The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 3 Part 12
‘Why does His Majesty seem so happy?’
Since the emperor’s marriage to Lady Ruol, Sion had noticed the emperor appeared consistently in a good mood. Sion knew the emperor lacked subtlety but had an animalistic intuition. He wondered if the emperor had become aware of his own feelings by now.
However, considering the Empress’s indifferent attitude, it seemed unlikely. And the emperor seemed too cheerful, without any apparent concerns.
‘Is he still unaware of his own feelings?’
If the emperor were aware of his own feelings, he wouldn’t be so calm, given the turbulent situation between him and the Empress. Sion wasn’t referring to political issues. He knew that Rahil had pledged his love to Angelica in front of Anais, as he had been present at that event too.
As an advisor, he had observed the entire situation. He had not expected the emperor to fall for someone at first sight. If he had known, he might have tried to prevent that pledge at any cost.
But after making the vow, the emperor saw Lady Ruol, and it seemed he fell for her then.
Since that was their first meeting, the memory would be particularly strong for the now Empress. Even if the emperor were to realize his love and confess it later, it would be hard to trust him if she remembered his earlier pledge.
The emperor wasn’t clueless, just oblivious when it came to emotions. In matters other than people’s feelings, he was quite astute.
‘If only he could apply as much intellect to personal relationships as he does to politics…’
At least his relationships with his subjects and friends were in good standing, but when it came to women, the emperor often seemed lost. If he had shown any interest in women before, Sion would have advised him to give up on Lady Ruol.
Their first encounter was a disaster. Was it just the first meeting? The way he held onto her, the manner of his proposal, all were disastrous.
The only saving grace was that ‘so far’, he hadn’t made any major mistakes since the marriage.
As a close advisor, Sion did what he could to support the emperor, but there were limits to how much an aide or attendant could compensate for the emperor’s shortcomings.
‘It seems the first night went well.’
The Empress appeared somewhat tired, yet she didn’t seem to mind the emperor’s physical affection. She tolerated his closeness, which didn’t seem to leave a bad impression.
Recognizing that it would be inappropriate to judge too deeply, Sion focused only on these observations and checked the schedule. In the city, the local lord was already welcoming the imperial couple.
This wasn’t a typical inspection visit, but a honeymoon journey. Keeping this in mind, the lord had prepared a banquet for the emperor’s attendants but arranged a separate, more intimate setting for the imperial couple, where even he would not intrude.
After all, they were newlyweds.
‘Alright! His Majesty might be slow in realizing his feelings, but he’s handsome and physically fit, so let’s push forward in that direction!’
If the Empress’s feelings remained unchanged and she decided to establish a formal court relationship, the situation would deteriorate.
The emperor would not give up on her. Anais possessed all the qualities the emperor desired in an ideal partner.
Who would give up on someone already in their arms?
Especially the emperor, who hadn’t experienced true possession before. Anais was his first real love.
Even if she wasn’t his first love. She was the only woman he had been this close to. Whether the Empress saw any significance in this was doubtful.
Sion watched the imperial couple as they received greetings from the lord’s family, mulling over his plans.
He was determined to ensure this honeymoon would proceed uninterrupted, even if the Duke and Duchess of Calix or their grandfather were to appear.
Absolutely.
****
Drip, drip…
Ink was clumsily dripping from the tip of a pen tapping on the desk. However, the magician, who was also the master of the tower, paid no attention to the ink staining his desk. After all, he could effortlessly transfer the spilled ink back into the ink bottle with a mere gesture or whistle.
‘So, Rahil really got married.’
Angelica’s marriage was a shock, yet it was foreseeable. Angelica had accepted Theodore’s confession a long time ago.
Many men could not accept their relationship, but only a few hadn’t completely given up. Rahil was one of them, he thought.
‘Or not? Rahil cherished that annoying Theodore.’
Caught between a dear friend and the woman he liked, Rahil aggressively pursued Angelica.
He was the only man who may have succeeded in shaking Angelica enough to make Theodore wary. He remained as her supporter and a friend of concern, but in the end, he too was defeated. Still, he thought Rahil would linger around Angelica until the end…
‘What kind of woman is the Empress he married?’
His feelings for Angelica were slowly fading. He still loved her, but nurturing that love any further seemed impractical.
Holding onto his love for her felt like foolish stubbornness.
Angelica had married another man she loved. Continuing to pine for her, who had already started a happy married life, was nothing but a nuisance.
But this time, his worries were different. Although Angelica held a high position, the other party was the Empress. With Rahil’s unrequited love for Angelica being well-known throughout the empire, it was natural for the Empress to see Angelica as a thorn in her side.
If he were in the Empress’s shoes, he might have cursed Angelica to death out of jealousy, perhaps a hundred times over, so he couldn’t be at ease.
‘She will surely torment Angelica.’
He didn’t know what means the woman had. If Rahil had thought about Angelica, he might have chosen a docile and foolish woman who couldn’t argue back, but then Rahil himself wasn’t the brightest either….
‘I need to see and confirm with my own eyes.’
Having made his decision, he threw his quill pen on the desk and opened the window. As the master of the magic tower, he had many urgent tasks piled up, but none could take precedence over Angelica.
At least, not yet.
He jumped out of the window, and in an instant, transformed into a large eagle and soared into the sky. His secretary, realizing that the master had fled, could only stomp her feet in frustration, unable to express her resentment.
* * *
The most beautiful place in the lord’s castle was the balcony overlooking the city. The Lord had long ago decorated the room with the balcony, especially for the imperial couple.
Though it was a pity that the city wasn’t chosen as a honeymoon destination, the fact that the imperial couple stayed for a night was enough to create a big buzz.
Because of this, the lord spared no expense, and the result was more splendid than expected. The tapestries and decorations showcasing the region’s characteristics caught the eye.
‘I’ve never been to this area before.’
Anais was indifferent to the honeymoon. Her concern was only up to the wedding ceremony attended by the nobles and related preparations. Therefore, she left the choice of honeymoon destination and route entirely to Rahil.
Rahil, probably having no particular interest in the honeymoon either, must have left it to Sion or another aide. Despite not having any expectations, she was pleased with both the room and its decorations.
“Do you like it, Anais?”
‘There was this person too.’
She hadn’t forgotten the man who was constantly by her side, just momentarily forgot that they would be sharing a room again tonight. Before, it was natural for her to have a room to herself.
Rahil, noticing that Anais liked the room, was pleased for no particular reason. When Anais was happy, he was happy too.
‘She is my wife, after all.’
He thought it was no big deal and embraced her. He had always enjoyed it when his subordinates or friends were happy, so he considered this feeling similar.
“Where would you like to have dinner?”
Sion asked cautiously, trying not to disrupt the mood. Rahil, aware of Sion’s presence, didn’t let go of Anais.
“Where would be good? The Lord invited us, but we don’t need to mind him since he won’t be there. If you prefer being outside, we can dine somewhere else.”
If the lord who had prepared a special dinner for the imperial couple had heard this, he would have been heartbroken. However, Sion, standing behind them, nodded in agreement with the other aides. Anais didn’t think much of it.
“I’m tired, so dining at the lord’s castle is fine.”
She swallowed the words ‘I want to go to bed early’ to avoid misunderstandings, but Rahil blushed as if he had heard them.
Anais looked at Rahil with a face that seemed to be asking what he was imagining. He mumbled as if he felt wronged.
“When you look at me like that, it makes me want to kiss you.”
It’s really too much. Rahil, feeling slightly aggrieved, leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Anais’ forehead as he grumbled.
