HALF of Neoma's heart felt bad for the things that she said.
But her chest tightened when Ruto didn't even flinch. She was starting to get tired of that emotionless face of his.
For the first time, Ruto's face didn't bring her peace like it usually would.
Hence, half of her got pissed instead.
"Ruto, I kind of don't want to see you right now," Neoma said bluntly. "Do you have any other business with me?"
"The Willows Siblings would like to know if they'll be allowed to tour the palace," Ruto said indifferently. "Preston Willows is a fan of Prince Nero. The elders wouldn't let Preston go to the palace alone, so they asked Phoebe Willows to accompany her brother."
[Preston Willows sounds familiar… ah, right.]
She remembered Preston Willows, the child who almost became one of Nero's knights.
[But my cruel twin brother discarded the poor kid in the end.]
"Come to think of it, I kinda made a promise to Lord Preston before that I'd bring him to the palace to meet Nero," Neoma said after remembering the past. "I'll ask Nero first. I don't think I have the right to decide who gets to enter the palace or not at the moment."
"Alright. I'll send a formal request to Prince Nero then."
"Okay," she agreed. It was convenient for her since she wasn't sure if she was in the right mental state to meet Nero at the moment. "Is there something else you need from me?"
Ruto just shook his head.
"Then please excuse me, Lord Ruto," Neoma said, addressing him politely. "I'll be busy from now on. Isn't it a relief that we broke up already?"
GAAAHHH.
She wanted to punch her mouth for the unnecessary sarcasm.
Why was she so bitter?
Her heart understood that Ruto wasn't at fault, but her brain wanted to punish him for hurting her.
[God, I'm so petty.]
"We were never in a relationship, so we never broke up either."
[This stubborn rascal…]
"Don't speak casually to the Imperial Princess," Lewis said in a very rude tone. It was a little hypocritical on his side to lecture Ruto about respect when he was speaking rudely to the Solfrid Heir. "You no longer have a relationship with our princess."
[Aigoo.]
"If we're talking about rank now, then you do not have the right to speak to me in that tone, Sir Crevan," Ruto said indifferently. "I am no longer a mere royal chef in the palace. I hope you haven't forgotten who I am."
"I haven't– I just don't care," Lewis said rudely. "Everyone who threatens Princess Neoma's life doesn't deserve my respect."
MIC DROP.
Gosh, her "son" rarely talked a lot but when he did, it was to roast people he didn't like.
[But let's hold back, Lewis. This is the God Slayer we're speaking to.]
"Ruto, let's talk later," Neoma said to change the topic. Then she paused and shook her head. "No. We're not just going to talk. Let's have a sparring later."
Ruto knitted his eyebrows. "A sparring?"
"I know it may sound like an excuse, but I wasn't in the right condition when we fought during the trial," she said in a serious tone. "I was shackled, and those shackles weakened me because of the device they injected inside me to steal my egg cells."
It was frustrating how Ruto's face didn't change even after hearing what she had gone through during the trial.
[This red flag Ruto doesn't really care about me, huh?]
"But my body is in perfect condition now."
"I can tell," Ruto said, nodding. "Have you noticed that you've grown taller, Princess Neoma?"
"No!" Neoma said, covering her ears with her hands. "Why would you say that? I didn't grow taller!"
Ruto looked at her as if he was amused. "It's a good thing that Goddess Alethea's power is no longer in effect, huh?"
Tsk.
Neoma lied.
Her joints hurt like hell– and yes, they were growing pains. She just wouldn't stop growing taller even though she was already eighteen years old. And as if that wasn't bad enough, her growing pains usually meant a growth spurt.
[The de Moonasterion genes are really crazy.]
Neoma wouldn't admit this, but she was definitely over 183 centimeters now– and she had a feeling that she wasn't done growing yet.
And she was taller than T*ylor Swift now.
[Please stop making me taller!]
"It's okay, Princess Neoma."
Neoma turned to Lewis. "Hmm?"
"You're not tall when you're beside me," Lewis said, his face beaming. "I'm two meter tall."
"Right?" Neoma agreed, removing her hands from her ears as her mood improved greatly. "As long as I stick to you, I won't feel like a giant. I should avoid standing next to Hanna, though. She's tiny."
Lewis chuckled. "Please don't say that in front of Lady Hanna, Princess Neoma. She'll definitely get upset if you call her 'tiny.'"
Oops.
She almost forgot that Ruto was still with them.
Neoma cleared her throat before facing her ex-man. "As I was saying earlier, I'm in perfect condition now," she said. "So you don't have to hold back this time."
Ruto was surprised by what she said. "What do you mean by that?"
"I know that you were serious during the trial, but I also know that you really didn't give your one hundred percent back then," she said. "You matched your strength with my condition at that time. And that was very embarrassing for me."
"Embarrassing…?"
"You gave me a handicap just because you knew I was in a poor condition," Neoma said, frowning. "As a Roseheart and a de Moonasterio, I was offended. Are you looking down on me because you think I'm inferior to you?"
Ruto just kept quiet while staring at her face.
[Gosh, I don't like the current Ruto that much.]
"Are you not going to apologize to me, Ruto?"
"Apologize for what?"
Neoma smiled sadly at Ruto's arrogant response.
She was disappointed, but not surprised.
[This isn't my Ruto.]
"Right– you're the kind of man who'd sacrifice me for the greater good," Neoma said, smiling sadly once again. She was starting to feel pathetic, but she couldn't help but feel bitter because of their current situation. "But I can't die by your hands again– not when there's someone who's literally dying FOR me at the moment."
It would be a huge discourtesy to Trevor if she let Ruto continue act as if her life was in his hands.
"That's why I'm challenging you to a duel tonight, Ruto Solfrid."
It was she who brought up the sparring first, but her initial plan was to delay it as much as she could.
But after seeing how unapologetic Ruto was, she changed her mind.
[I must crush Ruto tonight or else, I won't be able to sleep properly.]
"Very well," Ruto said, accepting her challenge. "I will be here tonight then."
"Good," Neoma said, nodding. "Make sure your divine father will be watching– I have a bone to pick with him, after all."
***
TSK.
Neoma couldn't help but pout as soon as she saw Papa Boss and Mama Boss.
[Right. I'm tall because both my parents are tall.]
Anyway, she visited her mother and father after taking a quick shower.
She didn't really have to since Soju, her Water Spirit, kept her clean during the two days and one night that she was unconscious. Plus, she knew her Mama Boss took care of her well.
[But taking a bath is therapeutic for me.]
"Why are you pouting like that?" Papa Boss asked while sitting on the chair next to the bed. "Did you not get your revenge against Ruston Stroganoff? I only allowed him to enter the palace in hopes that you'd beat him up after what he did during the trial."
Mama Boss, who was on the bed while leaning against the headboard, sighed. "Love, you're being insensitive."
Papa Boss just shrugged.
"I challenged Ruto to a duel tonight."
Her parents both looked shocked by what she said.
"I'll talk about it later," Neoma said, sitting beside her mother. "How are you, Mama Boss?"
She went straight to her mother after hearing from Lewis that Paige, Dahlia, and Greko were still sleeping after treating Trevor all night.
[Juri, Jeno, and Xion returned to their respective families in the meantime.]
On the other hand, Hanna had temporarily returned to the Quinzel Mansion.
"I'm fine, baby," Mama Boss assured her, holding her hand and squeezing it gently. "The energy potion that Greko brewed helped me recover faster than normal."
She smiled proudly. "Greko is an amazing Healer, isn't he?"
Her mother smiled at her. "You raised him well, daughter."
Neoma nodded politely, then she fell silent before asking the question that she came there for. "Mama Boss, please be honest with me," she said in a soft voice. "How much time left does Trevor have?"
"Originally, he only has three days left to live," Mama Boss said after a short pause. "But I used my healing and purifying power to slow down the Impure Mana corrupting his body and soul. Hence, he'd be able to live for at least one more week. But he might fall into a comatose state very soon."
She wouldn't say that she was surprised.
After all, she personally saw Trevor earlier. She could tell that he only had a few days to live. It was a miracle that Mama Boss was able to extend it to a week.
But just because she already knew didn't mean it hurt any less.
"Is it my fault?"
Both Mama Boss and Papa Boss looked at her with concern.
"I asked Trevor to store the Impure Mana for me," Neoma said, clenching her hands tight. "If I didn't ask him to do that, he wouldn't have to touch that horrible thing. Then his body and soul wouldn't have been corrupted."
"Neoma, don't say that. None of it was your fault," Papa Boss said firmly. "It was the crows who used Impure Mana as a weapon. How was that your fault?"
She knew that her father was right.
Even so, in her heart, the guilt remained heavy.
Mama Boss gently squeezed her hand. "Neoma, baby, Miss Dahlia and I will go to the Blood Sea tomorrow morning."
Papa Boss frowned, obviously not pleased with Mama Boss' decision but was probably convinced to go along with it.
"Why the Blood Sea, Mama Boss?" she asked curiously. "It's where Dahlia's home is located, isn't it?"
Her mother nodded carefully. "The blood of an Ancient Spirit killed by a god turned the sea red. And that Ancient Spirit was Lord Novak– my old mentor."
Ah.
She could sense the sadness in her mother's voice.
[They must have been close…]
"Lord Novak was a Darkness attribute user, Neoma," Mama Boss explained. "When he died, his Mana turned into Impure Mana. However, even if his Mana became like that, it didn't kill the living creatures in the sea when his blood and Impure Mana were spilled."
Her eyes opened wide a bit. "Mama Boss, are you saying that there might be a way to purify the Impure Mana that's killing Trevor?"
"We can't tell for sure, Neoma," Mama Boss said while shaking her head. "That's why Miss Dahlia and I will go to the Blood Sea to investigate."
It was better than having absolutely zero clue about how to deal with Impure Mana.
"I'm going with you and Dahlia, Mama Boss," Neoma said firmly. "Please let me go with you."
***
NEOMA was all set for her duel with Ruto.
She wore a pastel pink long coat over a black turtleneck shirt, black leather pants, and black combat shoes.
Yes, those were clothes she brought from Korea.
She then tied her hair in a messy bun, and wore sunglasses even though it was already late at night. It didn't bother her since she had a sharp eyesight. She just wore it for aesthetics.
[I forgot to tell Ruto where to meet me…]
Even so, Neoma opted to wait in the pavilion by the pond– her favorite place in the palace.
Lewis clicked his tongue after a shift in the air. "He's here."
Right?
Ruto stepped out of the darkness, wearing clothes that were almost similar to what Neoma wore at the moment.
Black trench coat, black turtleneck shirt, black pants, and black boots.
[Gosh, we look like a couple.]
That wasn't the right time to think about that.
Neoma opened her hand, a single-stemmed pink rose materializing above her hand. "I don't wear gloves, so I can't challenge you to a duel the traditional way," she said. Then she threw the single-stemmed pink rose at Ruto as if she was throwing a dart. "That will do."
Ruto caught the long stem of the pink rose between his two fingers– the thorns grazing his skin. "We'll destroy the palace if we fight here," he said. "Shall we move somewhere else?"
"I'm glad you asked," Neoma said, pointing a finger at the night sky. "Let's fight in Lord Levi's domain."
***
NOTE: Sorry for the long break. I took a short vacation for my mental health. I was actually not doing well recently. To be honest, I didn't want to address this and ruin the atmosphere here, but I guess bottling it up wasn't good for my mental health.
I was upset when I received messages telling me that they read Royal Secret: I'm a Princess on illegal sites, and there were also readers who told me they read the illegal translation of my novel.
Guys, I understand that not everyone could afford unlocking the chapters with coins/real money. But I hope you take advantage of the free pass that WN offers instead of resorting to illegal sites.
I'm not a top author, I don't earn a lot from here. Doing this thing hurts my livelihood. Of course, I love writing. But I have real-life bills that I have to pay. So please don't do this to me.
To those who translate/post my stories elsewhere, please stop. Please encourage the readers to read my stories here. :(
What really upsets me is the possibility that there might be readers who enjoy this story AND POST COMMENTS on those illegal sites when readers here on WN barely leave comments every time I update. It hurts.
I wonder if those readers even know that it's me, sola_cola, who created Neoma and this world. I wonder if those readers thank the illegal translators/uploaders instead of me. Thinking about it really makes me sad.
Please don't make me lose my passion.
On the other hand, I'd like to thank everyone for sticking with Neoma even after 700+ chapters. I appreciate the silent readers, but I still hope you post more comments. And support me if you can. :')
Sorry for the long rant.
Thank you for waiting.
***
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