Chapter 24

In the subtly awkward atmosphere, Clayton and Sabrina entered Chase’s office. Chase, noticing the two of them together, widened his eyes in surprise.  

“Oh, you two came in together?”  

“We ran into each other outside.” 

Sabrina explained.  

She quickly scanned Chase from head to toe.  

‘Even the cravat?’  

His attire was far too polished for someone merely handling state affairs within the Imperial Palace. Sabrina immediately realized that Chase was planning to go meet Elena again.  

Hmm.  

Sabrina looked at Chase and said,  

“You’re heading out again, aren’t you?”  

“Ah, it won’t take long. Are all of these urgent?”  

Chase let out a short sigh as he looked at the hefty stack of documents placed in front of him.  

“For now, I just need you to check the schedule. The rest can wait until tonight.” 

Sabrina replied.  

“Alright, I’ll do that.”  

Sabrina handed over the most pressing documents for Chase to review and stole another glance at him. After a moment of hesitation, she casually brought up the topic.  

“You’ve been meeting with Lady Evenheim quite often lately.”  

Chase’s eyes widened in surprise at her comment.  

“How did you know that?”  

His genuinely astonished expression left Sabrina feeling a little deflated.  

‘We may have a professional relationship, and romance is a personal matter, so he might not feel the need to share it at this stage…’  

Still, they had worked together for almost five years, overcoming numerous challenges side by side. Somehow, it felt like a thick line had been drawn between them.  

‘If he had been honest with me, I would’ve been happy for him as if it were my own matter. It’s silly to feel upset over this.’  

Sabrina smiled brightly at Chase.  

“I’ve been by your side for years, Your Majesty. Of course, I’d pick up on things like that.”  

As Chase finished signing the documents, Sabrina carefully asked,  

“You’re seeing her with good intentions, right?”  

Chase nodded thoughtfully.  

“Yes, I was considering it. For now, I think I should.”  

“So it was true…”

Murmuring quietly to herself, Sabrina looked up at Chase and said,  

“I hope you have a wonderful time with Lady Evenheim. It makes me happy to see you looking pleased, Your Majesty.”  

As if trying to shake off the faint disappointment she had felt earlier, Sabrina smiled even brighter.  

“Have a good trip, Your Majesty. Don’t be too late.”  

***

‘Ha… I’m exhausted.’  

On his way back to the Imperial Palace in his carriage, Chase remained deep in thought.  

The bombshell Elena Evenheim had dropped at the banquet had caused a significant ripple in Chase’s day.  

After weeks of busy investigation to verify Elena’s claims, Chase had decided to accept her proposal for a contractual romance.  

Elena’s story was consistent, and through multiple conversations, Chase had come to see her as a strong and reliable person, despite appearances.  

Chase recalled the conversation he’d had with Elena earlier.  

“Have you thought about what happens after this play ends?”  

When Chase expressed doubt about her plan, Elena had responded firmly.  

“I know. I’ll probably have to endure all sorts of rumors. I might even tarnish the name of Evenheim.”  

“And yet, you’re still not changing your mind?”  

“No. I’ve never wanted to live as just an ordinary Duke’s daughter.”  

“Then what is it you want?”  

After a brief hesitation, Elena cautiously replied,  

“That’s another reason I applied for the position of assistant. I wanted to live like Aide Wintlet.”  

“…Sabrina?”  

“I’ve always admired her. I want to live like that, too.”  

How simple.  

Hearing Sabrina’s familiar name from Elena’s lips momentarily lowered Chase’s guard. Somehow, he felt that he could get along with her just fine.  

‘She has a good eye for people.’  

If Sabrina had heard this, she would’ve been delighted. Imagining her bright smile brought a natural grin to Chase’s face.  

‘I’d like to tell her…’  

Chase pressed his lips together, stifling a laugh.  

Recently, Chase had been keeping more things from Sabrina.  

He couldn’t reveal the details of his conversations with Elena to someone who knew nothing about Heider.  

‘It’s not that I don’t trust Sabrina. I trust her more than anyone, but…’  

He didn’t want to drag her into anything dangerous.  

Thinking of Sabrina brought to mind her earlier comment.  

“You’ve been meeting with Lady Evenheim quite often lately.”  

As Chase replayed her words and expression in his mind, he tilted his head in confusion.  

‘Something was different about her today. Why was that?’  

Chase knew Sabrina as well as she knew him. After all, they had spent five years working closely together.  

It was clear that something was bothering her, but he couldn’t quite figure out what.  

‘Let’s think this through calmly.’  

He vaguely sensed that the issue began when they started discussing Elena.  

“You’re seeing her with good intentions, right?”  

“Yes, I was considering it. For now, I think I should.”  

“So it was true…”  

He remembered Sabrina’s expression as she lowered her long lashes, lost in thought.  

Even as she bid him farewell, her mood seemed unusually subdued.  

After much contemplation, Chase arrived at a conclusion. That was the only conversation they had that could explain her behavior.  

‘Does she not want me to meet Elena?’  

But why?  

One question led to another as Chase searched his memory for answers.  

There was no issue between Sabrina and Elena. If anything, they seemed to like each other.  

“I hope you have a wonderful time with Lady Evenheim. It makes me happy to see you looking pleased, Your Majesty.”  

As Chase considered various possibilities, one hypothesis suddenly crossed his mind.  

‘Could it be…?’  

Perhaps it was an absurd thought, but…  

It was just a wild guess.

But it was just a guess.

Chase, his face slightly flushed, murmured under his breath.  

“Could it be… that Sabrina likes me?”  

* * *

Thump, thump, thump, thump.  

The sound of his heart pounding like a drum echoed in Chase’s ears, keeping him awake late into the night.  

Tossing and turning.  

The wide and comfortable bed felt as unyielding as a wooden plank tonight. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force himself to sleep, but the storm brewing within him showed no signs of settling.  

“Ha… This is driving me crazy.”  

The wind that had begun stirring in his once-calm heart was all too clear in its origin: the slight possibility that Sabrina might have feelings for him.  

‘No, that’s ridiculous. I’m overthinking this.’  

Chase tried desperately to erase the thought from his mind.  

But like a seed planted in his heart, the idea had already taken root and begun to sprout. Its growth was so rapid that even Chase’s reason couldn’t keep it in check.  

‘Come to think of it… maybe there were signs.’  

His mind, now highly sensitive to stimuli, began racing. Sabrina’s face floated in his thoughts, projected onto the ceiling above him.  

Her slightly round cheeks, fair and soft; her large, round eyes; her lips, often pressed into a pout.  

A face he saw dozens of times every day now felt strangely unfamiliar.  

A grin slowly spread across the image of Sabrina in his mind.  

Thinking back, it had always been like that. Her expression, usually composed and focused on her work, would light up with a radiant smile the moment their eyes met.  

She was always the first to sense his presence, always able to read his thoughts without him saying a word.  

She laughed when he laughed, cried when he cried.  

Even his most offhand jokes weren’t forgotten by her.  

At times, she would close the distance between them, reaching out to him without hesitation and meeting his gaze naturally.  

Piece by piece, as Chase reflected on these moments—things he had never consciously noticed before—his heart began to stir.  

‘Sabrina is just good at socializing, that’s all.’  

‘But… isn’t our relationship a bit closer than just boss and subordinate?’  

‘Then again, who knows if Sabrina feels the same way?’  

‘Still, I don’t think there’s anyone closer to her than me.’  

‘But isn’t there such a thing as simple human affection?’  

‘Is human affection really that different from romantic affection?’  

‘It is different. I like Clayton as a person, but… Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.’  

‘But there’s no proof she doesn’t have romantic feelings for me, is there?’  

‘That’s true.’  

His thoughts spiraled endlessly.  

She likes me.  

She doesn’t like me.  

The two conflicting ideas, which had been at odds in his mind, began to blend together.  

Maybe… she does like me.  

Blood rushed to Chase’s face in an instant.  

Ha…  

Chase let out a long sigh, running a hand over his now-heated neck. It felt as though summer had arrived early, as an inexplicable warmth coursed through his veins.  

‘It’s already far past bedtime. This is bad.’  

By now, he should have been fast asleep, ensuring he was well-rested for the next day’s schedule. For someone as meticulous about maintaining his condition as Chase, this was an unusual occurrence.  

The familiar face lingering before his eyes only became clearer the harder he tried to shut it out. His heartbeat, too, grew louder and more erratic.