Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

<THREE YEARS AGO…>

Neoma returned to the empire as a hero.

Her "children" were also hailed as the new heroes of the continent for helping her subdue the Darkness in Valmento. They were also celebrated as heroes in Hazelden Kingdom for exposing the corruption of the king and the Crown Prince.

She had to endure and smile during the whole parade.

Yes, she and her "children" received the hero's welcome when they returned to the empire. The whole Royal Capital was filled with people who wanted to cheer for them. Everyone was happy for her, and proud of her achievements.

["The future of our empire is bright, thanks to our brave and righteous Lesser Moon."]

["Our young Crown Prince was chosen by Lord Yule to find the next saint for a reason."]

["His Royal Highness has the eye for people, too– his future knights were also brave and strong!"]

Those were the things that she heard during the parade.

But of course, not everyone was convinced by her accomplishments.

There were also some who brought up the "questionable" backgrounds of his knights. Too bad for those people because they couldn't argue with success. Plus, most of the common people were glad that some of her knights were ordinary people and not nobles.

"For someone who loves attention, you're pretty sad."

She didn't have to turn to know it was her Papa Boss who joined her in her favorite spot in the palace.

By favorite spot, she meant the floating pavilion by the pond. She couldn't sleep because there were a million things running through her head, so she took a walk. Before she knew it, her feet already brought her to the pavilion.

[And now, Papa Boss is here.]

She was sitting on the railing while admiring the pretty floating candles on the water when her Papa Boss stood beside her.

Lewis, who was guarding by the pavilion's entrance, was joined by Geoffrey Kinsley.

"Papa Boss, I won my recent battles," Neoma said without turning to her father. "But at what cost?"

She didn't know she'd be quoting memes when talking to her father, the emperor and the strongest man in the land, but here she was now.

"Are you sad because your "children" were hurt?"

She nodded. "I failed to protect them."

"Why would you protect them when it was supposed to be the other way around?"

"Still…"

"It's not your fault they were hurt," her father said coldly. "It's their fault for being weak."

She turned to her father with a pout. "My "children" aren't weak, Papa Boss. You just have high standards for powerful people. Not everyone who doesn't own an Elemental Guardian is weak."

Her Papa Boss was really impressed by Ruto's ability to tame an Elemental Guardian, so she thought Ruto's level was her father's standard.

"What are you saying?" her father asked, confused. "I admit I'm fond of Elemental Guardians, but Ruston Stroganoff is strong, even without one. That's why I approve of his strength, and not just because he owns Veton."

She gasped softly. "Really, Papa Boss? Ruto is that amazing?"

"I will not indulge you with talks about Ruston Stroganoff," her father said, then he immediately changed the topic. "Your knights are okay for their age. But we need to prepare them for what will happen three years from now, so I suggest you give each of them a personal trainer with similar abilities or weapons as they do."

"Oh," she said, easily convinced that it was a good idea. "That sounds like a good idea. And it also sounds like you've already found the best tutor for each of your "grandchildren," Papa Boss."

"They're not my "grandchildren," but yes," her father admitted. "I've made a list, but the decision is yours."

"I'll suggest it to my "children," but I won't impose it on them," she said. "I'll never force them to do anything they don't want to."

"You're too soft on them."

"They're still children, Papa Boss."

"Only the young elf is a child among your "children.""

"I'm still older than them," she reasoned. "Plus, all of them actually need therapy. I want to look after their mental health as much as possible."

The concept of mental health in this world wasn't as progressive as what she hoped it would be. But to be honest, even in Korea, at least when she was still there, the stigma regarding mental health was still bad.

Luckily, Go Areum, her eomma, was an active mental health awareness advocate.

[I learned a lot of good things from eomma.]

"Therapy. Mental health. You really care about those things," her Papa Boss repeated her words as if he was memorizing them. "When we rescued the children from the Death Camp, you closely monitored them until they moved to the shelter we built for them. After that, you handpicked the Healers and the people in-charge of the shelter."

Oh, right.

She remembered doing those things after the children from the Death Camp were rescued. It broke her heart that she could only do that much for the abused kids.

"When you were living in the other world, what do you do?" her Papa Boss asked awkwardly. "Is your occupation related to caring for people with mental health problems?"

"No, Papa Boss. I'm an advocate, though," she said. "I did modeling and social media for a living."

"Modeling?"

"I advertised stuff like beauty cosmetics and famous brands for clothes, bags, and shoes. Ah, I also appeared in some CFs."

"CFs?"

"Commercial films," she explained, then she acted like she was holding a camera. "It's the stuff where they film me while I act to endorse a product in front of the camera, then the CF would be broadcasted to different media. I once filmed a CF for a brand of beer with a famous actor. So they filmed us while we were drinking beer–"

"You had a drink with an insignificant male and you allowed people to film you? Worse, it was even broadcasted?"

Omo.

[Here goes overprotective Papa Boss again.]

"I was an adult then, Papa Boss," she said. "And that was a part of my job. But I don't always film CFs. I mostly just film myself doing mundane stuff in my daily life. I do mukbangs, too. I eat during live broadcasts."

"That's… considered a job?"

Ouch.

[Papa Boss sounds like those people who tell influencers and social media celebs to get a "real job."]

But in her father's case, he was just probably confused.

"Yes, Papa Boss. I earned well from doing those things," she said. "I really enjoy the attention, but I didn't want to be controlled by the public, so I decided to become a "half-celebrity" instead of becoming an actress or an idol."

She used to be a trainee for an entertainment agency that produced idols. Since she used to be a child actress, she was recruited early to be a trainee. But it was such a bad memory for her, so she stayed away from the limelight for a while.

Still, opportunities to become a celebrity came knocking at her door again and again– thanks to her famous parents. Her appa was a veteran actor while her eomma was a seasoned anchor/reporter. But most of all, she was a face genius.

She also missed interacting with people who cheered her on, so she decided to become a vlogger where her boss was herself.

"It seems like you lived a bizarre life, Neoma."

She laughed at her father's strange choice of words. "My life back then wasn't that bizarre, Papa Boss. I was just privileged, and my parents were supportive, so I was able to do everything I wanted to do without the fear of failure. If I didn't have rich parents that also served as my safety net, I wouldn't have lived such a carefree life."

"They raised you well," her father said softly. "Go Areum… and Gavin Quinzel."

"They did, Papa Boss," she said in a soft tone. "That's why I decided to bring appa and Nabi back to Go Areum. Eomma must still be waiting for them."

"Neoma–"

"I know you wanted to punish my appa, Papa Boss," she said, then she turned to her father with a sad smile on her face. "But can't we just exile appa from this world as his punishment?"

Her father turned his gaze away from her.

"I'm aware that appa hurt you and Mama Boss in a very bad way," she said. "But appa also gave me the unconditional love I needed to gain my confidence back. Because of him and eomma, I became the Neoma that you know today, Papa Boss. And thanks to that, we're here now."

"I understand where you're coming from, but Gavin Quinzel hurt Mona the most," her Papa Boss said. "If your mother is willing to end his punishment in exile, then I'll consider it."

Papa Boss really loved her Mama Boss, huh?

[But it sounds fair. Aside from Nabi, Mama Boss is the biggest victim here. I should stop here for now.]

"Okay, Papa Boss," she said, slightly disappointed. "I understand."

"You're upset, aren't you?"

"I am, but it's not your fault, Papa Boss," she said. "I'm just used to getting what I want, so please just ignore my tantrum."

"I refuse to ignore it," her father said stubbornly.

[Ah, so I really got my stubbornness from him.]

"Tell me what you want," her Papa Boss said. "I'll give it to you as an apology for hurting your feelings."

"Really?"

Her father just nodded.

Neoma smiled brightly. "Then let's talk about Ruto, Papa Boss."

"Just stay upset with me then," her Papa Boss said bluntly, then he walked away without even looking back at her. "Good night, little rogue."

"Taking back your words is not nice, Papa Boss!"

***

"FOR JENO's personal mentor, you chose Sir Jaxson Emmett, the vice-captain of Black Hawk Knights?" Neoma, who was having breakfast with her father, asked. Then she tilted her head to one side until she remembered what Black Hawk Knights, the knights led by Duke Rufus Quinzel, were known for. "Ah. They specialize in guns as weapons."

Duke Rufus Quinzel was a double gun user, if she remembered it correctly.

But guns weren't popular in the empire because most of the elite knights were on the Swordsman level. Plus, they used Mana in fighting.

"Papa Boss, why didn't you ask Duke Quinzel?" she asked curiously. "But then again, His Grace must be busy."

"Jaxson Emmett is better than Rufus when handling guns," her Papa Boss, who was sitting across from her, said. "Rufus was raised to wield a sword, after all. And Rufus doesn't really need weapons, since he has his Shadow Manipulation Technique."

"Oh, `gotcha," she said. "Is Sir Emmett a good teacher?"

Although she had lived as a Quinzel before, she wasn't close with the knights since she barely got out of the mansion back then.

"I heard Jaxson Emmett is pretty strict," her Papa Boss said. "He has to be since Rufus is soft-hearted."

"Ah, so Sir Emmett is in charge of the discipline among the Black Hawk Knights," Neoma said, then she sipped her orange juice before she spoke again. "I hope Jeno gets along with Sir Emmett well."

***

"LORD JENO, may I know how many guns you own?"

Jeno felt a little awkward and nervous while facing the famous vice-captain of the Black Hawk Knights.

Jaxson Emmett was a bulky man with burgundy hair tied in a man bun. His bearded face was also intimidating, especially the long and deep scar on his left cheek. The knight's hazel eyes looked warm and gentle, though.

He already received a notice from Princess Neoma in advance. Apparently, Jaxson Emmett would visit him at home to see how he was trained to use guns. The royal princess also told him she asked the knight to be his mentor, but it was up to him whether or not he wanted to train under Jaxson Emmett.

[I want to get stronger for Princess Neoma, so I won't waste this opportunity.]

So when the vice-captain arrived at the Dankworth Estate, he brought him to his personal training area.

"I officially own six guns. Four rifles, and two handguns, Sir Emmett," Jeno said nervously. "I recently received two guns from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but I haven't applied for official ownership of the guns yet."

By the "Crown Prince," she meant Princess Neoma. But Sir Emmett didn't know that, so he had to address the princess that way.

"So, eight guns in total," Sir Emmett asked, as if he was impressed. "How many guns do you use in a fight, Lord Jeno?"

"I usually just use one, but if there are over two enemies, then I use two."

"Just two?" the vice-captain asked. "Why don't you use all your guns when fighting, young lord?"

"I only have two hands to hold the guns…"

Was his dumb answer.

When Sir Emmett laughed softly, he felt embarrassed. It wasn't like the vice-captain laughed at him.

He just felt dumb on his own.

"Can I use more than two guns at the same time?" Jeno asked determinedly. "Is that possible, Sir Emmett?"

Jaxson Emmett smiled at him. "It is possible, Lord Jeno."

***

"I'VE BEEN curious ever since you said you chose Wyatt as Xion's mentor, Papa Boss," Neoma said, now munching on strawberry and cream for dessert. "Why only Wyatt? I thought Wyatt and Warren have similar abilities."

"Wyatt will be enough," Papa Boss, who had tea and not dessert after their breakfast, said. "Warren is busy raising other children."

She raised an eyebrow.

Then she remembered that the Fletcher Twins were the ones who brought Dahlia to the empire.

"Nero has hidden "children," right, Papa Boss?"

Papa Boss just sipped his tea.

"I knew it," Neoma said, then she smirked. "My baby brother inherited my knack for raising interesting kids."

***

"FOR AN assassin, you're sloppy."

Xion felt shit while being criticized by Wyatt Fletcher.

But he couldn't complain since he lost to a crow. He almost died, too.

So all he could do was stand in front of the Paladin while listening to his criticism. He didn't know why they were standing in the middle of a sketchy alley in the slumps, though. The homeless people were eyeing them, but none made a move since he and Wyatt Fletcher both looked dangerous, even though both of them were wearing plain, casual clothes that concealed their weapons.

"You can't even erase your presence properly," Wyatt Fletcher said while shaking his head. "You probably relied too much on your curse before. I heard you used to have the ability to make people completely forget you. But since the curse was undone now, you've turned into a mediocre assassin."

He clenched his hands and bit his lower lip to stop himself from snapping.

[I must endure for Princess Neoma.]

"They told me to train you, but I want you to prove yourself to me first. I'm not as obedient as my twin brother."

To be honest, he hated proving himself to people he didn't care about.

But Princess Neoma was very important to him. If he wanted to protect Her Royal Highness, he must endure.

"I understand," Xion said firmly. "What must I do to prove my worth?"

"Find me," Wyatt Fletcher said, his body slowly blending into the darkness. "Find me in three days, Xion Redgrave."

***

"IS LADY Sera a fighter?" Neoma asked curiously while walking in the garden with her Papa Boss. These days, strolling the garden after breakfast had been normal for them. "I didn't fancy her as a fighter, since she looks delicate. Lady Sera has a sharp tongue, though."

"Sera Wisteria destroyed Gavin Quinzel's carriage in the past," her Papa Boss said bluntly, then he looked at his hands. "With her bare hands and without using Mana."

She gasped. "Lady Sera has monstrous strength?"

"The Wisterias do. I believe they developed a potion that makes their body healthy and sturdy," her father said. "How do you think Juri Wisteria swings an iron sledgehammer as if it's just a twig?"

Oh, touche.

"If it's just strength, my "daughter" won't lose," Neoma said proudly. "Her strength is solid."

Her Papa Boss smirked. "Can Juri Wisteria fight without Mana, though?"

***

JURI hit the wall, the strong impact creating long cracks on the wall that easily spread.

She dropped her "headless" iron sledgehammer to the floor– cracking it in the process. But the head of her sledgehammer had been missing, thanks to her Aunt Sera.

One punch.

It only took one punch.

When her Aunt Sera's fist hit the head of her sledgehammer, it broke like fragile glass. After that, she was sent flying. Thank goodness only the two of them were using the training room at the moment.

It would have been embarrassing if the knights of their family saw her shameless defeat.

"Darling, why are you so weak?" Aunt Sera asked, while putting on a new pair of lacy black gloves. "Did my brother and my sister-in-law baby you too much?"

"This fight isn't fair," Juri complained while trying to stand, despite the pain all over her body. She could be a sore loser sometimes. "You stabbed me with your poison earlier, Aunt Sera."

Her Aunt Sera's "homemade" poison could temporarily make the victim unable to use their Mana for a period of time. The effects depended on the poison's dosage.

"You rely too much on your little toy," her Aunt Sera said. "But your sledgehammer is only stronger than normal sledgehammers because it's infused with your Mana. How will you protect yourself if you're unable to grab a weapon?"

"I can do spells, since I'm also a half-mage."

"My dear niece, let me teach you the wonders of brute strength," her Aunt Sera said, smiling. "Clench your teeth, Juri."

Juri almost met Lord Yule after being punched by her Aunt Sera that day.

But for Princess Neoma's sake, she clenched her teeth again and again.

***

"IT'S ALRIGHT, Paige," Neoma said to the Light Mage who dropped by her office. "You can do whatever you want."

Paige still looked worried. "Is it really alright for me to turn down His Majesty's suggestion?"

Her father suggested the Royal Archmage to be Paige's mentor.

But the Light Mage politely declined because she had something else that she wanted to do.

"Papa Boss acknowledges your strength, Paige," she assured her "child." "Papa Boss only suggested the Royal Archmage in case you wanted to learn new magic. But my father said that he knows mages like you prefer to study on their own."

Yes, Paige wanted to travel the continent.

"I want to learn Lost Magic, Your Royal Highness," the Light mage said softly. "I feel like I won't be able to learn it if I get confined in the Royal Tower. And I've been locked up inside the Hisa Tree for so long. I want to see the world with my own eyes."

"You can do that," she said, smiling. "Just please return safely."

The mage bowed to her. "Thank you, Your Royal Highness."

"You're welcome," she said, then she changed the topic. "I heard you met up with Lord Marcus the other day. Did everything go well?"

Apparently, Lord Marcus was Paige's ex-lover.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness. Thank you for allowing me to meet Marcus," Paige said, smiling. But there was a glint of sadness in her eyes. It looked like she didn't want to talk about it, though, as she changed the topic right away. "I heard His Majesty chose Marcus to be our Greko's mentor."

"Yep," Neoma said, excited for Greko. "Greko has a separate teacher for his basic lessons, but Lord Marcus is in charge of teaching our little Greko everything he needs to learn to be a good Healer."

***

"GREKO, have you packed your things?"

Greko smiled and nodded at Lord Marcus' question, then he gently patted the bag that contained the things he needed for traveling. "Yes, my lord," he said energetically. "Paige noona packed my things for me."

The Healing Sage smiled sadly upon hearing her noona's name.

He wanted to ask why, but he stopped himself from doing so because he wasn't even sure if the emotion he saw in Lord Marcus was correct.

"Is that so?" Lord Marcus asked, then he quickly changed the topic. "Today, we're going to visit an orphanage. We will check on the children's condition, and give them the potions they need to stay healthy. Can you help me do that?"

"Yes, my lord. I will do my best to help you," Greko said determinedly. [I will learn all the things I need to learn in order to become eomma's Healer.]

***

"PAPA BOSS, you're kidding, right?"

"Why would I even joke about that?" her Papa Boss asked, confused by her reaction. "I said I will be Lewis Crevan's mentor."

Neoma's jaw dropped.

[Omo, Papa Boss is serious.]

So, her Papa Boss summoned her and Lewis in his office for this reason.

[My gosh.]

She turned to Lewis, who was standing next to her, pokerfaced.

[This punk. Papa Boss just said he'll be your mentor. Show some reaction, Lewis. Aren't you scared? I'm scared for you!]

"I'll be in your care, Your Majesty," Lewis said, then he bowed to her Papa Boss.

"Sure," Papa Boss said, then he stood up and rolled up his sleeves. "Try not to die on me, Lewis Crevan."

She was too stunned to speak.

"Princess Neoma," Lewis said, then he turned to her with burning motivation in his golden eyes. "I won't let you down."

Seeing Lewis' motivation put her heart at ease.

"Okay," Neoma said, then she raised her clenched hands. "Fighting."

"Do you have time to worry about other people, little rogue?" her Papa Boss asked, then he raised an eyebrow at her. "Your training with William begins today, too."

***

"SLEEP eight hours a day, drink plenty of water, eat healthy food, take afternoon naps, exercise moderately," Neoma read the content of the paper William handed to her, then she turned to the Grand Spirit with a confused look. "What's this, William?"

"Your training regime," William said bluntly. "What else would that be?"

Now she was even confused.

She went to her personal training ground fully prepared for a very intense training.

But…

[This is my training regime?]

"This isn't it," she said, refusing to accept reality. "What do you take me for, William?"

"An idiot who fainted after consuming energy potions."

Okay, she couldn't refute that.

"A strong soul needs a healthy body," William said while looking at her disapprovingly. "We will not begin your training until your body fully recovers."

For real?

"Yes, I'm serious," the Grand Spirit said, as if he could read her mind. "Neoma de Moonasterio, if you succeed, I will teach you a skill. Nero has already acquired it with no one teaching him. So, don't you want to catch up with your brother?"

"What kind of skill is it?"

"The ability to enter a sleeping person's dream."

A sleeping person's dream…

[Wait, Ruto is sleeping!]

William raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you want to do now, Neoma de Moonasterio?"

"I'll follow your training regime," Neoma said energetically. "I will be the healthiest person on the whole continent!"

***

NOTE: Sorry for the long chapter! This is supposed to be the first chapter for Volume 4, so it's kinda long.