“Now I feel even worse for triggering your allergy.” Clark seemed to be rather upset after hearing Stella's version of the story that had led him to put cherries into the concubine's cake.
Blanche would have liked to assure him that it was fine, but she doubted that he would simply accept that. What could she say that would calm his guilty consciousness? It took some time before she came up with an answer that could possibly satisfy him. “Then maybe working for your forgiveness will make you feel better. I'll only forgive you under two conditions. One, you will never put cherries anywhere near my food again and also discourage others from doing that. And two, you have to make me a cake whenever I want to. That also means that you have to help me while baking whenever I ask you to. As long as you aren't working.”
Clark looked up and blinked a few times at the two fingers she was holding up before furrowing his brow. “That's not very hard to do.”
“Then you shouldn't complain, right?”
He kept quiet for a moment, in which he scanned her expression. “You shouldn't forgive people that easily. That might bring you harm in the future.”
Blanche shrugged at him. “You didn't try to harm me specifically. Your intention was to get revenge for your friends after I had pushed you to a point at which all of you hated me. So, it's not surprising at all that you listened to that maid's story and then acted on an impulse. In your situation, I might have something similar. You aren't harboring any evil intentions toward me now, which you proved by apologizing for this often, so I won't punish you for anything. But don't think that I would forgive others quickly if they have done something bad to me. I hold quite a few grudges.”
The concubine had made sure to burn the actions of her enemies into her brain to prevent herself from falling into their trap later. She resented Sefare and the Vasquez family for using her, and she might even hate them more because they planned on hurting her lover.
Though her feelings in that matter weren't perfectly clear either. Theodore had been the person to abandon the villainess and order her execution, and still, she didn't harbor any negative emotions towards him. She understood why he had made that choice at the end of the novel, and even if she didn't, that would probably still be unable to lessen her love for him. So, she had to admit that her judgment was heavily flawed when it came to the people she cared for. That might be why she was so calm now too.
Clark stared at her for long enough to make Blanche believe that her words hadn't convinced him in the slightest. Then his eyes slowly moved to the table, and he inspected her cake roll while speaking. “It's good to keep in mind what people did to you. Even if you forgive them, you shouldn't forget. But it looks like I have no choice.” A slight smile spread on his lips as he glanced over at her. “If no one helps you in the near future, all of your attempts at cutting a cake will look like this. Seemingly, I will have to step in to keep you from giving everyone a heart attack with the way that you are holding a knife.” He turned the plate to show her all the spots that she hadn't cut in a straight line but rather in a curvy one with some loose parts.
Blanche was too happy that he had stopped frowning to complain about his attack on her knife skills. She handed him a fork with him a bright smile. “See? You will have to teach me how to do it properly. But until then, you'll have to ignore the appearance to focus on the flavor.”
“You seem to be pretty confident in your baking abilities. That will make me have high hopes. Aren't you overestimating yourself with such a statement?” Clark lifted the fork and tauntingly held it above the cake without touching it.
This caused Stella to raise an eyebrow. “Well, the last time, her apple pie was good enough to bribe you into giving up your grudge overnight, so I assume that this cake will also surprise you. Though obviously, we can't fully trust your words without confirming it for ourselves. We'll have to taste test it too. Should I make two more pieces?”
Blanche raised her hand to ask Stella to wait. She glanced at Gloria, who was still standing in one of the corners of the room, and attempted to decide whether she should offer her a piece or ignore her. The head maid had already expressed her dislike for the emperor's lover numerous times, so inviting her to eat cake didn't make any sense. However, not acknowledging her presence and moving on without her felt wrong. Besides, being rejected was most like the worst thing that could happen, so Blanche could at least try. “Gloria, would you like something too?”
The head maid looked over at her and made eye contact but hesitated for a while before responding. “I still have to have a private conversation with Clark about what it means to be employed in the royal palace and attend the guests of His Majesty as well as about the fight just now. So, I have to wait until you are done anyway. Thus, I wouldn't mind tasting a small piece. After all, the talk about Lady Blanche using the kitchen to bake has reached my ears too.”
The concubine hadn't expected that answer at all and paused for a short moment before regaining her composure. She turned to her maid. “That means we'll need three more pieces.”
Stella stood up before her mistress had even finished the sentence. “Of course.” She returned to the counter and quickly cut off another piece to form a roll, and Blanche followed her to do the same. They had barely begun when Stella already pointed out the issue. “I think that your original plan to decorate the whole cake won't work out anymore, My Lady. The diameter has become quite small already after we cut off so much off the side.”
The concubine made a dismissive motion with her hand. “It's fine. It's a way better idea to serve it like this anyway. It looks prettier and seems a bit different from the cakes we usually make. The same ingredients are still being used up, so it doesn't change much.”
Stella accepted that with a nod before she began to cut out the dough pieces, which resulted in them being evener with a consistent pattern in contrast to before. In the meantime, Blanche put the cream and fruits on it before rolling the whole pastry. Naturally, the results looked more appetizing now that a person that could actually cut straight lines had done it. They carried the plates to the table and placed one in front of every chair before taking a seat as well.
Gloria sat down next to Stella. It quickly became clear how she was able to manage all the servants and maintain such an important position in the royal palace for years. Just with her stoic expression, she emitted an aura that made it clear that one couldn't ignore her authority.
Instead of shrinking into herself, Blanche tried to focus her attention elsewhere. She turned to Clark again, who, now that everyone was sitting, finally put a piece of cake onto his fork in a slightly stiff manner. She watched him for a while until he took the first bite, which earned her a roll of his eyes but made him relax a bit. Before he could say anything, she also put a small portion into her mouth to make sure that the cream wasn't filled with solid spheres again. Unfortunately, she felt the small buttery pieces of cream on her tongue as soon as she took one bite.
Surprisingly, it didn't taste bad because of that but rather fit in with all the fruits that filled the inside of the roll. The fresh and slightly sour flavor mixed with the sweet cream and created the perfect opposite to the warm cake in a way that even she hadn't expected. With glowing eyes, Blanche turned to Stella, who was grinning back at her.
The maid seemed to be as happy as her mistress. “My Lady, you have to make this more often. This might be my favorite yet.”
Blanche nodded. “That's a good idea. Angelica mentioned that many fruits get too old before they can even be used, and we could process a few of them like this before they get thrown away.” She turned to Clark. “What do you think? Do you like it?”
Clark paused for a moment and pressed his lips together before taking another bite and slowly chewing on the food. Then he hesitated again for a few seconds until he finally responded. “It's good.”
Blanche waited to let him add something, but he kept quiet. “That's all? I thought you were thinking about how to phrase it in a more elaborating way. You didn't need such a long time to come up with these words.”
Clark's eyes moved over her face before he spoke up. “What would you say if I told you that it wasn't good?” The corners of his mouth twitched and thus betrayed that he was struggling to hold back a smile.
So, Blanche decided to play along. She crossed her arms and leaned against the backrest of her chair while raising her chin. “I would know that you're lying, obviously. Two people already said that it's tasty, so you have been overruled.”
Clark's grin spread across his face as he opened his mouth to reply, only for Gloria's voice to sound first.
The head maid had cleared her throat, which made all the people at the table turn to her. “I'm surprised that Lady Blanche is able to create something like this. Surely, the execution isn't flawless or fully professional, however, you undeniably have some skill. For someone that has never worked in a kitchen before and only taught themselves how to bake without any help from other servants, as I have heard, that is impressive. Why did you decide to learn that?”
Blanche was irritated by those unexpectedly kind words so that she had to catch herself before responding first. “Thank you, Gloria. I just wanted to eat a specific cake one day and attempted to make it myself without asking anyone for help. While baking, I noticed that it was fun, so Stella and I searched out many cooking books from the library to recreate some recipes. Ever since then, I have visited the kitchen daily whenever I could, so I did have some time to practice. I'm glad if it was good for something.”
Gloria nodded at that. “Gaining a new skill can never be bad, especially if the activity brings you joy. I can only recommend continuing to do this regularly, and you will become even better.”
“That's what I'm aiming for. Though knives will probably never be my friends.” Blanche took another bite and happily munched on the delicious sweetness that filled her mouth while observing how the other people also devoured their pieces. Little moments like this were the ones that filled her with glee despite them not being very special.
But it was obvious that not everyone was as relaxed as she was.
Clark had calmed down a bit while eating, and still, his hand was slightly trembling, and he kept looking to the side every few seconds as if he tried to avoid the others' gazes. The less of his cake remained, the more stressed he seemed. At first, that appeared odd, but then it dawned on Blanche. Gloria wanted to have a conversation with him alone, and he probably feared being punished since the head maid had always been rather fond of Harris. Maybe Clark thought that he wouldn't be treated fairly because of that and would have to deal with harsh consequences.
Blanche would have loved to just stay there to support him, but she knew that this wasn't possible. She couldn't intervene in the matters of the staff without a good reason, and the head maid was eligible to deal out punishments however she saw it fit. This wouldn't keep the concubine from helping Clark if a problem arose, but she would have to hold back until the result came before she could complain.
So, Blanche rose when she and Stella had finished their pieces of cake. She put the dirty plates to the other unwashed ones before addressing Clark and Gloria once more. “We will give you some privacy then. I hope you two will have a wonderful evening.”
Clark remained silent and stared at his empty plate without looking up to meet her gaze once.
Gloria nodded toward the women. “Naturally, I hope that your evening will be pleasant too. Good night.” It was strange to hear her be so polite, but Blanche wouldn't complain.
The concubine saw this as her cue to exit the room. She walked to the door and already put her hand onto the handle when she was interrupted.
“Wait!” Clark had spoken to the concubine, only to address Gloria as soon as Blanche stopped. “Would you mind delaying this conversation for five minutes? If it doesn't bother you, I would like to accompany them into the hallway for a moment.”
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Blanche and Stella exchanged a confused look before carefully watching Gloria's reaction.
The head maid froze for a few seconds before nodding without letting a muscle on her stone expression budge. That gave her a rather cold aura, which she had to have copied from the empress. “Don't leave me waiting for too long.”
Clark jumped off his chair. “Of course.” He hurried to the door and opened it for the women to leave the kitchen first. When all of them, except for Gloria, were outside, he closed the door behind him. He turned to Blanche and began talking after taking a deep breath. “I know that you said it was fine, but I'm still sorry for what happened. I should have never judged without viewing the whole picture. And even if you were a terrible person, which I now know that you aren't, it wasn't right to extort a great weakness like that. Back then, I didn't think about the consequences that that might have for your health. I'm very sorry.” He bowed down deeply to underline his statement.
Blanche held back a sigh as she attempted to find some words that might cause him to stop addressing this topic. She looked at him for another moment before seeing that his nose was still covered with powder. With a shrug, she began her response. “I understand that me not being angry might confuse you, but you truly don't have to mention it again. If you want to insist on remembering something like that, you shouldn't forget that I already got revenge.” She lifted her finger and pointed at his face while trying not to show how she hesitated when she saw that his cheeks were still slightly wet. “How many days was this ago? Either way, I slammed the door into your face twice, and you're still affected by it. View that as me paying you back, and it's fine.”
Clark let out a snort and straightened his posture. “It's actually not that bad anymore. It just looks worse than it is. And now that we're talking about this, your powder did help me a lot. Thank you for lending it to me.”
Stella replied with a smile. “You should keep it. We have about five other boxes there, and if she needs even more than that, My Lady will ask a servant, and they will bring it to her within a few hours. So, don't worry.”
Clark glanced at Blanche, who affirmed her maid's words with a nod. “Alright. Thank you. Then I will have to be the one to face Gloria's anger now since Harris ran away. Good night.” He narrowed his eyes and turned around to grab the door handle.
The concubine wasn't sure whether any of her words could make the situation better for him, but she doubted it. Still, she wanted to say something to bid him farewell, so she simply voiced the first thing that she had come up with. “I hope that Gloria won't be too harsh with you. Good luck. But in the worst case, you can also tell me, and I'll see whether I can do something.”
Clark let go of the door and turned around to lean his back against the wall. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and his expression darkened. “I appreciate your offer, but there is nothing anyone can do if Gloria is convinced that I have to be punished. Even His Majesty trusted her fully, so I doubt that he will suddenly get involved, especially since I really made mistakes. The fight with Harris will be a smaller issue in comparison to me triggering your allergy. Still, I can already imagine that the head maid will tell me how much of a kind person Harris is and how awful I am for not getting along with him anymore.”
Blanche wanted to calm him about that, but she didn't get to.
Clark gritted his teeth before continuing. “That bastard truly manages to manipulative such high-ranking staff members like her, so they won't be bothered by him screaming at me nor will they make a decision that will harm him. That doesn't mean that I won't get in trouble though.” He breathed in and out a couple of times before leaning his head against the wall. “It's all just because of that moron. I despise him with every fiber of my being. I would be so glad if he just disappeared.” Was that really true? It would be much simpler if that was the case, but somehow, that seemed unlikely.
Blanche responded before she could stop those words from coming out of her mouth. “Are you sure? To me, it seemed like you can't fully hate him.”
Clark frowned at that and shook his head before gazing into the distance. At the first glance, he looked uninterested, but the tension of his body told a different story. “Why would even you say that? Haven't you realized what a disgusting personality he has? You should have heard how we spoke to each other just now too.”
Blanche paused for a moment. It was true that she couldn't read the servants' minds, so she couldn't be sure. And admittedly, the fight just now hadn't been filled with kind words either. Still, it hadn't seemed like a fight between two people who resented each other fully. Though it was clear that this was a very sensitive topic, so she didn't want to overdo it. “I didn't wish to offend you with that. Harris was your friend for years, so it would only be natural for you to feel bad about him being your enemy now. Obviously, I'm not you, so I can't know how you are feeling. But your quarrel seemed somewhat odd for being between two people who hate each other with their whole hearts. Because if you truly despised him, I don't think that you would have been crying ever since the fight.”
Instantly, Clark lifted his hand to his face and wiped at his eyes. When he saw that his fingertips were wet, he scowled. “Oh, yes. I get emotional when I fight. It doesn't matter with whom. I always cry, so this has nothing to do with Harris.” That was a lie. Clark fought with others often, and he never cried. The fact that he added another excuse proved that he was aware of that too. “He was my...best friend too, and that makes arguing even more unpleasant. But other than that, there is nothing different from any fight I have ever had with anyone else. So, you don't have to think about something that ridiculous. Well, it would be better for me to slowly go back so that Gloria doesn't get any angrier. Goodnight.” He ended his sentence as abruptly as he could and whirled around to open the door, only for you to be greeted by the head maid who was standing directly behind it. Clark took a step backward, which allowed her to come into the corridor.
Gloria turned to the servant. It almost seemed like she saw something on his face that made her have a little sympathy since she suddenly gave him space. “Now I would like to ask you for some patience too. It won't take longer than three minutes.” Had she said that because she wanted him to calm down before the conversation? Possibly.
Silently, Clark nodded and disappeared into the kitchen before anyone could address him while making sure that his face was hidden.
With slow steps, Gloria came towards the other two women and stood in front of them in silence for a moment before beginning. “I hope that Lady Blanche does not mind speaking to me for a very short time.”
The concubine quickly replied with a polite smile in hopes of not revealing her uncertainty. “Of course. Go ahead.” In reality, she wasn't willing at all. She could already guess that Seraphina would somehow be a part of the conversation, and she definitely wasn't in the mood to think about that subject.
Gloria began in her usual calm voice. “I would like to discuss two topics with you. The first is about my behavior prior to the ball three months ago. Due to various circumstances, I was in a sour mood on that day and have overreacted in the matter regarding Stella's interaction with you. Naturally, it was false of me to get involved in a conversation that wasn't mine to begin with. Back then, I presumed that servants using simpler language in front of their master would lead to them becoming disobedient. However, after thinking about it more, I realized that there are multiple cases in the palace that include masters being friends with their subordinates, and there are no problems. So, I wish to apologize for troubling you with that unnecessary conversation.” She made eye contact with the maid. “I would like to apologize for how I addressed you, Stella.”
The maid was as taken aback by that sudden topic as her mistress was. Stella stammered for a bit before speaking. “Thank you, Gloria. It's alright. I...didn't take it to heart. Everyone can have a bad day, so...we're not upset.”
Blanche nodded when Stella was finished. “Naturally, we won't hold it against you.” Maybe just a tiny bit. “Thank you for your sincerity.” She said that, but inwardly, she was a bit skeptical. There was no reason for the head maid to try to please Blanche first unless the second message was more problematic. Most likely, this was supposed to make her less prone to anger upon hearing the other half. So, she listened while expecting the worst.
Thankfully, Gloria continued quickly. “Then I would like to address the second topic. This one is connected to Her Majesty's birthday party.” That sentence was enough to make Blanche understand what Gloria would talk about, and the head maid delivered. “There has been an unfortunate incident at that ball, and you passed out in the middle of the room. As you most likely heard, His Majesty didn't act very thoughtfully at that moment. And while that isn't your fault, Lady Blanche, I wish to give you a gentle reminder. Only because His Majesty forgets to follow the rules of our society, that does not mean that you can expect him to do that forever. No matter what, Her Majesty will remain by his side on the throne, and like everyone in this nation, you have to show them the respect that they are entitled to.”
Of course, Gloria would have talked to the concubine to take Seraphina's side. This was nothing more than a small warning for the other woman not to get too arrogant because Theodore had shown his favor for her so openly.
Blanche hadn't imagined a different reason from the very beginning. She didn't want this lecture to go on any longer, so she hurried to agree. “Of course. By saying that, you are actually asking me to not bother Her Majesty and to not cause any trouble for her, right? I don't have the intention to do that, so you will not have to worry about that subject. I do not wish for trouble. I only want to stay by Theo's side and have no desire for anything else. From now on, no issues will occur.”
Gloria blinked at the other's reply and stared at her for a moment, in which her stoic facade had made way for a surprised expression that looked like a normal reaction instead of her usual approach. Apparently, she hadn't expected the concubine to point out her intention so quickly nor had she believed to be met with such a submissive stance. “That...” She stopped at the concubine's smile.
Blanche forced herself to seem polite despite her growing annoyance with Seraphina's whole entourage that still hadn't understood that the concubine had changed. She quickly added a few other sentences in hopes of the head maid leaving her alone afterward. “In fact, I already gave my best to not trouble Her Majesty in the last three months. There were unfortunate incidents that were mostly caused because others were involved as well, but I can assure you that I don't mean to hurt Her Majesty, steal power or anything like that. I just want to stay here.”
It only took Gloria a few seconds before she regained her composure and returned to her stern expression. “I see. If you truly understood, it would be perfect. As a saying in Artias goes ‘You shouldn't value possessions more than words.’ I look forward to seeing your appearances in public in the next months.”
It was good that the head maid did because Blanche didn't. Now that Sefare and the Vasquez family would view her as an enemy, she felt even more intimidated at the prospect of meeting a giant group of nobles again. If she remembered correctly, even though she wasn't sure about the date, Duke Lamont's birthday party would be next. Something strange, which she didn't quite remember, should happen then. Blanche wouldn't attend that event though. So, the next thing she had to prepare for was the hunting festival. And that would be one of the worst gatherings.
On that day, Henry Duremont would pull her to the side to warn her to not upset his daughter, and the concubine would definitely be happy to avoid that. She doubted that she would be able to since not going there also wasn't an option as long as her plan was to improve the public's opinion of her. So, she would have to endure being threatened for ten minutes at a time and then go back to face the nobles while Theodore had to go into the forest to hunt. This meant that she would be all alone and forced to deal with all the guests without acting odd or offending anyone. Though she would have to prepare for that mess later and focus on satisfying Gloria now.
Blanche tried to smile in a somewhat convincing manner while she replied. “You can be sure that I have no desire to cause a scandal and instigate a fight whatsoever. It might be hard to believe due to my previous behavior, but I'm sure that you have noticed a difference already, and I intend to keep improving my manners.”
The head maid stared into the concubine's eyes again as if she hoped to find a sign of a lie there. For a moment, they were quiet before Gloria spoke up. “I am happy to hear that. That is all that I wished to talk about. Thank you for listening to me, Lady Blanche. Then-”
Blanche almost wanted to let Gloria leave, but there was one thing that came to her mind when she had the chance to speak to the head maid here. “There is actually something I wish to ask of you too, Gloria.” She could see how the other woman tensed at that, so she quickly revealed what this was about. “I'd like you to keep quiet about today's events. No one necessarily has to hear about this small conflict, right? It was just a former friends' quarrel, so this doesn't have to influence their jobs in any way as long as they promise to not do it again.” She didn't solely mean the discussion as a whole but mainly the fact that Clark had triggered her allergy. She didn't need Theodore to find out about that, or he would end up throwing Clark out.
It wasn't clear whether Gloria noticed what the concubine was referring to. Surely, she was too loyal to even consider lying to the emperor in case that a matter was important. So, her response made it seem like she thought that Blanche had mentioned something else. “I see.” She looked completely serious while replying. “I did not intend to punish either participant of this fight, so there is no need to worry. Naturally, I will not spread personal relationships or let others get involved either. You can rest assured that this is not important enough for anyone to know. Is that all?” The relieved concubine quickly nodded, which prompted Gloria to reply quickly. “Then I assume we needn't discuss more. I wish you a good night.”
That curt way of biding farewell was perfect for Blanche, who just wished to end the conversation now too. “Thank you for your understanding. Goodnight, Gloria.” She turned around to leave when the head maid held her back once more.
“There is something I forgot.” Oh, no. This could only be something annoying.
Blanche held back a sigh and faced her again while expecting a continuation of the unpleasant talk. “What is it?”
Gloria's expression was as cold as usual, which made it impossible to read her intentions. That was more than unnerving until she finally spoke. “ I wished to tell you that I'm glad that you recovered after the incident at the ball. I apologize for not thinking about that earlier. I believe that I didn't say this yet since you were already running around without any difficulties. Naturally, I am relieved to see that you are up and well again.”
Blanche was rendered speechless for a second before she responded. “Oh, it's alright. The doctor already confirmed that I am fully healthy again, so there is no need to bring that topic up. Thank you for your concern though.”
The women nodded at each other before Gloria turned away and reentered the kitchen.
This left Blanche and Stella alone in the hallway. They stood there for another few seconds before returning to their rooms.
After taking the first few steps in silence, Stella quickly spoke up, but she didn't address the conversation with Gloria as the concubine had expected. Her expression was pretty downcast as she began. “When you talked to Clark about your dream, the one that made you want to change, I heard about it for the first time too. I knew that it upset you back then and that made you reconsider your actions, but... I didn't know that dreamed about being all alone and then being executed. I mean...you told me about the execution part once, but to think that you felt like others were cheering while that happened is awful. That must have been terrible.”
Actually, it would have been better if it truly had been just a dream. Then Blanche wouldn't have all the trouble that came with being a villainess in a romance novel about political schemes and trying to survive. Though, as she had previously told Clark, it was good that she had gained the book's knowledge. Otherwise, she would still be steering toward her doom without the slightest clue that her perfect world would soon fall apart.
Blanche gave her maid a little smile as she spoke. “It was awful at first. I wanted to just forget everything and continue to live my life normally. But since it was that bad, I couldn't just ignore it. That made me repeat the dream countless times in my mind, and then I realized that it wasn't that different from the real world. So, I knew that I needed to become a good person. And that was a wonderful decision. After all, everything became better since I made an effort to change. I got a bit closer to Theodore. I didn't antagonize the empress any further and was able to exhibit acceptable manners in public. Plus, I managed to befriend a group of wonderful people, now that I stopped building walls between me and everyone else.” She gave her maid a slight nudge with her elbow at that.
Immediately, a radiant smile spread across Stella's face. “I'm glad that you are happy. I'm sure that the future will only become more beautiful.”
Blanche felt a twinge in her heart at that statement. Of course, she hoped for a wonderful life with Theodore at her side, and the development of the novel was currently slowed down tremendously due to her meddling with some events. However, she could never be truly sure, could she? At some point, the book could simply take over and force everything to return to its original storyline. If that happened, she was ruined.
But in the end, she had no way of knowing if either one of these extreme possibilities came true or whether her future would contain a mix of good and bad things. So, thinking about it was rather useless before she had more information or a clearer picture of the danger Sefare could pose. Still, she couldn't help but long for her own happy ending.
“I hope that your intuition is right. I really do, Stella.”
Especially since Blanche's stomach was churning as she thought to the future. Something unpleasant would happen in just a short while, she was sure of that. She didn't remember something she should, and that only made it a hundred times worse.