Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

MONA WASN'T really surprised when Ruto appeared and pointed a weapon at Neoma.

She had always known that the boy was the divine son of Levi whom he raised to become a God Slayer.

Hence, she kind of expected Ruto to appear and stop Neoma from summoning a god.

After all, even Mona wasn't allowed to summon gods unless she made a deal with them to borrow their power.

[But Neoma is going to summon a god because of the trial.]

She could see why Ruto would get involved.

[He's just doing his job.]

However…

[Neoma must feel brokenhearted right now.]

"How should we proceed, Mona?" Nikolai whispered to her. "Can I kill Ruto?"

"Of course not, love. It won't be easy anyway," Mona whispered back. "We should just watch for now. Neoma got this–"

"Are you just going to watch that bastard threaten your daughter?" Nero asked in an aggravated voice, turning to Mona and Nikolai with furrowed brows. "Mother, Father, that bastard is serious. He will really shoot at Neoma."

Oh?

Mona blinked, confused yet happy with Nero's reaction. "Are you worried about your sister, son?"

Nero looked shocked, then confused as if he didn't know why he suddenly acted that way. "No, of course not," he said. But he sounded like he wasn't sure of himself. "Why would I get worried about that obnoxious girl?"

"Because Neoma is your twin sister," Nikolai deadpanned. "Your brain may not remember, but I'm sure every fiber of your being does. If I love Mona more than my own children, then you love Neoma more than your own parents."

Mona could only sigh, but she couldn't deny what Nikolai said.

[The de Moonasterios and their obsessions…]

"It's not true," Nero said in a grumpy tone, then he avoided their gaze to look at Neoma with a worried look on his face. "I just don't want anyone else to kill Neoma when her life is mine to take."

Mona should be worried, but the fire in Nero's eyes put her heart at ease.

[Those eyes assure me that Nero will step in to protect Neoma from Ruto if the situation calls for it.]

***

NEOMA was actually bluffing.

How could she summon a god faster than Ruto releasing his arrow? She was OP, but not omnipotent. Plus, even though she received intense Summoning training with Mama Boss, this was the first time she was going to summon a god.

[A freaking goddess who's at least in the mid-level.]

And the 'mid-level' in celestial standards wasn't the same as the 'mid-level' in human standards.

Hence, she knew she couldn't summon a god in just a few seconds.

[I guess I'll just die then.]

It was a joke, of course.

There was no way she'd die when her parents and friends were there.

[Plus, I still believe in Ruto.]

"Princess Neoma, gods are not allowed to intervene with human affairs directly," Ruto said. It seemed like he chose to talk it out with her instead of fighting her head-on despite her provocation earlier. "You can't summon a god for your personal benefit. Hence, I advise you to find another way to resolve your problem."

"Pfft."

No, it wasn't Neoma who laughed.

It was Calyx who was standing behind her. The fucking crow bastard snorted at her and her current predicament.

"I thought Lord Ruto is completely on your side, Princess Neoma," Calyx said in a mocking tone. "I'm glad it wasn't the case. I guess this stupid trial will end in my favor even if I don't do anything."

[Gosh, what a talkative bastard. Let's just ignore him.]

"I wanted to be upset with you, Ruto. But I understand that you're just doing your job," Neoma said calmly. She decided to rein in her snarky remarks. It was hard to do since her sanity had already snapped, but Ruto's face had the power to calm her down. "Having said that, you also have to understand that I'm also just fulfilling my duty as a royal princess."

"I get that, but you still can't summon gods."

She let out a sigh. "Then will I be safe if I don't summon them and they come here on their own accord?"

Ruto looked confused. "Gods on Lady Alethea's level aren't allowed to descend to the human world."

"I'm aware," she said. "But do gods always follow the rules?"

"Princess Neoma–"

"High Priestess Alethea," Neoma said, cutting off Ruto as she turned to the High Priestess. "I heard you are cherished by Goddess Alethea dearly?"

"Goddess Alethea loves and protects the people who serve her, Princess Neoma."

[Oh, she already knows my name. Well, I'm not surprised since Trevor and Dahlia had to brief the High Priestess of the current situation.]

"Moreover, there's only a few of us who believe in Goddess Alethea," the High Priestess said, clasping her hands together. "As the person who leads the temple, I am fortunate to receive the goddess' love and blessing."

"Nice," she said, opening her hand to summon the divine item that she had received from Yule before.

[And it's the divine item that reminds me Lord Yule didn't abandon me.]

The Moon God had already given Neoma all the things she needed to fight.

[I don't know how Calyx and the crow bastards got a hold of Lord Yule, but it doesn't matter. I already have all I need with me.]

"High Priestess Alethea, I apologize in advance," Neoma said, grabbing the white scissors that materialized above her hand. "These scissors could cut any form of ties– even a tie between a goddess and her closest servant."

High Priestess Alethea gasped while stepping away from her.

But Trevor was quick to appear behind the High Priestess, then he held her by the shoulders to keep her in place.

"Please say your quick goodbye to Goddess Alethea," Neoma said indifferently. "I'll apologize to you for the rest of my life, Your Eminence."

The High Priestess' eyes were covered with a blindfold, but the High Priestess' fear was obvious.

"Princess Neoma, I'm sorry but I still have to stop you."

Neoma stopped approaching the High Priest when she felt Ruto's Mana spike up. When she faced him, she saw him release his arrow. Lewis tried to stand in front of her again, so she gently pushed him aside once more. "Stay there," she said firmly, causing Lewis to freeze on the spot. "I can block it."

She raised her hand and created a Wall.

[More like 'the' Dome.]

Needless to say, she created the most powerful and thickest Dome that she could produce at the moment. She didn't want to die. Not yet, at least.

[And I don't want to die by Ruto's hands again.]

"Don't get distracted, Neoma," Hanna, who was standing behind the fake Empress Juliet, scolded her. "Lord Ruto's arrows are multiplying. Don't lose to his attack. I'll make sure that no stray arrow would hit anyone else."

[Aye, aye, ma'am.]

Hanna was being scary, so Neoma focused on strengthening her Dome instead of verbally responding to her cousin.

Plus, it wasn't like she had time to respond properly.

The single arrow that Ruto released multiplied again and again until Neoma's Dome was getting hit by hundreds of arrows.

Soon, the sound of metal hitting a glass echoed in the courtroom.

CRACK.

Neoma's eyes opened wide when one of the arrows successfully put a crack on her Dome. Had the arrow gone through the barrier, it would have hit her on her chest. She got the chills, of course.

For the first time in a while, she felt her life threatened.

[Ruto is being so fucking annoying right now.]

Neoma and her Dome were being pushed back.

She couldn't believe she was being pushed back while long cracks continued to appear all over her Dome.

[Goddammit!]

It was already bad enough that the needle-like object in her abdomen was destroying her organs, and now she had to fight Ruto using more than half of her current power.

[I really don't want to go all-out, but it's time to get serious now…]

Neoma was about to drop the divine scissors in order to use her other hand to make a stronger Dome when, all of a sudden, her back hit an unfamiliar strong body.

She was pretty sure that it didn't belong to any of her people.

Not even Calyx.

Her instinct kicked in right away, using her elbow to at least break a rib or two of the person who invaded her personal space.

One must not sneak in behind a woman in the middle of a war with her ex-boyfriend.

"Ouch."

Huh?

[This voice…]

Neoma looked over her shoulder, shocked to see the familiar face with fake purple hair. "The relic from the past…"

"I have a name, Princess Neoma," the old dude said, laughing. "It's 'Noah Solfrid.'"

"Alright, Mr. Noah Solfrid. I'm a little busy right now, so step away from me before Lewis gets to you."

"I'd love to stay and chat with you, but I know what I should do for you at the moment," Noah Solfrid said while smiling charmingly at her. "Let me take out the trash for you so you can focus on your trial, Princess Neoma."

"Trash?"

Noah Solfrid just smiled at her, then he vanished in the blink of an eye.

[What the…]

THUD!

Neoma turned to the cause of the noise.

Then, much to her shock, she saw Noah Solfrid stepping on Ruto's chest.

Huh?

[When did Noah Solfrid take down my ex-man?!]

Ruto seemed to be struggling while holding onto Noah Solfrid's leg.

The most worrying part?

Ruto actually had his back on something similar to a black hole– and it was swallowing him the more Noah Solfrid pushed Ruto into the black hole using his foot.

[It's the same black hole that Trevor would use every time he goes to the Underworld.]

Neoma got the chills again.

[Noah Solfrid is indeed the Ancient Devil…]

"I was there when you were born, so I know all your weaknesses, child," the Ancient Devil said, mocking Ruto as Ruto continued to sink into the black hole until only his hands clinging to the Ancient Devil's leg were visible.

After making sure that Ruto was properly swallowed by the black hole, Noah Solfrid turned to Neoma.

"Don't worry, I will not kill this child," Noah Solfrid said, smiling and waving at Neoma. "I'll just play with him until you're done summoning whichever god it is, Princess Neoma." Then he smiled apologetically at her. "But Ruto is pretty strong. Princess Neoma, I can only promise you two hours at best."

She didn't really want to receive the Ancient Devil's help, but she wasn't in the position to reject it.

Of course, she could fight Ruto.

But that wasn't her priority at the moment.

"Two hours is plenty enough," Neoma said to the Ancient Devil. "I'll consider this as your apology for invading my personal space earlier."

Because she didn't want to be indebted to Noah Solfrid.

And it seemed like the Ancient Devil knew it.

"What a daring young lady," Noah Solfrid said while laughing, his body quickly sinking into the black hole. "See you later, Princess Neoma."

***

WHAT a spectacle.

"I apologize for getting side-tracked," Neoma said, facing High Priestess Alethea again after Ruto and Noah Solfrid disappeared. "Your Eminence, I'm sorry for scaring you."

Despite her apology, the High Priestess still looked scared of her.

[Understandable.]

"A-Are you still going to do it, Princess Neoma?" High Priestess Alethea asked, her body trembling. "Are you going to cut off my connection to Goddess Alethea?"

Now she felt like shit.

"It was an option earlier, but since Ruto is gone, I don't have to resort to that trick anymore."

High Priestess Alethea looked relieved, but also worried at the same time. "Then how is Your Royal Highness going to summon Goddess Alethea? I understand that you're a Roseheart. Even so, Goddess Alethea is currently… unavailable."

"It's alright, Your Eminence," she assured the High Priestess. "My grandpa is good at finding gods."

"G-Grandpa?"

"The First Emperor," Neoma said, smiling. "He's my secret weapon."

***

HIGH PRIESTESS Alethea, despite being blindfolded, could "see."

Her eyes, when covered that way, would become so sharp that she would be able to see divine items or energy not visible to the naked eye. And what she saw while "looking" at Princess Neoma was something she had never seen before.

[Is that the famed… Moonglow?]

But aside from the pure divine power that the royal princess possessed, she could also see the divine item that slowly materialized around Princess Neoma's body.

High Priestess Alethea let out a soft gasp.

It was an emperor's cape.

To be precise, it was the First Emperor's cape that hugged Princess Neoma's body after it completely materialized.

The High Priestess was sure of it because she could read the "story" behind every divine item that she encountered. And the cape was "telling" her that it originally belonged to the First Emperor.

However…

[Why is the cape pink when it's supposed to be red…?]

***

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