The rain continued long after the merchants left.
Soft thunder echoed faintly outside while candlelight flickered quietly across the room.
Sabrina still hadn't released Alexander's sleeve completely.
And Alexander—
Didn't pull away.
The atmosphere between them became strangely quiet afterward.
Heavy.
Not uncomfortable.
Just filled with things neither of them knew how to say aloud.
Alexander slowly lowered his gaze toward her trembling fingers still holding onto him gently.
"...Princess."
Sabrina blinked slightly.
Almost like she had forgotten what she was doing.
Warmth immediately rushed toward her face and she quickly loosened her grip.
"I-I'm sorry."
Alexander stared at her quietly for a moment.
Then softly—
"...You don't need to apologize."
Simple words.
But they made Sabrina's chest ache again.
Because no matter what happened—
Alexander always treated her gently.
Even when she didn't deserve it.
Especially when she didn't deserve it.
Meanwhile—
Outside the palace corridors—
Several nobles quietly whispered among themselves while walking through the meeting halls.
"The northern situation is becoming dangerous."
"I heard Duke Alexander requested additional soldiers."
"His Majesty still hasn't decided."
"Some nobles believe the Duke is overreacting."
Foolish.
Sabrina wanted to laugh bitterly hearing it.
Because in the previous life—
Those same nobles were the first to flee once war finally reached the capital.
Cowards.
All of them.
Inside the room, Alexander quietly began organizing the military documents again.
Calm.
Composed.
As though the pressure surrounding the kingdom wasn't slowly crushing him already.
Sabrina watched silently.
Then suddenly remembered something else.
A village.
Near the northern border.
Small.
Unimportant to most nobles.
But in the previous life—
It became the first village destroyed completely after the enemy invasion.
Hundreds died there.
Including children.
Sabrina's expression slowly stiffened.
No.
She could still stop it.
She had to.
Without thinking further, Sabrina suddenly stepped closer toward the table.
Alexander immediately looked up.
Sabrina carefully pointed toward one of the marked supply routes on the map.
"...What about this village?"
Alexander glanced toward the location briefly.
Then answered calmly.
"Riverstead."
Exactly.
Sabrina's heartbeat became uneven again.
In three weeks—
That village would burn.
She remembered it clearly now.
Because Alexander personally led rescue operations there afterward.
And returned covered in blood.
Sabrina slowly forced herself to remain calm.
"...Shouldn't the soldiers reinforce this area too?"
Alexander looked slightly surprised.
Most nobles never paid attention to military logistics.
Especially Sabrina before.
"The terrain makes reinforcement difficult," he explained quietly. "There's only one main route through the forest."
Forest.
Ambush point.
Exactly where the attack happened before.
Sabrina immediately spoke again.
"Then use the western route instead."
Silence.
Alexander froze slightly.
Because the western route—
Was safer.
Longer.
But safer.
And almost no one inside the military council suggested it because it delayed transportation slightly.
Alexander slowly studied her face carefully now.
"...Why that route?"
Sabrina's heart skipped painfully.
Think.
Quickly.
"I..." she hesitated briefly. "I heard merchants discussing increased bandit activity near the eastern forest."
A lie.
Half a lie.
Alexander remained silent for several seconds.
Then slowly—
"...I see."
But Sabrina could tell immediately.
He was suspicious.
Not distrustful.
Just confused.
Because recently—
Sabrina kept predicting things strangely accurately.
And Alexander noticed.
Still—
He didn't press further.
Because if Sabrina wasn't ready to explain something—
Alexander would never force her.
That alone nearly broke her heart again.
Alexander quietly adjusted several markers on the map afterward.
Changing the supply route.
Just like that.
Simply because she asked.
Sabrina stared at him silently.
"...You're changing it?"
Alexander nodded calmly.
"The western route is safer."
No hesitation.
No mocking.
No questioning her judgment.
Trust.
Pure trust.
Sabrina suddenly looked away quickly before he noticed the tears threatening to rise inside her eyes.
Because in her previous life—
No one listened to Alexander.
But now—
Alexander was listening to her.
And somehow—
That terrified her too.
Because changing the future meant stepping into the unknown.
What if she failed anyway?
What if no matter how much she changed—
Everything still ended in blood?
Her chest quietly tightened again.
Alexander immediately noticed.
Without warning—
He stepped closer.
"...You're thinking too much again."
Sabrina froze slightly.
Alexander hesitated briefly.
Then very gently—
He placed his hand against the top of her head.
Soft.
Careful.
Almost awkward.
Like he wasn't fully used to comforting someone this way yet.
But warm.
So warm.
Sabrina's eyes widened slightly.
Alexander looked away faintly afterward.
"...You'll make yourself sick at this rate."
Concern again.
Always concern.
Sabrina slowly lowered her gaze while her heart quietly trembled inside her chest.
How could someone like him exist...?
Then suddenly—
Knock. Knock.
The doors opened quickly.
A royal knight stepped inside before bowing deeply.
"Your Grace."
Alexander immediately straightened slightly.
"The King requests your presence immediately."
The knight hesitated briefly.
Then added carefully—
"...Marquis Charles Evermont is also present."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Sabrina slowly lifted her gaze.
And for the first time that evening—
Fear crawled quietly down her spine again.