Chapter 17: SAILOR NEOMA IN ACTION
TO SAY that Nikolai was shocked by what he heard from Neoma would be an understatement.
[Did that tiny human just call me a sc*mbag?]
He was well-aware that most people call him several names behind his back. But this was the first time that someone had the nerve to say it in front of his face.
[And that person happens to be the royal princess, no less.]
He should be insulted to be cussed at by his own child. But for some reason, he found it quite entertaining.
Ah, no.
It would be more appropriate to say that he found the royal princess amusing.
"Your Majesty," Glenn said as soon as he appeared behind him. "Shall I restrain His Royal Highness?"
"No," Nikolai said. "Go and make sure that no one else will enter the premise. Only I can deal with the Soul Beast anyway."
Even without looking at the knight, he knew that he bowed to him.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Glenn said before his presence completely disappeared.
And so, he was left alone to deal with the royal princess.
"Calm down," Nikolai ordered Neoma. "Calm down or else, our deal is off."
"I don't care! I'm so sick of your tyrannical ass," Neoma continued in an angry voice, her eyes starting to turn red. "I won't forgive you for hurting Lewis and Tteokbokki."
"What will you do about it?" Nikolai asked with a smirk. "Kill me?"
"Yes," the royal princess answered. "I'll f*cking kill you, sc*mbag."
His ears almost fell off upon hearing his child curse again and again.
"Language," he warned her. "Using vulgar words is unbecoming of the future crown prince."
"To hell with that," she hissed. "I'm a princess!"
Upon yelling those words, the royal princess's eyes completely turned red now.
Not only that. The strands of her white hair had also turned the color of blood. That was something that shouldn't be possible at her age and yet, she did it.
[This is getting serious.]
The royal princess was definitely not herself.
He raised his hand and tried to summon West, the White Tiger. But much to his shock, he heard a loud roar that didn't belong to his Soul Beast.
When he turned around, he got the shock of his life at what he saw.
The red unicorn had turned into a huge red dragon. It wasn't as big as the adult dragons yet. But it was already the size of a two-story building.
Just like the royal princess, the red dragon was also out of control.
"Burn the White Tiger, Tteokbokki!" Neoma yelled at the red dragon at the top of her lungs. "I want to eat a roasted tiger for dinner!"
[This little…]
The red dragon growled and then breathed fire at the White Tiger.
West roared angrily but failed to avoid the orange flame that engulfed it.
As the White Tiger's owner, he felt the heat of the flame as well. Since the royal princess's Mana was still weak, the flame didn't hurt him or his Soul Beast. But it definitely made him and the White Tiger feel very uncomfortable.
"Stop it, Nero,��� Nikolai told her sternly. "If you keep that up, the royal knights will come and–"
"I'm not Nero!" Neoma screeched angrily. Then, she jumped in the air with her left fist ready to punch him. She already broke the fingers of her right hand when she punched the White Tiger a while ago. No wonder she was using her left this time. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
[What…?]
He didn't have the chance to figure out what the hell the child was sprouting this time because in the blink of an eye, she was already in front of him. To be honest, he underestimated the royal princess. He didn't avoid her attack because he was confident with the protection around himself– protection that wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him physically.
But surprisingly, Neoma broke the barrier easily and her punch landed on his face.
The punch didn't hurt but she managed to make his nose bleed.
This was the first time that his blood spilled after a long time. Of course, he was pissed. He was never known for his patience anyway.
[It's time to put this tiny human in her place.]
"Enough," Nikolai said firmly– firm enough to make the ground shake. But instead of losing her balance, Neoma actually froze mid-air because the Mana that he released literally held her in place. That was the same with her red dragon that was now being pinned down by the White Tiger on the ground. "My patience has run out, Neoma de Moonasterio."
***
"IN THE name of the moon, I'll punish you!" Neoma quoted her favorite anime series back in her second life.
Then, she charged at her sc*mbag of a father with her fist of justice ready.
[S*ilor M*on didn't raise me a loser, you know?]
Plus, for some reason, she felt very powerful today. Was it thanks to her wrath? But whatever it was that boost her Mana, she was grateful for it.
[It's payback time!]
She said that but as soon as her knuckles connected at His Majesty's nose bridge and saw blood drop from his nostril, she suddenly snapped out of whatever it was that pushed her to go out of control.
In short, she suddenly went "sober."
And at that moment, she knew that she f*cked up.
[Did I just punch the emperor in the face and made his nose bleed?]
The answer was yes.
"Enough," Emperor Nikolai said firmly.
All of a sudden, she was frozen mid-air. She couldn't even move a muscle. It was as if an invisible string of Mana was tied around her small body.
[Gosh, this sc*mbag.]
"My patience has run out, Neoma de Moonasterio," His Majesty continued with a scowl on his annoyingly handsome face.
She wanted to say that it was her line.
But for some strange reason, she found herself smiling despite her current predicament.
"Finally," Neoma said with a genuine smile. "You finally called me by my real name, Papa."
Emperor Nikolai looked surprised by her reaction and his face actually softened up.
But she wasn't sure about that because her sight suddenly became blurry, followed by a painful thump in her chest. The next thing she knew, she was already coughing blood.
There was only one clear image in her mind then: Nero's somber face.
"Nero," Neoma whispered while losing consciousness. "Check on him, Papa."
***
NERO felt like his insides were being twisted. It was very painful. No wonder he was coughing blood now.
"Darling!" Duchess Quinzel screamed in panic, then she turned to the knights and the servants standing behind them. "Call the duke!"
"Sister Nara," Hanna said in a worried voice while trying to hand a handkerchief to him. She looked like she was about to cry. "Sister Nara..."
"Nara!" Duke Quinzel said as soon as he arrived. Without wasting time, he immediately rushed towards him and put a warm hand on his chest. As soon as the duke did that, he felt his Mana flowing through his veins. But it didn't make Nero feel any better. "This is bad. My healing magic isn't working," he said in a worried voice. "We must bring Nara to the temple."
"Neoma," Nero whispered before closing his eyes. "Make sure Neoma is fine…"
***
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Chapter 18: THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG
TO NIKOLAI was about to catch Neoma who started to fall from being suspended in the air.
But all of a sudden, the foxy boy appeared and caught his daughter instead. Then, he jumped backward while carrying the unconscious royal princess in his arms. Then, he glared at him as if to warn him not to touch Neoma.
[He's still alive?]
Not only that. He also noticed that the foxy boy's chest wound was starting to heal on its own. Ah, he almost forgot that the fox clan had fast regeneration.
[Why is this fox boy so loyal to the royal princess?]
And apparently, it wasn't only the young boy.
In the blink of an eye, the red dragon– that has now returned to its "regular size"– stood protectively in front of the royal princess. The red dragon looked very weak and very scared and yet, it looked like it wanted to protect Neoma at all cost.
[She has already received her Soul Beast's loyalty?]
Neoma de Moonasterio was a force to be reckoned with, huh?
"I won't hurt the royal princess," Nikolai said, then he turned his back on the children and the Soul Beast. "I'll have the royal doctor check on her."
When he left the training ground, Glenn returned to his side.
"Ask the royal doctor to check on the royal princess and the foxy boy," he told the knight.
Glenn blinked in surprise. "You no longer intend to kill the child, Your Majesty?"
"The royal princess will rebel against me again if the foxy boy dies," he said while shaking his head.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
"Take care of the royal princess and her servants," Nikolai said while walking away from the knight. "I'll check on Nero."
Glenn bowed politely in his direction. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
***
"YOUR ROYAL Highness, how do you feel?"
Neoma was greeted by an old woman with a gentle face when she opened her eyes. She blinked several times before it registered to her that she was back in her room. Glenn, Alphen (the head butler), and Stephanie (the head maid) were also there.
She hated it but she remembered every single thing that she did when she was super angry a while ago.
[God, I wish I was drunk to have an excuse for my stupidity!]
"Your Royal Highness?" Glenn asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"
Neoma forced herself to smile and act like the lovable prince that she should be. "I'm fine, Sir Glenn. Thank you for asking," she said cheerfully. When she tried to get up, Alphen and Stephanie were quick to assist her. After she was comfortable in her place, she turned to the old woman and smiled at her. "May I know who you are, Madam?"
The old woman bowed politely at her. Now that she was looking at her properly, she realized that the old woman had gray hair and blue eyes. Also, the stranger was wearing a white and blue uniform that she had already seen somewhere. "Greetings to the First Star of the Great Moonasterion Empire," the old woman greeted her. "I am Judy Hammock, the Healing Sage that His Majesty chose to look after you, Your Royal Highness."
"You can relax around Madam Hammock, Your Royal Highness," Glenn said cheerfully. "The madam is one of the few people who know your secret."
Ah, that was probably why His Majesty had chosen a female doctor for her.
[So, the sc*mbag knows how to be considerate, huh?]
"I'm relieved to know that," Neoma said with a smile. "Please take care of me from now on, Madam Hammock."
The Healing Sage smiled warmly at her. "How are you feeling now, Your Royal Highness? You coughed blood a while ago because your Mana started to overflow. Your little body wasn't able to handle the huge amount of Mana that you released. Thankfully, when your Soul Beast returned in your body, it became easier for me to seal your power again."
"Is that the only reason why my body suddenly acted that way, Madam Hammock?"
"Yes, Your Royal Highness," the old woman answered. "Do you suspect other reasons for what happened to you?"
She nodded, then she clutched her chest tight. "I think my twin brother's life is in danger. Do you have news about Nero's condition?"
"My deepest apologies but I do not know how His Royal Highness is doing right now, Your Royal Highness," Madam Hammock answered with a bow.
"His Majesty is in contact with Duke Quinzel now, Your Royal Highness," Glenn told her. "We'll know about Prince Nero's condition soon."
She just nodded at the knight's report.
[I hope you're okay, Nero.]
She gasped when she remembered another person that she should be worried about. "How about Lewis?"
"Lewis is alive, Your Royal Highness," Madam Hammock said with a smile. "Right now, the fox boy is resting in my private hospital."
"That's a relief," Neoma said, then she smiled sweetly at everyone around her. "May I request everyone to leave the room now?"
***
"I BROUGHT the prince to the saint, Your Majesty."
"How's Nero's condition?" Nikolai asked his cousin Rufus. "Did it get worse?"
Right now, he was in his office.
He was talking to Rufus Quinzel via Virtual Call using the golden pocket watch in his hand. Because of that, he could clearly see his cousin's face in the round mirror inside.
"I haven't heard from the saint yet," Rufus said. "We're lucky that His Holiness just came back from the temple. We can safely assume that Nara– I mean, the prince– will be fine."
"I see."
"How about the royal princess?" the duke asked. "I don't know why but before Prince Nero lost consciousness, he asked me to check on Her Royal Highness."
"The royal princess is safe now."
His eyes widened in shock. "So, something bad really happened to the princess? Twins' telepathy is scary. Your Majesty, your children are awesome."
He didn't want to comment on that.
"Call me after the saint is finished checking up on the royal prince," Nikolai said. "I need to check on the royal princess.��
Rufus smiled cheekily. "Your Majesty, are you trying to be a decent father now?"
He just hanged up on his stupid, nosy cousin.
***
NEOMA could finally breathe properly now that she was alone in the room.
Luckily, the adults agreed to let her rest without their supervision. She needed privacy for what she was about to do.
"Tteokbokki," Neoma whispered while gently tapping her chest. "Come out."
[I can't,] Tteokbokki answered in her head. [My body is too weak to move. I need to take a long break to recover my strength.]
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
[Somehow, I am], the red dragon said. [But I will never do that again. If you want to have yourself get killed, don't drag me to it.]
"Tsk," she complained. "You can't even roast a white tiger for me."
[Shut up, thug princess], Tteokbokki whined. [What do you want from me?]
"I need you to come out and hit me in my head," she said firmly. "I want to forget every single thing that I did a while ago. Come on, hit me with your tail or something, then give me amnesia!"
A silence ensued.
Then, came the Soul Beast's roaring laughter.
[You're really crazy, thug princess!] Tteokbokki said in an amused voice. [I'll gladly hit you with my tail but it can't erase your memories, you know?]
"You'll "gladly" hit me?" she asked in a menacing voice. "Come out and let's see if you can do that, you douche of a donkey–"
"Language, princess."
Neoma almost choked on her saliva when she heard the emperor's voice. When she turned to the direction of where the voice came from, she saw His Majesty leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. "Papa, you should have knocked first. Practice what you preach. Plus, eavesdropping is unbecoming of the emperor."
Hah! It felt good to throw his words back at him.
"Normally, I would have," His Majesty said. "But I heard your interesting conversation with your Soul Beast."
Speaking of her Soul Beast, that scaredy-cat Tteokbokki already cut off their mind connection.
[I'll deal with you later, you ketchup-colored donkey.]
Right now, she had to deal with the fact that His Majesty had already seen her real nature.
[Well, I guess I don't have to pretend now.]
"Is this the real you, Neoma de Moonasterio?" His Majesty asked with a smirk. "A foul-mouthed princess with a nasty temper who can't even respect her own father."
"Respect is earned, not imposed," she said. Of course, she was afraid for her future now that her real self was exposed. But she didn't want to go down without a fight. Being the most bashed online celebrity in her second life made her snarky, you know? "If you want me to respect you, how about you try and become a decent father first?"
She wouldn't be this brave if she didn't have Plan B.
Of course, it's a bum to start all over again. But to be honest, it was a huge relief that she didn't have to suck up to the sc*mbag anymore.
"Hearing those words from a child makes my skin crawl," he said with a scowl. "I really hate children who act too mature for their own age."
She just smiled sweetly at that. "Your Majesty," she said formally, dropping her "cutesy daughter" act now. "If you can't treat me like your child, then should we just become business partners?"
His Majesty's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Neoma de Moonasterio?"
Neoma's smile turned sickeningly sweeter. "Please allow me to present a business proposal that will both benefit us, Your Majesty."
***
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***
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Hi! Thanks for reading Royal Secret: I'm a Princess. Have you checked out my other story 'Mommy Villainess?' Please do so if you haven't already! Thank you. :)
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