Royal Secret: I'm A Princess!

"SIRE, PRINCE Blake, I have bad news for you," Neoma said in an exaggerated, sad voice. "It seems like your allies have abandoned you."

King Landon and Prince Blake both flinched at her words.

"But then again, even if your allies didn't abandon you, I don't think they could help you in this situation anyway," she said with a shrug. "After all, my father is already in touch with the leaders of the nations and kingdoms under the empire's flag."

Now the father-and-son duo looked helpless.

"You underestimated me because I'm a child, and most of the guards I brought were women," she said, pointing out the two's biggest mistake. "Poison and Mana-suppressing bombs? Don't you think those methods are too weak to kill the empire's Crown Prince?"

"I believe my family is being framed by the Crown Prince," Prince Blake, who now looked calm, declared shamelessly. "His Royal Highness mentioned the weapons our kingdom produces. Are you doing this to monopolize our military power?"

Princess Brigitte let out a frustrated sigh. "Your shamelessness knows no bound, Brother," she said to Prince Blake who glared at her in return. But the first princess ignored the Crown Prince, then she turned to her. "Prince Nero, Glenn and I have uncovered the atrocities my family has committed against the empire."

"Brigitte Griffiths!" King Landon and Prince Blake yelled at the same time.

"I'm no longer a Griffiths," Princess Brigitte declared with her head held high. "I will become Mrs. Glenn soon."

She smiled at the first princess' declaration.

[Congrats, Sir Glenn and Princess Brigitte.]

"Xion," she called the assassin who still had the king at knife's hold. "Knock them out."

Xion smirked before bowing lightly to her. "As you wish, Your Royal Highness."

She turned her back on King Landon and Prince Blake since the two were an eyesore. As soon as she did, she heard the father-and-son duo's painful groans.

[Xion could really be… rough sometimes.]

"Greko, treat the Griffths, since I'm pretty sure they were hurt by Xion's attack. Pay extra attention to the young princesses," she said to her youngest "son." "But make sure they won't be able to move for a while. Can you do that for your eomma?"

Greko nodded eagerly. "Yes, eomma. Please leave it to me."

She smiled and ruffled Greko's hair. Then she looked up at Sera Wisteria. "Lady Sera, stay here and assist Greko. The royal family may be unconscious for now, but they may pose threat later when they wake up."

Sera Wisteria bowed to her politely. "As you wish, Your Royal Highness."

She just nodded, then she turned to Countess Jade Wisteria. "Countess Wisteria, you're a mage. Can you collect the Mana-suppressing bombs that Prince Blake used earlier? If you can, dismantle and study it. We'll bring those bombs back to the empire."

Countess Jade Wisteria bowed to her politely. "I've received Your Royal Highness's order."

"I'll take my leave first and return later," Neoma said, then she turned to Princess Brigitte. "Brigitte unnie, please take me to the main palace."

Princess Brigitte nodded politely. "Please leave it to me, Your Royal Highness."

***

[MAYBE I should ask Paige to make sunglasses for me later.]

And popcorn, too.

She knew she was the one who asked Juri and Lewis to destroy the palaces. But she didn't expect the two to deliver the job this splendidly.

[They're my "children," but they still scare me.]

Juri was destroying the Crown Prince's palace using her sledgehammer, while Lewis was kicking the walls and pillars with his brute strength alone.

"Your Royal Highness, I can't believe your knights remain this powerful even without their Mana," Princess Brigitte, who was walking behind her, said in amusement. "Now I feel embarrassed for my father and brother's choice of method to assassinate Your Royal Highness."

Neoma laughed softly. "To be fair, the Mana-suppressing bomb is a surprise. The plan was just poorly executed, as if your father and brother didn't have enough time to prepare."

She found it strange, to be honest.

The Hazelden Kingdom had a strong military force. Since the kingdom's people weren't blessed with Mana, they resorted to developing weapons that were strong enough to take down Mana-users.

She wasn't kidding when she said the Mana-suppressing bomb was a genius.

[But why is their execution so lousy? The Hazelden Kingdom is the kingdom that managed to protect its territory for so long without depending on Mana users.]

For some reason, she felt something was off.

[This is easy– way too easy.]

"Your Royal Highness, we arrived at the main palace," Princess Brigitte said politely. "It seems like your Paladin has taken care of the things here."

By Paladin, Princess Brigitte meant Jeanne Audley.

She asked Jeanne Audley in advance to take over the main palace with Axel, the Royal Mage. They had to bring the Royal Mage along because he was necessary for opening portals. Since Paige Avery wasn't with her group, she had no choice but to rely on Axel instead.

"Your Royal Highness, everyone working in the palaces is safely locked up in the dimension that Axel created," Jeanne Audley reported to her. "I've suppressed the knights stationed in the main palace."

[Yep, I can see that.]

The unconscious bodies of the kingdom's knights were scattered on the ground.

"Sir Glenn and the Fletcher Twins are currently apprehending the other squads," Jeanne continued with her report. "The last time I spoke to them, they told me everything was under their control."

She suddenly felt uneasy again.

[This is really way too easy for me to feel triumphant.]

But she set that thought aside in the meantime. The more pressing issue at the moment was the seizure of the Hazelden Kingdom's royal family.

She turned to Princess Brigitte. And just like she expected, the first princess's eyes were shining. "One of the twins treated Sir Glenn's injuries, so I'm sure he's fine now," she assured Princess Brigitte. "Unnie, you'll see Sir Glenn again later. But for now, can you help me seize the kingdom? I know it would be difficult for you to betray your family like this, but I need you because I need a royal family member to take care of the nobles here."

Princess Brigitte, who looked like she was about to cry earlier, suddenly looked determined now. "Your Royal Highness, I don't see them as my family anymore," she said. "I will cooperate with the empire. The Griffiths family has to pay the price of their betrayal."

It seemed like her unnie had already made up her mind.

"Thank you, Brigitte unnie," Neoma said with a sad smile on her face. Although Princess Brigitte was acting like a tough cookie, she could still see fear and loneliness in the first princess's eyes. After all, it wasn't easy to abandon your family, no matter how much they had mistreated you. But the least thing she could do for Princess Brigitte right now was to stand by her decision. "Let's go to the throne room."

***

NEOMA sat on the king's throne.

It looked more modest compared to her Papa Boss's fancy seat. But she still felt the pressure as soon as she sat down.

[The pressure on my shoulders once I become the empress would be heavier.]

She sat on the king's throne because she was about to make an announcement to the nobles of the Hazelden Kingdom. But she chose the throne room in particular because she wanted to test her feelings.

[As expected, I really don't want to become the empress.]

She just borrowed someone else's throne, but she already felt sad and lonely.

[But I have to be the empress for the sake of everyone and everything I hold dear…]

"Your Royal Highness, the communication device is ready," Axel, the Royal Mage who was standing in front of her, said. "We apprehended this kingdom's Royal Mage earlier and asked her to connect us to the nobles here. Once Your Royal Highness is ready, please give me a sign. I will activate our communication device then."

"Alright," she said.

She was about to say she was ready when she heard Paige Avery's voice coming from her black ear stud.

["Your Royal Highness, we need your help."]

She immediately straightened up in her seat. "Paige, what happened?"

["High Priest Wellington refuses to hand over the weapons to us despite being caught keeping those weapons to themselves."]

She knitted her eyebrows. "What is His Eminence's reason for refusing us?"

["Apparently, the prophecy that Your Royal Highness received from Lord Yule doesn't apply to you because Prince Nero is the real First Star of the empire.]

Crap.

It was true that Lord Yule mentioned in his prophecy that the First Star of the empire would find the future new saint of the continent.

And Nero was the real First Star.

[I forgot High Priest Wellington knows my royal secret.]

"Paige, wait for me," Neoma said seriously. "Tell High Priest Beef Wellington to expect my visit."

Paige sounded confused when she spoke again. ["Beef Wellington?"]

Oops.

***

"PAPA BOSS, I need to go to Valmento now," Neoma reported to her father while she was walking out of the throne room. She left the meeting with the nobles in Princess Brigitte's capable hands. "High Priest Wellington refuses to hand over the weapons because I'm not the First Star. He refuses to cooperate because he knows that I'm not the person who would bring the next saint to the temple. In short, he doesn't feel threatened."

["Ah, right. I almost forgot His Eminence knows your royal secret,"] her Papa Boss said calmly. ["But I don't see the problem, Neoma."]

She knitted her eyebrows. "What do you mean by that, Papa Boss?"

["You're the First Star, Neoma."]

Huh?

Neoma froze in shock. "Excuse me, Papa Boss?"

["You're the First Star,"] her Papa Boss said gently. ["You were born first before Nero, Neoma."]

***

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***

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