Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

[Last night…]

NEOMA smiled at Duckie, the Fourth Elemental Guardian, when their eyes accidentally met.

But the duck avoided her gaze.

[Oho?]

It was time to leave the island.

While everyone was busy packing their things, Neoma spent her free time on the shore. She saw Hanna and Lewis playing with the golden butterflies, so she decided to change her "itinerary" until she reached the rock formation by the beach.

And that was when she saw Duckie alone.

"Why are you avoiding my gaze?" Neoma asked, sitting next to the duck even though he didn't invite her to join him. "Is my beauty too blinding? Or are you scared of me?"

<"Uhm, both?">

"Did I scare you when I got upset earlier?"

The duck hesitated before he responded. <"You're just plain scary, Princess Neoma. Your eyes are warm towards your people. But they turn cold when you look at me. Even though you're nice to me, I can tell you won't hesitate to kill me if you have to.">

"I don't know how to treat you yet," she admitted. "Even though you're an Elemental Guardian, it doesn't necessarily mean you're an ally. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position where I can easily accept anyone in our group. If I trusted the wrong person, my people would pay for my mistake. Hence, I have to be wary of everyone– especially towards a duck who hides his real strength."

<"My strength is useless– what I need is diamond.">

"Diamond?"

<"A lot of diamonds, to be precise,"> Duckie said. <"The reason I wanted to gather the other Elemental Guardians and their owners is because I wanted to strike a deal with you.">

"Would it be okay to share it with me even though Dahlia and Ruto aren't here yet?"

<"Wouldn't it fine since you're their leader anyway?">

"There's no leader among us."

<"You totally look like the leader type, though,"> the duck said. <"The owner of the Blue Whale listens to you well, Princess Neoma. I have a feeling that the owner of the Thunderbird also listens to you.">

She just shrugged. "It's up to you whether you want to share it with me first or not."

<"I have information that will benefit the Elemental Guardians and their owners,"> Duckie said in a serious voice. <"In exchange, I want you to pay me with diamonds– and I want the most expensive ones.">

"Okay."

<"Huh?">

"What do you mean 'huh?'" she asked, knitting her eyebrows. "You said you wanted us to pay diamonds. I'm saying I can give them to you."

Now she understood why the duck was disappointed when he realized that Dahlia, the owner of Lapiz, was a commoner.

He probably thought the Black Witch couldn't afford to give him diamonds.

[Well, to be honest, I don't know Dahlia's financial situation. I remember she lived a humble life in the first timeline. I'm not sure if that's the case even now.]

<"Why are you already agreeing when you don't even know if the information I have is real or not?">

"You can't lie to me."

<"Huh?">

"I'm a good liar, so I know a liar when I see one," she said. "You don't smell like a liar to me. But even if you are, it doesn't matter to me. Losing a few diamonds in a useless deal won't affect me or my finances."

The duck let out a bitter laugh. <"I fucking hate the rich.">

"Yeah, you should hate the rich," she agreed with the duck. "Billionaires shouldn't exist in any world."

Unfortunately, Neoma was born a billionaire.

[That's why I'm working hard to be in a position where I can distribute my wealth to the poor and help more people live comfortable lives.]

"I'm filthy rich," Neoma continued indifferently. "The empire is rich because it stole from all the nations and kingdoms it invaded in the past. If we return all the things that we stole, every single museum in the entire empire will close down." She turned to the duck. "And that's why I'm willing to share my wealth with you. I can tell you're going to put it to good use."

<"Would you still give me the diamonds even if I tell you I'd use them to kill an entire clan?">

"Yeah, sure."

<"Why?">

"Because it's none of my business where you use the diamonds I'd give you," Neoma said casually. "And I can tell by the fury in your eyes that the clan you're planning to kill deserves it."

The duck fell silent for a moment, then he suddenly laughed as if he lost his mind. <"Are you sure a royal princess like you should say that an entire clan deserves to die?">

"I'm not a good person," she said bluntly. "I've put the law in my hands several times already. Let's get real, Duckie. Humans are the worst race in the entire world. Most of us don't deserve to live."

<"Pfft. Your Royal Highness looks innocent, but you're vicious.">

"Thank you," she said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

The duck shook his head. <"I know that you have other urgent things that you need to take care of, Princess Neoma."

"That's true."

<"So, please lend me one of your people,"> Duckie pleaded while looking at her with puppy dog eyes. <"I want the handsome tanned boy that smells like old money.">

Neoma tilted her head to one side. "Jasper oppa?"

***

"AND THAT was how my conversation with Duckie went, oppa," Neoma reported to Jasper Hawthorne. "He wants you to accompany him to his hometown to carry out his revenge."

"Alright."

She blinked while looking at her Jasper oppa who agreed to her request easily.

[Oh, wow. I've always known Jasper oppa is handsome. But damn, he's really an eye candy. I can totally see Jasper oppa as a male lead in another story. Now I know why male characters with black hair often get the main girl in romance fantasy novels.]

"Princess Neoma, did you hear what I said?"

"Uh-huh," Neoma said while nodding. "I was just wondering why you agreed easily, oppa."

"For some reason, I already feel attached to Duckie," Jasper oppa said, laughing softly while shaking his head as if he couldn't believe that he was attached to a duck. "And you said he needs diamonds. We have a lot of it, Princess Neoma."

She smiled automatically after hearing that. "Right? How's your diamond mine doing, oppa?"

"It's OUR diamond mine, Princess Neoma," he reminded her, grinning. "And it's doing really, really, really well."

"Pfft. No wonder Duckie says he likes your scent the best."

The young duke just smiled at her comment.

"Oppa, since you're doing a favor for us, I promise to look after your estate," she promised him. "I will save Gin and Tate from the crow bastards who dared to invade your territory."

Tate was Jasper oppa's cousin-slash-aide.

[And well, Gin is Gin.]

"Then I leave my estate to you, Princess Neoma."

Neoma smiled and gave Jasper oppa a double thumbs up. "I will also send Xion with you, oppa. Duckie is still an Elemental Guardian. He said he doesn't need me to join him in his revenge. Even so, I want to look out for him."

"Our Princess Neoma is really nice," Jasper oppa said, ruffling her hair again. "I'll return your "son" and Duckie to you safely."

[Hmm… is Jasper oppa suddenly obsessed with messing my hair???]

***

["IF THE crows dared to attack Hazelden, then crush them mercilessly."]

That was Neoma's instruction to Juri and Jeno.

She sent the couple to accompany the Griffiths family back to the Hazelden Kingdom. In order for the Griffiths to arrive safely, they would be using the floating island.

Paige was usually in charge of "driving" the floating island since she was a mage.

[But I need Paige this time.]

Hence, the mage set up the floating island in "automatic mode." Just like the name suggested, the floating island was set to move on its own. It was possible because Paige already put the coordinates of the Hazelden Kingdom as its destination.

After the Griffiths left with Juri and Jeno, Jasper oppa and Xion also left the island.

[Jasper oppa and Xion used Paige's Teleportation Ticket to go to the port town near the island.]

And now…

Neoma looked at Hanna, Dahlia, Paige, Greko, and Lewis.

[This is the team I'm bringing back to the empire.]

Neoma looked at Skylus whom she was carrying in her arms. "Baby Skylus, are you ready for your first mission?"

"I'm ready, Neoma noona," Skylus said, then he clasped his hands together. "I'll make you and Uncle Manu proud as the new saint of the Moon God."

Ah, right.

Manu, the Moon Priest.

She asked Manu to look after Skylus before she disappeared with her family five years ago. But she hadn't seen Manu yet, and she hadn't heard from him yet.

[Manu has been present during every conference meeting we had for the past five years.]

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen the Moon Priest recently.

[I have so many things that I had to take care of ever since I returned that I almost forgot about Lord Manu.]

She knitted her eyebrows. "Baby Skylus, where is Lord Manu?"

"Sleeping," Skylus said cheerfully. "Uncle Manu is sleeping for thirty-nine days now!"

Okay, that made her worry. "He's asleep for that long already? Do you know what happened?"

The young prince-slash-new saint nodded before giving a response. "Alcohol poisoning."

"Excuse me?"

Skylus' face beamed. "Uncle Manu got alcohol poisoning from drinking too much! Aunt Sienna said Uncle Manu needs to sleep in order to detoxify the poison in his body!"

Neoma closed her eyes tight and pinched the bridge of her nose.

[That fucking alcoholic…!]

***

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