The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 12 Part 2 - Harvest Festival

Angelica, where are you looking right now?

During the tournament, Theodore saw Angelica’s expression as she looked not at the empress, but at Rahil. At that moment, he felt that something inside her had begun to change.

Her emotions were as clear as looking into water. They were not something she could hide just because she tried to. Someone as oblivious as Rahil, or other people, might not notice, but she could not deceive Theodore. He had watched Angelica since their far-off childhood. There was no way he would not know.

‘No, right? You’re not that kind of person.’

He could guess why Angelica was drawn to Rahil. Until now, she had not even looked back at him, but when something she had thought of as hers began to shine in someone else’s hands, she could not bear it.

He knew that human hearts were naturally that ugly, but he had thought she would be different. So even though he was disappointed, he could understand it.

Because of his deep love for her, the disappointment that rose inside him seemed to shake him as well. Beneath his awareness, an immeasurably fierce longing still hid, so he could not give Angelica up.

Angelica also seemed unable to accept her own feelings. She appeared to be trying to hide them by attending one of the many gatherings held during the Harvest Festival.

On the day of the tournament, a ball for young people was being held at the imperial palace. There, Angelica and Theodore spent a happy time together. It had only been possible because he had finished all the work of the ducal family in advance so they could enjoy the Harvest Festival.

Everything went smoothly until the next day, but on the day of the Harvest Festival itself, something happened. To be exact, Angelica caused it.

[I’ll go get some fresh air and come back.]

The maids, servants, and the people around her seemed to think that the note meant Angelica had only gone out for a short walk and would return soon. But even after ten minutes, thirty minutes, and then two hours passed, she did not appear. They searched the mansion and realized that Angelica had disappeared from the ducal residence.

Only later, after a knight checked with the gatekeeper, did they learn that Angelica had ridden a horse out of the mansion. It had happened thirty minutes before they were supposed to attend the Harvest Festival ceremony.

“Angelica….”

There were not many ducal families left in the empire now. The Calix ducal family, a representative noble house of the pro-emperor faction, could not simply leave their seat empty for no reason. It would easily become gossip, and the other nobles would sharpen their tongues and criticize their family.

Having already experienced several times how Angelica had abandoned her duties as a duchess and acted as she pleased, Theodore knew that he would have to attend the Harvest Festival without her.

She was not a sword master, but she had excellent sword skills and even possessed a magic tool. If she had been kidnapped, she would have used the magic tool to send a signal.

“Search for Madam quietly, but do not inform the imperial family or the other nobles. And….”

He suddenly remembered that Angelica had shown interest in the dragon incident.

“Contact the master of the Mage Tower and Herman, and ask them where Angelica is.”

The words that followed were so cold that it almost felt as if a chill wind had blown through. Hearing no worry for his wife in his voice, the servants of the ducal family thought their lord must be extremely angry.

****

“Lord Emilio, so you were here!”

The reason Emilio flinched at the voice calling him was because he had left behind the people who were supposed to be watching him at the mansion. It was something he should not have done when they still did not know what effect the dragon’s magic might have.

But on the other hand, since he was certain that the magic only made him remember his previous life, he also felt that this was fine. After all, it was not a curse.

Emilio turned around and looked at the unfamiliar face, wondering who he was. The person who had spoken to him seemed to know that Emilio would not recognize him.

“I am from the Calix ducal family….”

At the words introducing his identity, Emilio slowly nodded. He felt as if he had become nervous for nothing. The man came closer to Emilio and explained the situation. Duchess Angelica had disappeared.

‘Angelica disappeared? She didn’t attend the Harvest Festival ceremony?’

He quickly turned his head and looked past the crowd for Theodore, but Theodore was no longer visible. Since the emperor and empress had already departed, he might have left the Great Temple early as well.

Seeing the anxious knight, Emilio decided to send him back.

“All right. I’ll look for her, so tell Theo not to worry.”

His head was already complicated enough, and now Angelica had also left home. No, maybe it was not running away from home, since less than a day had passed since she went out.

Theodore acted as if he knew everything about Angelica, but Emilio knew the place Angelica sometimes went to when she wanted some fresh air.

She called that place the roof of the empire. It was because it was one of the tallest buildings in the capital. After watching Theodore’s knight greet him and move away, Emilio began casting magic.

Emilio’s figure vanished as if erased from the air, then instantly turned into a faint light and flew toward somewhere.

“If you keep breaking in like this every time, you’ll be reported one day, Angelica.”

Unlike Anais’s pale platinum-blonde hair, Angelica’s vivid golden hair was fluttering in the wind. In the past, he would have admired that sight as beautiful, but now he felt little emotion. It was probably because his feelings were different from before.

‘Love really can be frightening.’

No other emotion changed this violently. A feeling that burned fiercely as if it would give everything, only to cool completely in an instant, could only be described as frightening.

“You’re not an apprentice anymore.”

This was a building for knight apprentices. It was one of the academy buildings located not far from the capital, and it was also a building from which one could look down over the capital.

Angelica had learned of this place while attending the academy and had come here from time to time.