Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"PAPA BOSS!" Neoma excitedly called her father as she entered his office. "I think–"

She trailed off when she saw Duke Rufus Quinzel sitting on the sofa across from her father. Only her Papa Boss and the duke were in the office, and Lewis was guarding outside. That meant it was okay for her to act like herself and not as "Prince Nero."

Embarrassed by her behavior, she immediately stopped running. Then she put on a smile as she bowed lightly to the duke. She wasn't the real Crown Prince, and she wasn't even registered in the Royal Household as a family member.

Thus, Duke Rufus Quinzel had a higher rank than her.

"Greetings, Duke Quinzel," she greeted the duke politely. "I apologize for my rudeness."

Duke Rufus Quinzel stood up and bowed to her to return her greetings. "Princess Neoma, please don't be too formal with me," he said, then he raised his head and smiled warmly at her. "Your Royal Highness also doesn't have to apologize. I'm glad to see you healthy and energetic, as always."

She beamed, happy to be praised by the duke.

Even though she had a good relationship with her Papa Boss now, Duke Rufus Quinzel would always have a special place in her heart.

[Duke Quinzel will always be a father to me.]

"Yes, I'm happy and energetic," she said cheerfully because she enjoyed talking to the duke. "I'm also tall for my age, but my proportions are good so I look fine, Your Grace."

[Praise me more, Duke Quinzel.]

The duke laughed softly. "You're right, Princess Neoma. I'm surprised by your growth spurt."

She giggled. "Me, too, Your Grace. But I pray I don't hit the 180cm mark. I don't want to be that tall."

"Oh, may I know why? I don't think 180cm is that tall, though."

[It's because you're over 190cm, Your Grace.]

"I'm a girl, Your Grace," she reminded him playfully. "I have the feminine urge to look small and cute next to my future boyfriend— I mean, lover."

It was too late when she realized that she fucked up.

"Boyfriend?" her Papa Boss, who had been quiet all this time, asked in an irritated voice. "You're only thirteen years old, Neoma. Are you already thinking of getting yourself a lover, huh?"

She gently slapped her mouth.

[Gosh, Papa Boss is irritating when he's being overprotective. But why do I also find it cute?]

"Come on, Your Majesty. Don't be too strict," Duke Quinzel said teasingly. "Weren't you already dating Lady Roseheart when you were around Princess Neoma's age?"

Her Papa Boss almost choked on his tea.

She, on the other hand, covered her ears with her hands. [I don't want to hear my parents' love story.]

"Rufus, you…" her Papa Boss said, but in the end, he just let out a sigh. "This and that are two entirely different matters. What kind of father would be happy to hear his young daughter talk about wanting a lover?"

"That, I agree," Duke Quinzel said, then he let out a sigh. "But I have it worse than you, Your Majesty. My Hanna has been talking about her desire to marry Prince Nero since she was eight."

Her father's demeanor instantly changed.

"I can't blame Hanna Quinzel," her Papa Boss said proudly. "My son is handsome, intelligent, rich, powerful, and capable, after all."

Duke Quinzel just let out a sigh.

She, on the other hand, remembered why she came to her father's in the first place when she heard her twin brother's name. "Papa Boss, I felt a strange feeling earlier. It seems to be connected to Nero, so I want to check on him in person. Can I go to the Spirit World?"

Her Papa Boss and the duke exchanged amused looks.

[Okay, what's up?]

"I'm impressed, Princess Neoma," Duke Quinzel said when he turned to her. "Your bond with Prince Nero is really unique."

Now she was confused.

"Trevor just contacted me earlier," her Papa Boss said. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes were sparkling with happiness. "He said Nero just woke up."

She gasped, then she clasped her hands together. "I knew it!"

"Trevor said William will fetch you later," her Papa Boss said. "They need you, so you must come to the Spirit World with your physical body."

Now that made her nervous.

Even Duke Rufus Quinzel looked worried.

"Is something wrong, Papa Boss?" she asked worriedly. "Did Trevor fail to fully heal Nero?"

"Trevor has successfully undone the curse that almost killed your twin brother," her Papa Boss assured her. "But Nero's soul has been separated from his physical body for a long time. And so, your brother needs time before he gains his motor skills."

Oh.

So, it was like how comatose patients who just woke up couldn't move their bodies right away.

[Master is right– the state of our physical body is just as important as having strong Mana.]

"It looks like you'll need to give Nero some of your blood and Moonglow in order for him to regain his strength quickly," her Papa Boss added. "That's why you needed to enter the Spirit World in your physical body."

She understood why Nero would need her Moonglow, but her blood, too?

[Oh, perhaps my Roseheart Blood?]

"`Gotcha," Neoma said, then she clasped her hands together while giving her father a puppy dog eyes. "Papa Boss, can I enter the Spirit World without my disguise?"

***

"WE'RE NOT going to a picnic, Neoma de Moonasterio."

Neoma ignored William as she admired herself in the mirror. She was in her room with her master, and they were supposed to leave now. But she couldn't take her eyes off of her face.

Thanks to the potion that Marcus made for her, her hair grew long and it now reached her waist. Her hair was white and wavy, while the strands were a darker shade of pink. Stephanie, her nanny, tied her hair in a half-bun earlier.

She also wore a pretty off-shoulder dress paired with black ankle boots.

[And I don't have to wear my voice-changing choker today~]

Still, her neck felt empty, so she put on a black choker with ribbon.

"Gosh, my beauty is seriously god-tier," Neoma said while touching her face. "I'm a face genius– my visual is just so legendary."

She saw William, through his reflection in the mirror, frown.

"The de Moonasterios' narcissism never fails to amaze me," William commented while shaking his head. "I understand why the Goddess of Beauty once tried to steal your bloodline's 'Gift of Beauty.'"

"'Gift of Beauty?'"

"As Yule's descendants, your bloodline was given three Gifts: Beauty, Youth, and Maturity," he explained. "That's why the de Moonasterios were born ridiculously beautiful. You also age very slowly. And as you already know, de Moonasterion children mature intellectually earlier than your peers."

"I see," she said, then she stared at her face again. "But I think I'm still the most beautiful de Moonasterio born in history. I feel sorry for the Goddess of Beauty, but it is what it is."

William rolled his eyes at her, then he grabbed her (gently, by his standards) by her ponytail. "Let's go," he said grumpily. "Close your eyes– this will be a quick trip."

Neoma clicked her tongue, but she closed her eyes. "You're such a killjoy, Master."

***

NEOMA felt like throwing up.

That damned William said the trip would be "quick," but he didn't say it would be that quick. She had her eyes closed the entire time, but she still felt everything. If she needed to compare her experience to something more relatable, then she'd say it felt like riding a rollercoaster.

But when the rollercoaster reached its highest point, it dropped her straight to the ground.

[Blergh!]

She couldn't even focus on their surroundings. To be honest, she didn't feel like they were in a different world. They were surrounded by trees, and it was pretty dark, so she thought they were just in an ordinary forest or something.

"You did well, Neoma de Moonasterio."

Neoma, who was too tired to argue, just glared at William.

"If you were an average person, you wouldn't make it here in one piece," William said while smirking. But she noticed that there was an unfamiliar emotion in her master's eyes while looking at her. "The air in the Spirit World could actually suffocate humans, so it's terrifying to see you breathing fine even though you're in your physical body. It's as if…" He trailed off for a moment before he continued his words in a whisper. "It's as if you're really born to be the Aether."

Why was her master acting so serious?

"Yeah, I may be born to be the Aether. But it doesn't mean I will become one. Main characters are born to defy their fate," she said nonchalantly. But just because she said it casually didn't mean her words had no weight in them. "It's not that deep, Master."

William was about to say something, but they were interrupted.

"Welcome to the Spirit World, Princess Neoma."

[What a soft and sweet voice.]

The whole place literally lit up after that.

Hundreds of colorful Spirits flew around, and the leaves of the trees around them glowed beautifully.

And the cause of the pretty change was a fairy.

A beautiful, ethereal-looking fair that had a majestic vibe around her.

[Oh.]

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Your Majesty," Neoma greeted the Queen of the Spirit World politely while bobbing a curtsy. "I'm Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, and I'm here for my baby brother."

***

[NERO…?]

Neoma's heart was squeezed painfully when she saw Nero lying down on the bed weakly.

Like her, Nero also grew up.

But he was too thin for her liking.

She knew that the Spirit World provided nutrients for Nero's body in order to keep him alive. But perhaps it wasn't enough to keep him healthy.

<"Don't worry, Neoma– I'm fine.">

It was Nero, and he spoke to her in her mind.

He was probably too weak to open his mouth and speak.

But when she saw the fire in her twin brother's eyes, her worries disappeared. Only Nero's body was weakened. His spirit was still burning brightly.

That made her smile.

"Welcome back, Nero," Neoma said softly, then she kneeled beside the bed and held Nero's thin and warm hand in hers. Then she caressed his thin face with her other hand as she teased him. "But shouldn't you call me 'big sister' from now on, hmm?"

The shocked (and betrayed) look on Nero's face was priceless.

[Come on, Nero--- call me 'noona~']

***

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