The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 5 Part 11
As Angelica approached, accompanied by her friends, Anais’s allies and friends looked on with sharp eyes.
There would be no conflict. Anais knew that Angelica still played the protagonist of the story.
She directed Angelica to step out onto the balcony.
* * *
Frankly, Angelica had expected Anais to outright ignore her or show outright hatred. She was used to it from ladies who adored Theodore, Rahil, or had crushes on her other male friends.
But Anais’s gaze suggested she found the situation merely annoying. Though her expression was polite, her eyes said otherwise.
‘Why?’
According to Theodore, Rahil seemed to harbor affection for the Empress. How aware he was of his feelings, she didn’t know, but it seemed clear.
Therefore, Angelica intended to share this insight with Anais, thinking the Empress would be pleased to hear it.
But why.
‘Why does my heart feel cold?’
Angelica was the beloved granddaughter of a ducal family, yet she never received her parents’ love. She lost her parents in a carriage accident when she was young and was herself lost, only to be raised as the granddaughter of a poor apothecary.
She reclaimed her status at the age of six. Since then, she had been under the care of her grandfather, the duke, growing up with her childhood friend Theodore.
Her late mother-in-law, the previous Duchess of Calix, had suffered an unhappy marriage. Now, Anais’s gaze reminded her of her mother-in-law.
Angelica felt her heart pounding anxiously as she followed the Empress to the balcony. The gazes of the nobles outside, watching with keen interest, irked her.
‘We won’t fight.’
There was no need for a conflict between them. Angelica cared for Rahil but had never felt romantic attraction or excitement towards him. Anais need not worry about that. She could swear it. Therefore…
Click.
The servant closed the door from the outside. The Empress, without turning back, walked up to the railing of the balcony.
The balcony of this ballroom was spacious enough for several couples to dance. It seemed designed to prevent others from overhearing their conversation, so Angelica willingly moved towards the center of the balcony.
“Duchess, you probably feel uncomfortable with all this… thinking you’re being treated unfairly.”
Turning around, the Empress faced Angelica, her silhouette softened by the moonlight, yet she remained striking.
“I don’t dislike you, Duchess. I’m just uncomfortable. I have no intention of antagonizing the Calix family, and the imperial family will continue to maintain good relations with the duchy. Just as His Majesty did, our children will likely become friends.”
Angelica gazed at the Empress, spellbound. She found it odd that she had never heard any rumors about Anais Ruol. Someone as striking as her would surely have caught people’s attention.
The absence of such rumors meant she herself had been cautious and guarded against them. The Ruol family had been, and still was, known for their discretion.
“But that’s all there is to it. I have no interest in meddling in or understanding the friendship you have with His Majesty. Even if His Majesty meets with the Duchess, I won’t call upon you separately or treat you with hostility. Just don’t drag me into it.”
It was then that a change appeared on her composed and beautiful face, revealing some emotion.
“When His Majesty proposed to me, he said he needed an Empress who would not harm the Duchess of Calix.”
Angelica doubted her ears. As she froze, Anais pondered if sharing this diminished her pride.
No. This is just laying out the facts. Since I don’t like Rahil, there’s no need for my pride to be hurt.
“I refused His Majesty’s proposal, and he threatened me using my brother and father. So…”
Anais’s gaze was icy. Angelica, facing those blue eyes so different from Rahil’s, stuttered to speak.
“B-But His Majesty loves you, Your Majesty! I’m sure of it!”
Despite Angelica’s urgency, Anais’s expression remained as cold as ice. She gathered her gaze, visibly annoyed.
“So what changes?”
‘What changes? Obviously… Ah.’
Realizing that her situation was different from all the young ladies she had encountered and befriended before, Angelica’s face turned pale.
Even the young ladies who had become her friends were once fond of Angelica’s male friends. Their feelings might not have changed much, but they ended up becoming friends with Angelica.
“I’ve never harbored romantic feelings for His Majesty, nor have I ever wished to marry him. And… you might not remember, but I was an unwilling witness to that vow His Majesty made.”
‘That vow… Ahhh!’
Observing Angelica’s expression morph into one wanting to scream, Anais calmed her own emotions once more.
“The relationship between the imperial family and the Calix duchy will remain unchanged. It’s just that the Duchess and I will keep our distance from each other. As long as that’s respected, there won’t be any issues between us.”
With a ‘you get it, right?’ implied in her last words, Anais concluded the conversation.
* * *
Emerging from the balcony, Angelica looked utterly deflated, while Anais returned to her spot with a sense of relief on her face.
‘Th-Th-That idiot Rahil! What on earth did he do!’
Angelica had guessed that Rahil and Anais’s marriage was a marriage of convenience but assumed it was consensual. She thought that even if Anais didn’t love Rahil, the fact that Rahil liked her would make Anais feel secure and happy.
But that wasn’t the case. The marriage had been coerced by Rahil, and the Empress seemed to carry the eyes of someone trapped in unhappiness.
‘It’s Rahil’s unrequited love. And with a marriage like this, of course, she would hate Rahil.’
And likely, she resented Angelica as well. Even if somewhat irrational, the circumstances provided ample reason for Anais to dislike Angelica.
It was surprising that Anais had shared the whole story with her frankly. It was a story that could be considered her own flaw and could lead to ridicule from others if it leaked out.
