Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

NEOMA felt anxious now that she was about to embark on a dangerous journey. After all, she was headed to a place that the blessings of gods didn't reach. But she wasn't afraid for her life because she knew that she was strong enough to protect herself from any danger.

However, totally leaving the empire made her nervous.

[I mean, technically, I already left the empire since I'm currently on the East Continent. But you get what I'm saying, right?]

It was as if everything would turn wrong once she left.

[Is this what mothers feel when they leave their children under the care of other people? But when did the empire become my child? Oh, is it because I'm going to be the empress regnant soon? After all, the common people would often refer to the empress as the 'Mother of Empire.']

But she had already given Nero, her parents, and even Manu instructions about what they must do while she was away. Hence, she didn't know why she was still worried.

[My people are competent, so I have to trust them.]

Gosh.

Neoma was indeed a "mother" through and through.

"What are you thinking about, Neoma?"

Ruto's question snapped her out of her trance.

Right now, the two of them were at the entrance of the Cyran Temple to say goodbye to each other.

Ruto didn't have to send her off because her group would use a teleportation spell that Paige created to bring them to the port town. They needed to ride a boat in order to reach the island where the Lawless Jungle was located.

"It's hard being a mother," Neoma said, sighing. "I'm worried since my family is getting bigger and bigger, but I can't divide my attention equally. I feel like I'm failing as a mother."

"You're doing a good job, though," Ruto said while handing her the packed lunch box that he prepared for her. "Being a single mother isn't easy, but I can see that you're doing your best."

She waited for Ruto to add something like "I can be the father of your children," but he didn't.

Then an image of a certain demon entered her mind.

Right, Ruto was different from Trevor.

[Only Trevor will say some bullshit like that.]

She frowned when she suddenly remembered the demon boy. Well, to be fair, she would think of Trevor from time to time. After all, even though he had betrayed her, she knew that he wasn't a bad person.

[Tsk, that fool. Joining the Devil just to "protect" me…]

"And now you're frowning," Ruto said worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Ruto, aren't you going to volunteer to be the father of my "children?"" she asked. Well, this time, she wasn't flirting with him. She was just genuinely curious. "Just asking."

"It's not up to me to decide whether I get to be the "father" of your "children" or not," Ruto said calmly. "The choice is yours to make, Neoma. Moreover, I don't need to be the "father" of your "children" before I lend you my hand. I am here to lessen your burden, whether you choose me to be your partner or not."

100 points.

That direct and sincere response from Ruto just gained him one hundred favorability points in her book.

"Okay, good answer."

Ruto just looked at her as if he was confused.

She was about to say something when, all of a sudden, the dark sky suddenly roared.

[Oh, damn.]

Ruto let out a sigh. "Why does it have to rain when you're about to travel by boat?"

"I know, right?" Neoma agreed with him. "It feels ominous, especially since we can't see the moon or the sun when the sky is that dark."

***

"IT PAINS me to betray Prince Nero this way, but I still have a duty to fulfill as a de Luca," Calyx said cheerfully. He was sitting on the chair while petting the White Lion's head. Kingston, the White Lion, was sleeping at his feet– sleeping after he fed it a potion, since it was the only way for him to tame it. "I helped you escape because you said you have some information that will help me get accepted by the public as a royal prince while stepping on Princess Neoma in the process."

Kyle Sprouse, who was kneeling in front of him, flinched.

With the help of the crows that Calyx sneaked into the Royal Palace while he was there, they managed to bring Kyle Sprouse out of prison.

Right now, he was hiding the count in the mansion that Marquis Vincent Lennox prepared for him and his mother. Since he couldn't send Kyle Sprouse to the crows' hideout yet, he had no choice but to hide him in his current residence.

[Hiding someone in plain sight works anyway.]

"Prince Calyx, do you remember the prophecy that Princess Neoma received from Lord Yule himself?" Kyle Sprouse asked when he raised his head. It looked like he hesitated at first. However, the hesitation on his face soon disappeared. "The prophecy about the First Star bringing the new saint to Astello Temple."

He nodded. "Because of that prophecy, Prince Nero received the support of the Astello Temple and the Holy Knights. After all, it's a secret that Princess Neoma has pretended to be the Crown Prince until recently."

"But neither of Prince Nero and Princess Neoma are the real First Star," the count said. "Since you are the firstborn son of Emperor Nikolai, Prince Calyx."

"That's right."

"Hence, I'll tell you this: Princess Neoma has already found the new saint."

He stopped petting the White Lion's head. "What?"

"Princess Neoma has already found the new saint, but the situation is complicated," Kyle Sprouse said. "Apparently, the women destined to give birth to a saint are supposed to die. But Princess Neoma wants to prevent that. And so, she's planning to prevent the child from being born a saint. If Princess Neoma's plan succeeds, then the child would be born without his divine power."

"The royal princess will prevent the birth of the saint just to save the mother's life?" he asked in disbelief. "Is she crazy? The saint's divine power is more important than a random woman's life."

"The woman in question is Queen Brigitte Griffiths of the Hazelden Kingdom," the count informed him. "Princess Neoma treasures the queen as a friend. Hence, the royal princess is adamant about saving Queen Brigitte's life, even if it means sacrificing the power of the new saint."

"That's unacceptable," he said, frowning. "The empire needs a new saint."

"And that's exactly the reason why I'm sharing this information with you, Prince Calyx," Kyle Sprouse said seriously. "I believe that the child must be born a saint, regardless of the consequences."

He raised an eyebrow at the count when he remembered something. "But isn't Queen Brigitte the wife of Sir Glenn– your childhood friend?"

"The world wouldn't end if Queen Brigitte dies, but the world might end if the new saint lost his divine power," the count insisted. "I feel sorry for Glenn. However, the world needs the new saint more than they need a replaceable queen. Since Glenn is still young, I'm sure he'll find another woman to love and marry in the future."

He laughed after hearing the count's reasoning.

[I can't believe that he can say those awful things about his friend.]

Well, what should he expect from the person who betrayed Emperor Nikolai?

"As the real First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire, please let the new saint be born properly," Kyle Sprouse said, bowing his head towards him. "Only you can do that, Prince Calyx."

"Of course. I won't disappoint you, Count Sprouse," Calyx said, smiling. Then he snapped his fingers– summoning the crows assigned for his protection. "Bring Queen Brigitte to me– now."

***

"CALYX already found the new saint?" Helstor, who was putting his black gloves on, said. "He's pretty useful, huh?"

Lucius, the Dark Elf, nodded. "The crows are asking for our assistance, my lord. I was informed that Calyx Dalton wants to abduct Queen Brigitte alive. I believe he wishes the new saint to be born with his divine powers intact, then present the child to the Astello Temple."

Right now, he was in the inn in the town closest to the Lawless Jungle.

But since he already had a fill of Darkness from that place, it was time for him to leave.

[Moreover, I have somewhere else I need to be at.]

"That's an effective way to gain the support of the common people and the Holy Knights," Helstor said, amused. Then he turned to Lucius. "Go and assist them, Lucius."

The Dark Elf looked like he was hesitating.

And he knew why.

"Lucius, I know that you're worried about Lukas, your twin brother," he told the young Dark Elf. "I promise that I will take care of your brother until he fully recovers."

Only then did Lucius look relieved. "Thank you, my lord," he said. "But if I leave your side, will you be alright alone? I know that my lord is capable. However, I thought my lord is conserving his energy at the moment."

"An opportunity that I can't miss presented itself to me, so I have no choice but to move now," he said, smiling widely. "A little bird informed me that Ruston Stroganoff will ascend to the Upper World soon. I have to sneak in and follow him."

He, the God of Eternal of Darkness, was banned from entering the Upper World, so he had no choice but to use Ruston Stroganoff to sneak in.

The Dark Elf tilted his head to one side. "Is it time for my lord to return to the Upper World?"

"It's because I'm getting impatient. The gods are leaving Neoma de Moonasterio alone because the current Aether is still alive," Helstor said, sighing while shaking his head. "So, I have no choice but to kill the current Aether now in order for the gods to hunt down the little arrogant royal princess."

***

BRIGITTE put a protective arm around her baby bump as soon as she felt the presence of other people in her office.

Then her free hand slowly reached for the gun in her drawer.

"Your Majesty, we don't want to hurt you accidentally, so please don't move."

A masked man emerged from the darkness in the corner of her office.

Although the intruder's face was covered with a mask, she noticed some of his physical traits that told her that he was an elf– just like his pointed ears. The intruder looked like a Dark Elf, to be precise, judging by the Darkness attribute that she could feel from him.

And he wasn't alone.

She had a feeling that the three black crows behind the Dark Elf weren't ordinary birds.

"If you don't want to hurt me, then you're obviously here to abduct me alive. And you're asking me not to defend myself?" Brigitte snarled at the intruder, then she pulled out the gun from the drawer. Then she stood up and unlocked the gun before she pointed it at the Dark Elf. "Do I look like a pushover to you, huh?"

The Dark Elf let out a sigh. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Your Majesty."

Brigitte pulled the trigger as soon as the Dark Elf moved.

And then, instead of a bullet, a semi-transparent of Princess Neoma's image appeared right in front of the intruder, making him stop dashing at her instantly.

She smirked at the Dark Elf's reaction.

<"Surprise, motherfucker!"> Princess Neoma's "hologram" said. <"Do you think I'd leave my Brigitte unnie unprotected, you brainless son of a bitch?">

Brigitte smiled because the "hologram" that Princess Neoma asked Paige to create really sounded like her. It was just a recorded device, but she knew in her heart that the royal princess would act exactly that way if she were there.

Actually, before Princess Neoma left the Hazelden Kingdom, she asked Paige Avery to create a weapon for her.

Since Brigitte was a gun user, Princess Neoma asked her mage to create a gun for her that would bring out a barrier around its user instead of a bullet. After all, the royal princess already predicted that the enemies would soon find out that she was carrying the new saint in her womb.

Of course, she and Glenn were also expecting that to happen.

"Princess Neoma was right."

She didn't have to turn to know that it was her husband.

Glenn, who entered the room through the window, immediately turned to her and looked at her from head to toe as if he was checking if she was hurt or not.

"I'm fine, my king," Brigitte assured her husband. Then she gestured the semi-transparent barrier around her. It appeared after she pulled the trigger earlier and Princess Neoma's "hologram" appeared. "Princess Neoma made this specifically for me."

Glenn looked relieved, then he smiled while drawing Ebony– his personal sword. "Give me a moment, my queen," he said, then his gaze went past her. "Miss Dahlia?"

Dahlia, who appeared behind her (outside the barrier), nodded at Glenn. "I'll protect Her Majesty, Sire."

"Thank you," Glenn said, then he smiled at Brigitte before he turned to the intruder. The king's smile was gone instantly, his turquoise eyes glowing menacingly. "I'll make you pay for threatening my wife and my child."

Brigitte smiled and clenched her fists, then she said the word that Princess Neoma taught her before. "Fighting, my king!"

***

"HAH," Manu, who was suspended in the air right above the main palace in Hazelden, smirked when he noticed the Darkness in the form of a cloud of smoke snake around the tall building. "Neoma de Moonasterio was right– the crows and Helstor will surely target Brigitte Griffiths once she leaves."

He extended his arms, his hands covered by a bluish light.

In order to purify the darkness, he had to use his divine energy.

For that reason, Neoma de Moonasterio sent him to the Hazelden Kingdom after scolding him for "sulking."

"Tsk," Manu complained to himself. "That little princess sure is bossy. No wonder Ruston Stroganoff, who outranks her in every aspect, follows her like a puppy who can't live without his master."

***

NOTE: Hi. I posted some Nero-Neoma phone wallpapers on my k/o-fi account that you can download and use. You may visit my page: k o-fi .com/sola_cola (just remove the space). Or simply G*ogle k o-fi sola_cola. You may or may not buy me a coffee (donate). Thank you!

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