Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

260 THE EMPRESS MAKER

"I WILL find a way for us to be able to return to Korea, sweetie."

That was a tempting offer.

But Neoma's heart didn't waver.

Of course, she'd love to return to her peaceful life with her eomma and appa. She still hoped to be a lady of leisure in the future. But after discovering that the Royal Family was a scum as a whole, she knew that she couldn't just run away.

"Appa, I'm sorry but I can't return to Korea right now even if there's a way to do so," Neoma said in a sad yet firm voice. "Plus, I made a contract with Lord Yule."

Her appa's eyes widened in shock. "What kind of contract?"

"I shall become the first empress of this godforsaken empire, appa," she said, shocking her dad. "I must also retrieve Lord Yule's missing eyes."

"Agi."

"Nae, appa?"

"When did you grow up this much?" her dad said in a kind of emotional voice. "You even have a boyfriend now."

"Boyfriend?"

"Ruston Stroganoff," her appa said. "He was the one who brought you to me."

"Ruto is not my boyfriend, appa," she said, hoping that her cheeks didn't turn red although she could feel her face getting warm. But why would she blush in the first place? "Appa, I only look like a grown-up because of the power that I used. But my physical body in this world is still a child. Getting a boyfriend at my current age isn't my priority."

Her dad chuckled while gently patting her head. "I know, agi. I'm just messing with you. Moreover, I won't easily let Ruston Stroganoff off the hook if he made a move on you when you're just a baby."

"I'm a child, not a baby, appa," she complained playfully. [And if I think about it, it seems like I'm the one making a move on Ruto all this time.]

God.

That boy could really shatter her ego effortlessly.

"Your face finally lit up, Neoma," her appa said softly. "You were so serious earlier that I almost didn't recognize my bright daughter."

Ah, so that was why her appa teased her about having a boyfriend.

[Appa wanted to cheer me up.]

She smiled at her dad. "Thank you, appa. I feel better now."

"Dahaeng ida," her appa said in Korean, expressing that he was relieved to know that she felt better now. "Although I didn't want to be indebted to the Devil, I have to say that I'm glad that he revived me in this world."

"It was the Devil who revived you, appa?" she asked, surprised. "He was also the one who revived Aunt Nichole."

"The Devil is a known necromancer," her appa explained. "But unlike the others, he could bring people back to life without having them turn into monsters. That's why the people who worship him treat him like a god. The gods take that as an insult. Therefore, they made him their worst nemesis."

She wasn't surprised to hear that, but she was still disappointed.

The gods that governed their continent might be out of their minds.

"But appa, why do you think the Devil revived you?" she asked curiously. "Is it related to their will to make me sit on the throne? Did the Devil know that I'm your daughter back in my previous life?"

"I believe that the Devil's main objective for reviving me is to make me fight against His Majesty," her dad said. "As you expected, I also think that the Devil knows about our connection."

"You also seem to know that this is already my third life, appa," she said. "You have the memories of your life as the former commander back when we were in Korea. Does it mean my eomma is Lady Mona Roseheart in her previous life?"

The sad smile that her father gave her looked like a confirmation.

"Appa, why did you and eomma keep it from me?" she asked, quite sad. "I also have the memories of my previous life back then."

"We just didn't see the point of telling you, agi," her appa said in an apologetic voice. "Your eomma and I wanted to give you a normal life. Did we make the wrong decision?"

She gently shook her head. "The life that I had with you and eomma is what I consider my best life, appa. It doesn't matter who you were or what you and eomma did in your previous lives. All that matters to me is that you gave me a warm home and a happy family." She smiled and this time, she wasn't forcing it. "Thank you for raising me preciously. I will complete my job in this world as soon as I can. After that, let's think of a way to return to Korea." She held her appa's hands and squeezed them gently. "Can you wait for me until then, appa?"

"You didn't have to ask, agi," her appa said gently. "Of course, I will wait for you. I'm sure your eomma is also waiting for us to return."

That came as a surprise to her.

[Right. Lady Mona Roseheart is already gone in this world. But my eomma is still alive when I died in my second life.]

"Appa, what happened when I died?" she asked curiously. "I died while having a live stream. My viewers were shocked, weren't they?"

"You didn't die, Neoma."

Her eyes widened in shock. "I didn't die?"

"You fell into a comatose state after getting poisoned from the bad coconut wine that you drank. Your eomma and I have been taking care of you in the hospital since then," her appa explained. "Moreover, time flows differently here. It may have been years since your soul returned to this world. But before I was summoned by the Devil, only eight months have passed since you were comatose."

She was too shocked to react.

Of course, she was shocked to learn that her physical body in Korea was still alive when she was already living a new life in this world. That meant there were two "Neomas" existing at the moment. She could only think of one explanation for that.

[Parallel universe…?]

"I know what you're thinking, Neoma," her dad said gently. "But there's only one you. Your soul left your physical body in Korea and entered your physical body in this world when you were summoned here."

"Is that the same case for you, appa?"

"I believe so," her dad said, then he sighed. "That's why I can't wait to return to Korea. Your eomma must be worried sick now that I've also fallen into a comatose state."

So when the former Commander Gavin Quinzel and Lady Mona Roseheart died in this world, their souls went to the bodies of the eomma and appa of her second life? She was still wrapping her head around that idea but it kind of made sense.

To be honest, she still had so many questions regarding what her appa explained about her physical body in Korea.

But she also knew that it could wait.

"I must be the empress as soon as possible to be able to return home," she said determinedly.

"That's right, agi."

"Appa, can't you return to the empire as a Quinzel? Being with the Devil will make you the empire's enemy," she said. "I'm currently posing as Nero so if you remain by the Devil's side, it will be hard for us to communicate…"

"Hard but not impossible," her dad said. "Neoma, I will support you in secret. I don't want to jeopardize your current position in the empire. We must hide our connection."

She nodded eagerly. "I understand, appa."

Her appa held her shoulders. "Neoma, listen to me. You need to strengthen your power and influence over the nobility and the commoners as early as now."

"I'm already doing that, appa."

"No. You're building up Prince Nero's power and not yours," her dad said sternly. "Doing remarkable things while pretending as the Crown Prince will only strengthen your twin brother's position, Neoma."

"But I can't reveal my identity yet…"

"I'm not asking you to reveal your identity to the public, agi," he said softly. "But I want you to gather allies that know your real identity as the only royal princess of the empire."

"But the crow…"

"The crow already knows that His Majesty has a hidden daughter," her appa said. "After all, they only gain power every time a royal princess is born in the empire. But as far as I can tell, you're being protected by several entities. They are the reason why the crows haven't realized yet that you're the royal princess that they're hunting down."

"Oh," she said, pleasantly surprised. "I wonder who or what it is that protect me."

"I wish I could tell you but I also don't know," her appa said, then he changed the topic. "Neoma, if you find a dependable and trustworthy ally, don't hesitate to reveal your real identity to that person. There are ways to make them keep your secret anyway. But if they happen to betray you, don't worry about it." Her dad smiled brightly. "I will gladly get rid of them for you."

It was weird that the sweet and gentle appa she knew would say things like that.

But then again, he was still the former commander of the White Lion Knights. It was pretty normal for the knights in that world to kill people for those they served.

"Okay, appa," she said, then she gasped when she remembered something. "Appa, I need to harvest the souls of the red foxes that I promised my new friend."

"New friend?"

"A Grim Reaper called 'Mr. Eight.'"

Her appa laughed softly, then he pulled her for another warm and tight hug. "My agi is really the best."

Neoma smiled and hugged her father back. "Because my appa is also the best."

***

"YOU'VE PUSHED yourself too hard this time, Ruto."

Ruto took a deep breath after coughing up blood a while ago.

Thankfully, it happened after he left Lewis Crevan in the room. He was on his way to check on His Majesty when his body gave up and returned to its original form. Right now, he was seated on the ground while leaning against the tree and catching his breath.

"If you're going to go this far for Princess Neoma, you should have just told her everything," Veton, now in the form of a small bird, said while sitting on his shoulder. "You even left her in the care of Gavin Quinzel."

"I have to act normal in front of the former commander," Ruto said defensively. "I don't want him to get suspicious of me."

Because if he caught Gavin Quinzel's attention, the former commander might investigate him. Although it was unlikely for his secret to be discovered, he still wanted to be careful. He must protect Neoma from the shadow master.

"I can't let Gavin Quinzel know that I know the door to the other world that he came from," he said softly. "I must keep the door hidden until it's time for Neoma to leave this world."

Veton let out a sigh. "If only you could tell Neoma what you know…"

"I could, but I would lose the memories of my past life. That was the rule," Ruto reminded his Elemental Guardian, then he closed his eyes to rest for a moment. "It sucks but I can only do the bare minimum to help Neoma at the moment…"

***

"NEOMA, are you okay?"

"Gwaenchanayo, appa," Neoma said while catching her breath, then she looked at her small and frail arms. "I returned to my chibi form."

By "chibi form," she meant her original appearance as a nine-year-old child.

After harvesting the souls of the red foxes that Lisica and Rustin Crevan were guarding, she felt her Mana deplete. Then, she turned back to her original form.

[Farewell, young adult Neoma…]

""Appa?"" Lisica "whispered" to Rustin Crevan. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know, my queen," Rustin Crevan "whispered" back. "But the little princess speaks different languages so…"

She turned to the two nine-tailed foxes and smiled at them. "Queen Lisica, Lord Rustin, you may now return. I will summon you again if I need you."

Lisica and Rustin Crevan looked like they were about to complain.

But all of a sudden, the two Spirits were pierced by identical dark spears through their chests. Then, Lisica and Rustin Crevan burst into a cloud of thick smoke and disappeared.

[Those black spears looked like shadows…]

She turned to her appa who was smiling warmly at her. "It was you, appa. Why did you have to do that to Queen Lisica and Lord Rustin?"

"Neoma, don't address them formally," her appa scolded her lightly. "You're higher in rank than those Spirits."

She wasn't comfortable with what her appa said.

But she let it slide because she knew that her dad had a point. Moreover, Lewis entered the room and approached them.

"Princess Neoma, Curtis Smit is still in the place where we saw him earlier," Lewis reported to her. "But he's already killed by the former Princess Royal."

"Deserved," she said. "But I need to harvest Curtis Smit's soul for Mr. Eight," she added, then she turned to her dad. "Appa, will you go with us?"

"That might not be a good idea," her appa said apologetically. "I can feel the Paladins' Mana to the place you're headed to. I'll just hide in the shadows and follow you."

She nodded and embraced her appa again. "See you later, appa."

Her appa kissed the top of her head. "See you later, agi."

After saying farewell to her dad, she and Lewis headed to the room where they last saw Curtis Smit and her Aunt Nichole.

Like what her appa said, the Paladins were indeed there.

And so were Juris Wisteria, Jeno Dankworth, and her new baby Greko.

[But why aren't they moving?]

She soon realized why.

Everything faded in the background when she saw the scene that made the Paladins and her "children" freeze.

Princess Nichole just ripped Madam Hammock's heart out of her chest while Saint Dominic Zavaroni only stood and watch it happen.

[No!]

Neoma cried and ran towards the Healing Sage. "Madam Hammock!"

***