Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

"WHAT'S the big deal with birthday parties?"

Neoma opened her tired eyes.

When she saw Tteokbokki, in his baby dragon form, floating above her, she just closed her eyes again.

"Not now, Tteokbokki," Neoma said, then she closed her eyes. "I'm tired."

She partied all night, after all.

Lewis came home yesterday. He took a break from training as a White Lion Knight candidate to celebrate their 7th birthday together. As usual, she organized a private banquet with her closest friends.

Her Papa Boss wasn't invited again. After all, she didn't want her friends to be awkward around her father.

"A birthday is just the day you were born," Tteokbokki continued with his tirades. "Why do you need to celebrate it every year?"

[Why is he sulking?]

She was getting annoyed when, all of a sudden, a thought crossed her mind.

[Wait… I haven't celebrated Tteokbokki's birthday yet! But when is his birthday?]

She was taught that a Soul Beast was born the same day as their master. So, they had the same birthday?

[And I've been celebrating my birthday on my own all these years…]

Now she felt guilty.

[I'm actually planning another party since I want to teach the people here about the concept of Halloween. But maybe I should just make October 31st as Tteokbokki's birthday?]

"Tteokbokki," she said, then she opened her eyes. "Did I make you feel lonely?"

"Huh?!"

It was scary how an adorable baby dragon could make a face that would scare a thug.

[Gosh, where did he learn to make that kind of face?]

"Don't worry, Tteokbokki," Neoma said, then she gave him a thumbs up. "I'll give you the best party ever."

Now Tteokbokki looked confused. "A party?"

***

"I ASKED, but they refused."

Neoma was shocked when he heard what her father said. "Your Soul Beasts refused to celebrate my Soul Beast's birthday with us, Papa Boss?"

She was planning a surprise birthday party for Tteokbokki.

And since he was a Soul Beast, she thought it would be good for him to celebrate with his fellow Soul Beasts.

[But my request was denied…]

"Is this discrimination?" she asked, gasping. "Papa Boss, is this your Soul Beasts' way of bullying my Soul Beast to assert dominance?"

Her father gave her a dire look. "You're the only one who bullies your Soul Beast here."

"I'm not bullying Tteokbokki," she said defensively. "We just have a normal sibling relationship."

Yes, her sibling relationship with Nero was the strange one.

[I blame it on Nero. I mean, it's not normal to be obsessed with your twin, right? The relationship I have with Tteokbokki looks more natural than the one I have with my brother.]

"My Soul Beasts simply refuse to leave my side for trivial reasons," her Papa Boss said, then he sipped his tea. "They don't care about your Soul Beast enough for them to "bully" him."

She clicked her tongue. "Fine, then Papa Boss, I formally invite you to Tteokbokki's party."

"Excuse me?"

She sipped her tea before she responded. "If Papa Boss attends the party, then your Soul Beasts will come, right? Problem solved."

Her Papa Boss looked shocked. "What kind of solution is that?

Neoma smirked smugly. "It's called 'Neoma-gets-what-she-wants' solution, Papa Boss."

***

NEOMA stared at the pumpkin in her hands.

"Why are you staring at that pumpkin like that?" her Papa Boss asked. "Are you picking up fights with inanimate objects now?"

"I want to carve this pumpkin for Tteokbokki, but I just realized that I don't know how to make one, Papa Boss," Neoma said, still looking at the pumpkin quite intensely. "I thought I could do it because I'm good at using a knife. But I already murdered a few pumpkins…"

Her Papa Boss eyed the "murdered" pumpkins under the table. "Yes, I can tell," he said, then he gave her a suspicious look. "But what are you trying to carve?"

"A donkey that looks like a monster."

"A what?"

"A donkey that looks like a monster," she repeated. "Gosh, Papa Boss. Are you hard of hearing now? Should I schedule you a check-up with the Healing Sage?"

Her father glared at her, as expected. "There's no need for that. I heard you just fine. I'm just wondering why you need to carve a donkey on these perfectly fine pumpkins. What are you trying to do this time, Neoma?"

"I'm going to host a Halloween party, Papa Boss," Neoma said cheerfully. "And we're going to celebrate Tteokbokki's first birthday party!"

"You look excited."

"Of course, I am~" she said, then she gasped when she remembered something. "Oh. Papa Boss, you have a meeting with Duke Quinzel later, don't you?"

"What about it?"

She smiled shyly. "Maybe I can ask Duke Quinzel to help me make donkey pumpkins–"

"Give me that," Papa Boss said, snatching the pumpkin from her. "Why would you disturb a busy duke for your silly parties, huh?"

Gosh.

"Tteokbokki's birthday party isn't a silly party, Papa Boss," Neoma complained, pouting. "And isn't an emperor busier than a duke?"

"I'm better than Rufus, so I can finish this quicker," Papa Boss said, scowling while busy with the knife as he began to carve the pumpkin the way Neoma wanted it to be. "Stop talking to me– I'm busy."

Heh.

[I think Papa Boss is starting to warm up to me~~~]

***

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tteokbokki!" Neoma said while holding a pumpkin with a carved "monster donkey" on it. There was also a candle on top of it. "Are you surprised? Are you touched? Are you going to cry?"

"Why would I cry?" Tteokbokki snarled, but he actually looked quite touched. "And it isn't my birthday. Why did you prepare this?"

She shrugged. "Well, I feel bad that we don't celebrate your birthday."

This time, the Soul Beast in his baby dragon form became redder than he already was. "I don't need it."

Aigoo.

He said he didn't need it, but he sure looked happy.

Neoma couldn't help but smile at Tteokbokki's tsundere-like reaction. "I'll take care of you forever, Tteokbokki. Just don't annoy me, okay? Fuck around and find out."

"Shut it, thug princess!" Tteokbokki growled. "I should be the one saying that!"

***

NOTE: Sorry for the sudden Bonus Chapter. I need to recharge since the next chapters are quite hard to write. And I want to present to you a warm relationship between a de Moonasterio and a male Roseheart/Soul Beast (although Tteokbokki is neither, lol) before showing you the tragedy of the Male Rosehearts.

We won't get to see such a warm relationship in Nero's POV because he's a heartless b*stard. Haha!

Anyway, the part 2 of this Halloween party will be posted as a Halloween Special later. :')