Thankfully, the dance had gone by without any issues.

Now Theodore would announce another short bit, and then the ball would begin. Thankfully, he didn't let the guests wait too much. “Thank you for having the patience to watch us dance. From now on, you will have a bit more freedom to choose what you wish to do. You may approach the buffet, which is full of mouth-watering dishes that our skillful chefs created, and pick out anything that is to your liking. The dance floor is open now too, and you are free to dance to your heart's content. Once again, we wish to express our gratitude for your presence and want to say that we hope that you will have a wonderful evening.”

Blanche breathed out in relief when her lover didn't ask her to speak up again, and she relaxed a bit. Once again, the most pressuring part had been the dance. The announcement of their engagement would be on a completely different level, but at least she could take a break now.

But Theodore wasn't done yet. After a short pause, he spoke up again. “Ah. Before I forget it, I need to say something else. At the end of this ball, we have a big announcement to make. It would be wonderful if you had enough patience to stay until then. Thank you for your attention.” He finished and turned to his lover to give her a blinding smile.

If that wasn't enough to make others guess that the news had something to do with her, nothing would. Surely, some people already guessed that she would become his fiancée. But it was questionable whether the nobles believed that she would be the empress too.

The concubine tried to avoid looking at anyone and turned her attention to her lover. “How do you think will they react?”

A grin on Theodore's face made it obvious that he wasn't worried at all. “They will approach us to congratulate us one after the other, which will take an eternity. Everyone will watch how Duke Duremont and his daughter react and be surprised to see that those two aren't upset. They'll gossip for a while and try to curry favor with you as soon as they manage to reach us. The only problem will be the dowager empress.” His smile faded a bit. “She will be hostile and try to make fun of us. She will question my judgment, and we need to rebuke her for that. I'm sure that Leon will help too though.”

Blanche could almost imagine how smug Leon would feel if he was allowed to attack the dowager empress verbally. Surely, Camille would fume upon needing to face the person that had hurt her leg, which would only make this more amusing. “I look forward to that then. But be careful when she gets angry. We don't want any injuries because she loses her mind in the middle of the discussion.”

Theodore slowly led her forward while replying with a newly growing smile. “Of course, I don't want that. But I have to admit that her becoming angry is wonderful for us. After all, she might behave in a way that would allow me to order knights to escort her back home. That would be the ultimate insult, and I would love to see her expression when that happens.”

That sounded rather dangerous. In fact, Blanche was almost sure that doing that would cause the other woman to snap. “You can do that in an emergency, but we don't need her to have a total breakdown. Even if she resists being arrested or something like that, harming royalty is a crime. So, you have to protect the guards by avoiding a physical conflict.”

“The chances of her actually attacking are rather low. I'm pretty sure that it will be fine as long as we don't address how my father never loved her. And even if she does snap, I instructed the knights to knock her out from behind. If she can't identify who attacked her, she can't file a charge against them.”

That wasn't a very safe plan. After all, Cedar would be there too, and he could definitely identify anyone that came closer to his mother. So, they could only hope that Camille wouldn't get physical in her attacks.

Blanche dared to ask the gods for something once again and prayed for a non-violent conflict before returning her attention to the present. She didn't have to worry about the future right now. The Duremont family was already waiting, and the couple would greet them first. The conversation probably wouldn't end in a fight, but she was still tense with her stomach churning. After all, Henry still wouldn't be happy about his daughter being thrown out like this, and he surely wouldn't like seeing the concubine at the emperor's side either. So, Blanche had to stay calm the whole time and act as dignified as possible to avoid angering him. She already prepared herself to meet unlimited anger but was instead greeted with a somewhat strange but calm atmosphere.

Elaine at least tried to smile while Allen looked as disinterested as usual. Henry was the one that clenched his jaw and didn't know how to act while Seraphina was the only person here to greet the couple with a sincere smile.

Blanche stopped in front of them and swallowed once before forcing herself to beam as well. It probably wasn't convincing, but it was better than just staring at the Duremonts.

Theodore's smile looked perfect as always. “I wish you a wonderful evening, Your Grace. I hope that you are in a good mood. After all, we only have one winter ball, and it would be a shame not to use it properly.”

That comment sounded a bit provoking, but it seemed like Henry ignored that. He merely bowed his head and responded like one would to every of the emperor's greetings. “Of course, we wish you a wonderful evening as well, Your Majesty. I cannot complain about being unhappy. We are honored to be invited to one of the events in the palace after all.”

Blanche almost forgot that it was her turn now and only spoke up when everyone looked at her. “That is good to hear. We are pleased to have you attend our winter ball. May you and your whole family enjoy it to the fullest.”

As always, they exchanged nothing but empty pleasantries. It was tiring but better than a fight. The weirdest part was addressing Seraphina as the one with the higher rank while it felt like the whole ballroom was watching them. The concubine worried a bit at first, but the former empress didn't show any signs of resentment and just happily stood next to her family.

By the time that Theodore wanted to end the conversation, which was rather quickly after he had addressed Seraphina and thus allowed her to speak, nothing special had happened. “Then I believe that we've stolen too much of your time already. We will give you a chance to roam around freely now.”

Only at that point, Henry, who had been silent except for when he had been addressed, spoke up on his own. “Your Majesty, would you mind giving me another minute?”

Theodore's typical fake smile stuck to his lips as he responded. “Of course not. What do you wish to tell us?”

Duke Duremont looked rather serious, and the tone of his voice just conveyed that even more. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I wished to inquire something about this ball. I am rather sure that you are aware of that the fact that today is Her Majesty's birthday. Many of the guests were confused as to why there wasn't any mention of this in the invitation. You did this on purpose, did you not?”

As he heard that, Theodore began smirking, which would have given his intention away without him even answering. “I did. That woman doesn't deserve a celebration in the palace. She never asked whether we would have one and also didn't plan anything for herself. So, she has no right to complain, even if she is a bit dissatisfied now. After all, no one here was invited to join her birthday. I will congratulate her if she arrives though. Right after she waits for her turn because she came too late. I'm certain that she may be disgruntled because of that, but she didn't keep quiet during Blanche's birthday either, so there is no need to hold back.”

Henry was silent for a moment before he responded. “I see. I doubt that you will be able to ignore her when she arrives, but we will see. I assume that the great news you wish to reveal near the end will be connected to your engagement.”

The emperor happily nodded at that. “Yes. And to Blanche being the next empress. I guess that some people already expected it, so it may not be as much of a surprise as I hoped it to be. But the second part might catch some off guard, and we will look forward to that.”

The duke's expression darkened a bit. “Her Majesty won't listen to that without uttering a complaint. She will surely use every bit of hesitation that she sees coming from others against you. She will vocalize the worries everyone has and possibly win them over with that.”

Theodore still smiled, but there was a confident look in his eyes. “I know. That's why we'll use her to address every single concern that some people may have had. Once she voices them, we can refute those and prove that I'm not completely stupid. I may be enamored with my future wife, but I can very much think clearly and tell you that she is perfect to be empress. So, you don't need to worry about us winning. Obviously, you are free to step in if you feel like something bad is developing though. But I doubt that that will happen.”

This time, Henry was silent for a bit longer. Then he nodded without saying a word before slowly turning to the concubine. “From now on, you carry the weight of the royal family on your shoulders. You can't give in to other people if they attack you. You need to hold your head up high. If it's needed, being a bit prideful and brazen shouldn't be too hard for you.”

Blanche was taken aback by that kind of advice. She hadn't expected Duke Duremont to assist her in any way. After all, she had definitely not done anything that would make him feel the need to support her unless she counted saving Grace, which wasn't related to their political situation at all. She wasn't quite sure how to respond either. She already felt the burden of being at Theodore's side when everyone was watching her so that she had to act dignified wasn't new to her.

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She knew what Seraphina had done and was aware that she would only be able to copy that to some extent. But still, it would be better than doing nothing or giving up completely. After years of watching the other woman, it should be possible to imitate some things, but in the end, Blanche would have to build up an image as her own person. The concubine had already thought about what she wished to obtain, so Henry's worries were unnecessary and yet a bit calming. It seemed like that man would support her in the future, which was one of the most important things that gave her safety. Making him worry less would certainly be a good thing if she wanted him on her side for longer.

So, Blanche put on a smile and replied while trying to seem as confident as possible. “I sincerely thank you for your kind words, Your Grace. I am well aware of the fact that I have to fulfill my responsibilities now, so I will make sure to deal with any issue in a way that is benefiting of a member of the royal family. I will remember not to bow too soon.” After all, Theodore still didn't allow her to bow to his family, and due to her position as his fiancée, she didn't need to bow to anyone else in the first place. In the past, she had felt uncomfortable with this, but now she didn't have any desire to show Camille respect anymore. Maybe, no, most likely, she would even enjoy picking a fight with the other woman today.

Henry just replied with a nod, but he didn't say anything anymore.

That signaled Theodore that they could leave now. “You needn't worry, Your Grace, but we thank you for your concern anyway. We will give you a chance to have some privacy now. Goodbye.” After bidding farewell to the whole group, he led his lover away so that they could approach the next family. While they walked, he had a strange expression on his face. He looked somewhat satisfied but also annoyed at the same time.

That was such a strange combination that Blanche couldn't even detect what kind of emotion it was. She considered asking him whether he wanted to take a break, but he brought her to their destination without stopping for a moment, so she assumed that he wasn't interested in resting. They approached the Vasquez family immediately, but like during the last ball in the palace, Luciano was alone.

Theodore might have been a bit frustrated because of something, but he didn't force the other man to deal with it. Instead, he greeted this guest like anyone else. “Good evening, Lord Vasquez. It's a pleasure to see that you chose to attend our winter ball this year. Last year, you were sick, if I remember correctly. It is wonderful that you are here now, but it seems like your mother is missing instead.” His words were friendly, almost too friendly if one considered their situation.

After the incident during the Vasquez's party, Claude had been put on trial. Since that had only added fuel to the conflict between Theodore and that family, many would have expected him to treat Luciano coldly. But today, they would have to do the very opposite.

The Vasquez family had switched sides and was now supporting the emperor. They had to show this to everyone.

Luciano, who understood that well, showed them a little smile and swiftly replied in a similar tone. “I am impressed by your memory, Your Majesty. It is true that I wasn't there last year, and I deeply regret it. There was some business I needed to tend to back then, but all of that is taken care of now. Originally, I also didn't want to come alone, but as you can see, there was a little problem. But that will not make the event less pleasant. I wish you a beautiful evening.”

Blanche used a short pause to chime in while being just as friendly as the other two. “Naturally, we return that sentiment. I am pleased to meet you here today as well, Lord Vasquez. If I had to guess, your little problem is connected to your younger sister, is it not?”

That topic worked like a charm in making Luciano's smile genuine. “Indeed. Mother wanted to come, but...Rebecca is very clingy. If we both leave our angel's vicinity at the same time, she cries. It is a bit exhausting, but we obviously won't force her to sob for a whole day, so one of us stays with her at all times. We did not wish to bring a baby that is constantly crying to a ball, so Mother decided to refrain from attending, even if she is deeply sorry for having to reject your invitation. She will come again as soon as my sister is less dependent on us. I would like to apologize for that once more, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

Theodore replied with a little smile. “Of course, we would never criticize you for that. It is only natural that your family has the highest priority. If your sister needs attention, she deserves it. As you said, you can just attend together when Rebecca is a bit older and less sensitive to strangers. It won't do to drag a little girl to a ball if she will get scared, so she should wait until attending. There is no need to apologize even if your mother cannot come for the next couple of years. Since your family only receives one invitation in general, it doesn't create any unnecessary work either. You may tell your mother that.”

Luciano bowed his head slightly at that. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

When he didn't add anything, Blanche hurried to speak up. “Is Rebecca doing well right now? We saw her a while ago, so she probably grew a lot already. Babies in that age become bigger with each passing day.”

Luciano chuckled quietly. “She is growing pretty fast. In the beginning, she barely drank anything, which worried us, but now she developed a healthy appetite. She also got used to the nursemaid that can help with taking care of her. She still won't let my mother and me go, but at least she started to laugh when the maids try to play with her. Her favorite toy is a pink rattle, and she even attempts to shake it by herself, which is a very cute sight. It's pretty adorable to see her trying to sit up as well, but she won't do it that often. You could say that she is...a bit too dependent. She won't try something new unless you coax her into it. At the same time, she has no issue crying until her needs of cuddling for twenty-four hours a day are fulfilled.”

Just hearing that made Blanche's heart flutter with happiness. Babies were way too adorable, and she could imagine how Rebecca's playing looked very well. Her own siblings had loved rattles too. Nelly had been rather adventurous from the very beginning. Noel, on the other hand, had taken some time before he had gathered the courage to explore the world without their parents watching over them. Blanche happily listened to some stories about Rebecca until it was time for them to end the discussion to move on to the next guest, which should have fulfilled their goal of showing the Vasquez family's new affiliation.

But just when they bid farewell to the other man, Luciano stopped them with a serious expression. “There is one more thing. If it isn't too much of a bother, I would like to speak to you in private later. I need to tell you about a few of the things that...my father plotted. It might be good for you to hear that before the trial.”

Theodore turned to his lover for a moment and squeezed her hand, which she mirrored, before replying. “Indeed. Then we would ask you to follow us at the end of this event. We will take a few minutes to discuss everything that could be important, and I would also ask you to write it down with your signature. That way we can use it in the trial as well.”

Luciano nodded weakly. He probably still felt a bit uncomfortable knowing that he would condemn his own father, but he had no choice. Even if he had once cared for the person that had raised him, he had decided to save the rest of his family instead. But that choice didn't go by without leaving traces. His smile looked much more forced when he bid them farewell.

Blanche felt bad about that, but this was neither her fault nor could she do anything about it. So, she just gave him an encouraging smile before she and Theodore turned to around as she prepared to meet the Lamont family. But they didn't get that far.

At some point, it seemed like everyone in the whole ballroom turned to the entrance, even if it was the side entrance that the guests used and not the one for the emperor.

A grin spread across Theodore's face while he leaned over his lover to whisper. “We can assume that this is the dowager empress. She definitely wanted to use the other entrance but was rejected. How horrible. Let's go greet her.” With that, he began pulling Blanche toward the door and stood only a few steps in front of it so that they obstructed the view of most guests.

It felt strange to know that so many people were standing behind them and watched their backs, but that wasn't the most important thing now.

The doors slowly opened and revealed the dowager empress and the second prince, who was greeting everyone with his perfect smile. That much wasn't unusual, but the fact that Camille had a little smile on her lips was a bit concerning. Shouldn't that woman be absolutely furious to see her first son again?

A guard stepped forward to announce their presence. “Her Majesty, the dowager empress and His Royal Highness, the second prince.”

Slowly, the both of them walked forward. Cedar held his mother's arm, but he wasn't escorting her like normally but rather stabilized her. It was easy to see why.

Camille was limping. She didn't drag one leg behind her fully, and one couldn't see much due to her long dress, but she was definitely avoiding standing on one foot. It looked like using the right leg was rather painful to her. But this didn't gain her any sympathy from anyone that knew the full story. Surely, all of this was meant to dramatize their entrance, which only proved that Camille seemed to have some strange personality traits. Most noble ladies would wish to hide their limping, and a prideful person like her would usually try that too. It would have been logical for her to arrive earlier so that she could sit without anyone watching. But instead, she made sure that everyone would see that she wasn't walking normally. It was painful to watch how much she did in an attempt to be pitied.

Blanche could barely keep her face from scrunching up when she saw that. But she quickly focused on the fact that Camille, whose smile quickly faded, didn't seem to fake being in pain, and immediately, a small grin appeared on her face. She made eye contact with the dowager empress, whose eyes were full of bitter resentment despite her being the one that had wished for the concubine to get hurt. But Blanche refused to look away this time. She stood her ground with Theodore and waited for the other two to reach them.

Her lover seemed to be more affected than she was though. He tightened his hold on her arm and gritted his teeth for a moment. “I knew it. I'm still way too upset. I would like to behead her immediately.”

There were so many obvious reasons why that was a horrible idea, so Blanche didn't even point it out. At least she hadn't intended to do that, but upon seeing Theodore's expression and how he barely hid his rage, she decided that speaking up might be better. So, she whispered to him. “Don't do that. People will see, so you can't get angry, alright?”

Theodore turned to her with a slightly dejected expression. “I'm sorry, I didn't... I will make sure to stay calm. I don't want you to see me this angry.”

Blanche leaned her head against his arm and patted him gently. “It's fine. You can show me what you feel like when we are alone. But the people here shouldn't notice. Since you hid it well, it should be fine.” She didn't manage to say anything else nor did Theodore have a chance to respond.

The prince and the dowager empress had reached them. When both parties stopped in front of each other, Cedar carefully let go of his mother to bow to the emperor.

Camille, however, gazed at her older son before scanning the other woman with unveiled disgust. That look was enough to make the prospect of ruining her birthday more amusing. It almost seemed like she seriously expected the emperor to tell Blanche to bow to her. That definitely wouldn't happen though.

Theodore just put on a fake smile and began in a sweet tone. “Good evening. It is a pleasure to have the two of you appear here. We almost believed that you wouldn't show up because you had to celebrate the dowager empress' birthday.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before he turned to Camille. “Now that I mention it, there is no way that we can forget this. Happy birthday. I wish you a wonderful next year and that you may stay as healthy as you are right now. I'm sure that you will be very content with the following year. I prepared some presents.”

Camille opened her mouth to reply with a slightly soured expression. But of course, she wouldn't get a chance to speak.

Blanche had waited for just long enough to find the perfect moment to chime in. Her tone was so sweet that it should convey her deep hatred for the other woman. “I can only agree with it being a pleasure. I hope that both of you had no issues on the way here and had a pleasant day until now. Welcome to the royal palace and more importantly, happy birthday, Your Majesty. May your next year bring you as much happiness as you brought to others this year.” Specifically, as much happiness as she had brought to Theodore, Blanche and many others, including the Besseta family, whose death Camille had ordered in cold blood. Surely, insulting her didn't make it better, but this evening would be another nail in that woman's coffin. Everything had its goal, much like this greeting.

And it fulfilled its goal brilliantly.