Royal Secret: I'm A Princess!

A STORM formed inside Neoma's head.

Still, she listened to Nero's recorded message since she couldn't pause it. She was still shocked, but she had to focus on what his twin brother was saying.

<"Neoma, I already met and talked to our mother in her Spirit form.">

Neoma gasped. "You met Mama Boss?"

She envied her twin brother at that moment.

[Why is it always Nero…?]

<"Unfortunately, I don't have the power to free our mother from where she's trapped,"> Nero continued with his report. <"But Neoma, our mother said that you have the power to melt the ice that she's trapped in.">

"I do?" she asked, surprised. Then she gasped. "Tteokbokki! Tteokbokki is a Fire Dragon, and fire can melt the ice!"

She ordered Tteokbokki to find the strange tree that she saw before. But to be honest, what she wanted her Soul Beast to find was the Spirit of the girl who looked like her. She couldn't get her out of her mind.

And so, she asked Tteokbokki to look for the tree and the mystery girl.

[Tteokbokki will return soon, so does it mean we can save Mama Boss right away?]

<"Mother said she heard from the Spirits she talked to in the past that you gained a Fire Dragon for a Soul Beast,"> Nero said. <"Neoma, apparently, your Soul Beast's 'Dragon Breath' could melt the ice made by the Ice Spirit. If your Soul Beast learns how to breathe fire, then you could save our mother.">

"Dragon Breath?" she asked, then she tilted her head to one side. "Tteokbokki could breathe fire just like a P*kemon?"

She thought Tteokbokki was a Fire Dragon because he could control fire.

"Of course, he could," Trevor chimed in. "But not yet."

She was about to ask Trevor why Tteokbokki couldn't use Dragon Breath yet, but it was answered when Nero spoke again.

<"The problem is only adult Fire Dragons could use Dragon Breath, Neoma,"> Nero said in a frustrated voice. <"We have to wait for your dragon to become an adult before he could use the technique that could save our mother.">

Right, Tteokbokki could grow in size at the moment, but that didn't mean he was already an adult.

<"Mother said she doesn't mind waiting.">

"But I can't wait to meet Mama Boss," she whispered to herself. "I have so many questions for her…"

<"Neoma, our mother also said that once your dragon becomes an adult, William could teach him how to use the Dragon Breath,"> Nero said, then he smiled awkwardly at her. <"I know you'd hate it, but you'd have to work with William to save our mother.">

The idea pissed her off.

But she wasn't a child. She may act immature sometimes, but not when the situation was as serious as this.

"I don't mind working with William," she said. "If I have to force him, I would."

<"And Neoma?">

"Yes, Nero?"

<"I asked Mother if she wanted our father to know that she's still alive…">

She gulped while waiting for Nero to continue.

<"At first, Mother said she didn't want our father to know that she's still alive. I guess she's worried about Father's obsessive love. Our mother doesn't want Father to push you to train your Soul Beast in order to save her.">

She understood where her mother was coming from, but…

[Papa Boss isn't that kind of person anymore.]

<"But before we parted ways, Mother changed her mind,"> Nero continued, then he smiled at her. <"In the end, Mother told me to tell you it's up to you whether you wanted Father to know that she's alive or not. Mother said she'd trust your decision.">

She didn't have to think about it.

[Papa Boss deserves to know the truth. Plus, Mother said it's up to me. It seems like misunderstandings and miscommunication fucked up my parents' relationship. I won't let it happen again.]

  <"Neoma, Mother said she misses you,"> Nero said softly, his eyes sparkling with happiness for her. <"Mother said you were only a few months old when she last hugged you.">

She was just a newborn baby when her Mama Boss last saw her?

Then…

[It confirms my eomma is a different person from Mama Boss…]

She suddenly felt nauseous.

[What the hell is happening?]

<"Neoma, if you decide to send back a message for me, work Trevor to the bones.">

Of course, Trevor complained after hearing that. "My future brother-in-law could really be evil sometimes."

<"I can't explain everything to you yet, but we should be careful of the gods who might be watching us,"> Nero said seriously. <"The gods need something from us, Neoma. To block their eyes, you need to cover your tracks with Darkness attribute.">

She understood what Nero was saying, but she didn't know why her twin brother was telling her all of that.

"Trevor, you'll explain everything to me later."

"Yes, my Moon Princess."

<"I'm in contact with Hanna.">

Her eyes opened wide. "Hanna?"

<"The Quinzels could block the eyes of gods because their Shadow Manipulation Technique comes from the Darkness attribute,"> Nero explained gently. <"Hanna is currently working hard to master their family's technique in order to assist us in the future.">

Ah, Hanna mentioned nothing about that in her cousin's recent letters.

<"Neoma, please take care of yourself until I get better,"> Nero said gently. <"Once I return with my full strength, you don't have to do anything. I'll let you live like a lady of leisure.">

Neoma smiled after hearing that. "You can't break that promise, Nero."

***

"TREVOR, I want to talk to Nero in person," Neoma said seriously after listening to her twin brother's recorded message. "Can't you use your Darkness attribute or something to cover our tracks then?"

"Prince Nero also wanted to do that at first, but I refused," Trevor said casually. "I can't completely cover the two of you, since the gods watching you and your twin brother are strong. We need a stronger Darkness attribute to make that happen. Unfortunately, Hanna Quinzel still has a long way to go."

"Is demonic power also some sort of Darkness attribute?"

"Of course," he said. "That's exactly why I have that attribute."

"Then I can also learn how to cover my existence with the Darkness attribute," she said. "After all, I've been told many times that I possess demonic power."

"Ah," the demon boy said, as if he just realized that. "That makes sense. I guess I can teach you how to do that but…"

"But what?"

"If your demonic power grows stronger, your Moonglow might not be enough to cover it," he explained to her. "As you know, the Moonglow is the unique divine power that the de Moonasterio inherited from Yule. That's the reason your demonic power hasn't been discovered by other people yet. It only comes out when you use the Death Scythe. But if you strengthen it…"

"I'll cross the bridge when I get there," she said. "For now, I need to protect myself from the eyes of the selfish gods who want to turn me into their personal air purifier."

"Air purifier? What's that?"

"Ah, they call it 'Aether,'" she explained. "According to the minor god I killed recently, I have the huge potential to become the next Aether."

Trevor's face turned grim. "I won't let you end up as a human sacrifice like I did, Princess Neoma." He put a hand on his chest as he bowed politely. "I will protect you at all cost."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you should. It will be a tremendous loss to the human world if the gods monopolize my beauty."

When the demon boy raised his head, he smiled. "I know, right?"

It was nice to see him smile again.

Although Trevor's grim expression made him look like a hot villain, she still didn't want to spoil his mood because of her business.

"Trevor, can you bring William to me?"

"It will be hard, but I will try."

"Tell him to come and see me if he wants to save my mother," Neoma said with a shrug. "If it doesn't work, drag him here."

Trevor laughed, then he gave her a salute. "As you wish, my Moon Princess."

***

"LITTLE rogue, you're way too young to let a boy in your room– especially at this hour."

Neoma already expected to hear that from her Papa Boss when he arrived at her room after she sent him a message. "Papa Boss, Trevor is not a boy."

"Then what am I, Princess Neoma?" Trevor asked, shocked. "Am I not manly enough for you?"

She just waved his hand to dismiss his complaints. "Trevor, I'm going to talk to Papa Boss. You know what to do, don't you?"

"Leave it to me, my Moon Princess," Trevor said, then he turned to her Papa Boss and smiled. "See you later, Your Majesty."

After that, the demon boy disappeared.

[Welp, I'm sure Trevor will cover our tracks just fine.]

"What is this about, Neoma?" her Papa Boss asked after sitting down on the couch. "It's way past your bedtime. What is it that you have to talk about to Trevor that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

She sat down on the couch across from her father.

They prepared the tea on the table in advance. She asked Stephanie to prepare it before her Papa Boss arrived.

"Papa Boss, Nero sent me a message."

"So I have been told," her father said calmly, then he sipped his tea before asking. "Is it something that you can share with me?"

Her heart was beating like crazy.

She decided her father deserved to know the truth because he had changed a lot. He was no longer the toxic, obsessive, and possessive lover that her mother knew.

[I'm doing the right thing.]

"Papa Boss…"

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Nero told me Mama Boss is still alive."

Her father dropped the teacup in his hand, the shock on his face was clear.

She stood up when she realized that the tea spilled on her father's legs. It was still hot, but it seemed like her Papa Boss couldn't feel it. "Papa Boss, are you alright–"

"Neoma, what did you just say?" her father asked, cutting her off. "Mona is still alive?"

Seeing that her father wasn't hurt, she went back to her seat and nodded. "Nero met Mama Boss in her Spirit form. He didn't explain the details to me, but he had a long conversation with our mother."

"Mona is in her Spirit form?" her father asked, confused. "Does it mean her physical body isn't well?"

As expected of the emperor, he was sharp.

"Nero said Mama Boss is currently trapped in an enormous block of ice," she explained to her father. "And apparently, the block of ice is under the Black Ocean."

Her father brushed his hands over his face. "Mona… is still alive…"

Since her Papa Boss covered his face with his hands, she couldn't see his facial expressions.

But his voice sounded relieved, and a little scared.

"Papa Boss, I'm wondering how it happened, though."

Her father removed his hands away from his face. He looked calm, but the storm in his eyes said otherwise. "What do you mean by that, Neoma?"

"If Mama Boss has been trapped in the Black Ocean for almost ten years now, then who is the mother that raised me during my second life?" she asked, then she smiled bitterly. "Papa Boss, what's the truth behind my previous life?"

Her Papa Boss looked concerned, then he suddenly closed his eyes and clutched his head.

"Papa Boss…?"

"I feel like I know the answer," her Papa Boss said while obviously having difficulties in talking. "But my brain couldn't remember it."

Ah, right.

Some of her Papa Boss's memories were still missing. If only she could retrieve it for her father…

[Wait, I could.]

"Lord Redgrave's eyes," Neoma whispered in shock. "He said his eyes could see forgotten memories!"

***

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