The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 10 Part 5
Arken, noticing Rahil’s intent, seemed to deliberate before speaking.
“If he reverts to his true form, many civilians will die.”
“I know. That’s why I haven’t assigned anyone to observe Kirthalros. If provoked, he might transform into his dragon form, and that would be disastrous.”
A battle with a dragon needed to take place far from populated areas. Yet this one had already infiltrated the city with some hidden agenda.
“That b@stard was recommended by Duke Noer, wasn’t he? What does Noer have to say about it?”
“We haven’t interrogated him yet. When I probed, he feigned ignorance. Duke Noer doesn’t have an ounce of loyalty to speak of, so he likely manipulated the situation to suit his goals.”
Rahil’s casual tone drew a serious look from Arken.
“What does Your Majesty intend to do with the dragon?”
“Lay a trap so he can’t escape, then kill him. We know what he wants, so luring him out won’t be difficult.”
Of course, Rahil had no intention of using Anais as actual bait. Simply invoking her name would suffice to draw the dragon out.
“I’ll handle the killing myself, along with my knights. But I’ll need your strength to ensure it neither escapes nor harms my people.”
“I will follow Your Majesty’s orders.”
“And what do you want me to do?”
Hearing Arken and Emilio respond in unison, Rahil grinned.
**
The preparations for the next day’s ball and the Harvest Festival were flawless. Though Anais had already reviewed everything, she meticulously checked once more and listened to reports from the officials in charge.
Her diligence didn’t go unnoticed. The fact that the Empress herself was paying such close attention inspired the festival staff and officials to work with renewed enthusiasm. Satisfied with the state of affairs, Anais turned with a pleased expression.
That evening, there was to be a pre-festival ball, but neither Anais nor Rahil were obligated to attend. Sending their representatives would suffice.
‘Though our attendance would certainly add to the festive mood…’
Still, the imperial ball was primarily for the nobility, so their presence wasn’t strictly necessary. The more significant occasion was the ball held on the actual day of the Harvest Festival. On that day, both Rahil and Anais had to attend, with Rahil delivering words of gratitude to the lords of each region who had contributed to the festival.
Tomorrow’s ball would honor the eight young men and four young women chosen by Anais herself. While it wasn’t mandatory for Anais to attend, it was an event she could consider joining.
Even if I skip today’s ball, I should make an appearance tomorrow. It would be nice to offer some comfort to those who narrowly missed being named the ‘Knight of Autumn’ or the ‘Maiden of Abundance.’
Deciding that skipping tonight’s ball was the better choice, Anais called for a maid and instructed her to relay the decision to the official in charge of the event. Though her dress for the ball had already been prepared, it could be saved for another occasion.
In truth, she had considered disguising herself to visit the capital’s streets and observe the festive atmosphere firsthand. However, with the ongoing dragon situation, she decided it was better to refrain.
‘The night market will open in full swing starting tonight.’
She felt a pang of regret, as she had always loved the Harvest Festival’s night markets since childhood. As an adult, it had become difficult to visit such places once Francis became an imperial knight, but as a child, she had gone with him a few times. However, even then, such visits were rare since their family seldom visited the capital.
If she asked Rahil, he would likely make it happen somehow, but one was the Empress and the other was the Emperor. It was bound to cause a commotion, so it was better to abandon the idea.
“It feels a bit unfair at times like this.”
“What does?”
Anais flinched at the sudden voice of Emilio, and it wasn’t just her. The maidservants, attendants, secretaries, and even her escort knights were all startled by his abrupt entrance.
“Tower Master!”
Truthfully, Emilio had initially planned to sneak closer to startle her further, but Francis’s presence prevented him from doing so. Even now, Francis was glaring at Emilio with a cold, watchful gaze.
“She’s Her Majesty the Empress! You can’t approach her so rudely and unannounced!”
“What do you mean~? I was just wandering around the Imperial Palace and happened to spot Her Majesty, so I rushed over to pay my respects!”
The way Emilio turned to Anais with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Isn’t that right?’ left her dumbfounded. What was he even expecting her to say to that?
“…Weren’t you supposed to be on official business? Are you back already?”
“Well, it’s the Harvest Festival, after all. Isn’t it a waste to just work the whole time? So I pestered old Arken until I could come back to the capital! Now I can fill my belly at the night market and meddle with the fireworks display!”
Meddle, he said? If he was planning on pulling some unnecessary tricks, she wished he would go back to where he came from.
‘With Arken there, things probably won’t get out of hand, but still…’
This was the first Harvest Festival celebrated properly since Rahil ascended to the throne. While the festival’s concluding fireworks were bound to be extravagant, Anais had a sinking feeling that Emilio’s involvement might turn them into something excessively over-the-top.
“Why were you wandering the Imperial Palace, though?”
Although Emilio was the Tower Master, he owned a residence in the capital. Even if he wasn’t staying there, the palace had a separate wing for honored guests. There was no reason for him to roam the Emperor’s quarters. And allowing a guest to wander unaccompanied was already a lapse in protocol.
“I requested to stay here during the Harvest Festival.”
“And His Majesty approved?”
“Yep.”
Anais briefly wondered if it was due to the dragon issue but decided not to press further. Even in the palace, one couldn’t be certain where words might leak.
‘I hope nothing is amiss in the capital…’
Knowing Rahil, he might keep something worrisome from her just to avoid causing her concern. While he loved Anais, trusting her with everything was a different matter entirely.
After some thought, Anais decided it would be best to meet with Rahil herself.
