Chapter 20

Chase, with a slightly frozen expression, was staring directly at her. Sabrina’s face was reflected like a painting in his honey-bright, vivid eyes.  

The light streaming through the large window pooled over her delicate face. The shadows cast alongside her high nose bridge were strikingly clear.  

‘What’s with this face attack?’  

At a distance where she could feel his breath, Sabrina suddenly became acutely aware of Chase’s face, which had an overwhelming impact.  

She almost found herself dazed before snapping out of it.  

“Is there something you’d like to say?”  

At Sabrina’s question, Chase’s eyes widened slightly.  

“No.”  

Chase chuckled softly and shook his head.  

“You just seem unusually attentive today.”  

“First impressions are the most important, after all.”  

“First impressions?”  

After lightly dusting off Chase’s shoulders, Sabrina returned to her original distance.  

Watching her, Chase asked, 

“What was your first impression of me, Sabrina?”  

“Your first impression, Your Majesty?”  

Without much hesitation, Sabrina replied, 

“It was, of course, good. You were as perfect then as you are today.”  

“Hmm.”  

“Do you remember your first impression of me, Your Majesty?”  

“Of course, I remember.”  

Sabrina thought otherwise.  

To her, Chase was her one and only superior, the final decision-maker who held her fate in his hands. But to him, she must have been just one of many interviewees.  

Sure, she might have stood out a bit since she was the only female candidate, but it had been nearly five years since then.  

As if reading her thoughts, Chase spoke.  

“You were wearing a navy dress, weren’t you? And your hair was tied up, like today.”  

Sabrina’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly detailed memory.  

“Oh? You really do remember?”  

“I do.”  

Lowering his long, dark lashes, Chase said, 

“I remember everything about you. Somehow, it just happens to be that way.”  

There was something subtly ambiguous about his words, causing Sabrina’s gaze to waver slightly.  

Chase, as if trying to shift the mood, tapped the edges of the documents to straighten them and said,  

“Well then, shall we begin?”  

***

“I, I…”  

“Take your time.”  

For four hours straight, nervous responses from the applicants continued.  

Sabrina, empathizing deeply with their earnestness, focused intently, not wanting to miss a single word. The slight awkwardness she had felt earlier naturally melted away as she worked.  

On the other hand, Chase seemed to have completely shed the softness he displayed when alone with Sabrina. He maintained a cold and strict demeanor.  

“What do you think is the most important quality for an aide?”  

Sabrina, glancing at his serious face devoid of any trace of humor, thought to herself,  

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen this side of him.’  

During a brief break, Chase, looking tired, asked,  

“How many are left?”  

“Just one.”  

The highlight of the day.  

Only Elena’s meeting with Chase remained.  

“This took longer than expected.”  

Leaning back in his chair, Chase ran a hand through his hair. The previously immaculate hairstyle now appeared slightly disheveled.  

Noticing this, Sabrina involuntarily reacted with surprise.  

“Oh!”  

Chase turned his head at her reaction, raising an eyebrow as if to ask why.  

“Hmm?”  

“Your hair is a bit messy…”  

At her words, Chase leaned toward her as if inviting her to fix it.  

While Sabrina carefully tidied his hair, Chase remarked,  

“You really are different today.”  

With a sparkle in his eyes, Chase asked,  

“Have you always been this interested in my appearance?”  

“Of course! Your Majesty, your beauty is something I must protect at all costs!”  

At Sabrina’s playful comment, Chase burst into a pleasant laugh. The previously tense atmosphere in the room softened briefly with their lighthearted exchange.  

Chase gestured lightly to the guard standing by the door.  

“Let them in.”  

Thump, thump.  

Sabrina, her eyes filled with anticipation, stared at the closed door.  

And moments later—  

“Hello!”  

A bright and lively voice filled the room.  

“My name is Elena Evenheim.”  

Step by step.  

Her graceful movements were so captivating that it felt as if flowers were blooming with each step she took.  

‘Wow, she’s absolutely adorable.’  

Sabrina was inwardly amazed.  

With light pink hair like cherry blossoms and sparkling eyes that seemed to hold stars, Elena’s appearance left a strong impression. Her doll-like, delicate features were incredibly endearing.  

‘This is what it takes to be a heroine.’  

From head to toe, she seemed to shine, and Sabrina could already picture her standing beside Chase.  

Seated, Elena seemed nervous, occasionally clearing her throat.  

“Excuse me.”  

Sabrina, smiling kindly at her, asked,  

“Are you very nervous? Would you like to take a moment to breathe before we begin?”  

“Yes! Thank you.”  

As Chase looked up from Elena’s application, he asked,  

“Evenheim… Did your family oppose your decision to apply?”  

There was a reason for Chase’s question.  

The Evenheim Ducal House was one of the top three most prosperous families in the Empire.  

The current Duke of Evenheim, Elena’s uncle, was the leader of the noble faction and had a subtle tension-filled relationship with Chase.  

Elena cautiously began,  

“They… did oppose it.”  

“……”  

“But I was so determined that I decided to give it a shot.”

Chase and Elena’s eyes met. He asked, as if requesting further explanation,  

“Because you’re desperate?”  

Elena hesitated for a long moment before parting her lips.  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

“I see.”  

Chase lowered his gaze back to the documents, as though he had no intention of pressing further. At this, Elena took a small, nervous breath.  

‘Hmm.’  

Sabrina, who had been darting her gaze between Chase and Elena, seemed momentarily lost in thought.  

‘…This isn’t the atmosphere I imagined.’  

In a romance novel, shouldn’t the first meeting have a certain warm and fuzzy mood?  

A compelling atmosphere where you can’t take your eyes off each other, as if the rest of the world has disappeared, leaving only the two of them.  

Yet, for some reason, the air in the room felt merely awkward and dry.  

‘…Am I just being oblivious and missing something? What’s going on?’  

Sabrina, who had been glancing back and forth between the two, tilted her head in confusion.  

‘It was definitely supposed to be today, according to the original story…’  

In the original, Chase was supposed to feel curiosity toward Elena, who expressed her opinions with a fresh and confident demeanor.  

And Elena, in turn, was supposed to feel an instinctive attraction to Chase’s kindness and consideration.  

But if there was a problem…  

“What makes you think you’re the right candidate for this position?”  

“I’m confident in my ability to do my best with a passionate attitude, no matter the task assigned to me.”  

“Passion. Understood.”  

Chase’s attitude toward Elena wasn’t particularly kind. While he wasn’t cold, he was nothing more than polite.  

‘Why are you like this today, Your Majesty…!’  

The man who usually smiled so warmly and was so gentle—why was he acting so aloof today? Sabrina grew slightly anxious.  

Of course, even this could be seen as charming, but given the current atmosphere…  

Perhaps out of nervousness, Elena kept glancing toward Sabrina. When their eyes met, Elena’s clear, glass-like green eyes made Sabrina feel an inexplicable urge to take care of her.  

‘I feel like I have better chemistry with her.’  

Sabrina tried her best to squeeze even a gram of romantic tension from their glances and conversations.  

But no matter how much she observed, there wasn’t even the slightest spark of love between the two. Absolutely none!  

After a series of questions that weren’t much different from those asked of previous candidates, Chase nodded and said,  

“I think I’ve asked all the questions I wanted to.”  

Chase’s gaze shifted to Sabrina. With his usual softened tone, he asked,  

“Do you have any additional questions?”  

The interview was about to end?  

Caught off guard, Sabrina glanced at her pocket watch. About seven minutes of interview time still remained.  

When an interview wrapped up much earlier than the allotted time, it usually meant one of two things: either the candidate was exceptionally impressive, or they fell short of expectations.  

Judging by Chase’s reaction, it seemed more likely that Elena fell into the latter category.  

‘What happens if Elena doesn’t pass?’  

Since their romance was supposed to unfold within the Imperial Palace, if Elena failed the interview, the situation would become quite awkward.  

Sabrina, who had never doubted that everything would proceed according to the original story, now found herself deeply unsettled.  

Hoping for a twist, Sabrina asked one last question.  

“Miss Evenheim, is there anything else you’d like to say? Or perhaps something you’d like to ask?”  

Elena’s eyes lit up at Sabrina’s question. She raised her hand slightly and answered in a loud voice,  

“I have one question!”  

“Yes, feel free to ask.”  

“If I’m hired, will you, Senior Aide, personally handle the training? Will I be working directly with you?”  

Huh? Me?  

Startled by the unexpected direction of the question, Sabrina’s eyes widened.  

‘She’s using this precious opportunity on me…’  

Sabrina inwardly sighed.  

“Yes, I’ll be overseeing the training during the probationary period.”  

“Oh! Thank you for your answer.”  

Elena beamed, her eyes crinkling into a bright smile.  

As Sabrina alternated glances between Elena and Chase, she asked,  

“Shall we wrap up here, then?”  

“Yes, let’s do that.”  

Chase nodded without hesitation. He smiled kindly at Elena and said,  

“Thank you for your efforts. You may leave now.”  

“Thank you for the opportunity.”