Chapter 15

Tap, tap.

The sound of a pen tapping on the desk echoed for a long time.  

While Sabrina and Joel sat nervously, unable to stay still, Chase reviewed the speeches they had submitted without any visible reaction on his face.  

However, his seemingly calm mind was far from composed.  

‘This might turn out to be a bigger issue than I thought.’  

Sabrina’s speech wasn’t much different from what she had submitted before.  

Concise, clear, and polished writing. It had the same feel as the reports she usually submitted.  

The problem was Joel.  

‘What is this…?’  

To begin with, the structure of his writing was a mess. A speech has a basic framework, but Joel’s draft lacked even that.  

‘It’s all over the place. What exactly is he trying to say…?’  

When comparing the drafts written under the same conditions, it became clear that Joel had indeed copied Sabrina’s original draft to create his previous submission.  

‘That much was within my expectations.’  

But Joel’s writing skills were the real issue. The quality of his sentences varied drastically between the original speech he had submitted and the one he turned in today.  

When comparing Sabrina’s and Joel’s drafts from a few days ago, their core arguments were similar since they conveyed the same message.  

In fact, Sabrina’s draft felt more solid in delivering the key points of the message.  

Even so, Chase had chosen Joel’s submission at the time for a specific reason. The primary reason was the elegance of the sentences. Each line had captivated Chase, leaving a deep impression.  

For Chase, who had never seen anything particularly remarkable in Joel before, it had been an eye-opening experience.  

And now, this disastrous quality.  

‘Did he even write it himself in the first place?’  

There was a noticeable gap that couldn’t be explained simply by saying he plagiarized Sabrina’s draft.  

Even if he had copied the content, he should have at least polished it himself. Yet, based on the speech Joel had clearly written himself today, his basic writing skills didn’t seem particularly strong.  

‘If he received outside help… that would change everything.’  

Chase’s brow furrowed slightly. Letting out a brief sigh, he placed the two sheets of paper he had been holding onto the desk.  

Chase called Sabrina over first.  

There was something he needed to address immediately.  

“Sabrina.”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

“Hand over your current tasks to Henry and take charge of preparing the speeches starting today.”  

As soon as Chase finished speaking, both Sabrina and Joel opened their mouths simultaneously.  

“…Pardon?”  

“Your Highness, what do you mean…! Wasn’t I assigned to handle the speeches?”  

Surprise. And shock.  

Despite their intense reactions, Chase remained unshaken and calmly continued.  

“I understand the timeframe is tight. I’ll ensure proper compensation later, so bear with it for now. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask.”  

Was this for real?  

Sabrina’s face, initially dazed, gradually lit up with joy. As she accepted the sudden change, her eyes sparkled with determination.  

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll do my best to prepare.”  

“Good. You may leave now.”  

Chase gave Sabrina a faint smile as he gently dismissed her.  

Now alone in the office with Chase, Joel’s face turned bright red as he struggled to suppress his anger. Finally, he spoke up.  

“Your Highness, why all of a sudden…?”  

“Joel Dowd.”  

But Joel’s words were abruptly cut off by the chill emanating from Chase.  

A stern expression and tone Joel had never seen before. The usually cheerful and generous Chase now resembled a judge wielding a sharp blade.  

‘Sabrina… that woman didn’t tattle, did she? Why is he suddenly changing his mind? Did he find out something?’  

A creeping unease began to suffocate Joel. Chase, who had been silently pressuring him with nothing but his gaze, finally spoke in a measured tone.  

“This could take a while. Sit down.”  

Joel’s heart sank.  

At that moment, Joel realized.  

…Whatever it was, he was in deep trouble.  

***

“I can’t believe he’d stoop to such a lowly act. It’s a disgrace to the Dowd family. Does he think he can keep working here?”  

The next morning, Henry’s voice echoed loudly even through the closed door. His eyes sparkled with rare enthusiasm as he gossiped about Joel’s punishment.  

‘They were practically inseparable, but now he’s the first to badmouth him.’  

Even though Sabrina appeared calm and focused on her work as if nothing had happened, her mind was equally noisy.  

After hours of relentless questioning from Chase, Joel eventually broke down and confessed his wrongdoing.  

Out of pride, he refused to admit to stealing Sabrina’s draft, but that wasn’t the critical issue.  

‘He didn’t even refine the draft himself.’  

Joel admitted that he had asked a writer sponsored by his family to prepare the speech for the southern tour.  

‘Confidentiality is crucial in this line of work. What was he thinking?’  

Most tasks within the Imperial Palace, especially those related to the Crown Prince Chase, were highly confidential. After all, they directly concerned his safety.  

While it was unclear what punishment Joel would face, continuing to work here was out of the question. Trust was paramount in a role like this.  

‘But how did Chase figure it out? Joel didn’t confess, so…’  

What Sabrina was most curious about was how Chase had uncovered the truth.  

That morning, Chase had briefly called her aside to summarize his conversation with Joel from the previous day.  

“I never told you about this… how did you know?”  

When Sabrina cautiously asked, Chase gave a single-word reply.  

“That’s a secret.”  

With a mischievous smile, he added that it wouldn’t hurt to have a little mystery in life.  

‘Well, it’s not the most important thing.’  

Sabrina gripped her pen tightly, a faint smile spreading across her face. It felt like receiving an unexpected gift, leaving her feeling oddly ticklish inside.  

Was I smiling too much?  

Realizing the grin on her face, Sabrina quickly cleared her throat. Only then did Henry’s chatter finally register in her ears.  

“…So there’s no way he’ll be showing his face in society for a while. Rumors spread fast, you know. Gossip is the scariest thing.”  

Henry, who had been badmouthing Joel nonstop, coughed as if his throat was sore. Turning to Sabrina, he asked,  

“So, you’re in charge of the speeches now?”  

“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”  

When Sabrina answered cautiously, Henry waved his hand dismissively.  

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”  

“Oh.”  

“Anyway, you need to take it easy at work. It’s all about pacing yourself. Taking on too much just makes things harder.”  

Henry began lecturing her about his philosophy, which he had developed over years of working.  

“The bottom line is this: it’s best to just quietly fly under the radar. Do things moderately. Otherwise, you’ll burn out.”  

***

She never thought she’d agree with Henry’s words.  

‘Wow, I’m really exhausted.’  

Dragging a large suitcase behind her, Sabrina trudged home, her steps faltering with fatigue.  

As the red-brick house came into view at the end of the path, she felt all her energy drain away.  

After a ten-day trip that felt like a thousand years, Sabrina was utterly worn out.  

‘There’ll be more schedules like this in the future, won’t there?’  

Despite the countless incidents along the way, Chase’s southern tour had concluded smoothly without any major issues.  

Avery had planned the itinerary flawlessly based on his extensive knowledge of the southern regions, and even Henry had stepped up and done his part during the emergency.  

Sabrina had, of course, done her part. Since this was her first time accompanying an external event as an aide, she was eager to ensure perfection.  

‘Was I being too ambitious?’  

Growl.  

Her empty stomach growled loudly in protest, as she had been too tense to eat properly.  

“How long has it been? Should I sleep first or eat first?”  

Sabrina trudged along, stepping on the overgrown grass in the garden.  

Creak. Creeeak.  

The old, heavy door produced an eerie noise that grated against her ears. Light spilled through the gap in the door, illuminating the room.  

The house, which she was returning to after ten days, was as quiet as ever with no one to greet her. Yet, despite having been empty for so long, it felt oddly warm.  

Sabrina threw her luggage down carelessly and dragged herself toward the living room. Her whole body felt as heavy as a soaked sponge.  

“But why does it feel so…”  

Perhaps it was the relief of entering a familiar space. With each step Sabrina took, her vision grew increasingly blurry.  

Sway.  

Her body lost balance and wobbled.  

Hmm?  

What’s this?  

Something feels…  

Strange.  

Before she could fully process the thought, Sabrina’s body gave out entirely.  

Thud.  

And then, darkness.  

Relieved of all tension, Sabrina collapsed and lost consciousness.  

***

“Hmm?”  

Chase, heading to his office as usual, suddenly stopped in his tracks. Something felt off.  

Looking around, Chase turned to Avery and asked,  

“Where’s Sabrina?”  

“She hasn’t arrived yet. Is there something you need?”  

Hasn’t arrived yet?  

Chase glanced at his pocket watch. The designated work hour had already passed by several minutes.  

“No, it’s nothing.”  

Sabrina was always the first to arrive at work, the one who noticed his presence the quickest. Perhaps because of that, her absence felt unusually significant.  

‘She’s not someone who’d be late.’  

It was a bit puzzling, but at the same time, understandable. After ten days of grueling work with no proper rest, she must have been utterly exhausted.  

‘That’s understandable.’  

Chase dismissed the thought generously and resumed walking. He figured he’d see her in a few hours, so there was no need to be impatient.