Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

NEOMA told Hanna about her first and second life after her cousin covered the entire tea room with her Shadow Veil. Since they couldn't call a servant, Lewis volunteered to clean the pieces of the broken teacup on the floor.

After that, she proceeded to tell Hanna her other royal secret.

But she omitted some fact.

Regarding her first life, she told her cousin everything she remembered about it. But she didn't have the heart to tell Hanna that Nero killed her because she got involved with Dahlia– the Black Witch that Nero of her first life was obsessed with. She just told Hanna that Nero killed her back then because she tried to perform a forbidden spell that would tie her life with his.

About her second life, she didn't tell Hanna that her dad/appa in that life looked like the former Commander Gavin Quinzel. It just didn't feel right to tell her cousin about her family matters when she hadn't begun her investigation yet.

Plus, she thought that her second life didn't matter as much as her first life does. After all, she practically went back in time when she woke up as Princess Neoma de Moonasterio again.

"And that's it," Neoma said, ending her long story. "When I was three years old, I regained the memories of my first and second life."

Hanna, who looked pale now, sipped her tea quietly.

Her cousin was silent but attentive the whole time she was telling her story. She didn't ask questions, but the emotions that she felt while listening to her were displayed on her face.

Hanna looked shocked when she told her that in her first life, she died when she was only eleven years old. Then, she looked sad when she told her that Duchess Amber Quinzel treated her like her replacement after House Quinzel adopter her. When she told her cousin about Rubin Drayton, her first love back then, she looked at her with pity.

Upon hearing the horrible things that Regina Crowell had done to her in her first life, Hanna showed anger for the first time.

And finally, when Hanna heard that she was killed by Nero, she shed a tear.

"You've been through a lot, Neoma," Hanna said in a cracked voice. Then, she elegantly put the teacup down and raised her head to meet her gaze. "I'm glad that you were able to change your life this time."

"I don't plan to stop at just simply changing my life," Neoma said firmly. "Hanna, I won't let you die in this lifetime."

Her cousin turned serious. "I don't have any intention to die early, Neoma." She looked at her with an apologetic smile on her face. "I don't want to make my parents suffer. And most of all…" She put her hand on top of the royal princess's hand on the table, then she gently squeezed it. "Although it's unlikely to happen again in this lifetime, I don't want you to somehow end up as my replacement." She became teary-eyed as if she remembered how Duchess Amber Quinzel treated her in her first life. "Neoma, I'm really sorry for what you went through in the past because of my mother."

"Shh. It's okay, Hanna," she said, consoling her cousin. "I didn't know it back in my first life because I was just an ignorant forgotten princess then. But after I got to experience living in the modern world, I realized that Duchess Quinzel was just a lonely mother who couldn't get over the death of her only child. She was someone who needed to get therapy but since it isn't a thing here, Her Grace wasn't able to get the professional help that she needed back then."

"Neoma, you're so understanding," her cousin said, obviously touched by what she said. "Is this the maturity of an adult?"

She laughed at that. "To be honest, even though I'm "old" inside, I can't say that I'm really mature. I was a naïve princess in my first life. I can't say that I've matured back then because I didn't have the chance to grow and stand on my own feet."

Moreover, Duchess Amber Quinzel had treated her like a child because the duchess lost Hanna back then when her cousin was only eleven.

Even her feelings for Rubin Drayton were due to her immaturity. If she was mature enough during her first life, she wouldn't insist on marrying that douchebag. The right thing that she should have done back then was to walk away gracefully.

"Since I didn't have a normal life during my first life, I became too dependent on my family during my second life," she said. "I wasn't caged in a huge mansion, but I was very sheltered. So even though I reached my twenties in my second life, I wouldn't say that I matured according to my mental age. That's why I still make mistakes in this lifetime, Hanna."

"It's okay, Neoma," her cousin consoled her. "Even adults make mistakes."

She was touched by those words. "Thank you, Hanna."

Hanna smiled, then she turned serious. "Neoma, let me deal with Regina Crowell."

"What?" she asked, surprised. "But she's dangerous, Hanna. Although I don't have evidence that she was involved in your death during my first life, I'm pretty sure that killing you was a part of the cult's plan to put Regina Crowell in House Quinzel. But when the Quinzels adopted me, they used me to make Regina a Quinzel, then they got rid of me after I served my purpose. Probably to also make sure that the only princess of the empire would be gone forever."

After she learned about the cult that kills the royal princesses of the empire, she realized that she was killed not because Regina Crowell wanted Rubin Drayton for herself. She was probably used by the cult to get rid of her since she was a royal princess.

"I don't know how but judging by what Regina told me during my dying moment, it seemed like she somehow manipulated Nero to kill me." She squeezed Hanna's hand. "Even though Regina is still young, she's dangerous if she's already affiliated with the Crows this early."

"I know that, Neoma," her cousin said. "But if we don't make a move now, Regina Crowell might do something to manipulate my mother. You said it yourself. The Regina Crowell in your first life managed to manipulate the people around you. We don't know her exact ability, but we can assume that she is capable of brainwashing the people that she wants to control."

She couldn't refute that.

"Moreover, it seems like Regina Crowell's target this time is me and my family," the young lady Quinzel said. "As the one and only heiress of House Quinzel, it's my duty to protect my family. So please let me handle Regina Crowell, Neoma."

"But Hanna…"

Her cousin smiled gently at her. "Neoma, I won't fight Regina Crowell. My life will be at greater risk if she notices that I'm aware of who and what she is. We don't want that to happen, do we?"

She nodded in agreement. "Plus, we don't know yet who Regina Crowell is working for. If we kill her now, the cult will realize that we know something that we shouldn't. They might send another stronger pawn if Regina Crowell disappears."

"That's why we can't kill Regina Crowell yet."

"So, what's your plan, Hanna?"

"A crow is nothing but a mere prey to a hawk. But I'll save the killing for later," Hanna said, her beautiful green eyes glowing menacingly. "For now, I will do something to make my mother hate Regina Crowell."

Neoma smiled, relieved that Hanna wasn't planning on directly attacking Regina Crowell. "Then, I'll leave the baby crow to you, Hanna 'the Hawk' Quinzel."

***

"SIR GLENN is here, Neoma," Hanna told the royal princess when she dropped the Shadow Veil. She was able to tell that Sir Glenn arrived because the knight touched the veil a while ago. "He saw the Shadow Veil that I made."

"I'll make an excuse for it," Neoma said, then she stood up. "We should leave now. Let's talk again later, Hanna."

"Neoma, can you lend me Sir Crevan again?"

The royal princess looked surprised by her request. "It's fine with me but…" She turned to Lewis Crevan standing behind her. "Lewis, can you accompany Hanna for a while? Since Sir Glenn is here to fetch me, I'll be fine. He's the strongest knight in the empire anyway."

To be honest, she was expecting Lewis Crevan to agree begrudgingly.

So she was a little surprised when the young knight nodded, his face void of any complaints. Even Neoma looked surprised that her "son" agreed easily.

"I'll leave Hanna to you, then," Neoma said to Lewis Crevan who just nodded politely. Then, the royal princess turned to her with a smile. "I'll come back later."

She smiled and nodded. "We will wait for you, Neoma."

They heard a knock on the door.

Neoma once again said goodbye to them, then she opened the door. As expected, it was Sir Glenn. The knight whispered something to the royal princess.

She heard Neoma curse before she ran, quickly followed by Sir Glenn.

It must be a Royal Family matter.

She didn't have time to worry about that since she had something else to deal with.

Hanna faced Lewis Crevan who was still standing behind the chair that Neoma used a while ago. It seemed like the young knight was waiting for whatever it was that she wanted to say to him. "Sir Crevan, did Neoma mention something about Nero's private life when she told you the things that happened in her first life?"

Lewis Crevan gave her a look that said he wouldn't answer her question.

As expected.

To be honest, she was still a little shocked after she heard the things that Neoma went through in her first life. Especially the part where she learned that her mother also caused the royal princess great pain in that lifetime.

Of course, she understood that her mother's grief had pushed her to see Neoma as her replacement. But she was pretty sure that Regina Crowell somehow played with her mother's emotions to make Neoma suffer.

I won't let that little crow hurt Neoma and my mother in this lifetime.

"This present life is different than Princess Neoma's first life."

She raised her head when Lewis Crevan spoke. It was a surprise, to be honest.

"In Princess Neoma's first life, I was Prince Nero's personal knight. Apparently, that Lewis was loyal to the Crown Prince," Lewis continued in his usual indifferent voice. "But in this lifetime, I vowed my loyalty to Princess Neoma. The ounce of concern I have for Prince Nero is only due to the fact that he's Princess Neoma's twin brother."

She stifled a laugh at the young knight's remark regarding Nero.

"I don't care about Princess Neoma's first life," he said firmly. "The only lifetime that matters is the present one where I get to stay with Princess Neoma."

She was touched not only by Lewis Crevan's loyalty towards Princess Neoma.

He's giving me a piece of advice.

It seemed like the fox boy noticed that she was about to ask him who ended up as Nero's Crown Princess when she died early in Neoma's first life.

But after hearing what Lewis Crevan think about his "role" in Princess Neoma's first life, she realized that she didn't have to know who became Nero's bride in that lifetime. After all, she was determined to live long and become the future Crown Princess now.

She was inspired by how Neoma changed her life.

It was her turn to change hers.

"You're right, Sir Crevan. We're not the same people in Princess Neoma's first life," Hanna said firmly. "I will live a healthy life and become the future Crown Princess capable of supporting Nero."

Lewis Crevan didn't respond verbally, but the fox boy gave her a hand gesture that Neoma called "thumbs up."

Ah, Neoma's influence on Sir Crevan is too strong.

***

SHIT, Papa Boss is still a psycho!

When Sir Glenn fetched her, he told her that Emperor Nikolai might seriously injure Duke Rufus Quinzel.

Now that she and Sir Glenn were running to her father's office, she learned that the duke asked her Papa Boss for permission to send Hanna to Gonora. But that request also included the condition that Hanna would be sent to her great uncle Garrett Quinzel.

But apparently, her Papa Boss hated Garrett Quinzel with a passion.

"But why?" Neoma asked while they were running in the hallway. "Why does Papa Boss hate that Garrett Quinzel?"

"Garrett Quinzel helped the former Commander Gavin Quinzel escape with Lady Mona Roseheart," Sir Glenn said seriously. "If the majority of the Twelve Golden Families didn't stop His Majesty back then, he would have surely killed Garrett Quinzel."

Tsk.

She should have expected that it had something to do with the former Commander Gavin Quinzel.

Papa Boss, you need to start healing from your past.

When they arrived at her father's office, Sir Glenn opened the door for her.

She didn't have the time to be shocked when she saw Duke Rufus Quinzel kneeling on the floor while holding his bleeding neck. When she saw her Papa Boss raise his sword as if he was going to behead the duke, her body moved on its own.

Tteokbokki, she said in her mind while running towards her father. Gear mode on!

Be careful, thug princess, Tteokbokki said worriedly. Your father's sword is special so it might be able to cut through my scales.

She gulped when she heard that, but it was already too late to stop.

I won't let Papa Boss hurt Duke Quinzel more than he already has!

She stood protectively in front of the duke, then she raised her crossed arms that were now covered with Tteokbokki's dragon scales as a shield. Her Soul Beast's scales were harder than steel. So imagine her shock when the blade of the emperor's sword managed to cut through the scales and wound her arm.

She gasped when she felt the sharp blade of the sword cut through her skin, making a blood trail on her arm instantly.

"Princess Neoma!" Sir Glenn and Duke Rufus Quinzel yelled worriedly at the same time.

"You fool!" Emperor Nikolai yelled as he immediately pulled his sword away from her now bleeding arm. "Why did you get in my way, Neoma de Moonasterio?!"

"It's not my fault that you are too consumed by your anger that you didn't notice my arrival, Papa Boss," Neoma snapped at her father. Shit, the cut in her arm hurt like crazy. "Now that I've stopped this attempted murder, I'll return to my room and cry."

***

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