Chapter 107

A scrapbook Sabrina had assembled as a child, meticulously cutting out and pasting articles about Chase.  

When Chase found it in Lennox’s drawer, he had stubbornly insisted that it should be confiscated as evidence and handed over to the state. However, it was clear he simply wanted to keep it for himself.  

“Do you want this?”  

“Yes, I do. Can’t I?”  

“…Once we win this fight. I’ll give it to you then, as a congratulatory gift from me to you, Your Majesty.”  

Remembering her firm promise, Sabrina’s expression turned awkward. Chase, seeing her reaction, chuckled.  

“So, you do remember.”  

“Yes, but do you really want it that badly?”  

Chase nodded without hesitation.  

“Yes.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. I’ve never wanted anything this much in my life.”  

His resolute answer made Sabrina laugh softly. What could she do? A promise was a promise, and he truly seemed to want it. She would have to endure a little embarrassment.  

But just then—  

Thud.  

Something heavy fell on her head again.  

‘Not again?’  

Still on edge from her earlier experience, Sabrina tilted her head back. But unlike before, there were no branches hanging above her.  

Thud.  

This time, Chase seemed to feel it too. He tilted his head back, looking up at the sky.  

Drip, drop.  

As if on cue, thick raindrops began to fall one by one.  

“It’s raining. Judging by the clouds, it looks like a passing shower.”  

“It seems so. What should we do?”  

“We should take shelter under a tree for now. It should pass quickly.”  

Chase extended his hand toward her.  

“On the count of three, let’s run. Ready? One, two—”  

Caught off guard by the sudden countdown, Sabrina instinctively grabbed his hand tightly.  

“Three!”  

How far they ran, neither of them could tell.  

Panting heavily, Sabrina collapsed onto the golden grass. Chase, who had draped his jacket over her like a raincoat, sat down beside her and asked,  

“Are you alright, Sabrina?”  

“Yes. I can’t even remember the last time I ran like that.”  

Catching her breath, Sabrina laughed. Perhaps it was the exhaustion, but she found herself giggling uncontrollably.  

Her laughter quickly spread to Chase, who sat beside her. The two of them laughed together without even knowing why, simply enjoying the moment.  

As their laughter subsided, Sabrina hugged her knees and gazed at the rainy scenery.  

“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I’ve watched the rain like this. When I was a child, I used to sit by the window all day whenever it rained.”  

“Do you like rainy days?”  

“Yes, I love listening to the sound of rain. There’s something poetic about the gray, overcast sky. I find it more charming than a perfectly clear blue sky.”  

Sabrina glanced at Chase and smiled sheepishly.  

“Is that strange?”  

“Not at all.”  

Chase answered without a moment’s hesitation.  

“I don’t think it’s strange at all. If you like it, that’s all that matters.”  

His words left Sabrina momentarily stunned. A tender smile slowly spread across her lips.  

“…You’re right. I guess that’s just the kind of person I am.”  

Sabrina suddenly recalled her first meeting with Chase—an interview in a stiff, formal setting.  

『Nine or ten years old. Did you speak Alexian even at that age? When your peers couldn’t even finish books written in the Empire’s language?』  

『I was a bit peculiar as a child.』  

『Special, you mean.』  

Unusual. Strange. An oddball.  

Those were the words Sabrina had heard her whole life. But Chase was the first person to describe her as “special.”  

Someone who saw her differences as unique qualities. Someone who found her occasional quirks charming. Someone who always supported her choices, even when they led her down difficult paths.  

That was the kind of person Chase was.  

Perhaps it was inevitable that Sabrina would grow fond of him. After all, she could always be her most genuine self around him.  

‘With Chase, I think I’ll be okay.’  

The moment she realized this, her once-clouded thoughts cleared, and everything became crystal clear.  

‘I don’t want to hide anything from Chase.’  

Having made up her mind, Sabrina finally spoke.  

“Your Majesty, there’s something I need to tell you.”  

***

From the loneliness she felt among her older brothers during childhood to the circumstances that led her to leave home alone.  

The conflicts with her family that persisted even after she became independent.  

The time she joined hands with Clayton to escape the pressure of marriage.  

And recently, the incident where Archer approached Elena.  

Sabrina, with a calm voice, began to share stories that were akin to exposing her deepest vulnerabilities. She neither exaggerated nor downplayed anything, nor did she emotionally plead for sympathy.  

Sabrina likely knew. Being honest about such things wasn’t particularly advantageous to her.  

‘Chase, who always emphasized personal ability, probably wouldn’t criticize my family’s lack of influence… but my situation is different.’  

The position of Empress. A grand and burdensome title, but one she needed to bear to remain by Chase’s side.  

The role of Empress demanded absolute perfection, but among all virtues, integrity was considered the most crucial.  

It was unthinkable for an Empress, who was supposed to represent all citizens, to *buse public power for personal greed.  

Of course, Sabrina herself was an exceptionally rare individual, one who wouldn’t raise a speck of dust even if shaken…  

However, the men of the Wintlet family, who would also gain power as her family, unfortunately lacked the dignity befitting that position. 

After finishing her long story, Sabrina pressed her palm with her fingernail and lowered her head deeply. Her heart pounded rapidly.  

Unburdening the stories she had carried alone brought her a sense of relief, but there was also a slight tension.  

She couldn’t quite predict how Chase would react.  

‘Chase must be troubled. There’s a difference between roughly guessing something and hearing it clearly. He must be surprised.’  

Chase listened to Sabrina’s lengthy story without interrupting her even once.  

“Yes, I see.”  

With short interjections here and there, it was clear he was attentively listening to her.  

A long silence followed.  

“Thank you for trusting me and sharing your story, Sabrina.”  

Chase’s voice, quieter than usual, reached Sabrina’s ears. It was, as always, soft and gentle, making it all the more difficult to discern his emotions.  

“……”  

Gulp.  

Sabrina swallowed dryly. She held her breath, waiting for Chase’s next words.  

‘Will he, like Elena, express anger, wondering how such people could exist?’  

‘Will he ask whether the deal between the Marquis of Hatchet and my father is still valid?’  

‘Or will he check if I’ve ever secretly leaked confidential information to my family?’  

‘Or perhaps… was he considering reevaluating our relationship?’  

As Sabrina was imagining all sorts of possibilities, Chase finally spoke.  

“You must have felt very lonely.”  

At those words, which escaped his lips like a sigh, Sabrina’s eyes widened. Surprised, she lifted her head to look at the side of Chase’s face.  

“How exhausting it must have been to endure everything alone.”  

“……”  

“How long you must have suffered in silence.”  

Chase let out a short sigh and ran his palm over his face.  

“It pains me.”  

He looked as though he were the one who had been hurt. His eyes were slightly reddened.  

Chase didn’t delve further into the faults of the Wintlet family. Despite the many unpleasant stories he must have heard, he didn’t probe Sabrina any further.  

Instead, he simply acknowledged her feelings.  

He cried with her over her pain.  

At that moment, Sabrina felt as though all the time she had endured and held out alone was being rewarded. The joy she felt was incomparable to when she passed the aide’s exam.  

It was an overwhelming emotion, as if she had lived for this very moment.  

Drip.  

Large, transparent tears rolled down from Sabrina’s eyes. Seeing her cry, Chase offered a faint smile.  

“Do you know the meaning of the clover flower you gave me?”  

Sabrina, her throat tight with emotion, shook her head silently.  

“Promise. It means a promise.”  

Chase lightly touched the spot on his chest where he had placed the ring.  

“With the ring you gave me, I’ve become yours forever. So, I’ll make a promise to this flower.”  

Chase’s golden eyes gazed calmly at Sabrina. He continued in a low but clear voice.  

“I promise that you will never have to bear things alone again.”  

Chase slowly lifted his hand and wiped away the tears on Sabrina’s wet cheek.  

“I promise to always stay by your side, so you’ll never feel lonely.”  

At that moment, Sabrina realized something.  

‘You’re the only one I see.’  

That cliché, overused line that always made her laugh when she heard it, wasn’t an exaggeration after all.  

Under the large, sprawling tree, sitting close to Chase and locking eyes with him now.  

Swoosh.  

The sound of rain, which had been pouring down so heavily it made her ears ring, gradually subsided.  

The playful dance of raindrops that had delighted her eyes slowed down.  

The scenery stretching out below the hill became hazy, and the chill that had made her skin prickle began to fade.  

All Sabrina could see was Chase’s warm, golden eyes. The rest of the world blurred into insignificance.  

“……”  

The sensation of his warm hand gently brushing her wet cheek made all her nerves stand on edge.  

The cold wind brushing her neck, the warmth of his body, the dampness rising from the ground, and the strangely thickened air. In that peculiar atmosphere, it felt as though every sense in her body was awakening one by one.  

Yet instinctively, she understood.  

What would happen in the next moment.