Chapter 34

“W-What?!”

Sabrina’s startled voice echoed through the softly lit parlor.

But Chase’s attention was elsewhere.

He had brought out a treasured bottle of liquor and personally poured it into Sabrina’s glass. The golden liquid, as radiant as his eyes, rippled like waves in the small glass.

This was a drink so rare that its price was whatever one was willing to pay. It was said to be harder to find than plucking a star from the sky. Even Aaron, a known connoisseur, had eyed it greedily but never managed to taste it—not even on the day of his retirement.

“What do you think? If it’s not to your taste, I can bring something else.”

“Alcohol doesn’t matter.”

That wasn’t the important issue right now.

Sabrina, oblivious to how Aaron might faint if he heard her indifference, stared at Chase with wide eyes and asked, 

“What do you mean you’re not dating Lady Elena Evenheim? Are you saying you’ve broken up?”

Chase shook his head as he poured himself a drink.

“No. I mean I’ve never dated Elena Evenheim in the first place.”

“What…?”

Sabrina, seemingly parched, picked up her glass and downed it in one go. The glass emptied in an instant.

“Wait, don’t drink it so quickly…”

“Why not? Why aren’t you dating her?”

Sabrina tilted her head, genuinely unable to comprehend. Chase let out a short laugh, as if he found the question absurd.

“What kind of question is that? We’re not dating because we don’t have feelings for each other.”

“Then why did you lie about it?”

“There were reasons to keep it a secret. The situation isn’t fully resolved yet, but… I didn’t want to keep hiding it from you, so I asked Lady Elena for her understanding.”

Chase pushed a glass of water toward Sabrina.

“I didn’t want you to misunderstand.”

As Sabrina drank the water quietly, Chase spoke again.

“I didn’t realize how much it would weigh on me to want to tell you something but not be able to.”

Sabrina, now more composed, asked in her usual calm tone, 

“Has it been bothering you a lot?”

“Very much.”

Another drink?

Chase gestured with his eyes, and Sabrina nodded. As he refilled her glass, he said, 

“I think I’ll finally be able to sleep properly now. It feels good to get it off my chest.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

Sabrina, staring at the beautiful liquid in her glass, spoke softly.

“I was a bit surprised, but I respect your decisions, Your Majesty. I know you wouldn’t make such choices without reason.”

“…”

“I’m also happy that you don’t keep secrets from me. It makes me feel like I’m an important person to you.”

Sabrina smiled sweetly as she raised her glass. Chase naturally clinked his glass against hers.

“Of course. You mean more to me than you realize.”

While Chase sipped his drink lightly, Sabrina downed hers in one gulp again. She didn’t even flinch, as if it were second nature to her.

‘She’s tougher than I thought.’

Chase chuckled softly at this unexpected side of Sabrina. 

She was… cute.

He wondered how she’d react if she knew the drink she just swallowed cost as much as a small house.

He had no intention of telling her, but imagining her shocked expression made him chuckle.

‘I’m sure there are hundreds more sides of her I don’t know yet.’

Chase felt an overwhelming desire to discover all of Sabrina’s hidden facets. It was an intense curiosity he rarely experienced.

“Just as no one knows me as well as you, there’s no one I know as well as you.”

“…”

“You’re the person I know best and want to know better. I want to learn more about you and share more about myself. I don’t want to keep secrets—secrets slowly create distance between people.”

Chase poured out his true feelings in a low voice.

“I want to be with you for a long time. I don’t want to lose you.”

Honestly, he wanted to ask her dozens of times a day.

If she felt the same emotions filling his chest. If she thought about him all day. If she, too, had restless nights because of him. If she managed to keep her composure so effortlessly.

But in the end, he always swallowed the questions.

Why?

“The reason I keep being cautious and, uncharacteristically, clumsy…”

Chase looked directly into Sabrina’s eyes as he spoke.

“…is because I sincerely cherish you.”

Clink.

The glass Sabrina had been rolling in her hand came to a sudden stop. Silence filled the spacious room for a moment.

Gulp.

Chase swallowed nervously after offering a piece of his sincerity. Moments later, Sabrina chuckled softly and replied, 

“I want to work with you for a long time too, Your Majesty.”

Sabrina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and began speaking, 

“There isn’t much to explain about my life before I met you, Your Majesty. I wasn’t a particularly interesting child.”

“…”

“Then one day, I found a dream, and meeting you allowed me to achieve it. I’m satisfied with my life now. If I can remain someone who’s always by your side when needed, Your Majesty, that’s enough for me.”

Perhaps the alcohol was kicking in. Sabrina pressed her slightly flushed cheek with the back of her hand as she continued, 

“Do you remember the imperial banquet that took place shortly after I started as a newcomer?”

“I do.”

“You gave me so many gifts back then—dresses, shoes, and more.”

A faint smile appeared on Sabrina’s lips. 

“I couldn’t express it all in words, but I was truly grateful. Honestly, I was going through a really tough time back then.”

Chase tilted his head slightly and asked, 

“What was the hardest part?”

Sabrina shifted her eyes thoughtfully before answering slowly, 

“Well… it was a combination of things. I packed up and moved out without a plan, so settling down was hard. I faced quite a bit of territorial behavior, and the people around me weren’t very kind.”

Chase nodded knowingly. Then Sabrina suddenly asked, 

“You must have noticed that I was struggling financially back then, didn’t you? That’s why you gave me exactly the gifts I needed. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, it makes sense.”

Chase smiled silently, confirming her words without responding. Sabrina nodded slowly, as if she had expected his reaction. 

“The kindness you showed me back then felt like it saved me, Your Majesty. It gave me the strength to endure each day here.”

“It was the right thing to do.”

“I think I can answer confidently now.”

Sabrina looked Chase in the eyes and smiled brightly. 

“Your Majesty, I am your person. So let’s tackle any problems together from now on.”

Chase’s eyes widened slightly. Sabrina, noticing his reaction, asked clearly, 

“Please tell me what happened with Lady Elena Evenheim.”

***

“Is that so…”

After hearing Chase recount the story of Heider and Elena’s parents, Sabrina felt the slight buzz of alcohol vanish completely.

‘So that’s why they were so busy.’

She finally understood Chase and Elena’s actions. Sabrina rubbed the goosebumps on her arms as she thought, ‘Was this part of the original story?’

There was indeed a section in the original tale where Chase and Elena joined forces to save the empire from a crisis. The two were supposed to travel to Sahel, where they’d uncover crucial evidence.

‘That’s why I learned the Sahelian language in advance.’

But other details felt strangely unfamiliar.

‘Am I forgetting because I focused too much on the romance? I don’t think there was anything about Sabrina’s family background in the original.’

Sabrina tilted her head in confusion and asked, 

“Who else knows about this story?”

“Other than you, Clayton Hatchet.”

Clayton?

The conversation Sabrina had with Clayton not long ago flashed through her mind.

“While I can’t go into detail, I currently have another mission that requires my full focus. I never intended to marry in the first place, but I especially don’t have time to waste on pointless arguments with my father.”

Sabrina murmured quietly, 

“Ah, so that’s why…”

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing.”

Sabrina shook her head quickly. Chase chuckled softly and said, 

“You’re being vague.”

He took a deep breath before continuing, 

“Honestly, I’ve been investigating Heider for quite some time now with Clayton. But we haven’t been able to find any solid leads.”

“They’re incredibly thorough.”

“They’re masters at covering their tracks.”

Chase rubbed his face tiredly as he spoke, 

“While things were at a standstill, Lady Elena approached me. She said she knew something about Heider.”

“…!”

“She seems to have discovered much more than Clayton and I have. Although she still hasn’t pieced all the evidence together.”

Chase met Sabrina’s eyes and said, 

“You should join me at the next meeting. I need your wisdom, Sabrina.”