Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

WHEN the ice phoenix disappeared, Nero already prepared himself for an attack.

He couldn't summon Sev, and he didn't want to after he heard that the wolf was, apparently, the brother of the ice phoenix.

Thankfully, he could feel his Mana. And he gained a little weight lately. He was still on the skinny side, but his stamina had improved. Thus, he was confident that his physical strength could take on a phoenix.

Well, not really.

But as a de Moonasterio, he had no choice but to trust himself.

"B-Brother…?"

His thoughts were distracted when he heard the voice of a child that sounded really, really familiar to him.

[No way…]

A three-year-old Neoma suddenly appeared right in front of him.

He knew that it was an illusion, but he almost ran to his baby sister who looked so cute while looking up at him with those big, round eyes of hers.

And those chubby, pinkish cheeks…

He had to clench his hands tight until his nails dug deep into his palms. That was the only way he could do to stop himself from hugging little Neoma.

[But she's so cute…]

"Brother Nero?"

He thought his heart stopped beating when two more little Neomas appeared before him. One was a five-year-old Neoma, while the other was her eight-year-old version.

[God, are you testing my patience?]

These three adorable little Neomas were too much for his poor heart!

"Nero?"

Oh, god.

Now a pretty thirteen-year-old Neoma was standing in front of him.

[My heart is going to burst out of my chest at this rate.]

His twin sister's beauty was blinding, after all.

[Is this how the ice phoenix plans to kill me? By using my twin sister's cuteness to give me a heart attack? Well, it's working…]

"Prince Nero?"

["Prince Nero?"]

When he turned around to see the owner of the familiar yet unfamiliar voice who addressed him by his title, he got the surprise of his life.

He was greeted by an eighteen-year-old Neoma.

[It's the Neoma in my past memories, the one that I stabbed to death.]

And the adult Neoma in front of him was hugging the sword that he used to stab her close to her chest, her body trembling while she was looking at him with fear in her eyes.

Nero clenched his hands tight once again.

[Ah, this is the ice phoenix's true test.]

***

[NERO?]

Neoma stopped talking to Ruto and looked around when she felt Nero's presence in the office.

She saw nothing strange, but the cold breeze she felt earlier lingered.

"Neoma?"

She turned to Ruto.

Judging by his calm appearance, it looked like he didn't notice the cold breeze that went past them earlier.

"I think Nero is in a slightly dangerous situation," Neoma said, then she put a hand over her chest. "I can feel his presence as if he's reaching out to me. But my physical condition is fine. Usually, if one of us is physically hurt, the other would feel it." She tilted her head to one side. "I feel like Nero has been disconnected from this world."

It sounded dangerous, but she didn't feel like her twin brother was in immediate danger. She could tell that he was safe. At least, for now.

"I see. Your bond with Prince Nero is interesting," Ruto said, impressed. "I'll walk you back to the palace, Neoma. If you feel like Prince Nero is in a dire situation, it would be wise to check on His Royal Highness in a safe place."

And the safest place to contact Nero would be the Royal Palace.

"You're right," she said. "And I have something to give to you, Ruto."

His face instantly lit up.

She suddenly got embarrassed.

"It's something that I designed myself, but don't expect too much," she warned him. "It will be unfair to the world if I become too perfect, so I wasn't born artistic."

He let out a soft laugh. "Neoma, no need to get defensive. I'll appreciate it even if you give me a piece of trash."

She just pouted.

[Sometimes I don't like it when Ruto spoils me too much.]

But she was distracted when the communication device in her ear (a silver stud earring) vibrated. Since the call came from her Papa Boss, the call was connected immediately. The stud earring had a function where calls from her father would get connected, whether or not she picked it up.

"Papa Boss, it's about Nero, right?" she asked right away before her father could even speak from the other end of the line.

<"How did you know… ah, nevermind. You're twins, after all. Did you feel something strange regarding your brother's state?">

"I feel like Nero has been disconnected from this world," she explained. "What happened to my baby brother, Papa Boss?"

<"Your brother is currently going through his second Awakening as a de Moonasterio.">

"Second Awakening?"

<"Nero gained another Soul Beast.">

"Oh. So, Nero gained his second Soul Beast," she said, a little surprised. "That's why he was disconnected from this world."

Nero was probably taking his new Soul Beast's test in a different dimension.

<"That's right. Your mother is watching over Nero as he goes through his second Awakening,"> her father said. <"I'm watching them through a communication device. Are you done with your meeting with Duke Hawthorne?">

"Yes, Papa Boss."

<"Then come home,"> her Papa Boss said. <"Your mother is worried about you, Neoma. She wants to see you.">

She smiled and nodded, even though her father couldn't see her, anyway. "Alright, Papa Boss. I'll be home soon."

<"Take care, Neoma.">

After that, she hung up.

Then she let out a long sigh.

For a moment there, an awful feeling overwhelmed her.

She had always known that Nero was born with everything. He was the favored de Moonasterio because he was a male heir, and he was also special as a male Roseheart.

But to be honest, she thought she was stronger than Nero as a de Moonasterio. It was embarrassing to admit, but that made her feel a little better. Because deep inside her heart, the part that she didn't want to acknowledge, her insecurity towards her twin brother existed.

And just when she thought she was getting over it, her twin brother suddenly gained a second Soul Beast, just like that…

[I'm inferior to Nero, huh?]

God, she felt like a loser.

Why couldn't she get rid of her inferiority complex towards Nero completely? Was it because of her competitiveness?

"Neoma, you have a god for a Soul Beast."

She raised her head to meet Ruto's warm gaze.

"Even if you combine all the rare and legendary Soul Beasts together, they would still pale in comparison with your Soul Beast," Ruto said as if he could read her emotions at the moment. Well, Ruto heard what she talked about with her father, so he probably had a rough idea about what was going on. "Trust me, Neoma. You were the only de Moonasterio in history to have a god for a Soul Beast."

"You're spoiling me again."

He smiled and extended his hand to touch her face. To be precise, he smoothened the lines on her forehead with his fingers. "Neoma, I can't pretend that I understand your feelings because I'm an only child. But I know that when it comes to competition, the only one you should compete with is your own self."

It was weird, but Ruto's words actually made her feel better.

"You're right," she said while nodding her head. "The only one who can beat me is me."

Then she laughed at her own joke.

After all, she quoted her favorite character from the anime/manga called K*roku no B*ske.

"Confidence looks good on you, Neoma," Ruto said softly. "Even if you become the most arrogant person in the entire world, I wouldn't mind it."

Neoma laughed at what Ruto said. "Why do I feel like you'd regret saying that someday?"

***

NERO eventually realized that he could imagine whatever he wanted in that dimension, and it would become a "reality."

And so, he created a warm home for his little Neomas (plus the adult one).

He played and made snowmen with the three, five, and eight-year-old Neomas. Then he tucked the three little Neomas in bed after they got tired of playing.

After that, he made a simple meal for the thirteen-year-old Neoma.

The eighteen-year-old Neoma, on the other hand, had cooped herself up inside the main bedroom.

[I should bring her a mug of hot chocolate, too.]

"Where are you going, Nero?" the thirteen-year-old Neoma, who was now enjoying the hot chocolate he made for her earlier, asked while sitting in front of the fireplace. "Are you going to take care of the oldest Neoma, even though she was mean to you? She kept on glaring at you earlier. And she even ignored us when you asked her to play with us."

"It doesn't matter even if she was mean to us," he said. "As long as she's Neoma, I don't care what form she takes. I'll still take care of her. That's my duty as your brother."

The thirteen-year-old Neoma grinned at him. "You like me a lot," she said, amused. Then she gave him her famous thumbs up. "Good for you. Loving me to death is the best decision you made in all your lifetimes combined, Nero."

He smiled and nodded in agreement. "Loving you is an honor, Neoma."

"That's cringe, but you do you, <anno data-annotation-id="360bb4c9-8ec5-60c6-4623-af8e0c083bc1">dongsaeng-ah</anno>."

He was amused at how similar the illusion was to the real Neoma.

[The ice phoenix did an excellent job in creating illusions of my twin sister.]

After he excused himself, he left the thirteen-year-old Neoma to let her enjoy her hot chocolate in peace.

Then he went to the eighteen-year-old Neoma's room while holding a mug of hot chocolate.

"I brought hot chocolate for you," he said when he entered the room. He knocked earlier, but the adult Neoma didn't respond. Even so, he let himself in. "Don't worry, I didn't put poison in it."

He put the mug on the bedside table, then he turned to the adult Neoma.

She was standing in the corner of the room while looking at him nervously. And she was still hugging the sword tightly.

[She's so wary of me.]

How did the ice phoenix even know the eighteen-year-old Neoma that he stabbed in his first life?

[Did the ice phoenix read my memories?]

Ah, that must be it.

That could only be the explanation as to how the ice phoenix made a perfect illusion of Neoma in different ages.

[And I have an idea why the eighteen-year-old Neoma is acting this way.]

"Princess Neoma," he said, addressing his twin sister by her title to put her at ease. This Neoma was afraid of him, so he figured addressing her by her name might come across as him looking down on her. He didn't want her to think that, so he spoke politely to his twin sister. "Please don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."

The eighteen-year-old Neoma obviously didn't believe him. She even slightly draw the sword from the scabbard as if she was about to attack him.

[Ah, I knew it.]

"You're here to kill me," he said carefully. "Did the ice phoenix ask you to kill me?"

The eighteen-year-old Neoma looked shocked. "H-How did Your Royal Highness know…?"

[I thought so.]

After all, this was still a test from the ice phoenix.

"Princess Neoma, you may not believe this. But in the present world where I live, you're the person that I love the most."

"L-Liar," the eighteen-year-old Neoma said. Then she pulled out the sword from the scabbard completely, gripping it. Ah, this Neoma didn't have a Soul Beast, and she didn't seem to know how to use her Mana, too. "You only see Dahlia…"

"I can prove my love to you right now," he said, then he opened his hand. In just the blink of an eye, a long and sharp icicle materialized in the air. "You don't have to dirty your hands, Princess Neoma."

After he said that, he unceremoniously stabbed the icicle in his heart.

The eighteen-year-old Neoma dropped the sword and covered her mouth with her trembling hands when she gasped. "W-Why did you…"

"I told you, didn't I? You're the person I love most in this world," Nero said, smiling despite the blood trickling down the side of his mouth. He didn't expect it since he thought he wouldn't feel pain in that dimension, but stabbing himself with an icicle made by his own Mana actually hurt like hell. Even so, it didn't matter to him. "I'll give you anything and everything that you desire– even if it's my own life."

***

MONA gasped when Nero's chest suddenly began bleeding right after he tucked him into the bed. Her hands automatically reached out to cover the wound that just appeared abruptly on her son's chest. The bleeding was pretty bad, too.

"Nikolai, Nero's chest is bleeding," Mona said to Nikolai. The communication device was still active and connected to Nikolai. When she turned to him, she saw the concern on his face. "This isn't normal, is it?"

Nikolai shook his head. <"I haven't heard of a de Moonasterio getting physically hurt during a test to tame their Soul Beast.">

"That's right. And this should never happen," William, who was standing beside the bed while observing Nero, added. "Even if a de Moonasterio fails to tame their Soul Beast, there's no reason for them to get physically hurt since they take the Soul Beast's test in their Spirit form."

[I knew it– this isn't normal.]

She turned to Nero again, then she used her healing abilities to close the wound on her son's chest.

A few moments later, her hands were engulfed with a pinkish light. Translucent images of red roses appeared and covered the wound on Nero's chest. Much to her relief, the wound slowly closed and the bleeding stopped as well.

<"Neoma!">

She whipped her head to the wall when she heard Nikolai call their daughter's name worriedly.

Nikolai was no longer visible on the screen, but she could hear his voice.

<"Are you alright, Neoma?">

Mona felt like her heart sank to the floor. "Nikolai, what happened to Neoma?"

***

NEOMA went back to the palace with Ruto, Lewis, and Hanna in a hurry since she started feeling strange.

Something bad had happened to Nero, and she felt it in her bones.

Thus, as soon as the four of them reached the palace, she excused herself immediately and ran to her father's bedroom. Geoffrey Kinsley, who was guarding outside the room, greeted her politely and opened the door for her.

"Papa Boss…" Neoma said, but she trailed off when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. The next thing she knew, she was already falling to the floor and she couldn't move her body the way she wanted to. [Argh, did someone just stab and paralyze me?]

"Neoma!"

She was surprised when suddenly, her Papa Boss appeared beside her and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Are you alright, Neoma?"

"I'm not, Papa Boss," Neoma said, then she put a hand over her chest. "It hurts here, literally."

"It's Nero," Papa Boss said worriedly. "Your brother got a chest wound while unconscious."

***

NOTE: I posted a new side story on my ko-fi page. Episode 3: Glenn's Hot Birthday Present: [Glenn has good self-control, unless he's on the battlefield... and he's in the bed with his wife.]

The art that came with it is a little... sexy. *shy*

Warning: The side story has mature scenes. Yes, it has a lot of s/ex. So don't read if you're not comfortable with that kind of content. Hehe. *shy again*

Link to my ko-fi account (or just type sola_cola on the search bar): ko-fi .com/sola_cola

Link to the story: https://ko-fi.com/Post/EPISODE-3-GLENNS-HOT-BIRTHDAY-PRESENT-H2H1CUHWC

***

Hi. You may now send GIFTs to our Neoma. Thank you~

***

Please ADD my story to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>

<annotations style="display: none;"><ol class="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="360bb4c9-8ec5-60c6-4623-af8e0c083bc1">Korean term that means 'younger sibling.'</li></ol></annotations>",