Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

[WHY AM I being threatened by a child?]

Ruto was confused.

"Sienna, I am older than Princess Neoma, am I not?" Ruto asked the Sun Priestess while they were in the middle of filling the pillars in the portal room with their Mana. "A four-year gap isn't small either."

"Yeah, you're older than Neoma de Moonasterio by four years," Sienna, who was obviously drunk, said while placing her hands on one of the four pillars in the portal room. "The little bratty princess may look like she's sixteen or seventeen years old because she's tall and very pretty already, but she's only thirteen years old. Physically."

Right now, they were tasked by his mother to activate the portal room located in the Cyran Temple– the home of the Sun Goddess in the East Continent that belonged to the Solfrid Clan.

It was the only portal in the East Continent that was directly connected to the West Continent. To be precise, the portal was connected to Astello Temple. Valmento, the country where the Astello Temple was located, was an independent state. However, it was still in the territory of the West Continent.

[His Majesty and Lady Roseheart must travel to Astello Temple first, then use the portal there in order to arrive here safely.]

Yes, Emperor Nikolai de Moonasterio and Lady Mona Roseheart were on their way there.

His mother, Lady Yngrid Solfrid, received the request to open the portal only a few days ago. Since then, they had been busy preparing for the accommodations of the emperor and his lover. Of course, that included opening the portal room for the first time in a long while.

"Why did you ask?" Sienna asked, then she turned to her with a curious look on her face. "Are you curious because you fell in love with her at first sight?"

"I just can't believe that the princess threatened me."

Through Sienna, Princess Neoma warned him not to hide from her "or else…"

[That was a threat, wasn't it?]

"Aside from being older than her, I'm also practically a royal of the East Continent," he lamented. "After all, the king of the most powerful kingdom here in the East Continent is my uncle."

"Uh-huh."

"Even though she's a descendant of Lord Yule, I'm the son of the God Among Gods," he continued with his complaints. "If you think about it, we're on the same league. So how can she treat me this way?"

"Yoan?"

"What?"

"You didn't deny it when I said you fell in love with the princess at first sight."

He opened his mouth to deny it, but no words came out of his mouth.

[But I don't want to go to jail…]

"I didn't fall in love with her at first sight," he denied firmly.

"Of course," Sienna said, laughing like the drunk woman that she was. "Because you never stopped loving her ever since you fell for her in the first timeline."

He couldn't give a retort.

His mind wasn't in the right state at the moment.

According to Sienna, all his memories of Neoma de Moonasterio and the things related to the two of them had been wiped away. Thus, even though he had memories of both his first life and the current, he still had no idea who the royal princess was in his life.

But even though his mind couldn't remember…

[I should die for getting attracted to a girl four-year my junior.]

In his defense, the first time she saw Neoma de Moonasterio after his memories were wiped away, he saw her in her grown-up form.

And he saw her face clearly.

[That means her power is on the same level as divine beings.]

"Her face is absurd," he complained again. "How can someone be that beautiful?"

"I agree," the Sun Priestess said while nodding. "Neoma de Moonasterio is so ridiculously beautiful. She has a rotten personality, though."

"She wouldn't be a de Moonasterio if she was nice."

Not that he agreed Neoma de Moonasterio had a rotten personality.

[And even if she did, why do I have a feeling that I wouldn't mind?]

"That's true," Sienna agreed, then she clicked her tongue. "Lord Yule and Lady Roxana are two of the nicest and the most kind-hearted divine beings ever. I wonder how the de Moonasterios ended up as crazy and as rotten as they do? My old friend Manu would die of frustration while serving their bloodline."

"The Moon Priest?" he asked curiously. "He has a cold image. I can't imagine him getting stressed out because of the de Moonasterios."

"Pfft," the Sun Priestess said, holding back her laughter. "Manu? Cold? Yoan, once you turn eighteen, you should go get a drink with Manu. You'll see his real personality once he gets drunk. He's just a man-child."

"I'm not that interested to get to know him, so I'll pass."

"Of course, you're only interested in Neoma de Moonasterio."

"That's not true."

"Then name three things on your mind at the moment."

He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from talking. Thankfully, a distraction came in the form of Veton– his Elemental Guardian who wasn't supposed to be with him at the moment.

Even Sienna was surprised by Veton's arrival.

The Thunderbird, the size of a swallow bird at the moment, had popped up on top of his head without warning.

[If I remember it correctly, Sienna said I "lent" Veton to Princess Neoma.]

"What are you doing here, Veton?" Sienna asked curiously. "Did Neoma de Moonasterio create another problem that will shake the entire world AGAIN?"

Ruto looked at Sienna weirdly.

[Why does she talk like Princess Neoma is a menace to the world?]

<"Well, it's just a minor problem. But you know Princess Neoma. She can be petty most of the time.">

"Right," Sienna agreed whole-heartedly. "So, what happened this time?"

<"A boy named 'Rubin Drayton' called Princess Neoma 'ugly.'">

"That's ridiculous," Ruto said. And even to his own ears, he sounded annoyed. But why was he mad? Moreover, he knew who Rubin Drayton was since he had memorized all the nobles in both the East and West Continent. He just didn't understand why he was irked to hear Rubin Drayton's name. "I mean, Princess Neoma is objectively beautiful…"

He shouldn't really be calling the young princess 'beautiful,' but he couldn't help it.

"Yoan, beauty is subjective," Sienna reminded him bluntly. "She may be conventionally beautiful for most people, but you shouldn't expect everyone to find her pretty."

Right.

However, he had this strong belief in his mind that Princess Neoma was the most beautiful girl in the entire world…

[Have I gone crazy?]

<"Anyway, Princess Neoma has a message for you, Master.">

"For me?" he asked. And admittedly, his heart skip a beat. He wouldn't admit it aloud, though. "What is it?"

<"Should I play Princess Neoma's voice record? She asked me to record her message.">

He nodded a little too eagerly for his own liking. "I don't mind."

Veton just nodded her small head.

<"Rutoooooooooo…">

Oh.

He got worried when he heard Princess Neoma's crying voice.

Sienna, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes.

<"Rubin called me 'ugly.' It's not true, is it? Tell me I'm beautiful or else I will perish. I don't accept criticisms when it comes to my face. My soul as a strong, independent woman that doesn't need a man's validation leaves my body when someone calls me 'ugly.' I can't accept it especially since it came from my ex-fiancé!">

Ex-fiancé?

Rubin Drayton was Princess Neoma's ex-fiancé?

[How loathsome.]

<"Ruto, you have to shower me with praises as soon as you see me, okay? I will endure for now. However, I will seriously perish if I don't get your validation about my face. So, your assignment for today is to find one hundred ways to praise my beauty.">

Sienna rolled her eyes again. "See? I told you. Neoma de Moonasterio's personality doesn't match her pretty face. She's sooo vain."

That was true, but he didn't find it repulsive, so he just kept his mouth shut.

<"Anyway, I have to go now. I'm busy memorizing all the curse words in the East Continent, especially the ones used in your kingdom. See you later, Ruto!">

And that was the end of Princess Neoma's voice-recorded message.

[That's… the girl that I apparently fell for?]

Yeah, he could clearly see why and how.

Sienna clicked her tongue. "Neoma de Moonasterio is so obsessed with herself."

Uh-huh.

But he found it endearing.

"Yoan, are you listening to me?" Sienna asked with furrowed brows. "Why did you suddenly fall silent?"

"I'm thinking," Ruto whispered, avoiding Sienna's judgmental look. "I'm thinking of a hundred ways to call someone beautiful without being creepy."

***

"THAT'S WHY you should have kept your mouth shut, you fucking piece of shit," Neoma snapped at Rubin Drayton, savoring the angry look on his face. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it when others do the same to you."

"How did you know that I'm looking for Regina?" Rubin Drayton snarled while walking furiously towards her. "And how dare you imply that she's already dead?!"

She was sure that he was about to grab her, so she prepared to defend herself.

However, it wasn't needed.

Rubin Drayton suddenly stopped moving when he realized that a blue laser-like thing appeared between his eyes.

[Ah, it must be Jeno pointing a gun at Rubin from afar.]

Gosh, her "son" was really bad-tempered.

[I mean, Rubin is still a high-ranking noble dude…]

The problem was, it wasn't only Jeno Dankworth.

Xion Redgrave and Juri Wisteria appeared behind Rubin Drayton, and both her "children" were holding their dangerous weapons. Sledgehammer for Juri, and a dagger for Xion. The two also had the same murderous look on their faces.

[Scary…]

"I suggest you stop approaching Her Royal Highness in that manner, Lord Drayton."

It was Paige Avery, and she stepped out of the darkness with Greko.

[Oh? The whole family followed me?]

Gosh, her children's stealth skills had improved since she didn't notice them.

Her thoughts got interrupted when Rubin Drayton clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed.

The young lord didn't dare to move, but he had the audacity to glare at her.

"This conversation isn't over yet, Your Royal Highness," Rubin Drayton warned her, addressing her by her title sarcastically. "You're going to tell me later what you know about Regina, Princess Neoma."

After saying that, he walked out of her like the loser that he was.

Hmph.

She didn't want to admit this, but her pride was hurt when Rubin Drayton called her 'ugly.' Well, he didn't really say that. But it still sounded the same to her. She knew that not everyone would find her beautiful, even so…

[I don't need validation from me, but I don't want to hear that from Rubin Drayton of all people.]

"Your Royal Highness, are you alright?" Paige asked worriedly. "Did the young lord hurt you?"

"Yeah," she said, causing her "children" to panic. So, she explained right away. "Rubin said I wasn't pretty. My pride was hurt."

"He must be blind," Xion said bluntly. "Don't pay attention to his words, Princess Neoma."

Juri nodded in agreement. "You don't need that young lord's validation, Your Royal Highness."

"Eomma is pretty!" Greko said cheerfully. "Very, very pretty!"

"Yeah," Jeno, who suddenly appeared beside Juri, added. "Rubin Drayton is a blind fool."

Paige nodded while gently patting Greko's head. "Princess Neoma knows that well, right?"

"Of course," Neoma said, smiling. "Thank you for cheering me up, kids."

To be fair, her "children" really did cheer her up.

However, after Rubin Drayton dampened her mood, she knew that only one person could make her feel better completely.

That reminded her that she needed to "bother" that person.

[Veton, I know you're there,] Neoma said to herself. [Wake up and deliver my message to your master.]

***

"MY MESSAGE for Ruto is annoying, isn't it?" Neoma asked Juri and Paige whom she was sharing the luxury cabin with. It was a room for three people (three single beds, and one bathroom). The cabin reminded her of a premium hotel room back in Korea. "You can be honest with me."

She recorded her message for Ruto with Veton's help in the cabin.

Thus, Juri and Paige heard the cringe-y things that she had said to Ruto. But admittedly, her message for him was half-meant.

"It was not annoying, Princess Neoma," Juri, who was drying her hair with a towel, said. "I'm just a little surprised. Your Royal Highness is usually confident about yourself, and you're not that entitled to believe that everyone will find you pretty."

"Is it because it was Rubin Drayton who didn't acknowledge your beauty, Princess Neoma?" Paige, who was already sitting on her bed while holding a book on her lap, asked carefully. "Does he still affect Your Royal Highness?"

"It's not like that," Neoma said while shaking her head. "I just want to annoy Ruto by acting spoiled, hence I sent him that kind of message."

Juri and Paige's expressions both asked her 'why,' so she explained.

"Ruto doesn't remember me yet," she said, slightly bummed out. But what could she do? It was the consequence of her own action. "I want to bother him, so I'll live in his mind rent-free."

Once again, her "daughters" looked confused by her words.

"I just want him to think about me a lot," she explained in simpler terms. "Ruto doesn't have a favorable impression of me at the moment. I can't charm him with my current personality, since I'm aware that I'm hard to love."

She had a better personality during the first timeline, so Ruto probably found me easy to love back then.

[I mean, a timid personality is better than a narcissistic personality for most people…]

"I don't think that's the case, Your Royal Highness," Paige said gently. "I haven't personally interacted that much with Lord Ruto yet, but based on the stories I've heard, he seems to care about Your Royal Highness a lot."

"That's true," Juri agreed while nodding. "You have a term that you often use for men like Lord Ruto, Princess Neoma. You would use it to describe His Majesty and Sire Glenn whenever they would act like lovesick fools for their partners."

She laughed when she realized what Juri meant by that.

"A simp?" Neoma asked, still laughing. "Yeah, Ruto is a big simp for me."

[I'm not just sure if Ruto will still simp for me.]

***

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