We gathered in the main hall alongside the rest of the court after finishing our training. A sepulchral silence filled the chamber. Mother took her place at my right side beside the throne, while Sora stood behind us. The Royal Guard formed a perimeter below the steps leading to the dais, and only Sir Marte positioned himself at my left, clearly marking the difference in rank between him and his fellow brothers-in-arms.

  The hall was more crowded than during the previous audience. Yet this time, there were no whispers, no complaints—only silence.

  I could feel the tension thickening in the air around the nobles and soldiers guarding the entrance. Not even Alda’s innocent smile and gentle gaze were immune to the collective unease.

  “Attention.”

  Mother raised her voice without shouting—an elegant gesture that earned admiration from both the court ladies and the serving women alike.

  “I have gathered you here to discuss an important matter. I ask that you remain silent while I explain the situation.”

  She withdrew the letter sent by the King of Apollo from her pocket, filled her lungs with air, and finally dropped the bomb.

  “Here we go…” I muttered.

  “King Vlad II of Apollo has engaged my son, King Ulric I, to his natural niece. They will arrive in half a year to arrange the betrothal.”

  The silence was murdered by a visceral outcry—curses, exclamations, and more than a few insults hurled toward the enemy monarch.

  The reaction was far more violent than I had expected. Perhaps that was why Mother looked visibly uncomfortable as the uproar spread.

  “How the hell did we allow this?! Marrying our king to a filthy bastard!”

  At the forbidden word, Alda lowered her head in visible sadness, and Mother struck the floor with her golden scepter.

  “Silence!”

  The arguments ceased immediately.

  “Given the intensity of the moment, I will forgive the offense. But the next person who utters the forbidden word will receive ten lashes.”

  “F-Forgive me, Regent…” The noble bowed respectfully. “But we cannot allow ourselves to be treated this way. We gain nothing from this marriage. The girl has no lands, no claims—what is the purpose of this union?”

  “They intend to limit us,” Mother replied. “If our king were to marry elsewhere, we might form an alliance strong enough to resist their tyranny. But binding him to a niece without land or army deprives us of a crucial political weapon. I hate to admit it, but King Vlad of Apollo is a wise man.”

  Her explanation made perfect sense. Marriages were lasting alliances that brought more than territory—they brought armies, claims, and future justifications for war. By denying us that resource, Apollo had weakened us yet again.

  “In any case,” I raised my voice, “there is nothing we can do now. The girl who will be engaged to me is not at fault. I do not want anyone attempting to harm her.”

  I could already foresee assassination attempts from overzealous loyalists. Killing a monarch’s relative—legitimate or not—could invite disastrous consequences, even blood vengeance.

  Wait.

  Of course.

  Damn it—I realized it instantly.

  I didn’t know whether I was a genius or simply an idiot with extraordinary luck.

  That damned king wanted my own court to kill the girl so he could use her death as a casus belli and wipe us out completely. It seemed they weren’t satisfied with stripping us of most of our food and agricultural production—they wanted our lands as well.

  Speculation or not, I had to prepare for every possibility.

  “Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to lay a single finger on the girl!” I declared with all the strength my childish throat could muster. “Anyone who harms her will face execution. Do you understand?”

  Silence answered my command.

  I saw dissatisfied, furious glances among the nobles. Many despised our submission to Apollo. Even so, the presence of Sir Marte and the Royal Guard prevented any open revolt.

  “You heard your king,” Mother said, supporting me with a proud smile.

  Had she perceived our enemy’s true intention? Or was she simply proud of my gallantry toward a girl we had yet to meet?

  Either way, her approval warmed me.

  Sora, meanwhile, looked at me with gratitude. She had been the one to advise kindness toward my future fiancée.

  “Stewards, prepare the castle for King Vlad II’s arrival. It will be a difficult visit—but not an impossible one. I trust everything will be immaculate.”

  The arrival of the monarch who had caused us so much harm did not excite me in the slightest. Part of me wanted to hide under my bed and avoid seeing his face altogether.

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  The courtiers gradually left the throne room. Deep down, they knew there was no alternative.

  What options did we have?

  None.

  A puppet state could not refuse its protector.

  I sighed once everyone had departed—except for Alda, Mother, and Sora.

  “So my brother is engaged,” Alda said quietly.

  To her, this was all new. She had grown up reading romantic novels where passion triumphed over duty. Her little eyes flickered between tears and forced happiness.

  God… we were only children.

  Why did we have to suffer this?

  Why weren’t we allowed to enjoy our childhood just a little longer?

  “Yes, Alda. When you meet your brother’s fiancée, be kind to her, alright?” Mother gently patted her head.

  “Will I also have to marry someone I don’t know?” she asked, her innocent eyes slowly losing hope.

  She dreamed of romantic adventures, of love like in her novels. Even if those tales were exaggerated, surely once in history there must have been a love so intense and sincere that it shaped every legend that followed.

  “No,” I answered firmly. “I promise you, you will never be forced to marry someone you do not want.”

  “Eh?”

  Mother, Sora, and Alda all stared at me in stunned silence.

  “What I said. I will not allow Alda to be used as a political instrument.”

  After all, my half-sister held no claims or titles. It was unlikely some old, bloated noble would try to marry her by force.

  “R-Really, brother?”

  “Yes. I promise. Mother, could you grant me this request in the future?”

  “I don’t know, my son—but I will try.” Girasol sighed in resignation. “If that is the wish of both of you, I will see what can be done.”

  We left the throne room for the dining hall. So many meetings had left us with a ravenous hunger that could only be satisfied by the new recipe Aura and the other maids had prepared:

  Hamburgers.

  Of course, they wouldn’t taste exactly like those from my world—but anything close would suffice.

  “Are they really that good, brother?” Alda looked unconvinced.

  Etrica’s cuisine resembled that of the medieval era. Nobles rarely ate beef—it was considered food for the lower classes. Alda, raised in the castle, was accustomed to boar, venison, and other restricted game meats.

  For me, however, beef remained supreme.

  “You’ll see. Mother, prepare yourself to experience a flavor beyond your imagination.”

  My eyes sparkled with anticipation. I had been craving a hamburger ever since I was reborn.

  “Order ready,” Aura announced as she brought two plates. Another maid served Mother’s portion.

  The burgers consisted of white bread, a slice of cooked minced beef seasoned with spices, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a piece of cured ham.

  I opened mine to inspect it.

  They had followed my instructions perfectly.

  They even used a medieval mayonnaise—whitish in color. It made sense; mayonnaise had appeared toward the late medieval period in my former world.

  “Enjoy.”

  I took a bite with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

  Good God.

  It was delicious.

  How I had missed this.

  The mortal pleasure of fast food.

  Mother and Alda watched me cautiously. They had never seen such a dish before—and never seen me eat with such joy. The fresh, preservative-free flavor gave it a charm my old world’s burgers lacked.

  Alda was the first to dare. She bit into it fully, and her eyes widened instantly. She chewed in disbelief, and just like me, stars appeared in her eyes.

  She swallowed and smiled.

  “Lady Girasol, you must try it! How did we never think of preparing something like this? It’s incredible!”

  “Well then…”

  Mother delicately picked up her burger, gave it one last glance, and took a small bite—thus entering the “Burger Lovers” club with us.

  Immediately, she took another bite. And another. And another—until it was gone.

  “How did we live so long without this delicacy?” she murmured, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t even bother wiping her mouth with the handkerchief beside her plate.

  “But now we have it. Since it’s beef, we can serve it to the servants as well—and even share the recipe with the commoners so they can open their own establishments. Remember, taxes are collected from raw production, not from what’s created with the materials.”

  Alright, maybe revitalizing the economy through hamburgers wasn’t entirely realistic—but at this point, I’d take anything to replenish the treasury.

  “It’s an excellent idea!” Mother exclaimed, eyes shining brighter than Alda’s. “They’re delicious, filling, and cheap to produce! We could reduce hunger and sell them at a fair price. Nobles and commoners alike will want to try them!”

  “Eh? You’re serious?”

  “Yes! As soon as we appoint a new treasurer, we’ll begin plans to restore the economy with this recipe.”

  Oh.

  It seemed I had accidentally disrupted the market.

  I only wanted to taste a hamburger in this new life and share it with the staff. I never imagined Girasol would try to monetize the idea.

  Still—more revenue and fewer tributes to Apollo suited me perfectly.

  “By the way, Mother, do we know anything about my fiancée?”

  “No. I don’t know about her health or personality. But she likely won’t feel welcome here. You saw the court’s reaction.”

  “That’s what I fear,” I murmured. “We must prevent anyone from harming her. If something happens, King Vlad will have the perfect excuse to attack.”

  “Was that his plan?” Girasol asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking it. But at this point, it’s not worth taking risks. We should increase the number of guards during the visit.”

  “I agree.”

  Alda stared at us in confusion.

  “Political matters, Alda. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Honestly, I don’t understand those things. Why would our own courtiers hurt a little girl?”

  “Because they disagree with King Vlad’s choice—but we cannot prevent it,” Mother answered. “Still, the same applies to you. When she arrives, do not be cruel to her.”

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t be mean to someone I don’t even know. Besides, we need more girls in the castle. Sometimes I get bored playing alone, and my brother doesn’t always have time for me. It’ll be wonderful to have a new friend!”

  If only everyone were like Alda.

  Blessed childhood innocence.

  “By the way, son—next week is your birthday. I need to know whether you want a banquet or something more informal. Last year you refused to celebrate because you were in a foul mood. But you’ve changed.”

  “My birthday?” I whispered, startled by the abrupt shift. “I’d forgotten.”

  “How can you forget your own birthday?” Alda looked at me skeptically.

  “I’ve been busy with lessons, training, and learning to rule. It slipped my mind. But to answer your question—a small celebration with the three of us, Sora, Gonzalo, and Sir Marte would be enough. No grand banquet. No vassals. We need to save resources for more important events in the coming years.”

  “Very well. I’ll ask Sora to prepare a cake—and these hamburgers you love so much. Since it’s informal, nothing else is needed. As for your gift… it’s a surprise.” Mother smiled and stroked my hair. Alda stuck out her tongue and winked.

  “You’ll be amazed by my present!”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I had forgotten to ask the exact date—but decided not to press further. Forgetting one’s birthday was unusual. Even Alda might suspect something was wrong with me.

  A birthday, huh…

  When was the last time I celebrated one?

  I could hardly remember. Probably during my early childhood in that arid town in northwestern Mexico. The sound of Las Ma?anitas, the breaking pi?atas—they no longer felt real within my memories.

  Everything seemed so distant.

  Like the rest of the images once engraved upon my soul.

  And that made me wonder, seriously…

  Will I someday forget my original life entirely?