Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

NIKOLAI knitted his eyebrows when he felt a disturbance in the barrier that protected the entire Royal Palace.

The timing couldn't get any worse.

[Why now of all times?]

<"What's the matter, Nikolai?">

It was Mona's voice, and it was coming from the wall in front of him.

The four corners of the wall were decorated with glowing premium Mana stones that served as a communication device. And those four premium Mana stones created a transparent screen in the middle.

Mona's beautiful image occupied the screen.

He could see her having tea in the lounge of her bedroom.

Nikolai was also having tea in the lounge area of his bed-chamber. After all, his room was the safest place in the palace to have private conversations.

"There's an intruder," Nikolai informed Mona. "But I don't think it's an enemy."

He said that because of the tiny golden globe that looked like a little sun floating right in front of his face.

It had a message that said: ["Greetings to the Moon of the Great Moonasterion Empire. I am Sienna, the Sun Priestess. I'm here of my own volition to confront Princess Neoma de Moonasterio. But do not worry, Your Majesty. It will only be a friendly match."]

Friendly match, huh?

[Why does Neoma always get into fights?]

<"Where's our Neoma?"> Mona asked worriedly. <"Nikolai, even though you think it's not an enemy, you still have to make sure that our baby is safe.">

How could he tell Mona that he had just given Neoma the permission to go out at that hour, with only Lewis Crevan as her bodyguard?

Moreover, Neoma was the intruder's target.

"Don't worry, Mona," he assured her. "The Sun Priestess is just here to confront our daughter."

Mona knitted her pretty eyebrows. <"But why does the Sun Priestess want to confront Neoma? What did our daughter do?">

"Mona, don't be surprised," he said as calmly as he could. "But to be honest, our daughter is a little… war freak."

She looked confused now. <"Our daughter is a war freak?">

"Yes," he admitted, then he let out a long sigh. "Neoma has a nasty temper, so she often gets into some fights. She mostly engages in verbal fights, though."

<"Did she win?">

"Huh?"

<"Did our daughter win?"> Mona asked curiously. <"I know it's bad that our Baby Muffin engages in troublesome fights. But wouldn't it be worse if she lost every time she would get into a fight?">

He laughed at Mona's logic.

[God, she's so adorable.]

"Mona, your daughter will never lose in a fight now– especially in a verbal fight," he assured her. "Neoma is fluent in sarcasm. Moreover, she knows all the curses in the world."

She looked relieved to hear that.

But then, she suddenly looked guilty.

<"I shouldn't be happy hearing that,"> Mona said as if she was scolding herself. <"Nikolai, I love our daughter for who and what she is. But let's not tolerate her knack for getting into fights, hmm? I don't want a dangerous life for our daughter.">

"Of course," he easily agreed. "It won't be easy, but I'll make sure Neoma won't get into fights anymore."

Mona smiled brightly at him. <"Thank you, Nikolai.">

Ah, his heart swelled with happiness.

He couldn't help but smile back at Mona.

<"What are you smiling for, Nikolai?"> Mona asked, laughing. <"Go and check on our Baby Muffin. You can call me again tomorrow.">

"Alright, I understand," Nikolai said softly. "Good night, Mona."

***

[IS THIS FIELD Isolation?]

Neoma noticed that Sienna's Mana covered the entire backyard. It was a technique used to create a space where they could fight without affecting reality.

[We can go all out now.]

"Princess Neoma, should I deal with this?" Kyle Sprouse asked, while looking up at the sky. "Although the representatives of the Sun Goddess are considered our allies, barging in like this is a little…"

She understood where the count was coming from.

Since Sienna created a technique similar to a Field Isolation that could make an area disappear, she assumed that they were currently invisible to the people outside her "domain." But barging in like this could create misunderstandings.

After all, the Royal Palace was home to the Moonasterion Empire's monarchs.

"It's alright, Count Sprouse," Neoma told the count, her eyes fixed on the burning rock above that was taking the shape of a woman's silhouette. "I'll deal with her quickly."

She meant that.

This time, she wasn't being arrogant.

After losing to the Sun Priestess in the past, she swore to herself that she wouldn't lose again. Thus, she endured the rigorous training that William had put her in. After improving her stamina and physical strength, she consulted with her Papa Boss on how to use her Mana and Moonglow better.

[Too bad I suck at creating Field Isolation, though.]

"I won't hold back this time, Neoma de Moonasterio."

She raised an eyebrow when she finally saw the Sun Priestess in her human form.

[The last time I saw her, she was a beautiful peacock.]

Sienna's human form was stunning– black hair engulfed with orange flame, eyes that reminded her of tangerines, and pretty tanned skin.

[Oh, she's wearing a modern hanbok.]

Was that the traditional clothing in Ruto's mother's home country or what?

"I'm in a rush, so let's make this quick," Sienna said, then she raised her hand. The darkness suddenly lit up when hundreds of lightning bolts glowed in the night sky like long cracks. "Amari, descend."

The sky roared angrily.

Then the hundreds of lightning bolts descended upon her.

"Don't move," she told Lewis and Kyle Sprouse, then she stepped forward. "I got this."

She created a Dome to protect the three of them.

But, of course, the Dome that she created this time was a hundred times stronger and sturdier than the one that she made when she fought Sienna a few years ago.

The ground shook as hundreds of lightning bolts descended upon her Dome.

But the lightning bolts hitting her Dome didn't make a sound.

After all, her Dome absorbed the lightning bolts and sucked them in. Where did those things go after getting sucked by her Dome?

Heh.

[Here comes the amazing part.]

"Lady Sienna," Neoma said, then she raised her arms and gave the Sun Priestess a double thumbs up. It was the 'gesture' that she came up with when she created her new technique. "Watch your back."

And she meant it literally.

When she put her thumbs up down, a huge White Hole appeared behind Sienna.

As soon as the Sun Priestess turned around, the White Hole spat out the hundreds of lightning bolts that she released earlier.

Of course, those lightning bolts were now engulfed with her Moonglow after being absorbed by her White Hole. Thus, the lightning bolts that attacked the Sun Priestess were tenfolds stronger than the ones the Sun Priestess created.

Sienna created a barrier to protect herself.

But, as Neoma said, the lightning bolts engulfed with her Moonglow were "updated" and stronger now. It only took a few of those Moonglow-covered lightning bolts to break Sienna's barrier.

Then the Sun Priestess let out an agonizing scream when the lightning bolts struck her.

The next thing she knew, Sienna was already free-falling from the sky. She noticed that the flame that engulfed the Sun Priestess's hair earlier had already been extinguished.

Neoma closed her hands, collapsing the Dome in the process. Then she jumped in the air, her wings made of red rose petals appearing on her back. Once her wings opened widely, she shot up the sky and caught Sienna in her arms.

The Sun Priestess was shorter than her, and she was pretty light.

[But, damn… she's roasted.]

The Sun Priestess was almost unconscious, her skin all red from the burn she received from the lightning bolts.

[Did I underestimate my strength?]

"Hey," Neoma said worriedly while she was suspended in the air. She didn't land on the ground because she was wondering if she should fly to Marcus's residence or something. "Should I call my father's Healing Sage?"

Sienna groaned, then she slowly opened her eyes. "God, I hate you. But I have to admit that you were cool just now, Neoma de Moonasterio. My heart fluttered when you caught me in your arms as if you were a prince or something."

"I'm technically a prince, duh."

She was a royal princess, but she was posing as Nero– the Crown Prince.

"Ah, right," the Sun Priestess, whose entire body suddenly glowed in a beautiful, golden light, said while nodding her head. "Anyway, I can heal on my own, so you don't have to bring me to a Healing Sage."

After a few seconds, the golden light that engulfed the Sun Priestess's body disappeared.

And just like that, the burns in Sienna's body were healed.

[Cool.]

"You've grown stronger, Neoma de Moonasterio."

"I know, right?" she agreed with the Sun Priestess proudly. "You're talking to Neoma Version 2.0, Lady Sienna. I'm much stronger and prettier than ever."

The Sun Priestess rolled her eyes at her. "God, why are you so full of yourself?"

"Do you want me to answer that for real?"

"No, never mind," the Sun Priestess immediately denied her offer while shaking her head firmly. "You'd probably spend the entire night talking about how perfect you think you are."

She just smirked smugly as a response.

Sienna opened her mouth to speak, but she immediately closed her mouth when they heard the sound of a glass breaking.

Then bluish lights that looked like little bulbs poured from the sky.

"Ah, your father broke my Isolation technique like it's nothing," Sienna lamented, pouting. "That's the emperor for you."

"Neoma, come down here."

It was her father's voice.

When she looked down, she saw her Papa Boss below and he was standing in front of Lewis and Kyle Sprouse. Her father was putting Calypso– his Holy Sword– back into the scabbard attached to his hip.

"Okay, Papa Boss," she said, her wings flapping in preparation to descend.

"Wait," Sienna stopped her. "I have something to say, and it's something that I want you to hear first before the emperor."

"Sure," she said, hiding the fact that she got a little nervous when the Sun Priestess suddenly acted all serious. "What is it?"

"It's about Yoan."

'Yoan' was Ruto's name in his previous life.

Okay, now she was officially anxious.

"What about Ruto?" she asked nervously, refusing to call her Ruto by his old name. "Did something happen to him?"

"He nearly died again because of you, Neoma de Moonasterio."

Her heart sank. "What? He nearly died? Is he okay now?"

"He's "okay" because painkillers and Healing Potions are practically flowing in his veins now instead of blood," the Sun Priestess said sarcastically. "He should still rest because he's a patient. But guess what? He insisted on leaving the Sun Temple just to see you."

Normally, hearing that would have made her happy.

But not this time.

[It's true that I want to see Ruto, but not when he's supposed to be a patient.]

"What happened?" she asked the Sun Priestess seriously. "Explain it from the start, Lady Sienna."

"Yoan was ambushed by Calyx Dalton," Sienna said bluntly. "But after Yoan defeated that boy, Helstor and Callisto de Luca appeared and worked together in an attempt to kill him."

To say that she was shocked would be an understatement.

"Callisto de Luca is still alive?" Neoma asked in disbelief. "And Helstor, the God of Eternal Darkness, appeared?"

And those two oldies tried to kill Ruto?!

***

RUTO coughed up another chunk of blood.

The effects of the Healing Potions that he had consumed before leaving the East Continent were already wearing off. He was about to take out a vial of Healing Potion when the plain, black stud earring in his left ear vibrated.

It was a call from Neoma, so he immediately picked it up.

"Hello, Neoma–"

<"Ruto, where are you?">

He froze in his tracks.

Neoma's voice sounded unusually cold. He could tell right away that she was pissed.

<"If you tell me you're headed to the empire to see me, I'll kill you.">

[Ah, she already knows…]

Ruto closed his eyes and sighed.

[Who ratted on me?]

***

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