Blanche did her best to hide her disappointment at the lost contact but was sure she hadn't succeeded. Her skin was still tingling where Theodore had touched her, and she wouldn't complain if he ran his fingers through her hair again or continued to caress her cheeks. It was hard for her to keep herself from pouting, but then she noticed what situation she was in again.

This man here in front of her wasn't someone she could fall in love with. That was the emperor, the most powerful man in the nation, who could order her death with a single word. She should do her best to stay away from him and avoid Julien's stupid plan, but...

How should she do that when Theodore looked at her like that? As if he was just as enamored as she was. Most likely, she was imagining it, but still. He didn't seem to hate her at least.

Theodore watched her the whole time and took in all of her features from head to toe before staring right into her eyes again. He opened his mouth but was cut off by a loud voice.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing? Please step away until we can confirm whether this person is a threat!”

For the first time ever since she had seen the emperor, Blanche looked to the side. There was another man here, and he towered above her without even needing to try. He had dark hair and glowing eyes that made him look like a predator in the darkness. There were scars covering his whole face and proving that he had fought a lot of battles. His enemies had probably suffered much more than he had though. This man looked like a personified warrior with a very intimidating muscular build. He could tear Blanche apart without even looking at her. And this person was currently threatening her by holding a sword in her direction.

Blanche wanted to stay calm, but she couldn't keep herself from letting out a quiet wail at that. Would he kill her? She hadn't done anything! He couldn't just end a human life without consequences, right? Even if she had broken into the royal estate, killing her just like this was too much. She felt tears pooling in her eyes, but before the panic could set in completely, the emperor moved.

Theodore put an arm around her shoulder and laid his other hand against the blade. “Owen, take your weapon away from her. What do you think you are doing here with a sword? Does this young woman look like a threat to you? She is scared already, and you're making it worse. Put that away!” He sounded much more authoritative now, so it was surprising that this Owen didn't listen immediately.

“Your Majesty-” Owen cut himself off when he saw the expression on the other man's face. The emperor glared at him for a moment, which finally made the knight pull away the sword.

Then Theodore turned to Blanche again, and in an instant, his expression had softened. He spoke in a gentle voice again. “No one will hurt you here. He is just worried about my safety. Since you have no ill intentions, there is no need for you to be scared.” He reached for her face again and froze in place when she unwillingly leaned into his touch.

How could someone's affectionate actions be this addicting? He was a stranger, and yet, Blanche was doing things like this. Didn't she have any shame? Apparently not. Even the emperor had to be shocked.

Blanche slowly forced herself to speak up. She wanted to apologize but not many useful words came out. “This isn't... I didn't...” She was more embarrassed than she should have been. Staying quiet about this would have been better, and now she had only pointed her mistake out. This was dejecting. “I'm sorry.”

To her satisfaction, Theodore didn't let go of her this time. He only stroked over her cheek again and whispered to her. “What for? You didn't do anything wrong. Everything is fine. I will take care of anything that is troubling you. We have all the time in the world. For now, let's get you off the floor.” He slowly lowered his hand, only to offer it to her.

Blanche stared at his hand for a moment before she put hers on top of his. Once again, a jolt ran through her body. She felt as if every fiber of her being was on edge as she shivered and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She almost tripped thanks to her weak knees, and only his hand on her back gave her stability. Normally, strangers didn't touch each other this much, she was sure of that. But right now, she didn't want him to stop no matter what. In fact, she would appreciate even more contact with him.

Theodore scanned her dazed expression and spoke in a gentle voice again. “Are you cold?”

Blanche wasn't, but after he gazed at her with such intensity, she shivered again. There was no way that she could just admit that this had been because of him, so she simply nodded. She hadn't been cold ever since seeing his face, but lying was better than saying that she was burning up whenever he touched her.

Without saying a word, Theodore reached for his neck. After fiddling around a little without letting go of her hand, he took off his cape. Before she could protest, he carefully put it over her shoulders and wrapped it around her.

Was it normal for the emperor to do things like this? Certainly not.

But Blanche couldn't bring herself to complain. She got even redder and cuddled herself into the soft velvet. No piece of fabric had ever felt so wonderful. Knowing that Theodore had just worn this made her feel warm and protected like a hug. Her brain was definitely not working correctly, or she wouldn't have been so enchanted by a man she had barely talked to. But right now, she could barely question what she was doing.

Theodore still held her hand and scanned her figure that was hidden by the soft velvet cape. He moved it around a bit before he was content with it and gave her a little smile. “Is that better now?”

Blanche thought that her heart might stop at that. He was so attractive, it was unfair. She tripped over her own words before she began speaking. “Uhm...yes. Thank you very much.” She looked to the side and only lifted her gaze again when Theodore's empty hand moved to cup her cheek once more. This time, her foolish brain was sure that he would kiss her, but in the end, her selfish desire wasn't fulfilled again.

The knight next to them spoke up again. “Your Majesty. We have no information about who that woman is. She is not from one of the noble families in the capital.”

Blanche had almost forgotten about that knight. Upon hearing him once more, she was a bit scared. What if this guard decided that she was a threat and ended her life just like that?

But Theodore's voice soothed her immediately. “I know. But that doesn't mean that she is some sort of threat. Have you looked at her? She was trembling like a leaf. No one would hope that someone this frail could overpower me. So, don't worry too much.” The emperor turned to her again and gave her a calming smile. “You don't have to worry either. Everything will be fine.” He gently caressed her cheek again before continuing in a tone that was a bit more serious than before. “What family are you from? I never saw you before. I would have remembered that. Are you from the capital?”

Blanche's throat dried up at that. She wanted to be honest. Every fiber in her being told her to spill the truth.

But then she remembered her circumstances. She had been sent here to impress Theodore. Julien had told her to slip into the emperor's bed to gain leverage on him. Like that, she would have received some amount of power and money and might have been able to dream about becoming empress and living comfortably. That sounded so embarrassing and disgusting to her now.

Theodore was a human like anyone else and wouldn't be happy about her coming here to extort him. If he found out, he would certainly not touch her with such gentle gestures anymore. He also wouldn't call her name and look at her like this.

Blanche panicked more the longer she stayed quiet. She needed to say something now, or she would be found out no matter what she tried. “I...I...” She had no idea what to tell him. The only thing that came to her mind was what Julien had said. If the emperor found out who she was, she would die. That thought made the lie come out easier, even though it still made her uncomfortable. “I...don't remember.”

Theodore's eyes widened slightly at that. “You don't? What exactly do you not remember? Your family or your home?” He paused, and when she only averted her eyes in response, he resumed. “Do you remember anything but your name?”

Blanche slowly shook her head. She felt miserable. What kind of horrible person she was for lying like this. She should just tell the truth, but that would only get her in trouble. Lying until she was brought out of the palace was the better option. Even if she didn't like the thought of never seeing the man she had fallen in love with again, it would happen without a doubt. So, it would be better if she left without causing too much trouble.

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Theodore stared at her in shock and scanned her expression. “Really? You don't remember anything? Then it's...” He paused, and she thought that he would figure out her lie for a moment. Then he put his hand on top of her head and carefully touched her scalp before checking his hands for traces of blood. “You aren't injured, are you? If anything hurts, please tell me.”

That would be hard even if something did hurt. Right now, it felt as if he was patting her, and that made Blanche's mind spin around in circles. Why was she so content with only a little touch? She shouldn't allow a stranger to stand so close to her and to touch her this often, but she adored every second of it. She even wanted to hug Theodore. He wouldn't allow that, would he? She couldn't risk making him angry even if it seemed like he didn't mind touching her much.

A few seconds passed before she realized that he still wanted a response. She snapped out of it and lifted her gaze to him. “I'm not injured. At least I don't feel anything.”

Theodore slowly moved his hand over her head again, and when he didn't find any wound this time either, he pulled his hand away. “I see. We should still make sure that a doctor looks at you though. We cannot risk you being endangered by this. It might be better to deal with that as soon as possible. Is that fine with you?”

Blanche wasn't sure what exactly he proposed, but she nodded. She would follow him wherever he led her right now.

The emperor looked at her without ever averting his eyes. He was silent for a moment before speaking up in a quiet voice. “Then we will go to see the doctor right now. He will find out whether you are truly fine or whether you need treatment. But that isn't the only problem. If you don't remember anything, you have no place to stay, do you?”

Blanche nodded again. When silence followed, she forced herself to speak up to make her lie a bit more believable. “I don't remember anything but my name. And that I'm twenty.” She had only added that because she wanted to prove that she was an adult too, even if the emperor didn't need that information at all. He surely didn't intend on getting closer just because she had fallen for him in an instant. “Apart from that...there is nothing. So, I can't...go back home.” She would need Julien to offer to take her in. Then she would act as if she didn't know him, and everything would end. Just that thought alone made her sad, and she looked downward.

Theodore's hand wandered to her chin, and he tilted her head up with two fingers. “I told you that everything would be fine. We'll figure it out together. The royal palace has enough empty guest rooms. You could...” He paused and swallowed before continuing in an even quieter voice. “Stay in one of them until you get better or remember something. We also have the best doctors in all of Artias. Maybe one of them can help you. And I can easily access any information that you need if you want to research something. So, it would be better to stay here to regain your memories. Possibly. If you want to.”

Blanche's heart skipped at least three beats. “What?” Had he really offered her to stay in the palace? She could barely believe that. There was no way that strangers would be allowed inside this easily. She could be a dangerous person, and he would just invite her in? No, the emperor certainly hadn't meant it like that. Still, her heart had regained its will to live and pounded in her chest now.

Theodore cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “If you have nowhere to stay, I thought that being here is better than wandering around aimlessly. We can find your family with some time. And...we really do have enough rooms here, and since I can decide about who stays, I can get you a room immediately. You would receive warm meals every day, and there would be countless servants tending to your needs. Of course, I won't force you. This is purely based on your decision. But I would be calmed to know that you are safe and...” He rambled on for a bit before stopping himself. He almost looked bashful as he avoided her gaze now.

Blanche could barely keep herself together at that. Her eyes widened as she stared at the emperor. “Really? You're not joking?” Her eyes probably shined with hope right now. Only imagining being able to stay in the same building as the man she had fallen for made her euphoric even if she knew that it was ridiculous. Her common sense had bid her farewell a while ago, and now her emotions were the only thing controlling her. It was obvious that this was a horrible idea, but being in the middle of such a luxurious palace with this man here by her side was way too tempting.

Theodore barely dared to look back at her and seemed surprised to see her expression. He blinked at her before responding. “It's not a joke. I would never say something like that for fun. It's an honest offer. But you don't have to feel pressured because I'm...well...the emperor.” He was way too adorable when he was this shy.

Blanche fell in love even more than before, and every second that passed made the man in front of her seem even more perfect. He was kind and gentle, considerate and helpful, but he could get stricter like when he had protected her from that knight. Everything about him lured her in. Even his voice and his appearance. She wasn't sure whether she managed to keep herself from gawking at him even now.

The emperor nervously waited for her response, and she could swear that his cheeks reddened slightly as she beamed at him.

“Yes! I would-” Blanche cut herself off and reminded herself that she couldn't speak so carelessly around him. She fiddled with the fingers of her empty hand while trying to calm herself down. “I would be happy to accept that offer. Thank you.” Tears of happiness appeared in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. There was no need to be scared of her ending up on the streets anymore. Because Theodore had taken her in even though they just talked for the first time.

For a moment, Theodore looked at her as if he had been struck by lightning before he squeezed her hand once. “Good. Then we'll...” His voice shook a bit, and he turned his head away to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. “We'll go inside. To see the doctor.” He seemed to want to veil his bashfulness, so he turned around and pulled her toward the exit by her hand, which he was still holding.

Blanche was a bit surprised by the sudden movement and stumbled after him. She barely kept herself from crashing into his back and was relieved when she managed to follow him. But the possibility of a collision had made her tense, and she had messed up. She interlinked their fingers without thinking about it.

At that moment, Theodore froze, and she did as well. He would definitely be angry now.

She let out a shaky breath and hurried to apologize. “Ah. I'm sorry, I...I didn't-”

Theodore didn't turn around, but he squeezed her hand. “It's...fine. I'm not angry.” His voice sounded uncertain while he said that, but he had already changed his hold on her hand so that it was more comfortable for the both of them.

Blanche couldn't keep herself from beaming at that, even though her heart still made her worry tremendously. It wasn't healthy for it to beat this quickly for so long. She stared at the emperor's back and paid attention to keep up with his steps this time. She only gazed to the side once to check whether the knight was still there, and said man seemed to glare at her even though his expression was unreadable. Blanche quickly averted her eyes again and walked a bit faster to catch up to Theodore.

The emperor seemed a bit surprised at her suddenly being next to him, but he quickly directed his gaze onto the pathway in front of him again. He led her out of the small spiral of hedges that circled around the pavilion and brought her to the tiled stone path again. He walked toward the palace, which was brightly illuminated from the inside, and began talking a bit later. “I know that it looks rather...overwhelming if you are here for the first time, but I will show you around in the morning. So that you can find your way around and...” He stopped himself when another man came rushing toward them.

This person had blonde hair and carried a crown in his hands. He didn't even wait before raising his voice. “There you are. Finally! Everyone's waiting for you. Do you have any idea how infuriating-” He cut himself off when he reached the emperor. His eyes wandered over Blanche, who sank in herself under his judgmental gaze. The man made eye contact with Theodore and showed him a smile that didn't seem calming at all. “Your Majesty.” His voice had a warning edge to it. “Who is that?”

Theodore looked toward her as if he knew that it was hard to explain why he was suddenly holding hands with a random woman. But he still didn't let go of her and responded to the other man. “Her name is Blanche. I found her in the pavilion.”

The blonde man's smile widened at that. “A random woman, whom no one here recognizes, shows up in the royal estate during your birthday and immediately throws herself at you. And that didn't make you suspicious in the slightest?”

The emperor averted his eyes before shrugging. “There is no way that the dowager empress would send someone like her as an assassin. You don't need to think twice about why using such a tactic would only hurt her sore spot. She would rather choose direct attacks, and I doubt that Blanche is one of the mercenaries that woman likes to hire. I talked to her for a while, and I trust her.”

Seemingly, the rumors about him having a horrible relationship with his mother were true. No one seemed surprised about him worrying that the dowager empress might send assassins. But he still trusted Blanche so suddenly, which made her stare at him in awe.

Theodore looked so confident while he declared the next part. “She'll live with us from now on.”

The other man froze at that. “What?” He paused for a moment and only understood when Theodore just avoided his gaze in response. It only took a second for rage to come onto his features. “Are you stupid? Theodore, what are you doing? It's obvious that this isn't just a coincidence! Do you think a commoner just appears in the middle of the royal estate out of thin air? There is no way that she just came here on accident!” He whipped his head around to Blanche and glared at her. “How did you get in here? Who sent you? Reply.”

Blanche wanted to cower and hide, but she barely found the strength to move. “I...” She was way too scared to respond until Theodore stepped in front of her. He was protecting her. That thought made her heart skip a beat, and she swallowed her cowardliness to reply. She leaned to the side to be able to make eye contact and glanced at the blonde man while trying to sound somewhat confident. “I wasn't sent here. I don't know how I got in. I don't remember.”

The man in front of her narrowed his eyes. “Your Majesty, she's lying. It would be best to just drag her into a cell to interrogate her. I'm sure that she will remember if we ask nicely.” That didn't sound like an empty threat. He would truly be willing to throw her into prison in an instant.

Blanche felt panic welling up inside her as the blood drained from her face. She could still lose her life, couldn't she? Just because she had fallen in love today, that didn't mean that this couldn't end up as the worst day of her life. She took a step back, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

Theodore had pulled her into a gentle embrace and replied to the other man for her. “Don't scare her. She made no attempts to attack me. Do you really think the dowager empress would use such a method? There is no way. You know that, right? So, there is no need to treat Blanche harshly. She has amnesia, and we don't know anything about that. We need to find out what happened to her, and then we can be certain. It would be better to ask a doctor instead of insisting on knowing it better than the professionals.”

The blonde man's face scrunched up at that. “If you think about this clearly, there is no way that you can trust her. If you don't want to suspect her, we'll bring her out of the estate now. There is no way that she will stay here, and you should know that too. Why are you acting like this? Did she drug you or something like that?” He gazed at the knight. “Owen, what did she do?”

Owen shook his head. “I have to deny the use of any typical drug. She did not do anything but talk to His Majesty. He did touch her though. If any drug was administered, it had to be done through her skin.”

The blonde man gritted his teeth before he glared at Blanche. “You definitely aren't just a small fish. They hired a professional this time. But it's too bad that you won't win like this.” He took a step toward her. “I don't mind using cheap tricks either. If you don't tell me what you did, I will personally-”

Theodore stopped him with a single sentence. “Leon, back off now.” His voice was so cold that even Blanche froze. He sounded completely different from before, and his angry expression was much more intimidating than she could have imagined. But he wasn't upset with her. He was still holding her in his arms as if he was protecting her from the whole world.

She could only look up at him with admiration even though she had to admit that he was scary when he got serious. That only made him seem more attractive to her when he got so protective for her sake.