Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"OI, VAMPIRE."

Alucard glared at Lucien Attewell. "What, crazy mage kid?"

"I'm not a kidâ€" I'm already twenty-two this year," Lucien growled at him. "What the hell happened that our lunatic Crown Prince had to send me to fetch your ass here?"

"Language, kid."

Since Lucien was small and petite, he looked like a kid in Alucard's eyes.

"Shut it, old man."

Lucien glared at the crazy mage for calling him an "old man" when he wasn't that old yet.

To be honest, he didn't really remember what happened to him.

The next thing he knew, he was already in an inn in the capital of Valmentoâ€" the Holy Land. To be precise, he woke up lying down on a bed in an unknown tavern.

But there was a gap in his memory.

"I can't remember what happened," Alucard admitted. "But I'm sure I didn't see Miss Dahlia."

Lucien smirked haughtily. "So you failed your mission?"

"Did you catch the Pirates of the South?"

Lucien lost his arrogant smile.

It was Alucard's turn to smirk. "So you also failed your mission?"

"Screw you, old man."

"Language, kid!"

***

"DID YOU send Nero's "child" off safely?" Neoma asked Trevor who just returned to the Astello Temple. "And what about his memories?"

"I left the blood-sucking demon in the first inn I saw in the capital," Trevor explained while stretching his arms. "I messed with his memories. He won't remember that he met us here."

"Good job."

She initially thought of letting Alucard Dionisio leave the temple without asking Trevor to tamper with the vampire's memories.

But she didn't want the kid to get in danger just because he encountered her.

[Well, I'm pretty sure the crows will figure out I met Alucard Dionisio because he lost his memories. But, at least, they wouldn't think that the vampire kid decided to join my side. Hence, Nero and his "children" will be safe.]

"Prepare the portal, Trevor," Neoma said. "I already left instructions to Dion. We can leave now and meet my children. I heard the Brigitte unnie, Uncle Glenn, and the babies are also headed to the secret island."

"Okay," Trevor said. "Princess Neoma, is Miss Dahlia coming with us?"

"I have a feeling that she will, so make sure the portal can accommodate three people," she said. "I'll go and ask Dahlia first."

After talking to Trevor, she went to Dahlia's room.

Upon entering the Black Witch's room, she realized that she was already done packing her things.

"Princess Neoma, Lord Ruto told me that I don't have to move with his group now that we've found you," Dahlia said, her face beaming. "Since we can just regroup later, he told me I can come and join your group if I want to."

Neoma smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Ruto and I talked about that already. That's why I'm here to ask if you want to join me and Trevor. We're headed to the secret island where my "children" are staying. The Griffiths would also be there."

The Black Witch nodded eagerly. "I'd like to join your group, Princess Neoma."

"Cool," she said, then she paused. "Dahlia, I'll be honest with you. Hanna is already in the island."

"Oh."

"I know it's going to be awkward because you have seen the snippets of your past life with Nero," Neoma said bluntly. "You were Nero's unhappy wife before while Hanna is currently Nero's unhappy fiancée."

[Goddammit, Nero. You make these two amazing girls sad because of your indecisive ass.]

"It seems like my stupid twin brother is still obsessed with you, yet he can't still let go of Hanna," Neoma said. It wasn't like she was snitching on Nero. She was simply stating a fact that everyone already knew. "I know I'm overstepping my boundaries here by meddling with your private life. But I want to stay friends with both you and Hanna. So, I'm hoping we'll all get along well." She smiled at the Black Witch apologetically. "I'm sorry for being a busybody."

Dahlia smiled and shook her head. "It's alright, Princess Neoma. And I know what you're worried about. I promise you that it won't happen. Even if I remember the snippets of my past life with Prince Nero, I have no intention of coveting a man who already belongs to someone else."

Neoma fell silent for a moment while gathering her thoughts. "I'm sure Hanna won't hold on to Nero if only Nero would finally make up his mind. Even so, it won't be easy for Hanna to break up with Nero because of their status."

Haaah.

She really couldn't understand why Nero couldn't let go of Dahlia and Hanna.

[I mean, once he becomes the emperor, he'd be allowed to have other wives other than the empress. But it's clear that neither Dahlia nor Hanna wanted to be a concubine.]

Her hand suddenly itched to give Nero a punch full of love.

"I don't want to be confined in the Royal Palace like I was in my past life," Dahlia confessed in a soft, yet sincere voice. "Princess Neoma, I don't want to fight Lady Hanna over Prince Nero."

"Good girl," Neoma said, nodding. "A man who can't make up his mind doesn't deserve you, Dahlia. You and Hanna both deserve better."

[I'm sorry, Nero, but you can't do this to Dahlia and Hanna.]

***

"I DON'T like it when two people vie for one person," Neoma declared out of nowhere. "Ruto, you shouldn't lead on girls, okay? You should reject everyone else except me."

Ruto, who was just handing her the lunch box he made for her group, looked surprised by what she said. "Where did that come from?"

"I know a certain someone who's obsessed with his previous lover, yet he also doesn't want to break up with his current fiancée."

"Ah, so you're talking about Prince Nero."

[Gosh, so Nero's reputation in the romance department has plummeted this much, huh?]

She hugged the packed lunch close to her chest because it was quite heavy. "But, technically, the two girls aren't fighting over him. It's just him who can't make up his freaking mind." She glared at Ruto. "Don't follow Nero's footsteps, Ruto. And you also shouldn't let them spread rumors that you're going to marry them."

He just looked at her blankly.

But she knew that expression.

"Ruto, if you have something to say, then just say it."

"The rules of the "Love Contract" you mentioned also apply to you, right?"

"Hmm?"

"You should only flirt with ME."

Neoma bit her lower lip to stop herself from giggling when Ruto's face turned red.

[Gosh, why is he acting cute?]

"Where did that come from, Ruto?"

"You seem to favor Trevor Kesser's face."

"Well, Trevor is the second most handsomeâ€" no, never mind."

"Who's the first?"

"Huh?"

"Is it Rubin Drayton?" he asked. "I heard he's the most handsome man on the entire continent."

[Goddammit.]

"I'm sorry," Neoma said remorsefully. "I'll stop obsessing over pretty faces from now on."

"You don't have to do that for me," Ruto said. "I know you only like their faces anyway. As long as you only act the way you do with me, then it's fine."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure you don't remember my feelings for me?"

"Possessiveness has nothing to do with love," Ruto said indifferently. "And it's a negative feeling. The Ancient Devil took away all the positive feelings that I have for you, and he left all the negative feelings that I used to suppress." He clutched his chest tight. "These negative feelings I have for you might end up hurting you, Princess Neoma."

Now she was starting to get a grasp of Ruto's new personality.

"The pure and protective love that I have for you is already gone. I can love you again, but it won't be the same," Ruto continued, his eyes and voice still blank. "If you continue stirring my heart like this, I might end up developing feelings for you. But I can tell that they will turn toxic and suffocatingâ€" the kind of love that would make me want to ruin you with my own hands."

Not gonna lieâ€" she got the chills.

Ruto was practically saying that he was starting to turn into a walking red flag, and it was something that he had no control over.

[My green flag Ruto is no more...]

"Are you scared now, Princess Neoma?"

"Call me 'Neoma.'"

"Huh?"

"If you don't want to call me by my name, then just call me 'jagiya.'"

Ruto knitted his eyebrows as if he was frustrated. "Did you not understand what I'm trying to say to you? I am bad for you, Princess Neoma."

She gasped when she remembered something more important than Ruto's warning. "Should we call each other 'babe?' 'Jagiya' was what my sweet, green flag Ruto used to call me. But you've turned into a red flag now, so I think 'babe' as an endearment would fit us better."

"I see, you're not listening to me."

It wasn't like she wasn't listening. She just knew that Ruto could throw threats all he wanted, but she was already at the point where she couldn't give him up.

[I mean, we already gave up on each other in the first timeline.]

They would be damned if they gave up on each other again.

"Ruto, I look good WITH red."

"What?"

"I'm also a red flag," Neoma said, then she smiled at Ruto. "Should we ruin each other, babe?"

Ruto sighed while shaking his head. "With all due respect, Your Royal Highness is crazy."

***

[I'M NOT jealous of a child, I'm not jealous of a child, I'm not jealous of a child.]

Neoma was saying that over and over in her head like a mantra.

She was about to enter the portal with Trevor and Dahlia. The demon boy attached his portal to one of the many guest rooms in the temple. They just had to open the door and walk in the tunnel inside to get where Paige Avery's portal was.

[Yes, it's a long-distance portal that Trevor and Paige made together.]

Anyway, Neoma was sulking because Ruto was carrying the still unconscious Phoebe Willows on his back.

"Princess Neoma, we have to go," Trevor said, scolding her. "Paige Avery can't hold the portal open for long. She's not as powerful as me, so have mercy on your poor daughter."

Neoma continued pouting while looking at Ruto.

[I know men can't read women's minds. But it will be too embarrassing to ask Ruto to drop Lady Phoebe. Can't you tell what I'm feeling when I'm sulking like this, babe?]

"Princess Neoma?" Dahlia said, catching her attention. "Is everything alright?"

Neoma nodded and mindlessly answered. "Yeah."

"Then let's go," Trevor said impatiently, grabbing her by the hand. "The portal is closing."

Neoma didn't mind getting dragged by Trevor.

But something interesting happened.

Ruto, in just the blink of an eye, was already standing in front of her.

It barely registered in Neoma's mind that he literally dropped Phoebe Willows (that was caught by Veton, Ruto's Thunderbird) to get to her in just a few seconds.

Then, much to Neoma's delighted surprise, Ruto took her hand away from Trevor's grasp.

"Jealousy is another negative feeling that the old me tried to suppress. But I don't have the kind of patience that he had," Ruto said, talking as if the old 'Green Flag Ruto' wasn't him. "Are you sure you still want me, Princess Neoma?"

Dahlia gasped loudly, while Trevor made a gagging sound.

"I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you, Ruto."

Okay, that was admittedly cringe-y. But she only had five years left (for now). She'd be damned if she didn't make the most out of it.

"Alright, let's meet later," Ruto said, then he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Babe."

Neoma felt a shiver down her spine.

[Should I consider myself a degenerate for finding the Red Flag Ruto hot?]

***

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