Alright. I was never a fan of surprises.

  I truly didn’t like them—especially when they interfered with my short-term plans.

  But this time, there was nothing I could do to prepare. No one even warned me it was going to happen.

  No one knew.

  “Huh?” I whispered, unable to believe what I was hearing.

  It began with the visit of my personal herald—a middle-aged man whose sole function was to deliver news about the kingdom, good or bad. He was the official in charge of bringing information to me personally.

  He could send letters if necessary, but the protocol of trust stated clearly that important news had to be delivered face to face.

  That day, Mother and I were in the throne room filling out tax forms. Since we still hadn’t found a capable treasurer to help us, we had to do it ourselves.

  “Your Highness, Madam Regent… I have an important notice,” the messenger said softly.

  “Yes?”

  “The fiancée of King Ulric has arrived.”

  If I had been holding a glass of water, I would have thrown it out the window.

  Had the King of Apollo arrived as well?

  We weren’t ready to receive him yet—damn it, why in the hell did he come early?

  “Did her uncle come with her?” Mother asked, her face paler than snow.

  “No, my lady. Only the girl, escorted here by a few knights.”

  The herald looked relieved as well. The thought of the king we hated and feared walking into our castle nearly gave us a heart attack.

  Thankfully, it was only the girl and a small guard.

  I nodded and rose quickly. As lord of this place, it was my duty to receive guests with proper courtesy. So Mother and I set the documents aside and hurried toward the palace’s main hall, accompanied by the Royal Guard and several additional defenders.

  We didn’t truly need them.

  But protocol had to be obeyed.

  To be honest, I wasn’t nervous about meeting my fiancée. She was just a child forced into a political arrangement. Most unions existed for favors and leverage, never for love.

  Except among commoners, I suppose.

  At last we reached the main hall—the place where dances and banquets were held. The throne room was separate, reserved for formal meetings with the court. At first I had assumed they were the same, but Mother had been clear in explaining the difference.

  “Huh…?”

  Mother said nothing more.

  When we arrived, we saw a nine-year-old girl surrounded by armed men. At first glance, she was striking—white hair, blue eyes, and skin so pale she might have had a mild case of albinism.

  Alright.

  This was the most “fantastical” thing I had seen in this world so far. In Mexico, no one had naturally white hair—except in rare cases.

  The moment my guards saw her, they grew uneasy.

  Oh, please.

  Don’t tell me there’s prejudice against albinos too. Seriously?

  For fuck’s sake.

  My goal of keeping her safe just became harder.

  And yet Mother also looked unsettled.

  A woman like her held no racism toward anyone. So her discomfort had to be something more serious than what I was grasping.

  Alright—don’t panic yet.

  “Welcome, miss,” I said, bowing politely to show respect. “It was a long journey, but I’m glad to have you in my court. May I know your name?”

  “I-I am Ingrid Wall, natural niece of the Great King Vlad II.”

  I felt the eyes of my soldiers settle on the poor girl. Her frightened gaze and tense posture confirmed my worst fear:

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  She was innocent of every evil her uncle had committed.

  A victim of political games.

  A part of me—shamefully—wished she were unpleasant: rude, arrogant, spoiled. Then I wouldn’t feel guilty if someone tried to kill her.

  But no.

  In her eyes there was only fear.

  True fear.

  And overwhelming nervousness.

  She didn’t want to be here.

  And she had even been forced to say the word natural, unknowingly feeding the court’s resentment.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, little Ingrid.”

  Mother set aside her disgust and put on her best face.

  “May I ask why your uncle did not come with you?”

  One of the escorting knights stepped forward and answered for her.

  Whether it was courtesy or arrogance, I couldn’t tell.

  “His Majesty did not consider it prudent to travel with Lady Ingrid. A man of his prestige should not be seen alongside stained blood such as hers. In any case, he wishes Lord Ulric I to meet his fiancée and live with her from now on, so they may begin to get along. My king is a very wise man.”

  There was only hostility in his words.

  He didn’t even refer to me as king.

  The court stabbed him with their eyes.

  Even Mother had to restrain herself from responding to the insult.

  What could we do?

  Apollo kept us chained.

  “You must be tired from the journey. You and your men may use the barracks to settle in. We will prepare additional space for King Vlad II’s entourage—your arrival was unexpected.”

  Mother swallowed her fury and forced a courteous smile. I could feel her soul boiling, and my guards were close to the same.

  By some miracle, no one drew a blade and did something foolish.

  “As for you, Lady Ingrid… would you come with me? Mother and I will show you the castle. I will also introduce you to my half-sister. She’s two years older than us, but she’s eager to meet you and be friends.”

  I gave her a reassuring smile.

  Her escorts stepped back, and for the first time, the girl’s shoulders loosened—just a little.

  How much pressure had the poor albino endured?

  “Y-Yes… as you command, Your Highness.” Ingrid bowed awkwardly and took a few steps forward.

  “Sir Marte,” I called to my personal guard. “Escort King Vlad II’s men to the barracks.”

  Sending my best man with them was also a message:

  I don’t trust you.

  “As you command.”

  With that, the reception ended, and everyone—courtiers and soldiers alike—returned to their usual duties.

  “Then, Ingrid, will you come with us? Please.”

  “W-With pleasure, f-fiancé.”

  I hated being called that. A part of me felt guilty just hearing it.

  “Don’t call me that. Call me Ulric, please.”

  “As you command… Master Ulric.”

  “Just Ulric is fine. You are not a maid.”

  “B-But I am, Your Highness. I am at your service twenty-four hours a day.”

  What kind of education had they given this child?

  It was like speaking to a broken recorder stuck on repeat.

  I let out a long breath as we left the main hall. Along the way, I caught servants casting furtive glances—well disguised, but not well enough to escape my notice.

  My current objective was clear:

  From the humblest servant to the wealthiest noble, everyone would accept Ingrid as part of the family.

  That would prevent assassination attempts and tragedies that could cost us an invasion.

  “No, Ingrid. You’re not my property or anything of the sort. We are equals. If something bothers you, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

  “As you command, Your Highness.”

  Ah.

  For fuck’s sake.

  This won’t be easy.

  How was I supposed to undo nine years of conditioning in so little time?

  No idea.

  But for my sake, Ingrid’s sake, and the sake of the entire Kingdom of Etrica, I needed to remove that robotic mindset as quickly as possible.

  And I had the secret weapon for it.

  Alda.

  “We’ve arrived at your room.”

  The chamber we prepared for Ingrid wasn’t far from mine. That way I could keep watch, in case someone tried something. I had also ordered trustworthy guards to patrol this area.

  “Thank you very much, Lady Girasol,” Ingrid said, bowing so deeply she nearly stumbled.

  “You may make yourself comfortable and rest for a while. We’ll come for you in an hour to begin the tour of the palace. The servants have already brought your luggage. Feel free to change into something more comfortable.”

  The room was relatively small. It had a small bookshelf with no books. In the back stood a wardrobe already arranged with Ingrid’s dresses and nightclothes. Nothing unusual.

  But one detail did not escape me.

  There was no royal heraldry of Vlad II, nor of his brother. Every piece of clothing was neutral—no insignia of majesty.

  That could only mean one thing.

  They never treated her as family.

  “At your command, Lady Girasol.”

  Ingrid entered, and we closed the door to give her privacy. Then Mother and I walked away, toward the inner garden where Alda liked to play and pass the time.

  “Is there some stigma against albino people… or those with white hair?” I asked. The question couldn’t wait—I needed every piece of information before forming a plan.

  “Haven’t you reached that in your lessons yet?” Mother replied. “The world has nothing against white-haired people in general. But here, they are held in low esteem because the last king before the conquest shared that trait.”

  Her voice hardened.

  “I’m speaking of Eduardo II—also known as the Cannibal King. For his horrific habit of eating his enemies in front of the court. He was a monster. Cruel and merciless. He spread terror throughout the kingdom. The lords united to overthrow him, and to defend himself, he hired mercenary companies that emptied the royal coffers.”

  She paused to breathe, then sighed.

  “When the civil war ended, the country was weak. We could not resist the invasion that followed. Vlad II knows this. That is why he forced you to be engaged to his niece…”

  “So it wasn’t only to close our alliance opportunities… he also considered the cultural insult?”

  “Yes, my son.” Mother patted my head. “Vlad II is intelligent. He has shut every convenient marriage option for us, and at the same time, he has spat in our face with all our past mistakes. The court knows it. Even the peasants understand what this marriage represents.”

  She clenched her jaw.

  “I hate to admit it, but we were humiliated. And we could do nothing.”

  “I see…” I whispered. “Still… it’s sad. I saw Ingrid’s face—her automatic answers. She’s just a victim of Vlad II’s machinations. It infuriates me. Innocent people shouldn’t suffer because of our power games.”

  “That is life, my son. In this unjust world, the innocent pay for every plate we break.”

  “I won’t allow Vlad II’s schemes to harm Ingrid—or anyone.”

  “It is a noble ideal, my son… but sometimes we can do nothing to change our fate.”

  “At least I will try. I can’t just stand by while people are in trouble.”

  Mother watched me for several seconds, then smiled again.

  Not the exhausted expression from earlier.

  This one was calmer.

  Almost relieved.

  “Then you will be a great king…”