Ingrid and I arrived at the banquet hall. The place was packed with servants working almost at a forced march to have everything ready. In the middle of the wide dance floor, Aura was directing the maids and butlers the way my dear Sora once did.

  Even if she never reached the same level of efficiency or skill, Aura truly gave her best every single day. The dark-skinned maid saw us from a distance and quickly ran over to welcome us.

  “Your Highness, Miss Ingrid, it’s a pleasure to have you here.”

  Aura bowed deeply. Unlike Sora, she never tried to be our friend—she kept her interactions strictly professional.

  Still, she married Gonzalo last year, and it was only a matter of time before they had their first child. Ah, memories… I was the one who brought that couple together!

  If I can’t make it as a king, maybe I’ll make it as a medieval cupid. I’ll get rich for sure!

  “How are the final preparations going?” I asked.

  “Everything is perfect, Your Highness. The food is already in the kitchen and will be ready to be served tomorrow. The musicians have arrived as well. It will be a perfect evening. And the second banquet, the one before your coronation, is also prepared.”

  “Thank you, Aura. You and your maids have done an excellent job. Without you, none of this would be possible. I’ll make sure everyone is rewarded.”

  Once again, I wanted to create a better work environment for my staff. Servants and butlers gave this place life—treating them with respect and recognizing their achievements was the least I could do.

  Blood and birth had nothing to do with it. Only their work did.

  “It’s an honor to work for you, King Ulric.”

  “I haven’t been crowned yet.”

  “But you will be soon,” Aura said, giving us a sweet smile. “It’s better I get used to calling you that.”

  “Now that you mention it, Aura, you’re right,” Ingrid agreed. Then she took my arm. “I’ll have to call you ‘King’ as well when we’re in official ceremonies. Thank you for reminding me.”

  “I-In any case… is there anything we can do to help?” I asked. I wasn’t a fan of dumping all the work on others—this event was being held for me, so I wanted to help as much as possible.

  “No, Your Highness. You should rest and prepare your speech for tomorrow. Trust us—we won’t fail you.”

  “All right, Aura. I’ll trust your team. You’ve served well for years—I’m sure you’ll do the same when it truly matters. Let’s go, Ingrid.”

  “Thank you very much for your work, Aura,” Ingrid said.

  And then, in a gesture of humility and respect, I gave Aura a small bow.

  The smile on her face was priceless. I had only seen her that happy during her wedding.

  Receiving sincere praise from a king had to mean the world to any commoner—especially one who had lived at the very bottom of society.

  Ingrid could only smile sweetly at my gesture.

  “Yes, it really does,” she said.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  That look made my cheeks warm.

  I’d been praised many times in my life, but few compliments had ever been truly honest. As king, I was a hundred percent sure I’d meet countless flatterers—people without morals or scruples who would stroke my ego to feed their ambitions. That was natural. It happened in Mexico and it happened here.

  That’s why Aura’s sincerity—and Ingrid’s—made me genuinely happy.

  Ingrid gained nothing by saying those words. They were her real feelings.

  And like anyone else, being appreciated was a blessing.

  “T-Thank you,” I said softly. “We’ll leave everything in your hands.”

  We left the banquet hall and walked through the palace corridors. We saw dozens of servants giving everything they had for tomorrow’s event. The guard patrolled nonstop, and the shifts seemed endless.

  “Everyone is working so hard,” Ingrid murmured, watching the staff move from one place to another.

  “They are,” I replied. “So we have to give our best too.”

  Seeing them so motivated by the banquet’s success filled me with energy.

  Then, out of nowhere, Ingrid took my right arm and pressed her body against mine.

  T-That was sudden.

  “Ulric… I want tomorrow’s banquet to go well,” she said, voice trembling a little. “But I’m also worried about the tournament. Are you sure you can win? Or at least fight without getting hurt?”

  I fell silent for a moment, thinking.

  Honestly, I hadn’t considered it. I was confident in my skills. I’d trained since childhood for this moment under Sir Marte Hogan—the strongest knight in the entire kingdom.

  A high-level swordsman who had killed a Disciple of the Wolf in single combat. Add my shining armor, my longsword, and the instincts from my past life…

  Getting injured had never really crossed my mind.

  But of course, only I knew all that.

  For someone unfamiliar with a warrior’s path, fear of a dangerous fight was completely natural.

  “Don’t worry, Ingrid,” I said. “I’ll be fine. I trained too hard to lose. And if I don’t take first place… I’ll still put on a good show, all right?”

  With my free hand, I gently patted her head. Her white hair shifted a little, and Ingrid Wall blushed in response.

  “I-I can’t help it,” she admitted. “I’m worried about you… and about Alda. I’m scared someone will land a bad hit and—”

  Before she could finish, I lifted my left index finger to her lips.

  “We’ll be fine,” I promised. “I swear.”

  In my past life, I never had anyone—outside my family—who worried about me like this.

  I hated admitting it, but I’d already grown used to the warmth.

  Being loved. Being valued by people who truly meant it.

  It was more addictive than I wanted to confess.

  “O-Okay,” Ingrid said, blushing again. With her pale skin and white hair, every blush showed ten times more. “I trust you. It’s true… you’ve gotten very strong, Ulric.”

  “I’m going to be the greatest king of all time,” I said, letting myself show off just a little to impress her.

  What an immature move.

  “And you use your strength to help others,” Ingrid replied. “That’s what I like about you.”

  O-Okay. I didn’t expect something so sincere.

  She pressed herself even closer and looked straight into my eyes.

  “You already saved me once when we were children,” she whispered. “If something bad happens again… will you save me again?”

  For a moment, the world went quiet.

  The idea of losing another loved one terrified me.

  Without thinking, without measuring myself, I wrapped Ingrid Wall in my arms and closed my eyes.

  I didn’t want to lose her.

  Or Mother. Or Alda. Or Gonzalo. Or Sir Marte.

  They had all become essential parts of my life.

  When I was a child, I couldn’t protect Sora. I let her be killed right in front of me…

  That won’t happen again. No one precious will ever be killed again.

  “I’ll protect you,” I whispered, trying to drive away the ghosts circling my mind. “I will always watch over your safety, Ingrid… no matter what happens to me.”

  “Th-Thank you,” Ingrid replied. I could hear the nervousness in her voice because of my sudden embrace.

  Still, she didn’t try to pull away.

  She didn’t seem uncomfortable with the closeness.

  “B-But don’t forget… I’m with you too,” she added softly. “If you need help, or if you’re in trouble… you can always come to me.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “I’m not alone anymore. The crown will be heavy, Ingrid… but with you and everyone else, I’m sure we can endure Etrica’s weight.”

  I didn’t let go.

  And she didn’t want to separate either.

  We stayed like that—frozen in time and space—while a silent promise slipped from my lips…

  . . .