Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"WOW. THE MAIN show hasn't begun yet, but the opening act is already deadly," Neoma said while putting on her heart-shaped sunglasses. Then she clapped her hands while watching the Twelve Golden Families fight while the balcony collapsed. "Go, Duke Rufus! Go, Count Dankworth! And I kind of resent you, Marquis Gibson, but go! Fighting!"

Gosh.

Everything would have been perfect if she had a bucket of popcorn!

[Just where is Trevor when I need him the most?]

Lewis, who was still standing behind her, chuckled. "You're enjoying this too much, Princess Neoma. Aren't you worried that our side used violence first?"

"I was trying to hold back because I wanted to appeal to the public by appearing calm and holy, but what can we do? Papa Boss is Papa Boss." She looked at her father disapprovingly. "He's even holding back from hitting Nero."

She was too far to hear what her parents and twin brother were talking about, and the fight of the Twelve Golden Families was blocking her line of sight so she couldn't read their lips either.

But since Papa Boss was upset, Nero probably said something rude to Mama Boss. Unfortunately, her twin brother was capable of hurling hurtful words at their mother in his current state.

[Nero, I'm sorry to say this, but you should stop making our Mama Boss sad before Papa Boss forgets that you're his son. Our father loves us now more than he did when we were born, but Papa Boss still loves Mama Boss the most. It's a hard fact that we have to accept.]

That was how bad a de Moonasterio's obsession was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Lewis suddenly stepped forward until he was already standing in front of her protectively.

"You look pretty relaxed for someone who's about to stand in a trial, Princess Neoma."

Blergh.

It was Calyx, of courseâ€" the only person in the courtroom that could make her puke out of disgust.

As if that wasn't enough, Calyx had to come with the fake Empress Juliet, too.

"I'm Neoma, I'm always cool," Neoma said. She was speaking like that on purpose to annoy Calyx and the fake Empress Juliet. But, of course, she would act and speak properly during the trial later. "By the way, will the Empress Dowager be okay?"

She gently patted Lewis' shoulderâ€" carefully, too.

Her "son" got the message and stepped aside. But, of course, Lewis remained standing close to her.

[Gosh, so overprotective. Anyway...]

The fake Empress Juliet looked at Neoma with a calm look on her face. "Is that a threat, Princess Neoma?"

"No, I'm genuinely concerned," Neoma said, her voice sincere because she was being real for once in front of the enemies. "Even I can tell from this distance that Papa Boss' target was to make the balcony collapse. But I clearly saw it." As if to make a point, her eyes turned glowing red as she let out a sadistic laugh. "Gosh, Your Majesty. You almost got split in half. Had I known it was THAT easy to unalive you..."

She didn't finish her sentence on purpose because she didn't want to be accused of threatening the Empress Dowager.

Anyway, Calyx and the fake Empress Juliet looked confused by her modern slang.

She didn't offer an explanation because she wanted them to stay confused.

[Today's motto is to never let your enemies know your next move.]

"The Empress Juliet that I heard from my parents' stories was pretty skilled," Neoma said. She did say that she'd be a good girl today, that was why she was using her words and not violence. "That's why I'm quite disappointed to see that Calyx had to go and carry Your Majesty to safety."

The Empress Dowager smiled at Neoma as if she wanted to show her that she was unfazed. "What's wrong with a son protecting his mother? Wouldn't you have done the same for Mona, Princess Neoma?"

"You have a point, Your Majesty," Neoma admitted, nodding. "I hope Calyx protects you until the end."

"Now that sounds like a threat."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I plan to behave like a good girl today," Neoma said, putting her hands together as if she was praying. "My parents are in charge of doing all the threats from now on."

Calyx scoffed at her. "You're so obnoxious, Princess Neoma."

"Coming from an insufferable bastard, huh?"

Those vicious words didn't come from Neoma, but that was how she was supposed to respond.

However, Lewis beat her to it.

Yes, her precious "son" just called Calyx an "insufferable bastard"â€" causing the fake Empress Juliet and Calyx to turn to Lewis with a glare.

Neoma fought the urge to bite her nails when she suddenly felt anxious.

[Lewis is speaking bad words now because of me!]

***

NERO wanted to defy his father, but he couldn't do it.

His father, the FORMER emperor, was looking at him so coldly. And if his intuition was correct, it seemed like his father's bloodlust was directed at him.

[It's as if Father is trying NOT to kill me.]

At first, he thought his father might be angry at him because he was the one who ordered Neoma to get arrested. But when he saw how his father looked at his mother, that was when the realization hit him.

[Father is mad at me because I'm being rude to my real mother.]

Hah!

[Every de Moonasterio in history has an obsession that ended up ruining them. If I remember correctly, my grandfather was obsessed with immortality, causing him to murder the entire Silver Fox Clan where only one person survived.]

Nero could instinctively tell that his father's obsession was his mother.

[Am I like Father? Obsessing over a woman like a lunatic...]

He was so sure he was either obsessed with Hanna or Dahliaâ€" perhaps both. But, much to his chagrin, the face that came to his mind was Neoma's beautifulâ€" er, annoying face.

[What the...?]

Nero turned to Neoma with furrowed brows.

[Why are you suddenly entering my mind?]

Neoma looked confused at first. But it was only for a moment. Soon, she was already smiling at him while making a weird sign with her hands AGAIN.

It looked like a heart, but he refused to acknowledge it.

So, Nero just glared at Neoma.

"Stop glaring at your sister and do as I said, Nero," his father said sternly. "Let's not waste any more time than we already had."

"You're really brazen, Father," Nero said as he turned to his father again. "As you said, I have power over the courtroom at the momentâ€" the very courtroom that you destroyed. I can get you arrested for that, Father. After all, you're no longer the emperor. I outrank you now."

"As I said, I didn't abdicate the throne willingly. We'll judge whether I still have the right to be the emperor or not during the trial," his father said confidently, then he smirked. "But you know what, son? Whether I'm still the emperor or not, I don't think a brat like you can arrest me."

His father was obviously provoking him...

... and it worked.

Nero's eyes turned glowing room as he clenched his hands tight. "Father, don't you think it's better to be known as the emperor who abdicated the throne for a woman instead of becoming another emperor who was killed by his own son?"

"You can't get me arrested, so what makes you think you can kill me?" his father asked, laughing mockingly. "Get on my level first. That was how I killed my own father."

It looked like his father wanted to say more, but his mother elbowed his father in the ribs.

"Nikolai, was killing your own father something you should brag about in front of our son?"

"No, it's not. I'm sorry."

Nero rolled his eyes at how his father acted around his mother.

[So easy.]

He wanted to say that his father already lost his dignity as the emperor, but he'd be lying if he said that. His father, even though he was just standing there while being scolded by his mother, looked very majestic.

Nero didn't like it at all.

He knew that he wouldn't win an argument against his father, so he came up with another way to hurt his parents because he was pissed.

"I suppose Neoma hasn't told you yet."

Both his father and mother turned to him with a concerned look on their faces.

"I hate you all," Nero said, his voice full of resentment. "I hate you all for abandoning meâ€"for only choosing Neoma to bring with you." He turned to his mother, the person that he resented most in his family. "Twice."

His mother, who looked like she was about to cry, covered her mouth with her hands when she gasped. "Nero..."

"Nero, don't blame your motherâ€""

"I don't want to hear it, Father," Nero said, cutting off his father rudely. Then he turned to the Golden Twelve Families who were still fighting behind him. "Stop already!"

The floor and the walls of the courtroom were suddenly covered by a thin layer of ice after he shouted.

That effectively stopped the Twelve Golden Families from fighting.

"Bring people to clean up the courtroom and ask every single higher noble in the Royal Capital to attend the trial!" Nero continued yelling because he was still pissed. For some reason, he didn't feel happy even after hurting his parents successfully. "The trial will begin in half an hour!"

***

"MAMA BOSS! PAPA BOSS!"

Gosh.

It was a little embarrassing, but Neoma couldn't help but act like a child when she saw her parents walking towards her after Nero left the scene with Calyx and the fake Empress Juliet.

She ran to her parents and hugged Mama Boss first.

It didn't matter since Papa Boss hugged both her and Mama Boss anyway.

"Mama Boss, Papa Boss, how?" Neoma asked curiously. Only they were left in the courthouse for now, but of course, she made sure that her voice would only be heard by her parents. "Who opened the door?"

Both her parents flinched, and that made her worry.

[WHAT?! WHY?!]

"Neoma, be honest with us," Mama Boss said, holding her by the shoulders. "Do you have a boyfriend now?"

Okay, Neoma almost choked on her saliva because she didn't expect that question. And it was so random??? "I don't have a boyfriend."

Both her parents looked relieved.

"Not anymore since Ruto and I just broke up..."

Her mother's eyes opened wide a bit.

"What?" Papa Boss growled, knitting his eyebrows. "When did you start dating that young man, huh?"

Oopsie, time to change the topic.

"Why are you suddenly asking me about my love life when I asked about the Door, Mama Boss? Papa Boss?"

Her Mama Boss looked concerned as she answered her question. "A young man who claims to be your lover opened the Door for us."

"Huh?"

"He introduced himself as a Solfrid," Papa Boss said, scoffing. "Was it Noah Solfrid?"

Mama Boss nodded. "Yes, he said his name was Noah Solfrid."

"That name sounds familiar..."

["I'm the man who loves you to death."]

Neoma trailed off when she heard that voice in her head.

And that was when she remembered who 'Noah Solfrid' was.

"The Ancient Devil," Neoma said, clenching her hands tight. "That delusional relic from the past is sprouting bullshit, huh?"

***

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