Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

HANNA didn't miss her timing.

When Neoma attacked Trevor, she saw Princess Nichole and the former saint Dominic Zavaroni move quickly as if they were about to grab the royal princess.

Of course, Ruto didn't allow that to happen.

[Now!]

And that was when she used her shadow.

She summoned Hebi, the seven-headed Shadow Serpent.

Hebi emerged from Lewis' shadow, then the serpent snaked its tail around the fox boy's waist and lifted him.

Fortunately, Lewis recognized her Shadow Beast and didn't put up a fight.

Hence, in just the blink of an eye, the fox boy was already in front of her.

"Are you alright, Lewis?" Hanna asked worriedly while checking on him from head to toe. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Lewis looked fine, and his clothes were different from what he would usually wear.

Hence, she could tell that the Devil's side had taken care of him. But, of course, she still wanted to hear straight from Lewis that he was fine.

[Neoma and Lord Ruto are fighting, but I'm sure they can handle themselves.]

So, Hanna just focused on Lewis.

"I'm not hurt anywhere," Lewis assured her. "Thank you for worrying about me, Hanna."

She smiled and nodded. "Neoma was worried more about you."

Lewis didn't say anything, but his face beamed while his cheeks turned red.

[Ohh. Someone is happy that his princess is worried about him, huh?]

She was about to tease Lewis, but her smile quickly faded when she felt a familiar presence and aura moving close to Neoma.

And she wasn't the only one who noticed that.

Hanna and Lewis both turned to the cave, and they were also shocked when they recognized the person coming out of it.

[Uncle Gavin?!]

***

NEOMA BLOCKED Aunt Nichole's scythe using Skewer. She was about to land another attack on Trevor when her aunt suddenly appeared before her. The next thing she knew, her own Death Scythe was already clashing against her aunt's weapon.

Huh?

[I summoned Skewer unconsciously?]

Daebak.

Her Ruto was right– her power would slowly return to her. Now that she was thinking about it, she could also feel Tteokbokki's presence in her soul now.

[My Spirits, too.]

"What are you thinking about in the middle of a fight, my precious niece?" Aunt Nichole scolded her. "Are you slacking off because Ruto is here to keep you safe?"

"Ruto makes me feel safe, but I will never put my life in the hands of someone else," Neoma retorted, pushing her aunt back by putting more strength into Skewer. "Anyway, Aunt Nichole, I'm not happy with what you did. You know how precious Lewis is to me, don't you?"

"It was Trevor's idea to use Lewis to lure you here," her aunt said, laughing as if she was amused. "But I have to say that it was a brilliant idea."

She glared at Trevor, but the demon was no longer where he was the last time she saw him.

[Tsk, that damned demon boy!]

Trevor joined the former saint Dominic Zavaroni in attacking Ruto. Thankfully, even though her man was outnumbered, it looked like he could win the fight.

[Heh, that's Ruto for you.]

Plus, she also felt Hanna use her Shadow Beast earlier. Even without looking, she could tell that her cousin had already saved Lewis.

[Oh, we don't have to waste time here anymore.]

After all, she promised to follow Nero and help him rescue Dahlia.

"Lady Vespera," Aunt Nichole said firmly, summoning her Soul Beast. "Teach my niece a lesson about not getting distracted in the middle of a fight."

Neoma was surprised when Aunt Nichole's scythe suddenly took the form of a beast.

A Black Phoenix, to be exact.

Verspera, the Soul Beast, let out a shriek that turned into a ball of black flame.

[Fuck it!]

She raised her one hand, praying that her ability to create barriers had already returned as well. But, much to her pleasant surprise, something else better had come out.

"I'm back, thug princess!"

Yes, it was Tteokbokki in his baby dragon form.

However, despite being in a cute size, her Soul Beast managed to block the Black Phoenix's ball of black flame with his own Fire Breath.

When the ball of black flame and red flame collided, it created a huge impact.

Aunt Nichole was sent backwards.

And so was Neoma.

The heels of her boots dug deep into the soil as she was pushed backwards. However, it stopped when her back hit something warm and solid behind her.

[Oh, I know this feeling.]

"Are you alright?" Ruto, who put his hands on her shoulders gently to stop her from getting pushed back, asked worriedly. "I'm glad that your Soul Beast is back, but it may have taken a toll on your body."

"I'm alright, Ruto," Neoma assured him, then she looked over her shoulder. "Are you done…"

She trailed off when she saw Trevor and Dominic Zavaroni behind.

Both the demon and the former saint were coughing up blood while pulling out an arrow that was impaled on their chests, in the area near their hearts, at that.

[Yep, of course, Ruto is fine even after fighting Trevor and Mr. Zavaroni.]

If Neoma and Nero were OP, then Ruto was a cheat character who could do anything and everything in this world.

[Well, he's not the divine son of the God Among Gods for nothing.]

Her thoughts were soon cut off when she felt a familiar presence coming out of the cave. Ruto felt it too, because they both turned to the cave at the same time.

And there HE was.

Neoma let out a loud gasp. "Appa?"

It was really the former Commander Gavin Quinzel.

She thought her appa was still trapped in the ice block that Ruto made. Hence, she was surprised to see her appa as if he had just woken up from a power nap. The former commander looked strangely refreshed.

"I only mimicked the ice that Delwyn makes by borrowing the power of an Elementalist who could control ice," Ruto explained, whispering in her ear. "Hence, someone on the level of the real Devil could melt the ice that I made."

The "real" Devil.

Then it wasn't her Aunt Nichole who melted the ice to free her appa.

[I don't see the "real" Devil, though. Does it mean they melted the ice and left? But where did they go? Are they going to ambush me in a surprise attack?]

She couldn't help but wonder about those things even though her appa was in front of her.

[Am I distracting myself to run away from reality because I'm not yet ready to face appa even though I missed him?]

Her heart was conflicted, it seemed.

"Neoma," her appa said upon seeing her, his voice filled with longing. He also looked like he wanted to run to her and hug her. "Neoma, my daughter, I'm glad to see you here."

"Appa…" Neoma said unconsciously hiding behind Ruto. [Wait, why am I hiding?!]

Thankfully, Ruto didn't question her and he just stood in front of her protectively.

On the other hand, pain crossed her appa's eyes when he realized that Neoma hid from him.

It made her guilty, of course.

"Neoma, why are you hiding from me?" her appa asked, his voice sounded devastated. "Are you not happy to see me?"

"It's not that I'm not happy to see you, appa," Neoma said, talking to her appa while looking at him over Ruto's shoulder. "But I'm not ready yet, not after I finally learned what appa had done to Mama Boss and Papa Boss in the past."

Her appa looked shocked by her revelation.

"Because of what appa did, I almost lost my real mother. But thankfully, she's still alive and our family was reunited now," Neoma said. And even though she didn't want to sound resentful, that was what she sounded at the moment. "Appa, how could you do that to Mama Boss and Papa Boss? They trusted you. But you betrayed them just to achieve your own happiness."

She wasn't against someone who was chasing their happiness.

But it was a different matter if you had to hurt other people just to obtain that happiness, wasn't it?

[Especially if the people you betrayed are your friends who trust you with their lives.]

"Neoma, I understand that you've grown attached to His Majesty and Lady Roseheart now," her appa said carefully. "But how about your eomma? Are you going to abandon your mother? You know she's waiting for us, don't you?"

Go Areum was her eomma, and her Korean mother was still waiting for them in the other world.

Although she resented her appa for betraying Mama Boss and Papa Boss, she couldn't say the same for eomma. Her Korean mother loved her genuinely, and her Korean mother played a huge part in her second life.

[If it wasn't for eomma, I wouldn't be the confident Neoma that I am today.]

And she tried not to think about her Korean mother all this time because she didn't want to miss her, but now that her appa reminded Neoma of her eomma, her heart wavered.

[Eomma, I miss you…]

"Let's go home, Neoma," her appa said, extending his hand to her. "Your eomma is waiting for us."

Neoma unconsciously took a step forward.

But Ruto literally blocked her way.

Thanks to that, she snapped out of her trance.

[Oh, what happened to me?]

That was when Neoma realized that Trevor, Aunt Nichole, and the former saint Dominic Zavaroni were already standing behind her appa.

Hanna and Lewis, on the other hand, were standing behind Neoma and Ruto.

[I almost reached out to appa…]

"I'm sorry, appa, but I'm not going with you," Neoma said firmly. "Moreover, it's not like we can cross over to the other world easily."

Her appa dropped his arm to his side. "We can."

Huh?

"Neoma, this is why we lured you here," Aunt Nichole said in a serious tone. "We're going to send you and Gavin Quinzel back to the other world, to the country called 'Korea.'"

Neoma gasped out loud. "That was your plan all along?!"

***

"FINALLY," Arche said while looking at his hands. "I missed my real body so much."

It wasn't that bad being trapped in Aruna's body, since they had the same face.

But the flow of their Mana was different. Hence, being trapped in his twin sister's body weakened him since he couldn't use his power the way he wanted to.

Not anymore, though.

[Anyway, I'm glad that Aruna and I had this conversation before it's too late.]

Leaving that dimension to look for his twin sister was also a good call. The upcoming "misfortune" of the de Moonasterios could only be stopped if Arche and Aruna worked together.

"I returned your body to you, so you better keep your promise," Aruna said, her voice threatening. "You can't betray me, Brother."

He let out a sigh. "I won't. If you told me your grand plan from the start, then I would have helped you right away."

To be honest, he thought Aruna was still clouded by her wrath.

However, after hearing his twin sister's plan, he realized that she just genuinely wanted to protect Neoma de Moonasterio.

[The hope of this godforsaken empire.]

The harm coming Neoma de Moonasterio's way was inevitable. Hence, he agreed with Aruna's plan.

"I knew you'd appear at the last minute," his twin sister said confidently. "But thank you for agreeing to help me, Brother."

"Thank me later," Arche said while putting the robe of his hood over his head. "I'll head to Nikolai de Moonasterio now."

"Then I'll head to Mona Roseheart," Aruna said, nodding. "Nichole and the rest will take care of Neoma de Moonasterio."

About Nero de Moonasterio…

[He's someone who has to face this alone.]

***

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