The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 7 Part 1
The meeting with the high priest ended after two hours. On her way back in the carriage, Anais planned to stop by her favorite café to enjoy some tea and cake. She understood that she couldn’t live the way she used to now that she was the Empress, but she thought it wouldn’t hurt to do it just once.
When Rahil heard Anais’s plan, he promised to cooperate—on the condition that he accompanied her.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
Since they had started sharing a bed, Rahil had stuck to her like gum. This situation was within her expectations.
When Anais agreed, Rahil sent a servant ahead to reserve a spot at the café and decided to hide the Imperial carriage behind a building some distance away from the café.
If they took the Imperial carriage right up to the café, it would attract attention. Attracting attention would be the least of their worries but people might swarm them just to catch a glimpse of the Emperor and Empress’s faces.
On their wedding day, they had ridden the carriage halfway around the capital, but the citizens hadn’t been able to get close because of the escorting knights, so they hadn’t seen their faces clearly.
Some might remember, but with relatively simple attire, they believed they wouldn’t be recognized. In their current outfits, people would just think they were some high-ranking nobles.
The Empress’s escort knights seemed momentarily flustered, but with the Emperor’s knights also present, they were confident security wouldn’t be an issue.
So, they got out of the carriage and walked to the café. Holding onto Rahil’s arm and walking towards the café, Anais thought it felt like a date.
Their first date.
Glancing at Rahil’s face, she thought he seemed to be having similar thoughts. The blush spreading across his pretty face was quite endearing. He glanced back at her, and when their eyes met, he smiled with the corners of his eyes crinkling.
‘He keeps trying to charm me.’
It wasn’t as if he was doing it on purpose. Besides, from Rahil’s perspective, trying to charm Anais was the right thing to do. He liked her, after all. He said he loved her.
Anais averted her eyes from her wavering feelings and looked around. Although the escort knights were noticeable, Anais and Rahil were both stunningly attractive, which drew attention as well.
In the midst of this, she noticed a couple who didn’t seem interested in them. They, too, seemed to be on a date, focusing on each other, which was cute. The woman was holding a bouquet of flowers, suggesting that the man had given them to her.
When they arrived at the café, the servant they had sent ahead opened the door. The café owner, knowing Anais’s face and status, hurriedly led them to a spot on the second floor.
“It’s an honor to have you visit us again!”
The servant who had gone ahead had given the café staff a warning, so no one mentioned the Empress. Without even looking, Anais knew that the servant had reserved the entire second floor of the café on the Emperor’s orders.
As Anais sat down, Rahil looked at her with hesitant eyes. They ordered Earl Grey cake and apple tea. There wasn’t a special reason for the choice; it was simply the café owner’s recommendation.
“I’ll have the same… I have a small errand to run. Can you wait for me? I’ll be back soon. If the tea comes out, go ahead and start without me.”
Anais nodded at Rahil’s question. She had a hunch about what his errand might be, but it felt silly to tell him not to go based on a guess. After all, he might actually have something else to do.
‘It might just be my speculation.’
And even if Rahil was really stepping out for his errand, it didn’t matter. This was the first time she visited this café since their marriage was announced. Without Rahil, she could enjoy this time alone without interruption. It was a shame that the friend she often brought to this café wasn’t here, though.
“Alright.”
As soon as she responded, Rahil got up and went down the stairs. Though he was the Emperor, only two of his escort knights followed him. The rest remained by Anais’s side.
She propped her chin on her hand and watched Rahil run down the street from the window. Seeing him head towards the shopping district, she told herself not to get her hopes up.
‘I don’t want to be disappointed. I won’t be disappointed even if he doesn’t come back with flowers.’
But it’s always difficult to follow through on such resolutions.
* * *
“…If the bouquet is too large, it might be heavy for her to carry around.”
“Really?”
Rahil had entered the flower shop and immediately demanded the largest, most extravagant bouquet. The knight who had followed him in offered some advice, and Rahil promptly looked at the shop clerk. The clerk, still under the impression that Rahil was just a nobleman, smiled kindly and asked,
“Who is the bouquet for?”
“It’s for my wife, but… can she not carry something heavy?”
This later part was directed more to the knight than to the clerk. The knight just looked at Rahil with a serious expression.
“I wouldn’t know, sir.”
“No, you’re right. If it’s too heavy, that’s not good either.”
It wasn’t the knight who said that, he just wisely kept his mouth shut. While the clerk maintained their smile and spoke again.
“Does the recipient have a favorite type of flower?”
“Uh…”
“How about a favorite color or a preferred perfume scent?”
Most customers buying flowers were nobles, and the clerk had made many bouquets for noble ladies. Rahil grew increasingly distressed as he listened to the clerk’s questions.
‘I claim to love Anais, but I know so little about her!’
“Then what about her hair and eye color?”
“Why are you asking that?” the knight inquired.
The clerk responded kindly, “If she’s going to carry the bouquet around, it’s better to avoid flowers that match her hair color. Conversely, some people enjoy receiving bouquets that match their eye color.”
Of course, not everyone liked this. People with a complex about their eye color might dislike receiving flowers of the same color.
