Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"YOU'RE still here," Nero commented while looking at the White Lion. "I thought you'd be gone when Calyx Dalton escaped."

"Is it because I broke the leash that the crows are using to control you?" his mother asked the White Lion. "Are you free now?"

<"I can only be free if the two conditions that tied my soul to Calyx Dalton are met,"> the White Lion explained. <"The first condition is to break the collar, which Lady Roseheart accomplished. It's a task that's supposed to be next to impossible. After all, the Darkness that served as the collar's protection was the same Darkness that swallowed the world in the past.">

Nero looked at his hands. "No wonder my hands were burned."

<"That's right. I knew that the Moonglow or the divine power of the de Moonasterios won't work,"> the White Lion said. <"Even Neoma de Moonasterio failed to break the collar."> The White Lion turned to his mother. <"That's why I'm surprised that you broke the collar and you even made it look easy, Lady Roseheart.">

"The purifying power that the Rosehearts possess is greater than the Moonglow or any other divine power in the human world," his mother said as a matter of fact. She didn't sound arrogant, even though she had all the right to brag about her ability that surpassed the de Moonasterios. "After all, unlike the de Moonasterios who received the blessing of the Moon God, the Rosehearts received our power from Nature. And Nature is the worst enemy of Darkness. Hence, our purifying ability is better than the de Moonasterios' divine power."

<"That's true, but not all the Rosehearts were born equal,"> the White Lion said. <"Mona Roseheart– Daughter of the Cosmic Tree– you were the strongest Roseheart born in history.">

His mother looked embarrassed by the White Lion's compliment.

[Neoma, you didn't inherit our mother's modesty.]

"Thank you for the high praises, Lord Kingston," his mother said, obviously still embarrassed after getting compliments from the White Lion.

[Right, Neoma said the White Lion's name is 'Kingston.']

<"I should be the one thanking you, Lady Roseheart,"> the White Lion said. <"Thank you for saving me.">

His mother just smiled shyly. "But, Lord Kingston, you did mention that there are two conditions to meet. May we know the other one?"

<"The crows stole the treasure that the Light Goddess has entrusted to me,"> the White Lion explained. <"As long as that treasure is in their hands, I can't disobey Calyx Dalton. However, the fact that I was able to resist it when he tried to take me back with him only meant that the treasure they stole was already freed. Hence, I'm no longer bound to Calyx Dalton.">

"But what treasure are you talking about?" Nero asked curiously. "And it's a treasure that the Light Goddess entrusted to you?"

"The Light Goddess is long gone," his mother added. "But as far as I know, Lady Roxana scattered pieces of her soul in places that they needed to be. Lord Kingston, did you find a piece of the Light Goddess' soul?"

<"That, I did,"> the White Lion said. <"The treasure that the Light Goddess entrusted to me is actually a baby inside an egg.">

Nero and his mother were both shocked to hear that. "A baby inside an egg?"

***

"EOMMA, you're burning with fever."

"I'm fine, Greko," Neoma assured her son. To be honest, she was shocked that she suddenly got a fever. No wonder her little body felt warm. Plus, she couldn't move since she would get dizzy every time she tried to get up. So, right now, she was stuck in bed. "Just give me a healing potion or something."

"I can't do that, eomma," Greko said worriedly while shaking his head. "You're a baby right now. Babies shouldn't be fed with potions."

"But I'm a de Moonasterio," she argued. "I'll be fine."

Greko shook his head. "I'll make you some medicine drops that suit a baby, eomma. Please hang in there in the meantime."

After saying that, her youngest "son" bolted out of the room.

[Even the maknae is in his rebellious phase, huh?]

Cute.

"Princess Neoma, please understand Greko," Paige, who was sitting on the chair while twisting a wet towel, said. "He's just worried about Your Royal Highness."

She smiled and nodded. "I know that. I'm not mad that he disobeyed my order. I know that he's doing it for my sake."

"Thank you for Your Royal Highness' generosity," the mage said, then she gently put the towel on her forehead. "I'm currently looking for a spell related to what happened to you. I promise I'll reverse the spell as soon as I can."

"Paige, I don't think this is a spell."

"What do you mean by that, Princess Neoma?"

"The power that turned me into this state… I'm pretty sure it's a curse from a god."

Paige's eyes went wide. "A curse from a god?"

"Well, not really a god," Neoma said, racking her brain to remember what exactly happened the moment Regina Crowell turned her into a baby. "The power that came out of Regina back then felt similar to divine power, but stronger. However, it looks like she's not aware of that power yet. It was as if Regina was possessed by a god at that moment."

Now the mage looked even more surprised. "It's almost impossible for a god to use a human body as a host, much more lend them their power."

"But doesn't my Mama Boss borrow power from Spirits and gods she has a contract with?" she asked curiously. "I thought what Regina did was similar to how my mother fights."

"While I was traveling around the world for the past three years, I've learned about how Lady Roseheart became one of the most powerful women on the entire continent," Paige said slowly. "Lady Roseheart can borrow the power of strong Spirits and gods because her body, soul, and Mana are built for it. However, Regina Crowell is different. She has the Darkness attribute since she has Quinzel Blood in her. It wouldn't be easy for a god to possess her body since a god's divine power is a bad match for Darkness attribute…"

She wanted to listen to Paige more.

However, she suddenly became dizzy until the mage's voice sounded like static in her head. Then, later, she heard unfamiliar voices in her head.

<"Princess Neoma, please help us…">

<"We don't want to die yet…">

<"Save us. Find us. Please…">

When she closed her eyes, images of the "people" asking for her help became vivid in her mind. Ah, no wonder she could hear their voices. They were close.

And those "people" were asking for her help.

Neoma opened her tired eyes and removed the towel from her forehead, then she raised her arms– confusing Paige. "I need to go out," she said weakly, her breathing shallow. "They're waiting for me to save them."

Paige looked devastated by what she said. "Princess Neoma, you're sick and your body isn't in a normal state," she said worriedly. "This is not how a person who aims to be a lady of leisure should act."

***

"I THOUGHT you were going to take your "bride" home. I didn't know you liked men. But don't worry, I don't judge."

Trevor thumped his fist against his chest, frustrated.

The person who threw those sarcastic words at him as soon as he entered the mansion– with the unconscious Lewis draped over his shoulder– was none other than the Devil himself.

[So, I can't talk back recklessly to... them.]

To be honest, he wasn't sure about the Devil's gender.

They had the appearance of Arche de Moonasterio, the "most incompetent" emperor in history.

However, the soul inside the shell belonged to the genius Aruna de Moonasterio.

[Twins are so weird.]

Trevor's thoughts were interrupted when Gin, now back in his form as a black cat, climbed up the Devil's body until the black cat was sitting on top of the Devil's head.

"I failed to kidnap my Moon Princess," Trevor said. "I plan to lure her out using our "son.""

"Didn't I already tell you that it wouldn't be easy to kidnap Neoma de Moonasterio if you won't use force?" the Devil asked, then they leaned against the railing of the grand staircase while crossing their arms over their chest. "Neoma de Moonasterio isn't at her prime yet. Had you fought her seriously, you would have won. Well, probably. You should have done that instead of using petty tricks."

"But that would make her hate me."

"If you ended up kidnapping her successfully, she'd still hate you."

"She won't hate me if she got kidnapped after I used cheap tricks," he argued. "But she'd hate me if she got kidnapped AFTER she lost to me in a fight."

"I don't understand."

"I love Princess Neoma with all my heart, but I have to admit that she could be a petty loser sometimes," Trevor said, sighing while shaking his head. "Princess Neoma will treat me as a rival instead of a "chingu" if she lost to me in a fight."

The Devil smiled faintly. "It's funny to hear that from you since I know that in the first timeline, Neoma de Moonasterio killed you easily."

He flinched. "Did I really lose easily during that time?"

"Yes, and the villainess princess used your horns as weapons."

"Well, if it's the "evil" Princess Neoma, I'd even let her step on me."

"The Neoma de Moonasterio of the first timeline didn't just step on you– she trampled you to death."

Trevor just frowned because it wasn't that fun to hear how he died at Princess Neoma's hands in the first timeline. Hence, he changed the topic. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm headed to the tomb of the Ancient Devil."

The Ancient Devil– the one that existed during the Ancient Period when the world was swallowed by Absolute Darkness. Even after his death, the Ancient Devil still remained the source of the current Devil's power.

[And as far as I know, all the previous contracts that the Ancient Devil signed in the past have been passed down to the current Devil like some sort of inheritance.]

"Yoan Solfrid– no, Ruston Stroganoff's real contract with the Ancient Devil has finally been activated," the Devil said cheerfully. "It's time for that young man to pay the price for turning back time."

"That fool," Trevor cursed under his breath. "He really threw away everything for Princess Neoma."

***

["I WAS the one who gave Neoma de Moonasterio the power that surpassed the arrogant gods in the Upper World."]

He already knew that.

The only being in the world who could give Neoma that kind of power was the Ancient Devil himself.

["That child freed me from the grave where the gods had buried me during the Ancient Period.]

["Why are you telling me that?"]

["Well, I'm bored now that Neoma de Moonasterio is dead. The world has healed peacefully– thanks to you, Yoan Solfrid."]

That was a painful reminder.

He chose the world over Neoma de Moonasterio.

And now, he was lonely.

So lonely that he destroyed the Upper World.

However, even after that disgusting world was destroyed, Neoma didn't come back to life. Hence, he didn't have any reason to live.

That was when the Ancient Devil came up to him.

["Do you want to turn back time to save your precious princess?"]

["Do you have the power to turn back time?"]

["I'll do it if the price is right."]

["What do you want in return?"]

["Your heart."] The Ancient Devil pointed at his chest. ["Your unexplainable attraction towards her. Strong emotions that made you fall for the abandoned princess. And that unconditional love you have for her. Those things that you feel for Neoma de Moonasterio, I want to eat them all."]

Ruto opened his eyes after remembering the part of his deal with the Ancient Devil through a vivid dream.

And then he woke up feeling like something was stolen from him.

"Neoma," Ruto whispered under his breath. "Why can't I remember your face?"

***

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