Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"HOW DID it go, Xion?" Neoma asked her assassin son while she was walking with him and Dahlia inside the portal. "Did you take care of it?"

Ruto had to return to the Eastern Continent, hence her man had to take a different portal.

Fortunately, the Northern Lords had a portal that was directly connected to the empire's Royal Capital. The walk was going to be long, but she wasn't worried because they had a very convenient "vehicle."

By that, she was referring to Lapiz– Dahlia's Elemental Guardian.

Neoma and Dahlia were lying down on the Blue Whale's wide back.

Xion (who spread his jacket on the Blue Whale's back like a blanket for Neoma) insisted to sit on top of Lapiz' head instead of lying down next to her.

"I took care of it quietly as you commanded, Princess Neoma," Xion said politely. "I got rid of the gang that took advantage of the dire situation in the village."

Neoma found out from Duckie that there was a gang that forced the townspeople from selling their family members to the crowd. As if that wasn't horrible enough, the gang also went to the other poor villages just to abduct more people.

And the worse part? Most of the victims were young children.

The gang wasn't related to the crows. Hence, she was supposed to hand them over to the Northern Lords. But instead of doing that, she simply asked Xion to get rid of them.

[Yeah, I put the law in my hands once again.]

"I made you do dirty work again, Xion," Neoma said, sighing. "I'm sorry, son."

"You don't have to apologize, Princess Neoma," Xion said while shaking his head. "Your Royal Highness doesn't have to dirty your hands for trivial things like getting rid of a gang who sold children to the crows, and to the other territories to be sex slaves."

The last part that Xion said was the reason why she decided to get rid of the gang instead of simply handing them over to the Northern Lords.

"Did you get the names of the fucking nobles who bought children as sex slaves?"

"Yes, Princess Neoma," Xion said politely. "I already contacted my guild to save the children. What should we do to the nobles on the list?"

"Keep the list for now," Neoma said, annoyed. "I'll smack Nero at the back of his head with that list later."

"As you command, Princess Neoma."

"Pfft."

Neoma turned to Dahlia who was obviously holding back her laughter. "What's wrong, Dahlia? Do you like the fact that I'm going to smack Nero at the back of his head?"

Dahlia smiled and nodded. "To be honest with you Princess Neoma, the Prince Nero in my past memories was scary. So when I heard Your Royal Highness talk as if Prince Nero was just some brat in the neighborhood, I feel safe."

She couldn't blame the Black Witch for feeling that way.

"I was an unhinged bitch back then, and Nero was a crazy bastard," she said. "We must have scared the hell out of you in the first timeline, Dahlia."

"J-Just a little bit…"

She laughed at the Black Witch's honesty because she found it cute. "Don't worry, Dahlia. I'm Neoma Version 2.0 now. I will never force you to do evil stuff for me."

Dahlia smiled and nodded. "I know, Princess Neoma."

"And I will also protect you from Nero," Neoma assured Dahlia while patting her head. She couldn't help it, okay? Dahlia is taller than Hanna, but the Black Wicth was still tiny compared to Neoma. "I won't let the indecisive brat scare you, Dahlia."

***

"NEOMA WOULD make her "children" wear black during Calyx Dalton's birthday banquet," Hanna whispered to herself, amused. "The old nobles and the Royal Faction might pass out from shock."

Before Neoma returned to this world, the outfits that the royal princess and her "children" would be wearing for the fake First Prince's birthday banquet were already prepared.

It was easy to prepare them in secret because Hanna owned all the luxury boutiques in Grandiose Avenue. She made sure that the tailors wouldn't speak about the clothes to a single soul. Of course, she didn't tell the dressmakers that the clothes they were making would be worn at Calyx Dalton's birthday banquet.

[I feel bad for them, but we need to do this…]

After all, Neoma MIGHT turn Calyx Dalton's birthday banquet into a funeral.

"Lady Hanna."

Hmm?

Hanna turned around and was a little bit disappointed to see that Lewis had already changed back to his casual clothes. "You're already done trying on your formal outfit for the upcoming banquet?"

Neoma's "children" (except for Xion Redgrave who was with Neoma) were all in the Quinzel Estate at the moment.

[Yes, even Lady Juri and Lord Jeno who were at the Hazelden Kingdom before.]

While the "children" were just waiting for their "mother" to return, Hanna decided to bring out the clothes that they would wear at the banquet for the final fitting.

[Of course, I'm also taking good care of Prince Skylus.]

"I'm done with the fitting," Lewis said casually. "Lady Hanna, a carriage with the Drayton's family crest is headed this way."

She was about to ask Lewis how he knew that when the knights guarding the main gate hadn't sent a message yet. Then she remembered that Lewis had a very sharp vision.

"Were you at the rooftop again, Lewis?"

To be precise, Lewis was on the rooftop of the building where a secret portal was built. Neoma and the others would come out of that portal.

"I was… waiting for Princess Neoma."

"Of course, you were," Hanna said, smiling. But she instantly turned serious. "I wonder if it's Duke Drayton or Lord Rubin. I guess I need to go and greet them to find out."

"Will you be alright, Lady Hanna?"

"I'll be fine on my own, but I'm sure Vice-captain Emmett will stick to my side like glue."

Lewis nodded in understanding. "Then I'll guard you in secret."

"You don't have to, but thank you, Lewis," Hanna said, smiling. "I'll come back after checking what the Draytons want this time."

***

"THE QUINZELS are getting greedy," Nero said while reading the documents that Melvin handed to him a moment ago. "They're already the richest noble household in the empire, thanks to their successful businesses and the large mine that they discovered recently. And now they're getting involved with the production of weapons?"

"Isn't that supposed to be good news for you, Prince Nero?" Melvin asked in a tired voice. "You'll become the son-in-law of a very wealthy family. The Quinzels are richer than the Royal Family, aren't they?"

He raised his head to glare at Melvin.

Instead of getting scared, his secretary beamed. "Are you mad, Prince Nero? I crossed the line, didn't I? Then you should fire me from work for being insolent–"

"As punishment for slandering the Royal Family, I'm extending your contract for three more years."

"That's unfair, Prince Nero!" Melvin complained. For a scaredy-cat, he sure knew how to raise his voice, huh? "I didn't slander the Royal Family. Saying that the Quinzels are richer than the de Moonasterios is simply stating a fact."

"If you don't shut up, I'm extending the contract for two more years."

His secretary immediately shut his mouth.

Finally, it was quiet in the carriage again.

Yes, Nero and Melvin were currently sitting across from each other inside the spacious royal carriage.

They were headed to the Quinzel Estate.

[It's rude to visit unannounced, that's why I brought a present for Hanna.]

"When Duke Quinzel said he'd be waging war against the Draytons, I thought he meant it literally," Nero said, then he looked at the documents in his hand again. "But I didn't expect them to wage war against the Draytons by taking over their businesses."

"It's getting worse," Melvin added. "Just recently, Duke Quinzel beat Duke Drayton in a bid. And the land that Duke Quinzel won turned out to have a large iron mine in it. Apparently, the iron ores found in that mine also happen to be coated in Mana– making it more powerful than ordinary iron ores used to make weapons. That's why the Quinzels are suddenly getting involved in weapon production."

"Heh. No wonder Duke Drayton wanted to meet me."

Of course, he refused to meet the duke.

[The Crown Prince isn't someone you could easily meet even if you're a duke in the empire.]

"Duchess Quinzel has also shown up in the social circle again," Melvin added, and this time, his secretary sounded like he was being suspicious of the Quinzels. "Apparently, Duchess Quinzel is clearing up the "misunderstanding" about Regina Quinzel's identity. It turns out that there was a mistake, and Lady Regina wasn't a Quinzel."

"Isn't Rubin Drayton going out with that Regina?" Nero said, intrigued. "I guess the Quinzels are really trying to bring House Drayton to ruins."

***

HANNA smiled like the perfect noblewoman that she was. "Greetings, Duke Drayton. Welcome to House Quinzel."

She greeted the duke along with Vice-captain Emmett and the other servants in the mansion.

Duke Drayton looked dissatisfied upon seeing her even though he was the rude one for showing up unannounced.

[His Grace should be grateful that we welcomed him properly.]

"Thank you, Young Lady Quinzel," Duke Drayton said firmly. "I'm in a hurry, so let me get straight to the point. Is Duke Quinzel home?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Grace," Hanna said politely. "Father is currently at work."

Her parents weren't really at home at the moment.

His father, as a duke, was busy with work.

Her mother, on the other hand, attended an afternoon tea party.

It had been a while since her mother attended a tea party that wasn't hosted by the Royal Family. But her mother had a reason for showing up in high society once again to claim her spot as one of the stars of the social circle.

[It's to bring down House Drayton, of course.]

Her mother wasn't physically strong.

But her mother was a very wealthy duchess with a flawless background. Hence, no one would look down on her mother.

[That means no one would also ignore my mother's words.]

The nobles greatly cared about their image. Hence, for the members of high society, one nasty rumor could easily "kill" a noble.

"I went to Duke Quinzel's office before coming here, but he wasn't there."

"Perhaps Father is in the field at the moment," Hanna said, extending her patience. "Your Grace, if you have something important to tell my father that you can't send through a letter or any form of communication, then please feel free to say it to me. I'll convey Your Grace's message to my father later."

Duke Drayton scoffed. "But you're a woman."

"I am, and I am also the sole heir of Houze Quinzel, Your Grace," she said calmly in a clear voice. "When my parents aren't home, I am the master of this house."

The old duke didn't hide his sneer while looking at her in a disrespectful manner. "I know the law allows women to inherit noble titles now. But I still don't understand why Duke Quinzel allowed his daughter to become his official successor. After all, to continue the legacy of a great noble household, a patriarch must pass down his title to a male successor."

"Just like how you made your incompetent son your successor, Your Grace?"

Duke Drayton's face turned grim, obviously offended for Rubin Drayton. "Did you just insult my son, Young Lady Quinzel?"

"No, I merely stated a fact, my lord. Between me and Lord Rubin, it's your son who doesn't deserve to become a successor of a great noble household," Hanna said, smiling. "When it comes to achievements, Lord Rubin can't hold a candle to me, Your Grace."

***

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