The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 9 Part 3
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- The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy
- Chapter 9 Part 3 - The Eve of the Festival
Anais was angry.
‘I only just managed to get the ring off, but…’
According to the measurements Emilio had belatedly taken with the help of the high priest, Anais’s sensitivity had increased threefold, while Rahil’s had improved by about one and a half times.
But that was all; he said that she would no longer feel an overwhelming desire for Rahil at midnight. Not that it had ever been much of a problem for her, given that Rahil had always dragged her into the bedroom well before midnight.
‘I didn’t even realize, and thinking last night was the last time, I enjoyed it thoroughly… I even felt a bit regretful at the end!’
She felt embarrassed and ashamed. Thinking that she would feel that way every time she touched Rahil from now on made her a bit scared. Oblivious to her turmoil, Rahil pretended otherwise, but it was obvious he was delighted.
So annoying.
When Anais glared at him, Rahil flinched and hovered anxiously around her, losing all dignity and composure. The escort knights, maids, and attendants averted their eyes, pretending not to notice his behavior.
“Wh-why are you like this? Did I do something wrong?”
She wanted to stay away from him for a while, but considering the dragon, she couldn’t. It was safer to share the same bed with Rahil. Although Rahil had supplemented her security with other knights like Francis, she couldn’t feel at ease. Rahil was probably the only one strong enough to match Theodore, the strongest in this world.
‘I know it’s inevitable, but…’
Would he really just sleep next to me without trying anything?
She could make him sleep on the sofa or the floor, but deep down, she was convinced that sleeping close together was safer. Even when he was under the dragon’s spell, he had woken up realizing she wasn’t in his arms. Sleeping separately from the start would negate the advantages of sharing a room.
He would naturally hold her as they slept, touch her, kiss her, and then…
Thanks to Rahil, Anais had become quite experienced. Following the chain of her thoughts, images of intim@te moments flooded her mind, turning her face bright red.
“This is all your fault, Your Majesty!”
“What? Ah! Wait…!”
Anais spun around abruptly and walked away, clearly not intending to answer. Rahil hurriedly chased after her. And since the Empress they needed to protect was on the move, Francis and the other escort knights naturally followed suit.
‘What is going on here?’
As the Emperor chased after Anais, his aides carrying his workload also rushed after them. Including the attendants and escort knights that came with them, it turned into quite a sizable procession.
Francis felt complicated seeing Rahil being so devoted to Anais, even more than at the previous party.
‘Are they… doing well?’
Aside from the looming threat of the dragon, the atmosphere between Anais and Rahil seemed fine. Anais looked annoyed but not extremely angry; it was more like she was throwing tantrums at Rahil.
She wouldn’t show such emotions unless they were somewhat close. At least, that’s how Anais was. She was a girl who had always been reluctant in showing her feelings to others.
Anais had never pestered for anything from him or their father, so Francis thought she must trust and rely on the Emperor a lot. Though she herself didn’t seem to realize it yet.
‘There was a time I thought it might be better to take Anais and run away….’
But looking at them now, it seemed they’d grown closer somehow. Francis seriously pondered whether this was something to be relieved about.
* * *
When Theodore found himself competing with the Emperor over a woman, many advised him to give up. His opponent was the Emperor, after all. The fact that they’d been friends since Rahil was a prince didn’t matter.
“Your Grace should not forget that you’re His Majesty’s vassal.”
Sion, who always made choices for Rahil’s sake, had come to him and said this. He was worried that after being rejected by Angelica, Rahil might never marry anyone.
Even Theodore’s parents and grandfather subtly suggested that he should give up on Angelica. When Rahil was still a prince, they didn’t strongly oppose it, thinking he might not become Emperor, but after he became the Emperor, the story changed.
They argued that no matter how beloved Angelica might be, the future of Calix Duchy should come first. Theodore had been angry at that time, insisting that His Majesty wasn’t that kind of person. If Rahil had been the sort of man to stoop to petty vengeance over losing a woman, Theodore would never have supported him.
‘…The Imperial family has no obligation to tell me everything.’
Even though the Calix Duchy was the Emperor’s primary supporting faction, Theodore was often labeled a traitor to the crown. This was because he had dared to compete with Rahil for Angelica and married her.
In many cases, those who dared to compete with the Emperor for a woman paid a steep price. Not only were they cast out of the capital’s noble circles, but they were also frequently dispatched to distant frontiers to fight in wars.
Considering the influence of Calix Duchy and his friendship with Rahil, such fate seemed unlikely, but Theodore was somewhat optimistic.
Just as Sion saw it, Rahil was not one to change his feelings easily. Nor was Rahil cunning enough to orchestrate Theodore’s death and claim Angelica for himself.
He lacked the ruthless cunning to act in a way befitting an Emperor. Not that he was entirely virtuous, but he was not a man wholly steeped in the grime of politics.
‘Rahil—His Majesty—is changing.’
Theodore had to admit that he had been arrogant. It wasn’t that he doubted or judged the Emperor he had chosen. Aside from the matter of Angelica, there had been no alternative to Rahil. He was the one most fit to be Emperor.
However, hearing about the vow Rahil had made to Angelica before the wedding hall, Theodore had believed in Rahil’s youthful love and impulsiveness.
Yet that vow had crumbled with surprising ease in the face of new love. To Rahil, the Emperor’s vow might have been something romantic, but to Anais, now the Empress, it was something the immediately she instantly dragged down into something cheap.
