"No."
Artoria was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't the rejection itself—she had expected him to refuse—but she hadn't expected him to do so with such blunt, unhesitating finality.
"Why? She's clearly..."
"Clearly Guinevere is beautiful, and she's a princess, so marrying her makes me half a king, right?"
"Yes."
"Lia, looks aren't actually that important. In history, the wives chosen by great men were rarely selected for their beauty first. What matters is whether marrying her is a boon or a burden to one's cause."
"But she's the King's only daughter. Whether you succeed her father on the throne or pull the sword to become King with his support, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, don't they?"
"Sometimes you can't just look at the immediate gains."
Seeing his little sister's adorable, puzzled expression as she knit her brow, Artorius pinched her cheek. "Take Teacher, for example. Do you think Teacher is beautiful, Lia?"
"Beautiful," Artoria answered without a second's thought.
"Is she powerful?"
"Very!"
"Then, if I had to choose between you and Teacher—and I'm not saying you aren't beautiful, though we could never marry because of our relationship—if I were forced to pick, I'd choose to marry you over her."
"Really?!"
Artoria's eyes lit up.
My sister shouldn't be the type to care so much about superficial praise, right? Artorius felt a brief flicker of confusion but didn't dwell on it. He nodded with a smile. "Yes. Teacher may be beautiful, but she's not suited to be a wife. Guinevere is the same."
"Even though her kingdom would be a massive help at the start—just like Teacher's magecraft—in the long run, the burden would outweigh the benefit. They both have deep personality flaws. Those flaws mean they might make fine lovers, but as wives? Disaster is only a matter of time."
"I see."
Artoria nodded half-comprehendingly, then lowered her head.
"It's not that I want you to marry her... I just thought it was a bit of a waste."
The next second, she was clutching her head with teary eyes, looking up at Artorius in grievance after he delivered a sharp flick to her forehead.
"Brother, that hurt!"
"It's supposed to hurt; it means your brain is growing. If there's a problem, your brother will handle it. Why is a young girl like you walking around with such a gloomy face every day?"
Ignoring his sister's resentful glare, Artorius straightened up. He kept one hand on her shoulder and pointed the other toward the horizon.
"HMS Artoria! Transform into a surging gale and crush everything in our path!"
"Brother, you're so childish!"
"Childish or not, I'm still your brother. Charge, HMS Artoria!"
"No! This is embarrassing!"
"Embarrassment is secondary to orders! This is a command from the Captain!"
Before Artoria could protest further, the Captain of the HMS Artoria—the great Major Artorius—pushed the despairing Corporal Artoria into a full sprint, passing by maids who were desperately trying to stifle their laughter.
"In the name of the Commodore! HMS Artoria, full speed ahead!"
"Agh! Brother, I hate you!"
Steering the "HMS Artoria," Artorius made a rapid dash toward the dining hall.
As they reached a three-way junction within the castle, a tall figure carrying a tray of food suddenly veered into their path. Though Artorius and Artoria managed to skid to a halt just in time, the other person was clearly startled.
"Ah?!"
With lightning-fast reflexes, Artoria lunged forward and caught the tray of fragrant food.
Artorius, meanwhile, reached out to grab the woman's arm. With a slight tug, he pulled the woman—who had been falling backward—straight into his arms.
"Are you all right?"
Artorius's lip twitched as he glanced at Artoria, who was already staring wide-eyed at the dish in her hands. He looked down helplessly at the ma—
"Princess?!"
The girl had her face buried in his chest, making it hard to see, but that signature long white hair was unmistakable. Furthermore, the luxurious gown she wore was certainly not something a servant would ever touch. Artorius nearly pushed her away in surprise, his hands still resting on her shoulders.
"My apologies."
Guinevere finally looked up. Her small hands were still clutching Artorius's tunic, her face pale with lingering fear.
"I didn't mean to..."
"No, it was my fault. But Princess, why were you carrying a tray?"
"Because the Princess made tonight's dinner herself!"
Artorius looked up.
At the end of the corridor Guinevere had just emerged from, Kay stood with her hands on her hips, looking both amused and annoyed. Behind her stood several maids pushing carts laden with steaming dishes.
"How old are you two? Still playing those childish games?"
Artorius could only scratch his head and offer a sheepish grin.
"It wasn't his fault, it was mine," Guinevere interjected quickly, defending him. "I just wanted Sir Artorius to taste the food I made as soon as possible, so I was walking too fast and wasn't watching the road. That's why..."
The black-haired girl, Kay, nearly laughed out of sheer irritation.
I was so busy lecturing my brother that I forgot there was a 'Green Tea' expert right here.
Seeing his sister grinding her teeth at Guinevere, Artorius hurried to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong. Are you hurt, Princess?"
"I'm fine. I have you to thank for that," Guinevere replied, lowering her head as a faint blush dusted her cheeks, her hands clasped shyly in front of her.
"Glad to hear it. Let's head to the dining hall, then. Lia, stop staring at the food. You aren't allowed to take a bite until we're at the table. Give that to me and come over here to help the Princess!"
"Huh?!"
Savoring the aroma, Artoria reluctantly handed the dish to Artorius and moved to support Guinevere.
Guinevere didn't cause any more trouble.
The group arrived at the dining hall shortly. Their foster father, Ector, and Bedivere were already there. Ector sat at the head of the long table, with Bedivere in the first seat to his right.
Everyone took their seats.
Guinevere took the head seat on the left side. Artorius intended to sit next to Bedivere, but as he moved that way, his sister gave him a firm shove.
"That's your seat."
Kay gestured toward the empty chair next to Guinevere, then pulled Artoria along to sit by Bedivere. Artorius opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it.
I thought you hated her?
"What are you standing there for, 'Torius?"
Under Ector's stern, "death stare," Artorius had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit beside Guinevere.
Ector nodded with satisfaction, looking at the pair sitting side-by-side—the picture-perfect image of a handsome youth and a beautiful maiden.
"Let's eat."
"Please don't be formal, Princess. Treat this as your own home."
"I understand, Earl Ector."
To Artorius's surprise, Guinevere didn't try to provoke him. Instead, she conversed with his foster father, her every word radiating princess-like elegance.
She answered Ector's questions perfectly, offering just the right amount of flattery without over-praising Artorius. She spoke truthfully and even offered compliments to Kay and Lia. Within moments, the usually stiff and serious Ector was full of smiles, looking at Artorius with an expression that said, You've found a real treasure.
"Mmm! This is amazing!"
Suddenly, hearing Artoria's muffled voice, Artorius looked up to see her stuffing food into her mouth at a frantic pace, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel's.
Even Kay and Bedivere's eyes were sparkling. Though they maintained their elegance, the noticeable increase in their eating speed confirmed the quality of the meal.
"Is it to your liking?" Guinevere asked with a smile.
"I didn't expect the Princess's culinary skills to be as perfect as her appearance," Bedivere couldn't help but praise.
"Whoever marries the Princess will be a lucky man indeed," Kay added, casting a pointed, lingering glance at Artorius.
Artorius shot her a cold look back.
Look at me all you want; I'm still not giving you my portion.
Kay rolled her eyes and mouthed a silent curse. Halfway through, she decided it was unladylike and simply looked away.
Meanwhile, Guinevere had coaxed Ector into taking a bite. As soon as the food hit his tongue, even Ector couldn't help but marvel.
"I have lived for over forty years, Princess, and this is the most delicious meal I have ever tasted."
"I am glad you are satisfied," Guinevere said with a gentle smile.
"Also, 'Princess' feels so distant. Earl Ector, Bedivere, Sister Kay, and Lia... please, just call me by my nickname, Via."
"Then 'Via' it is," Kay chirped, sounding like the best of friends with Guinevere. She then turned her gaze to Artorius, who was trying his best to be invisible.
"Why aren't you eating?"
At her words, everyone at the table—except for the still-shoveling Artoria—turned their eyes to Artorius.
"Oh, I was just thinking about something."
"Please, try it," Guinevere said, her eyes full of anticipation. "If there is anything you find lacking, please tell me. I will work hard to improve."
Artorius gave a vague grunt and picked up his spoon, taking a mouthful of the stew the maid had served him.
In this era, truly "delicious" food barely existed. Having experienced the peak of modern agriculture, breeding, and spices in his past life, Artorius found that nothing in this world compared to a simple home-cooked stir-fry. Even the best roasts lacked flavor due to the scarcity of seasonings.
That was why he always took Lia to the mountains to hunt demon boars. Those magical beasts, nourished by mystery, had tender meat without the gaminess of un-castrated livestock. Whether roasted, stewed, or fried, they were top-tier delicacies that surpassed even modern gourmet food.
So, while Guinevere's dish looked and smelled wonderful, Artorius—having seen the world—wasn't about to lose his composure like his sister.
He took a casual bite and chewed twice, preparing to offer some polite, hollow praise.
Then, Artorius froze.
The natural aroma of the ingredients, combined with an unbelievable balance of seasonings, exploded in his mouth. As the flavor spread, tears actually began to well in the corners of Artorius's eyes. He felt a lump in his throat.
Forget this life, where he had to slaughter magical pigs just to satisfy his palate.
Even in his previous life, he had never eaten anything this good!
"Well?" Guinevere asked expectantly.
Artorius didn't answer. After a few seconds of silence, he transformed into a mirror image of Artoria, hoisting his plate and began inhaling the food at light-speed.
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