Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"PRINCESS NEOMA, we lost contact with Xion."

Neoma, who was standing on the deck while staring at the dark sea in front of her, clenched her hands tight after hearing Paige's report. "Did Xion send a message before he totally went out of the radar?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," Paige said solemnly. "'Don't follow me.' That was Xion's last message."

'Don't follow me.'

If that was Xion Redgrave's final message, then it could only mean that he was in a very dangerous situation.

[As if we won't follow you just because you said so, my foolish son.]

She turned to Paige. "Where was his last location pointed at?"

"I believe Xion is still in the Lawless Jungle, Princess Neoma."

"Then we'll proceed with our plan– we're still headed to the Lawless Jungle," she said, then her gaze went past Paige. Juri, Jeno, and Greko were behind the mage while waiting for her instructions. "Get ready. Our top priority is to find and save Xion."

Paige, Juri, Jeno, and Greko bowed their head towards her. "As you wish, Princess Neoma."

Her original goal for going to the Lawless Jungle was to get revenge against Rubin, and find the reason why Kingston (the White Lion) fell into Calyx Dalton's filthy hands.

However, Xion's disappearance changed everything.

"No mission is worth dying for," Neoma repeated, her eyes glowing red by now. "But the lives of my people are always worth fighting for."

***

'THE MAD Dog.'

When Brigitte heard that people called Glenn the 'mad dog' on the battlefield, she thought it was only a joke.

After all, Glenn looked like a puppy to her. He was kind, warm, and sweet.

But, right now, she finally understood why Glenn was called 'Mad Dog.'

The limbs of the enemies who attacked them were flying everywhere as Glenn cut them with his sword one by one.

Thank goodness she was inside the barrier that Princess Neoma made for her. If not, then blood would have been splashed on her already– just like how Glenn was already covered by the intruders' blood.

But the amazing thing about Glenn's sword– Ebony– was its ability to turn the limbs that it cut into rocks. Hence, once the limbs fell to the ground, they no longer looked like human parts– they already looked like mere rocks.

[Right, my husband has the power to manipulate the earth.]

Her thoughts were interrupted when a pair of black hands suddenly slammed against the barrier– right in front of her.

She was startled, hugging her baby bump while stepping away from the attacker.

Of course, she had faith in Princess Neoma's barrier. But her body moved on its own to protect her baby. Fortunately, she soon confirmed that the royal princess' barrier was really something that she could depend on.

After all, the hands that slammed against the barrier earlier suddenly sizzled as if they were getting burned.

Soon, the body that owened the black hands appeared.

The Dark Elf that led the crows earlier screamed in agony while trying to remove his hands from the barrier, but to no avail. Hence, this time, the Dark Elf's entire body smoked as if he was being barbecued.

[He got away from Glenn, but he can't win against Princess Neoma's barrier.]

"Princess Neoma's barrier is made from her Moonglow and her purification ability as a Roseheart," Dahlia, who was holding what seemed like a fishing net glowing in a bluish light, said– obviously mocking the Dark Elf. "A Darkness attribute user filled with malice can't possibly touch our royal princess' barrier."

After saying that, Dahlia threw the fishing net at the Dark Elf.

It seemed like the fishing net had a life of its own because as soon as it touched the Dark Elf, it wrapped itself around the enemy and squeezed him tight.

Brigitte was about to let out a sigh of relief when, suddenly, the Moon Priest appeared.

Lord Manu's pale face didn't look good.

"Black Witch, give that Dark Elf to me!" Lord Manu yelled in a hurry. "Now!"

Brigitte let out a painful groan when her stomach suddenly hurt.

Then, the next thing she heard was the Dark Elf's frenzied laugh before the explosion.

***

"NIKOLAI, are you sure we don't need to summon Marcus?"

Nikolai shook his head in a response to Mona's question. "I'm fine, Mona," he assured her. "I just need some rest."

After they returned to his palace, Mona insisted that he should rest first.

Hence, instead meeting the representatives of the Twelve Golden Families, here he was– lying down on the bed.

Of course, Mona still looked worried. "Nero is waiting outside. Should I call him in now?"

He nodded. "Your son and I need to talk, Mona."

To be honest, he didn't want to exclude Mona from his conversation with their son.

However, he knew that there were things that Nero couldn't say in front of his mother. Hence, even though he didn't want to, he had no choice but to ask Mona to give him and his son some privacy.

"I'm sorry," he said, his heart heavy with guilt.

"Don't be," Mona said while shaking her head. "I know that there are things that you and Nero have to talk about as the emperor and the successor to the throne."

"Thank you for understanding, Mona," he said, then he put a hand over her hand. "And please don't tell Neoma about what happened. She already has too much on her plate. I don't want her to worry about me on top of all of that."

Neoma and Nero were only thirteen years old.

He didn't care if their children were adults inside. The fact that they were already young and yet the entire world was on their shoulders didn't sit well with him. Of course, it was aware that it was only normal for royal children to have such burdens.

However, just because it was normal didn't mean it was right.

[And I'm sure Mona feels the same way.]

"I won't tell Neoma," Mona said, frowning. "But I hope you talk to our Baby Muffin about it soon. After all, she deserves to know her father's physical condition."

"I am not dying yet, Mona," he assured her. "I still have at least five years left."

His own father lived six more years after the previous emperor coughed up blood from him stealing his Moonglow.

Hence, he calculated that he still had five more years left.

However, Mona didn't look too happy about what he said.

"Does it make your condition better, huh?" Mona asked in a hurt tone. "We've been apart for thirteen years, Nikolai. Five years aren't enough to make up for the lost time."

He knew that.

But all emperors in history had to die for their successors to ascend the throne. Even the emperors who abdicated the throne to their successors in peace still ended up dying.

However…

"I'm just telling you my current condition because I didn't want to keep it a secret from you," he said. "But it doesn't mean I have given up. I intend to live a long life with you, Mona. Moreover, I won't die and leave the insects around our daughter alone."

Finally, Mona smiled again.

[She might think that I was joking. But it was true that one of my motivations to live is to get rid of Neoma's annoying suitors.]

"I'm glad that you have a lot of will to live," Mona said, then she hugged him. "I won't let you die, Nikolai."

"I know," Nikolai said, hugging Mona back. "I don't want to die too– not when we're finally together again."

***

"FATHER, am I killing you?"

Nero could see that Emperor Nikolai, his father, already looked better than he did earlier. However, he still had to ask because he had an idea as to why his father coughed up blood as soon as he saw him.

"It's because of my Moonglow, isn't it?" Nero, who was standing in front of his father's bed, asked again. "I'm stealing yours."

"The fact that you're stealing my Moonglow is correct," his father, who was sitting on the bed while leaning against the headboard, confirmed. "However, don't blame yourself for it. After all, it's only natural for the successor to steal the Moonglow of his predecessor."

"Does it confirm that I get to be the emperor before Neoma?"

"Neoma is also stealing my Moonglow unconsciously, so I can't tell for sure," his father said. "However, right now, you're the one who's stealing my Moonglow the most. We can say that you're the closest to the throne, though."

"I see," he said, nodding. "Then, Father, do you resent me?"

It was funny that his son asked him the question that he asked his father in the past.

To be honest, he knew that this day would come. However, in the past, he thought he would resent his successor not for stealing his Moonglow but for killing Mona. But, right now, none of that mattered anymore.

After all, he had already learned to love his children sincerely.

"No, I don't resent you," Nikolai said softly. "I won't resent you and Neoma for stealing my Moonglow. Moreover, I refuse to die because of that."

Because he knew that Nero and Neoma would still blame themselves if he died after all of his Moonglow was drained.

That was one of his biggest reasons to live.

"I'm glad that you have that resolve, Father," Nero said. "I won't let you die because Neoma will be sad if– argh!"

"Nero," he said worriedly when his son suddenly clutched his head. He stood up immediately and walked towards Nero. "What's happening?"

His son raised his head, his eyes now glowing red.

[He's anxious…]

"Neoma's presence disappeared," Nero said indifferently. "Our connection has been cut off, Father."

"Ah," Nikolai said, sighing. "Neoma must have already entered the Lawless Jungle."

***

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