"WHY DO you want to bind our life forces together, Nero?"
Nero was surprised by Neoma's question. He didn't expect her to know about the forbidden spell that could tie their lives together. But he should have expected that. If he found the book in the library of the palace where they both lived before, Neoma could do that as well.
And he had to remind himself that like him, she could also read and write now.
[My precious little sister is smart, indeed.]
But he was surprised to hear her call him by his name instead of "Big Brother."
"Don't worry, Neoma," Nero assured his twin sister. "I asked the saint to tweak the spell a little. If you die, I'll die with you. But if I die, all my Mana will be transferred to you so you'll be fine even without me."
Neoma's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Nero, are you serious?"
He nodded before he answered. "I am very serious."
At first, Saint Zavaroni refused to perform the forbidden spell on him.
But when he told the saint the reason why he wanted to do that, he had successfully convinced him to help him save his sister. To be honest, he wasn't certain if his hunch about Emperor Nikolai sacrificing Neoma to save him was correct. But it was better to be safe than sorry.
He could and would die for Neoma anytime.
But he didn't want his little sister to die for him.
[After all, big brothers (and sisters) are born to protect their younger siblings.]
"But why would you do that for me, Nero?" Neoma asked as if she was confused by his decision. "Why would you want to ensure my safety by risking your own life to do so?"
Nero, despite still feeling weak, raised his hand and touched Neoma's chubby cheek. "It's because you're my only family in this world, Neoma."
To hell with the emperor.
***
[HE SAID 'family.']
Neoma almost cried at what Nero said.
She was… touched.
[Argh, I'm turning into a softie.]
To be honest, she couldn't really see Nero as her "older brother" since her mental age was already that of an adult. Whenever she looked at him, all she saw was a child that needed help. She also never expected him to "take care" of her because aside from their "age difference," she still couldn't forget the fact that he killed her in her first life.
But right now, she suddenly felt like a baby that she was supposed to be.
[So this is how it feels to have a decent older brother.]
In her second life, she had loving parents so she didn't really care much about Emperor Nikolai now.
But unfortunately, she wasn't given a chance to have a sibling back then. So it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she didn't know how to handle having an older brother that actually cared about her. She suddenly felt emotional.
[I should stop treating Nero like a random kid and start accepting the fact that he's my twin brother.]
"Big Brother, do you love me?" Neoma asked with the best puppy dog eyes that she could muster at the moment."
"I do," Nero said without missing a heartbeat.
"Then you shouldn't keep secrets from me," she said with a pout. "If we're really family, you should tell me stuff that has something to do with me." She held his hand and hooked her pinky finger with his. "So, Big Brother. Please tell me why you felt the need to tie our lives together through a forbidden spell."
"I don't want your little heart to get broken, Neoma."
"Big Brother, I'm stronger than you think I am," she told him.
He laughed softly at that. "What are you saying? You're as frail as a flower."
She almost rolled her eyes.
Well, it was her fault why Nero thinks she was "frail." She was too good at acting like a baby-in-distress after all.
"But even if I'm as frail as a flower, I won't wither easily," she said, and then she remembered the classic children's book that she had read during her second life. It was called 'The Little Prince.' "I'm a unique rose well-protected by a glass globe. And that glass globe is you, Big Brother."
He smiled as if he liked what he heard even though he didn't get the reference. "You have a point."
"So, will you tell me now the reason why you're being so overprotective?"
Her twin brother nodded before he answered her question. "I have a feeling that His Majesty brought you here to steal your life force and use it to extend mine."
Okay, that was a huge blow.
Now she finally understood why Emperor Nikolai was considerate to her all of a sudden. So, the emperor wasn't dying.
[Instead, he wants to sacrifice me just for Nero to survive.]
"Neoma, are you okay?" Nero asked worriedly.
She shook her head. "I don't want to die, Big Brother."
"I won't let you die, Neoma."
"But I don't want you to die when I die," she said firmly. "There must be a way to save you without anyone dying."
Nero's brows furrowed in confusion. "Do you have anything in mind?"
"Yes, but I need to consult Saint Macaroni– I mean, Zavaroni first," Neoma said while her mind was busy coming up with different strategies to save her butt. [I don't intend to die without getting rich and comfortable in this lifetime.]
***
"WHAT?" Nikolai asked the saint after he told him the reason why he couldn't sacrifice Neoma's life for Nero. "Are you serious, Your Holiness?"
"I am, Your Majesty," Saint Zavaroni said, then he sipped his tea before he continued. "Prince Nero asked me to perform the forbidden spell that will tie his life force with Princess Neoma. But His Royal Highness doesn't want the princess to die once he does. So instead, the spell that I cast will kill him if Her Royal Highness dies. But if Prince Nero dies, his Mana will be transferred to the princess. If it isn't clear to you yet, that means that His Royal Highness wouldn't let Her Royal Highness die just for him to be saved."
The whole tea room shook when he released a dangerous amount of Mana to threaten the saint. He knew that the Holy Knights would rush to His Holiness's side but unfortunately for them, they wouldn't be able to break the barrier that he put around the chamber.
Right now, he could kill Saint Zavaroni and no one could stop him.
"You know that I can't afford to lose Nero," he said in a threatening voice. "He's my crown prince, Your Holiness."
Much to his annoyance, the saint remained calm despite his menacing aura.
Saint Zavaroni calmly and elegantly put the cup down on the table, then he looked at him straight in the eye. "Your Majesty, do you know what my biggest regret in life is?"
"Do I need to know?"
The saint just smiled sadly before he answered his own question. "Your Majesty, I still can't forgive myself for helping the previous emperor sacrifice the Princess Royal's life to save yours."
He smiled bitterly at that. "Are you saying that you regret saving the life of your emperor? That can be considered as treason, Your Holiness. Even though you're the saint, you can still be executed for treason."
"You know that's not what I meant, Your Majesty," the saint said in a very patient tone that annoyed him even more.
[The saint really never loses his composure.]
"Princess Nichole was a beautiful person inside and out," the saint continued, unabashed "She was elegant, intelligent, and very kind. The princess was like a ball of sunshine. She had a bright future ahead of her."
"Saint Zavaroni," he warned the saint coldly.
"I know that the royal family looks down on princesses because you think so little of women," His Holiness still continued despite his warning. "But if the Princess Royal had lived, I'm certain that she could have changed the royal family for the better. She would have changed the law and become the first crown princess in the history of Moonasterion Empire." The saint gave him a sympathetic look. "Your Majesty, you just got lucky that you were born a man. If it wasn't for the thing between your legs, you couldn't hold a candle to Princess Nichole."
He smirked bitterly. "Is a saint allowed to say something as vulgar as that?"
"A saint is only a human that just happens to have divine powers," His Holiness said with a smile before he sipped his tea again.
Now he realized why he hated Neoma's attitude.
[The royal princess reminds me of Saint Zavaroni's sass.]
The saint may appear "gentle" to most people because of his "angelic smile."
But he knew better.
The saint was probably one of the most sarcastic people that he had met in his life. His Holiness could insult the hell out of someone with a big smile on his face. But even if he exposed the saint's true colors, no one would believe him.
"I have a feeling that you'll get along well with the royal princess, Your Holiness," he said while shaking his head. "She's a sassy one."
The saint looked pleased to hear that. "Just like Princess Nichole and Lady Roseheart."
The 'Lady Roseheart' that the saint mentioned was Mona Roseheart– Neoma and Nero's mother.
"Your guilt over Princess Nichole's death isn't a valid reason for you to prevent me from saving my crown prince," he said firmly. "As the emperor, I order you to undo the spell."
"That's not the only reason why I want to protect Princess Neoma, Your Majesty."
"I want to hear your reason then," he challenged the saint. "Depending on your answer, I may or may not get you arrested for treason."
"Your Majesty, I opened the gates of my temple to Prince Nero not because he's the future crown prince," His Holiness said firmly. "I decided to help you because I need to meet the royal princess. I already saw this happening."
His forehead knotted in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Your Holiness?"
"I received an oracle a few days ago, Your Majesty," the saint said seriously. "I didn't announce it publicly because I know that the oracle will only bring chaos to the empire. But since you're the emperor, I thought you ought to know it."
"Get straight to the point, Your Holiness."
"The future has changed, Your Majesty," Saint Zavaroni declared seriously. "The one I saw sitting on the throne wasn't Prince Nero– it was Princess Neoma."
The saint's words sent a chill down his spines.
"The oracle can't be right," Nikolai argued angrily. "A princess can't rule the empire!"
***
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[I FORGOT that I'm quite dumb sometimes.]
Neoma already ransacked her brain but she still couldn't come up with a new plan.
Nero already fell asleep after they spent an hour in "brainstorming" that resulted to nothing.
So right now, she was lying down on her side ala Cleopatra. Watching Nero sleep was making her feel sleepy as well.
"I'm glad that you seem comfortable here, Your Royal Highness."
[Who the hell…]
Neoma immediately got up and turned to the direction where the voice came from.
And wow, a handsome young man greeted her.
He had long black-hair and blue eyes. The cloak he wore had the crest of Yule– the god that the empire worshipped.
"Your Holiness?"
"Greetings to the Second Star of our Great Moonasterion Empire," the saint greeted her with a smile. "My name is Dominic Zavaroni, the current saint of the church."
"You called me 'Second Star,'" she said, then she sat properly. "But of course. You accepted Nero in your home because you know exactly why he's here in the first place."
"You're wrong, Your Royal Highness."
She blinked several times because of confusion. "What part did I get wrong?"
"I know that you've switched places with His Royal Highness," he clarified. "But I didn't accept the royal prince in my home because of my loyalty to the royal family. There's only one de Moonasterio that I respect."
Her ears perked up in interest. "Oh, spill the tea. Who's the only de Moonchester that you respect, Your Holiness? I sure hope it's not the emperor."
Saint Zavaroni looked surprised by what she said, then he let out a soft laugh. "Would you like to have some tea with me, Princess Neoma?"
Neoma smiled and nodded. "I'm not sure why but I feel like we can be friends, Your Holiness."
***
NIKOLAI needed a drink so after the saint excused himself, he stayed in the tea room.
But instead of tea, he asked for the strongest alcoholic drink that the temple had. Unfortunately, they only had white wine. He didn't have any choice but to take it.
So now, he stood by the window while having a glass of white wine.
["Brother, I want to live."]
He shut his eyes tight when he heard Princess Nichole's voice in his head. Still, the voice continued ringing in his mind.
["Brother, why do I have to sacrifice my life for you?"]
["Father said I am more important because I'm a prince."]
["Don't you feel anything now that you're about to absorb my life force?"]
He remembered that at that moment, the Princess Royal smiled sadly at him.
["I'm cursing you, Brother,"] Princess Nichole said with a faint smile. ["One day, you're going to love a person more than your own life. But that person is going to die for the throne. I hope that when you experience that, you'll realize how f*cked up the royal system is."]
Nikolai opened his eyes and smiled bitterly. "Ah, now I know where Princess Neoma inherited her dirty mouth."
***
NEOMA went to a different tea room with Saint Macaroni– uhm, Zavaroni.
The saint said that they shouldn't disturb Nero while he was having a much needed rest.
She was usually doubtful of the adults around him. But for some reason, she didn't feel that way with the saint.
[Is it because I love macaroni?]
"Your Royal Highness, do you know that His Majesty had a twin sister?"
Okay, that shocked Neoma. "'Had?'"
Saint Zavaroni smiled and nodded before he answered. "Princess Nichole, the Princess Royal, was the older twin sister of His Majesty. The previous emperor sacrificed her life to extend your father's life when he almost died in an ambush."
"That was terrible," she said in a soft and sad voice. "Does the royal family really see princesses as mere tools? If not to extend a prince's life, it seems like our only role is to be married off for allegiance or wealth." Her heart started to feel heavier when anger replaced the sadness she felt a while ago. "Those f*ckers…" She bit her lower lip when she realized that she cursed in front of the saint. "I'm sorry."
Gosh, she should seriously watch her mouth in front of other people.
Nobody knew that she had the memories of her first life so she should do a better job at acting like a proper five year old child.
Much to her relief, the saint just laughed it off.
"You inherited Princess Nichole's foul mouth," His Holiness said in a delighted voice. "She cursed like a sailor, too." He sipped his tea before he continued. "I don't mind it, but you should be careful, Your Royal Highness. You're acting like Prince Nero now. You can't make mistakes that the enemies could use against your family. Even though you hate your father, you need to be a good proxy if you want to survive until you're old enough to leave the palace."
She blinked in surprise. "Your Holiness, you know that I want to leave the palace?"
"No sane princess would want to stay in that hellhole, Your Royal Highness," he said with a faint and bitter smile. "Princess Nichole wanted to escape the palace, too."
She smiled in agreement. Also, she noticed something. Whenever the saint talked about the Princess Royal, his face would soften up. She knew that look– and it was more than a look of respect. "Your Holiness, did you love the Princess Royal romantically?"
He looked surprised, then he laughed it off again. But when he spoke, his voice was filled with longing and sadness. "Perhaps the love that I have for the god I serve is greater than the love that I had for the Princess Royal."
Her heart ached for the saint.
She didn't know what to say so she just sipped her tea.
[I like reading a good BL angst in my second life. But hearing a "live-action" angst moment is quite painful.]
"Look at what I'm saying to a child," Saint Zavaroni said while shaking his head, then he gave her a meaningful look. "Your Royal Highness, why do I feel like I'm talking to an adult when I'm talking to you?"
"My father said that the royal children mature faster than average kids," she lied smoothly.
[Sorry, Saint Macaroni. I like you, but I don't want to trust anyone 100% yet. I'll keep the secret of my rebirth with me unless I find the need to expose it.]
"That's true," the saint said, then he changed to topic. "Anyway, I saw that the tea I prepared wasn't touched. Why didn't you drink it, Your Royal Highness?"
"It's stupid," she said. "I know that Nero just wants to protect me. But if tying our life forces together wouldn't save him, then it's useless."
"You care about the royal prince, don't you?"
"I'm just being practical," she insisted. There was no way that she would show her vulnerability to the person that she just met. Then, she changed the subject. "Your Holiness, is there something that I can do for Nero without losing my life?"
The saint looked at her carefully, his eyes glowing for some reason. "Your Royal Highness, I can tell that your Mana is very enormous. In fact, it's overflowing."
"Okay. But what about it?"
"If you transfer some of your Mana to Prince Nero monthly, it can help slow down the spread of the curse in his body. After all, as a de Moonasterio, your Mana is something akin to my divine powers– but your aura is purer than mine since you're a descendant of a god. Thus, your Mana would act like an "antidote" to the black magic in your brother's body," he explained. "It isn't a permanent solution but that's the best thing you can do for the royal prince without sacrificing your life for him."
"Alright," she said. "Let's do that."
He laughed softly. "Aren't you going to ask me first if there's going to be a bad side-effect on you?"
She shrugged. "I just have a feeling that you won't suggest it if it's going to harm me, Your Holiness."
"Don't trust anyone too much, Your Royal Highness," he reminded her lightly. "Well, giving some of your Mana to the royal prince monthly wouldn't harm you. But you'll get weaker the more you give your Mana to him. After all, your power isn't unlimited. Are you still going to do it for Prince Nero?"
"Of course," she said immediately. "It's better than dying."
Saint Zavaroni laughed heartily as if he found her amusing. "I wasn't there when you were born, Princess Neoma. But it's not too late to give you a blessing." He raised his hand as if he was showing her his five fingers. "Power, intelligence, charm, wealth, and luck. Choose one, Your Holiness."
She tilted her head to one side. "I already have all of that, Your Holiness."
"I know, Princess Neoma," he said with a smile. "But whatever you choose, I'll bless you so that you'll have more of it than normal people. For example, if you choose intelligence, I can make you more intelligent than any scholar that the empire ever had."
"Sweet," she said. "But why only one, Your Holiness? Why not just bless me to be an overpowered princess?"
"As much as I like you because your personality is like Princess Nichole's, your face still bothers me," the saint confessed. "I can barely look at you without getting annoyed, Your Royal Highness."
"Excuse me?"
Saint Zavaroni let out a deep sigh before he explained. "You look like His Majesty, Princess Neoma."
"Gosh, I'm offended," Neoma complained. Though she wasn't offended because even though she hated Emperor Nikolai's trashy personality, she was still grateful for his "pretty genes." "My beauty is god-tier, you know?"
***
NOTE: Sorry for the lack of update. I'm currently writing a stockpile for Royal Secret: I'm a Princess. That means we'll have mass release soon. Please wait patiently~
***
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***
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Hi! What do you think did Neoma choose from the options given by Saint Macaroni--- uhm, Zavaroni?
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