The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 1 Part 5
Anais Ruol appeared cynical, sharp-witted, and resilient. While there were those who bowed unquestioningly before the emperor, she seemed to determine she wouldn’t let this matter harm her.
So…
“Do you dislike it?”
He ventured to ask, finding a certain thrill in watching the fiery anger flare up in Anais’s blue eyes. It felt like the humiliation from earlier was diminishing.
‘How dare she reject me.’
Of course, he had the significant flaw of forever loving Angelica. But wasn’t he the emperor of a nation, handsome, a sword master… didn’t he have countless merits? Any other lady would’ve been too shy to even raise her head.
Yet Anais glared at him with a look of sheer detestation. Seeing her face, devoid of any flutter of affection, hurt him just a tiny bit.
“Lady, you have a very beneficial trait for me, even with your questionable judgment, so you should consider my proposal.”
“Given my inadequate judgment, I can hardly guess what that is. Would you care to enlighten me?”
Her words were gentle and polite, but her gaze betrayed her true feelings. Rahil imagined that if he made her empress, she might poison him someday.
“You don’t like me. It seems you’d never fall for me… which makes you a safe option.”
“So you’re saying all the other ladies would undoubtedly fall for you once they become empress?”
“Wouldn’t they?”
Now Anais looked at Rahil as if he were some lunatic from a distant land. Rahil felt a tad embarrassed, though he tried to maintain his audacious front.
“Then, let’s say I’ve fallen for you today. I’ll probably get so jealous and despise Duchess Calix. So, let’s forget about today’s proposal…”
“That’s a relief. You seem to have grown fond of me too, so I’ll send the marriage proposal immediately.”
“Not at all?!”
Anais, momentarily overwhelmed, couldn’t help but shout. At her regretful expression of ‘oops’, Rahil chuckled smugly. Her face reddened with both anger and the embarrassment of losing her composure.
“I’m sure there are countless ladies who wouldn’t fall for you. Among them, you can choose a wise one. Please rescind the proposal you’ve made to me.”
“You intended for a political marriage anyway, didn’t you? If it’s to be a loveless marriage, it’s better to become the empress than to endure being the Duchess… Refusing me like this even seems like you’re belittling me, the emperor.”
True, Anais had intended for a strategic marriage and didn’t hold much expectation for love. But hearing those words from him was infuriating.
“It’s not a matter of disrespect to the royal family… I simply wish that when my child is born, they inherit their rightful privileges. Given your deep affection for Duchess Calix, I fear my child might get hurt or suffer.”
“I desire a child too. It’s the clear duty of the emperor. There’s no reason to neglect my child over personal emotions.”
“What if you had to choose between a child with Duchess Calix and one with me, especially if the Duchess persists?”
While some overflowed with love for their children, others, blinded by passion, might overlook their own offspring.
Anais wasn’t sure how Rahil would be. After all, in the story, he was a sub male lead, one who loved Angelica.
Seemingly taken aback by the hypothetical question, Rahil faltered for a moment.
“In that situation, the Duke would prioritize the safety of the royal heir. The Duchess too knows the duty of the nobility. She wouldn’t make such…”
“But you’re not saying you’d choose your biological child.”
That response was the most definite reason for her refusal. Standing tall, Anais fixed her gaze on the emperor.
“That, Your Majesty, is the reason I decline your proposal.”
She loathed a husband who didn’t love his own child more than one incapable of giving affection. At Anais’s cold words, Rahil couldn’t retort.
* * *
Since he had sent a carriage for her arrival at the palace, he had to arrange one for her departure as well. Watching the carriage carrying Anais recede into the distance, Rahil irritably pulled the curtain.
“There’s no scenario where I’d have to choose between the prince and the duke’s child!”
“If they were born around the same time and formed a close bond, one can’t dismiss the possibility outright.”
One of the aides spoke up inopportunely, prompting a growling glare from Rahil. The aide immediately shut his mouth, bowing his head.
Lady Ruol was right. If not for the power of the empress or Rahil’s personal allure, the position of the empress was nothing more than a heavy ornament studded with cheap jewels.
Both the position of the empress and the crown prince were subject to the whims of the emperor’s words and actions. If he favored the children of the Calix Ducal House over his own, power would naturally flow in that direction.
The aides knew of the emperor’s love for Angelica, but they hoped he’d snap back to reality. At best, she was the wife of a friend.
While his authority could turn her into a consort, he yearned to offer her a devoted love. It was inappropriate for someone controlling the entire empire to do so, especially for the wife of a subject.
Unless he planned to be a fool, surrendering the entire nation to his consort.
‘However, Duchess Calix won’t become the emperor’s consort.’
The aide didn’t know precisely what kind of woman Angelica, the emperor’s love, was. All he knew was that she had a splendid love story with Duke Calix, leading to their marriage.
While the emperor’s love might feel romantic to him, from an outsider’s perspective, it appeared foolish and naïve.
Love wasn’t just a fleeting feeling. Human lives were long, and romantic emotions were absurdly short. Singing the praises of unrequited love forever was foolish.
‘And to ask the future empress to tolerate it is just as foolish…’
But the other party was the emperor, a figure whose position meant almost no one would openly challenge even his foolish decisions.
“Even if it’s not Lady Ruol, there are other candidates available.”
