"WE HAVE successfully extracted the divine power from the other saint."
Nero wasn't surprised by what his mother said.
He was aware that the fake saint had already passed away last night after getting his divine power removed.
"How's the baby saint?" his father asked. "Did he absorb the divine power already?"
"Prince Skylus has successfully absorbed back his divine power," his mother answered in a sad voice. "Lord Manu and Glenn are currently with him. It seems like Prince Skylus is still sad about what happened to Dustin. He feels guilty even though he just received what was rightfully his from the start."
Nero scoffed at that. "That baby is too soft-hearted. He's not just a saint– he's also a prince. If he doesn't pull himself together, then he might end up becoming a pushover. Should I take the saint under my wing? I'll teach him how to become a proper prince."
"Son, you have to know that it's rare for a human to be born as heartless as you and I," his father said. "People are usually born normal and kind like Neoma and your mother. Hence, Prince Skylus isn't being a "pushover"– he's just being the child that he is."
Once again, Nero scoffed. "Father, I already had my first kill when I was around that baby saint's age…"
Ah.
He realized his mistake when his mother's bloodlust suddenly oozed.
"Your first what?" his mother asked coldly. "You did what at Prince Skylus' age, Nero Roseheart de Moonasterio?"
Nero turned to his father for help.
But his traitorous father only avoided his gaze while sipping his tea.
[I will never forget this betrayal, Father.]
"Nero, did I not ask you a question?"
"Mother, that person deserved it," Nero said unapologetically. "I did it to protect Neoma when we were toddlers because Father wouldn't."
Yes, he said that on purpose to get back at his father.
And it worked.
His mother glared at his father. "Nikolai, we're going to talk later."
"Yes, love," his father said dejectedly, then he glared at Nero. "We're also having a conversation after this, Nero."
Tsk.
Nero just sipped his tea again.
He was having a meeting with his parents to deal with the current internal affairs in the palace.
But it looked like that in the end, Nero and his father would just get scolded by his mother.
Nero's thoughts were interrupted when they heard a commotion outside.
Then the door of the conference room burst open, revealing Melvin who entered the room in a hurry.
Even his secretary's greetings were sloppy.
Nero frowned at Melvin's lousy manners. "This is unbecoming of the Crown Prince's closest aide, Melvin. What happened?"
"I apologize, Prince Nero, Your Majesties. But I have an urgent news to deliver," Melvin said in an urgent voice while catching his breath. "A huge group of commoners have come to the palace to protest– and the people are demanding for Princess Hanna to step down as the Crown Princess. T-They even threw rotten milk at Her Highness…"
"What?" Nero slammed his hands on the conference table, breaking it in the process. "How dare those impudent little things to harm Hanna?"
"Calm down, Nero," his father said sternly, then he turned to Melvin. "Why are the people suddenly asking Hanna to step down as the Crown Princess?"
Melvin gasped before responding to the emperor. "According to Lady Morrisley's report, the people are suddenly afraid of Princess Hanna for being a Darkness attribute user."
The conference suddenly turned cold.
It was because Nero and his parents instantly realized what was happening.
"Fearmongering," his mother said. "The crows are trying to scare the public and make them turn against the Darkness attribute users– just like what happened during the Ancient Period."
Nero clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Mother, Father, I'm going to my fiancée."
***
"PRINCESS NEOMA has the power to get rid of a powerful Darkness attribute user like me, so you don't have to worry about the Darkness attribute users acting up. We are no match for Princess Neoma's divine power. Let's put our faith in Princess Neoma, our Light, our savior."
Pfft.
When Nero hurried to where Hanna was, he thought he would find his fiancée in a predicament.
He was even ready to commit violence against his people if he had to.
But, to his pleasant surprise, the problem was almost over when he arrived.
The people were calm while listening to Hanna speak.
It seemed like Sandie Morrisley, Hanna's personal secretary, was using an enchantment to amplify Hanna's voice.
[This is why it's important to have a competent secretary by your side.]
Anyway, it was time for him to do his job.
"The Crown Princess is correct," Nero said loudly as he walked towards Hanna, Melvin and his knights following him. "Neoma, my twin sister, has the power to purify Darkness."
Hanna turned to him, her face beaming instantly. "My prince."
He held Hanna's hand and kissed the back of his hand as a greeting, then he faced the crowd while holding his fiancée's hand tightly. "Just yesterday, Neoma was attacked by people possessed by Darkness. One of them died because he refused Neoma's help, while the other two survived after my precious twin sister purified the Darkness that possessed them."
Just by listening to Hanna's speech earlier, Nero could already tell what his fiancée wanted.
[If the crows are going to use Helstor and the Darkness to scare people, then the Imperial Family will use Neoma to counter it.]
"The opposite of Darkness is not Light but Neoma itself," Nero said confidently. "That was what the Imperial Princess said when she purified the people who were possessed by Darkness. Fortunately, we have a recording of my twin sister's fight. We will play it for you to keep your hearts at ease."
It was a good thing that Neoma liked taking records of her official duties.
Hanna gently squeezed Nero's hand as if she was telling him he did a good job.
[But I'm not yet done.]
"As the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess of the empire, we are here to listen to you," Nero said, a "business smile" plastered on his face. "The Crown Princess and I invite you to the palace, everyone. Please follow the knights. My fiancée and I would just need to change our clothes quickly."
He gave Melvin a signal, and his secretary quickly took care of the situation.
Nero and Hanna were about to retreat when a few kids ran towards them.
Raku and Sanford quickly blocked the crying children.
"We're sorry for throwing the milk at you, Princess Hanna!"
"Please forgive us!"
Ah, so these little bastards were the ones who threw rotten milk at his fiancée, huh?
It took all that Nero got to stop himself from lashing out on the children.
Hanna, on the other hand, smiled and approached the children. She even let go of Nero's hand and squatted down to match the kids' eye level. "It's alright, children. I'm not hurt," she said kindly, her smile warm and genuine. "But can you tell me who told you to throw milk at me?"
Pfft.
Nero watched as Hanna used her wicked charm at work proudly.
[That's my fiancée.]
***
"ARE YOU REALLY going to attack me?" Regina asked, laughing. "Princess Neoma, you can't kill me, can you?"
Neoma raised an eyebrow. "What makes you confident I "can't" kill you?"
"Because only I can extend your lifespan."
Ohh.
[Now we're talking.]
The moment Helstor exposed Neoma's secret, she had already expected that bastard god to share her secret with the crows.
So, she wasn't really surprised to know that Regina was already aware of her short lifespan.
However…
"You can extend my lifespan?" Neoma asked in a mocking tone. "Where did you get the audacity to assume that I need your help, Regina Crowell?"
According to Ruto, Regina Crowell might be her only hope to extend her lifespan.
Even so, she would rather die early than act desperate in front of her nemesis.
[Yes, I could die out of pettiness.]
Regina frowned at Neoma's nonchalance. "Are you really going to act arrogant until the end, Princess Neoma?"
"I'm not "acting" arrogant– I was born arrogant, and I would die arrogant," Neoma corrected the crow, then she turned to Lewis. "Bring the Mermaid Prince to the Royal Archmage, Lewis. We can't let the Mermaid Prince die."
"As your Guardian Knight, I cannot leave you alone, Princess Neoma."
"You have five minutes, Lewis. Just come back as quickly as you can."
Lewis let out a frustrated sigh. "As you command, Princess Neoma. Please don't get hurt."
"Don't worry," Neoma assured her "son." "There's no one here that can hurt me."
Lewis bowed towards her, then he carried Reevo Hali in his arms before he ran as quickly as he could.
[That's my boy.]
"Rubin, stay behind me," Neoma said, then she stood in front of Rubin protectively before she faced Regina Crowell again. "Are you done talking shit? Gosh, you shouldn't have hurt an innocent person if you just wanted to talk."
"Don't worry, the dosage of the poison I used wouldn't be enough to kill that merman," Regina said casually. "I just needed to knock him down since I needed to talk to Rubin in private."
"What do you want from me, Regina?" Rubin asked indifferently. "If you think you can use me again like a puppet, then you're wrong."
Oho?
Regina laughed. "You've grown, Rubin."
Tsk.
Neoma moved when Regina did, then she covered her hand with Coat before she grabbed the crow by the wrist. "Hey, Rubin Drayton's face is a national treasure. If you're going to attack him, make sure not to touch his face."
Regina looked at her in disbelief, then she laughed. "You foolish girl. Are you still in love with Rubin Drayton even after what he has done to you in the past? He cheated on you with me, and he even tried to kill you FOR ME."
Haaah.
[So, Regina Crowell remembers her first life, too? But how?]
"That wasn't me!" Rubin argued desperately. "I was possessed by a different person back then! I never wanted to hurt Princess Neoma!"
"You're hurting my feelings, Rubin," Regina said. But despite what she claimed, she didn't actually look or sound heartbroken. "You loved me first before your feelings for Princess Neoma became genuine."
And Rubin wasn't able to deny that.
"Oh, shut the fuck up. I don't care about the past anymore," Neoma said, scoffing. Then she gripped Regina's wrist tighter. "What the hell are you even talking about, you little bitch?"
"Stop playing dumb, Princess Neoma," Regina said coldly. "I already know that you turned back time."
That wasn't really the case, but she had no intention of correcting Regina.
[It doesn't look like she has complete memories of the first timeline, after all.]
"I've always wondered why you seem to be always one step ahead of us, especially during the time Hanna Quinzel was supposed to die," Regina said in a serious tone. "I only realized it when I started to have bizarre dreams five years ago."
Ah, so that was when Regina began remembering the past?
"I didn't think much of it, until Helstor revealed that you only have a few years to live," Regina Crowell said, laughing. "Then I finally realized why Ruto Stroganoff didn't kill me when he had a chance to do so in the past. After all, the Ruto Stroganoff I saw in my dreams used me to revive you, Princess Neoma."
Neoma did her best to maintain a poker face.
[Damn, this bitch really knows what she's talking about.]
"Your expression tells me I'm right," Regina Crowell said, pulling her hand away from her. "Let's talk again later, Princess Neoma. For now, you need to return to the Royal Capital and stop wasting your time on this stupid Selection."
And, just like that, Regina Crowell began to retreat.
Neoma didn't stop her.
She just had a feeling that she shouldn't.
[What are you planning, Regina Crowell?]
"Princess Neoma, are you alright?"
Neoma turned around to face Rubin who was walking towards her in a hurry…
… then the handsome young master suddenly tripped.
Her body moved automatically to catch Rubin, but she underestimated his weight. Hence, she lost her balance and fell to the ground with him.
"Princess Neoma!"
Ah, so fucking cliché.
Rubin tried to catch her when she fell, and as a result, they rolled to the ground.
Before Neoma knew it, her back was already on the ground while Rubin was on top of her.
He had the wits to use catch the back of Neoma's head with his hands.
But that meant they suddenly found themselves in a very compromising position.
"P-Princess Neoma…?"
Fucking hell.
When Neoma looked up, it wasn't only Lewis who had witnessed her in that compromising position with Rubin.
Ruto.
Trevor.
Jasper oppa.
The Ancient Devil.
[Why the hell are these monsters together?]
"Okay, boys," Trevor said while wearing his black gloves. "Today is the day the empire will lose its most handsome young master."
Neoma rolled her eyes, then she grabbed Rubin by the shoulders. "Run as fast as you can if you want to live, Rubin Drayton."
***
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