"ALRIGHT, I'm going back to work."
Hmm?
Neoma was almost certain that the old crazy Nero who was obsessed with her was already back. But when her twin brother stood up and fixed his clothes as if nothing happened, she doubted her own guts.
[Why does it feel like he quickly returned to the same, amnesiac Nero?]
"Are you sure you're going back to work already?" Neoma asked worriedly. "You fainted, Nero."
"I'm fine," Nero said while combing his fingers through his hair. "If I take a break longer than I already have, Melvin would cry."
Pfft.
"Who summoned you, Nero?"
"It was William."
She waited for Nero to say more, but he didn't.
[Ah, so he doesn't want to tell me why William summoned him. Well, it's okay. I'm a cool noona anyway.]
"Neoma, forget what I said earlier," Nero said in a serious tone. "You need the selection to happen, don't you?"
Argh, she didn't like the look on Nero's face.
Even so, she tried to ignore it.
"That's right," Neoma said, nodding. "My goal isn't to find a husband, but to find strong individuals to fight with us."
"Then don't forget your goal."
"Huh?"
Nero stood up in front of her, then he cupped her face between his hands. "Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, you must remember that your goal is NOT to find a husband even if your ex-lover joins the selection."
Woah, woah.
Now Nero was back as the crazy Nero she knew.
[Did he develop a split personality or something?]
"I only remember the important stuff," Neoma said. And yes, she was provoking Nero on purpose because she wanted to test her theory about him developing a sudden split personality. "I sometimes forget my goals when Ruto is involved in the issue."
That may or may not be the truth.
"Don't worry, I have a good memory," Nero said, letting go of her face. "I'll make you remember what you should and shouldn't forget."
Oh, gaaahd.
Something was seriously up with Nero, and she wasn't liking it.
[Let's test him again.]
"Dude, let's stop talking about the selection," Neoma said, changing the subject. "You asked me to get a secretary before."
"Have you finally chosen a secretary for yourself?"
"I'm thinking of appointing Dahlia."
She carefully watched Nero's reaction, but she didn't get much.
It was either her twin brother really didn't care about the Black Witch anymore, or he was just really good at acting.
[Even better than me?]
"Is Dahlia's education background suited for her to work in the palace?"
"Hmm?"
"You're the Imperial Princess, Neoma," Nero reminded her in a scolding tone. "There are plenty of people who would kill to be your secretary. Hence, if you appoint Dahlia in a position that high, many envious people would definitely question your decision. And if Dahlia failed to prove why she deserved to be your secretary, then she'd get eaten alive by people working in the palace."
Oh.
Nero was raising valid points???
"Melvin graduated from the Royal Moon Academy second in his class," Nero added. "Graduating with the second-highest excellency award from THE empire's best academy is already a huge feat, but people working in the palace who graduated at the top of their classes still looked down on Melvin. Fortunately, my secretary has a family background to protect him since his household is one of the Twelve Golden Families."
Oh, she didn't know that there was such a story.
"Dahlia neither has an educational background nor a great family name to protect her," Nero said bluntly. "Do you think she could survive in the palace as your secretary? Moreover, as far as I remember, that woman is a crybaby. With that kind of attitude, I don't think she'd survive a week in the palace."
Hmm.
Of course, she knew that Nero's concern was valid.
Neoma also knew that Dahlia didn't attend any prestigious academy, but she also knew that Dahlia was smart and organized.
Her clear memories of her first life ended when Nero killed her.
However, for the past few years, some of her hazy memories began to get a bit clearer. Most of them were related to Ruto, of course. But there were also some fragments related to her family.
And one of those was the memory she had of the "poor empress."
[I'm pretty sure that Dahlia, when she became the empress after Nero ascended the throne, did an excellent job as the empress– shocking the royal attendants.]
"Just because Dahlia didn't go to school doesn't mean she's inferior to people working in the palace. After all, she was educated by the Black Witches before they vanished. I'm also pretty sure that the mini library I saw in her little cabin was filled with the same educational books that we have access to, Nero," Neoma said to her twin brother. "But you're right about Dahlia being a crybaby, so I'll ask her to think about it carefully once I offer her the job."
"You didn't have to inform me about your choice of secretary," Nero said out of the blue, clearly changing the topic. "Did you bring it up because you're worried I might lose my mind when I see Dahlia working in the palace?"
She just shrugged in response.
"Your concern is valid, but you don't have to worry for now," her twin brother said, cupping her face between his hands once again. "After all, your selection for a future spouse is the only thing that could make me go ballistic right now."
Argh, shivers.
[Mama Boss, Papa Boss, I'm confused. I can't figure out if Nero has retrieved his memories yet.]
All she knew was her twin brother was acting really strange.
Nero laughed while watching her reaction, setting her face free again. "You're looking at me like I've just lost my mind."
"Have you?"
"Let's talk again later," Nero said in a hurry, then he quickly headed for the doors. "I just remembered that I have a lot of things to do."
Neoma let out a sigh. "Don't go on a killing spree, okay?"
***
"YOU'RE NOT sure whether Nero has retrieved his missing memories or not?" Mona asked worriedly, leaning against her seat. "But I thought you were confident about the counterspell that you came up with."
She was talking to William who was on his knees in front of her, his head hanging low.
The Grand Spirit went to her office to report.
She left Nero with Neoma earlier, so she knew that her son would be fine. Even so, she needed to know what happened to the person responsible for Nero's collapse earlier.
"Prince Nero refused to tell me whether he has regained his missing memories or not, and I can't really figure it out based on his behavior," William said politely, addressing Nero formally. Then he finally raised his head when she allowed him to do so. "One minute he's acting like the same Prince Nero who currently doesn't care about his family the next he's acting like the Prince Nero who's obsessed with Princess Neoma."
Mona tilted her head to one side. "Why do I have a feeling that Nero is doing it on purpose?"
It sounded like Nero was deliberately confusing them.
[Does he not want anyone to know whether his curse has been lifted or not? But why?]
"I also have the same feeling, Your Majesty," William said, surprisingly addressing Mona correctly even though he clearly hated the fact that she had become the empress. "But I will continue keeping an eye on Prince Nero."
Ah, the Grand Spirit was obviously trying hard to get on her good side again.
[At this rate, he'll do anything and everything I ask him of no matter how dangerous or foolish it is.]
She was tempted to test it out.
"Alright, that's good enough for now," Mona said, nodding. "Have you heard of any news regarding the Spirit World? I tried to summon Tara several times but didn't hear back from her. It's as if the Spirit World has closed its door on me."
She knew that Tara may have been affected by the curse, hence there was a possibility that the Queen of the Spirit World had forgotten about Neoma.
Even so, she found it strange that the entirety of the Spirit World wouldn't respond to her.
"I've lost contact with Tara as well, Your Majesty," William said, knitting his eyebrows. "I will drop by the Spirit World later."
"Thank you," Mona said, then she paused before speaking again. "Make sure to tell Tara to control her greed, and to not even think about laying a hand on either of my precious babies."
***
THE SMELL of blood.
Ah, it had been a while since Nero used his sword to slash and stab people he wanted dead. But, for the first time in a long while, he had finally bathed himself in his enemies' blood again.
"Prince Nero, how could you do this…"
Nero looked over his shoulder to see Melvin, whose face was pale, looking at the pool of blood that Nero created in someone else's house. "What?"
Melvin looked him straight in the eye, his secretary's body shaking in fear. Or perhaps disgust since Melvin could be a clean freak sometimes. "Marquis Spencer is still a member of the Twelve Golden Families. Even though you're the Crown Prince, the nobility still has the power to criticize you–"
"That bastard committed a grave sin."
"But we don't have any evidence–"
"Fabricate it then," Nero said, brushing his bloody hands through his hair. "It's your job as my secretary to clean up after my mess anyway."
Of course, Melvin cried in despair. "No, it's not a part of my job description, Prince Nero! This is too much even for me! I resign!"
"Cry about it then."
"I'm already crying!"
"Then cry more," Nero said, sighing while shaking his head. "We still have to find the device that the damned marquis mentioned, so stop complaining and move your feet."
***
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