THAT WAS the second most important thing that Neoma wanted to reveal, so she was relieved to finally tell the world that Calyx and the crows erased her existence in some people's memories.
[Cleaning Goddess Alethea's domain was a pain in the ass, but it's worth it since her power is really useful.]
"In the first place, only a few people knew about my existence anyway," Neoma continued with her speech. "Hence, it was easy for the crows to erase my existence from everyone's memories. But the main target of the curse was Nero, of course. Hence, Nero even forgot about his happy memories with our parents. The crows made him hate our mother and father."
Nero may have loved Neoma more than anyone else in the world, but that didn't mean he didn't love Mama Boss and Papa Boss…
… right?
[I'm sure Nero loves our Mama Boss and Papa Boss in his own way…?]
"The crows did that in order to control Nero," Neoma continued, avoiding Nero's gaze because she knew her brother was hating everything she was saying at the moment. "After all, the crows wanted to put Nero on the throne. To be honest, they also wanted Hanna to give birth to Nero's successor because of Hanna's excellent background. But when they realized they couldn't treat Hanna like a puppet, they decided to kill her. And after killing her, they were planning on stealing her Beads in order to conceive the perfect heir for Nero. That's how obsessed the crows are over creating the perfect Imperial Family with their own hands."
She didn't want to share all these details, but she had to.
[Nero may not care about me that much because of his current state, but I'm sure he'd hate the crows for the horrible things they planned to do to Hanna.]
Her goal was to make Nero hate the crows, at least.
[Hanna gave me the go signal to say this much anyway.]
"The crows' way of ensuring that the successor they chose ascends the throne is extreme," Neoma continued. "They believe they own the empire, thus giving them the audacity to treat our people like their disposable pawns."
It wasn't enough to simply announce the grave sins that the crows committed to the Imperial Family. The fanatics of Lord Yule and the de Moonasterios might get angry on their behalf, but those who didn't like the Imperial Family wouldn't care much about the crows.
[Of course, there are also people who do not care about women in the Imperial Family.]
Hence, she'd give those kinds of people a reason to care so much that they'd end up hating the crows.
"The crows are involved in the Death Camp that Duke Jasper Hawthorne and I destroyed a few years ago. And yes, it was me who went undercover with Duke Hawthorne during that time and not Nero," Neoma declared. She felt bad for getting the credit for her hard work because even if she deserved it, she felt like she was stealing it from Nero. Even so, she had to reveal the truth now. "It wasn't written in the report that we released back then. But we have the evidence that the crows were heavily involved with the Death Camp."
As expected, a collective gasp erupted once more.
It had already been years since the Death Camp was destroyed, but the horrific story was still buried in everyone's memories.
After all, Neoma and her Jasper oppa made sure the cruel experiments performed in the Death Camp were revealed in great detail. But, of course, the identities of the victims were strictly protected.
Even now, the survivors were well-hidden in a good environment where they were currently living in peace.
"The crows also touched the nobility," Neoma said. She knew that most nobles wouldn't care about the slaves, so she had to give them another reason to get hostile against the crows. "The crows were actually the ones who stole from Duke Hawthorne's estate. They also tried to steal from the Quinzels. There was a rumor about how there's a group of thieves planning to raid the noble households in the Royal Capital recently, right?"
She was being very careful of her words at the moment.
After all, she didn't want to get struck by the Divine Punishment.
"If the crows could rob the Hawthornes and the Quinzels, who's to say they wouldn't do that to other noble households?"
She didn't exactly confirm that the crows were going to rob every noble household in the Royal Capital because it was only a rumor that she spread before.
So, technically, she didn't lie.
She needed to say that in order to rile the nobles.
"The Imperial Family won't let the crows who toy with human lives steal the throne from the de Moonasterios," Neoma said firmly. "I know it's rich coming from someone who disappeared five years ago, but please allow me to explain."
Neoma, Mama Boss, and Papa Boss disappeared together five years ago.
She knew that there were people who might call her a hypocrite for the things that she said. Hence, she brought it up first and roasted herself before anyone could.
"It wasn't our decision to disappear and leave Nero behind five years ago," Neoma began with her explanation. "When Calyx created the curse that would make people forget about my existence, people who have already seen that thing happening in a vision came to help me escape. They also saw in their premonition that Mother and Imperial Father would be in danger. These people helped us escape. Unfortunately, we were forced to leave Nero behind."
She could feel her twin brother bore a hole into her face.
[Is he angry again?]
Neoma turned to Nero but she couldn't read his expression. "I begged them to bring you with us, but those people refused. All we could do was hope and pray that the crows wouldn't harm the successor they chose as the next emperor."
"Who are those people you're talking about?" Nero asked, not hiding his irritation anymore. He was probably pissed because he couldn't remember any of the things Neoma was spewing. "Those who tore our family apart."
Ouch.
[It's not like that, but if Nero put it that way… well, he's not necessarily wrong…]
Fortunately, she was already prepared for that.
She already decided to reveal the truth before she returned to this world from Korea. Hence, her Aunt Nichole and her parents helped her prepare anything she would need for this moment. But, of course, the most important thing was she received her aunt's consent.
"They were the same people who tried to kill you when we were kids, Nero."
Her declaration didn't only shock her twin brother– the collective gasp that she heard from the crowd this time was the loudest so far.
[Y'all, I'm not yet done with my shocking bombs.]
Neoma faced the crowd. "The one who put a curse on Nero using black magic was the Devil."
Okay, that definitely scared the people.
"Oh, Lord Yule. Please protect us from the Devil…"
"If the Devil has returned to the human world, does it mean the demon race has also been revived?"
"Don't say something so scary!"
"But Princess Neoma is saying that the Devil helped her escape five years ago…"
Neoma cleared her throat, making everyone silent in an instant. "The Devil is my aunt– the former Princess Royal Nichole de Moonasterio."
If she thought the collective gasp earlier was the loudest, then she was damned wrong.
The crowd went crazy.
"Princess Nichole is still alive?!"
"I thought the former Princess Royal is long gone!"
"What the hell is happening? Even by the Imperial Family's standards, this is still crazy!"
[Right?]
"My aunt didn't become the Devil by choice," Neoma said. Well, technically, it wasn't her aunt's will at first. "She was revived by the former Devil who needed a replacement."
After all, Aruna de Moonasterio was only a Spirit who couldn't last long without a vessel. Hence, she revived Aunt Nichole to become her successor.
[Now, Aunt Nichole has chosen Trevor as her successor.]
And there was a reason why the Devil needed an heir.
[Of course, I know the reason now.]
"Aunt Nichole took the role of the Devil because she hated the Imperial Family," Neoma continued, her voice clear and firm. "Aunt Nichole was the only royal princess in history who survived the crows' cruel experiments. My trashy grandparents knew all about what happened to my aunt, but they turned a blind eye to it because my scumbag of a grandfather needed the crows…"
Oh, fuck.
She belatedly realized that she cursed in front of the now visibly shocked crowd.
[And there are children here!]
Her family was unfazed, though.
Mama Boss just shook her head while sighing.
Hanna was obviously holding back her laughter.
Nero arched his eyebrows, though.
On the other hand, Papa Boss looked smug.
[Gosh. Why does Papa Boss look proud after I cursed in front of the crowd? Does he not care about the Imperial Family's reputation anymore???]
Well, whatever.
[I need to do some damage control.]
"Kids, cursing is bad. I'm allowed to do it because I'm already an adult, but children should only use pretty and kind words," Neoma said, smiling brightly while giving a double thumbs up to the very confused audience. "But it's totally okay to talk ill of evil people even if they're already dead. It doesn't even matter if they're family. If they wanted to be praised after they died, then they should have lived honestly. Right?"
She gave the brightest smile she could give at the moment.
[This is the time I should be using my pretty face to charm the people.]
And it worked!
It started when an old woman laughed.
After that, more and more people didn't hold back their laughter anymore.
"Princess Neoma is right. Why should we praise a tyrant who oppressed us during his reign just because he'd dead?"
"I never really liked the previous emperor…"
"Who does?"
"It's amusing to hear our princess curse her own grandparents, though. And rightfully so."
"What kind of parents would turn a blind eye to the people who tormented their daughter?"
"I can't blame Princess Nichole for turning into the Devil…"
"But Prince Nero is innocent. Harming a child is a little…"
[Of course.]
"You're right. I also hated Aunt Nichole at first for hurting Nero," Neoma said in a serious tone. "To be honest with you, up until five years ago, I never accepted Aunt Nichole's hand. She wanted to get rid of Nero for me to become the first empress regnant. But I'm not greedy for the throne, and I love Nero as my one and only baby brother."
She didn't mention the prophecy that Uncle Dominic had before.
[The one where he saw me becoming the first empress regnant.]
After all, she didn't want to threaten Nero's position as the Crown Prince. Not when his memories hadn't returned yet.
[If I mention the prophecy, Nero would only be wary of me again.]
"However, we were forced to accept Aunt Nichole's help five years ago because our lives were threatened," Neoma continued with her story. "During the five years that I spent with Aunt Nichole, we came to understand each other better. I have already forgiven her for harming Nero, and Aunt Nichole has already given up on her desire to put me in the throne."
It was true.
Aunt Nichole said that whether Neoma became the first empress regnant or not, she knew that Neoma would still do well in life.
Moreover, Aunt Nichole was already happy with her new life with Uncle Dominic.
[But the people here don't need to know about my aunt's private life.]
"My Aunt Nichole isn't shameless, though," Neoma said. "She sent a compensation to Nero. It's something that will benefit the Imperial Family and the entire empire. However, it might scare you– no, I might scare you."
Once again, the crowd was confused.
"Neoma, are you sure about this?"
It was Mama Boss, asking her in a voice that reached only her ears.
Neoma turned to her mother and smiled. "I'll be fine, Mama Boss."
To be honest, she was a little scared.
[But the truth shall set me free.]
She wouldn't let the crows use her secret against her later, so might as well be honest now while Goddess Alethea's power was still in effect.
[Here goes nothing.]
"Everyone, I have a confession to make," Neoma said, opening her hand as she summoned Skewer. "I was actually born with a demon power inside me."
As soon as Skewer materialized, she grabbed it firmly with her hand.
"This is the Death Scythe," Neoma said, shocking the people further. "This is the Devil's weapon that I'm able to wield because of my demon power."
As expected, the people suddenly looked scared.
She had built up a good atmosphere earlier, but it was all gone now.
[It's okay. I already expected this to happen.]
"Darkness isn't inherently evil, but I understand that my demon power is different from the Darkness attribute. So, it's okay if you're scared," Neoma said calmly. "As a de Moonasterio, I shouldn't have an affinity to Darkness or anything related to the demons. I don't even know the exact reason why I have this. But what can I do? I was born with this power."
Of course, she had heard theories as to why she was born with demon power.
But she didn't know if that was the truth.
[So, I didn't lie when I said I don't know the 'exact' reason for my demon power.]
"Just because I was born with demon power doesn't mean I'm a demon. I'm a Roseheart and a de Moonasterio. Hence, I don't need to become a demon since I'm already too powerful for this world," Neoma said, shrugging. She couldn't help letting her arrogance out. "But I understand where your fear is coming from. Aside from the Absolute Darkness that almost swallowed the entire world whole during the Ancient Period, there was also a period of time where the Demon Race terrorized the human world."
That was why humans were naturally afraid of the Demon Race, even though the Demon Race had long been wiped out from this world.
"The old gods of the past have already sealed the Underworld to ensure that the Demon Race wouldn't be able to step foot in the human world again," Neoma said cheerfully. "So, don't worry about the Demon Race."
She wasn't really disheartened by the fear she saw in the people in front of her. Since she was a powerful individual, it was natural for people to be scared of her.
[I mean, even gods fear my existence.]
If anything, it was a good stroke on her overinflated ego.
Neoma smiled at the people charmingly. "Guess who has the key that keeps the Underworld shut all this time?"
It wasn't something that she would reveal if she had a choice.
But she needed to give the people the assurance that Aunt Nichole wasn't an enemy, and that her demon power existed for a reason.
[Thanks to this, I'm sure I'll get targeted by people who worship demons.]
Whatever, she was used to getting hunted down anyway.
"Yes, it's me," Neoma declared cheerfully, touching Skewer's blade carefully. "This is the key to the Underworld that I received from Aunt Nichole."
The key was inside Skewer, and not Skewer itself.
However, that was something she didn't need to announce.
"Perhaps my demon power exists so that I could hold that key that maintains the peace in this world," Neoma said. And yes, that was the reason why she decided to announce that she had the key even though that meant putting her life in more danger. "Aunt Nichole, as the Devil, gave the key to me as compensation for trying to kill Nero in the past. As long as I have this key, the Demon Race would never step foot in the human world again."
It was a heavy promise, but she was serious about it.
The gods and the crows were already a royal pain in the ass. She didn't need the Demon Race adding to her long list of enemies.
[Those demons have been silent for centuries, so they should just keep quiet forever.]
"I, Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, swear on my precious name that I will protect the human race from the Demon Race. As long as I have this key, no demons shall terrorize the peace in this world," Neoma said, putting a hand on her chest to show her sincerity. "You don't have to believe me, though. Talk is cheap, after all."
She was saying that she could walk the talk.
Fortunately, it seemed like many people had realized it.
[The majority is still afraid of me, though.]
Understandable.
"Anyway, that's my royal secret," Neoma said, still in high spirits. But anyone could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't taking this lightly. She might sound annoyingly cheerful, but she was serious as hell. "I believe my father would add me to the Royal Household as an official de Moonasterion princess."
Obviously, Papa Boss would get reinstated as the emperor.
[I don't think Marquis Lennox and the members of the Noble Faction could go against Papa Boss now.]
"I will reclaim the throne as the emperor of the Great Moonasterion Empire," Papa Boss announced. "Until Prince Nero ascends the throne, that is. The first thing I will do is entrust the majority of the work to the Crown Prince. We will discuss it later before we release an official statement."
That was Papa Boss telling the people that this "press conference" was over.
[Thank goodness.]
Neoma could feel Goddess Alethea's power leaving her body. No wonder she felt like she was going to faint soon.
[I need to wrap this up cleanly.]
Unfortunately, the crowd wasn't satisfied.
And the buzz was too loud to ignore.
"Unfortunately, the Great Moonasterion Empire is an absolute monarchy," Neoma said, making the crowd go silent once again. She smiled genuinely at them. "But you're free to reject me as a royal princess."
Once again, the crowd was shocked and confused.
Mama Boss and Papa Boss didn't look happy with what she said, but they didn't say anything since they had already discussed that before.
"The Imperial Family will face you once again after I get added to the Royal Household officially," Neoma said calmly. "If you still hate the idea of having a royal princess with demon power within her, feel free to speak out."
And there were people who voiced their dissatisfaction.
"Is it because you're not greedy for the throne, Princess Neoma?"
"But it feels like you don't care about the empire at all…"
"It's good not to be too greedy, but you come across as someone who doesn't care about your people …"
"That's right. That's scarier than Your Royal Highness having demon power."
"It's because I don't need the title of a royal princess to protect and love you all," Neoma said, smiling as the blindfold that covered her eyes all this time slowly vanished. She just hoped that her smile didn't look weak, even if that was how she felt at the moment. "Whether I'm a royal princess or not, I will still protect the empire and its people with all that I have."
And those were Neoma's last heartfelt words before she fainted.
***
[SO FUGLY…]
Neoma scolded herself after those thoughts entered her mind.
[Don't judge anyone or anything by their appearance!]
In her defense, it was shocking to see the Bookworm as soon as she opened her eyes. She could tell that she was in a room in the Royal Palace, but she didn't understand why she woke up with the Bookworm beside her.
"Why are you here, Bookworm?" Neoma asked curiously as she got up. She had so many questions about what happened after she fainted, but she forgot about all of it as soon as she saw the Bookworm. "Where's your boss?"
She was talking about Trevor, of course.
"I'm here, Princess Neoma."
Huh?
She turned to her side, and was shocked when she ONLY realized that Trevor was actually sitting on the chair beside the bed.
[I didn't notice Trevor's presence…]
And it wasn't because she was weaker than the demon boy.
It was solely because Trevor didn't have any presence at all. Moreover, he looked so pale and so weak at the moment. It was as if he was barely breathing…
Wait, what?
Trevor smiled weakly at her. "Princess Neoma, please take care of the Bookworm from now on. I'm sorry to burden you, but I can't entrust that child to anyone else but you."
She felt like her brain was about to explode from overthinking.
[No, I'm not overthinking.]
She understood what Trevor said clearly.
And she could SEE it.
[Trevor is dying.]
Neoma grabbed Trevor's collar. It wasn't something that she should do to a person who was barely alive, but her temper got the better of her. "I'm not giving you permission to die, Trevor Kesser."
Trevor just laughed it off. "A dying Sorcerer's Mana could extend a person's lifespan–"
"I don't need it."
"Princess Neoma, don't be stubborn. This is the last thing I could do for you."
He was serious.
Trevor was so serious that it scared Neoma.
Even so…
"I won't let you die, Trevor Kesser," Neoma said, letting go of Trevor's collar as she stood up. "Especially if it's BECAUSE of me."
Trevor smiled sadly at her. "I love you, my Moon Princess."
***
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