Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"WERE YOU waiting for me?" Neoma teased Ruto when she found him waiting for her in front of Dion Skelton's room. "If you were here to talk about the business that involves the masters of the Elemental Guardians, then you should have brought Dahlia with you. But since you're alone…"

"You're right," Ruto said, nodding his head. "I'm here to tell you to forget about seducing me."

She would have been hurt if she wasn't prepared for this moment.

Fortunately, Neoma and Ruto already predicted that this would happen between them. Hence, they made all the necessary preparations to make their relationship work.

"It's not up to me," she said, shrugging. "My man was the one who hired me, and he told me he made sure his "stupid self" wouldn't be able to reject me."

"I can," he said, extending his hand to her. "Give me the contract."

"Fine~"

She pulled out the Love Contract from her Lynx Ring, then she handed it to Ruto.

As expected, he tried to tear it.

[Keyword: "tried."]

"Argh!"

Ruto didn't only fail to tear the Love Contract– but he also got electrocuted, causing him to collapse to the floor.

Neoma was also shookt.

[Ruto, my man, just what kind of spell did you cast on yourself?!]

She remembered Ruto assuring her he would make sure the future him wouldn't be able to reject her. But she didn't expect him to be this extreme on himself!

"Ruto, are you alright?" Neoma asked while squatting down beside Ruto. She gently patted his shoulder because she didn't want to touch him without permission. But she needed to tap him to check if he was conscious, though. "Wake up."

Fortunately, Ruto woke up soon after. He got up with a bewildered look on his face while looking at her suspiciously. "What did you do to me?"

"It wasn't me." she denied. "I'm a woman of many talents, but I don't have an affinity for lightning and electricity."

"Oh, right."

"It was your old self who cast a spell on yourself," she explained to him. "I don't exactly know what kind of spell it is. But, apparently, it's the type that would physically punish you if you refuse to follow the Love Contract."

He knitted his eyebrows. "And I supposed to just let you seduce, claim, and own me?"

"Well, that's what your old self wanted to happen."

"Are you not going to respect my wishes? I already said 'no.'"

"I know, right? That was also my biggest dilemma, since I hate chasing after people who already rejected me. I already did it once, and I learned the hard way from that horrible experience," she admitted, sighing. "But you told me that at times like this, we need to be flexible. Hence, even if you already said 'no' to me, I will still fulfill the contract."

"Do you like me that much?"

"Not as much as you like me, though."

"I don't like you– argh!"

Once again, Ruto was electrocuted. But thankfully, this time, it wasn't as powerful as the one he got earlier. "Forbidden words," he said to himself in disbelief while clutching his chest tight. "If I say the registered forbidden words in my body, then I'll get electrocuted."

Ah, so that was it.

[Ruto figured out the spell that his old self had cast on him.]

That was pretty savage.

[I already told you not to be too hard on yourself, jagiya.]

"You should rest for now," Neoma said while standing up. "Let's talk about the Elemental Guardians later."

***

"WOW, it's pretty," Hanna whispered to herself while looking at the island in front of her. "Is the sand pink?"

"It is– it's a pink beach," Lewis, who was standing beside her, said. "This island really suits Princess Neoma."

Right now, the two of them were on the deck of the pirate ship that was being maneuvered by precious Hisa Jewels. Hence, it was sailing the sea on its own.

Hisa Jewels were magical gems similar to Mana Stones that Paige Avery infused with her magical power. It was similar to the stones that the Hazelden Kingdom was using to create war weapons.

[But, of course, Lady Paige's Hisa Jewels are more powerful.]

"This is the island that Lady Roxana gave to Neoma, isn't it?"

"Yes," Lewis confirmed. "It's a hidden island in the Southern Sea."

"Our family ruled over the Southern Region for many years. I can't believe there's a hidden island in the Southern Sea," Hanna wondered out loud. "Is this, perhaps, the reason why the crows are suddenly interested in the Southern Region?"

Because if Regina Crowell managed to steal Hanna's inheritance, then the entire territory would also fall into the wench's filthy hands.

"I wouldn't put it past the crows," Lewis said. "They wanted the Quinzels' wealth so badly."

"I got into serious trouble this time," she said, turning to him. "If you weren't there to "kidnap" me, then I'm sure Regina Crowell would make it look like I died. It was also a good thing that Lord Jasper brought my father there to witness everything."

She was confident that Regina Crowell wouldn't be able to kill her, but she also knew that she wouldn't have a choice but to retreat after her secret was exposed.

After all, she wouldn't be able to fight the crows on her own.

Hence, escaping was the only option she had if Lewis didn't come to her rescue.

"We should thank the saint later," Lewis said. "He was the one who predicted that the crows would target you that night."

"Of course, we will do that later," she said. "But Lewis, you should give yourself some credit, too. It was your idea to "kidnap" me in front of my father so that the crows wouldn't be able to lie and say I died."

"It's nothing much."

She laughed softly at his modesty. "You and Neoma both really don't boast your achievements, even though you have all the bragging rights to do so."

"I'm just glad that you're safe."

Aww.

Hanna was so touched that she wanted to praise Lewis by patting his head gently.

But she caught herself because she touched him when she remembered that he didn't like physical contact.

[Moreover, Lewis is too tall for me to reach without standing on my toes.]

She didn't even reach Lewis' chest.

[Why am I born short when both Mother and Father are tall?]

She was about to withdraw her hand when, suddenly, Lewis lowered his head as if he was offering it to her.

"You can pat my head," Lewis encouraged her. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said. "I feel bad that you have to stand on your toes just to reach the top of my head."

"Huh?"

"You're so short," Lewis said bluntly. "Why didn't you grow an inch for the past five years, Lady Hanna?"

Okay, she was a bit offended, since she was sensitive when it came to her height. "I grew a lot, you know? You're just too tall!"

He looked at her in disbelief. "You grew? Really?"

"You're annoying."

"But it's not bad being short," Lewis said. "It's easy to carry you around. And I feel like you can fit in my pocket."

"I'm not that short," she complained. "And why would you even put me in your pocket?"

Lewis blinked as if he was confused himself. "I… don't know?"

Hanna couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, then she ruffled Lewis' hair with her hands instead of patting his head. "Lewis, you can be oddly cute sometimes."

***

[SOMETHING is strange.]

Glenn noticed that the Royal Villa, the one inside the Royal Palace where his family was currently staying, was TOO quiet.

He and Brigitte didn't bring the Hazelden Knights with them as a sign that they trusted the de Moonasterion Royal Family. But they brought a few servants with them since his wife was pregnant, and they needed people to take care of their children.

Moreover, the Crown Prince also sent servants to the Royal Villa to serve them.

Hence, it didn't make sense that the entire place was this silent.

"Brigitte, my queen, get our children."

It was the first thing that Glenn said as soon as he entered the bedroom.

Brigitte looked confused at first, but she didn't ask any questions. His queen stood up right away and woke up the sleeping Monik, Skylus, and Claude on the bed. Thank goodness their children decided to sleep in their bedroom instead of their own room.

Glenn, on the other hand, slowly drew Ebony– his sword– from the scabbard. "Come out."

"As expected of the previous emperor's former Paladin."

Much to his surprise, a familiar figure appeared in front of them.

"Prince Calyx?" Brigitte, his wife, asked in disbelief. "Why did Your Royal Highness come here in this manner?"

Prince Calyx was wearing a black hooded cloak and simple clothes, as if he was hiding his real identity.

Moreover, the First Prince wasn't alone.

The entire room was now surrounded by at least twenty assassins all dressed in black.

"I'm sorry for visiting you in this manner, but I can't let Nero know I'm here," Prince Calyx said, smiling. "And I need to get somewhere else after this, so I'll get straight to the point: hand over Prince Skylus to me."

Glenn knitted his eyebrows, then he pulled his sword out of the scabbard completely. "You must be out of your mind if you think I'd hand over our son to you, Prince Calyx. Especially not when you're oozing with bloodlust."

Prince Calyx was there to kill Skylus.

It was obvious.

Hence, Glenn felt an ungodly amount of rage in his chest.

"Your Majesty, if you hand Prince Skylus to me, I'll let your entire family live," Prince Calyx threatened him. "But if you stay stubborn, then I have no choice but to forcefully take Prince Skylus and kill everyone in this room."

"Do you think you can get away with killing an entire royal family?"

"Well, you attempted to kill Nero, the Crown Prince of the empire. Royal or not, no one would say anything if I killed your entire family here for committing treason," Prince Calyx said playfully. "I'm just punishing the family who harmed my precious little brother."

[Ah, so that's it.]

The First Prince was talking about the incident where Prince Nero fainted while talking to his family.

And it looked like Prince Calyx was trying to frame his family for treason.

"I guess our relationship with the Great Moonasterion Empire ends here today," Glenn said coldly. "Brigitte, my love, take care of our children."

Fortunately, they always carried a teleportation spell with them in case of an emergency.

But the teleportation spell that was meant to take more than two people would take time before it was activated. Hence, he had to protect his family until then. And that was the reason why he couldn't escape with them.

"Glenn, you can't die here," Brigitte warned him in a cracked voice. He could tell that his wife didn't want to leave him, but as a mother, his wife knew that she had to prioritize their children--- especially the one in her womb. "You have to return to us, whatever happens."

He just smiled and nodded, his heart heavy with guilt because he couldn't promise his wife and his children that he could return home safely.

Then, at that moment, he heard a loud roar from behind him.

Kingston, the White Lion, appeared.

He was relieved.

"Lord Kingston, please protect my family," Glenn said to the White Lion. "I'll leave them to you."

The White Lion roared in response.

"You're really going to fight me?" Prince Calyx asked while shaking his head. "How stupid."

The First Prince then signaled the assassins to attack…

… but the assassins suddenly collapsed one by one.

[Huh?]

Glenn was confused, and so was Prince Calyx.

And that was when he noticed the shadow running around the room while killing the assassins with one hit.

[Who is that?]

His thoughts were interrupted when the window on his left side suddenly broke into pieces.

Then a lady dressed like a mage while holding a white parasol appeared standing on the windowsill.

Glenn knitted his eyebrows when he recognized the lady. "Miss Penelope?"

She was Claude's nanny, but something was strange about her.

"Paige Avery," Prince Calyx hissed while glaring at the woman. "So, you're here–"

The First Prince was forced to stop talking because of the two things that happened next.

First, a man clad in black appeared behind Prince Calyx and held a dagger against the First Prince's throat.

Second, a FLOATING island appeared behind Miss Penelope.

[That Prince Calyx called 'Paige Avery' earlier.]

"Xion, I'll leave that fake, delusional, and insufferable "prince" to you," Penelope (or was it Paige Avery?) said to the man (that looked like an assassin) behind Prince Calyx. Then the woman turned to Glenn. "Your Majesty, under Princess Neoma's order, we are here to save the Griffiths Royal Family."

Glenn clutched his head with one hand when he felt a splitting headache after hearing the unfamiliar yet familiar name. "Princess… Neoma?"

***

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