Since Sora’s death, our castle hadn’t hosted a banquet. Formal celebrations became small receptions or family gatherings—we never summoned the dukes or did anything truly grand. Because of that, having a banquet on the horizon brought back depressing memories.

  I hated admitting it.

  But I still had nightmares about that fateful dinner—the day Sora was murdered by Duke Manius, by order of King Vlad II. The rage piled up in my heart had been forced to settle thanks to Mother’s words.

  Even so, I still wanted revenge.

  I’d be lying if I said I’d gotten over the hatred.

  “Alda says she wants to patrol with the guard! You can’t allow it, Ulric!” Ingrid puffed out her cheeks—an expression she only made around us. She looked so adorable I almost wanted to pinch them just to tease her.

  “Patrol? Why, Alda? I thought you liked parties and banquets.”

  “I do like them, brother, but…” Alda hesitated, then lowered her gaze. “I don’t have a partner for the dance. And I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

  “Oh… I see.”

  These years had made my sister more aware of her situation as a natural-born daughter.

  When she was little, she never cared about those things. She played with everyone and made friends even with the gardeners. That hadn’t changed—Alda was loved by everyone in the palace, especially the cooks who sometimes slipped her sweets in secret.

  But she’d been of age for two years now.

  And in all that time, she had received exactly zero marriage proposals.

  For my reign, that was a terrible sign. No one wanted to marry into the royal family because of the submission and personal attacks we’d suffered in recent years from Apolo’s sovereign. My father’s death was a clear warning to the entire kingdom:

  “If you join the royal family, you will die.”

  On the other hand, I was glad I hadn’t used my beloved Alda as a bargaining chip to secure alliances. I didn’t want to treat her that way. I wanted her safe—and happy with real love.

  “If I dance with a nobleman’s son, they might think you’re insulting them. I don’t want to ruin your coronation with controversy.”

  Alda’s words hurt.

  She lowered her head, sadness pooling in her posture. Deep down, she truly wanted to experience a royal banquet—the joyful kind, not the nightmare we lived through years ago. She loved the dresses, the music, the food, the whole medieval spectacle these festivities carried.

  But she was right.

  Genealogy mattered enormously to the high nobility. Bastards were often discarded or used as lesser branches beneath the main family. In other words, offering the hand of a natural-born child was like creating a cadet house—and therefore lowering rank.

  And no noble wanted that.

  Even if it was the king’s sister.

  “Don’t say that, Alda. Even if you don’t have a partner, you can sit with me and Ulric at the table! We’ll eat a lot!” Ingrid offered her best friend a gentle smile.

  Once again, I was surprised by how the roles had flipped.

  Alda kept her gaze down.

  “Let me think…”

  Social dances were important to the nobility. If two nobles danced together, it could be read as the beginning of betrothal negotiations. In Etrica’s history, many of the most significant marriages had been arranged at celebrations like this.

  Especially now, with a major change coming to the kingdom’s administration. My rise to power would bring new pacts, alliances, and marriages—tools to cement authority.

  “That’s why, brother… maybe it’s better if I patrol with the guard.”

  “But do you want to go to the dance?” I asked.

  “Of course I do, but—”

  “Oh, wait.” Ingrid cut her off with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you invite Sir Percival as your partner?”

  The idea wasn’t crazy at all.

  Sir Percival was a landless knight with no family, but his meteoric rise—and my plans to turn him into a celebrity—fit perfectly with my coronation.

  “Huh? Why him?” The memory of the incident was still fresh in my sister’s mind, and honestly, it was impossible to forget for a long time. It had looked like a scene straight out of a cheap ecchi manga.

  “Because he’s a knight without land or a wife, and he doesn’t have obligations to anyone. So you could ask him to attend the banquet with you. It’s an opportunity you’ve wanted for a long time, sister—give yourself the chance to live at least one happy banquet.”

  Alda went quiet.

  I wanted her there with us—not as some nameless guard.

  We needed to swallow the bitter taste our last banquet left behind. Maybe, deep in her heart, my precious older sister was still afraid to celebrate again.

  Sora’s death still weighed on our souls. Sometimes I dreamed of her smile and the words she always told me:

  You’ll be a great king.

  “It’s what Sora would’ve wanted,” Ingrid added softly.

  Alda stayed silent for a few seconds, her eyes drifting with nostalgia. Then, after a moment, she finally smiled back at us.

  “You’re right. I can’t run from my fears forever. I’ll attend the banquet…”

  “Good!” Ingrid beamed. “We should go look at our dresses soon. But first—go find Sir Percival and invite him to the dance! Hurry!”

  “O-Okay, fine. Don’t pressure me.”

  Alda turned and walked out of the barracks. By then, the knight had already left the area with his comrades-in-arms.

  I should’ve returned to my room to review documents. We were about to receive the dukes, and everything had to be flawless.

  Or at least, that’s what I thought.

  “Ulric, we have to hurry.”

  “Huh? What are you talking about?” Ingrid’s inquisitive voice came with unusual energy—again, a rare thing from my dear friend.

  “We have to see Alda ask Sir Percival to dance! Come on! Or are you going to miss your sister’s first date?”

  “Oh. That makes sense.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Part of me wanted to refuse and respect Alda’s privacy. Unfortunately for her… I loved gossip.

  “What are we waiting for? It’s time to stick our noses where they don’t belong.”

  We asked one of the maids where my sister had gone, and she kindly told us Alda headed to the resting hall where the Royal Guard killed time. We didn’t keep them patrolling twenty-four hours—that was inefficient. Instead, they rotated shifts so they could move through the palace more effectively.

  Sir Percival wasn’t an official member yet. That appointment would come after my coronation, to give it more weight.

  “There she is.”

  The entrance to the main hall was decorated with an imposing coat of arms on the wall: the symbol of the Royal Guard—a lion in armor with a black sword clenched in its jaws.

  I’d never been a fan of the emblem, but my knights seemed to love it.

  Ingrid signaled the nearby warriors not to say anything. The moment they saw my sister walking straight toward the center, the other members understood where this was going.

  Sir Percival was talking with Sir Armando and Sir López on a long couch near a table where they usually socialized. The blond knight had his back to us, and from this distance he wouldn’t notice unless he focused on the great door.

  As soon as the knights saw my sister, they decided to walk away.

  “Well, lad, we’ll give you a fuller tour later. Sir Armando and I have… things to do.”

  “Oh—yes. Things.” Percival caught the hint as he saw Alda coming straight toward him. “See you later.”

  They didn’t need to be geniuses to understand the intent.

  “Uh, sure. Talk later.”

  Damn right. Those guys aren’t idiots—they read the room.

  “S-Sir Percival… c-can we talk?” Alda played with her dark hair, looking nothing like the confident, powerful sister she usually was.

  “How exciting,” Ingrid whispered.

  “Quiet, they’ll hear us.” We were well hidden behind the door, but anyone walking the hall could still catch us—and it wasn’t exactly new for me to be spying on people in the palace. I hated admitting it, but I had a reputation for being nosy.

  “Of course, Lady Alda. Do you need something?” Sir Percival gave her a polite, honest smile. From here, we could see my sister’s ears turning red with nerves. Was it really that hard to ask someone out?

  Or was the duel incident still haunting her?

  We couldn’t clearly see Alda’s expression, but Percival looked calm.

  “Y-Yes, so… um…” Alda glanced left and right—she didn’t want anyone seeing her ask.

  The other knights noticed the mood and left the hall. Again, no genius required. Most of my Royal Guard were married men and women with grown children—situations like this didn’t surprise them at all.

  “Yes?”

  “I-I was thinking… um… Sir Percival… d-do you have a partner for the dance the day after tomorrow? There’ll be a banquet to celebrate the dukes’ arrival, and I wanted to know if you, if you, if you—” Alda fell silent, then finally gathered courage, pushing past the embarrassment and becoming herself again. “Do you want to come with me to the dance?”

  “Oh.” The proposal caught the newly dubbed knight off guard. His cheeks reddened—so much that even from here we could see his pale skin flushing. “Am I allowed? I thought they’d put me on patrol…”

  “Of course you are!” Alda blurted. “Only the Royal Guard will be on watch. The regular soldiers will stay outside to protect the entourages.”

  “That’s true… As part of King Ulric’s party, I suppose I’ll have other duties.” Percival swallowed. “A-And… are you really okay with going with me? I mean, banquets are opportunities for marriages and—”

  “I can’t marry into the high nobility,” Alda said, her voice dipping as she lowered her head. “I’m the king’s half-sister. Getting involved with anyone there would be an insult, and it would cause problems for my brother.”

  “Ah—sorry, sorry. I didn’t know.” Percival bowed his head quickly. “I’ve only been a knight for a few days. I still don’t understand etiquette, nobility, all those manners… I really didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  Sir Percival surprised me.

  From here he looked fragile—almost weak. He didn’t resemble the brutal duelist from a few hours ago.

  “N-No, it’s fine. I’ve accepted it already.”

  “Still… I said something that hurt you, and I’m sorry.” Percival smiled, warm and sincere. “You know… maybe you can’t have a political marriage, but there’s an advantage. You can marry for love. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  That innocent smile spread to my sister like a contagion.

  We couldn’t see her full profile, but the curve of her lips said everything—how happy that made her.

  “It is…” Alda murmured, playing with her hair again. “A-And… between us… I-I fall in love easily.”

  I’d once read that if a woman keeps touching her hair, it can be unconscious flirting.

  “Something good came from it, right?” Percival said. “My master used to tell me we should always look for the bright side. A life filled with bitterness and resentment is pointless.” He drew a deep breath before dropping the line we were waiting for.

  Ingrid crossed her fingers and bit her lip.

  I did the same.

  Ah. I’d forgotten how fun it was to spy on people.

  Everyone has weird hobbies. Mine is relatively normal… right?!

  “Say it already…” Ingrid and I whispered at the same time.

  “Yes.” Percival nodded firmly. “I’d like to go with you to the banquet and be your dance partner. I-I don’t know anything about dancing or etiquette, so… please take care of me.”

  She did it!

  Mission success!

  If we were in Mexico, mariachi would be playing the little “congratulations” tune right now.

  Ingrid and I high-fived.

  But my combat instincts kicked in—I reacted fast, pulling Ingrid against my chest.

  Why?

  Alda turned around, and if not for my training, we would’ve been caught red-handed. Strangely, Sir Percival didn’t notice.

  “U-Ulric?”

  “Quiet. She almost saw us.” I grabbed Ingrid’s hand and bolted.

  We’d seen enough. Now it was up to Alda to take this first meeting somewhere new.

  “G-Good thinking,” Ingrid stammered, “b-but you can let go now.”

  Ingrid Wall was blushing too. My sudden move—and the closeness of our bodies—made the moment far more awkward than it should’ve been.

  Right.

  Ever since I’d started leaving my old identity behind, I’d become more receptive to my body’s natural impulses. It took me three seconds to understand why her cheeks were burning.

  “O-Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I released her hand gently. Maybe because of the trust between us, I hadn’t even hesitated before grabbing her and running.

  But I shouldn’t do that.

  Touching a girl without her consent was wrong.

  “N-No, it’s fine. You did it to preserve our reputation as master gossipers.” Ingrid smiled and stuck her tongue out—what a ridiculous expression. “You’ve rubbed off on me with that bad habit.”

  “Hey—if you got it from me, then it’s not a bad habit.”

  After that stupid line, we laughed for a while and then walked toward the back courtyard.

  “Let’s leave my sister with her date,” I said. “It’s time to give them privacy.”

  “I agree. We had our fun.” Ingrid’s voice softened. “Do you want to kill time with me? Tomorrow will be heavy, and I don’t think we’ll get quiet days like this for a long while. Your coronation is coming, then royal duties… in a way, today is your last day of laziness.”

  “Right… I hadn’t looked at it that way.”

  I fell silent after her words.

  She was right.

  Why hadn’t I realized earlier?

  Tomorrow the dukes would arrive, then the banquet, the tournament, the coronation. After that I’d take the oath as ruler, and things would change—for better or worse.

  Everything happened so fast I barely noticed.

  Whether in Mexico or the Kingdom of Etrica, time kept moving forward and never stopped.

  It’s incredible. It feels like yesterday I reincarnated into this world. And now I’m about to become an adult again; my childhood ends tomorrow, and then everything changes…

  “U-Ulric, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Suddenly Ingrid’s voice tensed. Her cheeks turned even redder, and she looked away on instinct.

  “I-I know I’m your fiancée, but you didn’t choose me, and I don’t want to keep being only a contract… Ulric, I…” She swallowed. “You’re my friend, and someone I care about. Even if our engagement was a political insult, I…”

  Ingrid Wall faced forward again and looked into my eyes—both honey-colored irises trembling with nervous tears.

  I didn’t know how to react.

  I stood there, stunned by the most beautiful expression I’d ever seen.

  T-Those weren’t the eyes of a friend. Not the fragile little girl I’d met seven years ago.

  No.

  That was the gaze of a woman.

  No one had ever looked at me like that.

  And because of it, my reactions became unpredictable—my heart pounded. I started sweating, cold trails sliding down my back without warning.

  This green courtyard, the tall stone walls, the summer wind—everything framed Ingrid Wall’s face perfectly. I never wanted to see her like this. The fact that our engagement existed for politics and not love was something I always argued about with myself.

  But I’d spent half my life beside this girl.

  And in a way… her company didn’t disgust me.

  I… I…

  “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m already dead.”

  Yes. My old self had said those words.

  Our lives had gone in completely different directions. There was no need to keep chaining myself to the past.

  “Y-Yes?” My voice was tense too. I thought I’d handle it better.

  But clearly not.

  “Will you be my partner at the banquet?” Ingrid’s voice shook. “Not as your forced fiancée. Not as Apolo’s political choice… Ulric, I want you to choose me. I-I want to be able to make you fall in love… because I like you so much, and I want to become your wife because I love you. Not because of any agreement or betrothal.” Her tears fell faster. “E-Even if my father or my uncle breaks the marriage for any reason… I’ll still stay by your side.”

  “W-Wait, I-Ingrid, I—” She placed her delicate fingers against my lips.

  “J-Just say yes or no,” Ingrid whispered. “Ulric… can I be your partner at this banquet? Can I have the chance to make you fall hopelessly in love… so that, in the future, ours will be a marriage of love?”

  Damn.

  How was I supposed to answer that?

  I was so nervous my mind betrayed me.

  I saw Ingrid’s flushed face—her rosy cheeks, her full lips, her hair as white as winter snow. I got lost in her honey eyes, so much like mine, but softer. Kinder.

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t say anything else.

  Ingrid Wall wrapped her arms around me without a word. By instinct, I did the same—pulled her fragile body close and felt her warmth; her heartbeat against me, nervous sweat on her back, our breathing almost synchronized.

  I must have looked just as shaken.

  For a few seconds, coronation, Apolo, revenge, independence—everything vanished from my mind.

  I let myself sink into this gentle feeling again.

  And in that moment, I finally opened my heart to love.