Chapter 41

“Have you confirmed the headcount?”  

“No one’s missing.”  

“All the luggage is loaded?”  

“Yes, I checked three times.”  

“How’s the weather today?”  

“Perfect for sailing. The wind is mild, and the waves are calm.”  

“Good.”  

Standing at the port, Sabrina meticulously checked the preparations. Since this was Chase’s first overseas trip as Emperor, everything had to be perfect.  

Raising one hand slightly, Sabrina said,  

“I’ll check the morning papers.”  

“Yes, here they are.”  

After confirming that the article about Chase’s visit to Sahel had been published without issues, Sabrina nodded.  

“Good. Everyone’s worked hard preparing.”  

“Well, you’ve worked the hardest, Chief Aide.”  

Sabrina smiled brightly. Turning around, she asked,  

“Jeremy, is His Majesty still in the carriage?”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

Sabrina nodded.  

“It’s time to escort him out. Everything is ready.”  

Clapping her hands energetically, Sabrina said,  

“Let’s set off for Sahel!”  

***

The sky was dazzlingly blue.  

The deep cerulean sea stretched endlessly, blending seamlessly with the horizon. The breathtakingly beautiful scenery sparkled like scattered jewels.  

Sabrina’s eyes filled with awe as she gazed at the shimmering waves…  

“Ugh!” 

…or so they would have, had she not been overcome by seasickness.  

The weather was clear, and the waves weren’t particularly rough, so she had let her guard down. Having never set foot on a ship in either her current or past life, she hadn’t anticipated the misery of seasickness.  

Not that knowing beforehand would have made much difference.  

Every ten minutes, Sabrina alternated between standing beside Chase and rushing to the deck to empty her churning stomach.  

‘There’s nothing left to throw up…’  

Having already vomited everything, including bile, she found herself dry-heaving with nothing coming out. Yet, the relentless nausea refused to subside.  

In fact, it seemed to be getting worse.  

‘How am I supposed to survive until we reach Sahel?!’  

Even reaching the port of Alexia, where they would make a brief stop, would take four days. From there, it would be another five days of sailing to finally reach the outskirts of the Sahel Kingdom.  

Calculating the remaining travel time in her head, Sabrina felt tears well up in her eyes.  

‘Maybe I should just disembark in Alexia and take the land route back to Belfort. Or maybe I should just settle in Sahel for good. I hear it’s a warm and beautiful country.’  

At the moment when Sabrina, utterly exhausted and half out of her wits, was lost in ridiculous thoughts, a concerned voice called out from behind her.  

“Are you feeling any better?”  

Turning her body halfway with great effort, Sabrina nodded weakly.  

“Y-yes… I’m o-okay.”  

Her voice sounded lifeless, as though she were on the verge of collapse, causing Chase’s brow to furrow deeply. Handing her a glass of water, he said,  

“I didn’t expect your seasickness to be this severe.”  

“Yes… Neither did I.”  

‘Thank you,’ Sabrina whispered faintly as she took the glass from him and gulped down the water. Truthfully, she didn’t want to eat or drink anything, but her throat was parched from all the dry heaving.  

“Should we change the schedule to allow for more frequent docking, even if it takes longer?”  

Sabrina’s ears perked up at his suggestion. But she soon shook her head weakly.  

“No, we can’t… There’s a set schedule to follow.”  

“We can always change the schedule.”  

“But I’m the one who has to change it, Your Majesty…”  

It had taken her considerable effort to finalize that itinerary.  

Hearing Sabrina’s feeble response, Chase’s expression became somber. Seeing his face, Sabrina forced herself to speak in a brighter tone.  

“Really, I’m fine, Your Majesty. I’ll get used to this soon enough.”  

Chase nodded slowly.  

“Yes, you will. When I first boarded a ship, it was absolutely dreadful.”  

Sabrina’s eyes widened slightly.  

“Really? Does it get better after some time?”  

“Well, I wouldn’t say it becomes completely fine, but it does improve.”  

“Ah, I see…”  

Sabrina gripped the railing tightly. Her already pale skin looked even more ghostly, like a blank sheet of paper.  

Watching her with a pained expression, Chase spoke.  

“Come with me for a moment, Sabrina.”  

***

“Here?”  

“Yes.”  

“Now?”  

“Yes. Lie down.”  

Chase had brought Sabrina to the first floor of the ship and patted the floor, motioning for her to lie down. Although he had cleared the area, she still felt awkward about lying directly on the floor.  

“Hurry up.”  

At Chase’s urging, Sabrina finally hesitated before lying down.  

‘Well, if he says so…’  

Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, Chase chuckled softly.  

“Your hand.”  

“Pardon?”  

“Give me your hand.”  

He extended his long, large hand toward her. Feeling puzzled but compliant, Sabrina placed her hand in his. The warmth of his hand was unexpectedly comforting.  

As Chase gazed at her pale hand, he murmured softly,  

“Your hand is really small.”  

Is that so?  

Sabrina glanced down at their joined hands.  

“I think it’s more that your hand is large, Your Majesty.”  

“I think yours is on the smaller side too.”  

Sabrina smiled faintly and joked,  

“Among all the hands you have held, Your Majesty, would mine be one of the smaller ones?”  

Chase’s eyes widened in surprise, and he replied,  

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  

“…”  

“I can’t say it’s the first, but it feels like the first.”  

Sabrina let out a small laugh.  

“What does that even mean?”  

“I mean it. It’s the first time I’ve attached any meaning to such contact.”  

Speaking calmly, Chase adjusted his grip on her hand. He began pressing gently on the soft spot between her thumb and index finger.  

“You don’t have to go this far.”  

“I want to do even more than this.”  

Chase responded simply, adding in a low voice,  

“This helps. When I first struggled with seasickness, Aaron did this for me, and it worked.”  

Is that so? Come to think of it, it did seem to be helping.  

“Does it hurt too much?”  

“No…”  

Feeling drowsy from the soothing sensation, Sabrina slowly closed and opened her eyes.  

“If you’re sleepy, just sleep. It might actually help.”  

“How could I sleep while you are here, Your Majesty…”  

“It’s fine. Just sleep. I’ll stay right here until you wake up.”  

Lying down beside Chase while he massaged her hand—what an absurd situation. It was inconceivable for a chief aide to do such a thing.  

But perhaps it was because her seasickness was too severe.  

Or perhaps the wooden floor she was lying on turned out to be unexpectedly comfortable.  

Maybe it was the warmth of Chase’s hand that felt just right.  

Or perhaps the pressure he applied was genuinely effective.  

“I hope you don’t have to suffer this much on the way back.”

Or maybe it was the kindness in Chase’s voice that melted her heart.  

‘I really shouldn’t be doing this. I need to get up…’  

Her rational thoughts grew faint, and her eyelids felt heavier.  

Much time had passed.

Sabrina’s eyes slowly closed, and a soft whisper fell over her.  

“Sleep well, Sabrina.”  

***

Chase had been right.  

Though seasickness followed Sabrina like a shadow throughout the voyage, the intensity of her suffering gradually lessened as time passed.  

The method Chase had shown her—lying down and pressing specific points on her hand—proved to be quite effective.  

‘What would I have done without Chase?’  

Despite his own fatigue, Chase constantly looked after Sabrina’s condition. It was supposed to be her job to manage his well-being, but he didn’t seem to care about that at all.  

“Land in sight!”  

Early in the morning, a sailor perched in the crow’s nest shouted, pointing ahead.  

At his cry, Sabrina and the others cheered in unison.  

Finally!  

At long last, the arduous voyage was over, and they were about to enter the capital of Sahel.  

Hoooot!  

The ship’s horn blared loudly as the vessel carrying Chase and Sabrina slowly approached the harbor.  

In the distance, people adorned with vibrant flowers cheered and waved their arms enthusiastically.  

Sabrina turned to Chase and remarked,  

“They seem to be giving us quite the warm welcome.”  

“Indeed.”  

As the ship drew closer, traditional Sahelian music began to play from the harbor. Hearing it, Sabrina finally felt like she was back to her role as chief aide.  

‘I’ll make sure to serve him well throughout this trip.’  

Determined, Sabrina clenched her fists tightly.  

“Welcome! We are honored by your visit to Sahel.”  

Upon disembarking, they were greeted by an official who spoke fluent Imperial language.  

Chase nodded lightly and responded with a smile.  

“Thank you for the warm reception. Please extend my gratitude to the people of Sahel for their enthusiastic welcome.”  

“Was your journey a peaceful one?”  

“Thankfully, we encountered favorable winds and arrived without difficulty.”  

Glancing at Sabrina, who stood a step behind him, Chase added,  

“However, traveling by sea is inherently tiring. If possible, I’d appreciate some time to rest first.”  

“Of course. Accommodations have been prepared for you. Please let us know your preferences.”  

“Thank you.”  

Walking a step behind Chase, Sabrina observed her surroundings. Compared to Belfort, the colors of Sahel seemed much more vivid and intense. The sun-kissed bronze skin and radiant smiles of the locals exuded a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere unique to the nation.  

‘I think I might really enjoy my time here.’  

As the carriage passed through a crowd scattering colorful flower petals, a light orange-hued palace came into view.  

It was now time to meet the King of Sahel.