Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"MAMA BOSS, please don't cry," Neoma said firmly when she saw her mother crying over Papa Boss's… dead body. "It's not yet too late."

When she arrived at the hospital, Mama Boss was already mourning Papa Boss' death.

But, thankfully, the hospital staff had left her mother alone in the room to grieve. Hence, she didn't need to ask everyone to give her family some privacy.

Neoma and Trevor arrived at perfect timing.

"Neoma, what are you planning to do?" Mama Boss asked in a worried, cracked voice. Her mother's eyes were puffy from crying, but the glint in those orbs showed her deep concern. "Don't do anything dangerous, daughter. Please."

"It's alright, Mama Boss," she said, smiling. "I'll be fine."

Mama Boss shook her head firmly. "No," she said. "I won't let you do whatever you're planning, Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio."

Not gonna lie– it was scary to hear Mama Boss call her by her full name.

However, she wouldn't change her mind.

"I'm sorry, Mama Boss," Neoma said, smiling sadly at her mother. "Trevor."

The demon boy appeared behind her mother silently.

And when Trevor covered Mama Boss' eyes, Mama Boss fainted right away.

"Whew. If Lady Roseheart isn't in a vulnerable state right now, sneaking behind her wouldn't have been possible– much less making her faint through a sneaky sleeping spell," Trevor said, relieved, as he carried Mama Boss in his arms princess-style. Then the demon boy looked at her with a stern look on his face. "Are you still going to do it, Princess Neoma?"

She didn't answer Trevor right away.

Instead of doing that, she walked towards the bed where Papa Boss was "sleeping." Then she held her father's hand.

It was cold.

"Papa Boss, your hand is as cold as your heart back when you were still a scumbag," Neoma joked, a lump forming in her throat as her eyes were brimming with tears. "But don't worry," she whispered, then she closed her eyes. "I will bring you back at all costs, Papa Boss."

***

["PAPA!" Neoma said in a very sweet voice that made her want to puke. But instead, she got off the chair, ignored her brother, and ran towards the emperor. Then, she clung to his leg while looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. "Are you here to take Neoma with you, Papa?"]

[When Emperor Nikolai raised an eyebrow at her, Neoma felt like she wanted to punch herself in the throat.]

That was how Neoma met her Papa Boss for the first time during her third life.

Back then, Papa Boss was a scumbag who only cared about Nero– his successor.

["Papa, Neoma saw a monster in my dream," Neoma said in the cutesy voice that Nero couldn't resist. Also, she gave her father the best puppy dog eyes that she could muster, despite her urge to punch his throat. How could the emperor be this heartless towards a cute little girl like her?! "Can you tell Neoma about it, Papa?"]

[Emperor Nikolai gave her a look that said he was disgusted by her. "I don't want to talk to a princess who can't even talk properly."]

But in retrospect, Neoma was so cringe-y during the time she was sucking up to her father.

Even so, that wasn't an excuse for a father to treat his daughter badly. Her Papa Boss even put her life at risk just to protect Nero!

["You're no longer a princess, Neoma de Moonasterio. From now on, you'll live as Prince Nero de Moonasterio," Emperor Nikolai said coldly while looking down at her with glowing red eyes. "Try to survive until your twin brother comes back to take his rightful place, understood?"]

Hence, no one could blame her for disrespecting her Papa Boss by calling him a 'scumbag.'

Back then, Neoma really saw Papa Boss as a sorry excuse for a father– no, for a human. Papa Boss was just a 'sperm donor' and not a father.

Especially since his reason for hating her back then was Mama Boss.

["Papa Boss, why do you hate me so much?" Neoma asked with a dangerous glint in her clear, round ash gray eyes she got from him. "Is it because my mother hurt you really bad?"]

[He looked offended by that. "Excuse me?"]

["If you have truly moved on from my mother, then you wouldn't punish me for her alleged sins," she insisted. "Papa Boss, there's a thin line between love and hate. Make up your mind."]

[He glared at her.]

[She opened her eyes wider in return. "Will you please stop being mean to me now? I'm not even asking you to like me. If you want to prove to me and to yourself that you're really over my mother, then let's at least be civil to each other."]

To be honest, she really hated Papa Boss before.

But the hatred in her heart melted little by little as time went by.

["Once my stamp is done, I'm going to write a formal contract of our deal," she reminded him. "I will put a clause that says you can't bully me."]

["I'm not bullying you," he insisted as if he was offended by her accusation. "What am I, a child?"]

[She nodded eagerly. "Lewis is more mature than you, Papa Boss," she said. "Don't worry. I will raise you as my second child."]

["You're speaking nonsense again," Emperor Nikolai said, then he turned his back on her and walked out of the room.]

["Tsk. My life would have been easier if he was just a tsundere," Neoma mumbled to herself. A tsundere was someone who was cold on the surface but would eventually show their soft side. She was 100% certain that the emperor wasn't like that. "He's just an outdated mean dude."]

Huh?

Come to think of it, Neoma succeeded in raising Papa Boss into becoming a decent human. She deserved a Noble Peace Prize for turning a scumbag father into a wonderful Papa Boss.

["How was it, Papa Boss?" Neoma asked excitedly after Emperor Nikolai took his first bite of the beef wellington. The royal chef finally perfected it and he served it to them for their lunch. She already had a bite and it tasted divine. "Don't you think it's good enough to be called 'Beef Moonasterio?"]

["The dish is excellent," Emperor Nikolai said in his usual cold voice, the trace of vulnerability now completely gone in him. "But the royal family's name cannot be simply used to name a dish. Instead of calling it 'Beef Moonasterio,' it would be better to call it Royal Fillet Steak. From now on, this is going to be a staple dish on the menu."]

["`Kay," she said cheerfully. "Thank you, Papa Boss."]

["Just finish your meal," he said dismissively. "I haven't seen you train your Soul Beast for a while. We're going to have a sparring later."]

Right, that was how her daughter-father relationship with Papa Boss began to get better.

After a heart-to-heart conversation with her father, they began to get closer to each other.

["I'm sorry, Neoma," Nikolai said in a cracked voice. "I'm really, really sorry for being an awful father. I'm sorry for making your life miserable. I'm sorry for throwing you away in the past. I'm sorry for almost sacrificing you just to save Nero. I'm sorry for neglecting you while thinking that you're nothing but Mona's painful gift. I'm sorry for not giving you your rightful surname. I'm sorry…" His tears began to silently roll down his cheeks as his hands moved to wipe the tears off Neoma's face. Just like him, his daughter was also crying in silence. "I'm sorry for loving you a little too late, my precious daughter."]

["You should have loved me as soon as I was born, Papa Boss! That's how normal parents feel when they get a child!" Neoma complained between sobs. Then, much to his surprise, she moved to hug him tight. She wrapped her frail arms around his neck and buried her face against his neck. "Why did you make it hard for your own daughter to love and trust you, Papa Boss?"]

["I'll be a better father to you, Neoma," Nikolai promised softly while gently patting Neoma's back. "I will raise you and Nero properly this time."]

That was the moment Neoma completely opened her heart to Papa Boss, and the moment Papa Boss finally apologized for being a horrible father in the past.

After that moment, Neoma and Papa Boss became a true family.

It was a long and painful journey, but the end was worth it.

Neoma went from being a neglected three-year-old royal princess to a beloved daughter, while her Papa Boss went from being a scumbag to a doting father.

Hence, she wouldn't accept the reality that her father was already dead.

[I won't accept your death, Papa Boss– Mama Boss, Nero, and I still need you.]

***

CRYING VOICES.

When Neoma opened her eyes, she realized that the crying voices that she heard belonged to her Papa Boss' Soul Beasts.

The Soul Beasts were in their human form while surrounding Papa Boss' soul.

Her father's soul was "sleeping" on what looked like an altar. Moreover, Papa Boss was wearing the emperor's red robe complete with cape and mantle.

It looked like a befitting solemn funeral for a monarch.

After all, the entire "room" also resembled the Royal Shrine where the deceased members of the Royal Family were put to rest.

She couldn't help but smirk bitterly.

"North, Center, East, West, South," Neoma said, calling the Soul Beasts one by one. "Why are you all crying as if you've already given up on Papa Boss?"

The Soul Beasts turned to her with a confused look on their faces.

She had already seen the human forms of North (the Black Tortoise), Center (the black snake attached to North), West (the White Tiger), and South (the flaming Vermillion Bird). But this was the first time that she saw East's human form.

The Azure Dragon, just like all other Soul Beasts (well, except for Tteokbokki) had pink hair.

East was just a little different than the rest.

After all, the Azure Dragon had complete black eyes and his skin was covered with blue dragon scales.

[He looks cool.]

"Princess Neoma," East greeted her, bowing to her politely. "It's the first time we met while I'm in this form, isn't it?"

"That's right," Neoma said, nodding. "You look cool, East. It's an honor to meet you."

The Azure Dragon smiled sadly at her. "It's such a shame that we have to meet like this, Princess Neoma."

"Don't worry," she assured the Soul Beast. "I'll turn this tragedy into a joyful occasion."

She patted the Azure Dragon's shoulder before walking past him to approach the altar where Papa Boss was sleeping.

It broke her to see her father in that state, but she held back her tears.

"Princess Neoma, what are you planning?" Center, the black snake who had the appearance of a child, asked in a cracked voice. "Are you going to bring our master back to life?"

North, the quiet Black Tortoise with the appearance of a bulky man, looked confused. "Is that possible?"

"It's not," South (the Vermillion Bird) said, his eyes puffy. "The throne has already chosen its new heir. Our master's soul will remain here until Prince Nero sits on the throne officially. However, bringing him back to life is impossible."

"A de Moonasterion emperor's life is dictated by the amount of Moonglow he has," West, the West Tiger with the appearance of a tall and lanky teen, added in a hoarse voice. "Our master's death was abrupt because the throne gave both Prince Nero and Princess Neoma a chance to become the next emperor. Hence, the throne took back all the Moonglow in our master's body and equally divided it to Prince Nero and Princess Neoma."

That was the explanation for Papa Boss' sudden death.

This was probably the first time in history that the throne favored two successors at the same time. If the damned throne only chose one between Neoma and Nero, then Papa Boss' health would just deteriorate– her father would have not died instantly.

"Papa Boss isn't completely dead, is he?"

All the Soul Beasts looked at her with a confused look.

"Trevor told me that an emperor isn't completely dead yet until the new emperor took the throne," Neoma said. "Nero hasn't been declared as the emperor officially yet, hence we can still save Papa Boss."

Trevor was the Devil's Grimoire, so she knew she could trust his words.

"How do you plan to bring back our master, Princess Neoma?" East, the Azure Dragon, asked curiously. "Is there a way?"

"Of course," Neoma said, then she put a hand over Papa Boss' chest. To be precise, in the area where her father's heart was. "I'm Neoma, I find ways."

After saying that, her body suddenly released bluish lights around her.

The Soul Beasts were surprised and uttered the same thing: "Moonglow…"

And they were right.

The Moonglow that she released soon gathered in her hand– the hand on top of Papa Boss' chest.

Yes, she was giving her Moonglow back to her father's soul.

[This is the method that Trevor taught me.]

"Princess Neoma, stop!"

Ah, the Soul Beasts finally realized what she was trying to do.

"Princess Neoma, giving your Moonglow to our master means you're sharing your life force with him!" South said, obviously panicking. "Our master won't be happy if he finds out that his beloved daughter shortened her life span for him!"

Yep, that was the true meaning of "giving back" her Papa Boss' Moonglow.

She was actually extending her father's life span by giving him some of the years left in her own life span.

[But even I don't know how many years I have left.]

Even so, that didn't stop her from bringing back her father.

[My beloved Papa Boss.]

"Princess Neoma, pardon my words, but you're being crazy!" Center yelled, obviously in a panic. "This is the first time in history that a royal princess shared her life span with the emperor!"

She laughed softly. "I like setting a good example to the next generation."

The Soul Beasts looked speechless at her response.

[But they also look grateful.]

As expected, her father's Soul Beasts weren't ready to let go of Papa Boss yet just like her. After all, Papa Boss' death was so abrupt.

"Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio!"

To say that Neoma was surprised when Papa Boss suddenly got up and grabbed her wrist was an understatement.

But her shock soon turned into surprise.

"It worked," Neoma said, smiling because of relief. "Papa Boss, you came back…"

But her father didn't look happy– he looked devastated.

"Five years," Papa Boss said, his voice full of pain. "You gave me at least five years of life! What will you do if you only have five years and one day to live, huh?!"

Her father raised his voice at her for the first time after a long while.

However, she knew that Papa Boss only raised his voice because he was worried about her. Very worried, at that.

[Seeing my father getting this emotional is rare.]

"Take it back," her Papa Boss begged her desperately. "Take it back, Neoma. I don't want my life to be extended if that means stealing from your life span."

"Why are you saying that, Papa Boss?" Neoma asked, a lump forming in her throat again. "Don't you want to be with our family anymore? Are you ready to leave us now? We haven't been reunited with Nero yet, and you already want to die?"

"It's not like that, Neoma," her father said. "But how can I live knowing that your life span shortened because of me?"

She wanted to say that it was "only" five years, but she knew that it wasn't a small deal.

After all, just like her father said, if she only had five years and one day left to live, then she would die tomorrow because she already gave her father five years of life.

But did she regret it?

[No, not at all.]

"Papa Boss, I need you. We still need you," Neoma said, cupping her father's face between her hands. "I don't want you to leave us yet. We worked so hard to become a real family. I won't let the throne decide that it's already time for you to die."

Her father's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. "But I also don't want you to die early because of me, Neoma."

"I'm not going to die, Papa Boss."

And even if Neoma died, she knew there was at least one person who wouldn't hesitate to bring her back to life.

[Or turn back time again for me.]

"Neoma," Papa Boss said, his voice hoarse from holding back his tears. Then he held her hands and squeezed them gently. "I don't know how to feel. Half of me hates myself for stealing five years of your life. But half of me is happy and relieved that I have more years to spend with you and our family."

"You didn't steal anything from me because I gave them to you on my own will, Papa Boss," she said while shaking her head. "Papa Boss, this is only a temporary solution. I will find a way to stop the Moonglow from deciding whether your time is up."

"Neoma…"

"Let's go home, Papa Boss," Neoma said, smiling at her father. "Mama Boss and Nero are waiting for us."

"I don't know what I did to deserve a wonderful daughter like you," Papa Boss said while wiping the tears off her face. She didn't even realize she was crying until her father did that. "Neoma, my forever little princess…" Her father smiled warmly at her. "I love you so much."

***

NOTE: Hi. I'll post the bonus chapter tomorrow. Sorry, I received some bad news yesterday, so I wasn't able to finish the bonus chapter. :<

Story time. LOL you can skip this part since this is practically a rant. T^T WN actually made a mistake regarding my income for this month so I was exchanging mails with them for the entire week. In the end, my editor said they'll send the remaining balance on January 2023. Hence, my Christmas budget is ruined. I was looking forward to buying a new phone (just an Android phone which is only 150-200USD, a lot cheaper than iPhone). I need a new one since my old phone is barely working.

*sigh*

Anyway, I hope I'll get over my disappointment soon.

Sorry for sharing a depressing story. Hehe. I'll make sure the bonus story is full of fluff. Thank you for listening. ^_^

***

Please ADD my story to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>