Theodore helped his lover climb into the carriage and followed after her. Immediately after he had sat down next to her, she was already embracing him again and rested her head on his shoulder. Neither he nor Stella and Owen, who were taking a seat across from them, complained. Instead, the emperor put his arm around her and pressed a kiss onto her scalp. “You should be careful with your face. You are going to lose your powder like this.”

Blanche quickly turned her head so that her cheeks weren't touching his clothes anymore. “I didn't stain your shirt, did I?” Even though she didn't want to, she lifted her head for a moment, and upon seeing that her lover's clothes were still clean, she let herself rest on his shoulder again.

Theodore began drawing small circles onto her back and responded with a soft smile. “As you can see, there is nothing there. I just don't want you to have put on so much powder for no reason. In my opinion, you wouldn't have needed it, but you insisted.”

The concubine pretended to pout at that. “You know that it was necessary.” She had stopped crying after being consoled by her lover, but her face had still been red, so she had been forced to ask Stella to cover it up.

The maid had done so without asking questions, and later, it became clear that she had already seen the matching rings and jumped to conclusions. Despite having been reminded that this was just an act a couple of times, the servant was still grinning and had done her best to style her mistress' hair on such a joyful occasion. Though, Blanche had to admit that she was very satisfied with the outcome. Stella braided her mistress' hair into a long ponytail and let it fall down over her shoulder. This was both practical for being outside and elegant so that it wouldn't look odd for a noble lady to have this hairstyle.

The carriage began moving, which directed Blanche's attention to the scenery around them. Except for the route to the estate, she hadn't seen anything of the region, so she was looking forward to changing that today.

For the first few minutes of the carriage ride, her curiosity and her desire to be surprised by their location battled against each other, but Blanche eventually gave in and asked her lover. “Where are we going today?”

Theodore hummed and tilted his head to the side as if he was contemplating. “I'm not sure whether I should tell you. After all, this will be more exciting if you don't know what to expect.”

The concubine turned around to face him and looked up at him. “Please?” She tried her best to sound as cute as possible in hopes of convincing him to speak up.

Her lover let out a laugh at that before he pulled her closer to him. “How could I deny my angel something when she asks this sweetly? We'll go to a place I already mentioned when we were home. If we're in the north already, I thought that visiting the most famous city up here would be good. I'm giving you one hint. There will be a lot of tasty fish there, especially salmon.”

That was enough to make her understand. “Ibela!”

Theodore grinned at her and nodded. “You're right. I took a while to convince Owen, so we couldn't do this earlier, but it was too perfect to pass up on the opportunity during the last days that we'll be here together.”

From the corner of her eye, Blanche could see Stella beaming at the prospect of getting another portion of the delicious fish, which the maid had been gushing about ever since her vacation. She was similarly excited to get a bite of the salmon that was supposed to be heavenly, so she grinned at that revelation too. “It's a good thing that we didn't eat breakfast then. I want to taste every single salmon dish that they have there.”

Theodore chuckled. “I don't think that that is physically possible. Ibela is a fishing village, so their main source of income is connected to exporting food or offering it in their stores to attract tourists. So, you would have to stay there for a year to visit every establishment that sells salmon, and they probably offer multiple dishes with this specific fish too. I'm glad that you are looking forward to this trip as much as I am, but don't overeat. We want you to keep the food in your stomach. And since we won't arrive for the next hour, we should still eat a little bit before. I asked the chef to prepare small bites for us.” He gestured towards the basket that stood next to Stella.

The maid immediately handed it over to him when he extended his arm towards it, and Theodore opened the container to show his lover what the cooks had prepared. Blanche's hesitance was forgotten within seconds when she found macarons. She reached inside and let the dessert disappear in her mouth as she beamed in contentment. A few other sweets followed after that so that she quickly had enough.

In contrast to her, Theodore only ate a bite whenever she offered one to him and used his time to stare at her instead. When she asked what he was doing, he claimed to just admire her smile, which colored her cheeks red so that she was happy to have put powder on.

The carriage ride didn't pass especially fast or slowly. It felt like they had taken the expected hour to come to their destination The last few minutes were without a doubt the most interesting ones. Blanche could watch her surroundings change from wide meadows and small forests to tiled streets with singular houses lining the roads. The closer to the city they came, the more people were strolling around, and there were countless market stalls. The concubine mentally noted not to gawk at all the interesting things too much to not accidentally give away that she never left her home. But that was hard to do when everything around her seemed so new.

When they arrived at the haven of the city and left their carriage, she stopped to observe all the people that were running around. Ibela was way smaller than the capital, but it was still big enough to house quite a few families. Most of them seemed to be fishers, as the countless boats in all imaginable sizes on the water proved.

Blanche was so immersed in her observation that she was almost knocked down by a group of children that were playing on the streets. Theodore caught her and held her in his arms for a moment, which sufficed to make her heart squeal in joy. Even though they were in public, they didn't have to hide anything here. That made her so happy that she kissed him for as long as she could hold her breath without caring for the different reactions they got for that.

After she finally managed to restrain herself, her lover grabbed her hand and led her to a small building with a couple of tables in front of it. A few purple flags were adorning the wooden house, but other than that, only a few flowers decorated the area, so it was rather plain. Theodore didn't hesitate to bring her inside with a promising smile.

They were greeted by a chubby middle-aged man with a long beard and brownish skin, who showed them a bright grin as soon as the bell by the door rang. “Good morning, young lord and lady. What led you to this modest house in the famous Ibela? Do you need me to give you directions?”

Blanche returned a soft smile as she saw him. “Good morning. We don't need directions. We came here to...” She let her voice trail off and turned to her lover to wait for the reply.

Theodore already continued without needing another hint. He guided her to the counter and gave the other man a genuine smile. “It really is a good morning. If I remember correctly, this is a restaurant, isn't it? My wife and I are hungry because of our long journey, and we want to taste some of your creations. Only if you aren't busy with anything else, of course.”

Blanche's brain stopped working at that for one moment. She couldn't focus on anything but the fact that her lover had called her his wife. Immediately, a wave of ecstasy ran through her mind, and she felt her grin widen as she leaned against her lover's arm.

He seemed to have anticipated that reaction since he was already looking at her with a beam and gently caressed her cheek with his knuckles.

The owner of the restaurant let out a husky laugh and leaned onto his counter. “A pair of newlyweds, aren't we? It's great to see there are couples among the nobility that like each other. From what I hear there, isn't much love and passion behind their marriages. Ah, my wife and I often make fun of the noblemen when we see how they parade around like they own the city, only to be pushed out of their beds on their wedding nights because their wives hate them.” He chuckled and lifted a glass with a liquid that looked like it could be beer before gulping down half of it in one sip. He let out a deep breath after that. “Please don't take my manners to heart. You don't see rich people every day, so I don't know how to talk fancy like you do. Some are angry because of that, so I wanted to warn you. Well, anyway. Are you sure that you want to eat here in this run-down place? My meals are heavenly, but you aristocrats have a different taste, so it might be weird to you.”

Blanche looked around the store for a moment. All the tables and chairs were placed neatly, and there were no visible traces of dirt. The interior was plain, but that didn't justify calling this restaurant run-down. “To me, this place seems very clean. You shouldn't badmouth your own store. It's the same with your dishes. I'm sure that they will be delicious.”

The man laughed again. “Thank you, young lady. You don't leave your home with other nobles often, do you? Out of the things they say about buildings like this, I only repeated the nicest ones. Actually, I don't think that anyone ever said something nicer than you did just now.”

That wasn't very surprising when she pondered about it. Aristocrats loved to gossip and complain about everything in their free time. So, they would compare a commoner's interior to their own residences and laugh at them to feel better about themselves. It was unfortunate, but there were nobles like this.

Blanche looked around the room once more and inwardly praised the person that had furnished this building. The interior was simple but cozy, so it was fitting for a restaurant near the haven. She faced the man behind the counter again. “I can't speak for anyone else, but I like it. Whoever took care of setting up the store did well.”

The owner's toothy grin widened at that. “My wife will be happy to hear that. She put in lots of effort, you know? By the way...” His eyes wandered to the entrance, and he gestured towards Owen, who was waiting in front of the door. “Does he belong to you? He can come in too.”

Theodore chimed in to reply. “Yes, he works for us. He will wait outside since he claims that my wife and I are too busy cuddling to talk to him.”

Blanche's heart fluttered again at those words, and she leaned her head against her lover's shoulder.

The owner laughed at that. “If I look at you, that is very possible. You've only been here for five minutes, and you still can't keep your hands off each other. Ah, young love. I remember when my wife and I got married in the old temple on the other side of town. We didn't leave our house for two days after that.” He chuckled again. “I'm sorry. I won't talk about things like that anymore. You came here to eat and not to be bothered by me. What can I offer you?” He handed Theodore a thin book.

The emperor thanked him before opening the book and holding it between him and his lover so that they could read at the same time. After a few seconds, he pointed at one of the meals. “I know what you'll take.”

One glance at the line he was referring to proved that he was right. A plate with salmon with different seasonings, potatoes and vegetables sounded perfect. Blanche immediately nodded. “You know me too well. There isn't even another option left now that I've seen that.”

Theodore grinned at her before closing the book and giving it back to the man. “We'll take dish number six twice.”

The owner scanned them with a smirk. “Do you even eat the same thing? It's been a while since I saw spouses getting along like that. It must have been over ten years.” He chuckled to himself before resuming. “I'll go make your meal now. I'll hurry. Take a seat wherever you want. As you can see, everyone is working right now, so you have the free choice.” Before they could thank him, he pushed open a door and disappeared into a room behind the counter.

Theodore brought his lover to the table in the corner of the room by the window and plopped down next to her as soon as she had sat down on the bench.

It wasn't nearly as soft as the furniture Blanche was used to, but she would be fine for the few minutes that they would stay here. She turned to her lover and smiled at him. “The owner seems to be kind. He talks a lot about nobles and unhappy marriages and laughs often, but that only makes him appear even more friendly. How did you know about this restaurant?”

The emperor gazed out of the window for a moment, and upon seeing that Owen was still at the same spot, he faced her again. “I've been here before once due to a coincidence. It was after a long trip with a big group, which meant that we had to take a break, so I went into the city. I met the owner, and he allowed me and some others to sit inside so that we wouldn't catch a cold. That day, I barely felt like myself, but he did his best to help. He probably doesn't remember, but I didn't forget his kindness. Besides, the way that he prepares fish is godly.” He gave her a soft smile and reached up to brush his fingertips over her cheek. “Back then, I thought about you the whole time while eating the salmon. And this time, you are with me to get a taste of that deliciousness yourself.”

Blanche was a bit surprised that he had never mentioned such a big trip, but that did little to dim her happiness. She leaned into him and hummed in approval. “You're making me hungry, even though I just ate macarons. But it's sweet to hear that you can't even have fish without thinking about me.”

Theodore grinned at her while carefully undoing the bow that kept her bonnet in place and taking it off. “There is nothing I can do without thinking about you. You are on my mind constantly. That shouldn't be a surprise.” He put the bonnet onto the bench next to him and stroked over her hair to arrange it properly again.

“I'm content with that. It's only fair that I consume all of your thoughts if you do the same to mine.” A beam spread across her face as she realized how overly romantic they were being again. But she didn't have any intention to stop. Not when she finally had the chance to hold his hand in public. She leaned against her lover's side while looking out of the window.

There were hundreds of people running around in the haven, which reminded her of the days that she had spent in the capital with her parents. Dozens of market stalls were lining the streets, and merchants from different backgrounds were selling their goods to the many people that walked by. Some were carrying their children in their arms or transported barrels, but there also were a few nobles that were easily recognized due to their fancy attires. Many were laughing and busy chatting with one another while groups of children run around. Watching the hectic life outside the palace was so interesting that Blanche didn't even realize how quickly time passed.

The owner came out of the kitchen before she had gotten bored with observing the children playing a jumping game outside. He set the two plates down in front of them with a toothy grin. “I gave my best to make the tastiest food I ever made, but I can't be sure that this will be good for you. I'm honored to just have you eat here, so I don't mind if you're honest about whether you like it.”

The concubine wasn't really worried about that when she saw the steaming salmon on her plate. The pink fish was covered with different herbs and looked more delicious than anything she could imagine at this moment. She grabbed a fork and impatiently picked up the first piece and brought it to her lips. She had been right in her judgment. The fish was as heavenly as she had believed it to be. As soon as she gulped down the bite in her mouth, she turned to the owner, who was gazing at her with an expectant look in his eyes. She beamed at him, and one could see how he relaxed at that. “It's delicious. Salmon has always been my favorite, but this is on another level. What kind of herbs did you use? It tastes so fresh and spicy at the same time.”

The man grinned from one ear to the other. “Thank you, Lady. I'm glad that you like it. I can't give you the recipe though. This mixture of spices was created by my grandmother, and we've been running our restaurant successfully because of this genius taste. I can't risk others finding out and taking over our customers.”

“Oh, it's alright. That makes a lot of sense. But I still have to point out that you truly have talent in preparing food. One bite was enough to make me gush about it, and I'm used to heavenly food. You can be proud of yourself. I hope that many people find your restaurant in the future and realize how good it is.”

The owner laughed and thanked her again.

In the meantime, Theodore tried some salmon as well. “It's as good as you said that it was. I have to compliment the chef too.”

The man's smile only widened at that, even though he kept insisting that his food wasn't very special. “This has to be my lucky day. The one cooking better is my wife, so it means a lot to hear a compliment from you. The only thing that is good about my cooking is the herb mixture. But I'm not very efficient. If we should have more customers in the future, it would definitely be helpful for our funds, but then I will also have to hurry more in the kitchen. Though, it would be better if at least a few more people came.” He looked around the empty room, and his smile faded a bit, only for it to return immediately when he noticed it. “Well, it's cozier this way. Make yourselves at home.”

Theodore nodded and gave him a little grin. “Don't worry. We're very content with this establishment. We'll recommend you to others. I'm sure that your restaurant will be full enough to need waiting lists in just a little over a year.”

The man put his hand on his hips and eyed the couple. “So, you think that your words have that much influence? I don't want to insult you, but I have no idea who you are. Are you someone well-known? Of course, I don't mind if you don't want to answer that question.”

Theodore let out a snicker and met his lover's gaze. “You could say that we are very well-known.” He looked back at the other man. “But only in our little hometown. We come from the south and are the only viscount household in the region. No one with a lot of money lives in the middle of nowhere, so we would be the most powerful ones in that area. I don't think that our word has a lot of influence, but as long as it caused one other person to come here and fall in love with the food, it will be enough to spread the news about your restaurant. If people like the service, they will return and bring others along. So, don't worry too much. If you can hold on for a few more months, your income will only increase.”

The owner tilted his head and scanned the emperor's confident grin for a moment. “You seem very sure about that.”

“I'm good with economics.” That was a trait that the person that governed the country should have.

The owner nodded and chuckled to himself. “Then I hope that I can rely on your words. We need a little change. Well, I shouldn't bother you much longer. I will let you eat in peace.”

Blanche, who had already devoured three other pieces of salmon, quickly swallowed to speak up. “Oh, you don't have to. It's nice to talk to new people sometimes. I would like to hear something about the city if you don't mind.”

The owner paused for a few seconds and looked at Theodore. When the emperor didn't object, his smile grew. “If the lady wishes for that, I don't mind. I'm interested in the world beyond the city too. You see, I rarely leave Ibela, so I have no idea how you nobles might live. It would be great to hear about that once too.”

The couple didn't really have an understanding of how the less prosperous aristocrats might live either, but Blanche had heard a few things. Along with her lover's help, that would suffice to appear like she knew what she was talking about. In the worst case, she could just use some information about the palace and understate it a bit, and that should be enough. “I would be glad to do so.”

The man appeared to be happy about that as his eyes began to glow. “Then I'll just retreat into the kitchen to clean up and come back then. Enjoy your meal during that time.”

Theodore assured him that they would and waited until the man disappeared behind the door before turning to his concubine. “I assume that you want me to tip him?”

She nodded immediately.

“I thought so already. It was my plan too. I'll just have to find a way to give the money to him without making it obvious that we have a lot to spare. We can't just leave it on the table, or we'll risk that someone else takes it.”

Blanche swallowed another piece of her salmon and relished in the blissful taste before responding. “You could give him a bit more now and send the rest through a servant tomorrow or on the day of our departure. Even if he does link us to the capital in some way, it will be too late for him to discover who we are.”

The emperor was quiet for a moment and stared onto the table while pondering about that. “This might work. But if we want to come here in the future again, it could-” He was cut off by the chime of the bell on the door.

They looked up in surprise as Owen walked in. The head knight immediately approached them and leaned down to Theodore to whisper something to him.

The emperor grimaced at that and buried his face in his palm for a moment. “Of course, that had to happen. Well, it was to be expected, but that it would have to be so early.” He removed his hand from his face, and his expression was strangely calm in comparison to the gesture before. He turned to his lover and gave her a little smile. “Don't worry. I exaggerated a bit. It was obvious that a moment like this would come, and it's not much of a problem. In fact, no matter what happens, we will benefit from it in some way. Ibela is famous for its dishes all across the country, and that attracts quite a few guests. Naturally, people of the capital will be present too. We can just lower our heads and mind our business and hope for the best.”

When he said that, the door opened again, and a group of men came inside.

Blanche eyed how her lover turned his head and stared at the table to avoid being seen. She quickly followed his example while Owen took a seat on the chair on the other side of the table. From the corner of her eyes, she could still observe the people that had entered and immediately realized why Theodore had reacted like this.

The man that had come wasn't just a random person from the capital but a marquess that often attended the royal balls. He would definitely recognize the emperor if he saw him, and that would only inconvenience them now.

The marquess wore a long wine-colored cape and was accompanied by four guards and the same amount of servants. It was obvious that he was flaunting his status, which wasn't a problem in itself, but the way that he visibly judged the room made the concubine angry. No one could expect the commoners to have as much money as the nobles so that they could spend it on extravagant luxury goods. If he was this intent on seeing a flashy interior, why hadn't he entered a store for a more wealthy clientele in the first place?

The owner came out of the kitchen to greet the new guests, and his eyes widened as he noticed that he had the second noble visitor for the day. “Good morning, My Lord. What brings you inside this modest restaurant?”

The marquess strode to the counter and looked around the room demonstratively. “It does seem very modest to me. What can you offer me that might convince me to stay anyway?”

Blanche choked down her frustration at such a statement along with another piece of fish. Why was that person even here if he felt like this place was below him?

The owner looked like he was thinking the same thing but just put on a polite smile. “I can only offer my self-made cooking. We prepare all kinds of fish with our family's traditional recipe. I can guarantee that it won't taste like anything else you ever ate.”

The marquess stroked his finger over the counter and lifted it to his eyes. “I see. I hope that the food will be cleaner than this establishment itself. I do not react kindly to being poisoned, so I expect you to give your best now that I have offered you a chance.”

Blanche clenched her jaw and glared at the marquess before quickly lowering her gaze again when he looked at the couple. Hopefully, he wouldn't be able to identify them from afar.

The marquess spoke up again. “As I can see, you have other sophisticated guests as well. I would ask them about your food's quality before making my decision.” With these words, he moved towards the couple.

Theodore sighed at that. “Great. Well, now we don't have any other choice. He will recognize us. At least we can have fun with his reaction upon seeing the emperor in this small restaurant that he just ridiculed.” He turned his head to her so that the man wouldn't see his face when he stood next to them, which made Blanche hold back a chuckle. Of course, her lover would want to tease the marquess that had just behaved so rudely.

This was a much-needed distraction from the nervousness that made Blanche's stomach churn. She had no idea how that man would react when he saw them. Most likely, there wouldn't be any danger coming from him, but if he was too loud, they might be unable to continue their travel in Ibela, which would be very unfortunate. But there wasn't anything she could do to control the marquess now.

So, she just lowered her head and waited until he reached them.

The marquess arrived next to their table and greeted them. “Please excuse me. Would the young lord and the lady allow me to steal a minute of your time?”

The couple turned to him as if they had just noticed his presence. Theodore gave him a smug grin. “Yes?”