Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

AFTER NEOMA woke up from her deep slumber where she met the Neoma of the first timeline, she dedicated the last three days of her "vacation" before school started.

That also meant her fight with Hanna and Calyx Dalton would begin then.

And her training?

[Heh.]

She smirked after creating a perfect, beautiful Dome that looked like it was made from clear ice. She mixed her Mana with Delwyn's ice to make a more durable Dome knowing that Lewis wouldn't hold back.

Yes, she was currently sparring with her "son" and she asked him not to hold back.

From inside the Dome, she could see Lewis's glowing golden eyes while he was above her– his leg ready to kick the hell out of her shield.

It was a drop kick from above.

And as soon as the heel of Lewis's combat boot touched her Dome, her pathetic Dome crumbled like the fragile glass it was.

[Fucking hell– Lewis is living up to his reputation as 'One-kick Lewis.']

She shouldn't have given that fancy title to her "son."

Tsk.

She braced for the impact of Lewis's drop kick. But her pathetically weak body was sent flying from the impact of Lewis's Mana crashing against her broken Dome. The next thing she knew, her back already hit a tree since they were having their sparring at the forest that served as her private training ground.

[Argh.]

If she had her usual strength, the tree should have been destroyed by the impact of her back hitting its trunk. But since she was physically weak at the moment, the tree didn't even get an impact.

She, on the other hand, felt a rib or two break from the impact. Worse, she felt the broken rib puncture her chest wall.

It resulted to her coughing up blood.

Of course, she covered her entire body with Mana as protection. But just like her fragile Dome, her Mana was so damned weak at the moment.

[Oh, how the great Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio has fallen.]

"Princess Neoma!"

She slowly stood up while her hand was placed gently on top of her sides where she felt her ribs break. She tried to smile at Lewis who was running full speed in her direction. But her smile faded as soon as she realized that there was pretty much a significant distance from where she was standing earlier to where she was sent flying.

[I… was sent flying this far?]

Lewis looked horrified when he saw the blood around her mouth. "Princess Neoma, I'm so so–"

"Don't apologize," Neoma scolded him. "I'll feel more pathetic if you apologized, Lewis."

It hurt her ego.

"Let's go to the infirmary," Lewis said worriedly. "I think you broke your ribs."

"Nah, I'm not that hurt," she said. "I think Mama Boss can heal this level of injury."

"Then let's go to Lady Roseheart."

She nodded, then she looked at her "son" with sad eyes. "Lewis, I'm weak as shit right now. And so, I regret to tell you that I don't deserve to be your mother since you're stronger than me at the moment," she said, her voice full of regret. Then she put a gloved hand on Lewis's shoulder. As long as it wasn't directly skin-to-skin contact, it was fine for him to touch him. "Until I regain my strength, you shouldn't call me 'mother.'"

He gave her an unimpressed look. "I never called you 'mother,' Princess Neoma."

She clicked her tongue. "Just play along, will you?"

"Stop being dramatic, Princess Neoma," her "son," who looked so done with her, scolded her while shaking his head. "Let's get you treated first."

She was astounded. "Ya, how dare you disrespect your mother?!"

"Didn't you just say that as long as you're weaker than me, you can't be my "mother?"" Lewis asked cheekily, smirking the way she would. "Princess Neoma, until you regain your full strength, you cannot call me your "son.""

Neoma's jaw fell open.

[I raised a bad boy!]

***

NERO was on his way to Neoma's bedroom after Alphen, the Blanco Palace's head butler, informed him that his mother was treating his twin sister for an injury the latter got from sparring with Lewis.

[That damned fox dared to hurt my precious twin sister?]

"Your Royal Highness, your Mana is fluctuating," Alphen, who was walking behind him, reminded him politely. The way to Neoma's bedroom was cleared in advance so no other servants would see him. "Please calm down."

He took a deep breath.

Ever since he woke after crying in his father's arms (a shameful memory that he wanted to forget as soon as possible), he finally came back to his senses. But he couldn't say that he was completely fine now.

Minor inconveniences could still piss him off to the point that his bloodlust would leak unintentionally.

But he found a perfect solution to calm himself down fast: look at Neoma's face.

And thus, he began carrying a locket necklace with his twin sister's picture in it.

He pulled out his locket necklace and opened it to look at Neoma's picture. But just when he was about to calm down, he saw Lewis standing by the door. His mother had probably begun treating Neoma's injury.

Lewis bowed to him as a greeting, but his eyes didn't meet his eyes as if he didn't care about his existence.

"Lewis Crevan, how did Neoma get injured?" he asked as calmly as he could. "And what kind of injury did she get from sparring with you?"

"Princess Neoma hit the wall after my attack accidentally sent her flying," Lewis said, his eyes focused on the wall in front of him as if he couldn't see him. "Princess Neoma's broken rib punctured her lung."

Then his poor twin sister probably coughed up blood.

That didn't sit well with him– and he felt the urge to return the "favor."

Before he could stop himself from the intrusive thought that crossed his mind, his body had already moved on its own.

He sucker-punched Lewis in the stomach.

The fox boy was able to cover his entire body with Mana in time, but his punch was stronger. He felt it in his fist when he broke Lewis's ribs.

[An eye for an eye.]

Lewis coughed up blood.

Unfortunately, the fox boy wasn't sent flying by his punch. His combat boots were stuck firmly on the floor, creating cracks around it. It was as if Lewis planted himself on the floor so that he wouldn't be sent flying.

[I should have punched him harder.]

But a broken rib didn't satisfy him.

Moreover, seeing Lewis's blood made his bloodlust go crazy.

Come to think of it, he hadn't used Zeru that much yet ever since he gained the ice phoenix. Lewis could be a pretty interesting sparring partner, since the fox boy looked like he wanted to kill him, anyway.

[A few more broken bones won't kill him, right?]

"Prince Nero, please stop," Alphen pleaded with him. "Princess Neoma won't be happy if she finds out you've hurt Sir Crevan!"

He ignored the butler, smirking when he saw Lewis's golden eyes glow menacingly.

[This fox is ready to fight.]

He moved his hand that was now covered with a bluish aura, ready to summon Zeru– the ice phoenix– when he felt a terrifying bloodlust behind him.

"Nero, stop acting like a madman."

He closed his hand, the thin layer of ice forming around it breaking into tiny pieces. Then he turned around.

Oh?

"Why are you making a scene in front of Neoma's room?" Hanna asked in a calm yet stern manner. "I thought you have gotten better, but you're still acting like a madman. Should I tell His Majesty to confine you again?"

"What did I do wrong?" he asked indifferently. "Lewis committed a grave sin by hurting a member of the Royal Family. I only punished him accordingly."

"It was a sparring, and Lewis won fairly," Hanna said firmly. "Neoma lost because she was weaker than Lewis at the moment."

Neoma was weaker than Lewis? He didn't like the sound of that.

"Neoma must be embarrassed to have a twin brother who would "avenge" her just for losing in a sparring," Hanna continued taunting him. It was amazing how her voice could still sound sweet despite her sarcasm. "Nero, if you don't want to embarrass Neoma further, then stop acting like an idiot."

He was shocked.

Even Alphen and Lewis looked shocked by what Hanna said.

[Did she just call me an idiot?]

"If you get it, then return to your room. You can't see Neoma anyway since she took off her clothes while Lady Roseheart is treating her injury," Hanna said, then she turned to Alphen and smiled politely at the butler. "Mr. Alphen, please escort His Royal Highness back to his room."

Alphen bowed his head towards Hanna.

He, on the other hand, was rendered speechless.

Especially when Hanna walked past him to attend to Lewis.

"Let's go to the infirmary, Lewis," Hanna said worriedly. "Neoma wouldn't like it if she finds out you were hurt because of her."

What was going on?

He turned to Hanna with knitted eyebrows.

Seeing the Quinzel Princess fuss over Lewis didn't sit well with him.

"Hanna Quinzel, what are you doing?" Nero asked coldly, his hands clenched tight. "You are MY fiancée."

"Our engagement isn't official yet, so I'm not your fiancée," Hanna retorted with as much coldness as his voice. Even the way she looked at him was void of any emotions. "Even if I was, you do not have the right to control what I do, Prince Nero."

'Prince Nero.'

At that moment, Nero felt the cold wall that Hanna put between the two of them.

***

"MAMA BOSS, I don't think Nero has gotten over his Lunacy yet," Neoma said while shaking her head. "We should still keep an eye on him."

She could hear and feel what was happening outside her bedroom.

Hanna was helping her mother treat her broken ribs earlier, but her cousin stepped out to stop the commotion outside.

"Neoma…"

She turned to her mother and was a little confused when she saw that her Mama Boss looked sad.

Then she realized what caused it.

After all, her mother's gaze was focused on the chest binder that she was wearing.

[Ah, Mama Boss probably feels bad that I have to wear this to hide my real gender.]

"My breasts started to develop last year," she explained to her mother gently. "Paige, my "daughter," made this chest binder for me. This binder is as sturdy as a breastplate, Mama Boss. But it feels like a normal fabric, so it doesn't make me uncomfortable. My daughter's magic is really the best."

"But wearing might hinder your breast growth, baby," her Mama Boss said worriedly. "And doing that might cause damage to your body."

"Don't worry, Mama Boss. I learned how to wear the binder properly," she assured her mother. "And Paige makes sure that I'm always in my best condition. Now that Mama Boss is also here, I'm pretty sure my health won't deteriorate."

Her mother still looked sad.

[Ah…]

"Mama Boss, once Nero has settled down completely, he'll reclaim his place as the Crown Prince," she said softly. "I won't have to live like this anymore then. Once I return as Princess Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, let's empty the shelves of every female clothing boutique in the whole empire."

Her mother finally smiled.

"My Baby Muffin is really sweet," her mother said, then she hugged him and rubbed her cheek against hers. "Neoma, say it again."

Okay, now she had a bad feeling about this.

"Say that you love me again, Neoma," her Mama Boss said teasingly. "I was so touched when you said that you love us, Baby Muffin."

Neoma groaned and cover her blushing face with her hands. [Kill me now!]

***

"TODAY is the beginning of the new academic year in the Royal Moon Academy," Sienna said while standing on the balcony and looking at the rising sun in the sky. "That means today is also the day of the three-way battle among Neoma de Moonasterio, Hanna Quinzel, and Calyx Dalton."

Yoan had planned to kill Calyx Dalton and save Empress Juliet before the final match.

But since he lost his memories, he just stayed at the Sun Temple for the past few days while trying to contact his divine father. The God Among Gods didn't respond to any of his calls, though.

"Yoan, should we go to the West Continent and observe…"

She trailed off when she turned to Yoan, who was standing beside her quietly.

[Why…]

Why was he crying?

Yoan's tears were rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably, but it looked like he hadn't noticed yet that he was crying.

[Are his memories returning?]

"Neoma de Moonasterio…" Yoan said in a cracked voice, then he clutched his chest tightly. "I wonder why I feel this way whenever I hear her name."

Her conscience pricked her.

Actually, Yoan already knew that losing his memories would be inevitable because he was aware of how impatient Neoma de Moonasterio could be. And thus, he made a request to her...

["Sienna, Neoma isn't good at listening to me. Her curiosity will surely get the better of her soon, so I have a feeling I'd lose my memories before I accomplish my goals. Once that happens, I want you to help me remember everything."]

["Huh? You have a way to retrieve your memories after you lose them? How meticulous."]

["Of course– I need to be this meticulous if I want to take care of a wild child like Neoma for the rest of my life."]

That day, Yoan called Neoma de Moonasterio a "wild child" with a warm smile on his face– a smile that he rarely showed other people. And he talked as if "taking care" of the little princess was his sole purpose in life.

["I know my past self very well, so I know that to remember Neoma, all I have to do is…"]

Sienna was conflicted: should she fulfill her promise to Yoan to help him remember Neoma de Moonasterio, or should she just stay quiet, like what the God Among Gods wanted her to do?

***

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***

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