The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 1 Part 6
“Do you remember how many young ladies I’ve met till now?”
Rahil asked sharply. The ladies he met once a week were handpicked and recommended by his aides, but beyond that, he’d met countless young women at balls and banquets.
It felt like he’d met at least half of the eligible ladies in the capital.
“Not a single one of them responded or acted the way she did. Every single one of them! All appeared to hope they could change me if they became empress.”
Young ladies, who at first feigned disinterest in men, would invariably change their demeanor once they met Rahil. With looks that seemed to melt anyone on eye contact, it was unsurprising they were captivated. But still!
‘To look at me as if I’m some worthless trash…!’
Despite his frustration and annoyance with her, he determined that she was the one. He needed an empress, and if he had to marry someone, it would be her.
If he set up a basic defensive line to prevent interference with Angelica and ensured neither interfered with each other’s lives…
‘Maybe then I can convince Anais?’
She seemed uninterested in something like love anyway. If it’s a marriage out of duty as a noblewoman, marrying him, the emperor, would be the better option.
Rahil made such a judgment on his own and decided to summon the Marquis Ruol. Anais would certainly be upset, but he believed she would come around eventually.
* * *
“I don’t understand? First you, now me. Is there truly nothing concerning?”
The Marquis kept probing, but Anais was tight-lipped about her experience at the palace. How could she explain it? And she was worried about her father’s reaction. If he opposed it, it would be a relief, but if he were delighted and supportive, it would be vexing.
‘It’s all over and done with anyway.’
“We just shared tea and a conversation. The topics were trivial; nothing significant to mention.”
Although Rahil’s every word had upset her so much that she hadn’t sipped even a drop of tea, that’s how she chose to put it. After all, tea and snacks had been set on the table.
The Marquis set off for the palace with a puzzled look. Unlike the previous day when Anais had traveled in the royal carriage, he had to go in the Marquis’s own carriage.
‘Why did he summon my father today?’
Given their conversation from the day before, the emperor’s summons felt uneasy. But it wasn’t easy to decline an imperial summons without a valid reason, like a fatal illness.
To distract herself, Anais attempted to go through the stack of letters. However, the numerous ones from the Noer Ducal House only managed to irritate her. Picking a few, she instructed them to be used as kindling.
She then opened a letter sent by a friend. The note mentioned how lovely the Duke and Duchess of Calix looked at their wedding and expressed envy for their honeymoon. It further added:
[The Noer Ducal House has approached me too. I’ve declined for now… Are you okay, Anais? It doesn’t seem like the young Duke Noer will give up easily.]
Jeremy Noer was the second son of the Noer Ducal House. Although he had an elder brother, their relationship was severely strained. Jeremy had said he wouldn’t consider his illegitimate son as the heir, but Anais had declined him.
Traditionally, having a consort was an afterthought of marriage. Marrying a noble who already had a consort was only considered when there was a significant disparity in status.
For a duke, it meant selecting from impoverished countesses, and for a Marquis, looking among baronesses. Asking Anais, a marquis’s daughter, to tolerate such a disparity was a disgraceful request.
‘Could the emperor be meddling with the Noer Ducal House’s engagement because I declined his proposal?’
As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, human malevolence shouldn’t be underestimated. Some people might resort to outrageous actions if their whims were opposed.
In hindsight, she should’ve been more patient. Though she had initially intended to marry just for the sake of having a child…
‘Perhaps marriage just isn’t for me?’
In her previous life, her friends questioned how she could know marriage wasn’t for her if she hadn’t tried. That had merit, but with such a rocky start, her motivation was waning.
‘Perhaps I’ve separated love from marriage too much.’
She then thought about throwing herself into the risk of love. Even if love eventually faded, at this rate, she needed it.
‘Let’s chalk up the first and second attempts as misses!’
Broadening her horizons, she decided it might be wise to meet with foreign nobility as well. She asked her maid to bring her writing materials.
* * *
Alexander Ruol, guided by a palace attendant, walked through the palace corridors. Although he was a general in service to the royal family, he was a man who kept a distance from the royal household. While he often received imperial commands in front of many officials and went on military expeditions, entering the inner sanctum of the palace was a first for him.
‘What command could he possibly want to impart…’
The Ruol Ducal House was famously employed across generations to resolve border disputes. They led armies north, west, or sometimes east according to the reigning emperor’s wishes and always secured victories.
However, that was it. The Ruol Ducal House had always kept a step back in the power struggles within the royal court. Though the power-holders resented this and often harassed the Ruol family, in the end, they too needed the strength of the Ruol House.
“Your Majesty, Marquis Ruol has arrived.”
At the gold-adorned white doors, a courtier announced in a loud voice. At the emperor’s command, the guards swiftly opened the doors.
As Alexander prepared to step in, he caught a glimpse of an irate face inside.
‘The Duke of Noer!’
He was the very person who, under the pretense of his son’s issues, had belittled the Ruol House. Even though he brazenly held his head high because of his ducal status, now, for some reason, he was kneeling before the emperor.
‘What’s going on?’
While the sight of the duke sweating profusely was satisfying, this couldn’t be entirely good news. Depending on the emperor’s intentions, it could spell trouble for him too.
“Ah, Marquis. I’ve been expecting you. Duke Noer, you may leave now.”
As their eyes met, the Duke of Noer’s face alternated between red and pale. Feeling the emperor’s gaze, he lowered his eyes hurriedly.
Murmuring his gratitude, he left the emperor’s presence. The recent humiliation still fresh in his mind.
