Chapter 23

Meanwhile, at the same time.  

Chase and Elena stood face-to-face in an empty corridor. Not even a single guard was present, and a heavy silence filled the air.  

It was Elena who spoke first.  

“Thank you for making time for me, even though it must have been sudden.”  

Chase gave a slight nod before asking,  

“May I now ask why you called me here?”  

Despite Chase’s question, Elena hesitated to open her lips.  

“There’s something I must tell you. It’s important…”  

“Something important?”  

Her lips moved slightly, but no words came out. It seemed she couldn’t summon the courage. As the silence stretched on, Chase frowned.  

“If you have nothing to say, I can’t stay long. Someone is waiting for me.”  

“Ah!”  

Elena’s eyes widened at Chase’s words. Growing anxious, she finally blurted out the main point she had been holding back.  

“You’re investigating Heider, aren’t you?”  

And with that, she succeeded in capturing Chase’s full attention.  

Heider.  

That name wasn’t widely known to the public.  

From petty theft to major crimes like murder—seemingly unrelated incidents were all tied to the same mastermind. Only a select few, including Chase, were aware of this fact.  

Chase’s expression hardened as he looked straight into Elena’s eyes and asked,  

“How do you know that name?”  

Forgetting his usual formal tone, Chase became fully engrossed in the conversation.  

“If you give me some time, I can explain.” 

Elena said, her voice now calm.  

“And… I also have evidence that might help you, Your Majesty.”  

Chase’s eyes gleamed with interest.  

“Evidence? Are you talking about solid proof?”  

“Yes, solid proof.”  

“Are you willing to hand it over to me?”  

“I am.” 

Elena said with a tense expression, nodding.  

“But only if you agree to one condition, Your Majesty.”  

At her words, Chase narrowed his eyes.  

“A condition?”  

“Confessing my secret to you and handing over the evidence I have required a lot of courage from me, Your Majesty. There’s also significant risk involved.”  

Chase nodded as if he understood.  

“That’s true.”  

“So, unless you promise to protect me, I can’t reveal everything I have, Your Majesty.”  

After a moment of thought, Chase suddenly asked as if something had occurred to him,  

“Is that why you applied for the position of aide?”  

“That wasn’t the sole reason, but it was a significant part of it. I thought it would give me more natural opportunities to spend time with you, Your Majesty.”  

“Hm.”  

Chase ran a hand over his face, looking conflicted. After careful consideration, he spoke slowly.  

“If what you’re asking for is a guarantee of safety, I’ll cooperate. However, I’m not sure there’s a safer place than the Ducal House of Evenheim. I also don’t know how credible your testimony is. After all, I don’t know much about you.”  

Elena hesitated before responding.  

“I understand. But…”  

After a brief pause, she continued.  

“Right now, I can’t even trust the people within the Duke’s estate.”  

Chase asked,  

“Then what exactly are you asking of me?”  

“Please meet with me one more time. And if you think the information I provide will help you achieve your goals, Your Majesty…”  

Elena’s green eyes sparkled as she looked up at Chase.  

“Act as though you care for me.”  

Chase’s lips pressed into a firm line at her unexpected request. When he didn’t immediately respond, Elena spoke again.  

“Your Majesty, I have no feelings for you. Please understand that my request doesn’t have any ulterior motives.”  

Her youthful face carried a determined expression.  

“But no matter how much I think about it, the strongest shield I can have right now is your favor, Your Majesty. I also need an excuse to gain permission from my uncle to leave the estate.”  

“…”  

“I’m not asking for a romance, Your Majesty.”  

In the dim corridor, the two stood facing each other. For a brief moment, their gazes locked in a tense standoff.  

“What I’m asking for is a temporary act. Please consider it seriously. I’m begging you.”  

***

“Your… Majesty?”  

Sabrina flung open the office door, her brows furrowed. The seat where her superior should have been was conspicuously empty.  

Haah.  

Letting out a long sigh, Sabrina turned around and called out loudly,  

“Jeremy, when did His Majesty leave?”  

Glancing at the clock, Jeremy replied,  

“It’s been about 30 minutes. He left with Sir Hatchet.”  

“Really? Again?”  

Jeremy, stealing glances at his senior’s expression, whispered cautiously,  

“Is it something urgent?”  

“Yes, it’s urgent, Jeremy. This is the Imperial Palace, and the person we serve is His Majesty the Emperor. Everything we do is important and urgent.”  

“Of course. Absolutely.”  

“Do you know what that means?”  

At Sabrina’s question, Jeremy shook his head in confusion. Sabrina gave him a bright smile and said,  

“It means we’re working overtime again today. Both you and me.”  

Leaving Jeremy’s groan behind her, Sabrina plopped down at her desk. Stacks of paperwork she needed to finish by the end of the day loomed over her.  

‘I didn’t see this coming.’  

When Chase first said he’d be stepping out to meet someone, Sabrina had been thrilled.  

While he hadn’t disclosed who he was meeting, wasn’t it obvious?  

‘So this is how it’s going to go.’  

Having read the original story, Sabrina was certain the two were destined to be a perfect match. After all, the novel ended with a tightly wrapped happy ending.  

‘As long as Chase is happy, I’m happy.’  

She resolved to wholeheartedly support their romance from the sidelines.  

Yes, that had been her intention.  

She was sure… that had been her intention.  

“But isn’t he leaving the office way too often?!”  

「Imperial Year XXX, XX Month, XX Day  

Whenever I read novels where the Emperor is the protagonist, I always wondered:  

While the Emperor is busy having a grand romance, who’s actually running the empire? Who’s doing all the work?  

Now I know the answer.  

Me.  

I’m the one doing it. Me…!」  

Thud.  

Sabrina closed the cover of her journal, into which she had poured her heartfelt frustration.  

With a deep sigh, she muttered to herself,  

“I really need to ask him something, but this is a problem.”  

This week alone, Chase had already left his post three times.  

It wasn’t that Sabrina didn’t understand. The beginning of a romance—how sweet it must be.  

The two of them were destined soulmates, practically made for each other. How blissful their time together must be.  

Fine. Good. That’s understandable!  

She tried her best to be magnanimous, but by now, Sabrina was starting to worry.  

‘At this rate… what’s going to happen later?’  

If this was how things were while they were just getting to know each other, what would it be like when their love deepened and the major events from the original story came crashing in?  

…Oh, just thinking about it made her dizzy.  

She could already see a future where she’d be left struggling to fill the void whenever Chase was absent.  

‘So this is why it’s tough when the male lead is an Emperor?’  

Life in a romance novel world was no less exhausting. Sabrina worked tirelessly like an ant once again today.  

But the real reason for Sabrina’s frustration lay elsewhere.  

Having a bit more work to do was ultimately her responsibility—a consequence of her choice.  

Since she had decided to dedicate herself to this place, she was fully prepared to burn herself out for Chase’s happiness.  

‘But why won’t he tell me anything?!’  

Sabrina Wintlet, the Imperial Chief Aide. Widely recognized as Chase’s right-hand woman.  

She prided herself on knowing Chase better than anyone else, and she had to.  

Chase would rarely attend important gatherings without her, and whenever she wasn’t present, he’d always explain what had happened without her needing to ask.  

But lately, something had changed.  

Whenever he went out, he only took Clayton with him, and most of what happened during those outings remained a secret.  

She felt like there were more and more things she didn’t know about Chase.  

‘Describe how the romance between the male and female leads affects me. (10 points)’  

This was the new challenge thrown into Sabrina’s otherwise successful second life.  

***

“Ah, it’s so heavy.”  

Humans are said to be creatures of adaptation.  

After a few weeks, Sabrina had grown accustomed to Chase’s secret outings.  

‘I need to finish as much work as possible while Chase is here!’  

Having discerned Chase’s pattern of leaving the office, Sabrina figured out how to maximize efficiency during the short periods he was present.  

As she hurriedly walked, carrying an armful of documents that Chase needed to review, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.  

“…!”  

She spotted a tall figure walking toward her from the opposite direction.  

A moment later, the other person also seemed to recognize her and slowed their steps.  

Bright red hair and sharp features—it was Chase’s knight, Clayton Hatchet.  

‘It’s always awkward running into him.’  

Having embarrassed herself in front of him several times, Sabrina couldn’t help but feel self-conscious whenever she saw him. Of course, she was also grateful to him.  

“Hello, Sir Hatchet.” 

Sabrina greeted him with a bright smile.  

“The weather is lovely today, isn’t it? Are you here to see His Majesty?”  

“Yes.”  

Despite Sabrina’s warm greeting, his reply was curt and blunt. Feeling slightly awkward, Sabrina forced a smile.  

Glancing at the stack of documents Sabrina was holding, Clayton extended his large hand.  

“Give them to me.”  

“Oh, it’s alright—”  

Before Sabrina could finish her sentence, Clayton had already taken the heavy load from her hands. He asked in a gruff tone,  

“Is it necessary for someone of your status to handle such menial tasks?”  

Sabrina shrugged at his words.  

“If it’s something I can do, then I should do it.”  

“That’s why you’re overworking yourself. You should avoid tasks you can delegate.”  

Clayton’s gaze briefly landed on Sabrina’s slender wrist before looking away. His expression clearly conveyed his disapproval.  

Apparently, the impression of her looking frail and on the verge of collapse had stuck with him. To him, Sabrina seemed like someone who might fall over with a mere push.