The foyer was already full of servants that gave their best to transport the last remaining baggage. They made way for the emperor and thus allowed the couple to pass without needing to squeeze through.

Theodore carefully guided Blanche down the staircase by the entrance, and they stopped in front of the plaza. The carriages were already waiting for the departure while the servants stored all of their items there. Many of the Ocreans chatted with some others, whom they seemed to have made friends with during their stay.

Thus, it wasn't surprising to see that Seraphina and Linden were already here to say goodbye as well.

The concubine didn't even want to disturb them and considered forcing her lover to stay back for a bit. She glanced at the baggage that still had to be brought away and decided that they had enough time to leave the two alone for a moment. So, she slowed her steps and made the emperor stop.

Theodore had expected her reaction and didn't say anything about it. He just squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. She returned that, but her grin had to have been more nervous. For some reason, her stomach was tingling even though all of this meant nothing to her.

Seraphina was the one that had to be upset. And still, the empress had the same stoic expression on her face as normal. Or maybe that was exactly why she put on that expression. In the past days, she had proved that she was softer in Linden's presence. The fact that she was so aloof now had to mean that she was covering her emotions by desperately clinging to her mask.

The crown prince looked like he dealt with the situation in a similar way. It seemed like those two were just a perfect match that had been forced to be separated by a long distance and their positions, which bound them to their own nations.

Blanche couldn't help but sigh at that. Even seeing the couple made her sad. She didn't want to think about how they were feeling at all.

Theodore next to her barely seemed to be affected by that scene in front of him. He actually seemed to be completely indifferent about the couple and merely cared because his lover was sighing. He stroked his thumb over her skin and gave her an encouraging smile. “I can offer him to take her along with him if you want that. I feel like that would unburden them a lot.”

Blanche rolled her eyes and gazed at the other couple again. “Don't be so mean. It's sad if they can't be happy together. No matter what they do, they will not be able to join each other without sacrificing all they care about. This could almost be the story of some theater play about forbidden love. I feel sorry for them.”

Theodore's eyes fell onto the empress, and his expression darkened. “You don't have to. I don't wish anything bad to Prince Linden, but that woman deserves way worse. She should be happy that she's even... You know what? We shouldn't address that topic yet.” The coldness from his gaze disappeared as soon as he focused his attention on his concubine again. “In any case, you shouldn't worry too much. They'll get their happy end, unfortunately. Not because they deserve it but because it will be the easiest way to prevent unfavorable situations from now on. So, just wait for a little while, and it will resolve itself.”

Blanche scanned her lover's expression for a moment. She still had no idea where his sudden hatred for Seraphina had come from. While she was glad that the novel's storyline certainly wouldn't become reality anymore, she also wondered how the empress had managed to enrage him like this without noticing it. In the end, Blanche couldn't help but worry about the other woman. If the emperor disliked someone, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Her nightmares had shown her that much. Still, the concubine couldn't believe that Theodore would suddenly despise someone without a reason. So, she was sure that something she didn't understand yet was connected to that.

She wondered for a moment but quickly got a bit unwell. She shivered for a moment and swiftly focused on the present again.

Blanche would try her best not to get involved in that matter until her lover was ready to tell her, so she kept quiet about his comment and focused on something else. “Are you sure that it will be that easy? I'm still doubtful.”

The emperor turned to her and shrugged. “The possibility is there. If they don't grasp it, it will be their fault. After all, the current situation is unbearable, so they should understand that something needs to change. If they don't, a little push might be necessary.” That didn't sound very friendly either.

Blanche could only hope that no one heard his exaggerated jokes, or they might really believe that he was planning to send the empress to Northern Ocrea. Which probably wasn't true. After all, that would fully ruin the relationship between Duke Duremont and him. She wasn't completely sure whether her lover paid attention to that though. She watched his face for a while before he looked down at her with a smile.

“If you do want to say goodbye, we should go there slowly. Otherwise, Prince Linden might leave before we get a chance to speak to him. He seems a bit distracted.”

It was true that the crown prince was fully immersed in his discussion with Seraphina as if he couldn't take his eyes off the woman in front of him.

Blanche glanced at the stack of baggage that became smaller with each moment and realized that Theodore was right. There were only a few bags left before the carriages were ready to depart. She tugged at her lover's arm. “Then, let's go. We don't want to keep them from leaving when it's time.” She guided him forward but didn't go as fast as her words would have implied. She was still reluctant to disturb the conversation between Seraphina and Linden, but at some point, they would have to go there.

Despite her slow pace, they arrived at their destination soon.

It wasn't surprising that the two others were still in the middle of their chat. The crown prince was currently speaking in a voice that sounded a bit more strained than usual. “I promise that I will write you an answer each time. Our family has a few private messengers. If they give their best, they should be able to deliver everything within ten days at most. So, we might not be able to exchange the newest information, but we can have a conversation with some delay.”

Seraphina nodded at that. “I will make sure to write one as soon as you are gone. You will receive a letter when you arrive home. Please have a safe journey.”

“I already promised that three times. I will. Our guards are skilled. I do not know whether they are as good as yours, but they are capable enough to protect us. There won't be any physical dangers at all. The only issue could be that I'm not as eager to return as I should be.” Linden looked into the empress' eyes for a while, and it was almost like they fought the urge to kiss or hug. In the middle of all those servants, they couldn't touch, and that had to be horrible.

Blanche was unwillingly reminded of how she had felt while saying goodbye to Theodore during the vacation. In the end, she had only been without him for a month, but that had felt like a nightmare. Imagining a scenario in which she had no idea when she would be able to see her lover again was enough to make her heart ache. Maybe it wasn't this bad for Seraphina since Linden had only arrived here a little over three weeks ago so that they couldn't have spent too much time together. But still, it had to be agonizing. Especially since the heroine couldn't bid him farewell properly.

The concubine was thankful that Theodore wasn't insensitive enough to clear his throat or something like that. Instead, he just stayed quiet as she did and waited with her.

Both Linden and Seraphina were still busy with themselves. The crown prince began blinking after a while, and the empress slowly averted her eyes. She finally noticed the others at that point and took a step back before facing them.

Theodore showed the two others a polite smile. “Good morning. It seems like time just passes way too quickly. It feels like you just arrived yesterday, and now you are already leaving. Are there any issues with the horses or the staff members? If so, I will take care of it immediately. There is no need for you to hold back. If you have any wishes, please voice them.”

Linden was silent for a bit too long. He almost said something but glanced at Seraphina and swallowed that idea. “Good morning. There are no issues. Everyone prepared splendidly, and we had a lot of help from your people, for which we are really thankful. I need to voice my gratitude one more time. It was a wonderful occasion to come here, and I will make sure to relay all of your kindness to my father. I am convinced that you are a very capable ruler who only wishes for the best for his citizens. From now on, Artias and Northern Ocrea will be allies. I would even say that our nations can expect peace for the next centuries. Due to your incredible analytical abilities, we may not have to worry about being surprised by any developments in our neighboring nations anymore. Despite the misunderstanding that has brought us here, it was worth it. It was an honor to be able to meet you and everyone else here too.”

Theodore's smile widened a little. “I can assure you that the honor was all mine. I would be happy if our meeting here was able to improve the bond between our countries so that we may work together for a better future. Ensuring that all of our citizens are happy is the most important thing. But do not forget your own happiness in the process. Are you in good health so that the trip will pass without any problems? And have you checked if the weather is good enough to depart? If you are uncertain, you may stay a little longer to prevent anything from going wrong.”

Linden looked like he was clenching his jaw. He was probably fighting himself because he would favor using any kind of excuse to stay a bit longer. But delaying the inevitable would not help him or the empress. “I am healthy, and none of the servants are sick either. The weather seems to be fine. The travel will be exhausting anyway, but I am sure that there will not be any issues. I thank you for your hospitality though. I could not have imagined a warmer welcome and was happy to meet everyone here. Except for your mother and your brother, if I may speak so frankly.”

Theodore laughed at that. “Don't worry. Almost everyone reacts like you as long as they aren't blinded by some acting. It seems like my warning did help. Cedar gave up trying to impress you after a while, didn't he? It appears that he noticed that you wouldn't let him fool you.”

“Thankfully. I didn't have the impression that he was giving up though. It almost felt like he was merely not motivated enough to try harder after I was clear about not believing him. I do have to admit that I might have been fooled by his acting if I hadn't expected it though. I was still shocked at how well he covered up his feelings and how he made it seem like he was actually a good person. He always put on a perfect act, and any outsider would have believed his little act without any issues. I was really glad to have known that Lady Blanche was never affiliated with him in any way.”

Blanche perked up at this. She furrowed her brows as she chimed in. “Why would you think something different? I never met him before a ball a while ago, and after that, none of our few interactions have been friendly. Did he lie about that?”

Linden met her gaze and paused for a moment as he tried to come up with a good way to explain it. “He never voiced anything that could later be revealed to be a lie. But the way he acted while you were there, and while you weren't, made it seem like you two had a past together. After all, he pretended to be dejected each time you treated him coldly and clung to his brother instead of talking to him. Then his reaction to your engagement also made it appear like this was the case. I was only convinced that he was lying when Se...” He stopped and rephrased the sentence. “When I was told that it wasn't true.”

The concubine inwardly glared at Cedar, but she tried to veil her anger. She made a dismissive motion with her hand and shook her head. “That is what he always does. He acts like he is close to Theo too, even when they despise each other. That's his main strategy to gain sympathy in public. You can rest assured that no one here cares for him or ever was his friend though.” Saying that made her feel like she was a bit harsh, but she forced herself to ignore the churning of her stomach. “But I'm still uncertain about what this will gain him. I noticed that he was acting weirdly ever since your arrival, but I have no idea why he gave his all to convince you that he was close to any of us.”

Theodore spoke up while holding her hand tighter. “He played the role of the younger brother, whose everything has been stolen by the tyrant that is currently sitting on the throne. He might have had something like that in mind. Following that logic, it might be questionable whether I only claimed the right to reign the nation without it actually being mine too. If I seemed like a jealous brother that only wishes to steal everything Cedar has, it would certainly not make me look like a good ruler. It may just be a small hint. But if you manage to convince Northern Ocrea that I'm incompetent and could wish for a war to enrich myself, then it would be better for them to support him instead. Maybe he hoped for that.” He glared at the person that wasn't here at all before neutralizing his expression and placing a kiss on his lover's hand.

Linden nodded. “He acted like it at least. I do not know whether he is actually naive enough to believe that we would involve ourselves in another nation's power struggle. In the end, it doesn't matter though. He did not manage to convince me of anything, no matter how well he acted the brokenhearted man that can't help but feel bitter about his brother's happiness.” Linden averted his eyes and watched one of his servants, who was currently storing a bag in a carriage. He was quiet for a moment before speaking up. “I believe that it's time now.”

The emperor gave him a little smile. “I see. Then we shall bid our final farewells for now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Prince Linden. I am convinced that you will be a great ruler when you eventually take over. I do not have the honor of knowing your father, but I assume that he is a wonderful role model for you and is extremely intelligent as well. Please do return home safely and convey my sincere wishes for his well-being to him. Along with the mixture I mentioned, of course.”

Linden nodded again and gestured to the carriage. “I have it stored safely in my bag. I once again would like to thank you for your warning and your assistance. My father will be happy to try this treatment. We are already indebted to you for figuring out what illness he has, and if this actually helps him, all of us will never forget your help. Northern Ocrea will be sure to pay back all of your efforts.”

Blanche gave her lover a questioning look without expecting him to answer.

She could ask him later after all, but Theodore quickly explained. “The king is sick. There have been countless rumors about it ever since a spy in the palace in the capital of Northern Ocrea began selling information to the outside. I don't have any reliable sources, but since everyone said the same thing, it seems to be true. Some symptoms are being named over and over again. They reminded me of the illness that my father had. Back then, there wasn't a cure yet, but now there is. I wasn't able to save my father, but now I might be able to help. Even if it's just a small chance since the king has been suffering for a while already, it's better than trying nothing. Those pills surely won't be worse than slowly dying and not having another option aside from waiting for your demise with more and more pain each day.”

The concubine couldn't help but stare at him with wide eyes. “You surely are quite informed. It's incredible that you're able to support them like this.”

Linden bowed his head for a moment. “I told him the same. Every single one of our citizens will be thankful if he did end up finding a cure. Even if it just allows my father to live a bit longer, it will be enough. Naturally, we will hope for the best, but in any case, we are more grateful than you can imagine.”

Theodore waved his hand through the air. “I am glad to help when I am able to do it. I would like to offer a lot of medicine from Artias to your nation in general. Our climate is a bit warmer, so we have different plants and herbs. We should focus on developing a good trading route between our nations so that we can exchange those ingredients more easily. If we support each other, it will be fine. But enough of that. Now is not the time for more political talk. We are supposed to see you off. Goodbye, Prince Linden. Have a safe trip and greet the king.”

“I will. Goodbye. May you and your whole nation stay peaceful and prosperous.” Linden met the emperor's gaze for a moment before looking at the concubine. “Likewise, I wish you a wonderful life, Lady Blanche. May you be healthy and happy. I would also like to give you my regards for the wedding, even if it will still take a while until then.”

Blanche could only nod at him while she tried to hide her dissatisfaction. She had noticed that Seraphina was way too silent a while ago, but she couldn't do anything to help the empress. So, she just forced herself to smile. “Goodbye, Prince Linden. I share that sentiment. Please arrive home safely. It was an honor to have been able to meet you and allow Northern Ocrea and Artias to get closer to each other. Please be happy and take care of yourself.”

Linden was silent for a moment too long. “I will do my best. Thank you for the regards.” It almost seemed like he was stalling for time when he slowly turned to the empress. He stared at Seraphina for longer than one would normally before speaking up. “I wish you the best for your future too. Please stay healthy and write about your experiences. I hope that we will see each other again at some point.”

Seraphina pressed her lips into a line and only put on a fake smile when it was her turn to talk. “Naturally. I promised that I would write. If you do visit again, all of us would be honored. But do focus on returning safely first. Send my regards to your family. May you live as peacefully as possible and work hard to improve your nation. You will become the next king of Northern Ocrea after all. I will pray for your wish to come true. Goodbye.” As soon as she finished, she clenched her jaw and put on an even more strained smile.

Linden couldn't hide the way his face fell. “Goodbye. I will pray too. Stay safe.” After that, he was silent. But he didn't turn around to go to his carriage yet, even though the servants seemed to have finished packing. He was fighting himself, and that much was obvious.

Even Blanche balled her fist as she watched that interaction. She would like to have the power to allow them to be together, but she didn't have it. No one had that much influence. How could the empress of Artias and the crown prince of Northern Ocrea be together? The only option would be for Seraphina to divorce, but the dutiful heroine could never leave behind the position she had been destined to fill ever since her birth. The odds that the empress would do that were low.

A part of Blanche wanted to propose this foolish idea while reminding Seraphina that there was more to her life than being a political figure and that she could even take on political duties in Northern Ocrea. But Seraphina's entire goal had been to be empress. That had been the point of the novel. Even that might not change, no matter how different the hero and the villainess were.

Theodore allowed everyone present to stay quiet for a moment before he spoke up. “Are both of you really content with this?” The two others jolted their heads up to face him, but he didn't leave them a chance to speak up and just smiled at Linden. “If so, that is your choice. I believe that you might return in a little while when you made up your mind. We will be happy to welcome you again. Until then, I wish you farewell.”

Linden didn't say anything. He just nodded and spun around to climb into his carriage. Once he sat inside, he turned to the window and waved to them before signaling to one of the servants.

A horn sounded, and slowly, the first knights on their horses began moving forward as one after the other carriage followed. The servants of the palace waved to the leaving group and received the same motion back. Blanche lifted her hand too and saw how Seraphina and Theodore did the same. The prince's coach was moved as well, and seconds later, Linden was out of sight as the vehicle turned to leave the royal estate through the golden main gate. Still, everyone kept their gazes on his carriage and waited until it passed through the gate. The rest of the coaches followed, and the Ocrean knights circled the troop as they left to make sure that nothing could reach them in case of an emergency.

For another minute or so, everyone stayed in front of the palace while the group of Ocreans became smaller and smaller as they distanced themselves from the royal estate. Soon, the usual noise came back as the servants began chatting and slowly retreated to take care of the tasks that arose now that the guests were gone.

Seraphina spoke up a mere second later. “I would like to ask for permission to leave. I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

Theodore shrugged. “Sure. Do whatever you want.”

That was all the empress needed to spin around and stride away. Her walk was still as graceful as always, but she was much quicker than normal. Her maids were running behind her and had trouble keeping up with her while Noah was trailing after them too. It might truly look like she had something to take care of if there wasn't one little detail. She didn't move toward the palace but followed the pathway that led to the labyrinth. Without a doubt, she would go there to vent her emotions.

Blanche watched after her for a moment before pressing her lips together. She shouldn't get involved in that and annoy a person that clearly wanted to be left alone. But she also couldn't bring herself to ignore what she had just seen. She was pretty sure that the empress was shaking.

When the normally so composed heroine was like this, it was bad, just like it had been after the nightmare. Back then, Seraphina had been happy to talk about it too. Maybe, just maybe, a conversation could distract the empress now too.

And maybe, it would help the other woman make up her mind.

The concubine looked up at her lover and was already greeted by him looking at her.

Theodore gave her a soft smile. “You want to go talk to her?” She nodded, which caused him to sigh. “You are way too kind, do you know that? You should leave her to...” He stopped himself and gazed at Owen and Stella. “If you want to see her, do it. Those two need to stay somewhere they can see you. But remember that you have no reason to feel bad or show compassion for her after everything she has done. In fact, you should-”

Blanche frowned when she heard that. “I don't think she did anything that would deserve her to suffer from heartbreak. I will go talk to her now. And I will not make it worse.”

Her lover lifted her hand to his face to kiss her before letting go of her. “As I said, you are too generous. But I will not forbid you from doing anything as long as you are never alone with her. Just remember not to trust her.”

The concubine didn't have time to discuss with him, so she just nodded. “We'll meet at your office at the usual time, right?” She barely waited for his affirmation before giving him a little smile. “Until then!” She turned around and hurried toward the labyrinth without paying attention to the confused stares that earned her.