Theodore quickly ended the conversation about Cedar's deceased knight and focused on the previous topic before. “We were talking about personal guards. I can't give you a guaranteed answer, but I will look into the matter.”

Camille replied with a grim expression. “I thank you for your assistance, but I do hope that you will make the correct choice. After all, we are members of the royal family and need to deal with the affiliated dangers each day. Thus, leaving us without escorts risks our safety and may indicate that you do not care enough to support us. That would cause your citizens to think badly of you, so you should listen to me in this case.”

Theodore's expression returned to his mask of intimidation again. The look in his eyes was cold enough to make the air in the room cool down. “I said that I would look into it, didn't I? I believe that you still need to understand what the emperor's decisions mean. I have the choice of whether I will fulfill your request, and no one will tell me what to do. You do have guards, so stop complaining. Did I make myself clear?”

Camille balled her hands into fists. She only glared at her son without any indication of wanting to answer.

So, Cedar chimed in. “Of course. We will not push you. Mother is merely worried about someone targeting us because they deem us weak in our current situation. We are outside the main walls of the palace after all. And while we do have guards, they do not seem to like us very much. It's a strange coincidence.”

That reason was probably exactly why Theodore had chosen the knights for this place. After all, he couldn't send people that would sympathize with their enemies. The emperor didn't even say anything to deny that it had been his full intention.

The prince waited for a moment, and when no response came, he continued. “I did not mean to pressure you by saying that either. I think it would be better for us to have some additional guards, but you are more experienced in that matter. Please do decide for yourself.”

Theodore returned to feeding his lover while replying in an indifferent tone. “Rest assured that I will.”

Afterward, it was silent again.

Blanche ate another spoonful of the soup. Now both her bowl and Theodore's one were empty, and the other two at the table were almost finished as well. Hopefully, there weren't too many courses left, but she was sure that at least one main dish and dessert would still follow. She had the suspicion that the conversation couldn't get more pleasant from now on, so she just prayed for it to be over before a greater conflict arose. But somehow, she doubted that they would be able to leave in peace.

The dowager empress used the bell one more time, and servants came in to bring the next dish. This time, the dish looked like some sort of casserole with many colorful pieces of vegetables.

The concubine was happy to begin eating to distract herself from the unpleasant quietness. But in the end, this was better than the other option.

Cedar was the one breaking the silence after a while and immediately made her bad premonition come true. “I believe we should talk about other things again. Lady Blanche hasn't participated in the discussion for a bit, and I would feel horrible if she was excluded.”

The concubine forced herself to smile but didn't pause her movements and guided her spoon to her lover without looking at the prince. “Do not mind me. I have no problem listening to you for a while. It is enjoyable to hear about some things I was not aware of yet. So, do not feel forced to change the topic.”

Cedar gifted her a grin that was as infuriating as always. “We have already finished, so we can speak about something that allows you to get involved this time. We have not had much time to get to know each other, so I would like to offer you to ask us some questions. We could need some more intimacy when you will become Theodore's...” He stopped himself and pretended to be shocked. “Oh, please excuse that. It won't happen again. I meant when you will clearly stay with him in the near future.” Slowly, his smile returned again with even more vigor than before. “But my offer is still relevant. Please feel free to ask anything. If we are not comfortable answering a question, we shall be honest, so you don't have to hold back. Likewise, you can also say when you do not want to answer. In some cases, it might be more pleasant to keep quiet after all. Since I, unfortunately, don't know much about you, I would like to ask a few questions as well. Only if you do not mind.”

She did mind.

Blanche had no desire to do anything like that. She didn't want to know anything about her enemies, even if that was mainly because she feared that humanizing Cedar in her mind even more was a bad idea. She also didn't want to reveal the slightest bit of information to them. But that she could say this in a way that would make the prince leave her alone was unlikely. “I cannot think of anything about me that would be interesting, and I also am unable to come up with questions all of a sudden. So, it may be better to talk about something else.” She was thankful that Theodore offered her a bite from his plate so that she could focus on eating first.

But naturally, Cedar didn't let her get away this easily. “Really? That is unfortunate. It would be a shame if you kept being so distant. How will we get to know each when we don't talk? It's unpleasant enough that speaking at events is almost impossible with so many guests there. Then we should at least use our free time to chat for once. Allow me to convince you of this for once. We are very curious about what you are like as a person. We obviously noticed that you are kind and very charitable as well as absolutely loyal to my brother but not much more. I would like to hear the rest though. We'll start simple. What do you like to do in your free time? Aside from being with my brother, of course.”

Blanche felt like giving away the slightest bit about her private life would leave her more vulnerable than before. She couldn't help but remember Cedar's expression after she had offended him in the pavilion. This was enough to remind her that she didn't just hate that person but that he was also a threat. She couldn't just ignore him and hope for the best. She would have to keep her guard up at all times. She didn't want to answer, but she would rather do it now and deal with the simpler questions before saying that she was getting tired of this game when the worse ones came.

So, Blanche just gave the absolute basic information that wouldn't help their enemies in any way. “I take walks around the palace or bake in the kitchen. Sometimes, I sort my belongings and ensure that everything is being stored properly. Aside from that, I have nothing to do, so I would argue that I do more while Theo is around.” That she was friends with some servants and attended lessons with Leon seemed too important to say. She really wanted to hide the fact that she was learning more about etiquette, history and politics specifically.

Cedar scanned her face for a while before responding. “That sounds enjoyable, but it is rather little to keep you busy for a long time. What would you do if my brother wasn't there?”

Blanche was about to reply with a small statement of how she wouldn't be here without Theodore but held herself back in time. The prince was referring to what she would do if her lover didn't spend as much with her, not necessarily anything worse. The response was still attending Leon's lessons, baking with friends, taking walks and then waiting for Theodore. “That wouldn't change much except for me missing him terribly. Baking is fun, so I often visit the kitchen for hours. I sometimes sew when I plan on making something for Theo too. There was a time when he worked the whole day and barely saw me, and I still managed to pass those months somehow. So, do not worry about me being bored.”

Cedar laughed at that, and a bite of his casserole disappeared in his mouth. He happily chewed and swallowed before replying to her. “Then I feel relieved. I thought that my brother was leaving you all alone in your room or something like that. I heard about some powerful men treating others like that, so I am glad to hear that this isn't the case here.”

Theodore gazed at the prince with slight annoyance. “I don't get why you even need to ask that anymore. I gave Blanche permission to enter every single room in the palace whenever she wants to. Everything that is mine belongs to her too. So, she can move freely within the royal estate and go out as long as she takes guards with her.”

Camille choked on her food at that. She jolted her head up and stared at her son in a mix of disbelief and anger. “You cannot be serious about saying such things. You are the emperor. Artias belongs to you. How can you even joke about this being hers? She is a...baroness that only received her title from you. We don't even know where she came from, so she is probably a commoner.” She barely managed to avoid revealing what she knew here. Clearly, she had wanted to describe where exactly Blanche came from without letting Theodore guess that she had been involved with the concubine's arrival in the palace.

It was just sad that even revealing it wouldn't have done anything.

Blanche barely hid a smile behind her hand as she considered speaking up. Should she tell Camille that she had indeed been born as a commoner right in front of her lover to show the other woman who had the upper hand when it came to her past? She decided not to do it, just to keep her last ace up her sleeve. Letting her enemies think that Theodore didn't know seemed to be a good idea. She still couldn't hold back a small comment. “My past is of no importance, Your Majesty, but I am certainly not a commoner now. After all, I am a baroness as you just said. Please do respect that while addressing me.”

Camille shot her a murderous glare in response, but she didn't even reply. Instead, she snapped at Theodore again. “You could never grant her permission to enter your chambers. You are surely joking. There is no way that you would actually go as far as to let her roam around freely.”

Theodore let out a chuckle as he looked to the side. “I don't think all the nights my angel and I spent together are a joke. We remember them very clearly, and I can assure you that that was in our room. Blanche currently only uses her old room to store some of her clothes while the bigger part is in the dressing room connected to the emperor's chambers. She always sleeps with me, so I guess you could say that she happened to enter quite a few times.”

The concubine almost felt a bit embarrassed with him admitting that they were sharing a bed this openly, but Camille's expression made up for that.

It looked like the dowager empress was absolutely horrified. She paled and stared at them as if they had committed some grave crime. “How shameless! To use the chambers that have been the home of the previous emperors of Artias for something like that. Another person is never allowed to enter and spend the night there!”

Theodore shrugged. “I don't think that there ever was a rule like that. I would just assume that you are upset because you never were permitted inside. Father was rather secretive about his room even though there was nothing special inside. But in any case, I don't care about your opinion. It's my relationship and my palace, so obviously I will decide. Along with my angel, of course.” He turned to his lover and gave her a bright smile. “I would never dream of ordering you around. You like sharing a room with me, right?”

Blanche felt how her cheeks were getting slightly red, but she nodded. “Of course. I can finally fall asleep in your arms and wake up in them too. Sharing a room is the best idea you ever had.” She was rather sure that something inside the dowager empress cracked at that.

Camille stared at both of them with a scrunched-up face but didn't say anything.

Theodore watched that for a moment and slowly moved his hand to his concubine's and interlocked their fingers on top of the table for everyone to see. Then he spoke up while looking at his mother. “If it helps you, the empress never saw my room from the inside either. So, you aren't the only one who never had that chance. I didn't see hers either, but that should be obvious, right? I only ever loved one woman, which is why the emperor's room is hers now too.”

The dowager empress looked like she was about to jump up, but Cedar stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder.

The prince smiled at his mother for a moment before speaking up. “It seems like my question was the foundation for a completely different discussion. I apologize for that. Even though this certainly proves that you fully trust us, I doubt that we should speak about your private matters like this. I mean, if you have problems, I will be glad to listen to you. But otherwise, we should refrain from speaking so bluntly. Especially when Mother is here. We aren't used to others talking so openly. Besides, you should show a bit more consideration for Lady Blanche, Theodore. Don't you see how embarrassed she is? I believe that you might be a little prying in this regard, so it would be better to make sure that both parties are perfectly fine with everything. After all, you are the emperor, and she is your guest, so she might feel...indebted to you in some way. Maybe she doesn't actually-”

Blanche certainly would never go to the prince if she had concerns, but she didn't think about that. She had other problems when Cedar was spreading lies about her relationship. Ones that were connected to fears that had plagued Theodore's mind for years. She interrupted Cedar with fury painted onto her features. “You surely feel like you know a lot about us when you have no clue. I love Theo, do you hear me? I keep repeating that over and over again, but some people don't seem to understand. And he is a wonderful person. He would never make anyone act how he wants them to by intimidating them for fun. He is a competent ruler and won't ever abuse his power even if others might plan on doing just that. I am with him because of my own free will. You have no idea how long it took him to finally get closer to me because he didn't want to make me uncomfortable. Don't you dare spread lies about him.”

Cedar's eyes widened in a pretense of shock. “Claiming that to be a lie wasn't my intention at all. I merely worried a bit and wanted to remind him of the fact that his power may seem intimidating. Of course, I don't doubt that you are utterly devoted to him, but in some cases, that is caused by someone being dependent on another person. I am convinced that this isn't like that at all, but I still wanted to make sure. After all, Theodore can be pretty scary if he wants to.”

The emperor looked at him with a blank expression. “Seemingly, not scary enough, or we wouldn't have this issue here. Well, it can't be helped. At least I manage to keep some others in check.” He turned to his side and squeezed his lover's hand as he gave her a look full of adoration. “And even though we owe no explanation and I don't need protection, you would always defend me. I love you.” He reached up to stroke through her hair with his free hand, which earned him another murderous glare from the dowager empress.

Camille angrily chewed on her food before swallowing it and spoke up. “Refrain from acting so impertinent. This is still a dinner. If you do not wish to behave, you did not have a reason to show up at all.”

Theodore sighed quietly and gave his mother a dismissive look, which promptly silenced her. “The emperor won't bow down to your will. Shouldn't that be obvious? You are the one being impudent right now. Seemingly, your manners were affected negatively by being confined for six years. You didn't only ignore my position while trying to order me around and ignoring my words multiple times. You also insulted my lover and brought a person that was banned from the palace inside for a public tea party. I feel like your memory might be blurry right now. I think that I need to remind you of who the emperor is.”

Cedar hurried to speak before his mother. “Please excuse her. We heard some rather dejecting news from some of our acquaintances, and that is why she is a bit irritated today. During your birthday party, she was sick, which is why she was so tense. And regarding the tea party, we only took along His Grace because we were certain that you would not mind. I sincerely apologize for misinterpreting your words. We will do our all to act more carefully from now on. We will not disregard your orders again and keep every word in mind. So, please do not insist on punishing anyone.” Oh? It seemed like he had read his brother's mood correctly.

Theodore showed him an annoyed expression but nodded. “So be it. But keep in mind that I can change my opinion on this matter quickly.” With that, he returned his attention to his plate. He picked up another piece of his food to bring it to his lover's face.

Blanche ignored how upset Camille looked and let Theodore feed her before doing the same for him. Thankfully, everyone stayed quiet for a while now so that they could finish their plates quicker.

When everyone was done, the servants were called like before to bring the next course. Seeing that there was cake now relieved the concubine a lot. After all, this meant that only dessert was left and that they could return home after that. Naturally, she also looked forward to having something sweet now, even if better company would have made everything much more pleasant.

Blanche would just focus on her meal and her lover now, and then it would be fine either way. Her mouth was already watering when she gazed at her piece of cake. It seemed to be a normal light yellow dough with cream filling and some chocolate sprinkles. Blanche could really use that right now. She happily lifted her fork and was about to take a bite when Theodore took her plate and moved it away. She turned to him in confusion and was greeted by him staring at his family with a much colder gaze than anything he had shown today.

Theodore took his own fork and stabbed the cake with much more force than necessary before pulling out some red sphere from the middle. “I sincerely hope that this was a coincidence.” His voice sounded like he was seconds away from dragging the others back to their confinement.

Blanche took a moment longer to realize why he was so upset. That was a cherry. Their enemies had prepared cherry cake. Either this was a complete coincidence, or they had tried the allergy trick twice today. The concubine only needed one look at the red fruit to remember how she had felt after eating a cake with cherries the last time. Her throat had swollen, and she had barely been able to breathe without crying from the pain. She had been in bed for two days without having a chance to speak much. That had been more awful than when she had eaten a cherry for the first time in her childhood. She slowly let her fork sink and stared at the others to see their reaction. Did those people really know about her allergy?

Camille just coldly met her son's gaze without any indication of guilt or confusion. “I am not sure what you could be referring to.” She was way too unbothered to be surprised, so she obviously had known.

Cedar was a better actor, but even his reaction seemed odd. He just looked like usual, but something about his smile made Blanche feel like it was too wide. Too fake. Especially since he didn't even feign worry. He inspected the cake for another moment before speaking up. “Mother. Lady Blanche has an allergy to cherries. I was aware of that, but it seems like I must have forgotten to mention that. After all, that is a topic that comes up rarely. I fear that my carelessness brought an unpleasant situation now.” He put on a smile and focused on the concubine. “I sincerely apologize for that. Unfortunately, we have no other cake prepared. I am deeply sorry, but it seems like you will have to make do with something else. Would you like a cup of tea?”

Blanche shook her head. “No, thank you.” If they wanted to trigger her allergy, they might have worse in store. “I will be fine without anything.” Thankfully, Theodore had already known about this, or she would have swallowed a mouthful of cherries without a warning. That would have confined her to the bed for a week. So, it should be obvious that she had no desire to consume anything else here.

The prince didn't like her answer though. “Please do take a look at it first before you decide. I believe that it will be to your liking.” He used the bell to call a servant, who brought a cup without any previous instruction.

That could only mean that this was planned, and it made the concubine want to refuse even more. Surely, she could look at whatever this was, but she wouldn't accept it. The servant placed the cup in front of her and disappeared again.

Blanche focused on the red liquid inside. It didn't seem to be anything special and smelled like it could be apple tea. Still, she wasn't keen on drinking it.

But Cedar wasn't finished yet. He pulled out a small vial from behind his cup and placed it in the center of the table before pushing it to her. “Those are some herbs from the northern coast of Travuan. Some of our friends visited that place during their vacation and brought it along for us. The herbs were mixed with water and left to rest for a while, which is why it looks like this. Mixing this with apple tea is one of my favorite drinks.”

The blue liquid inside the vial didn't look like it was made from herbs. What kind of herbs would turn water blue? The liquid also seemed to be a bit too thick to just be made from some plants and water.

Blanche didn't trust it one bit, but she picked up the vial to look at it up close. If she were to pour this into her drink, the tea would become violet. For some reason, she didn't like that realization at all. Slowly, her mind began to remember why she hated tea with that color, and she lifted the vial to find out whether the horrible premonition was right. She slowly opened the top and brought it to her nose.

A sickeningly sweet smell greeted her and made her gag immediately. She set the vial down with a loud clink, and some of the liquid spilled out from the cup onto the white tablecloth. But Blanche couldn't bring herself to care when memories of the poisoning rushed through her head. The smell was the exact same. Someone here had truly presented her this ‘Midnight Sleep’ that had been used to poison her in the past.

Theodore had warned her about something bad being presented to her. Here it was.

Her head snapped up as she narrowed her eyes at Cedar. “You-” She wasn't even able to finish the insult she had come up with and just gritted her teeth while glaring at him.

Theodore next to her immediately took the vial and looked at the liquid. He wouldn't be able to recognize that poison by the fragrance. Not when he had never drunk it and she was the only one that knew how it smelled. But he knew her description. One look proved that this liquid was blue and thick enough to stick to one's throat if one drank it. And an overly sweet smell was easy to recognize too. Along with her reaction, this ensured that the emperor only needed two seconds to find out. “Is that-”

Blanche's face scrunched up as memories of the sticky sweet liquid in her throat filled her mind. “It is. It's that poison.” She could barely speak without cursing the dowager empress and the prince with every single word.