HELL.
Wow.
Neoma had really seen it all by now.
"I'm Drystan– the King of Hell," the old man with long gray hair, jet-black eyes, and almost green-ish skin greeted Neoma uninterestedly. "Welcome to my humble abode."
[Nooo!]
CLANK.
That was the sound of handcuffs that the King put around Neoma's wrists.
Yes, she just got… arrested?
Now that she was looking closely, the building that she was taken to look similar to the modern world's police station.
And yes, Drystan was also wearing a uniform similar to a police officer in Korea.
[What the fuck?]
"Getting arrested by the King of Hell wasn't on my bingo card, but here we are now," Neoma said, sighing while crying inside. "But this definitely ruined my childhood. W*ttpad brainwashed me into thinking that the kings and princes of Hell are all young-looking and hot."
Tteokbokki made a disgusted face. "Ew. Just what kind of disgusting fics were you reading when you were young, thug princess?"
"Well, there was this smut BL that involved a water alien with two penises–"
"STAAAHP!" Tteokbokki complained while covering his ears with his hands. "I don't want to hear it! Forget I asked!"
Neoma just laughed at her Soul Beast's reaction.
"I see that you're not taking this seriously, Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio."
She stopped laughing, then she turned to the "police officer" in front of her. "Well, I don't like people who use mind control and illusion. They're a pain in the ass to deal with."
Drystan scoffed at her words. "You don't seem to have a problem with it since your mental fortitude is made of steel, little princess."
"What's your purpose for showing me this illusion?" Neoma asked curiously. "And where are my grandfathers and grandmothers? They were just with me a moment ago."
"As the King of Hell, it is my duty to welcome a de Moonasterio."
Pfft.
The King looked like he was already fed up with his job.
"Let me guess… I'm not the first de Moonasterio to arrive in Hell after dying."
"Not the first, and definitely not the last," Drystan said, sitting behind the desk. "Let's talk."
As soon as Neoma sat on the chair opposite the King of Hell, the surroundings suddenly changed.
Now she found herself sitting in the middle of what seemed like a coliseum.
The wooden table between her and Drystan had turned into a marble table.
Even the King of Hell's outfit had changed from a Korean police officer's uniform into a fancy black silk robe with gold accents.
[This is different from the usual white space that I'm used to…]
It was actually hard to believe that she was in Hell.
After all, above the coliseum was the sun shining so brightly. Even the blue sky looked pretty. Even the trees and the birds.
[They're all artificial, but they still make a beautiful view.]
It was as if the entire place was modeled after The Colosseum in Rome.
"Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, is it that hard to focus on me?"
"Ah, I apologize on behalf of the thug princess," Tteokbokki, who was sitting beside Neoma, said. He 'apologized,' but it was clear that he wasn't sincere about it. It was more of a sarcastic remark than an apology. "Our thug princess only focuses on handsome men."
"Hey, that makes me sound shallow. I don't only like handsome men," Neoma complained lightly. "I also like beautiful women and pretty non-binary folks. As long as they have an attractive face, I like them all."
Tteokbokki gave her a dire stare. "That makes you sound more shallow, you know?"
"Oh, is that so?"
"Is my appearance the problem?"
Neoma turned to Drystan and shook her head. "No, of course not, Your Majesty. I just really have a hard time focusing since my brain is always on overdrive."
"But it will help you focus if my face suits your taste."
"M-Maybe…?"
"Alright."
"Huh?"
Instead of responding, Drystan only snapped his fingers.
And then…
LE GASP.
Drystan's appearance changed in an instant.
The old man was suddenly gone.
Now sitting across from Neoma was a young man with long wavy hair, red eyes, and pale skin.
And yes, young Drystan was so freaking handsome.
[Thank you for the meal. My eyes are now full.]
Neoma was totally digging the (young-looking) King of Hell's lazy vibes. She aspired to be as chill as the king.
There was only one thing that kind of bothered her.
Neoma tilted her head to one side. "Red eyes? Your Majesty is a god? I didn't know since your eyes were black earlier."
"I was born a god– a major god, to be precise," Drystan said, uninterestedly. "But after the Ancient Period, the gods who survived almost getting swallowed by the Absolute Darkness decided that a god with Darkness attribute like me didn't belong in the Upper World. They kicked me out of the Upper World and stripped me of my status as a god. Then they demoted me as the King of Hell after they sealed the Demon Race here. They gave me the task of making sure the demons wouldn't be able to crawl out of the human world again."
Wow.
That was the first time someone shared his life story with Neoma with little to no emotion.
"Do you not resent the gods who kicked you out of the Upper World?" Neoma asked carefully. "Or have you already moved on since it happened a long time ago?"
"I can't be bothered to get angry– then and now," Drystan deadpanned. "Whether I'm a god or not, it doesn't change the fact that I still need to work just because I have the ability to do so." The King of Hell clicked his tongue. "The old bastards up there should have just killed me instead of demoting me. Who wants to work for eternity? If I could, I would have entered an eternal slumber already."
Would you look at that?
The King of Hell had expressed more emotions complaining about working for eternity than when he did while sharing how the gods had betrayed me.
[But I totally get it.]
After all, it was her dream to become a lady of leisure… wait!
[King Drystan and I have the same goal!]
Neoma covered her mouth when she let out a soft gasp. "I found my kindred spirit!"
"Hmm?"
"I also want to live a lazy life, Your Majesty!"
"Is that so?" Drystan asked, obviously not interested. "Well, unfortunately for you, sinners like you don't have the right to enjoy a peaceful rest after death."
Neoma's energy decreased immediately. "Way to ruin the mood, Your Majesty."
"You don't seem surprised," the King of Hell commented. "The previous de Moonasterios who sat on the very same spot all lost their minds and threatened me."
"I'm aware of all the sins I've committed– in all my previous lives and now," she said in a serious tone. "The moment I sullied my hands with blood, I've already prepared myself to go to hell after I died."
The King of Hell looked at her in silence, then a small smile on his face appeared.
[So freaking handsome.]
"Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio, you are guilty of eradicating half of the human population and at least ten other races during your first life. You also blew up the Upper World and killed the gods residing there."
She didn't show it, but hearing her past crimes put a heavy burden on her heart.
Neoma felt like she was about to cower in guilt when, suddenly, Tteokbokki grabbed her hand and squeezed it without saying a word.
But the Soul Beast didn't have to say anything.
She got the boost of courage that she needed.
[Thank you, Tteokbokki.]
"But you killed all of them for a noble reason."
Neoma's eyes opened wide, shocked by what the King of Hell said. "Excuse me?"
"You killed half of the living beings in the world to save the remaining half, Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio," Drystan announced in a slightly energetic voice than normal. "I recognize your noble sacrifice, hence I'm here to offer you a deal."
***
"NEOMA'S LAST will and testament?"
Dahlia gulped hard, slightly intimidated by the people who gathered upon her summon.
As Princess Neoma's secretary, it was her duty to announce the Imperial Princess' last will and testament to the people involved.
And those people were the following:
Emperor Nikolai.
Empress Mona.
Prince Nero.
Princess Hanna.
Lewis Crevan.
Trevor Kesser.
Ruto Solfrid Stroganoff.
Although they were working hard to bring Princess Neoma back to life, it didn't change the fact that Princess Neoma was already dead. The moment the Imperial Princess' heart stopped beating, the last will and testament activated on its own.
[That's how it works here.]
"Princess Neoma prepared her last will and testament before the First Calamity hits the empire," Dahlia said politely when she found the courage to speak. "Princess Neoma asked me to read her last will and testament as soon as it gets activated."
Of course, no one in that room was happy to hear that.
Everyone was currently in the Imperial Shrine since it became their 'base' for now.
Now, everyone looked at Princess Neoma– who was inside the ice coffin– with a devastated look on their faces.
"So, Neoma knew?" Emperor Nikolai whispered. "She knew she was dying."
"That seems to be the case, Your Majesty," Dahlia confirmed in a soft and careful voice. "After all, Princess Neoma's first will says that we must NOT revive her at the expense of anyone's life."
***
HI! ROYAL SECRET ALTERNATE UNIVERSE: LET'S NOT DIVORCE is now posted on my P/atreon account.
Just copy-paste this link: (patreon.com/sola_cola) or G0ogle P/atreon sola_cola to find my page. My profile picture is the same as the one I have here on WN. And the background picture says 'SOLAVERSE.'
I have TWO TIERS.
ROYAL FAMILY TIER (2USD) grants you access to the completed main story + book cover reveal. Total of 24 chapters.
IMPERIAL FAMILY TIER (3USD) grants you access to the completed main story + book cover reveal + exclusive SIDE STORIES + power to vote on polls.
See you there!
And I hope you enjoy the AU!
You'll get a strong independent Mama Boss, a CRYBABY Papa Boss who calls Rufus 'Hyung', a Nero who "hates" Neoma, and a delinquent Neoma who gets bullied by her schoolmates!
***
Please ADD my story to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦