Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

[WHY DOES it smell like flowers here?]

Neoma pretty much remembered that after taking a long bath, she went to her Papa Boss's room to sleep. Her father's room smelled nice, but it didn't smell like flowers.

[Ah, am I having another dream?]

"Unnie, are you awake?"

['Unnie?']

She opened her eyes and got up immediately.

Nabi, who was sitting beside her while holding a flower crown, smiled at her. "I knew it– unnie is already awake."

She was back in the floating garden where Nabi brought her before.

This time, the two of them were sitting under the shade of the treehouse. She was also sitting on a bed made of flowers.

[Ah, so that's why the scent is strong.]

"I made a flower crown for unnie while I'm waiting for you to wake up," Nabi said excitedly. Then she pointed a finger at the flower crown on her head. "It's the same as the one I'm wearing because I want to wear a matching item with unnie."

Nabi's innocence melted her corrupted heart.

[How could she still treat me this well when I acted like a bitch the last time we saw each other?]

"Unnie, are you alright?" Nabi asked worriedly. "You look sad."

"Nabi-ya," Neoma said, calling Nabi affectionately. "Why are you being nice to me? I've treated you badly the last time we met. You should get angry at me." She thumped her fist against her chest. "This unnie is trash. I don't deserve your kindness."

"Unnie isn't trash," Nabi said gently, then she smiled and put the flower crown on her head. "Unnie is selfish and greedy, though."

"That's true," she admitted. "I've hurt you because I'm selfish and greedy."

Nabi giggled like the child that she was. "Ruto oppa told me that I have to be patient with unnie because unnie doesn't know how to process her emotions properly," she said. "Ruto oppa said that unnie is a grown-up who's still a child inside."

"I want to deny that, but he's not wrong so…"

"It's okay, unnie," Nabi said while laughing softly. "Ruto oppa said that even though unnie is greedy and selfish, she's still a "softie" inside. Unnie summoned me because you feel bad for what happened last time, right?"

She tilted her head to one side. "I summoned you?"

"Yes, unnie," Nabi said while nodding her head. "Only unnie and Ruto oppa can enter my home, and you can do that by simply wishing to meet me."

Ah, that made sense.

She was thinking about Nabi and how much she wanted to apologize to the child before she fell asleep.

"Nabi-ya."

"Yes, unnie?"

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, then she held Nabi's hands and squeezed them gently. "I'm sorry for being selfish and greedy."

Nabi smiled, but her eyes glistened. "Unnie, I mean it when I say I want to return to Korea and be reunited with our eomma and appa. But that doesn't mean you won't be a part of our family anymore. You'll still be my unnie, and you'll still be our eomma and appa's 'agi.'"

'Agi' meant baby, an affectionate term that Korean parents used on their children.

Remembering how her eomma and appa would call her 'agi' despite being an adult brought tears to her eyes.

She was good at blocking memories she didn't want to remember. That was how she endured the past years without going crazy from missing her eomma and appa. But now, in Nabi's presence, she didn't want to pretend that she was fine.

"I know this is unfair to say in front of you, but I really miss our eomma and appa– and the life that I had in Korea," she said in a cracked voice. "To be honest, when I heard you say you wanted to return to Korea to be with our eomma and appa, I felt very envious of you. Because deep inside, I wanted to do the same. I wanted to run away from here and reclaim my life as an ordinary girl in Korea."

Nabi began to cry as if she could feel her pain, too. "Unnie…"

"Don't cry for me, Nabi-ya," she said while wiping Nabi's tears with her hands. "I'm not completely fine, but I'm no longer miserable. I'm loved in this lifetime, and I honestly don't feel stuck here anymore. I don't mind if I stay here forever, but I will do everything in my power to bring you and appa back to Korea."

It wouldn't be easy to send her appa back to Korea because her Papa Boss was adamant about punishing Gavin Quinzel.

And she couldn't blame her Papa Boss for that.

[Still, at least for Nabi…]

"Unnie deserves to be happy, too," Nabi said between sobs. "I'm thankful that unnie is going to send me back to Korea. But if unnie feels like you can't live as a de Moonasterio anymore, let's run away together."

She laughed softly while still crying, so she hugged Nabi because she didn't want her dongsaeng (younger sibling) to see her ugly crying. "Thank you, Nabi-ya," she said sincerely. "Please hang in there a little longer. This unnie will bring you home as soon as we settle the matters with our appa here."

"I trust unnie, so I will behave like a good girl and won't cause any problem," Nabi said, then she hugged her tight. "Unnie, take care of yourself, too. I'm always praying for unnie's happiness."

Neoma smiled and gently patted the back of Nabi's head. "I'll visit you often, Nabi-ya."

***

"WAKE UP, Neoma."

Neoma slowly opened her eyes, and she was greeted by the person who gave her the best genes in the world. "Papa Boss…"

"You're crying," her Papa Boss said while wiping her tears off with his thumb. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Papa Boss, I met Nabi."

"And who is that?"

"Go Areum and Yoon Jung's daughter."

It seemed like her father recognized the names that she mentioned.

[Of course, Papa Boss knows them since he already retrieved his memories when he and Mama Boss were planning their escape in the past.]

"I thought the baby died when Gavin Quinzel placed your soul in her physical body," her father said carefully.

She smiled and got up. "Ruto brought Nabi's soul to the Cosmic Tree's garden."

Her father flicked her forehead lightly. "Why do you look excited when talking about Ruston Stroganoff?"

She clicked her tongue while rubbing her forehead with her hand. "It's just your imagination, Papa Boss."

Her father let out a sigh. "Explain everything to me without mentioning Ruston Stroganoff. My blood pressure goes up when I hear you talk about that boy."

She pouted. "But you used to be Ruto this, Ruto that before, Papa Boss. You're so fond of him that you're so adamant about making him the next commander of the White Lion Knights even though he's clearly not interested."

"That and your infatuation with Ruston Stroganoff are two different matters."

"I'm not infatuated with him– it's the other way around, Papa Boss."

"That only makes it worse," her Papa Boss said sternly. "And I only like Ruston Stroganoff because he has an Elemental Guardian."

She flinched when she remembered something. "Then, do you like the Black Witch, too?"

"Dahlia Leticia?" her father asked. "I've heard from the Fletcher Twins that Dahlia Leticia insisted on meeting you back in Hazelden. Did the Black Witch show her Elemental Guardian to you?"

"It's the first time that I saw Dahlia's Elemental Guardian," she said. "But that wasn't our first meeting."

"Oh," her father said. "You've met her in your first life?"

"She was the Black Witch that I asked to create the forbidden spell that would tie my life force with Nero in my first life, Papa Boss."

Her father didn't look surprised because he had already heard about that from her. But he looked sad, as if he was hating his version in her first life. She could see the regret and bitterness in her Papa Boss's eyes.

[Aww…]

"Papa Boss, Dahlia was Nero's lover in my first life."

Her Papa Boss looked surprised. "Nero… and a Black Witch?" He paled, paler than he already was. "The me in your first life probably opposed their relationship."

"You did, Papa Boss," she said. "But Papa Boss, if Nero and Dahlia fell in love with each other again in this lifetime, would you oppose their relationship again?"

"No, I won't," her Papa Boss said without missing a heartbeat. "This time, I will prioritize my children's happiness."

[Aww, my Papa Boss is human now.]

She smiled at her father's response. "So, about Ruto–"

"We'll talk about your potential suitors once you're thirty years old."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Papa Boss, the legal age in our empire is eighteen–"

"Ah, I should change that law before you become the empress," her Papa Boss cut her off again. "Better yet, I'll make a law that dictates a royal princess set to take the throne must only be allowed to accept suitors at age thirty. Then she must only be allowed to get married at age thirty-five. A five-year-long engagement should be a pre-requisite before marriage."

She groaned in complaint, then she glared at her Papa Boss. "That's rich coming from someone who was already a father when he was only a teen–"

"I'll call your nanny and ask her to make your hot chocolate," her Papa Boss said, cutting her off once again to avoid the argument. Then he walked towards the door. "Forget about Ruston Stroganoff for now, since we need to talk about more pressing matters at hand."

Neoma pouted, but she also nodded in agreement since they still had a lot of stuff to talk about. "I want some cookies, too, Papa Boss."

***

IT WAS already morning when Neoma and her Papa Boss finished discussing the things related to Hazelden Kingdom and Valmento.

Both she and her Papa Boss probably had tea flowing through their veins now instead of blood. They had to drink tea to keep themselves awake. Her father encouraged her to sleep, though. But she insisted on staying up since her big brain wouldn't get a proper rest anyway unless they covered all the things they had to talk about.

"Scammer Trio," her Papa Boss, who was sitting on the sofa across from her, said while pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you're going to make a contract with William and Delwyn."

Neoma, who was lying down on the sofa, yawned while stretching her arms. "It's only a three-year contract, and the conditions are fair, so don't worry too much, Papa Boss."

"Okay, I won't question your decision regarding that matter," her father said. "But about Dion…"

"I will find the new saint," she assured her father. "I know that Dion doesn't like to live as a divine figure for the temple. He will get his life back soon.

"That's good to hear."

She turned to her father. "About the deal Princess Brigitte proposed to you in the past."

"What about it?"

"Let's push through it," she said. "Delwyn is chummy with the Snow Spirit. If I become a middleman between the Snow Spirit and Princess Brigitte, I'm sure we can safely retrieve their hidden "living weapons." All we have to do is convince the Snow Spirit to stop the harsh snowstorms in order to get to the restricted area where the "living weapons" are hidden, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," her father said. "Do you want to make a deal with Princess Brigitte in my place?"

She nodded. "Can I, Papa Boss?"

"Of course, you can," her father said. "I'll entrust this job to you then."

She smiled at that. "Papa Boss?"

"Yes?"

"I want to reveal my real identity to Princess Brigitte."

This time, her father didn't respond right away. He looked like he was considering it. But his eyes still showed concern.

"I know that it's going to be a dangerous move, since the crows are already looking for me," she said carefully. "But that's exactly the reason why I want to reveal my real identity to the future queen of Hazelden Kingdom."

Understanding dawned on her father's face. "You want to gain your own allies as Neoma de Moonasterio, and not as a fake Crown Prince?"

"Yes, Papa Boss," she said firmly. "It's not like I don't want Nero to take credit for my hard work. But I just thought it was about time for me to gain powerful allies that know my real identity. Because I know that the best way to support Nero is for me to be safe. I have a feeling that he will go batshit crazy if I get hurt."

"Nero isn't the only one who will go insane if you get hurt, Neoma."

She knew that her Papa Boss was talking about himself, but she wanted to tease her father. "I know, Papa Boss. Ruto will surely go insane, too–"

"Come to think of it, Ruston Stroganoff has dual citizenship since he's from the East Continent," her father said, cutting her off again. "I can change the law so that our empire could reject the entrance of people with dual citizenship–"

"Papa Boss, I'll take extra care of myself for you and Nero," she said, while giving her father the best smile she could muster at the moment. "Shall we have breakfast now? I'm hungry."

Her Papa Boss looked at her solemnly. "Don't eat Darkness again," he scolded her lightly. "We don't know why you turned into a tree that day, but I don't like it. The fact that you could change into a tree feels ominous, since the gods want to turn you into an Aether."

She turned serious, too. "I'll do my best not to steal your Moonglow, Papa Boss."

Her father looked shocked by her announcement.

"Dahlia told me that I'm stealing your Moonglow, Papa Boss," she said. "She told me when I asked her why my Moonglow seems to be overflowing, yet weak. Apparently, the Moonglow I steal from you is messing with my system."

"Neoma–"

"If I steal all your Moonglow, are you going to die, Papa Boss?"

Her father let out a deep sigh. "It's a natural occurrence among the de Moonasterios, Neoma," he said softly. "It's inevitable for the Lesser Moon to absorb their father's Moonglow in order to ascend the throne."

"I don't like it," she said stubbornly. "I won't steal your Moonglow anymore, Papa Boss. I'll find a way to stop it."

Her Papa Boss smiled, then he stood up and ruffled her hair. "You're good at breaking the rules, so I'm looking forward to how you'll end another de Moonasterion tradition."

She smiled and nodded. "Just trust me, Papa Boss."

Her father was about to say something, but he was interrupted when they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," her father said.

She got up and sat properly when the door opened and Geoffrey Kinsley entered her father's room.

"Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness," Geoffrey Kinsley said after greeting them politely. Then he turned to the emperor with a worried look on his face. "We have an unexpected guest who wishes to see Her Royal Highness."

She turned to Geoffrey Kinsley. "Me? Who is it?"

"It's Lady Yngrid, Your Royal Highness," Geoffrey Kinsley answered politely. "Lady Yngrid is Chef Ruston Stroganoff's mother."

Neoma almost choked on her saliva. "My future mother-in-law?"

Of course, her joke earned her a death glare from her Papa Boss.

***

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