The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 9 Part 1
At the break of dawn, Emilio, Arken, and even the high priest summoned from the temple all gathered together. Rahil sat at the head of the table, his expression complicated.
‘What’s going on?’
‘We’ve only just started the investigation…’
Apart from Emilio, the others had no idea what effect the dragon’s magical artifact actually had. This was because Rahil had strictly warned them not to pry. Emilio, noticing that the ring had already been removed from Rahil’s fourth finger on his right hand, wore a peculiar expression.
‘There’s no way he’d just take off the ring. Did something go wrong?’
“As you can see, I’ve taken off the ring, but the magical effects still remain. No, they’ve gotten even stronger. Explain how this’s happening.”
The Empress wasn’t present. It was a clear indication that if any examination was to take place, it would be conducted only through him. Emilio guessed what was going on and was the first to stand and approach Rahil.
‘Huh? No…’
While there was a faint trace of magic, the rest was entirely divine power. He had heard from the high priest that the ring was supposedly a holy relic but hadn’t given it much thought until now.
‘Damn it. This isn’t something I can handle!’
Only about 2–4% of the effect was due to magic, while the rest was purely divine power, making it almost impossible for him to control. Emilio’s face turned pale as he looked at Rahil.
Though he couldn’t tell what Rahil’s exact condition was, if things went awry, Rahil would undoubtedly blame Emilio. Even if the dragon’s attempt to kidnap the Empress could be brushed aside, this matter was definitely…
‘I’m doomed.’
Breaking into a cold sweat, Emilio stepped aside, passing the turn to Arken.
***
“…You remember what I told you before,” the high priest began.
He had mentioned that the dragon’s ring had been infused with divine power and had become a holy relic. Though the idea seemed absurd—especially considering the ring had caused Anais to be kidnapped by a dragon—the high priest still stubbornly insisted on this assertion.
“Since you passed the ring’s test, it seems the goddess Erenta has bestowed her blessing upon you.”
“Blessing? This is… a blessing?”
Yesterday, Anais and Rahil had managed to remove the ring before midnight. They confirmed that Anais no longer felt an overwhelming desire toward Rahil. But the problem was something else.
Not only had Rahil’s sensitivity changed, but Anais’s sensitivity had also heightened to an incomparable degree.
‘I just thought it was because we had s*x for several hours straight.’
Even after removing the ring, the physical changes brought about by its influence didn’t just vanish suddenly. Thus thinking it was a chance to savor the lingering effects, Rahil had indulged himself with Anais to his heart’s content….
‘She was so adorable.’
Although he anticipated getting scolded by Anais later, he had no regrets. That lovely sight of her from the night before was one he felt was worth engraving in his memory.
Arken was excluded from the matter, but it was impossible to completely leave out the high priest. In the end, Rahil confessed the truth. Fortunately, Arken, who seemed to have some inkling of the situation, neither took offense nor pried and withdrew gracefully.
The high priest, though visibly flustered as if dealing with such a case for the first time, calmly provided an explanation.
“While the goddess Erenta is known as the goddess of abundance, she also governs love, lust, and the seasons.”
She was a multifaceted deity and one who had been worshipped since ancient times. In the era when gods and humans interacted, she had frequently played tricks, sometimes causing suffering and sometimes offering salvation.
“Perhaps the goddess, saddened by the decline in the number of dragons, has granted such a blessing.”
“So you’re saying ‘this’ is a blessing?”
“It is thanks to Your Majesty’s exceptional physical strength as a warrior that you suffered no ill effects from such an intense night. But Her Majesty the Empress is different, isn’t she?”
Rahil suddenly recalled that Anais was unharmed after spending such an intense night with him. Normally, he would have considered her stamina and stopped after a certain point. But last night, for some reason, Anais seemed unusually resilient, so he was able to indulge continuously.
“Even so, we can’t leave things as they are… The Empress is finding it troublesome.”
“It is impossible within human powress to undo a goddess’s blessing. Fortunately, you two will only react to each other in that way, so it shouldn’t cause inconvenience in your daily life.”
“……”
‘Don’t be happy.’ Rahil turned his head, trying to suppress the smile tugging at his lips. Meanwhile, Emilio stood beside the high priest, appearing to be meditating on absolutely nothing.
‘Look at him. This guy is clearly enjoying this.’
Unlike before, Anais was also present at this meeting. The high priest had requested her presence to confirm her exact condition. Feeling embarrassed but wanting clarity, Anais had agreed to an examination through divine power.
“Excuse me, but….”
“What?”
As Emilio tentatively raised his hand to speak, Rahil shot him a displeased glare. Though he didn’t emit killing intent, his glare was sharp enough to make Emilio feel a surge of irritation.
It’s true that this mess happened because of the magical artifact he provided, but it wasn’t intentional! He was genuinely sorry, but it wasn’t on purpose, and he felt he had to say this for the Empress’s sake.
“Ahem. Um, about that part where the two of you’ll only react to each other that way… If it’s just Her Majesty the Empress, I think it might be possible to change it with magic?”
‘Should I have killed this guy after all?’ As Rahil’s icy, murderous glare bore into him, Emilio recoiled in fright.
“N-Not just me! That dragon could do it too! After all, this magic originated from dragon magic from the start…”
