Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

NERO ALMOST died.

If William didn't pull him out of the water, he would have drowned. He was in his spirit form so he didn't think it'd be possible until he couldn't breathe underwater. This was already his 5th time jumping in the water and he still couldn't dive deeper.

"I told you it wouldn't be easy," William said, then he squatted down beside him. Then, he touched his shoulder. As soon as the Grand Spirit did that, he felt warmth spread all over his body until he was dry. Yes, the "water Mana" works like real water. Thus, he was soaked when he got out of the water earlier. "Did you see anything this time, Nero?"

Nero took a deep breath, then he nodded before speaking. "A water snake with red eyes," he said. "A large one, It slapped me with its tail as soon as it saw me. That's the reason why I lost consciousness earlier."

Thus, he almost drowned.

"It's the black serpent," the Grand Spirit said. "Her name is Nathaira. She's practically the queen of the Black Ocean. She's strong especially in the Black Ocean where she could control the water and the other sea beasts. But if you asked me, I'd say she's just a stupid brat."

[Ah, he doesn't get along well with Nathaira.]

"Is she one of Mother's Spirit Guardians?"

"Well, you can say that," William said, then he paused for a while before he spoke again. "But Nathaira isn't doing this just because he's duty. Like most Spirits, that lady serpent simply loves and adores your mother so much."

He didn't voice his thoughts but deep inside, he wondered why his mother was so well-loved by the Spirits. It wasn't a bad thing, of course. He was just curious.

[I think Neoma inherited our mother's charisma. Although it's a good thing that she's surrounded by strong people willing to die for her, I don't think I'd like it if those people love her as much as I do. I should be the only who loves her the most.]

Ah, this was bad.

He promised Neoma that he wouldn't be too possessive and too overprotective of her. But he couldn't help it.

[Maybe I inherited Father's tendency to obsess over the person he loves.]

"Nero, what else did you see underwater?"

"Ah, that's right," he said when he remembered how he managed to find Nathaira, the black serpent, in the first place. "I think I saw a huge block of ice on what seems like the ocean floor."

The Grand Spirit's jaw clenched. "Your mother is trapped inside that huge block of ice."

He guessed that much. Thus, he tried to get near the block of ice that he saw. "William, why doesn't Nathaira allow you to get near Mother? I'm sure the water serpent knows that you are my mother's Spirit Guardian."

And he knew that every Spirit in the world knew how loyal William was to his mother.

"I asked Nathaira the same thing the first time I tried to rescue Mona," William explained, then he turned to the Black Ocean. "But she told me that it isn't time for our master to arise yet. And…"

"And what?"

"Apparently, Mona is waiting for someone else," William said in an annoyed voice. "Nathaira said that our master expects me to bring that person to her."

"Who is Mother waiting for? Could it be–"

"Nikolai de Moonasterio, of course," the Grand Spirit said. "As if I'd tell that dumb emperor where Mona is."

"I don't think Mother is waiting for Father."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If Mother is waiting for Father, she wouldn't have run away from him in the first place."

The Grand Spirit fell silent for a while before he nodded. "That makes sense. But who do you think your mother is waiting for?"

"Neoma."

"What?! That filthy bug?!"

He stared coldly at William. "Say that one more time and I'll kill you."

William let out a frustrated sigh. "Why would Mona wait for your twin sister? You're the one who inherited the Roseheart blood. If there's someone who's going to save her, it must be you and not the princess who inherited the Moonglow."

Of course, he ignored everything the Grand Spirit said. "Can you change my appearance?"

"Huh?"

"Make me look like Neoma," he explained. "You said Nathaira is dumb. Maybe we could fool her."

"We could definitely do that since Nathaira doesn't use her tiny brain that much," William said with furrowed brows. "But why do I have to change your appearance to make you look like your twin sister?"

"As I said, I believe Mother is waiting for Neoma," Nero explained, then he looked at the Black Ocean. "I think Nathaira will allow me to get near mother if she thinks I'm my twin sister."

***

NEOMA stopped chewing the cookie in her mouth when she noticed her Papa Boss scowl when the crumbs fell on his bed.

Yes, she was in her father's room to talk to him. Since she needed her big brain to work, she brought cookies and a glass of milk with her. She comfortably sat on Papa Boss's bed while munching on her snacks without asking if she could it on his bed.

[Oops.]

"Do you hate it, Papa Boss?" Neoma asked after swallowing the cookie that she just chewed. "Can't I eat on the bed?"

Emperor Nikolai let out a frustrated sigh. "Forget it. Your mother used to eat on our bed in the past as well."

She covered her ears with her hands. "Stop it, Papa Boss. No child wants to hear their parents' intimate moments."

He just rolled his eyes at her, then he sat on the chair beside the table to face her. "What is it that you want to talk about in my room?"

"Your room is the safest place in the whole palace since it's well-protected," she said seriously. "Papa Boss, what I'm about to say is a national-level secret."

"Then talk."

She took a deep breath first.

After she heard from Lewis that Sir Glenn also heard the story that Lisica told her, she talked to the knight and stopped him from reporting to her Papa Boss. She told Sir Glenn that she'd do it herself.

Thus, here she was now.

[I have to share my crazy conspiracy theory with Papa Boss.]

"Papa Boss, do you know Rustin Crevan?"

"Yes. He was the last head of House Crevan, and the last nine-tailed fox before Lewis Crevan appeared," he said. "What about him?"

"I met him a while ago."

Her father didn't look surprised at what she said. "I already know that Lewis Crevan is being trained by the former nine-tailed foxes in the book that Trevor handed to him. Glenn reported it to me the first time he entered the book with Lewis Crevan."

Ah, she should have expected that already.

"I talked to Lisica, their current queen, and she told me something that I bet you haven't heard yet."

"What is it?"

"Prepare your heart, Papa Boss," she said, then she paused for a more dramatic effect. When her father started to look annoyed, she finally broke her silence. "Queen Lisica told me that Rustin Crevan's Marble was stolen by the Crow and not your crazy father, Papa Boss."

Her father really looked shocked by her revelation.

"Now it makes sense why my father didn't turn immortal even after he claimed that he ate all the Marbles of the entire Silver Fox Clan," her Papa Boss said when he got over his shock. "My father didn't get to eat the Fox's Marble because it was stolen by the Crow, huh?"

She nodded. "Queen Lisica also told me that the Crow might have stolen the Fox's Marble to revive a person that could kill me," she added, making her father frown. "Because apparently, the Crow exists to torment and kill the royal princesses born in the empire."

Her Papa Boss remained silent as if he was thinking deeply.

She wasn't done talking yet though.

"Papa Boss?"

"What?"

"I have a crazy conspiracy theory," she said carefully. "I think the Crow revived Callisto de Luca using the Fox's Marble."

Once again, her father looked shocked by what she said.

"I know that Callisto de Luca has been dead for a long time now," she explained quickly. "But he was half-god, wasn't he? What if they stored their body or something? If my aunt Princess Nichole came back to life, then it's also possible for Callisto de Luca to be revived, right?"

"Why do you think the Crow would revive Callisto de Luca?"

"Well, he was the founder of the Crow," she said. "And based on the story that I heard from Lord Yule, it seems like Callisto de Luca hates the royal princesses the most."

"Well, that's plausible."

She scowled at her father's lack of interest in her theory.

"Is that all, Neoma?"

"Huh?" she asked, surprised. Then, she nodded. "Yes, Papa Boss."

"Then, go to sleep now. It's already past your bedtime," her Papa Boss said, then he stood up and began to leave the room. "You may sleep her for tonight. I will allow your little knight to guard outside my bedroom for tonight," he said without even looking back at her. "I just remembered that I have some work left to do."

Neoma clicked her tongue in annoyance. [Tsk. Just when I thought we have gotten closer, he suddenly acts distant.]

***

"HAVE you reflected enough?" Nikolai asked Geoffrey Kinsley while standing in front of the Paladin's cell. Geoffrey had been locked up in the basement cell for a few days now. It was his punishment for disobeying his order that led to endangering Neoma's life. "I hope you have learned your lesson by now, Geoffrey Kinsley."

Geoffrey, kneeling on the other side of the jail bars, lowered his head even more. "I deeply apologize for endangering Princess Neoma's life just because of my curiosity and selfishness, Your Majesty," he said. "It won't happen again."

"The next time you disobey me, I will have you killed," he warned, then he turned to Glenn, the only person that he brought with him in the basement cell. After all, what he was about to say to the two Paladins was top-secret. "You may release him now, Glenn."

Glenn bowed to him politely. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

After a few moments, his personal knight opened the cell and released Geoffrey.

But he didn't move from his spot.

Thus, Glenn and Geoffrey also remained standing in front of him.

"Neoma informed me that according to Rustin Crevan, it was the Crow that stole his Fox's Marble and not my father," he said, making Glenn and Geoffrey more attentive than usual. "My daughter believes that the Crow revived Callisto de Luca during the Marble. Although plausible, I don't think it would work. Callisto de Luca was half-god and thus, a mere Marble wouldn't be enough to revive him."

"That's true," Glenn said when the knight noticed that he was done talking. "If it would only take the Fox's Marble to revive Callisto de Luca, they would have done it a long time ago."

"Do you have someone else in mind, Your Majesty?" Geoffrey asked carefully. "Do you think the Crow stole the Fox's Marble to revive someone that you know?"

Ah, as expected of the sharpest Paladin that he had.

[Geoffrey already knows what I'm thinking, huh?]

"Yes, I have someone else in mind," Nikolai said seriously, then he took a deep breath before speaking again. His idea was crazy but he couldn't take it off of his mind. "I have a feeling that it was the Crow who stole Juliet's body, and they probably used the Fox's Marble to revive her."

***

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