The next day consisted out of Blanche busying herself to keep the horrible fears of the past afternoon at bay. She couldn't allow herself to succumb to the despair now. At this point, she still had the chance of survival, and she couldn't give up before trying her best until the very end.
Even if yesterday's events had made the outlook on the future a bit dimmer.
In the morning, the concubine sewed a bit with Stella again. This time, she managed to thread the needle on her own, but other than that, she hadn't improved in the slightest. By noon, she had already stung herself in a dozen different ways. Luckily, one couldn't see most of the wounds, but she still put powder on her hands before meeting Theodore, just in case.
During lunch, Blanche gave her best to hide both her uncertainty and excitement for the afternoon. She planned to surprise her lover with a cake, so she couldn't accidentally reveal that she would visit him later. Thus, she was looking forward to seeing him, and at the same time, she was scared of coming in at the exact moment that Seraphina was there too. Fearing that her bad premonition about the main characters already being close to each other was proven true was almost enough to make her reconsider whether she would go to Theodore at all.
Even when Blanche held the finished cheesecake with raspberries in her hand and stood in front of the office, she was barely able to gather the courage to ask the knights to announce her presence. “You know, Stella. Maybe we should just eat it ourselves. After all, he is very busy, so I shouldn't disturb him without an important reason.”
The maid rolled her eyes at that. “My Lady, you made this cake for His Majesty. You used way less sugar than you would normally, just so that he would like it more. He definitely won't complain if you come inside for a couple of minutes. After working for the whole day, taking a break will be good for him. Just knock.”
Blanche exhaled deeply before making eye contact with the guards. Before she could even say anything, one of the knights turned around and knocked on the door as if he had taken pity on her. She almost hoped that Theodore would tell them that he didn't have any time right now so that she had an excuse to leave again. But her prayer wasn't answered.
“You may enter.” The emperor's voice echoed loudly from inside.
The guard went into the office and made a short pause, in which he probably bowed, before speaking up. “Lady Blanche is here to see you, Your Majesty.”
A few seconds passed, and she heard some papers rustling before Theodore replied. “Tell her to come in.”
The knight stepped out of the office and held the door open for her. “His Majesty allowed you to enter.”
Blanche choked down her insecurity while she thanked the guard and walked forward. She stopped behind the door for a moment and glanced inside to brace herself for the empress' presence. However, it seemed like she was fortunate for once. Only the emperor was sitting at his desk with Leon and Owen standing next to him. A weight was lifted off her shoulder, and she slipped into the room with care to not drop the cake.
As soon as they made eye contact, Theodore's unusually cold expression turned into a smile. “What are you doing here? Did you miss me already?”
Despite her previous concern, Blanche began beaming at that sight too. “Yes, of course. That's why I made you another cake.”
“Really? I'm truly a lucky man. Will you show it to me?”
Happily, Blanche strode over to his desk and placed the plate on the one part that wasn't covered with documents. “It's a cheesecake. I used less sugar than the recipe recommended, so it shouldn't be as sweet. I added some raspberries too, just to have some fruit in the mix as well. I hope you aren't extremely busy right now.” She let her gaze roam over the stacks of paper that were scattered across his desk and the big table on the other side of the room, where Leon was trying to sort some books with a frown on his face. She read the words ‘prison’ and ‘bribe’ on one of the documents, and her mood soured. Such matters weren't even part of the emperor's regular tasks, so he probably had some extra trouble right now. It did seem like Theodore had a lot to do today, much like he had for the last few weeks. “In the case that you are busy, I can just leave the cake here, and you'll tell me how it was tomorrow.”
Her lover shook his head while quickly turning over some papers and shoving them away. “That's not necessary. I can spare a few minutes.” He moved his chair away from the desk and extended his arm towards her. That was enough to show her that he wanted to hug her.
Blanche quickly circled the desk and allowed Theodore to pull her onto his lap.
He closed the book that he had been writing in and pushed it to the side to move the plate with the cake closer. “It's been a while since you made something for me. You certainly improved in that time.”
Blanche put her arms upon his, which were wrapped around her waist, and glanced over her shoulder to meet his gaze. “The only reason I didn't bring you anything is that we don't eat dinner together anymore. I usually bake in the afternoon, so I would have to bring you an old cake for lunch. Those wouldn't be as tasty as fresh ones. For that reason, I visited you directly after I finished. The only problem is that I haven't tasted it yet, so I don't know whether it's good.”
“If you made it, I'm sure that it will be great. Would you cut out a slice for me, please?” Theodore pressed a small kiss onto the backside of her neck, which almost tingled a bit.
Blanche enjoyed that for a moment before replying. “Of course. But I'm not very skilled with knives, so I have to warn you. The cuts will probably be uneven, so I apologize in advance.”
“I'm certain that you will do well. Even if you don't, I don't mind.” As always, Theodore put way too much trust in her.
She leaned forward to grab the knife. Then she made two cuts with the greatest precision that she could muster. The piece still didn't look perfect, but she was proud of the result. She hadn't completely destroyed the cake's structure, so that was an improvement. The cheesecake's appearance in general was mouthwatering as well. The cream had a slight yellow tint, and the cake base seemed to have become as crispy as it was supposed to be. Carefully, Blanche maneuvered the slice onto the smaller plate and pulled it, along with the fork, to the edge of the table.
Theodore rested his head on her shoulder and scanned the piece for a moment before kissing her cheek. “See? Your cake is flawless. Why would you expect anything else? It will taste amazing too. I'm curious, let me have a taste.” He said that but didn't move his arms away from their embrace.
Blanche could only assume that this meant that he wanted her to feed him. She hesitated for a moment and looked around to confirm whether the other men were watching. Owen had been kind enough to turn away and skimmed through some documents.
Leon, on the other hand, was staring at the couple with visible frustration. That didn't surprise the concubine though. She was the main thing that kept Theodore from working. Whenever the emperor took a spontaneous break and forced his secretary to take over, it was because he was with his lover. Naturally, Leonard would be annoyed by that, and the fact that the couple had to cuddle in front of him the whole time most likely irritated him even more.
Blanche felt regretful knowing that he had to work this much because of that and made a mental note to apologize to him later. But she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty about spending time with Theodore. After all, her lover was a human too and needed to take breaks, or he would hurt himself with this lifestyle eventually.
The concubine lifted the plate and used the fork to separate a small piece of the cake, which she slowly moved to the emperor's face. She didn't have to wait long before he opened his mouth so that she could put the portion inside.
Before Theodore could even swallow and tell her whether he liked it, Leon spoke up. “The both of you do remember that the emperor's food has to be examined and taste-tested first, right?” The secretary crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave the couple a look that oozed with dismay while his voice had a much sharper edge than usual.
Blanche lowered the fork, and her expectant smile faded. She was aware of that rule, but they hadn't paid attention to it since the first time that she had brought a cake. Why would they need to be careful now?
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Though Theodore didn't seem to take the remark as seriously as she did. He calmly chewed and swallowed his bite before pressing another kiss onto his lover's cheek. “As I already told you, it's perfect. You're really talented at baking. I never thought that I would grow to love cake this much.”
These words were enough to put a beam on Blanche's face again. “Thank you. If you like it, its purpose has been fulfilled.”
Theodore took that as his cue to turn to Leonard. “I already took a bite now, so it's too late to change anything. Besides, I trust my angel with my whole life, so I'd rather take a risk than share her present.” Theodore focused on his lover again and nuzzled his nose into her neck before nibbling at her skin for a moment, which tickled enough to make her giggle. “Don't mind Leon today. He seems to have been in a bad mood ever since the morning. Probably because I made him work so much in the last weeks and he got too little sleep. In addition, I believe that he might be a bit jealous because he doesn't have a lover.”
Leon let out a noise of frustration at that. When Blanche looked over to him, he was rolling his eyes. “With all due respect, Theodore. You know why I'm really upset, and I feel like it would be important to address that. But if you want to focus on stupid jokes, let me stop you already. I wouldn't even have time to take care of a lover right now. So, saying something like this is unnecessary. And even though Lady Blanche made the cake, we can't be sure that no one else tampered with it while she wasn't paying attention. Everyone knows that you would eat everything she gives you. Keep that in mind.”
Theodore completely ignored Leon's arguments and gave his concubine a bright smile. “As you can hear, he is upset because he works too much. Maybe he wants someone to make him sweets too.”
Leon let out a groan but seemingly gave up discussing with the emperor. He turned back to the table and read some of the documents.
Theodore appeared to be content with that. He rubbed his cheek against his lover's and grinned as she leaned into him. “Would you like to try a bit of the cake yourself?”
Blanche lifted the fork with another small piece of cake and brought it to his face. “I will eat too after you take another bite.” Theodore didn't need a second invitation and quickly swallowed this portion as well, which she watched with satisfaction. She kept her words and brought the next bite to her own mouth. It was delicious, even though she would have liked it to be a bit sweeter. But the consistency of the cream and the crispy dough created the perfect contrast so that she took another portion for herself before giving one to her lover again.
For a while, Blanche alternated between feeding him and eating herself until they had finished three slices together. At that point, she definitely wasn't hungry anymore and just happy about staying on Theodore's lap in silence. Still, she knew that this wasn't possible for much longer. The emperor had to continue to work and was probably just reluctant to send her away. So, she opened her mouth to announce her departure at the same moment that Theodore spoke up.
Luckily, Theodore's voice didn't sound too serious, and the topic he addressed obviously seemed unproblematic to him. “Did you enjoy drinking tea with Lady Ravillot yesterday?” He hadn't heard about the empress' appearance in between, it seemed.
Blanche hesitated for a moment and contemplated lying to simplify the matter but decided against it. If there was no reason to hide something from her lover, she wouldn't lie. Merely Seraphina's threat should go unmentioned unless she wanted the royal couple to have another huge fight. “Well, it was fun. The empress appeared in the middle of our conversation and sat with us though. The atmosphere was a bit strained after that, but nothing happened.”
Theodore stroked over her head while she spoke and replied with a small “I see” when she finished, which proved that he had already understood what she meant. A small pause followed, but he began to talk soon again. “I just remembered that the doctor told me that the herbs that are supposed to help you sleep calmer are here. A servant should have brought them into your room already. The doctor said that you should consume them in the late afternoon or evening. It probably would be best to put them in your tea.”
Immediately, Blanche felt relief washing over her. She didn't know whether the herbs would truly help her, but she trusted the royal doctor. She would take anything that could prevent those horrid nightmares, even if this might only lessen her chance of dreaming by a little. “Thank you. I didn't have nightmares very often, but they were still extremely unpleasant. It would be great if they stopped now.”
“I'm sure that they will. And if they don't, you know that I'm here to-” A knock cut off Theodore. He let out an irritated sigh and muttered some curse word under his breath before addressing whoever was at the door. “Enter.”
The door opened, and the same knight that had announced Blanche's arrival stepped inside. For one second, he stared at the concubine, who was still sitting on the emperor's lap, but he caught himself quickly while his expression showed obvious uncertainty. He bowed down and spoke up to reveal what the issue was. “Her Majesty wishes to speak to Your Majesty about the previously discussed matter.”
Despite her attempts to calm herself, Blanche tensed up. She had known that the main characters were working together since yesterday, but she had let down her guard after seeing that Seraphina wasn't in the office. Now the heroine's appearance only served as a reminder that the empress could spend the whole day with Theodore under the pretense of working. Talking about ‘previously discussed matters’ sounded like the spouses had been conversing about that subject earlier this day. This meant that Seraphina could simply come every few hours, without Blanche even noticing the slightest change.
How much time had the main characters spent together like this already? Had they become closer during that, or had they maintained their distance? The concubine desperately hoped that the two had fought often. Otherwise, they would definitely begin to admire each other's capabilities and become interested in the other person.
Blanche only realized how tense she truly was when she jolted as Theodore raised his voice.
Her lover used his typical authoritarian tone while he spoke, which sounded so strange to the concubine, who was used to his much kinder side. “Please tell her to wait for a minute. I will see her in a moment.”
That would give Blanche enough time to leave. It was better this way. She wouldn't endure meeting Seraphina now, not in the very second that she began to doubt the possibility of staying with Theodore. She leaned forward in an attempt to stand up, but her lover's arms didn't budge. She turned around as much as she could to face him and look into his eyes.
One of Theodore's hands wandered up to her face to cup her cheek, while the other arms remained wrapped around her. “What's wrong? Did something in regards to her happen yesterday?”
Blanche nuzzled against his palm as she tried to maintain a neutral expression. “Not really.” She paused for a moment that was enough to make her realize that Theodore wouldn't be satisfied with that response. This meant that she had the choice between talking about how Seraphina had reacted to seeing Blanche with Sophia or about how much she hated the thought of him getting closer to his wife. Both weren't things she wanted to admit. She averted her eyes and attempted to distract him. “I just thought that the both of you must really work hard right now. And I came here unannounced and kept you from making any progress. I'm sorry.”
Before she could add anything else, Theodore turned her head back in his direction. “Don't apologize for visiting me. I adore every second with you, and looking forward to seeing you is the only thing that keeps me sane during this catastrophic year. No matter what, I will always make time for you. Remember that.”
Those words made Blanche feel a pleasant tingle in her stomach. She replied with a little nod, which made her lover voice a quiet “Good.” He loosened his hold on her waist, and she slowly stood up but stayed directly in front of him. When she turned around to face Theodore, he was already leaning forward to embrace her again.
They pulled each other close, and for a change, Theodore was the one to look up at her. Blanche expected a short kiss as a goodbye, but when their lips met, her lover didn't have any intention of letting her move away after a few seconds. Instead, he was quite clingy right now. He tangled his fingers in her hair and circled her waist with the other arm.
Blood rushed into Blanche's head, and her emotions took control of her whole body. She returned the passion of the kiss and wrapped her arms around her lover's neck. It felt like her legs were about to give in, but she managed to stand upright without falling onto Theodore. Though she wasn't sure whether she would have made it until the end of their kiss if Leon hadn't interrupted them by clearing his throat. Reluctantly, the couple separated from each other to look at the secretary, who was glaring at them with crossed arms.
Leon immediately commented on what they were doing. “Would you please try something like this at a different point in time? This is the most unfitting scenario you could choose. This isn't a bedroom, there are two other people in here, and Her Majesty is waiting in front of the door.” That was true. Owen was looking out of the window, probably to give them some privacy, but Leon had been facing them the whole time. And Seraphina wasn't too far away.
Blanche was a bit startled by how fast she had forgotten all of that as soon as her lover had pulled her close. She felt how her cheeks were hotter than before, and her heart was hammering loudly in her chest, both out of love and embarrassment. She choked out a small “I'm sorry” and immediately pressed her hands against her cheeks to hide how flushed they had to be by now.
Theodore's skin was slightly reddened as well, but one wouldn't have noticed if one didn't pay special attention to it, especially not with his blinding smile. The only real indication of their passion was his tousled hair.
Blanche hurried to stroke through the strands of his hair to straighten them so that Seraphina wouldn't notice anything at first glance, which also gave her a chance to caress her lover. She could only pray that the empress wouldn't figure out what had just happened. She told herself that but found herself thinking that it wouldn't be so bad if Seraphina got upset about this. Yet, Blanche couldn't help being embarrassed about this.
Theodore grinned at her in return. In contrast to her, he didn't seem to feel any shame. “Don't apologize for things like that. I mean, it's my office. I could just throw the two here out and ask the empress to come back later.”
What was meant as a joke only made Leon sigh.
Theodore ignored that completely and focused on his lover. “I'm sad that you're leaving so soon. I'll miss you.”
Blanche finished her attempt at making his hair appear normal, which had luckily worked out quite well, and returned the smile. “It won't be long. We'll see each other for tomorrow's lunch. Still, I'll miss you too.”
Theodore's expression turned regretful at that. “I didn't tell you yet, did I? Tomorrow, I have to...” He paused for a small moment and turned to Leon before looking back at Blanche. “I...have to make up for the hours that I made Leonard work alone. Concentrating on the same topic from the morning to the evening increases my speed near the end a lot. I usually don't skip lunch with you, but tomorrow I will have to make an exception. I'm sorry.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it shortly.
Naturally, Blanche wouldn't complain about this. Obviously, this wasn't a big issue. Theodore would eat with her the day after tomorrow again, so she only had to live without his presence for one day. She had gone without meeting him for longer in the past, so it was just a small sacrifice. “I don't mind. I'll eat with Stella. It's been a while since she managed to get a bite of the delicious lunch of the chefs.”
Theodore pressed a kiss onto her hand before letting go of her. “That sounds like a good idea. Have a wonderful evening today and a great day tomorrow.”
Blanche leaned down to kiss his forehead in return before replying. “Goodnight. Don't overwork yourself.” After that, she addressed the other two men. “I wish you a good night too.”
Leon and Owen returned the greeting, and only then she realized that they would probably stay awake for much longer than she did. Blanche would have liked to help them, but she couldn't do much. Right now, she had her own problem too. She needed to leave the office, and that meant that she would meet Seraphina. But it wasn't like she could just stay here and ignore the empress either.
Hesitantly, Blanche approached the door and took a deep breath before putting her hand on the handle. Her legs were still feeling a bit weak, and along with her uncertainty, this made her worry about tripping over her own feet. Embarrassing herself in front of Seraphina like that wasn't one of her goals though, so she focused on walking slowly and steadily. She opened the door and carefully stepped out of the office.
It didn't take long until she found the empress, who for some reason, looked a bit more upset than usual.