Blanche just handed back the cape Theodore had given her, only to freeze when their hands touched. For a moment, she almost lost her composure before she forced herself to calm down. She had to stay realistic. Such a small touch didn't have to mean anything.

Leon watched them with crossed arms. “You even forgot your cape? Don't tell me you will lose your head too. You truly are out of your mind. Are you going to act like this forever now?” This earned him a glare from the emperor, but he had already turned to Blanche. “Do you have any idea what the people thought about His Majesty suddenly losing his cape?”

Blanche froze at that. She should have guessed that Theodore taking care of her would trouble him in some way. She felt worse about that than she should have. She barely had the courage to meet the emperor's eyes while she responded. “Was there a problem because of me? I'm sor-”

Theodore spoke before she could finish. “Nothing happened, you don't have to apologize. He's joking. No one questions it when I take off a cape. He just wanted to see your reaction. I should apologize for his stupid games.” He looked at the secretary and narrowed his eyes. “Are you happy now? You can stop talking about the ball.”

Leonard only glared back at that. “Why? Are you perhaps embarrassed? Because no one questioned why you weren't wearing your cape? Because they were all busy questioning why you kept staring into the distance and-”

“Leon, that's enough.” Theodore cut his advisor off and hurried to speak to Blanche again. “In any case, nothing bad happened. You don't have to worry about anything. I also didn't want to wake you early, so if you didn't sleep enough, just tell me. I can come back later. We have enough time to discuss everything in the afternoon too. I just...wanted to ask whether you would like to eat breakfast together first.” At the end, he almost seemed uncertain as if he wasn't sure whether he could say this.

Blanche felt heat rushing to her face and quickly folded her hands. She couldn't reply with as much vigor as she truly felt, but it was hard to hold back. In fact, she was sure that trying was useless. Her face was probably glowing, so it wouldn't be difficult to discern that she was euphoric. “I would be very happy to join you.” Very happy. So happy that her heart was skipping a few beats. Who could have believed that the emperor would invite her for breakfast? Wasn't that a huge honor? It was surprising that the advisor hadn't complained about this yet.

Leonard just looked at her with skepticism. When she met his gaze, he was quick to speak. “If you put your hands anywhere near His Majesty's food, you will not get to taste yours. Understood?”

Blanche quickly nodded and turned to Theodore again. Hearing the title had reminded her of something else, and she quickly needed to confirm this, even if asking him made her want to hide. “Uhm... About your title... What should I call you?”

Theodore was silent for a moment. He glanced at Leon, who gave him a warning glare, before responding. “It would be best if you just used the formal...” His voice trailed off, and he was quiet for a few seconds before resuming. “If you called me how I introduced myself. When people are watching, it would be better to just refrain from saying my name though.”

Blanche's face lit up. She was way too lucky. The emperor really allowed her to call his name. She loved saying it, so she would immediately use this to her advantage. “Thank you, Theodore!”

Leon looked like he was absolutely mortified. “Your Majesty, what are you-”

The emperor didn't let him complain though. “Leon, shut up. I know what you want to say. I won't have an answer either. Just let it be.”

The secretary gritted his teeth but stepped back. “Do as you wish. But I will promise you one thing. That will cause more rumors than you want to deal with.” He narrowed his eyes at Blanche and added another sentence. “Only say that in private unless you really want to trouble him.”

Blanche hurriedly nodded even if she didn't understand what the problem was when Theodore had given his permission. “I will be careful.” Her confusion was quickly wiped away by her ecstasy upon hearing that she could eat with her first love. It took all of her self-control not to run around in circles while screaming out of luck. Instead, she just beamed at the emperor. “Where will we eat? In my room?”

Both Theodore and Leon didn't seem to think that that was a good idea. The former one coughed and looked away, and the latter one scanned her with an angry expression.

Leonard took his time to intimidate her before replying. “Definitely not in your room. And maybe you should dress first instead of greeting the emperor in a nightgown.”

Blanche looked down and immediately hugged herself while trying to hide her blush. She was truly stupid for forgetting something like this. “I'm really sorry. I didn't... I'm going to change.” She turned around and stopped in her tracks, only to turn around with a dejected expression. “I don't have anything to wear. My old dress is dirty because I sat on the floor.” Admitting that embarrassed her a bit, but by now, she had already done many things that would make her seem odd. It probably couldn't get any worse, which was the only good thing about this.

To her relief, Theodore didn't seem to look down on her. He genuinely thought about how to fix this problem. “We can call our tailor, but that will take a while. She won't be able to finish before next week even if she hurries. But we can't have you run around in a nightgown until then. You'll catch a cold.” He paused for a moment before turning to Leon. “Tell a servant to bring Madame Charture here tomorrow. She should bring some simple dresses in a few different sizes so that we'll find something for Blanche to wear for the next week. She can take her measurements then too and begin working on some clothes. She has to bring shoes and basically everything else that a wardrobe needs too. But until tomorrow...” He glanced at Blanche, who desperately tried not to show how much she loved hearing him say her name, and scanned her expression before lowering his voice to speak to Leon. “Do we have any dresses here?”

The secretary remained still for a moment before he repeated the other's words with disbelief. “Do we have dresses here...” He began massaging his temples and took a deep breath before responding. “Yes, we do. It should be obvious that there would be some dresses in the royal palace, even if I doubt that our emperor will wear any. But I am rather sure that the ones that are here are unsuitable. We can ask whether one of the servants would lend us clothes though.” His voice sounded so sharp that it was clear that he wouldn't accept other ideas. It was only too bad that his opponent was the emperor.

Theodore looked at the other man for a moment before speaking up. “Why are they unsuitable? She should be able to take one that fits just for today. It doesn't have to match her size perfectly. I won't bother any servants when we clearly have fitting dresses ourselves. We can pick out a few and give them to Blanche for now.”

It looked like something cracked inside Leonard at that. He smiled at the emperor, but his eyes held no amusement. “Theodore, we literally only have family heirlooms. What other dresses would we have? As you know, the only attires we own were made for an empress or a princess. I don't think you want to give this woman the dress of one of the previous empresses, do you? Please tell me that I misunderstood this.”

Theodore seemed to test out the other's patience and scanned his expression before beginning. “Well... As you said, no one here wears them. And them hanging around and collecting dust is a shame, so...” He paused and then added another string of arguments. “It will only be for a day, so you don't have to look at me like that. The nightgown belonged to one of them too, and you didn't complain.”

Leon's smile faded, and he just openly stared at the emperor while replying in a loud voice and gesturing around. “Yes, but it had never been worn, and no one saw! That's completely different! How can-” He froze in place and dropped his hands. “I'm giving up. I know that expression on your face. You don't care one bit. Alright. I'll pick the most simple and inconspicuous ones I can find. But since these are the clothes of empresses, she will stand out like a flare anyway. You can explain why she wears the royal colors all of a sudden to all the people that will ask. Especially to Duke and Lady Duremont. I won't even help you suppress the rumors that will develop because of this. This is all your responsibility.”

Theodore nodded. “I know. I told you that I was going to take care of it, didn't I? There is no need to worry. Just go prepare everything, and we will come there after breakfast.” He looked after his advisor, who ran off while mumbling something to himself and instructing Owen, whom Blanche hadn't even noticed before, to keep an eye on the couple. The emperor sighed at that and then turned to Blanche again. “I want to apologize once again. We are not used to having guests that come without their baggage. Everything will be prepared in a little while.”

Blanche was still frozen in place as she thought about what she had just heard. He didn't truly intend to give her the clothes that had belonged to a former empress, right? Wouldn't that be really disrespectful? But since those people were dead, it would make her feel more strange than guilty. Still, Theodore's face calmed her down in an instant. If he said that it was fine, it was truly fine. “I see. Thank you very much.” She didn't know what else to say.

After a short pause, Theodore spoke up. “Then...about breakfast. If you don't have anything to wear, it would be better to eat in your room today. Just this once. Only if it's absolutely fine with you though.” He sounded like he was almost hesitant to propose this, which was a bit odd.

She would definitely not mind inviting him after all. Blanche tilted her head to the side in confusion but just stepped inside to make way for him. She only spoke up when he didn't follow her. “Uhm... You can come in. If you want to eat here, we can use the table there.”

Theodore slowly handed his cape to Owen and took a step inside while keeping his eyes on her face. “Are you really fine with this?”

Blanche was more than irritated by this. How could she not enjoy his presence? Besides, this was his palace. He could be wherever he wanted to be. She tried to read his expression, but she still had no idea why he was so cautious. So, she tried to ask carefully. “Of course. I would be overjoyed to eat with you, and you need to come in for that. You were here yesterday evening too, and I didn't mind.”

The emperor froze at that. “Ah, yes.” He glanced at Stella, who was bowing to him and then looked up with a strange expression. Then he turned his head back to Blanche. “That phrasing isn't...the best for a place like this. Normally, it would be fine, but here, many people like to chatter and twist the words inside your mouth. To avoid misunderstandings, it would be better to avoid pointing out that we met here. Even if me coming in isn't the best option.”

Blanche had a feeling that she knew what this misunderstanding could be about. She quickly pushed that thought away before having strange thoughts and hurried to speak up. “I won't say it anymore. But is it that bad to eat in a guest room?”

Theodore scratched his head and gave her a nervous smile. “Well, not really. It's hard to explain. Among noble society, there are a lot of rules that don't make a lot of sense. But if you want to live here, you need to stick to them. And a woman and a man being alone, especially in a bedroom, is considered inappropriate unless they are family, married or engaged. So, me entering your room is problematical in itself. Since Owen and your maid are here, it should be fine, but rumors spiral quickly.”

Blanche tried to hold back but she couldn't. “That's stupid. You don't fall in love with every person you meet. And even if you do, how are you going to get to know each other when you can't be alone? If they are just going to accuse everyone of doing something indecent when they want to have a conversation, this has to be quite the stressful society.”

To her surprise, Theodore let out a huff of air and grinned at her. “You are correct about that. It is infuriating since people keep watching every move you make. We even have rules that dictate that the higher-ranking person has to speak first during a conversation. That can be pretty annoying since some of the families have a very similar stance, and they could easily be offended if you stick to the old greeting order even though they rose in rank. But if you change it, the other household will get mad.”

Blanche averted her eyes to keep herself from fainting because of the beautiful smile she was greeted with. “Are nobles really that sensitive? That sounds like they just cause problems for themselves with their inflated egos. Do they also insist on curtsies or something like that?” She waited for Theodore to nod and then slowly dared to meet his gaze again. “I heard about that in many stories, but I never imagined that it would actually be the case. So, you have to bow to every person you meet? That is exhausting.”

Theodore was quiet for a moment and seemed to hesitate while staring at her almost as if he expected her to say something else before he replied. “No. Among the nobles, they usually only hint at a curtsy or bow to be polite. But if the royal family is involved, they need to do it properly. Especially when I am the one greeting them. But I can assure you that no one will mind if you ignore that. After all, you couldn't have known about it.”

Blanche actually had been supposed to bow to him when she recognized him, hadn't she? Judging by how quickly Stella had bowed down, it was normal to stop whatever you were doing to pay your respects to the emperor. But he had allowed Blanche to go without that. She beamed at him and inwardly her heart squealed out of joy. “Thank you, Theodore.” If he kept treating her like she was special, she might delude herself into thinking that he liked her too.

The emperor avoided her gaze and mumbled his response. “It's fine.” He paused for a moment before turning to the maid. “Inform the kitchen staff that a guest and I will eat breakfast here. I want everything to be brought as soon as possible.”

Stella nodded and darted out of the room without saying another word. Was it truly normal to be so scared of the emperor? He was so nice that it almost seemed impossible.

Or he was just this nice to Blanche.

She froze at that thought and quickly hid her cheeks again while giving her best to think about something else. The longer she stayed quiet and just met the emperor's gaze, the more she felt like telling him how wonderful he was. But there was no way that Blanche could do that. So, she hurried to say the other thing that was on her mind. Even if she didn't want to address this one bit, she had to do it, or she risked being disappointed. “Uhm... Theodore.” Her heart almost stopped when she began. “Could you perhaps tell me how long would it be possible for me to stay here? After all, I'm...not able to pay rent or anything else.” She couldn't even pay him back by working because she had absolutely no skills or qualifications. Maybe she could become a maid in the palace, but she doubted that the work she could do would be important enough to make up for all the kindness she had received.

Theodore came a step closer so that she had to look up at him. For a moment, it almost seemed like he would stroke over her hair again, but he didn't do that. He just responded with a serious expression. “I already offered you that I would help you without wanting anything in return. There is no way that I will break my word. You can stay as long as you want to. Since you have no idea where you live, I will not send you out onto the streets just like that.”

Blanche's heart felt like it would explode at that. But would Theodore really let her stay for as long as she wanted to be close to him? Even if that was forever? No one could be that nice. “Thank you very much.” She knew that she had said that a dozen times now, but stopping herself was hard. Especially when she was just staring at the man in front of her and fought the urge to ask him to hug her again. Why was he so much like everything she had ever dreamed about?

Theodore stared back at her, and she could even swear that he leaned down to her. But then he suddenly looked away and took a small step backward. “It's only natural for me to help someone in trouble. I hope that I'm not overwhelming you. Please do not feel pressured in any way.” The only thing that pressured her was her desire to touch him again. But that wouldn't happen too soon. Seemingly, Theodore didn't want to be that close to her.

Blanche swallowed the disappointment she felt at that and quickly focused on something else. “Uhm, do we just wait for breakfast or...” She didn't know what else she should propose either.

The emperor nodded at her and began explaining. “It should arrive in a minute, so you can eat soon. The meal was probably already prepared, and now they just have to bring it here, and that might take a moment. But I understand if you are hungry. You didn't have anything for dinner yesterday, did you? I apologize for that. I should have thought about that.”

“Ah, no. It's fine. I'm not that hungry.” Not when Blanche could look at Theodore for a while longer if the food came later. But her hope was crushed after a few seconds.

A knock on the door sounded, and Stella spoke up. “Breakfast is prepared.”

Theodore raised his voice to reply. “You can come in and set the table.”

The maid immediately complied, and she entered with a group of other servants. All of them bowed before hurrying to set the table. They did so without making any errors and positioned every utensil perfectly while still scanning the strange new woman in the palace from the corner of their eyes.

Blanche almost wanted to ask them to stop staring at her, but that would be impolite. Even if they were being more disrespectful than she was, she was just a guest here. She couldn't immediately pick a fight. Still, she pouted when she looked to the side and wished for them to stop gawking at her. She wasn't even doing anything special, so being watched like this felt like she was being treated like a source of entertainment in their boring world without her approval.

Thankfully, the servants were done soon and left the room without another word.

Only now, Blanche looked at the dishes they had served and froze in place. There was so much. There were countless bowls and plates with everything that one could ask for. Yogurt with fruits, croissants, bread, cheese and vegetables. Even small pieces of cake and macarons were here. There was no way that this could only be for two people. A whole family could eat and still leave something for others.

She could only stare at the table and blink a few times. Then she turned to Theodore and looked at him with shiny eyes. “I can have all of that?”

Theodore once again gave her a smile that made her knees weak. “Of course. I didn't just place it here for decoration. Feel free to eat as much as you want.” He walked over to the table and pulled back a chair before gesturing to it.

Blanche really felt like a princess when she walked over and sat down there. Theodore pushed the chair closer for her, and she could only sit there and be flustered. How did he know exactly what he needed to do to make her lose her composure? This was exactly what she had dreamed about when she had been a child. Even if pulling back a chair for someone was only a small gesture, it meant the world to her. She folded her hands in her lap as Theodore took a seat across from her and watched him.

Theodore just smiled and pointed at the meal. “Choose whatever you want. I can guarantee you that everything is delicious. The cooks in the royal palace are geniuses.” Just looking at the food proved that to be true.

Blanche didn't hesitate for one second before taking one of the macarons off the plate. A bite was enough to make her face light up. She had eaten tasty macarons before at Julien's mansion, but they couldn't be compared to this. Whoever had prepared this was a personified god. Before she could restrain herself, the whole macaron disappeared in her mouth, and she grabbed another one. She was ready to swallow the second one immediately as well, but a short glance at Theodore made her freeze. She forced herself to lower her hand at that. Devouring food in front of the emperor certainly wasn't a good idea. She quickly did her best to seem more dignified again. “I apologize. It's just really tasty.”

But Theodore just grinned at her. “If you like it, there is no need to hold back. Feel free to satisfy your hunger without thinking about me. I'm glad that you like it.” He couldn't know that him looking at her like that would only keep her from eating. How was she supposed to swallow anything while he smiled? He was way too handsome. It was unfair.

Blanche still did her best to just move on like before, but it was hard when her stomach tingled whenever she caught a glimpse of Theodore. Even while he ate, he looked majestic while she just felt like a child without table manners. She had learned the basic rules about noble society from Julien until he had said that her being a little more unrefined might be more appealing. She had no idea what Julien had meant by saying that, but as a result, she was now embarrassing herself in front of her first love. Great. She did the best she could, but that was difficult when her hands trembled slightly.

The heavenly food quickly made most of her worries disappear, but she was still convinced that Theodore was probably scanning her with skepticism the whole time. That he always smiled when she looked at him didn't make it much better since it only fueled her nervousness.

In the end, she still felt like she had eaten way too much since the food had been so delicious. But now she couldn't do anything about that anymore.