Chapter 38

“I noticed you seemed to like sweet things last time, so I brought some again. Don’t you crave sweets when conversations get lengthy?”  

“Oh, of course. Just looking at them makes me happy. Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”  

Listening to the cheerful exchange between Elena and Sabrina, a faint smile briefly appeared on Chase’s lips.  

‘She really smiles a lot.’  

Chase momentarily set down his pen and silently admired Sabrina’s smiling face.  

Her usual gentle smile was, of course, lovely, but the way she laughed wholeheartedly had a different charm altogether.  

Her eyes curved into almost perfect crescents, her nose crinkled slightly, and her white, even teeth gleamed brightly.  

Working alongside Elena, Sabrina seemed subtly different from her usual self. She looked much more relaxed and joyful, a stark contrast to the atmosphere when she worked among men.  

‘She’s been struggling alone all this time. Seeing her like this makes it clear.’  

Chase felt a pang of emotion somewhere deep in his heart.  

At some point, whenever he saw Sabrina, he began to feel an inexplicable parental instinct.  

Seeing her smile made him smile, and seeing her struggle made his heart ache even more. He found himself constantly wondering about things he had never cared about before—whether she was eating well, whether she was sleeping enough.  

Was this what it meant to like someone?  

As Chase was learning to navigate these unfamiliar emotions while looking at Sabrina, there was a knock at the door.  

Knock, knock.  

A familiar silhouette appeared soon after.  

It was Clayton.  

After giving Chase a polite nod, Clayton walked straight to Sabrina and presented a book he had been holding.  

“Is this the book you mentioned the other day?”  

It seemed he had managed to track down the Sahelian textbook Sabrina had referred to.  

Sabrina checked the cover of the book and smiled beautifully as she nodded.  

“Oh, yes, this is it. I wasn’t sure about the title since it had been so long… but you found it so well!”  

“It was nothing.”  

“Thank you for your trouble, especially in this weather.”  

“It’s no trouble.”  

Their exchange was utterly ordinary.  

A simple, typical conversation between colleagues, spoken with a tone that was almost formal.  

‘Then why does it bother me so much?’  

It seemed to have started a few days ago during that meal.  

Yes, it was the cucumber.  

Just a cucumber.  

The storm that Sabrina’s casual mention of her taste preferences had stirred in Chase’s heart was far greater than he could understand.  

‘Were they always this close? No, they weren’t. They’ve always been distant with each other.’  

‘I’ve never seen them have a private conversation before. When did they become close enough to talk like this?’  

‘You’d only know someone’s food preferences if you’ve eaten together, wouldn’t you?’  

‘But then again, colleagues can eat together. What’s the big deal? By that logic, I’ve shared hundreds of meals with her.’  

‘She spends the whole day with Jeremy and Avery, yet they’ve never bothered me even once. So why does Clayton get under my skin like this? It’s driving me crazy.’  

Although Chase didn’t show it outwardly, he had been so preoccupied that even the smell of cucumbers now brought him mild discomfort.  

Chase’s gaze drifted toward Sabrina and Clayton. By then, the two were sitting side by side on the sofa, engaged in a professional conversation.  

One good thing about focusing all their efforts on tracking Heider before leaving for Sahel was that Chase could see Sabrina working in the office all day.  

The bad thing was that others, not just her, were also present all day.  

And the even worse thing? Among those “others” was Clayton Hatchet.  

At that moment, Sabrina seemed to sense Chase’s gaze and turned her head. When their eyes met, she offered him a beautiful smile.  

That one smile melted Chase’s heart completely. He smiled back at her before lowering his eyes to the report in front of him.  

‘Right. After all, the one Sabrina likes is me.’  

Though Clayton had been bothering him lately, Chase didn’t dislike him.  

Dislike? If he had to name the two people he trusted most in the world, he would unhesitatingly choose Sabrina and Clayton.  

Perhaps that’s why Clayton’s presence bothered him so much.  

Because Chase knew all too well that Clayton Hatchet was a rather remarkable man.  

And because he didn’t want to create any situations that might cause friction between himself and Clayton over Sabrina.  

Chase took a deep breath. 

Was it love that made people so petty, or had I always been this small-minded, and love simply brought it to the surface?  

‘I need to relax. Getting worked up over trivial things like this is ridiculous. I hope Sabrina never sees this unflattering side of me.’  

Chase steadied his mind. Now wasn’t the time to be swayed by such minor concerns.  

His first overseas tour since ascending the throne was imminent. And then there was the Heider matter.  

‘Once I wrap this up properly…’  

Then, I would confess my feelings to Sabrina officially.  

***

But…  

‘Was it really just a minor concern?’  

Today was an unusually lucky day for Chase.  

Elena couldn’t come to the palace due to other commitments, and Clayton had been out of the capital all morning on another mission.  

It had been a long time since he’d had time alone with Sabrina?  

Chase spent the day happily exchanging lighthearted jokes with her and sharing meals face-to-face. It was a perfectly satisfying day.  

Or so he thought.  

“Lay.”  

Until he saw Sabrina addressing Clayton with such a warm nickname.  

On his way back from meeting with a few nobles, Chase’s eyes widened. At the end of the hallway, he spotted a familiar figure.  

Sabrina stood against the backdrop of an arched window, bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun. The scene was like a painting, and Chase’s steps came to an abrupt halt.  

Walking beside him, Avery gave him a puzzled look.  

“Your Majesty?”  

“…Hmm? Oh, Avery. You’ve done well today. You may head in first. I have something to discuss with Sabrina over there.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

After sending Avery ahead, Chase slowly approached Sabrina. The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly in the corridor, almost like the beating of his own heart.  

But then.  

“Oh, come on, you’re so cold.”  

Sabrina wasn’t alone.  

Chase followed her playful gaze and saw who she was looking at.  

And standing there was…  

“Are you talking about me?”  

Yes, it was Clayton Hatchet, back from his trip.  

That much was fine. It was only natural for close colleagues to share a laugh and a conversation.  

However—

“Did you really not miss me at all? I find myself missing you even after a short time apart.”

Miss? Missing you?

Why?

This was a different story altogether. Saying you missed someone, even for a short time, wasn’t something you’d say without a certain level of affection.  

‘No, it must be a misunderstanding. There wasn’t even a subject in that sentence.’  

Momentarily dazed, Chase shook his head vigorously, trying to regain his composure. He didn’t want to misinterpret a single phrase and let it throw him off balance.  

But Chase’s torment didn’t end there.  

“…Ah, aren’t you just so adorable?”  

“Well, I suppose.”  

“These days, thanks to Lay, life feels worth living. Even when we’re not together, just thinking about Lay makes me smile.”

Boom.  

It was a statement that shattered Chase’s fragile mental victory into pieces.

‘Lay…!’  

Chase knew that “Lay” was Clayton’s childhood nickname.  

He first met Clayton when the latter was just seven years old. The image of the red-haired boy awkwardly greeting him while holding the Marquis Hatchet’s hand was still vivid in Chase’s memory.  

Clayton had always been an unusually reserved child, so they hadn’t shared many close moments. Chase, being energetic and outgoing, naturally gravitated toward more lively friends.  

But just because they weren’t particularly close didn’t mean Chase knew nothing about Clayton.  

“Lay, come here. It’s time to go home.”  

“…”  

“Did you greet His Highness properly? I’ve told you countless times to always be polite.”  

“…Goodbye, Your Highness. See you again.”  

Chase distinctly remembered the Marquis calling Clayton “Lay” back then. He himself had even used the nickname a few times.  

Lay, Lay, Lay…  

Sabrina’s voice echoed like a refrain in his mind.  

Could there really be something more between them?  

‘Then… what about me?’  

Had I made a mistake by trying to approach her slowly to avoid pressuring her? Should I have expressed my feelings sooner?  

His thoughts, scattered like fallen leaves, swirled chaotically in his blank mind.  

Like a wooden puppet, Chase turned stiffly on his heels. He didn’t know what kind of expression to show Sabrina right now.  

‘Think… I need to think calmly. Regain my composure, and then have an honest conversation with Sabrina.’  

Summoning all his mental strength, Chase clung tightly to his resolve. The countless lectures he’d endured from his father over the years finally proved their worth in this moment.  

In times of crisis, one must remain calm, and no matter how certain something seems, it must always be questioned and scrutinized.  

“I won’t give up so easily.”  

Chase muttered quietly to himself.