John stopped walking the moment the princess turned around.
The moment his eyes met hers, his entire body froze.
That same silver eyes.
That same calm expression.
For a second, John felt like he was back on the execution platform again.
His breathing became uneven, and his mind screamed at him to leave.
Run.
Leave before everything starts again.
But his legs refused to move.
He stood there silently while fear slowly crawled through his chest.
Nick, standing beside him, noticed immediately.
He quietly stepped closer.
“John… are you okay?”
John suddenly came back from his thoughts.
“…Yeah,” he answered softly.
The princess looked at him curiously for a moment before giving a polite smile.
“It’s nice finally meeting you, Prince John.”
John forced himself to stay calm.
He slowly bowed his head slightly.
“The pleasure is mine, Princess Elena.”
Even saying her name felt strange to him.
Because in his memories, that name was connected to blood, betrayal, and destruction.
The princess tilted her head slightly.
John looked at her for a second before answering.
“Did you face any problems while coming here?”
Elena shook her head gently.
“No. Everything went smoothly.”
Then she smiled slightly before speaking again.
“Although… I heard the prince personally visited the mines today to solve a problem.”
John’s eyes narrowed slightly.
So the information already reached her.
The king laughed proudly from behind them.
“John has started taking responsibility lately.”
Elena looked back at John with quiet interest.
“That’s good.”
John could tell from her eyes that she was observing him carefully.
This was not the John she expected.
And that made him nervous.
He knew exactly how dangerous she could become once she started getting curious.
Trying to stay calm, John changed the topic.
“How is your kingdom doing recently?”
Elena smiled softly.
“They are doing well recently.”
For a while, the conversation continued quietly between them until the king suddenly interrupted with a warm smile.
“We can continue this conversation at the dining table.”
Soon, servants prepared dinner for them.
The large dining hall slowly filled with soft voices, the sound of silverware, and flickering candlelight.
John sat quietly across from Elena, trying not to overthink every small movement she made.
But no matter how calm he looked outside-
Inside his mind was chaos.
Then, during dinner, Elena suddenly looked toward him.
“I actually came here personally for another reason.”
John looked up silently.
Elena smiled warmly.
“Next month, I’ll be turning twenty.”
The king immediately smiled.
“Oh? Then we must prepare a proper gift.”
Elena laughed softly before looking back at John.
“I would be happy if Prince John attended my birthday celebration.”
The moment those words left her mouth-
John’s heart sank.
The birthday party.
His fingers slowly tightened beneath the table.
In his previous life…
That was where everything began.
The screams.
The blood.
The death he failed to stop.
Even now, he could still remember standing helplessly while someone died before his eyes.
John lowered his eyes quietly.
So it’s happening again…
For a moment, he wanted to refuse immediately.
But he already knew he had no excuse.
And more importantly-
This time, he knew what would happen.
Which meant…
Maybe this time, he could stop it.
John slowly looked back at Elena and forced himself to stay calm.
“…I’ll attend your birthday party.”
Elena smiled brightly.
“Thank you, Prince John.”
But John could not smile back properly.
Because deep inside-
He felt like he had just accepted an invitation to another nightmare.
The next morning, the princess and her escorts prepared to leave the palace.
John stood quietly from a distance as the royal carriage slowly disappeared beyond the palace gates.
Only after she was completely gone did he finally let out a deep breath.
Then he quietly whispered to himself-
“This time… I’ll change everything.”