The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 5 Part 1
As soon as she left the building where the accursed emperor was, Anais felt as if she could breathe freely again. Stepping out from under the parasol, she stretched lightly. As she lowered her arms, her attendant quickly covered her with the parasol once more.
Mirzuka, true to its reputation as a city of tourism, had more than beautiful beaches to attract visitors. One of these attractions was the ruins of an ancient kingdom, and Anais, guided by a noble, slowly strolled through the ruins.
The guide was a young lady, a distant relative of the Ruol family. She did not want to miss the precious opportunity to serve the empress and explained the ruins with zeal and passion.
Anais didn’t ask many questions, occasionally allowing the young lady to rest. In the meantime, she walked around the ruins as if she were touring a garden while the lady enjoyed her tea.
By her side were the knights appointed by the emperor as her escorts and her loyal maids.
‘I’m already dreading going back to the hotel. Maybe I should impose on another noble’s estate?’
What she disliked was the possibility of the emperor following her and others dissuading her, saying it would create bad rumors at the start of their marriage.
Being a good empress. I no longer wish for it.
Though she bit her lip, Anais knew herself well. No matter how much she hated the emperor, she couldn’t do anything that would harm the people, nor could she act out of line with her duties as the empress.
It was unlikely that Rahil mocked her with that in mind, but she still felt angry.
‘Let’s think calmly. Doing something that earns blame is ultimately my loss. What I need to consider is….’
Even though she concluded that he would never agree, she thought about wanting a divorce. I hadn’t even managed to stop the marriage, and now, a divorce?
“…….”
What if I provoke the Duchess Calix? Would he divorce me then?
Anais thought this far and then remembered her family. By now, she considered Rahil to be despicable. Pretending to be innocent, pretending to be kind, but look at his actions.
If she starts harming the Duchess Calix, he might make her family pay the price.
Feeling despondent, Anais walked out towards the ruins. The ruins were surrounded by plains, and at the end of the plains, there was a forest.
The escort knights silently followed the empress, understanding her low spirits and thus, kept their mouths shut.
The sky was relatively clear, but surprisingly, the sunshine was not harsh. Anais sighed as she looked at the grass waving in the wind.
“Mary, I feel suffocated.”
“Should I call the physician?”
“No, I want something cool to drink.”
“I will have it brought to you.”
“Not that… Let’s just leave. Go out to the town….”
Obtaining a drink with ice from this location would exhaust the servants. As Anais turned to speak, she felt her vision wobble. A startled servant dropped the parasol, and the maids screamed and rushed over.
She felt dizzy, but she didn’t hit the ground. Mary caught Anais, and other servants and maids supported her.
However, her head was spinning, and her arms and legs felt weak. She tried to tell Mary not to cry but then lost consciousness.
—
They should have discouraged her from going out.
The reports from the maids said that the Empress’s complexion was pale as a sheet of white paper. She didn’t skip breakfast this morning, but she didn’t eat much either. It was just a handful more than what she would have during her diet control. She barely ate that and insisted on going out, and they couldn’t dissuade her, leading to this situation.
The physician stated that the Empress was merely weakened. The Emperor, standing by the bed, held the Empress’s hand with a look as if he himself was going to die.
‘She will surely dislike it when she wakes up.’
Just before he could send letters or flowers, the empress collapsed. Rahil was so frightened, thinking the Empress might actually die, that he turned pale and couldn’t even breathe properly.
Sion did not say that the empress had merely fainted temporarily. Since the physician had put it indirectly, it seemed fitting for the emperor to be scared, considering how badly things had tangled up from his foolishness.
The empress woke up three hours after losing consciousness. By her side, Rahil waited, holding Anais’s hand, hoping for her to wake up.
As soon as Anais opened her eyes and saw Rahil, she pulled her hand away. Rahil, aware of his prior actions, couldn’t hold onto her hand any longer.
“Why am I here…”
“Don’t get up. Stay lying down. You lost consciousness.”
Anais could remember that much just by recalling the events. She didn’t want to look at Rahil, so she turned her gaze to other people nearby.
Sion and Mary were standing not far away. As soon as she saw Sion, she said,
“Could you please take His Majesty away? I’m a bit tired.”
It might have been impolite, but it was how Anais truly felt. Not wanting to see Rahil’s expression, she turned her head away.
She disliked being in the same building, let alone the same room. Rahil, unable to argue with a sick person, got up from his seat. He was afraid that if he insisted on staying, Anais might lose consciousness again.
After Sion took Rahil away, Anais looked at Mary. Perhaps because she needed to rest, Mary was the only maid present in the bedroom.
“Mary.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Would you like me to bring you something? Are you thirsty?”
Anais shook her head, seeming to organize her thoughts.
“…Did the physician come?”
“Yes. The physician accompanying us on this trip examined you, and we also called a famous doctor from the city.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“What do you mean?”
She wanted to ask about pregnancy but thought it might be too soon.
