Chapter 106

A small forest owned by the Imperial Palace.  

Under the shade of a grand tree, the two decided to settle down and satisfy their growing hunger.  

“Wow!”  

Opening the basket, Sabrina couldn’t stop exclaiming in delight.  

Perfectly crafted sandwiches, flawless shiny apples, and a bottle of orange juice were laid out before her.  

“Wow, these look delicious!”  

“I’m glad. I originally thought about arranging an elegant meal in a fancy place, but we’ve done that so many times before.”  

Sabrina chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.  

“True. There’s no place better than the Imperial Palace when it comes to food or ambiance.”  

“That’s why I wanted to try something different.”  

“I actually prefer this. I’ve never been on a proper picnic before.”  

“Really? Then I’m glad.”  

With excitement, Sabrina grabbed a sandwich.  

‘A sandwich like this could never taste bad.’  

Opening her mouth wide, she prepared to take a big bite.  

Thud.  

Something rather heavy fell onto Sabrina’s head.  

“Huh?”  

What just fell? A leaf? No, it felt heavier than that…  

Sabrina reached up to touch the top of her head, and her fingers brushed against something soft and fluffy.  

‘Soft and fluffy…?’  

Her mind went blank, and a chill ran down her spine. Goosebumps rose all over her body.  

Thud.  

The sandwich she had been holding tightly fell to the ground.  

‘This is definitely…’  

Sabrina was not someone who feared many things. That’s how she ended up signing a lease for a supposedly haunted house simply because it was cheap.  

Of course, that had been a huge mistake, but still…  

Sabrina had one thing she absolutely despised.  

“Ahhh! A bug!”  

Bugs. Those grotesque little creatures.  

Waving her arms like a startled chicken, Sabrina shook her head furiously, hoping the bug would fall off on its own. She couldn’t bear to feel that sensation again.  

Chase, noticing her panic, gestured for her to come closer.  

“Sabrina, stay still for a moment. I’ll take it off for you.”  

“Please hurry, Your Majesty. Quickly, get it off!”  

Accepting his offer without hesitation, Sabrina moved closer to him.  

“……!”  

Chase’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden closeness between them. Though he didn’t wrap his arms around her, their posture was almost like an embrace.  

His face turned faintly red as he carefully removed the bug from Sabrina’s hair and tossed it far away. Trying to hide his nervousness, he spoke in a playful tone.  

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but it looked like a moth caterpillar.”  

“A moth caterpillar…?”  

“It was pale yellow and fluffy. Honestly, it wasn’t as gross as you’d think.”  

“You really didn’t need to tell me that, Your Majesty!”  

Sabrina, flustered, squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed the hem of his coat tightly.  

“Just get it off quickly. I’m serious—don’t tease me. Please, hurry!”  

She tugged on his coat, urging him to act, her face scrunched up in distress.  

‘Why isn’t he doing anything?’  

When nothing seemed to happen, Sabrina cautiously opened one eye.  

As her gaze shifted upward, she saw Chase silently looking down at her.  

“Are you not going to take it off?” 

“I already did.”  

“What?”  

Sabrina’s expression turned to one of surprise. She glanced at him reproachfully and asked,  

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”  

She quickly stepped back from him, brushing off her disheveled clothes. Chase, gesturing lightly toward her, replied,  

“Because I thought you’d run away.”  

Realizing what he meant, Sabrina’s face flushed bright red.  

‘Now that I think about it, I was practically clinging to him…’  

Embarrassed by her actions, she lowered her gaze. Chase reached out and gently tidied her messy hair, saying,  

“So, you’re scared of bugs, huh?”  

He laughed softly.  

“I’ve known you for quite a while, but I’ve never seen that side of you before. It’s refreshing.”  

Sabrina muttered in a small voice,  

“Please just forget what you saw earlier.”  

“Why?”  

Shaking his head, Chase added teasingly,  

“No way. I’m going to treasure that memory and revisit it whenever I’m feeling down.”  

Sabrina, her face now beet red, hung her head low.  

Her eyes fell on the sandwich that had fallen messily onto the blanket. Even Chase’s sandwich had ended up on the grass, likely due to her earlier commotion.  

“What are we going to do about the food? Everything’s ruined.”  

“Well, the apples survived. If we each have one, it should tide us over.”  

“I’m really sorry…”  

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”  

Bending down, Chase picked up an apple. He rubbed it clean with a cloth and said,  

“It’s unusually pretty. Looks delicious, too. Smells sweet.”  

“That’s true.”  

As Chase mentioned, the apple looked incredibly appetizing—red and shiny, like something straight out of a fairy tale.  

Holding the apple near Sabrina’s cheek, Chase remarked,  

“It kind of looks like you.”  

“Excuse me?”  

Sabrina thought to herself,  

‘Is he saying it’s pretty, like me?’  

As if reading her mind, Chase’s lips curved into amischievous smile. In a playful tone, he added,  

“It’s red, like you.”  

“Oh, come on!”  

Sabrina snatched the apple from his hand. The air, which had grown slightly heavy, instantly lightened with his teasing.  

Crunch.  

The bite she took from the apple was as sweet as honey. It tasted like a first date.  

* * *

After satisfying their hunger, the two set off for a proper stroll. Beneath the pale gray sky, endless golden trees stretched out before them—a breathtaking sight.  

Although the air had grown cooler with the changing season, white wildflowers were still in bloom.  

“Your Majesty, look at this.”  

“Hmm?”  

Sabrina crouched down and plucked a clover flower, twisting its stem into a circle.  

“I used to make these all the time when I was little.”  

With nimble fingers, she crafted something and held it out to him.  

“Ta-da.”  

In her hand was a tiny flower ring.  

Chase carefully took it, a gentle smile spreading across his face.  

“A flower ring? I haven’t seen one of these in ages.”  

“It’s been a while since I made one, too.”  

“You’re giving it to me?”  

Sabrina nodded.  

“Yes, if you’d like it.”  

“I’d love it.”  

Before she even finished speaking, Chase brought the clover flower to his nose, sniffing it lightly. Examining the small ring as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world, he said,  

“Thank you, Sabrina. Can I interpret its meaning however I want?”  

She could have simply nodded and let him do as he pleased, but…  

The way he deliberately emphasized the word “meaning,” his eyes sparkling with curiosity, felt anything but ordinary.  

In a small voice, Sabrina replied,  

“…I didn’t really put much meaning into it.”  

“Impossible. It’s a ring, after all.”  

Extending a hand to help her up, Chase asked,  

“Do you know what it means to give someone a ring?”  

“No, not really.”  

With a soft grunt, Sabrina took his hand and stood up. The sudden change in perspective made her wobble slightly, and Chase steadied her with a firm grip on her arm.  

As their gazes met in the crisp afternoon air, Chase spoke in a low, steady voice.  

“It means you’re mine forever.”  

His words, though merely an explanation, sent a rush of heat to her face. Stammering, Sabrina replied awkwardly,  

“I-I see. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”  

Letting go of his hand, she laughed nervously and tried to change the subject.  

“But really, how can you call this a ring? It’ll dry up and wither in a few days. At the very least, it should be a diamond the size of a fist to suit you, Your Majesty.”  

“If this isn’t a ring, then what is it?”  

Tucking the flower ring carefully into his pocket, Chase locked eyes with her and said,  

“I’ll treasure this forever. It’s the first ring you’ve ever given me. To me, it’s worth more than a diamond the size of a fist.”  

His resolute words made Sabrina clench her fists tightly. The reality of being on a date with him finally sank in.  

‘Ah, this is so embarrassing.’  

It felt like a soft feather brushing against her skin—a slightly awkward yet tender pink atmosphere enveloped them.  

‘So this is what a date feels like. I know it’s wonderful, but…’  

Sabrina found it difficult to adjust to the sweet, sentimental mood. Perhaps her identity as an aide was too deeply ingrained in her.  

Feeling self-conscious, she subtly shifted the conversation.  

“By the way, Your Majesty.”  

“Hmm?”  

“Speaking of rings, it just reminded me—don’t you think it’s time to return that pearl necklace?”  

“Oh, the pearls? Ah.”  

Sabrina sat in silence, her thoughts swirling. Chase, noticing her attempt to change the subject, let out a soft laugh. He decided to play along, pretending not to notice her embarrassment.  

“Alright. I did promise to return it once the Heider matter was resolved. I’ll give it back soon.”  

“Thank you.”  

“But Sabrina.” 

Chase called her name meaningfully, prompting her to turn toward him. As their eyes met, he flashed a mischievous smile and asked,  

“Don’t you have something to give me as well? Do you remember what it is?”  

‘Something I need to give to Chase?’ 

Sabrina pondered his words carefully.  

Something to give. Something I owed him.  

After searching her memory for a while, her eyes widened as she exclaimed,  

“Are you talking about the journal?”  

She recalled the promise they had made on the day they discovered Lennox’s hideout in her family’s basement.