Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

NEOMA almost laughed while watching the father-and-son duo have different reactions when Ruto approached her.

Duke Drayton looked displeased, but Rubin Drayton looked relieved.

And the young lord's reaction pissed her off a bit.

[I mean, I don't want Rubin to fake falling for me. But it's annoying to see him act as if he was doing me a favor by greeting me. I should be the one acting haughty and not the other way around.]

"I apologize for interrupting your conversation," Ruto said politely after greeting Aunt Brigitte, Uncle Dominic, and the Draytons. Then he turned to Neoma. "Princess Neoma, our Sun Priestess wishes to have an audience with you. Will you spare her a moment of your time?"

Hmm?

It ended peacefully.

"Of course, Lord Ruto. The Great Moonasterion Empire treasures the Eastern Continent's Kingdom of Suoh as an allied nation. Moreover, the Moon God and the Sun Goddess are good friends," Neoma said, smiling at Ruto. "It's only natural for the empire's one and only royal princess to treat the Sun Priestess as a dear friend, too."

After her long spiel, he turned to the Griffiths and the Draytons to excuse herself. The Griffiths and the Draytons bowed to her politely.

Neoma then turned to Ruto. "I'll receive the Sun Priestess' greeting on the Balcony."

Yes, capital 'B.'

The Balcony she was referring to was the balcony on the second floor that only members of the Royal Family could use. Of course, you have to be invited by a de Moonasterio to be allowed there.

[I never got to step foot on the Balcony in the first timeline, but Nero would often bring Dahlia there.]

Ruto then offered his arm to her. "Shall we go, Princess Neoma?"

It was only proper etiquette, but Neoma was still thrilled. She had to hold back, though. Instead of hugging Ruto's arm, she simply held onto it like the proper princess she was.

[At least, for tonight.]

"Lewis, go and fetch the Sun Priestess," Neoma ordered her "son," then she looked over her shoulder to look at Lewis. "Tell her I'll be waiting on the Balcony with Lord Ruto."

Lewis' eyes were obviously cursing Ruto, but he bowed politely towards her. "As you command, Princess Neoma."

[Good boy.]

Neoma then looked at Juri and Jeno. "Juri, Jeno, go and greet your families. The Wisterias and the Dankworths have been boring a hole in the back of your heads ever since we made our grand entrance," she said to the couple. "Paige, Greko, and Xion will stay with me anyway."

***

"I HAVE to say I'm quite disappointed," Neoma said while leaning against the railing and checking out Ruto shamelessly. "It ended peacefully."

Right now, only Neoma and Ruto were on the balcony.

Of course, the curtains were drawn to give the two of them some privacy.

Paige, Greko, and Xion were guarding the door while Juri and Jeno were with their respective families. Lewis would join her security detail after bringing the Sun Priestess later.

[I'm sure Lewis will have a hard time bringing Lady Sienna here.]

She saw the Sun Priestess gulping down glasses of cocktails one after the other earlier.

"What ended peacefully?" Ruto asked, genuinely confused. "And why aren't you satisfied? I thought you were a peace lover."

"Pfft." Neoma had to hold back her laughter. "I'm only a peace lover when it's convenient for me, babe."

To be honest, she couldn't really concentrate on what they were talking about.

[Ruto looks good in his white and gold outfit.]

To be precise, her man wore a white trench jacket suit with gold trims. He wore a double-breasted suit jacket underneath the trench jacket, and a pair of white trousers.

And the best part?

Ruto wore a black button-down shirt and a black cravat necktie.

[He probably got away with wearing black since he's the representative of the Kingdom of Suoh.]

Neoma was glad that Ruto wore a piece of black clothing.

[It means he supports me, right?]

"You're getting distracted again," Ruto complained lightly. "Do you like what you're seeing that much?"

Neoma beamed. "Very much so. You're extra handsome tonight, Ruto."

"Thank you," he said indifferently. "And I heard you're the prettiest girl on the entire continent, according to Aspen and almost everyone in the hall tonight."

"You heard?"

"You know I can't see your face, don't you?"

She pouted. "How much stronger do I have to be for you to see my face again?"

Before, she just needed to be strong for Ruto to see her beautiful face.

But after he lost all his positive feelings for her, his 'face blindness' suddenly returned. Worse, it only applied to her.

"I don't need to see your face to know you're beautiful," Ruto said casually. "I know beauty is subjective, but when it comes to your face, it becomes objective. You have the kind of face that's considered beautiful anywhere, any era."

That was an exaggeration because even though she knew that she was beautiful, she was also aware that there were people out there who wouldn't find her beautiful.

And she was okay with it.

[I mean, at the end of the day, I'm MORE THAN a pretty face.]

"Babe, I thought you were going to physically fight Rubin earlier," Neoma said jokingly. "It's my dream to have two boys fist-fight over me, you know?"

Ruto looked at her as if she was being ridiculous. "You've watched too many Korean dramas while you were in the other world, huh? Why would two nobles physically fight in front of the empire's one and only royal princess? Rubin Drayton may not be the brightest, but he was still raised as a proper noble. And as the representative of the Kingdom of Suouh, I can't harm a young lord of the empire unless I want the two continents to go to war."

She pouted at his dry response. "A girl can dream, you know?"

Her man fell silent for a moment, so she thought it was time to drop the subject and share her worry about Skylus and the the rest running late.

But he suddenly said the sweetest thing the current Ruto could say at that moment.

"If I find myself in a situation where I have the justification to fight Rubin Drayton, then I'll probably end up killing him."

Neoma couldn't help but laugh softly at Ruto's violent yet sweet declaration.

Then, out of nowhere, she heard a T*ylor Swift song in her head.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ruto complained lightly, his cheeks turning pink as if he was embarrassed. "It's embarrassing because you suddenly fell silent."

"I'm just thinking that there's a T*ylor Swift song that fits us every moment we have," Neoma said, smiling. "That makes me feel like we're in a romance movie every time we're talking like this."

"Are you saying you're hearing a song in your head right now?"

"Uh-huh," she said, feeling shy suddenly. "Is it weird?"

"Can we dance to that song?"

"Hmm?"

Ruto offered his hand to her, his cheeks burning red now. "What T*ylor Swift song suits us at this very moment?"

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

He flinched, then his hand slowly dropped to his side.

Neoma laughed at his reaction, then she gently grabbed Ruto's hand and pulled him close to her. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist a little tightly. Thank goodness her man wasn't a weakling. If she hugged an ordinary person that way, their ribs would have been crushed already. "I finally got you, Ruto. You may not realize it yet, but you're already so down for me."

"I guess I spoiled you too much in the past," Ruto said, wrapping his arms around her. "My body moves on its own whenever you are near. It seems like getting my love for you taken away was useless since every fiber of my being is already trapped under your spell."

"I know, right? The Ancient Devil did something unnecessary."

What was the Ancient Devil's new name again?

[I already forgot.]

Her big brain never worked for useless stuff.

"Can you sing it for me?" Ruto asked while swaying their bodies to nothing but the sound of their heartbeats. And yes, they were swaying side-to-side while hugging. It was almost a slow dance. "The T*ylor Swift song that suits us at the moment."

"This is an old TS song, but still my favorite," Neoma said, closing her eyes before she sang the song playing in her head since earlier. "And I don't know how it gets better than this… You take my hand and drag me head first… Fearless…" Soon, she couldn't help but smile because she could just tell Ruto was also smiling as his arms around her tightened a bit. "And I don't know why but with you I'd dance… In the storm… In my best dress… Fearless…"

***

[THIS IS awkward.]

Sienna was grateful that she was drunk while standing in front of the Balcony door and listening to Princess Neoma sing a foreign song. The curtains were drawn, but she could tell that the royal princess was dancing with Ruto.

She didn't want to earn Ruto's wrath, so she didn't dare to knock and interrupt the moment.

[Ruto is scary when he's angry. He snapped at me a few years ago when I talked badly about Princess Neoma, hence I stopped calling him 'Yoan' in an attempt to get on his good side again.]

"I guess this isn't the proper time to interrupt them," Sienna said, looking at Princess Neoma's "children." "Right?"

Greko, Paige Avery, and Xion Redrage all looked in one direction.

Sienna internally groaned because she didn't want to look at Lewis Crevan.

After all, everyone could tell that the poor fox was getting his heart broken at that very moment.

Lewis Crevan was in love with Princess Neoma who was already committed to Ruto.

[This is really awkward.]

***

[IN THIS moment now, capture it, remember it…]

Neoma was still listening to the song in her head even though she already stopped singing for Ruto. But even though they already stopped dancing, they remained hugging each other.

"Aren't you cold, babe?"

"I have the fire attribute, babe," Neoma reminded him. "Even if I wear swimsuit in the middle of a snowstorm, I won't get cold."

"No, you're cold."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

She sighed, knowing what Ruto was trying to do but ignoring it by playing dumb. "You're already hugging me, though?"

"Stop playing dumb, Neoma."

"I can wear what I want, Ruto."

"Can you let my immaturity slide just this once?"

"Fine," Neoma said, pulling away from Ruto's hug. "Gimme."

Ruto looked triumphant while taking off his trench jacket, then he draped it over her shoulders. "Now you look warm."

She couldn't get upset that he wanted to cover her up when she liked her outfit because he looked so cute at the moment.

[But we'll talk about this again later.]

Neoma turned to the balcony door. "We should let Sienna in…"

She trailed off when she heard a high-pitched whistle in her head.

It was Lapiz, Dahlia's Elemental Guardian!

Ruto, who was also an Elemental Guardian, also heard it.

"Shit," Neoma said, preparing to jump off the balcony. "I knew something was wrong since they were running late even though Trevor is with them."

She told Dahlia to follow Trevor if their group ran late.

It seemed like the Black Witch had returned with some bad news.

"Babe, stay here," Neoma said to Ruto. "I'll go and check on Dahlia…"

She was forced to stop talking.

Hmm?

[Nero?]

She was pretty sure the fluctuating Mana she was feeling at the moment belonged to her twin brother.

"There," Ruto said, pointing below them. "He must have heard the signal, too."

Neoma's eyes opened wide when she saw Nero running out of the hall like a madman. "No way," she whispered in disbelief. "Nero felt Dahlia's presence?"

***

DAHLIA waited on top of the Luna Palace after asking Lapiz to send out the signal to Princess Neoma.

Although the signal was only meant for the royal princess, she was pretty sure that Lord Ruro and Jasper Hawthorne heard it, too. After all, Lapiz' whistle could be heard by a fellow Elemental Guardian. Hence, even the other Elemental Guardian masters could hear the signal the Blue Whale made.

[Princess Neoma, please get here faster.]

The moment she realized that Lord Trevor was running late, she immediately followed his traces. What she saw made her instantly return to the Royal Palace.

[This is horrible...]

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the familiar Mana and divine power.

[Princess Neoma… no!]

She was about to feel relieved when she realized that the Mana and the divine power she felt were hostile and unstable.

Only one person could have a similar energy to Princess Neoma.

Dahlia was about to leave when heavy pressure coming from behind literally bound her from taking a step.

"Are you trying to run away from me again, Dahlia?"

It took her all the strength she had just to turn around and face her nightmare. She shuddered in fear as soon as she met Prince Nero's glowing red eyes.

[His expression…]

Dahlia knew that crazy look all too well. "P-Prince Nero…"

"'Prince Nero?'" Prince Nero scoffed. "It's been a while since I was crowned the emperor. Have you yet to get used to my new title?"

Huh?

[It's the Prince Nero from the first timeline… no, it's the Emperor Nero from back then.]

Her tyrant husband.

[Has he been taken over by the memories of his first life?]

"P-Prince Nero, please snap out of it," Dahlia said carefully. She still couldn't move because of the chilling pressure oozing out of Prince Nero. But, at least, she could open her mouth. "Lady Hanna will be disappointed if she saw you acting like this…"

"'Lady Hanna?' Who's that?" Prince Nero asked while approaching her slowly but surely. "The only 'Hanna' I know is my cousin who died many years ago– the dead cousin that my stupid twin sister replaced."

Ah, Dahlia wasn't mistaken.

[Prince Nero's memories from the first timeline probably flooded his system. Hence, he thinks this is the first timeline...]

***

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