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1.08% Royal Secret: I'm a Princess! / Chapter 11: MY THREE AWESOME WISHES

Chapter 11: MY THREE AWESOME WISHES

"PLEASE don't leave me, Brother," Neoma said desperately. [Gosh, what am I saying?]

It looked like she had gotten attached to Nero more than she liked.

[Am I softie inside?]

"Neoma, I'll be back before you know it," Nero promised her. Then, he touched her face. "I will write to you as often as I could. His Majesty already asked for the Saint's permission to allow me to call you via Virtual Call twice a month."

'Virtual Call' was equal to modern time's "video call."

To perform a Virtual Call, there was a need for two pocket watches embedded with magic. If you put in the right "time" in the pocket watch, it would connect to the matching pocket watch. Then, the glass inside the pocket watch would act like a video camera where the owners of the pocket watches could see and hear each other.

[It's a very advanced magic in this world and so, each pocket watch that can function as a Virtual Call is very expensive. Only higher nobles can afford it for now.]

"Do we have a pocket watch, Brother?" Neoma asked curiously. "Is Papa going to give us our own pocket watches?"

"His Majesty already did," Nero said. Then, he pulled out the necklace that he was wearing from the inside of his dress. So, it wasn't a necklace. It was a golden pocket watch. "Here's mine." He pulled out another pocket watch from the pocket of his dress and wore it around her neck. "And that is yours."

[Cool.]

"Our pocket watches are already set," her brother continued. "You just have to press the diamond inside to call me. To reject the call, press the ruby gem. And to receive my call, press the emerald gem. But only call me if it's an emergency, okay? The Saint doesn't allow communication devices in the temple. Thankfully, His Holiness made an exception for me."

"Okay, Brother," she said, then her forehead knotted in confusion. "Brother, why are you dressed up as a girl?"

"His Majesty was worried that there might be a spy in the Holy Hand," he explained. "To prevent the enemies from following me, His Majesty created a fake identity for me."

"Oh. Then, who would you be now?"

"I will be known as 'Lady Nara Quinzel' from now on."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Q-Quinzel?"

There was only one Quinzel clan in the empire and that was Duke Rufus Quinzel, the emperor's cousin on the mother side. It was also the duke who adopted her in her first life.

"Duke Rufus Quinzel, the emperor's cousin, adopted 'Nara Quinzel' so the fake identity I'm taking could have legal papers," Nero explained to her. "Duke Quinzel will also be my guardian from now on. In fact, his family even moved to Valmento so that they could visit me in the temple every weekend."

That fact didn't surprise her.

Even in her first life, Duke Quinzel had been very loyal to Emperor Nikolai. The duke would go to any war if her father asked him to. Moving to Valmento with his family to be Nero's guardian was something she could see the duke doing for His Majesty.

And Emperor Nikolai probably promised the duke something as a reward.

[But wow, Nero and I definitely switched places for real.]

"Are you okay, Neoma?" Nero asked worriedly. "You suddenly fell silent."

"I'm just wondering why His Holiness allowed you to fake your identity," Neoma lied. "I thought saints don't lie."

He laughed softly and pinched her cheeks. "Oh, my naïve little sister. Let's just say that the saint is doing this for the sake of the empire. After all, His Majesty intends to declare me as his official heir someday."

[Oh, to be a crown prince who's adored by the emperor just because he's a dude.]

"I don't really understand but I'm glad that you won't be alone," she said with a smile. "I hope you get along with His Grace and his child."

"How did you know that the duke has a child?"

[Oops.]

"Well, you said he moved with his family," she said as an excuse. "I assumed that the duke has a child."

"My Neoma is really smart," he said while patting her head gently. "You're right. Duke Quinzel has a daughter around her age."

"Isn't that nice, Brother?" she asked him. "You'll have another sister."

His face turned sour. "You're my one and only sister, Neoma. I have no relation with Duke Quinzel's daughter."

"What are you talking about, Brother?" she asked between giggles. "Duke Quinzel is Papa's cousin. That means the duke's daughter is our second cousin."

"You're my only family, Neoma," Nero said in an eerily serious voice. Then, he touched her face while looking at her with a warm gaze. "Let's keep this goodbye short. It's not like we're not going to see each other again. I want to be healed as soon as possible so I need to go now. My Neoma is smart so she understands, right?"

Neoma smiled and nodded. "Take care of yourself, Brother. I'll pray for your fast and safe recovery."

They ended their farewells with a tight and warm hug.

***

NEOMA was sad that she wasn't even allowed to send Nero off outside the palace.

She heard that Duke Quinzel came to pick him up. But since she was locked up in her room, she didn't even get a glimpse of the duke.

[I wanted to see Duke Quinzel again. The duchess may have been a terrible mother to me. But the duke treated me like his own daughter. Although he was absent for most parts of my previous life because he was too busy, I would never forget his kindness.]

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a knock on the door.

When she let them in, Alphen and Stephanie entered the room with Lewis. Ever since she was stuck in the palace, only Alphen and Stephanie had been the ones looking after her.

[And now, Lewis.]

"Greetings to the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire," Alphen and Stephanie greeted her in unison with their heads hanged low.

Except for Lewis who was staring at the ceiling, obviously spacing out again.

But never mind the fox boy.

She was actually surprised that Stephanie and Alphen greeted her as the "First Star." That was the title reserved for the crown prince.

[Ah, my role play as Nero has begun.]

"Hello," Neoma greeted them cheerfully. "Please tell me I can go out now. I'm close to dying of boredom here."

"His Majesty wants to have tea with you, Your Royal Highness," Stephanie informed her. "We're here to pick you up."

"Your Royal Highness, starting from today, Lewis has become your official butler and bodyguard," Alphen added. "Lewis knows the royal secret and to keep that from everyone else, he'll follow you around wherever you go. But rest assured, he won't do something inappropriate to you, Your Royal Highness."

"I'm not worried about that," she said while looking at Lewis. "I trust the boy."

And she could take care of herself anyway.

"Anyway, we should go," Neoma said cheerfully. "I don't want to make Papa wait for me for too long.��

***

[AM I really going to be safe with this boy?]

Neoma could only shake her head while watching Lewis play with butterflies while they were walking in the royal garden.

Only the two of them were allowed in the royal garden because apparently, the emperor didn't want people coming in and out of his garden. There weren't even royal knights around. But she would bet that it was still the safest place in the whole palace.

[After all, His Majesty is the strongest person in the empire.]

Neoma stopped walking when she realized that Lewis wasn't following her anymore. When she turned around to face him, she could only sigh at what greeted her: Lewis was just standing there while looking at the butterflies around him.

[Why are those butterflies attracted to him anyway?]

"Lewis," she called him. When he didn't react, she raised her voice a little. "Lewis."

Lewis blinked before he turned to her. Then, he walked towards her and stood in front of her. "Yes, Prince?���

[Prince? How casual. I don't mind though.]

"How old are you?" she asked curiously.

Lewis raised both of his hands. His left hand was open while his right hand had three fingers raised. "Me."

"Eight years old?" she asked in surprise while looking up at him. "Gosh. You're only eight years old but you're so tall."

As she expected, he didn't react at all.

"Let's go," Neoma said before she turned her back on him. "And don't get distracted again."

[Gosh, why do I feel like I'm the one who should be protecting my butler instead?]

***

NEOMA gave the emperor her most charming smile.

[You should be honored, Your Majesty. This is the smile that gained me 9, 999, 999 followers in my second life. Soon, you won't be able to resist my million-dollar smile.]

Well, that was easier said than done.

Right now, Emperor Nikolai looked as poker-faced as usual.

Gosh, his blank face didn't fit the serene and beautiful ambiance of the royal garden. But even though he looked grumpy, she couldn't deny the fact that his handsome face was still nice to look at. Plus, his elegance was oozing even though he was just sipping his tea.

[I guess his royal upbringing can't be overlooked even though he's scary.]

Heh, she was talking to herself for thing long because her damned father hadn't uttered a word ever since she came.

[I wish Glenn and Lewis are here instead.]

Glenn and Lewis were standing at the entrance of the garden. Far enough not to hear their conversation, but close enough to reach them if something bad was to happen.

[My butt hurts.]

Sitting on a stool placed on top of the chair was uncomfortable, you know? But because she was still too small, she had to use double chairs just so she could reach the table properly. It was hard being a little child.

"Papa, how are you?" Neoma asked him cheerfully. "I'm lonely now that my brother has gone to the temple for his recovery. But I can endure it because I want Brother to be well as soon as possible. And you're here so I'm not going to be too sad, Papa."

Emperor Nikolai just looked at her, then he elegantly put the cup down on the table. "Tomorrow, you're moving to Blanco Palace."

That was the palace used by every crown prince in their history.

In her past life, Nero was moved there when they were five years old. But now that she had switched with her twin brother, she was now the one destined to live there in this lifetime.

"Okay, Papa," she answered cheerfully. "Thank you for providing a residence for me."

"You're now the royal prince of the empire," the emperor said. "It's only natural for you to use Blanco Palace as your residence. Stephanie and Alphen will be the new head maid and head butler of the palace since they know your real identity. I asked them to choose a handful of servants that they can trust. Everyone in your new residence will keep your secret. But even if they already know that you're the princes, you still need to be extra careful."

"Yes, Papa."

"I'll soon ensemble your own knight squad for your protection," the emperor continued. "But for now, I will assign Glenn as your personal knight."

"Sir Glenn is your personal knight, isn't he, Papa?" she asked worriedly. "Who will protect you then?"

"I can take care of myself," he said confidently. "Starting the day after tomorrow, you'll continue taking up lessons that Nero left behind. But you won't get the same teachers that Nero had. They have met your twin brother so they might notice the difference. To avoid that, we got new teachers for you."

"I understand, Papa."

"Nero's former teachers said that the prince is smart," he continued. "You know what I'm saying, right?"

"I won't embarrass you, Papa," she said even though she was a bit offended that he questioned her intelligence. To forget about it, she changed the topic. "Papa, can I say my three wishes now?"

He nodded. "Go ahead."

She sipped her tea first to hide her smile. As expected, her tea had honey in it again. After she had controlled her expression, she put the cup down on the table. "Papa, my first wish is to be free to choose whom to marry. So please cancel my engagement with Lord Drayton's son."

"Princesses are only good for marrying off to rich and powerful families," the emperor said coldly. "Once Nero comes back to take his rightful place, what will happen to you if you refused to be married? Do you think I will let you live in the palace forever?"

[I know you won't, sc*mbag.]

"That's where my second wish comes in Papa," she said with a smile. "Once Brother Nero returns, I will step down as a princess." Once she was no longer a princess, men wouldn't bother her with proposals anymore. "But in return, I want you to make me a duchess and give me my own territory. I don't care if you give me the smallest or the most barren land in the empire. I will be fine with it as long as I'm the duchess."

"What good your title as a duchess will be if your land is barren anyway?"

"Don't worry about it, Papa," she said cheerily. "I'm confident that I can make any land prosperous. I'll prove it to you someday."

She just needed freedom as a high-ranking noble even though it was just a title.

[I have to save up though. I'm sure my sc*mbag of a father will really give me a barren land. I should be rich by the time I leave this goddamn palace.]

"It's unpleasant to hear a child talk like an adult," Emperor Nikolai said. "I guess you inherited something from me."

She just laughed it off and pretended that she didn't understand what he said. "Papa, my last wish is the most important of all."

Emperor Nikolai raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"

"Papa, spend time with me every day," Neoma said in a sweet smile, with her most charming smile ever. "I want you to spend one hour of your day with me every day, Papa."

***

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CREATORS' THOUGHTS
sola_cola sola_cola

Hi! Sorry I wasn't able to answer to your questions at the moment. My wifi is very slow, it takes a long time to just upload an update. By August, I think my wifi will be okay by then. :)

Power stones, comments, and reviews will be super appreciated. Thank you so much! <3

Chapter 12: DON'T CALL ME 'PRINCE'

"YOUR ROYAL Highness, please wear this choker."

Neoma looked at the piece of jewelry inside the box that Alphen was holding in front of her. She couldn't really move because she had her arms open while Stephanie was busy buttoning her jacket. Gosh, wearing a suit every day sucked. "What's the choker for?"

It was a black band with an embedded diamond in the center. The choker looked bland but obviously expensive. Plus, she could feel a strange energy from it.

"The choker is embedded with magic for voice modulation, Your Royal Highness," Alphen explained politely. "Once you wear this, your voice will change into the real Prince Nero's voice. Before the royal prince left the palace, the Supreme Royal Mage– the only one among the royal mages who knows your secret– copied His Royal Highness's voice to make this choker. It was made under His Majesty's order."

[That sc*mbag is so meticulous.]

But he did the right thing. Although she was still a child, her voice was already too pitchy for a "prince." Changing her voice was only a logical thing to do.

[But it still pisses me off.]

Not that she could do anything about it.

"Alright. I will wear it," Neoma said with a bright smile. Then, she turned to Stephanie who was now putting a brooch on the lapel of her jacket. "Stephanie, help me wear the choker."

Stephanie bowed to her. "Of course, Your Royal Highness."

To be honest, talking to older people casually was making her uncomfortable. But as the empire's "crown prince," she was "above" them. Having lived in a modern world, she had learned to hate the injustice of social hierarchy. She still hated it.

But she couldn't change the system of Moonasterion Empire just because she wanted to. Even though she was an adult mentally, right now, she was just a little "prince" that could still be taken out anytime. Before worrying about the people below her, she had to worry about herself first. She wouldn't be able to save anyone if she died early, right?

[Gosh, I deserve a medal.]

"It's done now, Your Royal Highness," Stephanie informed her, then she stood up and bowed to her. "May we hear you speak to see if the choker works?"

Neoma smiled before she spoke. "Is it time for my classes already?"

Alphen and Stephanie smiled as if they were satisfied that the choker worked. Then, they bowed and answered to her at the same time. "Yes, Your Royal Highness."

[Oh, they have good rapport.]

***

"OH MY god," Lady Belmont, the countess in charge of Neoma's basic education, gasped in surprise while looking at the result of her "first test." "His Royal Highness must be a genius!"

Neoma stopped herself from smiling haughtily. Instead, she remained properly seated behind the mahogany table while her teacher was standing in front of her.

It wasn't easy since she was a naturally arrogant person. Since she lived as a famous online celebrity in her second life, she had developed a big ego. But she knew how to play her cards well. Being too arrogant was a no-no. Having confidence was a big yes though, especially if it was backed up by her beauty, talent, and wits.

That was why 9, 999, 999 followers loved her.

[The only thing I regret in my second life is dying before I reach 10 million followers. Gosh, if I return to my second life after this, I'd strangle whoever it was that made the coconut wine that killed me!]

"Your Royal Highness, you already mastered our language," Lady Belmont said with astonishment. "Your vocabulary and grammar are very good. Your penmanship could use some work, but the content of your essay is what matters most. You've exceeded my expectations, Your Royal Highness." She bowed respectfully to her. "It's a huge honor to share my knowledge with a genius like you."

At the start of their class, Lady Belmont asked her to write an essay about what she learned from her previous teacher so she would know where to continue. Of course, Lady Belmont wasn't aware that she wasn't the real prince who had taken lessons with another teacher before.

Thankfully, she was born academically smart even during her first life. Well, Nero was still way smarter than her back then. But she was better than the other ladies around her.

This time, she was armed with the memories of her two past lives. The knowledge in her head wouldn't fit a five-year-old, naturally. And she didn't have any intention to hide it. So no wonder the countess thought she was a genius.

[Well, compared to the exams I had in my second life in a modern world with advanced science and technology department, the lessons in this world are simpler.]

"Thank you for the praise, Teacher Belmont," Neoma said gently with a smile. "But I didn't achieve this by myself. It's all thanks to my previous teacher's guidance. And of course, your clear instructions of what I have to do also helped me, Teacher Belmont."

Being smart was okay but being arrogant about it would damage her.

[No one likes a smartass kid.]

So of course, she had to acknowledge the efforts of other people who "taught" her the things she knew. A prince should always be modest, right?

Lady Belmont looked pleased by her flattery. "Thank you for the compliment, Your Royal Highness," she said, then she bowed politely to her. "I'll dismiss our class early for today so I could look for better materials to teach you with, Your Royal Highness."

Neoma smiled brightly. "I'm looking forward to it, Teacher Belmont."

***

NEOMA'S facial muscles were already tired from smiling all day.

Right now, she was waiting in the parlor room of Yule Palace. She was scheduled to have afternoon tea with the sc*mbag. But the emperor was still in a meeting with his advisors.

[He should have rescheduled our appointment instead of making me wait.]

Anyway, she was alone in the parlor because only members of the royal family were allowed in the parlor. Lewis was standing outside the room with the other royal guards. But she was fine with it because she liked talking to herself.

And she was busy looking back at her day.

All her teachers praised her and called her a genius. Of course, she had to deny it and praise her teachers instead. Also, she had to lie and say that she loved reading books.

[Well, I do enjoy reading. But not academic books.]

Whenever she was in the library, she would look for romance or crime novels. She would secretly read them inside the thick academic books that she would use as a cover-up. Anyway, the romance books she had read were okay. But she had read better books in her second life.

[Should I write a book and sell it using an alter-ego? I need to earn money after all. But I have to wait for a while because no one would believe that a five-year-old like me could write a novel. Plus, the genre I want to write is BL.]

She enjoyed reading and watching BL or Boys' Love stuff in her second life. During that time, she was a huge Kpop fangirl. She would write fanfics of her "ship" in the boy groups that she was a "stan" of. That was one of the reasons why she became online famous before she became a full-time vlogger.

[A five-year-old writing a BL book would only damage my reputation. I'll save that option for later.]

Her weird thoughts were cut off when she heard a knock on the door. When she asked the person behind it to come in, Glenn's handsome face greeted her.

"Greetings to the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire," Glenn greeted her politely with a bow. When he raised his head to face her properly, he gave her a bright smile before he spoke. "His Majesty is waiting for you, Your Royal Highness."

"What a relief." Neoma smiled even though she was pissed at waiting that long. "I can't wait to see Papa, Sir Glenn."

[Eww.]

***

NEOMA had to smile even though Emperor Nikolai was as stoic as ever.

This time, instead of the garden, they were having tea in the tea room of his palace. Because he didn't allow just anyone in Yule Palace, Lewis was asked to wait at her palace instead. The emperor said that Glenn would send her home later.

[I hope Lewis doesn't get lost while waiting for me.]

"Your teachers are singing praises about you," Emperor Nikolai said when he gently put the teacup on the table. "They're calling you a genius."

Neoma smiled sweetly at him. "Am I making you proud, Papa?"

"Being smart is only expected of a royal prince," he said coldly. "There's nothing to be proud of it."

[Stingy.]

She smiled anyway and tapped her shoulder.

The emperor's forehead knotted in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I'm tapping my shoulder as a way to tell myself that I did a good job," she said in a disgustingly sweet voice. "Regardless of what you think, I still believe that I'm doing a good job as Brother's proxy, Papa. If my brother was here, I'm sure he'd praise me."

She knew she was being cheeky but thankfully, the emperor didn't look offended. He just raised an eyebrow in amusement.

[I remember that in my first life, this sc*mbag liked it whenever Nero would talk back or fight him head-on. Because according to the emperor, he didn't need an heir who couldn't think or stand up for himself. So let's push our luck more.]

"But it's okay, Papa," she said with a smile. "I don't expect you to praise me for something I didn't inherit from you."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I read from a book that a child's intelligence is inherited from the mother," she said cheerfully. "I don't know who my Mama is but I bet she was smart."

'Was' because she and Nero were told that their mother was already gone.

"Don't," Emperor Nikolai warned her coldly. "Don't you dare bring up your mother again, Nero de Moonasterio."

["Nero de Moonasterio."]

She didn't expect that she would still call her by her brother's name even though they were the only ones in the room. It was very solid proof that the emperor was really treating her as a mere replacement for Nero. Maybe he was being lenient to her because he saw her as the royal prince and not as the royal princess that she was.

Ah, she also didn't expect that it would still hurt even though she was aware of how much of a sc*mbag her father was.

"I'm sorry, Papa," Neoma said with a smile– a smile that was probably sad now. "I won't talk about Mama again."

***

NEOMA was surprised when she saw Lewis's beat-up face. His lips were bleeding and he had bruises all over. It was obvious that he didn't fight back and just let himself get beaten into a pulp. "Who did that to you?"

Lewis blinked several times and when recognition crossed his eyes, he bowed to her. "Welcome, Prince."

"Lewis, you should greet His Royal Highness formally," Glenn scolded her butler.

The emperor's knight walked her to Blanco Palace as promised.

And when they reached her palace's entrance, Lewis greeted them with that face. There were two other royal guards with the young butler.

"What happened to Lewis?" Neoma asked strictly to the two guards. Acting cute was her main weapon but she also knew when to be strict and intimidating. "Who did that to him?"

One of the guards bowed to her before speaking. "Your Royal Highness, the children of Count Thompson and Marquis Alberts went to see you. They were about to leave when they saw Lewis. And then… they ganged up on him and beat him to a pulp."

"Why?" she asked in an irritated tone. "Why did they beat Lewis?"

This time, the other guard bowed to her and answered her question. "The noble children were insulted when Lewis failed to greet them properly, Your Royal Highness."

"And you didn't do anything to help MY butler?"

The two royal guards flinched, then knelt before her and spoke in unison. "Forgive us, Your Royal Highness!"

"No," she said coldly. "But I might reconsider if you bring those insolent children before me RIGHT NOW."

The two royal guards froze for a moment. Then, they looked at each other. After a few seconds, they stood up and bowed to her. Like what they did earlier, they talked at the same time again. "We will bring the noble children to you, Your Royal Highness!"

She waved her hand casually. "Do it now."

The two royal guards bowed before they ran in a hurry.

Neoma then turned to Glenn with a smile. The knight obviously looked surprised by her sudden change of mood. "Sir Glenn, thank you for taking me back to my palace. Lewis is here now so you can back to Papa's side. See you tomorrow."

Glenn knew that he was being dismissed and he didn't resist it. Instead, he smiled and politely bowed to her. "See you tomorrow, Your Royal Highness."

And after that, Glenn left.

Neoma removed the choker around her neck and talked to Lewis using her real voice. "Lewis, I have three orders for you."

Lewis just bowed to her.

"First, remember my real voice," she said firmly. "Whatever voice modulator I use, you must remember my real voice so if even I ask for help without this stupid choker, you'd still know that it's me who's calling for help. Can you do that?"

He nodded as a response.

[Well, he's a fox so I can trust his sharp senses.]

"Second, don't let other people beat you up again," she scolded him. "You are my butler. If people look down on you, it's the same as looking down on me."

"Me," he said, then pointed at himself while shaking his head. "Can't hurt humans, Prince."

"I'm your master now so I'm the one you should follow," she declared, then flicked his forehead with her fingers. He looked surprised, and that was the first time she saw him react that "vividly." "And don't call me "prince" when there's only the two of us."

"Me," Lewis said, pointing at himself again. Then, he pointed at her. "You. Not prince?"

"My third order is for you to call me 'Princess' when there's only the two of us," Neoma said sadly. "I need someone to remind me that I'm a princess and I want it to be you, Lewis."

***

Please ADD my story in your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>


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sola_cola sola_cola

Hi! Power stones, comments, and reviews will be super appreciated. Thank you so much! <3

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