Chapter 13

“Unbelievable!”  

Joel, staring at the cards laid out on the table, checked them over and over before shouting.  

Sabrina, smiling brightly, began shuffling the deck.  

“Looks like I won again. What a shame, huh?”  

“What kind of trick did you pull?”  

“Trick? I just won, and you lost. Accept it.”  

It was already Sabrina’s fifth consecutive win.  

Not only had she recovered from her initial losses, but she had also expertly provoked Joel’s competitiveness, securing everything she wanted in the process.  

‘Looks like I won’t have to take any duty shifts for a while.’  

She had successfully passed off the dinner bill and even managed to unload various tedious tasks onto her colleagues.  

Henry, his wallet thoroughly drained, had fallen into a deep sleep, while Avery had quietly slipped away.  

Now, only Joel and Sabrina remained, glaring at each other like two adversaries.  

Joel, clearly parched, gulped down his drink before slamming the glass onto the table.  

“I just can’t bring myself to like you, Sabrina.”  

…Who do you think you are?  

Sabrina, bewildered, let out a small laugh and asked,  

“When did I ever ask you to like me?”  

Joel’s face turned red, seemingly angered by her indifferent response. Tugging at his cravat in frustration, he raised his voice.  

“You think someone from a family as insignificant as yours can survive in the Imperial Palace after crossing me? No matter how talented you are, in the end, it’s people like me who remain on top. Just wait and see.”  

“Oh, so even you admit that I’m talented?”  

But Sabrina, who had been hardened by years of dealing with overbearing family members, remained unfazed by Joel’s outburst.  

“You little…! I was being lenient because you’re a woman.”  

“There’s no need to be lenient. You’re not my superior, and I have no intention of impressing you.”  

Sabrina picked up her glass, downed its contents in one go, and spoke leisurely.  

“We’ll see, just as you said. Let’s find out whether your privileged background wins or my abilities do.”  

Clink.  

Placing her glass firmly on the table, Sabrina locked eyes with Joel.  

“But know this. I never take on a bet I’m going to lose.”  

***

“Wow, Sabrina! I’ve completely changed my opinion of you. I thought you were just a bookish nerd who only cared about work.”  

Henry, arriving late to the conference room where everything was already set up, gave her a thumbs-up.  

It was obvious that he was trying to brush off the embarrassment of his tardiness with a compliment, but it seemed genuine that his opinion of Sabrina had improved.  

Sabrina gave him a brief smile.  

‘It doesn’t matter to me one way or another, but it’s not bad to get along.’  

From the front, a low grumble could be heard.  

“All this fuss over nothing…”  

It was Joel, his lips pursed like a sulking child, clearly displaying his displeasure from the morning.  

‘And what do you want me to do about it?’  

Without sparing him a glance, Sabrina focused on reviewing the meeting materials.  

Creak.  

The door opened, and a bright, cheerful voice rang out.  

“Good morning, everyone.”  

Turning her head, Sabrina saw Chase entering the room with Avery. The atmosphere instantly brightened.  

As always, Chase wore a radiant smile as he took his seat.  

“I heard there was a gathering last night. I hope you’re not too tired.”  

How does he even know about that?  

Sabrina stared at Chase in amazement. He always seemed to know everything happening inside and outside the Imperial Palace.  

Their eyes met, and Chase grinned as he spoke.  

“Wondering how I know?”  

“…!”  

“Still don’t get it? I know everything.”

Chase casually flipped through the documents in front of him, his expression turning serious as he read through the densely written text.  

After a moment, Chase spoke.  

“You all know why this meeting was called so suddenly.”  

“Yes.”  

“A message arrived saying that the southern region is suffering from a famine due to a blight. Emergency relief supplies have already been sent, but I believe it’s necessary to personally visit and ensure the situation is being handled properly.”  

Sabrina nodded slightly at his words.  

“I will be representing His Majesty on this journey. It seems we’ll be departing in early next month… and you all will be accompanying me.”  

Avery, who had been silent, raised a hand and said,  

“My family’s estate is located near the Marcel Plains, so I’m familiar with the area. I believe it would be efficient for me to handle the itinerary and travel arrangements.”  

Chase’s face lit up as he nodded.  

“Ah, that’s right, the Brandt Estate is in that area. Good. Avery, I’ll leave that task to you.”  

“I believe it would be better for me to remain here.” 

Henry interjected swiftly as soon as Chase finished speaking. Clearly, he was looking for a way to avoid the grueling schedule of the upcoming trip.  

“Surely, someone needs to stay behind in the Imperial Palace to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances?”  

“Well, that’s true…”  

Chase’s gaze shifted toward Sabrina. It seemed he had been considering assigning her to that role.  

Sabrina, reading the room, responded,  

“I’m fine with going.”  

Chase nodded lightly.  

“Alright, let’s go with that.”  

Chase jotted down a quick note with his pen and muttered to himself,  

“The only thing left now is the speech…”  

The speech.  

The moment that word left Chase’s lips, the atmosphere in the room shifted subtly. As Sabrina looked up, her eyes met Joel’s.  

“……”  

They couldn’t openly clash in Chase’s presence, but a subtle tension was evident in their gazes.  

There was a reason both of them reacted so strongly to the task of drafting the speech.  

Aaron Clemens, the Emperor’s chief aide, was renowned for his writing skills. The story of how the Emperor had been moved by Aaron’s speech during his early years as an aide, leading to his rise in favor, was well-known throughout the Imperial Palace.  

And Aaron was Sabrina’s role model.  

He was the man who had held his position as the Emperor’s right-hand man for decades, even as countless other aides came and went.  

In a workplace, longevity is often the ultimate goal. But when that workplace is by the side of a ruler, mere survival isn’t enough.  

You need something irreplaceable.  

A reason for the ruler to need you.  

It was this unique edge that Sabrina aspired to possess. And it seemed Joel felt the same way.  

Chase asked,  

“Does anyone want to volunteer?”  

At the same time, Sabrina and Joel both spoke up.  

“I’d like to…”  

“I’d like to give it a try.”  

Chase’s eyes widened slightly.  

“Oh, both of you? Well then…”  

After pondering for a moment, rubbing his chin, Chase slowly spoke.  

“We’ll settle this fairly. I’ll give you four days. Both of you prepare your best drafts. Submit them anonymously, and I’ll choose one. Do you both agree?”  

“Yes.”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

“Good.”  

Chase smiled as he tapped the edges of the documents, organizing them.  

“Then we’ll conclude today’s meeting here. Sabrina and Joel, submit your drafts in four days.”  

Sabrina and Joel’s gazes met once again. A spark of tension crackled between them.  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”  

***

Chase had given them four days. It wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t short, either.  

“Haa.”  

Yet Sabrina had spent several days without writing a single line.  

This was quite unlike her, as she usually handled tasks effortlessly without needing much adjustment time.  

But it was understandable. While she had been a skilled secretary in her previous life, she had never written a speech like this before.  

‘…Has Joel written anything yet?’  

Sabrina glanced over at Joel’s desk, stretching her neck slightly. She saw him pressing his temples as if he had a headache.  

‘Looks like he’s in a similar situation.’  

Sabrina turned her gaze back to the blank paper in front of her.  

“A speech… a speech, huh.”  

She began recalling the famous historical speeches she had heard and read in her past life.  

As she thought about them, she realized they could serve as useful references. While the specific contexts might differ, the purpose of offering comfort and hope in difficult times was the same.  

‘First, I’ll structure the framework based on the precedent set in Belfort…’  

Once the overall structure was in place, filling in the details became relatively easy.  

Focused intently on drafting her speech, Sabrina didn’t even notice the subtle gaze lingering on her from behind. Once she gained momentum, her writing speed increased.  

‘The first draft is done. It’ll need some revisions, but…’  

Her hand moved so quickly that it ached by the time she finished. Looking at the clock, she realized she had worked past her usual quitting time.  

‘I should head home for now.’  

Stretching her stiff neck, Sabrina began tidying up her desk. After placing the speech draft in her drawer, she stood up—only to lock eyes with Joel.  

Joel, who had lost a bet with her the previous day and was now stuck with duty shifts, was lounging in his chair, looking bored. He suddenly asked,  

“Heading out?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Well, go ahead. It’s your free time, won fair and square. Enjoy it, right?”  

Sabrina flinched as she was about to leave.  

‘What’s this about?’  

She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Joel’s smirking face.  

His tone was oddly more familiar than usual. 

After sulking all day, why did he suddenly seem in a better mood?  

‘This feels off.’  

While she had an uneasy feeling, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason.  

With a slightly wary expression, Sabrina nodded.  

“…Alright, then. See you later. Take care.”