Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"CAN YOU let me go now?" Trevor, who was imprisoned inside a giant hourglass in the middle of a library. Since it was an hourglass, it was "raining" sand inside. He was sitting on top of the mountain of sand thanks to his power. If he was an ordinary person, he would have already been buried under it. "The chaos is over now, isn't it?"

When he felt the Darkness attack Princess Neoma, he immediately left the Spirit World to save her princess-in-distress.

But he was kidnapped along the way.

"Trevor, you should be more careful in the future," the Devil, Arche de Moonasterio, scolded him. The devil was sitting on top of a tall pile of thick and hard-covered books. He had his legs crossed while reading a book titled 'The Dead Royal Language.' "The crows are now actively looking for Neoma de Moonasterio. If you had come to her rescue, the crows will wonder why you're aiding the "Crown Prince.""

"I was there when Princess Neoma attacked the crow that ran the Death Camp, though. The princess even used me as a scapegoat as to why a Hellgate appeared that time," he reasoned. "Why would it make a difference if I showed up next to the "Crown Prince" now?"

"Because the crows are paying attention this time," the Devil said, his eyes still stuck to the book he was reading. "The royal twins are going to turn ten years old soon. For some reason, the crows begin to move once the royal children reach that age."

"That has nothing to do with me," he said stubbornly. "How dare you deprive me of the opportunity to appear as Princess Neoma's demon-in-shining-armor?"

"Neoma de Moonasterio didn't need your help," the Devil said, brushing his complaints off just like that. "And if she was in a seriously dangerous situation, I would have appeared myself to save her."

"It was a pretty dangerous situation, though," he insisted. "My Moon Princess has turned into a tree!"

He learned all of that through the Death Scythe's 'eyes.'

Whenever Princess Neoma would use that weapon, he would get a glimpse of what was going on around the princess.

"So what if she turned into a tree?" the Devil asked nonchalantly. "It's one of her abilities as Mona Roseheart's daughter. Neoma de Moonasterio isn't as good as Nero de Moonasterio when it comes to controlling Spirits, but she inherited Mona's affinity to nature."

"Prince Nero is better than Princess Neoma in controlling Spirits?"

"Yes, Nero de Moonasterio is the more talented Summoner between the twins," the Devil explained. "Neoma de Moonasterio gains Spirits by being their "friend." But Nero de Moonasterio is different. He can make a slave out of any Spirit he comes contact with, regardless of their will. Even William and Tara are drawn to the prince."

"Whatever," he said while waving his hand. "My Moon Princess is still the best in my heart."

"Are you serious about your feelings for Neoma de Moonasterio?"

"We're not that close for us to be having this kind of conversation, my lord."

Arche de Moonasterio finally closed the book he was reading, then he raised his head to give him a dire stare. "Trevor Kesser, do you know why I let you escape?"

"Hey, you didn't let me escape," he argued. "My Moon Princess came and rescued me."

"The key to your prison back then was the Death Scythe, and I knew Neoma de Moonasterio could wield it," the Devil said. "Do you think I'm dumb to leave the key in there when I know the only person who could save you would come and find you there?"

He arched his eyebrows. "You knew my Moon Princess would come and get me?"

"I was the one who created the curse that almost killed Nero de Moonasterio," the Devil reminded him. "And I know you're the only one who can cure him. Naturally, I know the emperor would end up looking for the Devil's Grimoire in search of the cure for his son."

"And you predicted the emperor would send Princess Neoma to that errand?"

"I just figured it would end that way when Nikolai de Moonasterio made his daughter pretend as the Crown Prince."

"You should totally become a fortuneteller, my lord."

The Devil grinned at his sarcasm.

Uhm, okay. That evil grin sent shivers down his spine. He instantly regretted getting smart with the devil when he saw a glint of mischief in his now glowing red eyes.

[One must think first before provoking the devil.]

"Trevor Kesser, let me read your fortune for you."

"Uh, no, thanks."

"In three years' time, you will lose Neoma de Moonasterio to the boy who owns an Elemental Guardian–"

"That damned Chef Ruto or whatever his name is?"

The Devil gave him a cold stare for cutting him off.

"I'm sorry, my lord," he said, then he politely pointed both of his hands at him. "Please carry on."

"I, along with Nichole de Moonasterio and the rest, will abduct Neoma de Moonasterio as soon as Nero de Moonasterio returns."

"Why are you saying that to me?" he asked, confused. "Do you think I'm no snitch? I'm sorry, but I won't keep this a secret from my Moon Princess."

"Feel free to do that, but know you're still going to lose your "Moon Princess" forever if you don't take my side."

The Devil didn't sound like he was joking.

Well, not that the Devil joked with him before.

"Trevor, something big will happen three years later," the devil said in a calm yet commanding voice. A de Moonasterio would always be a de Moonasterio, huh? "We will be lying low for now in order to prepare for it. Moreover, if the crows notice I'm protecting the "Crown Prince," they'll immediately realize that the "Crown Prince" is actually the royal princess they're looking for."

"So, you'll cut us off in the meantime?"

The Devil nodded. "Whatever happens to Neoma de Moonasterio, I, the Devil, will not make a move."

"But what if Princess Neoma gets in serious trouble?"

The Devil pointed a finger at him. "I will leave Neoma de Moonasterio's safety to you."

"You're overestimating me, my lord."

Arche de Moonasterio snapped his fingers.

The pile of books under him suddenly disappeared. And in just the blink of an eye, the Devil was now standing in front of the hourglass. Then he placed his hand on the glass.

[Oh, the sand stopped from falling.]

Soon, the giant hourglass turned into clouds of dust before disappearing completely.

Trevor landed safely on his feet. But he couldn't move when Arche de Moonasterio suddenly grabbed his face– forcing his mouth to form an 'o.' [What the hell?]

"Stick out your tongue," the Devil ordered him. When he didn't move, he gave her a warning look. "Do you want me to cut it off instead?"

He stuck out his tongue unwillingly.

Arche de Moonasterio stared at his middle tongue piercing.

Yes, he had a tongue piercing– and it was the cause of his curse.

"If Neoma de Moonasterio gets in a life-threatening situation, send me a signal," the Devil said, then he let go of his face quite roughly. "I'll undo your curse."

He was too shocked to react.

"Once I undo your curse, you'll be free," Arche de Moonasterio said. "But if Neoma de Moonasterio doesn't get into a life-threatening situation for the next three years, I will still undo your curse… if you keep your mouth shut and help me with my plan later."

He clenched his hands tight because the Devil's offer was starting to sound so tempting.

[My freedom…]

"You're not the Devil's Grimoire, and you're not even a real demon," the Devil said, then he pointed at his mouth. He was probably pointing out at his tongue piercing. "Don't forget who you truly are, Trevor."

"I haven't forgotten who I am," he said firmly, then he put a hand over his chest. "I am Princess Neoma's future husband."

"Do you want me to cut your tongue off?"

He covered his mouth with his hands.

Arche de Moonasterio looked at him long and hard before he spoke again. "In this continent, people who study magic all their lives are called Mages. But the people who created the magic the mages study are called Sorcerers." He pointed at him. "Trevor Kesser, you are born with innate magical abilities so great even your own family sent you to the Devil out of fear."

"My lord, it's unfair to bring up my trauma straight to my face."

"Stop talking nonsense and get your act together from now on," the Devil said seriously. "The battle that will take place after three years will be a gruesome one."

"Why don't you just revive the powerful people we need to get rid of the crows?"

"If it was that easy, I would have done it already," the Devil said. "Reviving Gavin Quinzel almost exhausted me already."

"Just Gavin Quinzel?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Weren't you the one who stole the late Empress Juliet's corpse?"

"I only steal bodies of dead people, Trevor."

"Huh?"

"I need to get going, so I'll kick you out of my territory now," Arche de Moonasterio said, then he snapped his fingers. "I'm looking forward to seeing the youngest Sorcerer of the continent again to get in his prime again, Trevor Kesser."

Trevor grinned, then he stuck his tongue out. "I will only show my good side to my Moon Princess."

***

<DE LUCA MANSION>

"THE BLACK Witch disappeared?"

"The damned Fletcher Twins are so good at erasing traces."

Regina covered her mouth when she yawned while listening to the adults in the family talk.

Right now, she was in the study hall while listening to her Uncle Raven and Aunt Sonja talk about their next move. Of course, His Excellency was also present in the form of a black crow placed on the center seat.

<"Let's forget about the Black Witch in the meantime,"> His Excellency, in the form of a crow with a metallic voice, said. <"This is a sensitive time for our Masterpiece.">

Regina rolled her eyes.

The 'Masterpiece' His Excellency was talking about was the most perfect de Luca among the crow children– the strongest, the smartest, the most talented, the most charismatic, and the most handsome.

<"What happened to Bram was a shame,"> His Excellency continued. <"But thanks to the recent incident, we found out that the Crown Prince is actually the royal princess we've been looking for all this time.">

Bram lived, and her useless brother was resting in his real body at the moment.

[Good riddance.]

"Do we just let the royal princess gain that much influence while we still don't know where the real Crown Prince is?" her Uncle Raven asked.

<"Leave her be,"> His Excellency said. <"Let the royal princess gain power for the Crown Prince. Once we get rid of her, the Crown Prince will benefit from all her hard work anyway.">

[That makes sense.]

Poor royal princess working hard for nothing.

"The Devil didn't make a move even after what happened," her Uncle Raven said. "They're being careful. Too careful for my taste."

"They must be planning something big," her Aunt Sonja said. "It's been noisy recently. The Spirits, the Nature, and even the Constellation of Stars are being quiet. Will things really move after three years?"

<"That's more than enough time for us to prepare,"> His Excellency said. <"Regina, you and our Masterpiece will be the key players for our next move.">

Her Uncle Raven and Aunt Sonja turned to her at the same time.

[Beautiful.]

Gray hair, black eyes, milky white skin.

The de Lucas' beauty was only second to the de Moonasterios. Just like the Royal Family, the de Lucas also aged slowly.

"Ah, I'm still mad we had to drop Rubin Drayton from our plan," her Aunt Sonja complained, then her aunt cupped her face between her hands. "My poor niece. All the time you spent seducing that dumb kid had gone to waste…"

"That plan already went down the drain the moment Hanna Quinzel lived," her Uncle Raven said. "Regina was supposed to replace the Quinzel Princess."

Yes, that was the plan.

"I still don't know how the fake Crown Prince's side realized I was a crow," Regina said, removing her aunt's hands from her face. "Lewis Crevan didn't look surprise when I appeared at Hazelden Kingdom. It was as if he already knew who I was."

<"I have an idea, but I don't have any evidence to prove it for now,"> His Excellency said. <"But I have a feeling I will soon find out whether my hunch is right or wrong–">

His Excellency stopped talking when the ground shook hard.

It was followed by an earth-shattering roar of an angry animal. But the animal didn't feel normal at all.

His Excellency flew to the balcony.

Her Uncle Raven and Aunt Sonja followed, so Regina didn't have a choice but to go to the balcony and take a look at what was happening.

She wasn't even surprised to see who caused the commotion.

[Of course, it's him.]

"I caught a pet," the so-called 'Masterpiece' declared cheerfully. "Did I do a good job?"

THAT wasn't a 'pet.'

[Where did he even find THAT?]

Uncle Raven and Aunt Sonja let out a laugh– a laugh filled with awe and excitement.

Even His Excellency let out a chuckle which rarely happened. <"As expected of our Masterpiece,"> he said proudly. <"With this, it's now decided we will be sending him to the Royal Moon Academy three years later.">

Regina's gaze met the Masterpiece's fake green eyes.

[He's already playing his role perfectly.]

"Regina, I will avenge you and Bram," the Masterpiece declared cheerfully while waving at her with both hands. "I'll make sure you'll be able to return to the Royal Capital with your head held high!"

She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but His Excellency and the adults were watching.

In her world, the Masterpiece must be treated with care and respect all the time.

Regina smiled the smile she learned from her seduction classes. "I'm looking forward to working with you, cousin."

***

[BARBECUE, barbecue, barbecue.]

Neoma chanted the word 'barbecue' in her head like a mantra.

She was back in Hazelden Kingdom to fulfill the promise she made with the townspeople. During the time she was purifying Hazelden's Royal Capital, she promised the citizens she'd treat them with barbecue.

But she had a business to attend to first before the barbecue party. Right now, she was in the restricted area in the snowy mountain.

Of course, she wasn't alone.

"Princess Neoma, we didn't come here to eat," Lewis reminded her. "Please wipe your drool from your chin."

Lewis was just teasing her.

Right?

"Neoma de Moonasterio, let's begin our contract signing," William, who suddenly appeared before her, said. "We'll meet the Snow Spirit after this."

"I already talked to the Snow Spirit," Delwyn, who was now back in his "human" form, said when he appeared beside William. "She's willing to make a contract with the future queen of Hazelden Kingdom, so we must bring Brigitte Griffiths with us later."

"`Gotcha," Neoma said cheerfully, then she opened both of her hands and offered each one to William and Delwyn. "Lezzgo."

***

<THREE YEARS LATER…>

"I DON'T wanna study anymore," Neoma complained, then she leaned against her chair while glaring at the pile of books that occupied her entire desk. "This is worse than the time I took my CSAT in Korea."

Well, actually, studying wasn't hard for her.

It was just that…

"Studying is boring as hell," she declared loudly, then she closed her eyes. "I wanna play outside."

"We can play once you finish your last homework for today, Princess Neoma."

She opened her eyes and was too stunned to speak because of the 'view' that greeted her.

Sixteen-year-old Lewis in his White Lion Knight uniform just hit differently. He was tall, handsome, and his posture was great, too. No wonder the maids, especially the young ones, were crushing on Lewis hard.

[My son is a grown-up now.]

"I'm getting emotional," she said while looking at Lewis with glistening eyes. "You grew up well, Lewis."

"Of course, I did," Lewis said bluntly while organizing the mess on her desk. "After all, my goal is to become a person who can stand beside Your Royal Highness proudly."

She smiled, touched by Lewis's words.

"Ah, right," Lewis said when he remembered something important. "Princess Neoma, Duke Quinzel is here. I heard His Grace is here to talk about Lady Hanna's return–"

"Hanna is coming home?" Neoma asked excitedly, then she stood up and quickly ran to the door. "Let's go to Duke Quinzel, Lewis!"

***

TREVOR opened his eyes when he felt someone's gaze on him.

Ash-gray eyes.

He was greeted by a pair of ash-gray eyes that soon turned glowing red.

"Prince Nero," Trevor said in disbelief, then he got up and stared at the royal prince who was lying down on the bed weakly. It was the Crown Prince's physical body and not his Spirit form. "You're finally awake."

---VOLUME 3 END---

***

[VOLUME 4 MINI TEASER]

"YOUR ROYAL Highness, I truly admire you, and I don't want you to hate me. Should I lose the match on purpose?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your Royal Highness's goal is to win and become the student representative, right? But if you lose this match–"

"Who said I'm losing? Don't insult me, punk."

Her rival, in the form of a very handsome boy who somehow felt very similar to her and Nero, looked at her with pity in his green eyes.

She didn't want to admit this, but she was seriously losing the match.

This was definitely the most embarrassing moment of Neoma's third life yet.

[Goddammit.]

***

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***

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