Chapter 112

Sabrina was currently enjoying the sweetness of a workplace romance.

The best part of it all was being able to see him often. Every single day, all day long.

‘How could someone be so flawless?’

Whenever she quietly admired Chase’s aesthetically perfect face, she felt a thrill at the thought that she was the one closest to him. Every time their eyes met and his lips curved into a slight smile, her mood soared to the heavens. Even a fleeting touch of his hand against hers sent a tingling sensation through her.

Straightening his collar or adjusting his slightly askew cravat—these everyday actions made her heart race. Even his playful habit of lightly holding her wrist for a moment left her breathless.

Secret rendezvous stolen away from prying eyes were exhilarating, and watching him focus on his work brought a smile to her lips.

‘HIs Majesty truly looks his best when he’s working, in every way.’

Sabrina smiled as she neatly organized the meeting materials Chase had placed on the table. Despite the early morning meeting, which could have been exhausting, Sabrina felt as light as air.

Was this the power of love? If this was what romance felt like, it was far more effective than any supplement. If I had known, I would have done this much sooner.

While she indulged in such idle thoughts, the meeting reached its final stages. Chase looked around at the gathered aides and asked, 

“Does anyone have a different opinion?”

“No, we don’t.”

“It seems like no one does.”

“Does anyone have anything else to say to me?”

“No, nothing at all!”

Chase smiled faintly and gestured to the basket of bread on the table.

“None of you probably had a proper breakfast, so feel free to eat. Don’t mind me.”

Sabrina stifled a laugh. The bread in the basket was all of her favorite kinds.

‘He remembered that I said I get hungry in the mornings. And he even remembered the types of bread I like. So thoughtful…’

Sabrina’s heart melted like butter as she took a big bite of bread. The soft, fragrant flavor filled her mouth.

‘Mmm, delicious.’

As Sabrina savored the freshly baked bread, a thumb suddenly appeared and gently wiped her lips.

“There was a crumb here.”

The touch was natural, as if it had always been this way—completely unremarkable yet deeply intimate.

Sabrina froze mid-bite, her jaw locking in place. It was as if someone had shouted “freeze,” and her actions halted entirely.

“……”

The conference room fell into an eerie silence. Everyone froze simultaneously.

The only thing that moved was her wide, blue eyes, which darted around the room, scanning the faces of her fellow aides.

“……”

Some stared at her, mouths agape in shock. Others avoided her gaze, pretending not to have seen anything. A few offered awkward smiles when their eyes met hers, while others stuffed bread into their mouths as if nothing had happened.

When her gaze landed on Avery, who scratched his eyebrow with a sheepish grin, Sabrina instinctively knew. Their sweet, secret romance had officially come to an end.

‘Well, this is a disaster.’

Sabrina quietly set the bread in her hand down on the table. She looked at Chase with a hint of reproach in her eyes and finally spoke.

“This wasn’t how I wanted to tell you…”

Sabrina made eye contact with each person in the room, one by one.

“Your Majesty and I, actually…….”

“Congratulations!”

Before Sabrina could finish her sentence, Jeremy burst out with his congratulations. It was a loud exclamation, as though he had just let out a long-suppressed sneeze.

Jeremy’s outburst set off a chain reaction, with the other aides chiming in one by one to offer their congratulations.

“I had no idea! I’m so shocked, haha.”

“Congratulations. You two make such a great couple.”

“Where could you find a better match? You work so well together…”

“It’s wonderful that His Majesty has found such a good partner. This is a joyous occasion for the Empire as well.”

“May you be happy for a long, long time!”

The flood of congratulations seemed to have been eagerly waiting to spill out. Listening to all the well-wishes, Sabrina’s face grew redder and redder.

‘Did everyone know?’

They say even the copy machines know about office romances.

She had thought they were keeping things well-hidden. Sabrina had believed that only Clayton and Elena knew about her relationship with Chase. But now it turned out that belief was nothing but her own delusion.

‘Ahhh!’

Sabrina screamed internally as she fanned her flushed cheeks with her hands, trying to cool them down. The thought that everyone had been pretending not to know while secretly aware of everything made her squeeze her eyes shut.

“Surely we do make a great match, don’t we?”

Chase, however, showed no sign of embarrassment. He smiled brightly, his eyes curving into crescents. He looked utterly delighted.

“Thank you for the enthusiastic congratulations. This wasn’t quite how we planned to announce it, but it feels good to have it out in the open.”

Chase’s eyes, brimming with affection, turned to Sabrina. In a voice softer than a petal, he said, 

“We don’t have to hide it anymore, do we?”

***

From that day onward, their relationship became a little more daring.

Though “daring” in this case only meant strolling through the gardens together or sitting side by side to enjoy the sunlight. Even so, not having to hide their gazes and smiles from each other made things feel much easier.

After all, love isn’t something that can be hidden just because one tries. And now that they weren’t even trying to hide it, rumors about their relationship spread across the Empire like wildfire.

“Wow, I never saw that coming…”

“I told you, didn’t I? I said there was something strange about the two of them. Spending so much time together, it’d be harder not to develop feelings for each other.”

The Imperial Palace’s banquets, where the capital’s nobles gathered, were the perfect breeding ground for gossip.

And at this particular banquet, the main topic of conversation was none other than Sabrina and Chase. Everyone was talking about their romance.

Among them, the most animated speaker was Joel Dowd.

“I knew it! I’ve been saying something was off for a while now.”

Joel Dowd.

Yes, the man who had entered the palace alongside Sabrina after passing the aide’s exam but had been dismissed following the speech incident. The same man who had relied on his family’s wealth and status, only to be thoroughly humiliated by Sabrina.

“It was suspicious from the start that Sabrina Wintlet was chosen as Chief Aide. How does someone with no proper training pass that exam with such high marks? There must have been favoritism involved from the beginning.”

“Oh my… but I’ve heard that Chief Wintlet is excellent at her job.”

“That’s all exaggerated. Anyone could do that much if they tried. Even when she was working, His Majesty always went out of his way to protect her. I’m the one who was unfairly pushed aside because of that favoritism!”

Joel’s bitter tone grew sharper as he continued.

“Still, I have to acknowledge Sabrina Wintlet’s skill. She managed to oust me and take the Chief Aide position, and now she’s even claimed the seat beside His Majesty. She gets whatever she wants. Isn’t she a terrifying woman?”

As Joel’s words grew more heated, those who had harbored dislike for Sabrina began to join in, adding their own comments.

“Ahem! Well, he’s not wrong. Why else would someone from a humble family like Wintlet take the aide’s exam? She must have had a plan.”

“Even if it doesn’t go as far as Lord Dowd’s claims, just look at how she’s treated her own family. She’s definitely not an ordinary woman. I hear she’s even calling herself Sabrina Salem these days.”

“And that’s not all. She even bought the Wintlet estate with her own money. Talk about ruthless. Tsk!”

“The Duchess of Evenheim would have been a much better match for His Majesty. A good family, a gentle personality…”

Just as the atmosphere was starting to turn hostile toward Sabrina, a sly voice interrupted.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it Joel?”

The owner of the voice was Henry Travis.

He had worked alongside Sabrina and Joel. Though now, he had been relegated to a less prominent position.

Joel’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Henry. For a moment, he seemed flustered, but then he remembered that Henry hadn’t been particularly fond of Sabrina either. Regaining his composure, Joel extended a hand in greeting.

“Ah, Henry. Long time no see. How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been doing well enough.”

Henry glanced at the people Joel had been talking to and opened his mouth.

“You all seemed to be having such a good time chatting that I couldn’t help but overhear…”

With a mischievous expression, Henry continued.

“Joel, you don’t seriously believe Sabrina pushed you out to become Chief Aide, do you? I couldn’t tell if you were joking or being serious.”

At Henry’s words, Joel’s face turned bright red. He stammered, clearly flustered, before finally speaking.

“O-of course I’m joking. Though I do think there’s some truth to it.”

“Some truth?”

Joel straightened his posture and replied defiantly.