This wasn't good at all. If the perfect man in front of her was also selfless and loved to help others, Blanche wouldn't ever be able to develop feelings for another person again. She might just be stuck liking this man that was completely out of her reach. That thought made her avert her eyes. “But...I... Isn't it unfair? If I stay here without asking for anything, I'm just taking something from you, aren't I?” She almost jolted when she felt a hand on top of her head.

Theodore gently patted her while giving her a smile that looked somewhat uncertain. “I'm not acting selflessly right now, so you don't have to feel bad. I'm actually being really egoistical. So, it's only appropriate that you are as comfortable as possible in the meantime.” Now he was even saying things like this to calm her down.

Blanche basically felt her heart squeal at that. He wasn't only kind, he was also stroking over her head even though she hadn't done a thing. That small motion was enough to make her feel warm. It was good that she would go to bed now. Maybe that would cool her head a bit and allow her to think clearly. She barely dared to make eye contact in fear that her expression would give away those overwhelming feelings. “Thank you. You're very nice.” She only regretted that after saying it. She sounded stupid right now, didn't she? This was embarrassing.

But Theodore smiled at her. “I'm...glad that you think that way. I...” He stopped himself and glanced to the side. When his eyes found the clock, he froze and quickly turned to her again. “I would like to talk to you for a bit longer, but I believe that you must be exhausted. It would be good if you slept first.”

She would have liked to tell him to stay since she wasn't tired. But she had noticed that he needed to be somewhere, and she wouldn't keep him from doing that. “Alright. Then...we will see each other tomorrow?” Blanche had wanted to hold that pathetic question back, but it was to no avail. She really wanted to meet him again. It would be too dejecting if she lost her first love this early. She looked up at the emperor with a hopeful gaze and prayed that the answer would be the one she liked.

Theodore hesitated for a little moment, which was already enough to make her feel disappointed. But then he nodded. “We will. I promised that I would deal with all of this. You are my guest now, so I will obviously take care of you. If you need anything tonight, just open the door and address the guards. One of them will inform a servant. Starting tomorrow, you will have a personal maid, so don't be too surprised when she wakes you in the morning.”

Blanche's face lit up with joy. She had barely heard the rest, but knowing that he would visit her again made her heart melt. She happily nodded at him and couldn't stop beaming.

The emperor was silent for a moment before he snapped out of it. “Now then. I will...leave now.” He turned around and walked to the door. There he stopped again and gave her a little smile.“Goodnight. Sleep well and rest. We will discuss everything else tomorrow.”

She doubted that she would be able to sleep when her head was already spinning because of a little smile. She still had to process that Theodore had held her hand and consoled her, so she would probably stay awake until the sun rose. Still, she agreed with him. “Alright. I'm sure that I will sleep well since...I know that I'm safe here.” She almost wanted to hit herself for that and quickly moved on. “I wanted to wish you a good night too. Thank you for everything.”

“There is no need to thank me. I told you that I would take care of everything, right? As the emperor of Artias... I mean...” Theodore stopped before correcting himself. “As Theodore Estien, I can promise you that I won't break my word. You won't have to worry about a single thing. Have sweet dreams.” As long as he was in her dreams, they would certainly be sweet.

Blanche gave him a shy smile back. “You too.” She waited by the door as he left the room and almost didn't want to tear her eyes off him, especially not when he was smiling like this. But the longer they stared at each other, the more uncomfortable it would get. So, she forced herself to shut the door while wishing him a good night again. She waved to him, and he waved back.

As soon as the door shut with a click, she rested her forehead against the mahogany wood. This whole day had been a mess. How unrealistic could her life be? She had met the emperor and had fallen for him after a single glance, and now her heart was still pounding because he had patted her head. Unwillingly, she brought her hand to her scalp and touched it. Her skin still felt sensitive just because of Theodore. She would probably be reduced to a stuttering mess if he ever kissed her.

Her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly took a step back from the door. Blanche couldn't have such audacious thoughts. Theodore would definitely feel uncomfortable if he knew what she was thinking about. That she imagined how soft his lips on hers would be and how wonderful it would be if he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her toward him.

Blanche quickly shook her head to push those thoughts away. She walked backward before looking around again. This room was truly gorgeous, but she couldn't even admire it for a second before her thoughts returned to Theodore. She let out a frustrated sigh and moved over to the bed. She sat down on it, only to freeze immediately. How could a mattress be as fluffy as a cloud? She immediately allowed herself to fall backward and relished in the softness of the bed. It was so comfortable that she almost fell asleep immediately.

Almost.

A single thought about Theodore and how his hands had touched her was enough to make her stomach tingle. She moved around so that she was lying there with her head near the head part of the bed and pulled her legs closer to herself. She buried her face in the pillow and let out a small whimper.

All of this felt like a dream. It seemed so unreal that the events of this day had truly occurred. How had things moved from her coming here and fearing death to her falling for the emperor and moving into the royal palace? It was almost ridiculous. Blanche could barely bring herself to calm down as she began squirming around. She would definitely lie awake for a while. She might even end up staying awake without a second of sleep. But that would be fine when she already felt like she was dreaming. Maybe that was the wrong word though.

Maybe calling it a fairy tale was better.

Blanche had met the perfect prince of her dreams, and now she felt like a princess while lying here in this fluffy bed. She tried to keep her eyes shut for a moment but quickly opened them again. She wouldn't be able to sleep like this.

Blanche sighed, and her eyes fell onto a white piece of fabric next to her. She sat up and lifted it and was greeted by the most graceful simple white dress she had ever seen. It looked like a nightgown. Was this for her? It was silky, and the fabric felt so soft that she might as well be touching a cloud. This was so perfect that wearing it would feel like it was wasted on her. She wanted to put it away without changing, but she realized that she couldn't sleep in her own dress only a second later. She had knelt in the pavilion, so it was probably filthy.

Blanche shot up and quickly left the bed to change out of the dress she had been wearing. She only realized that she still had Theodore's cape now, which was much too late. For a moment, she thought about asking someone to bring it to him, but she decided against it. After all, she didn't want to bother anyone this late. She could just give it to him tomorrow when he came to talk to her.

Keeping it for now also gave her a chance to do the most embarrassing thing she could imagine. She stood there and hugged the velvet for a while and pressed her face into the warm material. It made her feel so safe that she considered taking it to bed with her to cuddle with it, but at that point, her shame came back. She hung the cape over the sofa and prepared to go to bed without it.

Upon putting on the nightgown, she felt like she was in heaven. How could a piece of cloth feel this wonderful? Her mood only rose when she slipped under the blanket and felt the soft fabric on her skin. This was too perfect. She should be skeptical and question whether she wouldn't just wake up back at Julien's mansion tomorrow, but her pounding heart was enough to prove that she wasn't dreaming.

A wide grin appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes. This day hadn't been as catastrophic as she had believed it to be at all. Maybe she would end up having a bit of luck at some point in her life. Living in a fairy tale wasn't so bad.

----------------------------------------

Blanche took an eternity to fall asleep, but then she slept more comfortably than ever before. This bed was wonderful, but even that didn't keep her from being woken up in a harsh way when a loud crash echoed through the room. She shot up, and her eyes darted across the room as her hazy mind tried to figure out what was going on. She was in the palace after the dreamlike events of yesterday.

But that didn't explain why there was a young ginger-haired woman standing in the middle of the room.

Did someone see Blanche as a danger after all, and she would be arrested now? She dug her fingers into her blanket and tried to hide how scared she was by raising her voice. “Who are you?”

The other woman let out a quiet noise and hid her mouth behind her hand. She almost looked terrified even though she was the intruder. Even her voice was shaking. “I sincerely apologize. My name is Stella. I was assigned to be your maid. I didn't mean to drop the glass. I'm really sorry.”

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Only now, Blanche lowered her gaze. The glass that was shattered on the floor had probably been the thing that had woken her up. She vaguely remembered Theodore mentioning a maid. So, that person hadn't come here to harm her. Instead, that woman came to help as the maid uniform had suggested from the very beginning. And Blanche had screamed at her immediately. Great. She averted her eyes and spoke up quietly. “Oh. I'm sorry for yelling. I was just...surprised. I didn't expect anyone to come.”

Stella seemed a bit relieved at that, but she was still uncertain. “I see... That was my mistake. It won't happen again. I promise. I...uhm...will clean up this glass now. Please do not stand up yet. It would be bad if you stepped onto the shards.” With that, she hurried to the tiny storage room near the main door and pulled out a broom.

Blanche watched her for a moment before allowing herself to voice her thoughts. “It's nice that you came here to help me, but... What exactly are you supposed to do?” She didn't really need any help. After all, she could dress and eat by herself just fine. Even if it was only for a week or so, this woman here certainly had better things to do than attending someone who didn't have any tasks for her.

Stella almost looked a bit hurt at that comment though. “Well... I'm not usually this clumsy. I won't drop anything again. Please forgive this incident. From now on, I will do my best not to make any mistakes.”

Blanche almost sighed at that. She hadn't meant it like that at all, but she felt like explaining it wouldn't make it any better. “I see. It's...alright. And you will help me with anything that comes up?”

The maid nodded. “Yes. I will attend you and take care of any tasks that you may have for me. I will help you dress and get ready, and I can bring you all the things you need. If you have something that needs to be done, tell me, and I will take care of it immediately.”

Blanche had to hold back from frowning at that. Would that woman really trail behind her no matter where she went? That thought was odd. Why would a person like Blanche need a servant to accompany her? She wasn't that important, and she really didn't have many wishes that needed to be fulfilled either. But refusing this person when Theodore had sent her was mean. So, Blanche stayed quiet and watched as Stella cleaned up the glass on the floor. She didn't even know what to tell the maid.

Speaking to strangers had never been her strength, which only made the situation uncomfortable. Blanche cleared her throat once and planned on saying something, but in the end, it felt too weird. She waited until Stella was done cleaning and then hoped that the other woman would talk first. She was lucky.

Stella awkwardly stood at the side for a few seconds before speaking up carefully as if she worried about angering the other woman. “If I may ask, would you perhaps tell me how to address you?”

It seemed like Blanche would have to lie once again. “My name is Blanche. Unfortunately, I suffer from amnesia, so I can't tell you more about me. It's nice to meet you.”

The maid nodded and bowed to the other woman. “It's nice to meet you too. Since I am merely a servant, it would not be appropriate for me to address you by your first name though. Would you favor being called ‘Miss Blanche’ or ‘My Lady’?”

Both sounded strange to Blanche. She was just a commoner as well. Why was someone making a huge deal out of her name? Maybe everyone assumed her to be a noble lady since the emperor had brought her here. If that made them act nice, she would rather allow this miscommunication. So, she should just play along for now. “Then ‘My Lady’ would be better.” At least no one put a strange title in front of her name like this, and it sounded more neutral.

Stella bowed her head again. “I understand. Then shall I prepare breakfast, My Lady?”

Now that the maid mentioned it, Blanche was a bit hungry. But she didn't really care about that. Her mind was already busy with other things. “Say... Stella? Do you think that Theodore will visit me? He said that he would pick me up. We need to talk about what will happen from now on, and I have to thank him for yesterday.” In all honesty, she just wanted to see him again. She needed to know whether her sudden rush of emotions had calmed down or whether he would still look as perfect to her as yesterday. And maybe she wanted him to pat her head again too. But she would never admit that to a stranger.

Stella almost froze when she heard that. She blinked a few times before replying. “Pardon me, but I need to ask a question. Are you referring to His Majesty when you say that name?”

Right. In the palace, no, in the whole country, no one dared to address the emperor by his first name. Blanche scolded herself for forgetting that and responded quickly. “Yes, I am. He was the one that helped me yesterday, so I have to thank him.”

Stella looked rather concerned when she heard that. “Please excuse my meddling with this matter when it is clearly not my place to interfere. But it may be better for you to call him ‘Your Majesty’ since that is how every single person has to address him. I do not mind, but others may be more sensitive regarding this matter. It would be bad if you were to be punished for something like this.”

But Blanche didn't want to use such a distant title. Not when she had said his name already and loved how it felt in her mouth. She pouted, and the words flowed out before she could stop them. “But he told me to call him by his name.” That wasn't completely true, but he had introduced himself to her without using any titles. So, she had just assumed that he would like her to call him that. But what if she had misunderstood and offended him?

That had to have been it since the maid looked at her with wide eyes. “His Majesty did? That is... I never heard anyone use his first name.” Stella was silent for a moment before she continued in a more cautious tone. “If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet His Majesty?” That was a bit hard to explain.

“Well...” Blanche scratched her neck and scanned the other woman's expression while speaking. “He found me in the pavilion. I was crying there because I couldn't remember where I was, and he consoled me. Then I told him that I had amnesia, and he took me in.”

Stella blinked a few times. “You met yesterday? You two aren't acquainted with each other? I thought that you already knew one another.”

Blanche had to admit that Theodore allowing her to move in all of a sudden had probably been surprising. After all, he didn't know her at all. That he was suddenly allowing her to live with him probably made everyone curious. Or this was normal for the emperor. She didn't know. Hopefully, it wasn't the latter option. She would like it if Theodore treated her differently than others even if it would only fuel her delusions. But the maid's silence worried her a bit, so she spoke up. “Is it a problem if he takes care of me? I didn't think about accepting his offer much yesterday, but am I causing trouble for him?” She already felt bad just because of the possibility that she could unwillingly make it more difficult for the emperor.

Stella was quiet for a few seconds and bit her lip before replying. “Well... The thing is that a young woman suddenly coming here and...living with him may cause some indecent rumors. That could cause trouble since he already has a-” She was cut off by a muffled but loud male voice.

“By the gods, just knock already! This is your palace!” The voice came from the door, and the one yelling had definitely been the blond man from yesterday. That Leon.

If the emperor's advisor was present, couldn't Theodore be here as well?

Blanche's feet worked before her mind, and she jumped out of the bed. Before she could stop herself, she rushed to the door and pulled it open. At the moment that she made eye contact with the emperor, the world around her lost its meaning again.

Only he mattered.

Theodore looked rather surprised and lowered his hand since knocking wouldn't be necessary anymore. And now that she saw him in bright daylight, he was even more handsome than yesterday. He didn't need a fancy uniform to seem majestic at all. Even normal clothes were enough to make him give off a special aura.

This made it easy to find out that her feelings definitely hadn't changed overnight. If something had changed, it was that she was even more enamored with him now. A single look had been enough to take her breath away, and now Blanche stared at him with wide eyes and barely pressed out a few words. “Good morning. Did you...sleep well?”

Theodore stared back at her and cleared his throat after a few seconds. “Yes...I did. Good morning to you too. It's good to see that you managed to get some rest.” For a moment, he was quiet again before speaking up. “It seems like you heard us talking a moment ago. I apologize for being too loud. I didn't plan to disturb you, so I didn't want to just barge in.” So, he was kind, handsome, sweet and considerate.

He definitely crossed off all the points on the list of traits that Blanche had asked for in a partner and even more than that. This wasn't good for her poor heart at all. She did her best to keep herself from avoiding his gaze and just met his eyes.

By the gods. How could anyone be this attractive? It wasn't just his appearance. The blue of his eyes seemed to make something inside her soul resonate. Blanche would happily agree if he proposed to her right now even if she didn't know a thing about him. She was truly pitiful. It was fine as long as she knew that this was insane, but still, she didn't want him to notice. So, she gave her best to speak steadily as she replied. “You could never disturb me. I'm really happy that you are here.” That had only made it worse. She wanted to sink into the floor and crouch down to hide her face. Why had she needed to say that?

Thankfully, Theodore didn't laugh at her. Instead, he looked to the side as well and coughed. “That is...good to hear. Have you slept well?”

She didn't even get to answer before Leon chimed in from the side. “What is wrong with you? I thought that only you had become possessed by something because she manipulated you, but it seems like the both of you are sick. Do you realize how awkward your conversation is for anyone to listen to?”

Theodore turned around to him and showed him a smile that barely hid his annoyance. “Say, why do you have to be here? I feel like you will just complain the whole time and ruin everyone's mood. If you're going to whine about this, just go away.”

Leonard clicked his tongue. “So that you can do something extremely stupid behind my back? No way. I don't have to remind you why there has to be another person present with you at all times, do I? There is a specific family that would hate to hear about this. Me being here only limits the damages.”

The emperor's expression darkened for a moment before he sighed quietly. “I understand. I will...be careful.”

But the secretary wasn't satisfied with that. “You should have thought about that yesterday before letting a stranger move in with you. If I remember correctly, you didn't just bring her here either. You even had the nerves to hug her right-”

“I get it, Leon.” Theodore ran his fingers through his hair. “You can be quiet now.” With that, he turned his attention to Blanche again and gave her a soft smile. “I apologize for that. Leon can be persistent at times.”

Blanche was rather happy about the secretary interrupting them because that had given her a chance to calm down a bit. But Theodore's smile had made it much worse again. She felt like her heart might burst if it went on like this. Hopefully, she wasn't red, or he would immediately notice that. “I understand. I don't mind. He has the best intentions.”

She didn't know that, but Leon seemed loyal, and that he mistrusted her due to her strange background wasn't surprising. But he had been kind enough to warn her about why she seemed so strange to the servants either way.

That thought made Blanche's eyes widen. She had found the perfect way to distract herself. “Please wait for a moment.” She rushed over to the sofa and picked up the cape. She stroked over the silky fabric to straighten it once before running back to the door and showing the cape to Theodore. “I still had your cape. You forgot to take it with you yesterday.” She did her best to push away the memory of her holding onto this to cuddle with the remains of his warmth yesterday to avoid blushing.

Theodore seemed a bit surprised at that and just stared at the cape for a moment. “Ah. You can-” He cut himself off and quickly took it from her hands. “Thank you, I-” He stopped once again when their hands touched for a moment.

Maybe he had felt that little spark too, or Blanche was just imagining it. She hoped that it was the former, but that wasn't very realistic.