Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"TREVOR told me that William brought Nero to the Spirit World," Neoma said while she was on the sofa and lying on her side like a slacker that she wanted to be. Then, she put a grape in her mouth before talking again. "Apparently, Papa Boss has already approved Trevor's proposal about treating my twin brother in the Spirit World instead of his lair."

"Is that so?" Mochi asked lazily. The bunny was lying on her stomach while munching on a piece of grape. Since she wasn't a real bunny, she could eat pretty much everything that she wanted to eat. "I guess the Spirit World is safer for Prince Nero than the young devil's lair."

She nodded slowly while staring at the blank wall in front of her.

It was already past her bedtime but she was still up and busy. Right now, she was in a simple reception room in her palace. She was waiting for Trevor to call her using the communication device that he gave her.

And that communication device was the his red devil horn that he pierced through the wall.

The blue devil horn was probably pierced through somewhere in Nero's place.

[Devil horns are pretty useful, huh?]

Only she and Mochi were in that room while Dion Skelton was guarding her outside.

Lewis wasn't with her because she asked her son to help Greko take a bath. Her youngest child seemed to be scared of other people. Thus, she asked her oldest son to take care of the maknae.

[Plus, I'm sure Nero and Lewis will just exchange cold looks if they met through the screen.]

"What's wrong, Princess Neoma?" Mochi asked when she fell silent. "Do you not trust the Spirit World?"

"I'm just wondering where they have been when I needed them in the past."

By past, she meant her first life.

She suffered so much back when she was still the naïve Neoma Quinzel who was foolishly in love with the bastard Rubin Drayton.

[God, remembering the fact that I loved that idiot makes me want to puke.]

Now she felt even more upset.

"The Spirit World ignored me when I was suffering but it opened its door to Nero easily," she said bitterly. Of course, she wasn't blaming her twin brother. She was directly hating on the Spirit World right now. "I know it's petty but I can't help but feel this way. Am I not my mother's child as well? Why do they only favor Nero? I thought the Spirit World is different from the empire since I heard that my Mama Boss was loved by the Spirits."

The Wind Spirit remained silent for a while.

She thought the bunny was ignoring her but she was wrong.

"The Spirit World is probably being wary," Mochi said carefully. "They're wary that you and Prince Nero might be the 'Cursed Twins' of the old prophecy."

What?

Cursed Twins?

Another old prophecy?

[Pfft.]

She clicked her tongue while shaking her head. "How cliché," she said. "What's the story behind it?"

Although it was cliché, it was still very interesting.

As an avid fan of manhwa/anime/webnovels/video games during her second life, the existence of a cursed being and an old prophecy was always exciting to her no matter how many times it had been done already.

"One of the previous old queens of the Spirit World apparently saw an ominous prophecy," the Wind Spirit said. "According to her, the ones who would bring the destruction of the Spirit World is a pair of Cursed Twins. Thus, ever since then, the Spirit World and its rulers have always been wary of twins. If I remember it correctly, there's a law in the Spirit World that says if a pair of twins must enter their world, they would only allow one of the siblings to come in."

She felt bitter once again.

But this time, she actually felt hurt.

[They chose Nero.]

The Spirit World had probably chosen Nero as well during her first life. That was the only explanation she could think as to why nobody helped her back then.

[I died alone in the past– alone and unloved.]

Now she understood why Gin, the black butler cat, had attacked her before by recreating her harsh first life using his realistic illusion.

[It's my greatest fear. I don't want to die alone. I want to be loved.]

That was also probably why she ended up as narcissistic as she was today.

She let out a long sigh. "I guess Nero absorbed all my luck when we were in our Mama Boss's womb," she said. "Oh, well."

Of course, she was still bitter.

But she wouldn't hate Nero for something that he had no control over.

Even if her own twin brother had killed her during her first life, she was confident that it wouldn't happen in this lifetime. But of course, she wasn't being too complacent. Why else would a lazy bish like her do something as annoying as training to get stronger?

[Of course, it's to protect me. I mastered the Art of Defense as a safety measure in case Nero goes lunatic and decides that he wants me dead. This time, I won't let him kill me.]

"Princess Neoma, are you jealous of Prince Nero?"

"A little," she admitted. "I know that he's going through a lot since he was cursed and he had to stay hidden for the past few years. But everyone and everything seems to favor him naturally." She scratched her cheek when she suddenly felt embarrassed. "Petty, isn't it?"

"You're not being petty, Princess Neoma," Mochi said softly. Then, she nuzzled her head against her side as if she was trying to console her. "You're my second favorite person only next to Mona. And I favor you over Prince Nero."

She couldn't help but smile when she heard that.

Plus, she could also hear Kimchi and Soju talking to her in her mind. The two were saying that she was their favorite 'human.'

Aww… she seriously felt touched.

"I'm certain that you're also Lewis Crevan's most favorite person," Mochi continued, then she laughed softly. "The young fox that you call 'son' will choose you over the whole world without hesitation."

She laughed with the Wind Spirit.

[Mochi is probably exaggerating to comfort me.]

And it worked.

She felt better now.

"Thank you, Mochi," Neoma said, then she gently hugged the fluffy white bunny. "Thank you for making me feel loved."

[I feel foolish for almost forgetting that a lot of people love me now.]

Unbeknownst to Neoma, Mochi actually debated whether to tell the royal princess that little Nikolai loved her as well. But in the end, the Wind Spirit decided to keep her mouth shut. After all, Mochi wasn't sure if little Nikolai could really love someone other than Mona.

***

NEOMA realized that she actually missed Nero as soon as her twin brother (who was just a little bit more handsome than her) showed up on the screen. She couldn't help the excitement that came out in her voice when she called him. "Brother Nero!"

She would only call Nero that way when she was acting cute to make him dote on her.

But this time, she was slightly genuine about greeting her twin brother that excitedly. After all, it had been a long time since they talked to each other.

Nero smiled brightly at her. "Neoma, how are you?"

Okay, that was my cue.

This time, she was in acting mode. Now that she decided that she didn't like the Spirit World that much, she devised a plan to protect her special bond with Nero.

[I worked so hard to be Nero's beloved twin sister. I won't let a biased world break us apart. Well, Mochi said that the Spirit World and its residence are good-natured beings. But it wouldn't hurt to be prepared just in case I'm not included among the people that the Spirit World wants to treat well.]

She began her act by abruptly erasing the smile on her face.

"Nero, I don't want to say this but I have to because I was scared," she said in a cracked voice. Hah! This was the power of a former child actress. She could cry anytime she wanted if it was just acting. "Can you ask your friends over there if I did something wrong to the Spirit World?" Wow, her trembling voice amazed even herself. "The Grand Spirit tried to kill me…"

Hiccup.

Wow, did you hear that hiccup coming out of her mouth as if she was a damsel-in-distress being mistreated by her evil stepmother?

Someone please give her an acting award already.

She should receive an award because her fake tears worked on Nero who looked like he was about to destroy the Spirit World any minute now.

[I'm sorry for using you but I have to let them know about our bond, Nero.]

She knew very well that there were at least two sides who wanted her and her twin brother to fight for the throne: the Devil and the cult.

But she and Nero didn't wish to fight just for that reason.

That was the message that she wanted to send to the Spirit World just in case they had an ulterior motive for taking Nero in.

[A warning, if you must.]

"Neoma, this useless older brother of yours is embarrassed," Nero said in a voice filled with regret. "Please wait a little more. I will avenge you once I'm strong enough to destroy the Spirit World and everything in it, including the Grand Spirit scumbag."

She gulped when she realized that her thoughts earlier were correct.

[Nero is serious about destroying the Spirit World, huh?]

"Big Brother, you don't have to destroy the whole Spirit World," she said while wiping the tears off of her face. "Spirit World isn't our enemy. Plus, they're taking good care of you."

"But Neoma…"

She smiled sweetly at her dear twin brother. "Just punish Uncle Scumbag for me, pretty please?"

Nero took a deep breath and closed her eyes as if he was trying to calm himself down.

At that moment, her eyes caught a sudden movement behind her twin brother.

It was William.

And he was glaring at her.

She smirked at him in return.

[See? The Spirit World may favor Nero. But Nero chooses me over the world that seems to care for him deeply.]

It wasn't a competition but she felt victorious.

"I'll bring you William's head as soon as I've recovered."

She almost laughed at Nero's promise when he opened his eyes.

But since she was pretending to be a spoiled younger sister, she controlled her emotions and just simply smiled gratefully at her older brother. Well, if she'd be honest, she'd say that she was genuinely touched to know that in this lifetime, Nero truly loved her.

[My one and only biological oppa.]

Well, Nero's affection for her wasn't normal but she liked being loved. She knew how to control her twin brother anyway.

"Okay, Big Brother," she said sweetly. "I'm looking forward to it."

Nero looked relieved and smiled back at her. Whenever her twin brother would smile innocently like that, he would look like the little boy that he was.

[My oppa sometimes feels like a dong-saeng to me.]

'Dong-saeng' meant younger sibling in the Korean language.

But she only probably felt that way because she was an adult inside.

"I can't listen to this shit anymore."

She ignored William's voice and the loud thump that she heard when he slammed the door shut.

Nero also looked relieved that their audience was gone.

[I hope you got my message loud and clear, Uncle Scumbag.]

"Neoma, I've heard everything from Trevor," Nero said seriously. "The High Priest and the nobles are trying to dethrone you for what happened at the camp?"

She almost rolled her eyes.

[Trevor and his big mouth.]

But she wasn't seriously mad at Trevor. After all, she knew that Trevor would only talk to the right people if needed. If he truly had a loose mouth, then all the secrets of the Devil's Grimoire should have been revealed to the world already.

[He just talks too much.]

"Brother Nero."

"Yes, Neoma?"

"I've committed mass murder," she confessed softly even though Nero had probably heard it from Trevor. "I even stabbed two of them to death."

"And?"

She blinked at her twin brother's casual reply.

"You can do whatever you want, Neoma," Nero said seriously. "If anyone opposes you, remember their face or jot down their names. I will hunt them down for you later."

That response was so Nero-ish.

She knew that her twin brother's weird obsession with her was showing up again. But for some twisted reason, she acknowledged that as his love language. Although she didn't like possessive and obsessive people, she just accepted Nero's way of loving her.

[Well, we're twins so if Nero has a loose screw, so do I.]

"Thank you, Big Brother," she said brightly. "I feel much better now."

"Will you be alright, Neoma?"

She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Brother. I have everything under control. I will strike the temple and the nobles at the same time– and I will make sure that it will hurt."

"Is Father supporting you well?"

"I asked Papa Boss to let me take charge," she said casually. "But he gave me everything that I asked for from money to favors. Plus, I have friends that I can depend on." She raised her hand to show her twin brother her three fingers. "I have three more adopted children now, Brother. Two boys and one girl. They're all strong."

Nero's face didn't change as if he was already used to her crazy antics. "I see," he said calmly. "I'm glad that my nephews and niece are useful to you."

She laughed softly, glad that her twin brother was going along with her joke well.

He looked proud of her. But then, he sighed. "I will make it up to you soon, Neoma."

"You better," she said playfully. "I haven't given up on my dream to become a lady of leisure someday, Brother Nero."

"I will give that kind of life to you, Neoma."

"I know," she said softly. "Until then, I will protect your throne."

It was still Nero's throne since he was the official Crown Prince.

[In the meantime.]

"My throne is yours, Neoma,"  Nero said firmly with a bright smile on his face. "But your throne is yours alone."

Oh.

Her twin brother basically said that he would give her everything he had but he wouldn't ask her for anything.

Neoma smiled sweetly at her twin brother.

[Nero, I trained you well.]

***

"THE ROYAL TWINS' bond is quite strong," Tara, the queen of the Spirit World, commented while walking behind William. Of course, it wasn't proper etiquette for a mere Grand Spirit to walk ahead in front of the queen. But William was an exception since they couldn't control the man. "They're so different from the other pair of twins born into the Royal Family of the de Moonasterios."

The pair of twins from the Royal Family before Prince Nero and Princess Neoma were the now Emperor Nikolai and the former Princess Royal Nichole. The current emperor and the former Princess Royal didn't get along.

More like Emperor Nikolai didn't care about Princess Nichole.

But no matter how harsh it sounded, it was normal for royal siblings or twins to not care about each other. The royal princes were groomed as the future emperor, while the royal princesses were raised only to become the royal princes' "emergency source of life force."

The relationship between Prince Nero and Princess Neoma wasn't like that.

"Of course they would be different," William scoffed without even turning to her. Yes, he was that rude. "They are Mona's children so they're bound to be special."

"Princess Neoma warned the Spirit World, didn't she?"

The Grand Spirit just scoffed again.

But she knew that she was right.

She could tell that Princess Neoma blatantly showed off her tight relationship with Prince Nero. It was as if she was warning the Spirit World that she "owned" the royal prince.

"Is it just me or Princess Neoma put on a show?" she asked in an interested manner. "It looked like Her Royal Highness was boasting that she has Prince Nero wrapped around her little, fancy finger."

"Obviously," he said bluntly. "Between those twins, Nero looks like the possessive one because of his foolish actions. But the filthy bug is crazier than her twin brother. She's just good at hiding it. But if you touch one of her people, she'd snap like the lunatic that she is." He clicked his tongue while shaking his head. "I bet she'd blow up the entire Spirit World if we refused her entry once she comes to visit Nero."

Ah, yes.

The Spirit World had a law that said if a pair of twins must enter their domain, they could only allow one of the siblings to enter their land.

Nero wasn't aware of that particular law yet.

[But since his physical body already touched our land, it can no longer be undone.]

Suddenly, she remembered the instance where another pair of royal twins from a long time ago caused a ruckus because the Spirit World wouldn't open its door for the two of them.

"William."

"What?"

"The new royal twins remind me of them."

"Who?"

"Princess Aruna and Emperor Arche."

The Grand Spirit stopped walking, forcing her to do the same. Then, he turned around. There was a grim look on his face. "Those royal twins weren't related to us."

By that, he meant the Rosehearts and the Spirit World.

That was exactly why he was wrong.

"There was a Roseheart that tied the twins together," Tara reminded the Grand Spirit firmly. "The male Roseheart that was forcefully merged with a god instead of a beast."

"Stop," William warned the Spirit Queen coldly. His eyes were cold and his expression was hard. He was obviously trying to suppress his anger. But when he talked, he still sounded calm. "Such being never existed."

***

NERO smiled sadly at the being in front of him.

It was a pink dolphin the size of his head inside the floating transparent crystal ball in front of him. Of course, the crystal ball was filled with clear "water." But on a closer inspection, one on the level of an expert would realize that it wasn't water.

Pure Mana.

It was pure Mana that only the "chosen" ones could possess.

"Neoma is so beautiful," the crying pink dolphin said between sobs. "But she inherited her father's craziness. Still, she's crazy beautiful!"

Nero laughed softly. "I know," he agreed gently. "But please stop crying, Mother."

Yes, 'Mother.'

The pink dolphin in front of her right now was the "borrowed" Spirit Form of Lady Mona Roseheart.

And her existence was something that not even the Spirit Queen could feel.

[Neoma, our mother is the best.]

***

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