The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 1 Part 13
“We will skip the engagement ceremony and proceed directly to the wedding. I apologize for the rush, but I can’t leave the position of Empress vacant for too long.”
To an outsider, it would seem as though he already had an empress.
Ever since Rahil ascended the throne, there had been continuous chatter about finding an empress. However, for nearly a year, no one had filled that position. His efficient aides had simply divided and managed the tasks amongst themselves.
Anais, who had hoped to extend the engagement and confront the female lead after her honeymoon, frowned. The Duke and Duchess of Calix had set their honeymoon for six months, suggesting that the emperor planned to have his wedding before they returned.
‘Is he doing this because he doesn’t want Angelica to witness his wedding?’
If that was the case, Rahil seemed irredeemably trashy in her eyes.
* * *
After sending Anais away and settling back into his seat, Rahil felt drained. It should have been a battle he won, yet he felt defeated.
“It seems the Lady is unaware of the abilities of her father and brother.”
“That seems to be the case.”
Half of what was written in the letter was almost a jest, but the other half was deadly serious. They believed that the Marquis of Ruol and his son were sword masters hiding their skills.
Having even one sword master in their midst would turn the empire on its head. A sword master, after all, could take down a dragon single-handedly.
Currently, the empire boasted only three sword masters. One was the Duke of Calix, the other was Rahil, and the third was their mutual master.
Across the entire continent, there were less than ten sword masters.
If this turned out to be true, the House of Ruol would be hailed as one of the most prestigious families… The aides’ unanimous lack of objection to the seemingly hasty marriage was due to this fact.
“Won’t the Marquis of Ruol object?”
“If he was resourceful enough, he would’ve been able to protect his wife’s last moments. He’s probably stewing in worry, thinking Anais is being forced into an unwanted marriage.”
What truly bothered him was the Marquis of Ruol’s son. There were only speculations about him being a Sword Master; his exact capabilities remained a mystery. And his temperament was just as elusive.
There was only information indicating that the siblings had a not-so-bad relationship.
“After all, you’re not intending to hold Lady Ruol as a hostage, are you?”
Initially, Rahil had aimed to bring her brother, not her. Using a sister as a hostage to tie the Ruol House to the royal family would only result in resentment.
The people of the Ruol House did follow the Emperor’s commands, but Rahil believed it was for the sake of the empire, not out of loyalty to him.
He wished to be the first emperor to win the loyalty of the Ruol House. Whether that was possible after this forced marriage with Anais, he wasn’t sure.
‘At the very least, the likelihood of my descendants becoming Sword Masters would increase.’
He found one more reason to be insistent on marrying her.
* * *
Sigh…
Upon returning home, Anais lay sprawled on her bed, motionless. Her maid, Mary, was restless but Anais wasn’t in the mood to explain.
‘Why is this turning out this way? This wasn’t even in the side story.’
In her previous life, she had read the novel to its end. She even read the spin-offs, relieved that the Ruol House seemed to weather storms well.
Of course, that didn’t mean her life was only tranquil. Her mother had been ill from a young age, casting a perpetual gloom over their household.
With her father frequently away due to the Emperor’s commands and her brother engrossed in training, Anais gravitated towards her mother.
She had a nightmare while staying beside her ailing mother that she began recalling her previous life. The Ruol House wasn’t detailed in the novel. Thus, Anais was always anxious, uncertain if her mother would live or die.
‘What was it like during the funeral?’
It had rained that day. She couldn’t recall if she had glared at her father, who had returned from the capital following the emperor’s orders, or if she had cried.
Perhaps feeling guilty for making a man unable to be by his dying wife’s side, the Emperor didn’t send her father away for a long while afterwards.
‘Damn the caste system.’
There was one upside to her becoming the empress: the status of the Ruol House. This time, she would ensure that the Ruol House wasn’t tossed around like her father was. At the very least, she could provide her brother with a decent life.
‘Given the circumstances, should I place my hopes on the court?’
She once watched noble ladies at a ballroom discussing romances within the court as if it were the epitome of true love. She wondered if she might become like them someday, but to actually see it happen!
“Life really has its own plans.”
Rahil had no parents. The crown prince had murdered the Emperor, and the Empress was executed for her involvement. So, when the news of their marriage is announced, the wedding might be…
‘I might need to ask the Duchess I’m acquainted with for a favor.’
It was certain that she would be delighted and take on the responsibility. However, Anais felt upset as she absentmindedly pondered over the tasks she’d have to undertake once she became the empress.
It felt as if she was already being treated as the empress consort by Rahil.
‘Absolutely not!’
* * *
“The Emperor is getting married?”
Reading the news in the paper, Theodore was taken aback and reread the announcement. Given that the royal court had officially announced the schedule, it was more than just a mere rumor.
‘Why wasn’t I informed?’
The bride-to-be was Anais Ruol, the noble daughter of the esteemed Marquis of Ruol. Considering the capabilities of her father and brother, as well as the lineage, it was arguably a good choice.
He had always known that Rahil had been searching for a suitable bride, but he assumed the actual marriage would take place in another 2 or 3 years. Especially since Rahil was still hung up on Angelica.
He was aware that even on the day of his wedding, Rahil had clung to Angelica, who had just arrived at the venue, with fervent vows. Since he was still his rival in love… now the news of his marriage…,
‘Why now?’
Knowing this news, Angelica would likely postpone her honeymoon and return to the capital. Since there’s no one in the royal family to aid Rahil with the wedding preparations, she’d insist on handling it herself.
While it’s a feasible choice as a friend, it wasn’t something Rahil’s fiancée would be thrilled to hear. After all, the whole empire knew about Rahil’s unrequited love for Angelica.
There was even a time when Rahil became the laughingstock among the nobles because his own mother openly mocked him for it. Although the ridicule shifted to admiration as his lamentable love story continued.
‘Anais Ruol… I wonder what kind of woman she is.’
It’s not that she never set foot in the social circle or that she lived reclusively. The people of the Ruol House typically avoided conspicuous behavior.
Their family tradition was to loyally serve the empire without fuss.
Although the nobles had been promoting various ladies related to them as candidates for empress for their own personal reasons, they would likely keep silent about this selection. Apart from a recent broken engagement, Lady Ruol had an impeccable reputation.
The paper had a brief article about Lady Ruol’s broken engagement. It mentioned that after breaking off an engagement with a certain duke, she grew close to the Emperor, who had been consoling her.
“Hmm…”
Rahil’s decision not to inform them about his upcoming marriage was understandable. The timing, being now, was likely because he didn’t want Angelica to know about his own wedding, and he also didn’t inform them probably to avoid disturbing her honeymoon.
‘Of course, I wouldn’t inform her either.’
Celebrating a friend’s marriage is typically a joyous occasion, but this particular union felt complicated. Rahil wasn’t marrying out of love. His heart still undeniably belonged to Angelica.
Theodore found this situation both uncomfortable and inevitable. Anyone who met and got to know Angelica would inevitably fall in love with her.
However, with time, he believed Rahil’s feelings might wane, and he could potentially find love elsewhere. It was regrettable that Rahil was rushing into this marriage, but one couldn’t dictate the life choices of a friend who had become an emperor.
‘Pretending not to know might be for the best for both Rahil and his new bride.’
Theodore decided on this course of action and ordered his servant to ensure that all newspapers were hidden or discarded, out of Angelica’s sight. Given her lack of interest in weekly papers, unless someone specifically informed her, she would remain unaware of Rahil’s wedding news.
