Chapter 5

Could he tell that my mood had dipped slightly because of Joel? 

Her smile and soft tone had been exactly the same as usual.  

But Sabrina quickly came up with a plausible explanation.  

‘As expected, a man adored by all is truly different…. His intuition is sharp.’  

Among the ladies, Chase’s popularity was more than just a trend; it was practically an epidemic.  

His status as the Crown Prince of the Empire was enough to make him an object of admiration and longing, but in Chase’s case, his title was merely one of the “Top 10 Reasons to Love Him.”

Even if he were not the Crown Prince but merely a shepherd boy, his charm would still have been more than enough to captivate hearts.  

No, if anything, it might have been even more effective.  

As the Crown Prince of a kingdom, most people saw him as unattainable, like a fruit they could never taste. But if he were an ordinary man, everyone would have flocked to him.  

If Chase’s striking and alluring beauty was enough to stir the hearts of Belfort’s women, his manners were the arrow of Eros that pierced those wavering hearts.  

Like the sun shining indiscriminately upon the Earth, his smile and kindness were shared equally with everyone.  

He always responded warmly to anyone who spoke to him, and when their eyes met, he would smile softly. He was also adept at making others feel good with just the right amount of praise.  

It was no wonder people fell for him as if under a spell.  

‘He’s thoughtful, and he’s considerate, too.’  

“Are you really unwell? Should I let you leave early?”  

Chase’s voice grew more serious, as if he had taken Sabrina’s delayed response as confirmation. Worry was clearly etched on his face.  

Startled, Sabrina quickly waved her hands to deny his suggestion.  

“Haha, no, not at all. Nothing happened….”  

“Really?”  

Chase studied her intently, as if trying to gauge the truth of her words.  

Not wanting to discuss her incident with Joel, Sabrina nodded with a wider smile than usual.  

“Yes. I’m perfectly fine—both in body and mind. I could even pull off a few all-nighters without breaking a sweat.”  

Maybe she shouldn’t have added that last part.  

At Sabrina’s overly enthusiastic tone, Chase let out a soft laugh.  

“Alright. If you say so, then it must be true.” 

When Sabrina returned to her desk after leaving Chase’s office, she saw Joel and Henry whispering and chatting casually.  

“Joel, that cigar you gave me the other day—it was quite a fine one. Where did you get it?”  

“You know, my uncle runs a trading company. I specifically asked him to get it for you, Sir. Haha!”  

“Ah, right, I remember now. Be sure to thank him for me.”  

“Of course, Sir.”  

It was a trivial conversation. Losing interest quickly, Sabrina turned her attention back to her tasks.  

Joel, however, glanced at her and smirked mischievously. Then, he suddenly raised his voice to call Henry.  

“Ah, Sir.”  

“Yes, what is it?”  

“You drank quite a bit yesterday. I was worried you might have a headache. It’s good to bond with colleagues, but maybe you should take it easy next time.”  

At Joel’s playful remark, Henry yawned widely and nodded.  

“Yeah, my throat’s been dry all day. Avery, how about you?”  

Henry’s gaze shifted to Avery, who had been quietly working on his own. Avery gave a nonchalant nod.  

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  

Then Joel turned his head sharply toward Sabrina and asked,  

“Oh, Sabrina. You’re not upset, are you?”  

“About what?”  

“About us hanging out without you. We thought you might be tired, so we didn’t invite you. Don’t get the wrong idea.”  

“Ah.”  

At that moment, Joel’s intentions became crystal clear. He was trying to provoke her by subtly hinting that the three of them had excluded her.  

‘Thanks for not inviting me.’  

To Sabrina, it was nothing but welcome news.  

The thought of having to spend her precious time and money drinking with faces she didn’t want to see after work was unbearable.  

‘Ugh, no thanks.’  

Hoping they would never invite her again, Sabrina responded cheerfully.  

“No hard feelings.”  

“You wouldn’t understand, but there’s a certain camaraderie among men.”  

‘There he goes again with that “men” talk. Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?’  

Sabrina frowned slightly and let Joel’s tiresome voice go in one ear and out the other.  

As she turned her head away in annoyance, she heard Joel chuckle softly behind her. He must have thought she was reacting to his provocation.  

But then—  

Tap, tap.  

The sound of fingernails tapping on a desk made Sabrina turn her head. Avery was the one who had called her.  

What?  

When she mouthed the question, Avery covered his mouth and whispered softly.  

“It wasn’t fun. It ended quickly.”  

“Huh?”  

“It wasn’t a meaningful gathering, so don’t worry too much about it.”  

She was genuinely fine, but Avery’s expression was filled with guilt on her behalf.  

Sabrina made a circle with her thumb and forefinger to signal that she was okay. When she smiled brightly, Avery seemed relieved and turned back to his work.  

Sabrina opened her increasingly packed planner. A new month had begun, and it was time to turn to a fresh page.  

As she pressed down on the slightly rough surface of the paper, a large, bold entry caught her eye:  

「Celebration of His Majesty the Emperor’s Birthday」  

It was marked with three large stars and a circle for emphasis.  

And for good reason—the Emperor’s birthday celebration was one of the top three grandest events hosted by the Imperial Palace.  

For three days, large and small events would take place inside and outside the palace, culminating in lavish banquets each night. Attendance was mandatory for all notable noble families, making it a hotbed for gossip and speculation.  

Sabrina’s expression turned grim.  

‘Ugh, I’ll probably be the main target this time.’  

Considering all the noise the newspapers had made, it was only natural that attention would be focused on her.  

Even here, where Chase’s presence offered some protection, people like Joel openly picked fights with her. It wasn’t hard to imagine how the conservative aristocracy viewed her.  

‘Father and my brothers will be there, won’t they?’  

It would be the first time she’d see them since she had left home in a rush. She had always known this day would come, but it felt sooner than expected.  

Then again, it wasn’t exactly “soon.” It had been months since their youngest daughter had stormed out of the house without showing her face again.  

Still, Sabrina’s mind was preoccupied with a different concern.  

‘What am I going to do about my dress?’  

She did have a few banquet dresses. Anticipating the need, she had kept a few instead of selling them all.  

The problem was the ever-changing trends of the social scene.  

The dresses she had tailored for her debutante ball at eighteen were all stunning.  

With their puffed sleeves and voluminous skirts, they exuded a romantic charm that had captivated Belfort’s ladies.  

But two years later, no one wore those dresses anymore. They were considered outdated and childish.  

The current trend in Belfort favored slim-fitting designs that highlighted natural curves, making the difference even more stark.  

While wearing an out-of-fashion dress wasn’t exactly inappropriate, it would certainly invite gossip.  

‘Banquet dresses are expensive… and I’ll need three of them.’  

Sabrina sighed softly as she calculated her remaining funds. Things were tight.  

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?  

As long as she worked with Chase, banquets would be a regular occurrence, and the trends of the social scene would continue to evolve.  

‘This is going to be a recurring expense, and it’s no small amount.’  

Feeling drained, Sabrina set her pen down on the desk. Her gaze shifted to Avery, Joel, and Henry sitting nearby.  

‘They probably don’t worry about things like this. They don’t need to.’  

As the proud sons of their families, they received ample support and never had to prove themselves to anyone.  

For the first time, Sabrina found herself thinking something she had never thought before.  

‘…I’m a little jealous.’  

***

Several days passed in a whirlwind.  

Fortunately, the initial chaos settled quickly.  

This was thanks to Henry and Joel taking turns making major blunders, which kept Sabrina so busy running around fixing their messes that she barely had time to breathe.  

The stress must have gotten to her because she even had a strange dream last night.  

“Is a colleague who does sloppy work your colleague, or is a colleague who speaks rudely your colleague?”  

“Neither.”  

“You’re an honest worker. Take both.”  

It was a nonsensical dream about a god emerging from the Imperial Palace pond and handing her Henry and Joel as trophies before vanishing.  

The dream had left her feeling so miserable that Sabrina knelt down as soon as she woke up and prayed.  

‘Please, let those two get fired. Or let them resign on their own.’ 

But just as her prayers to rid herself of Manager Kim and Assistant Manager Park in her previous life had gone unanswered, Henry and Joel showed up at work every morning without fail.  

Indeed, the workplace was clearly a space where the logic of good triumphing over evil did not apply.  

At that moment, Joel’s voice suddenly called out from behind her.  

“Sabrina.”  

Startled, she turned.  

“What is it?”  

“His Highness asked you to go to the reception room on the second floor.”  

“The reception room on the second floor?”  

A look of puzzlement appeared on Sabrina’s face.