The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 5 Part 2
It had only been a few days since she had been intimate with Rahil. Medical knowledge from her past life indicated that such a short period would be difficult to detect pregnancy, and this world was unlikely to be any different. Perhaps only if she were to be seen by a priestess or a cleric.
‘There’s still a long time until my period. Surely he wouldn’t demand intimacy again so soon after this incident… but the shamelessness of a selfish person can be unimaginable.’
Thinking about Rahil again made her confused, so Anais decided to give up on understanding. Because trying to understand only led to being deceived.
Since he was insincere, Anais refused to think deeply about it. It seemed his sincerity was reserved for Angelica alone.
‘Compared to how he treats her, I’d probably just be accused of jealousy.’
Though she wasn’t even fond of the emperor, the thought of being treated in such a way made her head burn with frustration. Neither this marriage nor this situation was what she had desired.
“Call Sion for me. I have something to say.”
Sion would be the right person to persuade Rahil.
* * *
Sion, after meeting with the empress, emerged from the room with a gloomy face. Of course, it wasn’t a private meeting; the room was filled with maids. The emperor, not in his office or bedroom, was waiting outside for Sion.
“What did Anais say? Did she ask about me?”
“Uh, well… I think we should go to your office.”
Sion signaled to the servants and knights not to follow and entered the emperor’s office with him. After closing the office door, he gauged the emperor’s reaction.
“Why? Did Anais tell you not to let me into the room?”
“Um… no, it’s not that.”
Recalling the empress lying in bed, Sion looked troubled. It felt like the situation had gotten so twisted, he didn’t know where to start unraveling it.
“She wants to end the honeymoon and return to the capital. She prefers to rest in the Empress’s Palace, not the hotel.”
To be precise, she found it uncomfortable to be in the same building as the emperor and wished to return. She indicated that the carriage ride back would be separate, and since they had been intimate on their wedding night, there was a possibility of pregnancy, so she preferred if the emperor did not visit the Empress’s Palace for a year until the child was born, if at all.
Sion knew that Rahil was wearing a contraceptive magical device. The emperor had insisted on monitoring her condition for a year after their marriage, so Sion couldn’t oppose him. After all, having children was a matter between the couple.
‘If only she were truly pregnant, it might have been better.’
Knowing about the contraception, the empress would be even more enraged than she is now. From her perspective, she might wonder what the emperor’s true intentions were. On the surface, it seemed the emperor had forced her into marriage against her wishes, toying with her heart and body.
“…Is she very unwell? Wouldn’t traveling in a carriage be too much for her?”
Rahil seemed disappointed but appeared willing to listen, given his actions. Sion thought it best to relay the rest of the empress’s message after they arrived in the capital, as it was not something the emperor would want to hear anyway.
“Returning to the capital would be better for her than being upset here.”
Especially since the Empress’s Palace and the Emperor’s Palace were separate buildings there.
* * *
Since the empress had fainted, it provided a good excuse. Once Rahil gave his permission, Sion immediately ordered preparations for their departure.
They didn’t plan to stay in the city that night. The route back was the same as before, and the journey to the midway city was relatively short. The atmosphere among the imperial couple was subdued, casting a pall over the departing courtiers as well.
The carriages were prepared separately, as Anais wished. However, Rahil did not board his carriage but instead rode his horse alongside Anais’s carriage. Anais seemed annoyed by this but did not comment.
Even upon reaching the midway city, the imperial couple remained silent. Rahil seemed eager to speak to Anais but restrained himself following Sion’s advice to be considerate.
They spent a night in separate rooms and departed early the next day. Since the capital was still in a festive mood, they returned to the imperial palace late in the evening, concealing the imperial crest with curtains to avoid disrupting the festivities.
Late at night, arriving at the Empress’s Palace, Anais felt anew the reality of having left her home due to marriage as she entered the building. The thought of finally staying in a different building from the emperor brought her some relief.
She did not concern herself with the emperor. Rahil was selfish and would surely take care of himself. What mattered now was her own well-being.
‘The emperor won’t come looking for me now.’
Perhaps he would only think to smooth things over before the Duchess of Calix arrived in the capital? He would likely assume that time would heal her anger.
Anais consciously tried not to think about the emperor. Now that she was the empress, she had many responsibilities and planned to focus on her child, should she have one.
‘I’ll find my happiness step by step.’
Although she wanted to take in a consort right away, seducing any man that came her way wasn’t an option. For now, she thought of looking for potential candidates as she headed to her bedroom in the Empress’s Palace.
The unfamiliar bedroom was decorated by her own hands. During the preparation period for the wedding, she frequented the Empress’s palace and had decorated it according to her taste.
While she was taking a bath with the help of her maids, she saw the marks left on her body and bit her lip. The traces left by Rahil on their first night were still there.
* * *
