Chapter 39

“Sabrina, is what I asked for ready?”  

“Oh, yes. I’ll hand it over right away.”  

“Avery, could you check this part for me?”  

“Just a moment, Jeffrey. Sabrina, is this everything? It seems the schedule for the last day is missing.”  

“Really? Oh, you’re right. Sorry about that. One page must’ve fallen out.”  

“No worries. Thanks for getting it to me quickly.”  

These days, Chase’s office was like a battlefield from early morning until late at night.  

The date of Chase’s visit to Sahel was fast approaching.  

The workload was so overwhelming that even Sabrina, who rarely made typos, occasionally slipped up. Even Jeremy, who usually wore a bright smile, had started looking haggard in recent days.  

“Ah!”  

Rustle!  

Suddenly, the sound of someone spilling a stack of documents echoed from a corner of the office. It seemed someone had been rushing around with heavy piles of paper and caused an accident.  

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”  

Sabrina came to an abrupt halt. Looking around, she took in the chaotic and bustling scene of the office.

The faces of the aides were all pale and tense, and the once tidy desks were now cluttered with piles of documents.  

‘Phew, this won’t do.’  

Having made up her mind, Sabrina clapped her hands loudly.  

Clap! Clap!  

“Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment?”  

At Sabrina’s voice, the bustling movements in the room came to a halt. She waited for the excited atmosphere to settle before continuing.  

“With Sahel’s visit just ten days away, I know everyone has a lot to do. Trying to prepare in advance for future tasks must make it even harder.”  

From afar, Jeremy could be seen nodding his head furiously at her words.  

Sabrina met the eyes of each person gathered and spoke with sincerity.  

“I know each one of you is doing your best at your respective tasks, and for that, I’m truly grateful. Even though I’ve been too busy to look after you all carefully, you’ve been doing an amazing job.”  

Placing her hands on her hips, Sabrina cheerfully declared,  

“So, let’s take exactly 15 minutes to rest!”  

The eyes of the staff lit up. Though they seemed delighted, there was also a hint of hesitation, as if unsure whether it was truly okay.  

Sabrina gave them a warm smile and encouraged them again.  

“Let’s all have a cup of tea, take a breather, and clear our minds. Maybe tidy up our desks too. I think we’ll be able to work more efficiently afterward. What do you say?”  

Finally, the tension melted away from their faces. Sabrina also set aside the work she had been holding and retreated to an empty meeting room, where she sank into the plush backrest of a chair.  

“Ah… I feel like I’m going to die of exhaustion.”  

It had been nearly three days since she had last slept properly. Pressing her fingers against her throbbing eyes, Sabrina muttered to herself.  

“I’ll have to firmly suggest to His Majesty that everyone take this weekend off. At this rate, we’ll all collapse before we even get to Sahel.”  

Just then, the door to the meeting room opened, and Avery entered, holding a steaming cup of tea.  

His face, equally haggard, bore the same weary expression as he plopped down into the seat beside Sabrina and asked,  

“How many nights have you stayed up?”  

“Three.”  

“Four for me.”  

“Avery, you’re working so hard too…”  

Rubbing the stiff back of his neck, Avery replied,  

“Well, it’s still easier for me since I’ll be staying here, unlike you, who has to accompany His Majesty to Sahel. Have you packed your things yet?”  

“No, not yet. I’ve been so swamped that I completely forgot about it.”  

“This tea should be yours, not mine.”  

Clicking his tongue, Avery slid the warm cup of tea toward Sabrina. As she took small sips from it, Avery quietly observed her before cautiously asking,  

“Is Lord Hatchet accompanying you this time?”  

“Yes, we’ll be working together the entire time. Why?”  

Avery hesitated for a moment before speaking,  

“Well… I’ve heard some rumors.”  

Sabrina tilted her head in curiosity.  

“Rumors?”  

“There’s talk that you and Lord Hatchet are in a relationship.”  

“Oh, that.”  

Sabrina reacted nonchalantly, having anticipated this. Lowering his voice, Avery asked,  

“I didn’t think it was true, but there are quite a few eyewitness accounts going around. Does it bother you that I’m asking about this?”  

Sabrina shook her head.  

“No, it’s fine to ask.”  

She let out a long sigh before speaking,  

“The rumors are true. Lord Hatchet and I are currently getting to know each other.”  

Creak.  

The moment Sabrina finished her sentence, the meeting room door opened with an eerie sound, like the wail of a ghost.  

Startled by the chilling noise, both Sabrina and Avery turned their heads toward the door.  

Standing there was Chase, his face as pale as if he had seen an actual ghost.  

After a brief moment of frozen silence, he asked,  

“Is it true, Sabrina?”  

Chase’s vivid golden eyes wavered like a candle flame in the wind. His voice, low and hoarse, trembled as he continued,  

“Are you really… in a relationship with Clayton?”  

Sabrina looked troubled.  

‘I was planning to explain once he returned from his trip… but things have gotten messy.’  

Lightly grabbing Avery’s arm, Sabrina made a request.  

“Avery, could you give us a moment alone?”  

“Oh, sure.”  

As if he had been waiting for those words, Avery quickly left the room. The door closed behind Chase, leaving only the two of them in the meeting room, where a heavy silence hung in the air.  

Since this was an awkward family matter to bring up, Sabrina had hoped to address it naturally at the right moment.  

However, Chase’s expression was far too grim to delay the conversation any longer.  

‘He must be shocked, but I didn’t expect him to take it this hard. Do Clayton and I really make such an odd pair?’  

Sabrina tilted her head slightly in thought.  

Judging by Chase’s expression, it looked as though he had caught her and Clayton plotting treason. Or perhaps as if she were secretly the mastermind behind Heider’s schemes.  

Either way, it was clear that she needed to ease Chase’s mind as quickly as possible.  

With a calm voice, Sabrina began to speak.  

“Your Majesty, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this.”  

“…”  

“I planned to explain everything once we returned from Sahel, but it seems I have to tell you now.”  

At Sabrina’s words, Chase’s expression darkened even further.  

“Would you care to sit down first? This isn’t a short story.”  

After standing frozen like a malfunctioning automaton, Chase finally nodded. He took slow, deliberate steps toward the nearest chair and collapsed into it.  

Watching him, Sabrina quietly apologized.  

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I should have told you myself…”  

Chase, uncharacteristically, cut her off.  

“When did it start?”  

“Not long ago. About two months.”  

“Two months…”  

Chase let out a heavy sigh, pressing his fingers against his temples. His voice was hoarse, as though it had been worn down.  

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”  

“Well…”  

Taking a deep breath, Sabrina answered,  

“It’s a critical time for you. I didn’t want to distract you with personal matters. Lord Hatchet and I agreed to focus solely on work during work hours and keep personal matters aside.”  

“Personal matters…”  

Chase roughly rubbed his face with his hands. His perfectly styled hair became disheveled under his fingers.  

“Since it involves our families, I also felt embarrassed to bring up the details of our family matters.”  

Hearing this, a crack appeared in Chase’s gaze. He muttered in disbelief,  

“Families…?”  

His shocked face twisted like a crumpled sheet of paper.  

“Are you saying… you’re planning to get married soon?”  

Sabrina exclaimed in surprise,  

“No!”  

Caught up in Chase’s barrage of questions, Sabrina realized she hadn’t managed to explain anything properly. Fearing further misunderstandings, she firmly stated,  

“I’ll explain everything, so please listen to me, Your Majesty.”  

“…”  

“It’s actually the opposite. Lord Hatchet and I teamed up to avoid marriage.”  

Chase’s expression grew even more confused.  

“What does that mean…?”  

Looking him straight in the eye, Sabrina explained,  

“Just as you formed an alliance with Elena for the greater good, Your Majesty, Lord Hatchet and I are pretending to be in a relationship to achieve a shared goal.”  

Chase’s face went blank. After blinking several times, he opened his dry lips and asked,  

“So…”

“….”

“It’s just an act?”  

“Yes.”  

Sabrina nodded her head. Chase then continued his words deliberately, as if confirming.  

“You don’t have any feelings for Clayton?”  

“Not at all.”  

“And Clayton doesn’t have feelings for you either?”  

“Of course not.”  

Chase stared deeply into Sabrina’s eyes and said,  

“There are no emotions between the two of you?”  

“None whatsoever.”  

Without a moment’s hesitation or the slightest hint of wavering, Sabrina’s answer caused Chase’s body to slump. He lowered his head and let out a deep, long sigh.  

“Ha…”  

The shoulders that always seemed broad and firm now sagged as though burdened by the weight of the world. Chase muttered something under his breath, so faint that Sabrina could barely hear it.  

“I really need to… do something soon. My heart can’t take this.”  

Having not caught all of his words, Sabrina asked,  

“Pardon?”  

“…Nothing.”  

Chase let out a hollow laugh and waved his hand dismissively. Only after confirming multiple times with Sabrina about the nature of her relationship with Clayton did he finally regain his composure.  

“I think I can listen calmly now. What exactly happened between the two of you?”  

Sabrina began to explain the events that had transpired, carefully organizing them point by point. When she brought up her father, her face flushed with embarrassment, but Chase listened attentively without showing any reaction.