The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 7 Part 4
Even if the bouquet earned him some points, sudden physical contact in public would lower her favor. Rahil had enough sense to realize this.
“Can I sit next to you?”
Although there was an empty seat across from her, he preferred to sit beside her. In a good mood, Anais nodded easily. Rahil promptly sat beside her and drew the curtain, explaining as she looked at him.
“The sunlight is strong… It wouldn’t be good if it’s too bright.”
If she disapproved, he thought of sitting by the window and glaring at the onlookers to drive them away. Anais appreciated Rahil’s careful behavior, different from when they were in the carriage.
“Go ahead.”
When Anais gave him a slight smile, Rahil’s expression, which had been considering whether he could beat those gathered guys to death with his glare, softened.
While those people outside found it hard to even glimpse her smile, Rahil was the one receiving it.
‘I’m not a tyrant, so I shouldn’t gouge out their eyes.’
Beating them, fining them, or calling the guards to imprison them for a month would all bring criticism. Though he considered these options, he knew he wouldn’t actually do them.
‘Right, I won’t do it. I won’t.’
“Your Majesty?”
At the sight of Anais looking at him puzzled and offering cake, Rahil completely forgot those thoughts.
* * *
The bouquet Rahil brought was a mix of pink, blue, and red roses, creating a striking display. Anais didn’t particularly favor roses, but in that moment, she felt happy.
Her good mood lasted even as they rode back to the palace in the carriage and after they returned. Today, she had planned to tackle a task she had been putting off for some time.
It wasn’t exactly an urgent matter, but it was something that needed to be done. Other pressing issues had delayed it for too long.
“…Are all these our gifts?” Rahil asked, looking at the boxes filling the banquet hall of the Empress’s palace. Anais slowly nodded. Rahil had instructed that all wedding gifts, except those specifically addressed to him, be sent to the Empress’s palace, so most of the gifts were there.
Mages, priests, and other experts had already inspected and repackaged the items. There were multiple banquet halls in the Empress’s palace, so they had stored everything in one of them.
The ceilings were high, and the space was vast.
“We’ve sent thank-you notes and cards, but I think we should still go through all the gifts.”
They couldn’t use all the gifts presented to them. There were simply too many. They planned to keep the ones they liked and store the rest, to be disposed of a few years later.
“So, what do you want to start with? Big boxes? Small ones? There are also the medium ones?”
Small boxes were likely to contain jewelry or other valuables, while the contents of the large boxes were unpredictable. They had already set aside rare animals, paintings, and similar items.
“Well, let’s start with…”
Anais chose a large box. It made sense to start with the big items when organizing things. The box was too large to be embraced even with outstretched arms, but it was wrapped with a ribbon.
‘They tied a ribbon around such a big box.’
The shape gave her a hint of what might be inside. Pulling the ribbon, the box opened easily. The maids watching gasped in admiration.
“Oh my.”
“…”
It was a wardrobe adorned with jade, rubies, and pearls. The design indicated it had come from across the continent, different from the Empire’s style. It even had small sculptures made of polished gemstones.
‘As expected from a family with an estate by the port.’
While she liked it, there was an issue with using it immediately. It had to match the other furniture, so until they found matching pieces, it would need to be stored.
Rahil noticed another box with the same wrapping and ribbon and pointed it out. When they approached and untied the ribbon, they found another piece of furniture. There were several such pieces, about seven or eight, all similarly adorned with gemstones.
‘They spent a lot of money.’
It was clear they had spent an enormous amount to make a lasting impression. The furniture, all decorated similarly with jewels, left them speechless.
Anais ordered the furniture to be placed in one of the bedrooms and then looked at Rahil.
“Which one would you like to open, Your Majesty?”
“Well, I think… that one.”
Rahil pretended to survey the boxes before selecting one sent by Emilio. It was a ring he had meant to give Anais earlier but had forgotten.
‘Though I already know what’s inside.’
“This one.”
Rahil opened the ring box and showed it to Anais. Inside was a ring encrusted with black diamonds that shimmered beautifully.
“This is… from the Tower Master.”
“It’s, uh, supposed to be a couple ring. Do you want to try it on?”
Though they were married, they hadn’t exchanged engagement rings since they had never been officially engaged. They had wedding rings, but those were too large to wear every day.
As Rahil spoke with a racing heart, Anais took out the men’s ring from the box.
“I’ll put it on you first.”
“Huh? Okay.”
When he extended his hand, Anais slipped the ring onto his ring finger. Though they had received rings as part of the wedding ceremony, they didn’t wear them regularly. Similarly, Anais’s left ring finger was also bare.
While it was customary to have separate rings for the ceremony and everyday wear, they hadn’t bothered to make everyday rings due to their contract marriage.
Rahil was happy as Anais placed the ring on him, but then he paused. The ring, being a magical artifact, emitted a strange aura.
‘Is it because of the magic?’
However, he had felt this kind of aura from other magical artifacts before. Since each one emitted slightly different magical energy, he tried not to worry. After all, it was a gift from his friend Emilio, and the palace mages had already inspected it.
