?Chapter 1090:


    “Why are you here so early, Your Highness?” I asked, still searching his face.


    yton didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached out and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed lightly across my earlobe, cool and feather-soft.


    “I just finished handling some tasks,” he said atst, his voice low and worn. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about you, so I came straight here. Didn’t mean to wake you, though.”


    Something in his words—tender and unguarded—stirred warmth inside me. But worry bloomed beside it. I reached for his hand and wrapped mine around it. “You didn’t sleep at allst night, did you?”


    He let out a deep sigh. “Marehelm was a mess—too many poisoned citizens, too much chaos. And of course, there were those trying to exploit it. We managed to contain it, but it took the entire night.”


    I nodded, but a knot still formed in my chest. The worst might have passed, but shadows lingered.


    My thoughts drifted to another thread. “And… what about your older brothers?”


    A flicker of annoyance crossed his face—not sharp, just subtle. Then he leaned in, pinching my cheek with the faintest, yful touch, like he was jealous.


    “I’m right here with you, and you’re thinking about other men?” he teased, voice low with mock dismay.


    I couldn’t help butugh, gently swatting his hand away. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just trying to stay informed.”


    He huffed under his breath but relented, brushing a light kiss over my lips before sitting upright again.


    “They’re still wrapping things up, but it won’t take much longer. Don’t worry, everything’s under control.” As he spoke, he handed me a peeled apple from the table.


    I bit into it—the sweetness crisp against my tongue, grounding me in the present.


    But the moment didn’tst long. A sharp memory surfaced—Alex. My smile faded, brow furrowing. “What about Alex from the Wizard n? What’s being done about him?”


    yton’s face went frosty in an instant. “He’s locked up in the dungeon,” he said tly. “Still raving about how Marehelm will fall,pletely unaware we’ve neutralized the poison. He doesn’t know he’s already lost.”


    I gripped the apple harder, knuckles tensing.


    “We need to interrogate him—properly,” I said, meeting his gaze. “He knows more than he’s letting on. He might even be a pawn for someone else.”


    yton gave a solemn nod. “Yes. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”


    Then his tone softened, and his hand moved to my hair again, ruffling it gently. “But you don’t need to carry this weight. Let us handle the rest.”


    I lowered my gaze, Pa’s words from yesterday still hanging over me like a cloud.


    yton seemed to sense it. Heced his fingers through mine, his voice dipping again. “Don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    yton’s voice melted through the tension coiled in my chest—free and steady like a balm on a raw wound.


    I lifted my gaze to him, tears glistening in my eyes, not from pain but from the quiet swell of gratitude and the unfamiliarfort of leaning on someone.


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