dowager empress and the empress are bringing their own presents. I still hope that you will enjoy them. But I would ask you to open them in private. There should be some kind of surprise.”

Selena was a little taken aback by that, but she quickly nodded. “Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. It is an honor to receive gifts from you. We will treasure those items for as long as they are in our possession.”

Claude put on a smile as well. “We are truly grateful for your help in this hard time. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Luciano responded with something similar, and it seemed like the whole family, aside from the sleeping Rebecca, was content.

But Blanche had another issue. She scanned her lover's expression a moment before going through what he had told her about the gift in her mind. Hopefully, he hadn't put in anything that was too hash. But the more time passed without him speaking up again, the more she worried about her own presents. Theodore had told her that he would bring something that would be coming from her too. But seemingly, he wasn't asking the servants to fetch anything else. If he had truly forgotten to choose a gift for her, she would be humiliated. After all, appearing at a baby party without a gift was the ultimate sign of disrespect. Claude couldn't really complain, but still.

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The concubine brought her mouth closer to her lover's mouth and whispered to him. “Where are mine?”

Theodore looked at her like he hadn't understood her question. “What do you mean? That was your gift too.”

Blanche almost paled at that. This indicated that she was part of the royal family, and he would possibly even announce it if someone asked now. That had to have been why he had pointed out that it was a present from the royal family multiple times. “Theo, that is...”

“It's correct this way. You are my fiancée and thus part of the royal family. You will see that they won't make a big deal out of it. If he asks, just tell the truth.” That option was absolutely terrifying. There was no way that Duke Vasquez would keep his mouth shut, and rumors were what they needed to prevent the most.

Blanche glanced at the duke from the corner of her eyes before whispering to her lover again. “Are you joking? You said that you only need one more week until the divorce. Why can't you wait until then?”

Before the emperor could reply, Claude spoke up. To her dismay, he was far too smug. “Is something wrong, Lady Blanche? It appears that you are a bit distraught. Have you perhaps not brought something? Do not worry about that. It may be a custom that gifting something to a newborn is required, but we do not care much about such things and will not take it to heart. I remember that you once also did not bring a gift for Her Majesty's birthday, and that was not an issue either. So, you can admit-”

Blanche was more annoyed at that than she should have been. Before she could hold herself back, she already replied. “Pardon me, Your Grace, but you just received my gift. Theo didn't say that it was just his, correct? He brought three gifts from the royal family. Is that not enough? I assume that you did not know that these would come from me too, but I do not care much for such little misunderstandings. So, don't take it to heart.” After using Claude's own words, she tilted her head and grinned at him. She only realized that she had revealed a bit too much now.

The expressions of Duke Vasquez and his wife and son said everything. Claude was the first one to wake up from his paralysis. He chuckled quietly, and his face showed that he was back to his arrogant self. “It is fine that His Majesty brings presents for you, but you should be careful about your phrasing. This word choice would make it sound like you are actually a part of the royal family. As far as I know, His Majesty only married one woman though.” What an idiot he was. Even now, he challenged the concubine again. That wouldn't work though.

There was no chance for Blanche to even think about her reply since Theodore responded first. “Yes. Unfortunately, we will still have to wait a bit until the wedding. But the emperor's fiancée is considered royalty too, so her words are correct even if you are really strict.”

This time, it felt like the Vasquez family froze. Selena blinked a few times before speaking up. “That...uhm. We were not aware. Congratulations. May-”

Claude cut her off with laughter before she could finish. He took a moment to calm down. “There is no way that this is actually true. Your Majesty would not get engaged to a woman in secret, right? Especially since the emperor's wives have to be the daughters of dukes or marquesses. Lady Blanche is a commoner, so there is no chance that Your Majesty did this. You were just joking, right?” When he didn't receive a reply immediately, he paled a bit, and his face fell.

Theodore wordlessly took his lover's hand and showed their matching rings to the family. “I proposed on my birthday in the pavilion where we met. The engagement contract is signed, and I put a royal decree on it, just to make sure.”

Blanche knew that she shouldn't feel so smug. But with every word, the expression on Claude's face got more amusing. She shouldn't grin while revealing a secret that needed to be kept, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't even bring herself to stay quiet. “I apologize for not telling you for so long, but we wished to keep it to ourselves until the perfect moment to announce it publicly arrives. We are so very excited to finally do it later, so please do not ruin our surprise. All in all, we are looking forward to every bit of the journey to our marriage. We're already planning the celebration. Madame Charture has started making designs for a wedding dress too.”

Theodore chimed in while leaning his head against hers. “Dresses. We'll have a seven-day-long banquet. You need to have one for every single day. And each one has to be special and unforgettable in its own way.”

Duke Vasquez stared at the couple while just looking from one of them to the other.

In the meantime, Selena took over again while seeming more nervous than she would have needed to be. “This is truly a great surprise. I wish to express my best regards to you. May Artias be blessed by your union.”

Luciano quickly spoke after his mother. “I would also like to congratulate you. We should have expected it for a while now, but it seems that we were a bit slow to catch on. May Artias flourish and grow even more prosperous due to your union.”

That the rest of his family congratulated the couple still didn't cause Claude to do the same. He opened his mouth too, but he was way less kind. “Does Her Majesty know about this?”

Theodore laughed at that before his expression became serious in an instant. “You won't use this against us. She knows. But aside from her, no one does. That means one thing for you. You should feel honored. You are the only family that knows it already. So, if a single word about this is spread to someone else, I will know who the person with the loose mouth was. That wouldn't make me happy. Understood?”

Luciano and Selena nodded immediately.

Claude took a moment longer and only gave in to the emperor's cold gaze. “Of course, Your Majesty. No one will utter a single word.” No one would believe that.

Theodore's smile returned. “Good. Then I feel like I used words that were clear enough. In any case...” He paused when the servant by the stairs announced yet another name and looked around. Then his expression darkened again. “I do not wish to cut the conversation short, but I feel like you have other guests to tend to.” He turned to his lover and offered her his arm. “Blanche?”

She put her hand on his and faced the family one last time. “Goodbye, Your Graces and Lord Vasquez. We may be able to converse at a later point in time again. We wish your daughter the best for her future.”

The others barely managed to voice some sort of curt farewell before she was already pulled away by Theodore.

Blanche only realized why her lover had been so eager to leave when they passed by Seraphina. She made eye contact with the empress and was greeted with a little smile, which she returned, before being led away. They only managed to take a few steps though.

Then a voice called out to them. “Lady Blanche! Please wait. You dropped your handkerchief.” The couple turned around and saw how Luciano took the last few steps forward to catch up with them. He stopped in front of them and held a white piece of cloth toward them.

Blanche narrowed her eyes at the handkerchief. She hadn't taken one with her, so this couldn't be hers. “I didn't drop anything. You must have-”

Luciano kept smiling and cut her off. “Exactly.” He leaned forward to her to press the handkerchief in her hand before whispering to her and Theodore. “Don't consume anything here today. He talked to a risky person earlier.”

The emperor didn't seem fazed despite his lover's pure confusion. He just put on a faint smile. “I know. I saw her already. Why are you helping us?”

Luciano forced himself to keep his smirk upright, but one could see that he was struggling. “I don't want my mother and sister to suffer because of his power-hungriness. He is more ambitious than you could imagine. I want to protect my family, but he won't let me help him. So, I have to save what is left.”

Theodore scanned the other man for a moment before replying. “I assume that you got your intelligence from your mother. Don't become my enemy, and I won't crush you or your dear ones. If you want me to forget about what happened, become useful to me.”

Luciano lowered his head and nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty. We won't obstruct you.” With that, he turned around and joined his family again.

Blanche was left behind in utter confusion. She stared at the handkerchief in her hand for a moment before looking at her lover. “What was that?”

Theodore stared at the Vasquez family before turning to her and whispered. “He warned us about his father, much like he did with his letter. That could be a trick to gain sympathy. But to be honest, I don't care as long as he doesn't pose a danger to us and Artias. I will keep an eye on him either way.”

The concubine didn't know what to think about that. After all, Luciano genuinely seemed like he cared about his family. But at the same time, he genuinely seemed like a manipulative person that would do almost anything for his advantage too. It was hard to discern what his goal may be. But as the emperor had said, it didn't matter much as long as the Vasquez family didn't cause any more trouble.

Still, she had some questions. She spoke up while she absentmindedly handed Owen the handkerchief. “So, you will crush the duke and leave the rest of the household to his son? Then you will blackmail them and use them for your sake?”

Theodore nodded. “That is the plan. If Luciano takes over, the family can continue to exist. I do not mind becoming harsher if needed, but until now, he didn't do anything that makes me have to kill him. He may have been involved in some schemes, but he wants to back out, which is favorable for us. So, we'll keep him under surveillance and use him as our pawn. Obviously, Rebecca didn't do anything either. The duchess never did anything to harm us except for voicing some petty comments too. Only because her sister and husband are despicable people, she doesn't deserve death. I worry about her getting injured because of Duke Vasquez's anger issues too. So, I wrote a little note inside the gifts and said that I might be able to help if she truly needs something. Of course, that isn't my pure goodwill speaking. Their family is good for the political stability in Artias, so I would like to keep them if they behave.”

Blanche shared his opinion in that regard. It was a good idea to keep the situation in the capital stable while the dowager empress caused trouble. So, the Vasquez family might get a second chance. But Luciano's warning still unsettled her a bit. “That might work out if you keep enough people you trust around him. Let us focus on the problem today though. Who is the risky person he was talking about?”

“Marguerite Besseta. Daughter of the count that was executed for the assassination attempt on me seven years ago. Cedar told you about her during my birthday if I remember correctly. She has no reason to be here since her family is about to fall apart due to others avoiding them and their huge debt. She should try to stay far away from me especially, but since she is here again, we can assume that someone wants to use her anger about her father's allegedly unjust death against us.”

Blanche vaguely remembered Cedar telling her about Count Besseta's daughter. She had never thought that this girl would be used against her lover though. “I see. That man was a criminal, but to her, it might seem like he was just randomly killed. So, we need to be careful around her?”

Theodore gave her a little smile, but there was still concern in his eyes. “It should be fine as long as you don't eat or drink anything here. They can't attack us directly with all of those witnesses after all.”

The concubine nodded to herself, but before she could reply, Leonard joined them. Seeing him bow was a rare sight, but in public, they had to insist on those formalities.

The emperor hurried to greet his advisor. “Good evening, Lord Astame. It's been a while.”

Leon gave him a slightly annoyed look that already said that he would like to point out that two hours weren't too long. But he kept quiet and turned to Blanche, even when that was the wrong order. How odd. In public, he usually stuck to the typical conventions. Was he trying to prove that Blanche had more power here too?

She was a bit confused by this but just went along with it. The secretary wouldn't complain either way. “Good evening, Lord Astame. It is a pleasure to meet you once again. How have you been doing recently?”

Leonard replied with a little smile. “Good evening, Your Majesty and Lady Blanche. You did well with your posture, and your smile doesn't look as forced anymore either. Good.” He addressed them like a couple too. Apparently, he wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the formalities too much and just continued Blanche's lessons.

Theodore didn't give him a chance though. “Is there anything new?” He sounded a bit too serious while saying that.

Immediately, Leon became calmer as well, and his smile faded. “Not here.” He turned around and walked to the side of the room to approach a desolate table and ordered some wine to keep up appearances. Then he waited for the others to follow him and stood still until the wine was delivered before he stepped a bit closer to them. He whispered after making sure that no one else was there. “They are planning something. We will have to take a little risk if we want to get rid of a few enemies at the same time. We can blame the one doing it and the hosts. But you won't like it.”

The emperor narrowed his eyes. “If you already know that, don't say it. I don't want to hear anything that would make you worry.”

Leonard didn't give up there though. “Please listen to the plan first. She will never be in any real danger since I will be right behind her, even when Owen goes away to purposefully create a chance. She only has to drink this and-”

He wasn't allowed to finish, and Blanche could already guess why.