Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

TO BE HONEST, Neoma didn't have to move her arm just to block Calyx's attack.

After all, Lewis already kicked Calyx's hand– causing the crow bastard to drop the dagger. And it also looked like Calyx's arm was broken because of Lewis' kick.

[Yep, that's 'One-kick Lewis' for you.]

"Princess Neoma," Lewis said while standing in front of her. "Permission to kill that thing."

'That thing' was obviously Calyx.

[Lewis and his temper…]

"Permission denied," Neoma responded. "I need him alive. However, there are more than two hundred bones in a human body. I don't mind how many you break as long as Calyx could still talk for the interrogation part."

Lewis smirked, which was a rare occasion. "Thank you, Princess Neoma."

Neoma just smiled and let Lewis handle Calyx.

Then she turned to the fake Empress Juliet. It seemed like the fake tried to escape when Calyx attacked her. But Hanna and Dahlia obviously caught and stopped the fake Empress Juliet since the two ladies were both grabbing each of the fake's arms.

Trevor, on the other hand…

"My Moon Princess, I need to go," Trevor said in a hurry. "I sense the sorcerer bastard's hostility outside."

The 'sorcerer bastard' was clearly Dilan Crowell.

"It seems like their reinforcement has arrived," Neoma commented. "My other "children" haven't arrived yet, Trevor. Will you check on them while you're at it?"

"Of course," Trevor said, his body quickly sinking into the black hole below his feet. "Any child of yours is also my child, Princess Neoma."

"Eww."

Trevor just laughed at her reaction before completely disappearing into the black hole.

[So, the crows have decided to openly attack us now.]

"Lady Barlowe, please continue," Neoma assured the Royal Archmage. "We will protect you."

Abigail Barlowe nodded. "Thank you, Princess Neoma. I shall now verify the item that I received from Your Royal Highness."

***

"FATHER, is Calyx not your son?"

Nikolai was surprised by Nero's question.

But above all, he was worried about his son because the poor boy looked confused and hurt. Nero probably also felt betrayed.

[I feel bad for my son, but this is for the better.]

"As far as I am concerned, Calyx is NOT my son," Nikolai declared bravely. "And you saw it earlier, didn't you? Calyx attacked Neoma instead of answering her question. If he was confident he was my son, then why didn't he just say so?"

Nero's jaw clenched. "You didn't receive Divine Punishment, Father."

"Of course. I'm telling the truth, after all."

"The Empress Dowager is a fake… and Calyx isn't my brother…" Nero whispered to himself, his eyes turned glowing red from anger. "Everything was just a lie…?"

Nikolai could tell that Nero was about to explode from anger.

And Mona could feel it, too. Hence, she looked worried while looking at their son. It was obvious Mona wanted to comfort Nero, but didn't know how.

[For some reason, Nero resents Mona more than anyone else.]

"Everything that Calyx and the fake Juliet told you may have been a lie, but not everything about the life you've lived was," Nikolai said, patting Nero's shoulder. "After all, it's true that we were wrong for leaving you even though we didn't have a choice back then."

Nero glared at him. "Is that supposed to make me feel better, Father?"

"I'm giving you some important life advice here, so listen carefully, you little ruffian," Nikolai said. He was trying to speak gently to Nero, but he couldn't since he was used to talking to his son this way. And he knew Nero would have "cringed" if he acted differently. "Nero, you're the Crown Prince and the future emperor. The fake Juliet and Calyx won't be the first and last people to betray you. The throne is the loneliest place in the world for a de Moonasterio like us. As long as you're sitting on the throne, you can't trust anyone completely– not even your direct family."

Mona looked at him disapprovingly.

But Nikolai didn't take back what he said.

Of course, they wouldn't betray Nero. But if his son really wanted to become the emperor, then he should learn by now that he couldn't trust anyone easily.

[This is why not everyone is fit to be an emperor.]

"Father, you're annoying."

"I know. You even threatened to kill me once so you could ascend to the throne early," Nikolai said, scoffing. Why were his memories with Nero full of violence? "So, what now? You don't feel like being an emperor anymore after getting betrayed?"

Of course, he was just provoking his son.

[Nero has to have a solid resolve if he really wanted to become the next emperor. If getting betrayed once was enough to discourage him, then he should step down now.]

If neither Nero nor Neoma wanted the throne, then we could just abolish the monarchy.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy.

However…

[My priority right now is the safety and happiness of my family. I could give up all the power and riches that come with being a monarch just to live with them peacefully forever.]

"Father, what do you do to the people who betray you?"

"Give them hell, of course," Nikolai said, looking at Kyle Sprouse meaningfully– causing the count to flinch in fear. He smirked before turning to his son again. "Nero, you should make the people who betrayed you beg for you to just kill them."

Nero's eyes finally returned to normal– an indication that he had calmed down. "You're right, Father," he said while nodding. "I should get even instead of getting mad."

[Yes, that's my son.]

Nikolai had to avoid Mona's eyes that were scolding him, though.

***

"YOU'RE A monster."

Ruto just ignored the Ancient Devil, who was currently using the body that he stole from Noah Solfrid, and continued bombing the entire place with his Mana.

He was currently in the Ancient Devil's domain.

It was a gloomy mansion with no windows and doors.

Hence, Ruto was making the walls explode to make an exit.

"Even a minor god wouldn't be able to use their full strength here in my domain," the Ancient Devil, who was sitting on the last step of the grand staircase, commented as if he was amused. "No wonder Levi treasures you."

"You have no reason to lock me up here anymore," Ruto said, ignoring all the nonsense that the Ancient Devil said. "Lord Levi already took back his order to eliminate Neoma."

"Did he now?"

"Apparently, Neoma made a contract with Goddess Alethea," Ruto said. He didn't know why he had to explain to the Ancient Devil, but he was compelled to do so. "Neoma is a Roseheart, and the Rosehearts have the right to form contracts with Spirits and gods."

"So, technically, Princess Neoma didn't break the rules?"

"Neoma also summoned Goddess Alethea using the First Emperor's name," Ruto added. "And by using Goddess Alethea's power on her own, that diminishes the argument that the goddess is directly meddling with human affairs. After all, Goddess Alethea only lent her power to Neoma via a fair contract. Hence, my divine father lost the right to punish Neoma."

The Ancient Devil laughed as if he was amused. "Princess Neoma sure knows how to take advantage of her name as a Roseheart. And her ancestors, too. She's really adorable, isn't she?"

Ruto turned to the Ancient Devil with a frown. "Neoma has the potential to burn the world to ashes. Is that what you see as 'cute?'"

For some reason, he didn't want to hear the Ancient Devil praising Neoma.

[Why am I so annoyed?]

"Princess Neoma will always be cute in my eyes whatever she does," the Ancient Devil said, grinning. "My love for her is overflowing, after all."

"Those aren't your feelings."

"They used to be yours, but they're mine now," the Ancient Devil said, clutching his chest. "Let me love Princess Neoma in your place since you don't care about her anymore. Do you?"

Ruto's jaw clenched hard, but he couldn't give a retort.

[This bastard is right, but why couldn't I accept it?]

***

[GOSH… Lewis really broke Calyx's bones…]

Neoma felt strange while looking at Calyx who was plopped to the floor, leaning weakly against the podium behind him.

Calyx's ARMS AND LEGS were all broken.

Judging by how the crow bastard was having difficulties, she could tell that Lewis also broke a rib or two.

"I kept him alive," Lewis said, looking proud of himself. "Did I do well, Princess Neoma?"

Gosh.

[He's really waiting for a compliment.]

"You did well, Lewis," Neoma praised Lewis while gently patting his shoulder, avoiding the messy sight behind him. Lewis almost destroyed the courtroom, after all. Her "son" didn't hold back since the civilians were protected by her shield. "Thank you."

Lewis' face beamed even without smiling.

[What a good boy.]

Neoma then turned to the Royal Archmage who was busy examining the egg shells.

Abigail Barlowe was sitting on the chair while poking the eggshells with her wand. Every time she did that, the broken pieces of the eggshell would release a familiar unique Mana.

[It's Empress Juliet's Mana.]

Crazy how it was still similar to Monik's Mana.

[I hope the child doesn't find it strange…]

Neoma was about to ask the Royal Archmage how it was going when Hanna caught her attention.

Hmm?

[Why is Hanna staring at Calyx?]

"What's wrong, Hanna?" Neoma whispered to Hanna when she approached her cousin. "Why are you staring at the crow bastard?"

Lewis was keeping an eye on Calyx, so Neoma wasn't worried.

But Hanna didn't look the same.

"I find it suspicious that Calyx and the fake Empress Dowager are THIS quiet," Hanna whispered back to her. "And I watched Lewis' fight with Calyx earlier. I can tell that Calyx didn't give his all during the fight."

To be fair, Neoma also noticed that.

But it didn't make sense.

[Why wouldn't Calyx take the fight seriously when he knows Lewis could "accidentally" kill him if he let his guard down?]

"Princess Neoma, I'm done examining the shells," Abigail Barlowe said. "I can confirm that the shells really contain the late Empress Juliet's Mana and piece of soul. However…" The Royal Archmage turned to the fake Empress Dowager. "I can tell that the current Empress Dowager no longer possessed the same Mana and presence that I felt from her when she arrived at the palace five years ago."

Everyone waited for the Divine Punishment, but it didn't arrive.

Hence, the shocked nobles created a buzz once again.

"The Royal Archmage didn't get Divine Punishment…"

"That means she's telling the truth…"

"So, that was how we were deceived. The fake Empress Dowager used the remnants of the real Empress Juliet's Mana and soul to deceive us…"

"How despicable…"

"It also seems like Prince Calyx isn't Emperor Nikolai's son…"

Neoma was relieved to know that the nobles were finally enlightened.

"I have a question, Princess Neoma," Abigail Barlowe said. "We have seen a video five years ago where the fake Empress Dowager gave birth to Prince Calyx. I am quite certain that the video wasn't fabricated. How did the fake Empress Dowager give birth to a de Moonasterio if Prince Calyx wasn't Emperor Nikolai's son?"

"It's possible to extract a Seed from a male and a Bead from a female, then put them together in a different woman's body to conceive a child. That woman could get pregnant even though the child isn't biologically hers," Neoma said. Of course, she explained it as simply as she could. That wasn't the proper process, but it wasn't the right time to discuss it. "I will release a paper regarding that process later. For now, I want to let everyone know that Calyx might be a de Moonasterio, but he's certainly not my father's son."

She didn't receive Divine Punishment, and that was a huge relief.

[Now I'm relieved to know that the crows didn't steal my Papa Boss' Seed and used it to conceive Calyx…]

Her thoughts were interrupted when Calyx suddenly laughed out loud.

Neoma wasn't the only person who was shocked to hear Calyx laugh amid all of that.

[Wasn't Calyx just struggling to breathe a moment ago?]

"You don't have to explain it with words, Princess Neoma," Calyx said in a mocking tone. "Why don't we demonstrate to the public how we steal Seeds and Beads from a de Moonasterio like you?"

And that was when the sharp pain in Neoma's abdomen suddenly made her collapse again.

"Princess Neoma!"

***

CALYX laughed like a maniac after seeing Princess Neoma drop to the floor.

He was almost certain that they were able to steal the arrogant princess' beads, thanks to the shackles that he put around her wrists earlier.

Lewis and the others left her alone to aid Princess Neoma.

And that was when…

"Vespera!"

Calyx lost his smirk when Princess Neoma suddenly yelled the name of THAT Soul Beast.

[The Black Phoenix? But it was supposed to be sealed with Princess Neoma's dragon and Elemental Guardian!]

How...?

Then, in just the blink of an eye, the royal princess was suddenly engulfed in a black flame.

[What is happening…?]

Princess Neoma then slowly stood up, her entire body still engulfed in black flame.

But the royal princess wasn't burned.

[Princess Neoma rose like a newly-reborn phoenix emerging from the ashes...]

"Calyx, did you forget? My aunt is Princess Nichole de Moonasterio– the only royal princess in history that survived your cruel experiment," Princess Neoma said, smirking like the evil woman that she was. "What made you think my aunt wouldn't protect me from the same fate?"

That was when Calyx realized the meaning behind Princess Neoma's words.

[Nichole de Moonasterio found a way to counter our spell!]

***

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