Blanche slowly stroked over his arm to show her that she was here this time. “Theo, I'm fine now. There is no need to look at me like this. Calm down, and don't think about anything bad.”

Theodore met her gaze with regret painted onto his face. “There is no way I can calm down when I remember what I did to you. When I found out that you were innocent, it was even worse. I don't remember what happened the whole evening. I probably drank until I collapsed. I only know a small part of the conversation that happened afterward. Leon explained the situation to them, and the Duremonts were pretty shocked. I told them that I would begin a trial immediately and make sure that the responsible one gets the punishment she deserves. And that it should be natural that the real criminal would get a much harder punishment than the person that had been falsely accused.” His burning rage came back, and it was obvious that he would talk about Seraphina once more. “Then that woman had the nerve to begin crying. She spouted her nonsense and began telling me how she had been trying to protect the nation and me by doing that. So, I told her that the whole nation didn't mean anything when you were dead. She told me that she loved me, and that made me draw my sword. I made sure that she understood that I love you and that her harming you means that I despise her more than anyone else. I told her to disappear in that instant if she didn't want me to end her pathetic existence. She ran away after that.”

Blanche remembered being torn when it came to that matter. On the one hand, seeing Seraphina getting rebuked had been a relief, but on the other hand, she had worried too much about Theodore. Back then, she had barely had any sympathy for the other woman earning what she had sown.

But seeing her lover like that had made her fear that he would try something really problematic. She didn't want to think about that night much. Theodore had looked like he would jump out of the window a few times and had only stopped because of her and the guards that had been there to keep him in check due to Leon's order. Watching that had been painful to her too. So, she was glad when he moved on with the story.

“The trial never happened because I died before that, but at least that disgusting woman suffered a bit. I'm pretty sure that Cedar burned her to the ground later, but she already got a taste of the bitter medicine then. The duke and the duchess avoided her after they found out how vile she was. That day, she lost her parents along with her siblings, who had distanced themselves before too. Noah Aldis also turned away from her. He continued to protect her, but he had closed off his heart after finding out that he was serving a monster. That was the ending she deserved, but obviously, that was still way too kind. I would have done more, but as I said, I will never regret dying since it brought me to you. That happened about a month after I found out about the truth. But first...” He didn't seem happy, but he forced himself to narrate this part as well. “I met Cedar a day after I heard everything. He came to push me to my breaking point by explaining everything from your perspective. In the end, he only pained himself as much as he hurt me. He actually yelled at me about you never having an affair. Because all you had done while being at his place had been crying because I left you. And still, you had loved me with all your heart and believed that your sincerity would reach me at some point. While I had had nothing better to do than to push you away.” He gritted his teeth, and it was already obvious what would follow.

Blanche didn't let him insult himself again and leaned to him to kiss him. “Theo, everything is fine. Please don't talk about things that hurt you too much. I know that the situation afterward was really bad too. I think I have a basic understanding of what happening during that time.” This was another offer for him to skip things if they were too uncomfortable for him.

But Theodore replied as expected. “I know. I talked to you more than ever before then. From that day on, I acted as if you were with me. I asked for food for two people for each meal and bought you gifts. I insisted on redoing your trial because I wanted your name to be cleared. Of course, I divorced that woman back then too and used her crimes as a reason to ignore all laws that would have required us to come to a decision together. She often tried to talk to me, but I only threatened her each time and added more insults until she let it be. I didn't care about whether people were openly calling me a madman. I knew that it would end soon, so I did my best to speed it up.”

And that was the memory that Blanche found truly painful.

Theodore talked about the worst time of his life without even considering whether he should hide it. To him, the moments leading up to his death weren't painful. They had seemed like a relief to him. “I truly became a real tyrant at that point. Maybe because I wanted Cedar to start a revolt against me. In any case, I stopped accepting apologies and punished each small mistake. Countless people were dismissed, and I did everything to show that I was completely insane. I made sure that everyone knew who had slandered your name and began treating you like an actual deity. I hung pictures of you everywhere.” Which was why she hated the thought of him doing that now. “I slept in your room and spent every minute talking to you. I even asked a high priest whether I could make you a member of royalty in hindsight. Everyone knew that I had snapped, and they were supposed to fully understand that.”

There was even more to that than he had just told her. Blanche remembered desperately trying to comfort him to get him to change his mind. But she had already known that he would either end his life or be overthrown by Cedar soon. Theodore had even told her about him favoring the second option. Apparently, it would be better for the nation since the citizens could gossip about the new emperor defeating the insane tyrant that had slaughtered thousandths in the war.

But in reality, not everyone had seen him as a bloodthirsty tyrant. Everyone had just known him as the man that had lost his mind because he grieved the death of his beloved.

At least Blanche told herself that, but she knew that there had been other voices. Most of the nobles had almost cowered in fear when they had seen the emperor at that point. That hadn't made him reconsider though.

Theodore averted his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “The situation within the palace became freezing, and that was what I wanted. I hoped that they would finally attack me. But first, Cedar made sure that the people I cared about suffered. Do you remember his personal guard? That was the man I killed during the hunting festival. I took revenge on him because he had a duel with Owen and shamelessly used that chance to blind one of his eyes. Afterward, Owen could still fight, but he obviously didn't have the same coordination and could barely avoid attacks. It was more disheartening to him than to anyone else. Even after I offered him that he could stop working and still receive the same pay, he refused and insisted on protecting me. It was just a shame that I didn't want to be protected at all. Leon was attacked too. But since he used to be an assassin, he easily defeated the treacherous attackers, even if he was hurt a bit. Those had been the brothers that I killed this time too.”

Blanche had the image of Owen clutching his face in mind as well. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly pushed that thought away. “I'm glad that he is fine now. And it's good that you took care of that man before he could hurt anyone.” The more tried to remind herself of Cedar's guard, the less desire to remember him remained. She was pretty sure that she vaguely remembered that man, and also being forced to witness how he had hurt Owen while claiming that it had been an act of revenge for her.

Theodore slowly moved his hands to interlock their fingers. “I took care of everything as early as possible this time. The bear and that guard were gone quickly. Those brothers and their group were dangerous too, so I'm glad that I ran into them. That was the only reason that we managed to take care of the revolt without spilling blood this time. Last time, there weren't any hurt people either, but that was for another reason.”

Blanche knew that the story would just become grimmer now. She found herself frowning a little before she forced out a little reply. “And the revolt last time... It happened soon after, right?”

Theodore paused, and a small smile grew on his lips. It seemed so out of place, but it wasn't fake. He had truly been happy about what had followed. “Yes. My prayers were answered. There was an attack on the royal palace, and Cedar led it. No one fought them because everyone secretly believed that the insane ruler should be defeated. Cedar announced that he doubted that I was in the right mind to reign and challenged me to a duel. Everyone was so surprised when I agreed with excitement. I had never smiled since the war, so they were rather shocked. Then Cedar and I agreed to fight until death without anyone else getting involved. I also asked him to refrain from harming anyone that wasn't to blame for my mistakes and to hurt the people that framed you. He gladly agreed, and that made it even more obvious. We had a fair duel, but it had been decided from the very beginning. Since I didn't have the will to live left, I didn't do much except for keeping up appearances. We both knew that.”

Blanche pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew what would follow. She had seen the image a few times. Only thinking about it awakened the urge to cry in her. “You went to my grave.” That was all she brought out before she needed to close her mouth.

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Theodore gave her a gentle smile and stroked over her cheeks. “Don't be sad. I was happy about it. It was over quickly. I could have fought, but I never tried. I think I only avoided two attacks and pretended to aim for his arm once. Then I let him hit me. It was a perfect wound. I didn't even feel much pain, probably because I was just eagerly waiting. I saw you next to me and began talking to you. You were crying, and I gave my best to calm you down. I told you that I loved you and how I regretted everything. That vile woman came once, but I didn't let her ruin our reunion. I just wanted to be where you were. I died right there on your grave while asking the gods to let me be with you even though I didn't deserve it. That should have been the end. But then you called out for me.”

That had been right after the attack during Duke Lamont's birthday in this world. The concubine had sat next to him while he slept after his treatment. Then she had thought that he had moved and had begun asking him to wake up. “You took some time to reply, you know? I was worried.”

By now, Theodore and she were both crying again, and he did his best to speak despite that. “I'm sorry. I thought that I had survived and was still trapped in that world where you couldn't be by my side. I felt a hand holding mine, and since you never managed to grasp me so tightly, I was sure that it couldn't be you. So, I was overrun by dejection. But then you said my name. I knew you were there, but I was convinced that you still were in that ghostly state. But then you talked more and more. You were hoarse but not because your neck was hurt. You said way too much for you to still be injured. That was when I finally looked at you. And you weren't transparent. You were there and truly with me with your whole body.” He let out a shaky chuckle and caressed her face. “I was so, so happy then. I still am. If I had known that I would return to your side after I died, I would have taken care of that faster. But I'm just so glad that I got another chance.”

And yet, it hadn't stopped there. Things had resumed.

Theodore was still happy, but his smile faded a bit anyway. “After I woke up here, we talked to each other, and I found out that I had gone back in time. I was ecstatic to know that I could do everything differently. I hoped that the past had been undone, but I was wrong. You mentioned the hole in the palace wall that you couldn't have known about. And then I went through my memories, only to notice that I had two sets. In this world, you had already changed countless things. You had told me about nightmares that were scenes from the other world. You seemed scared of that wretched woman and were scared of losing me. Only one conclusion made sense. You were remembering the same things as I did.”

It was true that her actions had obviously been connected to those memories if one looked at it with all of that knowledge. To Blanche, that past in which she had feared the novel's ending seemed so far away. She wasn't even sure whether that book existed anymore. It probably didn't. Even if it did, she didn't have to worry about it anymore. After all, her lover was with her now.

She showed Theodore a bright smile and happily leaned into his touch. “That's why you suddenly hugged me with that much energy and began crying. I already thought that you had been traumatized by the attack and lied about not caring much.”

Her lover brought his face closer to her to kiss her nose. “I cried because I was overjoyed to see you. That day, I only noticed that you loved me even more than I could ever have imagined. Even though you had the chance to live again, you didn't leave me even though I deserved it. But I was scared. Scared of you not being able to forgive me if you found out that I remembered too. I knew how selfish that was, but I couldn't risk it. So, I gave my best to make this life perfect without revealing it to you. But soon I noticed that I couldn't lie to you. I dropped little hints whenever I could. Yet, you didn't seem to understand that I remembered too. Maybe because you thought about a slightly different world. That was why you didn't recognize Cedar or wonder why I knew about the future. But now we know why that was.” He looked a bit sadder when he said that.

The concubine quickly spoke up to keep him from becoming even more upset. “Don't think about saying it. That was my own brain. I pushed away everything that I couldn't bear. And do you remember what my head made out of this? That you had your happy ending. From the very beginning, I would have never condemned you. Because I always longed for you to be happy. But the fact that I still didn't want to give up and tried to destroy those story events should make it clear. I wanted to be your happy end.”

Theodore rested his forehead against hers. “You are. You are my true happiness. I made sure to let you understand that as soon as I woke up here. I refused to let go of you for the entire day, remember? I was so scared that taking my hands off you would mean that you would disappear. So, I stayed awake the entire night while writing down the timeline of the next years. I needed to make sure to address every issue. Whether it was a political one, a catastrophe or any trouble that was related to you. My priority was anything related to the third category. So, I wrote down every single thing that woman accused you of and every little fight as well. I wanted to prevent all of that. That was the only reason I forced myself to let you go for an hour the next day. I almost went mad at that time, but I needed to take care of the most important things. Like making sure that that wretched woman wouldn't do anything The first thing I did was warn everyone about her. All people around us kept an eye on her from then on. If she had tried to approach you, I would have crushed her in an instant.”

Blanche let out a little chuckle. “That was why you were so upset when I visited her to bring her medicine. I was so confused about you suddenly acting like that. Especially when you started touching me in public afterward. As if you wanted everyone to know. And when I addressed my concerns, you just said that no one would be able to take away the emperor's power.”

Theodore nodded at her with utmost sincerity. “Of course, I would hate you being nice to the woman that ruined your life. I'm glad that I barged in while you were talking though. That way, I could immediately show how it would be from then on. I would pull you into my arms and bring you away from her evil clutches. And she can't do anything about that. No one can. As you said, no one could ever take away the emperor's power. I finally understood that then. I actually wouldn't have minded giving up my power if it meant keeping you as my lover, but I was aware that I could do a lot without people attacking me. In that other world, I had acted completely insane for a while, and no one dared to criticize me openly, remember? So, I noticed that I could do much more if I stayed strong. I knew that I would make you my wife and empress as soon as I woke up. I worked forward to that goal from the very moment that I opened my eyes. And now we are finally here, and you will be mine as I'm yours. I won't let you go, never again.”

Blanche smiled at him and tightly held onto his hands. “Good. Because I will cling to you. You told me your whole story, and I didn't change my mind. Is that enough evidence for you? I'm yours, just like I have always been. I will fight for us too. I did so from the second that I found out that this novel I came up with could be changed. I will do my best to protect us from all dangers and look forward to the future with you. Even when you can't foresee everything anymore.”

“I still have about two years of knowledge left, but I doubt that I will be able to use most of it. After all, we changed the political situation quite a bit. I want to make the most of it anyway. Our life will be perfect, I promise. Now that the dowager empress has lost most of her power, she will not be a threat anymore. If she does become one, I will not hesitate to execute her. After tormenting her a bit, that is. The same holds true for Cedar. But I'm pretty sure that he won't try anything. He was too dejected this time. I think he might have lost his unwavering trust in his mother. That can only mean something good for him, but we won't deal with that. We will focus on our happiness.” Theodore pressed a kiss onto her fingers and looked directly into her eyes. His expression became a bit grimmer after a few seconds of silence. When he spoke again, he was much quieter than before. “I still can't believe it. That I could return to you is one thing. But that you truly welcome me into your arms is...like a dream.”

Blanche interlocked their fingers. “Don't say that. We are both fully awake. We can pinch each other. Look.” She lifted one of her hands and gently poked his upper arm. “You can feel that, right? We're fine. We changed so much and got so far. There is no need to doubt any of that. We can just be happy together. I know that you are still suffering because of what happened. You suffered even more than anyone else. You carried around a burden for about three years after everything began, and now you spent another year without telling me anything. I know that you already felt way too much pain. So, you deserve your happiness now. And I will make sure that you get it. You may need a while to fully understand that it's different now, that the past is over, but I will be with you the whole time. Trust me and hold my hand so that we can walk forward. We will be together from now on and until forever. Alright?”

Theodore tightened his hold on her and brought her hands to his face. “Yes. For all eternity. Even if so many bad things happened in the past, I will make sure that everything goes smoothly now. No one will make you cry ever again.”

The concubine smirked at him. “I cry at everything. You will definitely not succeed on that one. But ensuring our happiness is a good idea. I have quite a few ideas about what we can do together to cheer ourselves up. There is so much we can enjoy together, and we have nothing to do in the near future. We could have a vacation to calm down. Or we can just walk around and visit the winter garden. And the pavilion. All the places that belong to us. What do you want to do? Tell me what plans you have. For this day, week or the whole year.”

Theodore looked at her and was quiet for a moment. He almost seemed hesitant to speak up but he did so anyway. “I want to marry you. As soon as possible. I don't know if this is too quickly or if you even...want to do this now. We just went through a lot of trouble, so I understand if you want to take a break from stress first.”

Blanche let out a small huff. “Theo, sometimes, you don't think before you talk. Do you really think that I'd want to wait when you ask me to marry you? There is no way. Now that the danger is gone, I want to do it as soon as we can. The preparations will take a while anyway. At least a month, so it should be no problem if we start now. I'm eager to become your wife, you know? I would do it tomorrow if we had the chance.”

Her lover tried to hide it, but she could see how his bottom lip trembled. He was about to start crying again, even if he had never truly stopped. “Then we can do it in two months. Our engagement party can be in one month, and the wedding is one month later. I will prepare the grandest ceremony imaginable. Everyone will know me as the man that loves his angel more than his own life. And this time, it won't be a tragedy.”

She smiled at him while trying to hold her own tears back. “Of course not. This time, we will have our happy end, no matter what. We will never be separated. We will marry, have children and happily live on until the very end. And we'll protect the nation in the progress. But before we plan that far, we will marry in two months. I will be your wife in just sixty days. Doesn't that sound wonderful?”

Theodore let out a little chuckle. “It does. I love you so much.”

She showed him a bright smile. “I love you too, Theo.”