The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 9 Part 6
Their first trial was to capture rabbits released into the arena and place them in their designated pens.
This event was meant to reenact the story of a maiden chosen by the goddess of abundance who tamed a beast. While taming a beast had no real connection to rabbits, the trial was devised as a creative alternative.
The noble ladies would dash around the arena in pursuit of rabbits, their elaborate costumes becoming disheveled, and often ending up rolling on the ground and covered in straw. This was also considered part of the entertainment.
Based on the number of rabbits they caught, ten candidates were then selected to proceed to the second test.
The second was a test of wisdom. The candidates were asked questions with no definitive answers, and based on their responses, the Empress selected four finalists.
Around this time, the candidates for the Knight of Autumn, having successfully hunted their monsters, would enter with the severed heads as proof. They would present these to the Empress, who would then select eight finalists from among them.
Then these eight young gentlemen had to compete in tournament-style duels to determine the final victor, who would then choose one of the four young ladies.
Since the Empress had significant influence over the final selection, the families supporting the candidates eagerly sought to win her favor.
‘The imperial family must have designed the event this way on purpose’
Anais thought, sighing as she confirmed that preparations for the Harvest Festival were progressing steadily. The actual start of the festival was ten days away, but the events to select the Knight of Autumn and the Maiden of Abundance were scheduled to take place in a few days.
Because of this, the capital was engulfed in excitement. Gamblers were betting on which family’s candidates would become the final winners, and people were coming from the provinces to watch the tournaments in the coliseum.
Anais returned the documents to the administrator and stood up. She didn’t want to push ahead with the festival in a situation that might be dangerous due to the dragon, but this Harvest Festival was the first major event since her marriage. Rahil probably didn’t want to stop the first proper event since his coronation.
‘The dragon has fled, so he won’t appear for a while. He’ll need at least a few weeks to recover from his injuries.’
So the festival should proceed without incident….
There was no other choice but to believe that.
***
As she headed toward the Emperor’s bedroom, Anais felt nervous. Last night, she had enjoyed herself so much in Rahil’s arms that she felt strange today.
“Why is it only me…? Rahil’s sensitivity only increased by 1.5 times.”
It’s so unfair. If this was meant to be a blessing, shouldn’t there be some tangible benefit?
When it came to actions aimed at conception, it was only natural for the woman to feel more reluctant. After all, it was she who had to carry and nurture the child in her w0mb for ten months. So, it seemed logical that the sensations were amplified for the woman’s side.
Anais absentmindedly fiddled with the contraceptive ring on her pinky finger. Now that the dragon’s ring had been removed, it would be fine to have a child with Rahil.
Even if she took off the contraceptive ring, she wouldn’t become pregn@nt immediately; it would take about three weeks to a month for the magic to wear off, so it was better to remove it in advance.
She glanced back at Francis, who was following a few steps behind her. When their eyes met, he wore a puzzled expression. Anais quickly shook her head and hastened her steps. She didn’t want her relative to catch on to what she was thinking right now.
‘Why does it have to be my brother…? Of course, I know he’s strong, but still…’
She wondered how much help he could be against a dragon, and she was afraid that if the worst happened, he might be seriously injured or killed. The ideal situation should have been Emilio and Arken successfully tracking the dragon and Rodrigo successfully hunting it.
When she arrived at the Emperor’s bedroom, the attendants withdrew, and the guards moved to their designated posts. A chamberlain waiting outside the bedroom informed her that the emperor was already inside.
‘If I really don’t want anything to happen, I should use separate rooms, but…’
Until the dragon was captured, it was safer to have Rahil by her side. Despite the dragon’s magic, it was only Rahil who had chased after her and fought the dragon.
When the chamberlain opened the door, Anais entered slowly with her maids. Rahil was sitting at the table in casual attire, reading documents.
“Are you done now?” he asked.
“Yes. Please wait just a moment.” Anais replied.
She had entered the dressing room with her maids to change clothes and freshen up. As there were still lingering traces of her time with Rahil, she had chosen to wash alone by herself.
It didn’t take long for her to change into her nightgown and dismiss the maids. Rahil had been reviewing documents related to taxes in the meantime. This year’s bountiful harvest had resulted in more taxes being collected than last year. It was a fruitful year marking the reign of the new emperor.
After dismissing the maids, Anais approached Rahil. He set down the document he had been reading and took her hand.
“What are you reviewing so late into the night?”
“Want to see?”
Rahil casually handed over the documents. Anais tucked her loose hair behind her ear as she perched on the armrest of his chair and began to read.
The document detailed how, despite higher tax revenues than usual, there were concerns about crop prices dropping due to a good harvest. Thus as a precaution, they had purchased more grains that could be stored for extended periods. It also mentioned that the new policies were proving effective and receiving a positive response from the citizens of the empire.
“It seems things are going smoothly,”
“They are.”
He placed the documents Anais had returned on the table and stood up. They needed to be checked, but since they didn’t require his approval, it was okay to leave them as they were.
“Shall we go to bed?” he whispered.
His voice was gentle and unassuming, yet Anais appeared slightly tense. Rahil chuckled softly at her reaction.
