Royal Secret: I'm A Princess!

His twin sister was quietly sipping her (overly sweetened) tea. He noticed that Neoma looked comfortable now with the emperor. It seemed like their father didn't lie when he said he had gotten closer with his twin sister.

"Now, I want to hear it," Emperor Nikolai said, then he put his teacup down on the coaster. "Nero, Neoma, what is it that you saw when you were fighting each other?"

Nero sipped his tea before he responded. "I saw Princess Nichole, and she was about to kill me."

"I saw an extra-sized crow with red eyes that wanted to kill me as well," Neoma said, then she tilted her head at one side. "Papa Boss, what is the ability that you said we inherited from our Mama? Does it have to do with the apparition that we saw?"

He nodded in agreement with Neoma's question.

She asks good questions, huh?

"Yes," their father said, his jaw clenched hard. "Mona had the ability to see the thing or person that would cause her death."

He was tempted to ask his father if he knew what his mother saw as the cause of her death.

But the pain on the emperor's face was enough to tell him that his parents both knew that his father would be the cause of his mother's demise. Even Neoma didn't use that chance to thrash the emperor about it.

"So, in short, the Devil and the Crow are the threats to our lives," Neoma said, then she clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Papa Boss, this is why my plan is perfect. Let's just make the Devil and the Crow kill each other. Then, Nero and I will deal with whoever wins between the two."

The emperor scowled. "You're taking this too lightly, Neoma."

"Neoma has a point though," he said, then he turned to his twin sister. "That's actually a brilliant plan."

"I know, right?" she agreed confidently. "Lazy people get the job done in the fastest and most efficient way, you know? Don't underestimate my desire for a leisure life." She pointed at her temple. "My laziness is the reason why my big brain works overtime 24/7."

"You're not lazy," he said, then he gently patted her head. "You're a good girl, Neoma."

"Stop spoiling your sister," his father scolded him. "Let the adults handle it from here. You two should rest for now." The emperor turned to his twin sister. "Neoma, you have to wake up early tomorrow."

Neoma nodded. "I know, Papa Boss."

Emperor Nikolai turned to him. "Let's go, Nero."

"I'll sleep here," Nero declared, then he sipped his tea. "I'm going to use the same room as my sister until it's time to go."

***

"AH, if it isn't number one who's below number zero," Nero greeted Lewis who stood in front of Neoma's room. It was a good thing that he already dismissed Alphen and Stephanie after the two helped him take a bath and change into his pajamas. After all, he wanted to talk to Lewis alone. "You don't have to guard Neoma's room all night."

Lewis Crevan just looked at him.

"I'm going to sleep in Neoma's room for my remaining time here."

"Why?"

He was taken aback. Did the fox boy just question why he was staying with his twin sister? It seemed like Neoma had spoiled him too much.

"It's none of your business, Lewis Crevan," he said. "Anyway, I apologize for calling you Neoma's 'pet' a while ago. I didn't mean it."

"You did."

He almost laughed at the fox boy's audacity.

"It seems like Neoma really spoiled you," he said while shaking his head. "I will let it slide since I'm a generous uncle."

"You're not my uncle, Prince Nero."

"You have to accept it, Lewis," he said with a scold smile on his face. "Neoma will only see you as her "son" so if you don't want to get hurt in the end, give up now."

Lewis Crevan just gave him silence as a response.

"Don't be stubborn," he said as he went past the fox boy. "Neoma is out of your league."

After saying his piece of mind, he left the fox boy and entered Neoma's room.

He found his twin sister sitting on the carpeted floor while a variety of snacks (most chocolates) was spread in front of her.

"Nero, I asked the Royal Chef to make snacks," Neoma said. "Come here."

He sat in front of her. "It seems like you have no intention to sleep yet, Neoma."

"Well, we have a lot of things to talk about, right?"

He smiled at how insightful she was. "Neoma, do you think our mother saw His Majesty as her cause of death?"

"Judging by how Papa Boss looked like he was about to cry a while ago, I can't help but think that way."

"Are you interested in knowing our parents' history?"

"Of course," she said while nodding. "But my priority right now is to survive. I feel like if I focus on other things right now, I will be killed. So even if I'm dying to know what happened to our Mama and Papa Boss, I have to remind myself that I have to do my job first."

He gently patted her head. "You're doing a good job, Neoma."

"Thank you," she said. "Nero, tomorrow morning, I will officially greet the people of our empire."

"Yes, I know."

"Is it okay for me to do whatever I want while I'm using your name?" she asked seriously. "I mean, I won't do anything that will ruin you or your image as the Crown Prince, of course. But we have different personalities. Once you return, you'll have to fill my shoes."

"Don't worry about it, Neoma," he assured her. "I trust you, and I know that I can take your position without letting our secret out to the world."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Nero."

He just smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "Is there anything else that you want to tell me?"

She fell silent, then bit her lip as if she was contemplating whether to tell him or not. In the end, she let out a sigh before she spoke. "Nero, do you know Duke Jasper Hawthorne?"

"The youngest duke in the empire?" he asked. When his twin sister just nodded, he asked again. "What about him?"

"Promise me you won't tell Papa Boss?"

"Of course, I won't."

"Duke Hawthorne somehow found out that there are "two Prince Nero.""

His eyes widened in shock. "He found out the royal secret?"

"Yes, but I don't know how he found out," his twin sister said. "Luckily, it seems like he has no intention to reveal it to the public yet. He wants to meet us first."

"In short, he threatened you?"

"I wasn't threatened," Neoma said proudly. "I threatened him back, Nero.

"Good job," he said even though he wasn't sure if Neoma had really "threatened" the young duke. "Does he need something from us?"

"Papa Boss gave me a piece of land a while ago," she explained. The fact that the emperor gave his twin sister a gift was a shock. But Neoma wasn't done talking yet so he just kept it to himself. "Duke Hawthorne wants that land. But I don't want to sell it to him."

"Then, he plans to blackmail us just to get that land?"

"I think so."

"We have to deal with him," he said seriously. "Do you have a plan?"

Neoma smirked arrogantly. Although his twin sister would always be an angel to him, he had to admit now that she wasn't as kind or as innocent as he thought she was. But to be honest, he found the "gap" in her personality adorable.

It seemed like he could never hate his twin sister.

"Nero, I want Duke Jasper Hawthorne to be on our side," Neoma said, her light-gray eyes glowing with mischief. "But we have to whoop his ass first."

He was shocked to hear Neoma say 'ass.'

"Oops," she said when she realized that she said something vulgar. "Sorry?"

After his shock subsided, he laughed while shaking his head. He couldn't help it. No matter what Neoma say or do, he would always find her adorable. As long as it wasn't about abandoning or betraying him, of course. "Neoma, is this the real you?"

She gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "I'm half cute-half badass, Brother. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it," Nero said, then he sat beside her and hugged her tight. "I think I like you better now, Neoma. The real you is the best."

"Of course," Neoma said, then she hugged him back. "I'm Neoma, I'm irresistible."

***

"YOU'RE GOING to kill her, Nikolai de Moonasterio!"

Nikolai could still clearly hear William's angry voice in his head as he yelled those bitter words at him that one, tragic day.

He could also remember how shock Rufus, Glenn, Kyle, and the rest of the White Lion Knights squad looked when they heard the Spirit Guardian say his name casually. After all, it was a crime to say the emperor's name in such a manner. Although he allowed some people to say his name, doing it in front of his other servants wasn't something to be taken lightly.

But to be honest, that day, the most shocking thing was the fact that William almost killed Rufus, Glenn, Kyle, and every single White Lion Knight who was there to protect him. They almost died by the hand of a single Spirit– and they happened to be the strongest fighters of the empire.

It was a testament to how strong and fearsome William was.

"You were right, William," Nikolai whispered to himself, then he drank the rum in his glass. "You were right."

***

"WE HAVE arrived at the Royal Capital, Your Grace."

Jasper Hawthorne, upon hearing Tate's announcement, closed the book in his hands and turned to the outside of the carriage's window. He was greeted by the lively and festive mood of the people of the empire. "I can't wait to see the Crown Prince."

"I wonder who between the two Prince Nero would appear later," Tate, seated from across him, said. "Is it going to be the real one, or the fake one?"

"Ah, so you really know the royal secret."

To say that he and his aide were shock when a fluffy white TALKING bunny suddenly appeared on his lap would be an understatement.

Jasper, after getting over his initial shock, laughed while shaking his head. "Ah, it seems like Prince Nero is one step ahead of me again."

***

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