[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~
***
Hi. You may now send GIFTs to our Neoma. Thank you~
***
Please ADD my story in your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>
Hi! What do you think did Neoma choose from the options given by Saint Macaroni--- uhm, Zavaroni?
Gifts, power stones, comments, and reviews will be super appreciated. Thank you so much! <3
"THANK you for the generous offer but I have to turn it down, Your Holiness," Neoma said. Then, she sipped her sweet tea first before she explained. "I mean, what's the catch? Why do you need to gain my favor?"
"Princess Neoma, I'm just fond of you because you resemble the late Princess Royal," Saint Zavaroni said. "She was close to my heart and since you are her one and only niece, I want to give you a present in her place."
[Miss me with the b*llshit, Saint Macaroni.]
Well, at first, she really felt like she could be friends with the saint.
But just now, she felt her warning signs ringing. She wasn't saying that Saint Zavaroni was a threat to her. She just felt like he was hiding something from her and that was a deal breaker.
Plus, Saint Zavaroni told her that she couldn't simply trust anyone.
[I'm just following his advice.]
"If you really feel that way, you would have been by my side since the day I was born," she told him coldly. But still, she said those words with a smile. After all, princesses were supposed to smile all the time, right? [Of course not.] "You know how princesses in the royal family are treated. If you really care about me, you would have at least showed your face once. As the saint, I'm sure you have the power to visit me even though our birth is supposed to be a secret. But if you don't have that kind of power, then I pity you." She put down the tea cup on the saucer before she smirked at the saint. "I don't need a powerless saint by my side."
Boom, macaroni!
If she was in the modern world, she would have even acted like she was dropping a mic after saying that bad*ss line.
It sounded bad*ss to her, at least.
Saint Zavaroni, after falling silent for a few seconds, smiled before he spoke again. "After losing Her Royal Highness Princess Nichole, I told myself that I wouldn't get too attached to any member of the royal family again."
"Alright," she said, then she sipped her tea again. Now her hunch that the saint needed something from her was practically confirmed. If he decided to stay away from the royal family, there must be a reason as to why he was trying to get her favor now. "So, what made you decide to get close to me this time?"
"I saw a prophecy, Your Royal Highness," the saint finally confessed. "Your role in the empire is going to be important in the future."
[Ah, so that's why he wants to "take care" of me now.]
The saint would probably benefit from that prophecy or something.
She would admit that she was kind of disappointed to know that the saint really had a hidden motive for acting friendly with her. But at the same time, a bulb lit up in her head when she realized that she could use that "prophecy" to her advantage.
"Your Holiness, did you tell His Majesty about that prophecy?"
He nodded. Judging by the way he looked at her, she could tell that he already knew what she was thinking. "Yes, I did," he confirmed. "I know what you're thinking and you are correct, Your Royal Highness. Because of that prophecy, His Majesty wouldn't try to kill you for now."
""For now?""
"I already told His Majesty that we could use your Mana as a temporary solution to Prince Nero's predicament," the saint said. "As long as the prince's doesn't worsen again, the emperor wouldn't try to sacrifice your life to extend Prince Nero's life."
That meant that when the time comes that Nero would seriously need her life force, then the sc*mbag wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice her despite the prophecy.
Well, at least the prophecy would buy her some time.
"Can't you really not do anything to undo the black magic in Nero's body, Your Holiness?" she asked curiously.
"As of now, there's nothing I can do for His Royal Highness except to slow down the harmful effect of the curse," he said. "But I am and won't stop looking for a way to completely heal him."
"Then, I will entrust my brother's life to you, Your Holiness."
He paused, then blinked several times. "Princess Neoma, aren't you going to ask more about the prophecy that I mentioned?"
"I don't believe in prophecies," she said with a sweet smile. "Only I will decide what I'm going to do in the future."
"Are you saying that you can change the future on your own, Princess Neoma?"
She laughed heartily at the silly question. "I already did, Your Holiness."
His furrowed brows made it obvious that her statement confused him. "What do you mean by that, Your Royal Highness?"
"No comment," she said, then she covered her mouth with her hands when she yawned. "I believe that it's already my bed time, Your Holiness. Can we start transferring my excess Mana to Nero now? I want to go back to the palace as soon as possible."
After all, she was worried about Lewis.
[I hope the sc*mbag's men didn't hurt my butler.]
"I will prepare the necessary arrangements now, Your Royal Highness," the saint said, then he gave her a curious look. "Princess Neoma, my offer still stands. I know that you hate the reason behind what I offered. But my blessing can help you protect yourself."
"I know that I don't have the luxury to be prideful given my situation," she started carefully. "But still, I don't want to receive a blessing from someone whom I don't fully trust yet. I can get by without enhancing the things that I have right now. Maybe if you offered something more tempting, I would have considered it."
"What can be more tempting than the things I offered, Your Royal Highness?"
"If you offered me the blessing of gaining the heavens' favor, I would have gladly accepted it," Neoma said with a smile. "Only something as enormous as the love of the gods could satisfy my greed, Your Holiness."
Saint Zavaroni looked surprised. But after a while, he smiled as if he was satisfied by what she said. "You're definitely a de Moonasterio. Only the royal family members can be as greedy as you are," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. He also spoke casually to her, but she let that slide. "But I'm glad to know that you won't settle for less, Princess Neoma."
***
NERO thought he was having a nightmare when he saw Emperor Nikolai's grumpy face as soon as he woke up.
Annoyed, he closed his eyes again.
"Open your eyes before I get angry, Prince Nero," Emperor Nikolai said in a menacing voice. "One insolent child is enough."
Nero opened his eyes to give the emperor a cold look. "Neoma isn't an insolent child, Your Majesty. She's kind, well-mannered, and very lady-like. My sister is a proper royal princess."
"I think the black magic is already causing you brain damage," the emperor, who sat on a chair beside his bed with his arms crossed over his chest, deadpanned. "And perhaps, blindness."
He just let out a deep sigh. "Why are you here, Your Majesty?"
"You know why I'm here, Prince Nero," he said coldly. "Why did you want to tie your life force with Princess Neoma? If she dies, you'll die as well."
"I thought I already told you that if my sister dies, I'll take my own life as well?"
The emperor let out a frustrated sigh. "Now I understand why some people think that the maturity that the royal children possess is a curse."
Nero's teacher also told him before that the royal children could never be treated as normal because their brain develops faster than the average kids their age. That was why their empire had produced the youngest emperors in history without backlash from its citizens. After all, everyone knew that a de Moonasterio heir was a cut above the rest.
According to the books, their early maturity was a present from Yule– the God of Moon. Their history suggested that Yule blessed the royal children with maturity because he knew that a lot of people would always be after the life of a de Moonasterio. In short, it was to ensure that the royal children could protect themselves at such a young age.
"I consider it as a blessing though," Nero said. "After all, thanks to this brain of mine, I can protect Neoma properly."
Frustration was now written all over Emperor Nikolai's face. "Nero," he called him casually but in a firm manner now. "It's not a crown prince's job to protect a mere princess's life. Wake up, will you? You're my heir apparent. And one day, you're going to inherit the throne."
"How can a man who can't even protect his twin sister become the emperor?" he asked his father bitterly. "Can an emperor who can't even save the life of one person protect the lives of his people?"
The emperor who looked stoic for most of the time, looked shocked right now.
Of course, he asked those questions with the intention of attacking his father. Unlike his innocent twin sister, he knew the dark history of their family…
… including the story of Her Royal Highness Princess Nichole.
[Our father's older twin sister.]
"I'm going to grow up as a better brother and a better emperor than you, Your Majesty," Nero declared, then he closed his eyes. "Mark my words."
Of course, the prideful Emperor Nikolai just scoffed. "Let's just see where your arrogance will take you, Prince Nero."
***
Hi. You may now send GIFTs to our Neoma. Thank you~
***
Please ADD my story in your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>
Hi! Sorry the mass release is taking longer than expected. There was a mishap in my day job that I need to fix until the end of the month. >.<
Gifts, power stones, comments, and reviews will be super appreciated. Thank you so much! <3
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