Surprisingly, Blanche's wish seemed to come true for once. Nothing special came up in the following days. The concubine didn't have anything to do and was bored since Theodore had forbidden her from leaving her bed until she wasn't too weak anymore. So, she could only chat with Stella, play a few board games the maid had brought from the library and wait for the doctor's examination.
Her lover kept his promise and visited her daily. Often, they ate together and cuddled for a few minutes before he had to leave for work again, which gave Blanche the opportunity to chat about less important topics with him for once. And even though they had more time together now, Theodore seemed to hold her in his arms for longer than he usually had and was unwilling to go back to his office every time.
Blanche adored the minutes with him and was grateful for being able to see him more often than she had previously done, but the rest of the day without Theodore was quite boring. As if the weather corresponded with her annoyance, it poured during the two days that she was confined to her bed. Even after she began to walk around in her room, which she couldn't leave due to Theodore's demand, the storm didn't seem to vanish. Gray clouds covered the whole sky, and the constant noise of rain sounded in the background of every conversation. Of course, the plants needed water, but this seemed to be a bit too much, and the persistent dimness of the light was starting to get frustrating soon too.
Thus, Blanche was overjoyed when the clouds finally vanished around the time that she was able to take walks outside again. She used every single second that she had to bask in the fresh air to the fullest despite only being allowed to go out for a few minutes since the doctor and Theodore feared that she would cause her cold to resurface by over-exhausting herself.
Though she didn't have any chance to overdo it in the first place.
Her maid always reminded her not to move too quickly even if Blanche only walked through the room once, and the concubine wasn't allowed to go out alone. Theodore had insisted on accompanying his lover on every walk, and while she was happy to spend more time with him, she was annoyed at being treated like she would break due to the slightest gust of wind. When Blanche told him that, he hadn't even pretended to reconsider since her health was too important to him. In any other scenario, she might have complained about her words being ignored, but that she had the chance to cling to Theodore for a few additional minutes every day made up for his overprotectiveness.
Her lover also seemed to relish in their gained time together as he always held her hand tightly or linked their arms and didn't let go of her until the very moment that he had to leave. Sometimes, Blanche caught him staring at her with a serious expression, and when she asked about it, he just brushed his finger through her hair, but otherwise, he appeared to have re-found his routine. Theodore had to fulfill a big portion of duties like before. As expected, the situation with Northern Ocrea hadn't calmed down, which forced him to sacrifice sleep to finish all of his tasks. Still, he didn't look as tired and dejected anymore nor did her consider limiting his time with Blanche again.
Their daily schedule consisted out of at least one meal and a walk together. If it was warm and didn't rain, they even ate outside on the terrace. The plants formed a wonderful view that they could take in whenever they ate, so Blanche liked this much more than sitting in the dining room. Breathing the fresh air, feeling the warm rays of sun on her skin and hearing the birds chirping were additional benefits.
Though there was one major problem that worried her too much to allow her to properly enjoy the scenery.
The terrace was surrounded by hedges, but the big tiled square was completely empty except for the small table that had been placed there for them to eat. Thus, everyone who passed by, including countless servants and knights, would see the couple immediately. Luckily, the empress hadn't appeared yet, but that was only a matter of time, and the numerous other pairs of eyes already disturbed Blanche enough. Being interrupted every few minutes because someone stared at the couple wasn't very fun.
While it still wouldn't have been pleasant, it would have been alright if Blanche and Theodore were only eating at the same table. But they naturally did things that indisputably identified them as a couple too. They occasionally fed each other and gave the other party small kisses.
The most incriminating action was without a doubt their constant cuddling though. Theodore had placed his chair directly next to his lover's, and during the meals, they were always in contact in some way. Sometimes, their knees were touching, or he wrapped an arm around her. At other times they wiped each other's face with a handkerchief. No matter when a person looked at them, one would find some indication of their relationship.
For that reason, Blanche was a bit uncertain whether continuing to eat on the terrace was a good idea. However, she and her lover only met for lunch, and being surrounded by nature was beautiful, so she was reluctant to give that up.
“You know, it would be great if there was a way to be outside while also being in a house.” Blanche had just voiced that as a joke while Theodore was accompanying her back to her room.
Though her lover's expression told her that he was completely serious. “Why?”
Blanche quickly gave a short explanation without thinking about it much. “Well, eating outside with the fresh air and gorgeous surroundings is wonderful. But there are so many people there. Someone always passes by while we are talking, and we either have to pause or continue and risk that they hear every word. I also feel like some of the more noisy bystanders love to observe us in their free time, and that is annoying. Even Owen and Stella have to wait at a spot where they have nothing to do but look at us. In a closed room, we'd have way more privacy. Besides, the weather won't stay this good forever. Today, it was already quite cool, and when it rains, we can't sit outside either. Within a building, you would be protected from wind and downfall. But that was just a thought. I didn't actually plan to talk that much about it.”
Theodore was quiet for a couple of seconds as they walked through the corridors. He hummed to himself, which made her wonder whether it had been good to tell him. He didn't seem to understand that she had just joked, and his words when he spoke up again proved that. “You're right, but it would be hard to realize something like that. You would need a huge room with countless windows to let in enough sun. Then you'd have to cover the whole floor with soil, plant all the seeds and get them watered every day.”
Blanche rolled her eyes at him and squeezed his hand. “As I said, I wasn't serious. I don't know much about plants, but even I am aware that they need a lot of care. I have enough time to imagine such scenarios, but you shouldn't put more unsolvable things on your mind. You already pondered about your work during the whole meal, so you should take a break now and not try to logically explain an unreasonable concept.”
Theodore turned his head to meet her gaze. “I wasn't thinking about work. I was concentrating on you for every single second.” Both the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes showed that he felt the need to stress this, even though the topic wasn't important at all.
Blanche scanned him for a moment before she replied. “If you say that, it seems to be true. I only know that you stared into the distance more often than usual. But I don't mind that as long as you take enough breaks. Your brain has to rest sometimes too.”
Her lover gently ran his thumb over her hand. “I do put down my pen in between. I just spend all my breaks with you, and I am very content with that. Admittedly, I was a bit vacant today, but that won't happen again. I came to a conviction, and the matter is settled with that.” Usually, he wasn't this vague with his statements and told her everything about his current duties. Today, that seemed to be different.
So, Blanche inevitably wanted to know more. “And what was that conviction?”
Theodore gave her a soft smile. “I'll trust my heart and then take the safest route. The subject is a secret though.” That answer only left her behind with even more curiosity.
The couple reached Blanche's room, and she prepared herself to kiss her lover goodbye at the door, only to be surprised when he followed her inside. “Aren't you going to leave? I mean, I would be happy if you stayed a bit longer, but don't you have to help Leon?”
Theodore helped her take off her coat and hung it on the rack by the door. “Later, I will have to. For now, I am going to enjoy your company a little more. I shouldn't leave Leon to fend for himself, but you were right about my brain needing to rest. All my texts would be full of errors in my current state.”
Immediately, a beam appeared on Blanche's face. Of course, it was selfish to be happy about him putting his work aside to help her, but only because he was the emperor, that didn't mean that he wasn't human. Theodore had to take breaks like everyone else, and she was the last person to watch while he was over-exhausting himself. “That sounds wonderful. I will just go change back into my normal clothes. It won't take long, I promise!”
Her lover pressed a short kiss onto her forehead before plopping down onto the chair by her desk. “You don't have to hurry, I won't run away.”
She stroked over his hair a few times and allowed him to put his arms around her waist for a minute before she tore herself away with all of her willpower. They could cuddle for as long as they wanted after she had gotten rid of her outdoor dress. The thick fabric might have been suitable for the cool breeze in the garden, but on the inside, it was way too warm. She was already beginning to sweat and couldn't wait to wear her thinner dress again.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Her lover gave her a wide smile before she went into the bathroom with Stella and changed into her normal attire with the maid's help.
It couldn't have taken more than a couple of minutes, but when Blanche came back into the bedroom, Theodore was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, a pit of disappointment formed in her stomach. Had something urgent come up, and her lover had been forced to leave? If that was the case, shouldn't he have informed her? He always did, so it wouldn't make sense for him to not write a short note today. “Theo?” She called for him out in a slightly louder volume.
“I'm in here.” The reply sounded from the smaller side room that Blanche barely used.
She followed his voice and glanced through the door frame to see her lover sitting in front of the lit fireplace.
Theodore was staring at the growing flame and set down a box of matches as the fire's light softly danced across his stoic face. He used an iron skewer to move around the paper he had used to start the fire before putting the wood in place and setting down the skewer. Then he turned to her, and the corners of his lips lifted. “You were cold earlier, so I thought that we can make ourselves comfortable here.”
Now that he mentioned it, the little room did seem very cozy. There weren't any large empty spaces. Just the fireplace, a sofa, two armchairs and a few cabinets made out of dark wood that lined the walls. Those pieces of furniture filled the entire room with only enough space for a couple of paths to walk around and a larger area in front of the fireplace.
Blanche rarely stepped inside this room since she had a bigger seating area in the main room, but the image in front of her made her regret that a bit. “It looks beautiful. Why have I never asked for someone to make me a fire before?”
Theodore chuckled and turned his upper body to grab two blankets from the sofa. He unfolded them and spread one out on the floor before he faced her again. “It's even better that way. We can properly enjoy it for the first time together.” Theodore extended his arm towards her, and she didn't hesitate to come closer to sit down in front of him so that she could lean against his chest. Quickly, he lifted the second blanket and wrapped it around them both before planting a few kisses on the backside of her neck. After she began to giggle because of the tingling sensation of his cool lips against her skin, he settled for resting his chin on her shoulder.
They sat in silence for a while and just stared into the flames while listening to the sound of the sizzling and crackling of the paper and wood in the fireplace. At some point, Stella had closed the door, which made Blanche grin to herself. If even her own maid, who should be used to it by now, couldn't stand watching the couple be so overly affectionate, how annoyed did the other servants have to be?
Theodore suddenly spoke up and tore her away from her thoughts. “I remembered what I wanted to talk about after you woke up.”
Blanche turned her head to look at him as much as she could over her shoulder. She hadn't thought about that topic anymore and hadn't expected him to bring it up again either, not after he had been so intent on avoiding the subject. Her stomach quickly began to churn as she reminded herself of how dejected he had seemed the first time that he had told her that they needed to discuss something. She almost didn't want to ask, but she did it anyway. If he readdressed it after a few days had passed, it was definitely important to him. “What was it about?”
Theodore hugged her a little tighter and pressed another kiss to her neck before beginning. “You don't have to tense up like this. I just want to ask you something.”
His words made Blanche realize that all of her muscles had cramped upon hearing him speak about that topic. She forced herself to relax and slumped against her lover.
Only after that, Theodore continued, but the hesitation in his voice revealed that he would have liked to delay raising his voice even more. “At the ball...you danced with Duke Vasquez's son. Not for a one piece, which I probably would have ignored, but for six ones. I saw you talk to each other. Sometimes, you smiled, then you seemed angry or upset. What were you discussing? And why were you dancing with him?”
The rest of Blanche's tension dropped off her. The subject wasn't as horrible as the devastating scenarios she had already imagined, which might be why she was so willing to ignore the fact that she felt like this hadn't been what Theodore originally wanted to talk about. She could easily talk about the ball after all. She didn't even have to lie about the conversation if she left out the small part about Luciano stating that she should resume writing letters to Sefare. “He suddenly approached me and asked me for a dance. I didn't want to join him and tried to refuse. Still, he kept on insisting. I know that you said that I didn't have to, but a baroness rejecting the offer of duke's son is a bit...impolite. In the end, I gave in. While we danced, I was either focused on not messing up, or he didn't stop talking for an eternity so that I completely lost track of time. When he pointed out that we had been dancing for a few music pieces already, I got angry at him for not warning me. That must be what you saw.”
Theodore breathed out next to her ear, which tickled a bit. He buried his forehead in her shoulder for a moment before he lifted his head to reply. “I thought that something similar to that must have happened, but I still...” He cut himself off and tightened his embrace around her. “I didn't like seeing you together. It was unreasonable to get angry because of something like this, and I knew that. But that only frustrated me even more. I couldn't stop glaring at him, even though he technically hadn't done anything wrong. And with every music piece that he didn't let go of you, it got worse. I usually allow you to do anything you want, but please don't dance with him again. I can't forbid you from doing that, but...” He didn't finish the sentence, however, she already understood what he meant.
A small part of Blanche was reminded of Luciano's words about it being unfair that Theodore was with his wife in front of her. For a moment, she considered mentioning that she shared her lover's sentiment whenever he was with Seraphina, but she held herself back. As the emperor, Theodore had no choice but to appear with the empress in public, and his lover had to accept that those were rules that couldn't be broken.
Besides, Theodore was upset already. She couldn't see his face since he was behind her now, but she heard his voice, which made it clear enough that that incident still bothered him. So, she didn't need to rile him up even more. She should do the opposite and calm him, just like he did it when she was jealous.
So, Blanche tried just that. “I didn't like dancing with him either. His whole family makes me uncomfortable, and he is just as unsettling as his father, if not even more so. Everything, from his smile to his fake personality and his lies, shows me that he is not to be trusted. That's why I'm glad that I don't have to see him often. I don't want to have anything to do with him. I'm also not going to go to his jeweler's shop again.” As Blanche spoke that sentence, she realized that she hadn't told Theodore about that. She turned her head to the side to face him. “I just remembered that you don't know it yet. Luciano himself is the owner of the store that I visited with Leon to get the present for the empress. I didn't believe it at first since he is quite young, but apparently, he owns a few shops in the capital.”
Her lover's expression darkened at that, and a glimmer of anger appeared in his eyes. “So, he is the one who tried to gift you that expensive necklace. It's good that I didn't give it to you.” He paused for a second, and his frown deepened. “You shouldn't take anything from strangers, especially not from him or his family. It also would be better if you didn't call him by his first name.”
Blanche's lips formed a small “Oh” at that. Naturally, she wouldn't accept any presents from the Vasquez family, even though Luciano had hinted that he planned on getting her more. But she hadn't considered that using the other man's first name would upset Theodore. She had simply used the first name since Luciano was about her age, but now that she thought about it, it would be better to stick to his last name even in private. Why hadn't she done that from the very beginning? She felt like she had talked to some people that called him by his first name often, which might have caused this. But in the end, that didn't matter. She wouldn't repeat that mistake.
Theodore's expression softened at her surprise, and he was quick to correct himself. “I didn't mean to sound so commanding. I won't order you around, I just don't like-” He paused for a short moment. “No, I hate hearing you say his name. You also don't need to keep anything he gives you. Tell me whatever you want, and it will be yours, so you don't have to wait for others to give you gifts.” He took her hand and lifted it to his face to kiss her fingertips.
Blanche couldn't help but beam at his gentleness. Theodore always made sure that she didn't feel forced to do anything, which was only one of the countless reasons why she was devoted to him. She reached behind herself to run her fingers through his hair. It wasn't a very pleasant way of holding her arm, but she would endure it for a few seconds to soothe her lover. “I know that you won't order me around. I didn't plan on taking anything from him or his family anyway, and I just used his first name because it's easier than saying Duke Vasquez's son. But if you don't want me to, I won't call him that again.”
“Thank you.” Theodore whispered in her ear and pressed his mouth onto her neck. This time, he didn't pull back so quickly and simply rested his lips against her skin. After he remained in this position for a while, he lifted his head and spoke up in a quiet voice. “There is something else that I forgot to tell you too. When we talked about jealousy in the past, I might have had the wrong impression of the cause for that emotion. A few of my remarks were completely wrong back then. I'm sorry.” Even though he hadn't stated what exactly he meant, Blanche knew what he was referring to.
Whenever she had mentioned being envious of Seraphina, Theodore had refuted her worries by saying that she knew that he loved her. Sometimes, he had claimed that she didn't need to be jealous if she believed in his commitment. Now that he had felt a flicker of that terrible emotion, he understood that one couldn't get rid of it that easily. He was finally was aware of the fact that Blanche didn't have to doubt him or his love to be envious, and that relieved her immensely. This meant that Theodore wouldn't be as hurt by it anymore if she was unable to hide her jealousy. So, she didn't have to swallow it as much as before and could speak to him more openly.
Blanche had to show her lover how happy she was about his effort to show her his compassion. She broke free from his hold to turn around and face him. She reached up to put her hand onto the backside of his head and gently directed him in her direction to make him lean forward. As soon as he complied, she planted her lips upon his and put her arm around his neck to keep him in place, not that he wanted to evade her touch. Once again, she melted and felt how every fiber in her being screamed with love for him. At that moment, she wanted to be as close to him as she could. She cuddled against him without breaking the kiss, and his arms moved around her body to pull her closer.
When their lips separated in the end, they only tightened the hug to make up for the lost contact.
Theodore adjusted the blanket so that they were engulfed in it again and pressed another short kiss onto her forehead. “If I had known that you would react like that, I would have told you earlier.”
“I'm not going to give you any further reasons to be jealous. But if you are, it would be better to inform me sooner so that I can still do something about it.” Blanche didn't mind avoiding Luciano for her lover at all. In fact, the emperor's wish would be a great excuse to go take detours to refrain from meeting any member of the Vasquez family.
Theodore brushed over the tip of her nose with his finger before returning his arm to its original spot around her body. “I'll remember to immediately pull you away in the future. I would have loved to do that at the ball too, but that would have been a bit inappropriate.”
His words reminded Blanche of Stella's story about what he had done after she passed out. She looked up at her lover with raised eyebrows. “I heard that you ignored any help that was offered and carried me out of the ballroom yourself. Was that appropriate?”
Theodore grimaced slightly at her accusation. When he noticed that, he forced himself to give her a strained smile instead. “Admittedly, it wasn't very intelligent for me to do that, and I doubt that the people will stop chatting about this for the next decade. However-” His expression became serious as he carefully brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face. “I wouldn't act differently, even if I had the chance to change what happened that evening. I wasn't going to let you fall onto the floor, and after you collapsed, I was too aggravated to think clearly. The only thing that was on my mind was bringing you to the doctor as soon as possible. I didn't even consider handing you over to anyone else, so I simply lifted you up to get you out of that crowded area.”
Blanche understood parts of this. Even though it certainly had been an unpleasant event, it would have been hard for her to ignore Theodore's well-being if the roles had been reversed too. So, she couldn't blame him for this and just gave him an encouraging nod. “We can't change it anymore either way. So, don't feel bad.”
Theodore sighed quietly before continuing. “I don't feel bad about this at all. Like I said, my decision would remain unchanged no matter what. We just have to be a bit more careful in the near future. For now, this event might be the most interesting rumor in the capital, but they'll get over it eventually. At least I hope that they will. If they don't, that's fine too. As long as the empress and her father aren't pestering me about it, I don't care, and I also have no qualms about defending my actions in front of them. Besides, the empress is partly at fault for you breaking down in the first place, so she actually doesn't have the right to complain.”
That comment was a little surprising.