The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 10 Part 11
‘Is it the confidence of a man who’s strong enough on his own… or does he simply think his son’s help isn’t needed?’
The Marquis had been furious upon hearing what had happened to the Empress. Yet, he was satisfied with the plan to handle everything without informing her of the danger.
“His Majesty will stay by the Empress’s side. As for the rest, proceed as planned.”
At Sion’s words, the people gathered exchanged looks. It was a dangerous plan, but no one here was considering failure.
“If this fails, His Majesty says the Master of the Tower must take full responsibility… and be prepared to serve the Empire like a dog.”
“What?! Why should I—… Ah.”
Recalling that all of this had started because of the dragon ring he had given them, Emilio’s face twisted in dismay.
“Damn it! Then we have no choice but to succeed!”
“Also, remember—zero casualties. That’s non-negotiable.”
Someone muttered that even if people died, Emilio would still be forced to serve like a dog. Emilio’s face darkened with frustration, but he said nothing and turned away.
Only the High Priest, who could use ‘Resurrection,’ had the ability to bring the dead back—and even then, it required extremely specific conditions.
“Human life is precious, after all.”
That was why they had to hunt the dragon down—if it threw a tantrum, it could burn the entire city to the ground. If they engaged a dragon, they had to kill it on the spot before it had the chance to escape. Even if the dragon picked the fight, it had to die.
Because dragons were even more cunning and arrogant than humans. Once humiliated, they would undoubtedly seek revenge. Letting such a creature live was not an option.
As he listened to Marquis Ruol’s satisfied voice, Sion turned his gaze to Arken, the Imperial Mage. The success of this operation didn’t hinge on Emilio—it all depended on Arken.
***
He nearly lost himself to rage, but he was no longer the man he used to be. After Radiel succumbed to illness and he was forced to let even her soul go, a part of his heart had withered away.
Because of that, he no longer burned with anger as he once had, and his fury faded as quickly as it came. As if he had lost his will to live, he spent centuries drifting through a world without her.
“Radiel….”
The soul that bore her remnants had taken on a new body and now stood by another man’s side. Kirthalros thought of Rahil and felt a fury so overwhelming it was nearly suffocating.
His grief over Radiel’s death had driven him into slumber for mere centuries. And in that short span, a human had emerged—one capable of surpassing even a dragon’s might!
His wrath should have been directed at the gods, yet this was no longer a world where dragons could meet them as they once had. The gods now acted only through their intermediaries, and even dragons—beings once capable of reshaping the world—were fading into decline.
Kirthalros could now see that only a handful of dragons remained on the continent. And of those who still lived, none wielded magic on his scale.
‘Dragons are already walking the path to extinction.’
No one had foreseen it, but apart from the gods and the Dragon Lord, no one cared.
Dragons were a race untouched by loneliness.
The gods had pronounced that because they had no need for others, their demise was inevitable.
The Dragon Lord who had once entrusted him with the ring was gone now. And Kirthalros from the start had never intended to use that ring on a dragon either.
After Radiel’s death, he had incorporated it into the artifact he crafted in order to find her reincarnated self.
‘But….’
He couldn’t bear the thought of such an artifact rolling through filthy human hands, so he never released it into the world. And yet, fate had placed it in human hands all the same, ultimately leading it to Radiel.
He had never imagined the day would come when he would meet a human who surpassed him. The mere thought left him reeling. He had believed—without a doubt—that once he found Radiel’s reincarnation, she would naturally be his.
He couldn’t think of a way to reclaim Radiel— now Anais—into his grasp. If he took on a human form and approached her…
“I thought she’d recognize this face.”
That was why he had adopted the name ‘Emil’ and assumed his current appearance. It was the form of the mage Radiel had once loved.
He had hoped Radiel wouldn’t remember her past life, but since she carried the same soul, he had thought she would be drawn to a man who bore the same face.
‘Maybe I was too impatient.’
Frustration kept him from staying in the waiting room for long. He had left quickly, so even if Anais had sent someone looking for him, he wouldn’t have known. A thought crossed his mind—perhaps she had ordered the Duke Noer to investigate him.
She was the Empress, after all. Summoning a mere duke to question him about whatever piqued her curiosity was well within her power.
“I suppose I’ll have to go to the duke’s estate.”
Muttering to himself, Kirthalros turned away from the charred corpse at his feet. In the next instant, he and his attendants, along with the knight, vanished as if erased from existence. All that remained in the alley were the scorched bodies of the bandits consumed by magic.
* * *
Thanks to Rahil having at least a shred of conscience, Anais was finally able to get out of bed for what was technically lunch, as it was late enough to count as breakfast. Of course, that was only after they had spent some rather indecent time together in the bathroom, leaving her blushing from head to toe.
“C-can’t you at least keep a little distance now?!”
“You can’t even walk properly, so what are you talking about?”
Paying no heed, Rahil effortlessly scooped Anais up into his arms. They weren’t alone in the room, so she wanted to tell him to put her down for the sake of decorum, but Rahil was never one to listen. Moreover, struggling would only make her look even more ridiculous.
