Chapter 7

“Still, this feels a little awkward.”  

Sabrina stopped walking several times, feeling uncomfortable with the swish, swish sound her dress made with every step.  

The hem of her dark blue dress, like the evening sea, rippled like waves over her feet.  

The higher-than-usual heels and her loose, untied hair all felt unfamiliar as well.  

However, despite her personal feelings, Sabrina, dressed to perfection from head to toe, was dazzlingly beautiful.  

Her slightly wavy blonde hair and pearl-like, smooth skin shone more radiantly than usual under the grand chandelier.  

Her large, cat-like eyes were more pronounced without her usual glasses.  

The dress Chase had arranged for her at Madame Brouard’s salon was stunning, even to Sabrina, who had little interest in fashion.  

The dresses she had worn at the Wintlet Viscountcy were by no means cheap, but they couldn’t compare to this one.  

Feeling the gazes fixed on her, Sabrina straightened her back.  

Today was not a day to show any weakness.  

At that moment—  

“Sabrina?”  

Hearing a familiar voice from behind, Sabrina turned around to see Avery standing there, looking slightly surprised.  

“I called out just in case because the hair color looked the same, and it really is you. You look like a different person.”  

“I did put in some extra effort today. But you’re the same, aren’t you?”  

Sabrina brushed off Avery’s remark with a smile and glanced toward Chase.  

Joel and Henry stood on either side of him, wearing awkward smiles.  

Avery leaned closer, covering his mouth as he whispered,  

“Doesn’t seem like there’s much for us to do, huh?”  

“Yeah. Those two seem determined to stay by His Highness’s side for the next three days. They’re really working hard.”  

Sabrina let out a small, dry laugh.  

The two, who usually tossed their work around like a game of hot potato, were unusually diligent today.  

The reason for their enthusiasm was obvious.  

“They’re trying to make an impression, of course. It’s a good chance to show off.”  

“They should try working like that all the time.”  

“Exactly.”  

Avery, who seemed even less interested in politics than Sabrina, rubbed his stomach up and down as he spoke.  

“Ah, I’m starving. I’ll go grab something to eat. Want me to bring you something?”  

“No, I’m fine.”  

“Alright, see you later.”  

After sending Avery off, Sabrina was alone once again.  

She walked slowly, looking for a spot that was neither too crowded nor too secluded.  

Her gaze had been fixed on Chase from earlier.  

Dressed more splendidly than usual, he was dealing with the people surrounding him with a faint smile.  

Sabrina smirked inwardly.  

‘Hmph, he’s truly the butterfly of high society.’  

Even the flower fields of May wouldn’t be as colorful as this banquet hall.  

Red, yellow, green, pink….  

The young ladies, adorned in dresses of all colors, were like a sea of flowers, and Chase, in his bright cream-colored formal attire, stood out unmistakably among them.  

Every single one of the young ladies was as lovely as a flower.  

Sabrina carefully observed to see if Elena, the female protagonist, was among them.  

Was there a young lady whom Chase’s gaze lingered on a little longer?  

Who could make his perfectly composed lips part into a smile?  

But no matter how closely she watched, Chase’s expression seemed evenly distributed among everyone.  

Compared to Henry and Joel, who were grinning foolishly behind him, Chase’s face seemed almost indifferent.  

‘Looks like Elena isn’t here yet. Well, their first meeting is still a little ways off.’  

When Chase said something, the young ladies around him all burst into laughter.  

Sabrina couldn’t help but be impressed by his skillful socializing.  

His occasional displays of wit were clearly the result of experience.  

Leaving the ladies behind, Chase moved to another group, this time surrounded by men.  

Whether it was women or men, everyone seemed eager to win Chase’s favor.  

‘He’s a born celebrity, that’s for sure.’  

At that moment, Chase, who had been scanning the room, looked directly in Sabrina’s direction.  

His bright golden eyes locked onto her face like an arrow.  

“……!”  

Even from a considerable distance, Sabrina could clearly see his eyes widen slightly in surprise.  

After whispering something to Henry, Chase strode toward her.  

Looking at her intently, as if seeing something unfamiliar, he said,  

“For a moment, I didn’t recognize you. Without your glasses and with your hair down.”  

It was a reaction similar to what Avery had said earlier.  

Sabrina smiled lightly and replied,  

“Do I look like someone else?”  

“No. It’s just that only your outfit has changed, so what difference could it make?”  

…What?  

Sabrina pouted her lips slightly, feeling a bit disappointed.  

She hadn’t expected extravagant praise, but after spending hours preparing, hearing that there was no difference felt underwhelming—especially coming from the person who had arranged the dress.

As Sabrina was about to part her lips to respond, Chase continued speaking.  

“You’ve always been beautiful.”  

The unexpected words made Sabrina’s eyes widen. A moment later, her face flushed bright red.  

“Such words are…”  

“But it’s true.”  

Chase muttered as he ran a hand over the back of his neck.  

“Oh, is saying something like this inappropriate?”  

“Probably, yes.”  

“Should I apologize?”  

His slightly drooping eyes and the charming curve of his lips made Sabrina imagine a fluffy fox tail wagging playfully behind him.  

Shaking her head, Sabrina lowered her voice and whispered softly,  

“Your Highness, even so, such words…”  

“What words? Saying you’re beautiful?”  

“You shouldn’t throw such words around carelessly.”  

Chase’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he felt wronged.  

“I’m not throwing them around carelessly.”  

“While I, being someone who’s always by your side, wouldn’t misunderstand, others might take it differently.”  

Chase let out a silent laugh at Sabrina’s earnest advice.  

“Of course… if you meet someone you fancy, you can be as sweet as you like.”  

A man who is kind to everyone might make a good superior but would fail as a romantic partner.  

Sabrina firmly warned Chase to avoid unnecessary gossip when he eventually met Elena.  

Though they were the protagonists and would inevitably reach a happy ending after much turmoil, Sabrina hoped their journey could be a little smoother.  

“Understood?”  

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”  

Chase lightly placed his hand on Sabrina’s head before returning to Henry and Joel.  

Sabrina reached out and gently patted her head where his hand had been.  

‘I should’ve told him not to do things like this either.’  

He seemed to draw boundaries well at times, yet at other moments, his words and actions invited misunderstanding.  

Watching Chase’s retreating figure, Sabrina shrugged her shoulders slightly.  

‘He’s someone you can never fully figure out.’  

***

After Chase left, the number of gazes directed at Sabrina noticeably increased.  

“That young lady is the one who…”  

People were finally realizing that she was the protagonist who had stirred up Belfort’s newspapers not too long ago.  

“What salon crafted that dress, by the way?”  

“Honestly, I’ve been curious about that too.”  

“I hadn’t heard she was so beautiful… Why hasn’t she shown herself before?”  

From moderately favorable remarks—  

“I thought she was just shy, but clearly, that’s not the case. She seems to enjoy attention more than anyone.”  

“To be honest, did she really get in on merit? I heard she didn’t even have a private tutor. Is that even realistically possible?”  

“She won’t last long anyway. She’ll probably quit, saying she can’t handle it.”  

—to sharp, prickly comments.  

But Sabrina chose not to pay attention to such words. Instead, she focused on enjoying the fine wine and finger foods.  

No matter how strangers gossiped, the truth was all that mattered.  

Sabrina had passed the exam fairly and worked diligently to earn Chase’s trust.  

“It means I have high expectations of you, so please keep doing well as you’ve been.”  

Recalling the words Chase had said to her the day they fitted her dress, Sabrina smiled faintly.  

That alone gave her a sense of reassurance.  

At that moment—  

“Sabrina?”  

Sabrina froze at the sound of someone calling her name.  

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was; the voice was all too familiar.  

“Have you grown so distant after leaving home that you won’t even respond now?”  

The Viscount of Wintlet.  

It was Sabrina’s father.  

The Viscount placed a hand lightly on Sabrina’s shoulder, as if delighted to see her. Conscious of the surrounding gazes, he spoke in a kind voice.  

“Let’s talk for a moment. There are too many eyes here, so let’s move somewhere more private.”  

Pressing down.  

The Viscount’s hand on Sabrina’s shoulder tightened, his grip strong enough to make her shoulder muscles ache.