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However, the Crown Prince wasn’t done yet.

Nero leaned down to grab Keith Valencia and pull him up. Then he whispered something in his ear. The Crown Prince even cupped his face over his mouth so that the others probably wouldn’t be able to read his lips.

Aside from that, she also felt an ominous feeling literally coming out of Nero that she couldn’t explain.

She just knew that it was something bad.

“He’s hiding something, is he?” Hanna asked Lewis who stood behind her, then she turned to him with furrowed brows. “What is Nero doing right now, Lewis?”

The fox boy had been accompanying Nero these days, so he must know something.

.....

However, Lewis remained silent even though she could see in his eyes that he knew what she was talking about.

“Did Nero tell you to keep it a secret?”

Lewis just nodded.

“Ah, he must have threatened you with something related to Neoma,” she said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t keep it a secret from me.”

Lewis just nodded again.

She let out a sigh, then she turned to Nero again.

The Crown Prince whispered something in the other two noble children’s ear. Seeing that made her uncomfortable.

Hanna could only sigh internally.

[Neoma, your twin brother is up to no good again- and I hope you’re not doing the same thing as Nero.]

***

MONA was once again amazed when she saw what awaited them at the end of the “river.”

There was a shore with golden sand where a temple that resembled the Cyran Temple in her memory was waiting for them. But the replica of the Sun Temple was smaller than the original. That didn’t surprise her since the replica was only used as a portal.

“We’re here,” Nikolai said after they disembarked from the cabin that served as a ship while they were traveling for a whole day. “It’s still the same portal.”

“I like it,” Mona said, smiling. Then they entered the temple. “I like how fast and convenient it is to travel on the East Continent using this portal.”

“Well, it depends on the Mana that serves as the portal’s fuel,” he explained. “If the Mana used to activate the portal is weak, it would take us at least a week to reach our destination.”

“We should thank Dion then,” she said, then she linked her arm with Nikolai’s. “Of course, we should thank Sienna and Ruto as well. Especially Ruto, since I heard that he has the authority to open the portal in the temple.”

As the Sun Priestess, Sienna was the head of the Cyran Temple.

However, the authority to use the portals connected to the temple belonged to Ruto. After all, the Solfrid Clan was the guardian of the temple.

“Ruto is quite an important figure in the East Continent,” she said, amused. “I can’t believe that he chose to spend his childhood in your empire. Moreover, I heard that he worked as a royal chef in your palace for years. What a humble young man.”

“Don’t praise him,” Nikolai protested. “Ruston Stroganoff is a fellow with a dark heart. He only worked in the palace because he has a hidden agenda. He’s a cunning young man who’s actually been targeting our daughter all this time.”

She just hummed happily, ignoring Nikolai’s “rant.”

[He’d lose it if I said I’d long known that Ruto and Neoma would be together for a long time.]

Thus, when Ruto was only a toddler, she asked the boy to look after her daughter.

She could see the future from time to time. Most of them were clear, but some were vague— just like how she saw a glimpse of her daughter’s future. Thus, she knew that Ruto would be loyal to Neoma.

However, she didn’t know what kind of relationship Ruto and Neoma would have.

[And I’m not inclined to worry about that yet since both of them were still children.]

“Mona, do you really like Ruston Stroganoff for Neoma?”

“I just think that Ruto is a good person who deserves the right to stand beside our precious daughter,” she said, then she gently squeezed Nikolai’s arm. “Don’t worry too much, Nikolai. I haven’t been with Neoma for that long yet, but I can already tell that she loves herself more than anything in this world.”

That wasn’t meant to be an insult to her daughter.

Neoma’s vanity was a part of her charm, after all. Moreover, she’d like it if her daughter became more obsessed with herself so she wouldn’t think about sacrificing her life for the world again.

“Nikolai, if you asked her to choose between herself and Ruto, who do you think she’d choose?”

“Neoma would choose herself without a doubt,” Nikolai said, then he smiled smugly. “Thank you, Mona. That made me feel better.”

Mona just laughed at Nikolai’s cuteness.

[You can really be so simple-minded sometimes, my love.]

***

“WE GREET Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor Nikolai, and Your Grace, Matriarch Roseheart.”

Nikolai was pleased with the greeting that they received from Ruston Stroganoff, Yngrid Solfrid, and the Sun Priestess Sienna. Manu, the Moon Priest, was also there but he kept his mouth shut.

[Is he still upset because of our decision not to let the new saint be born as a saint?]

Anyway, he didn’t care.

He was already in a good mood because, after a long time, people had finally greeted Mona with her rightful title again.

[Mona is the matriarch of House Roseheart. Moreover, they have the status of a duke. If only it wasn’t for the previous emperor, they wouldn’t have fallen to a lowly baron status. And everyone knows that.]

“Thank you for opening the portal despite giving you such short notice,” Nikolai said formally. “It must have caused a lot of trouble.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty,” Yngrid Solfrid said. “The Great Moonasterion Empire and the Kingdom of Suoh have a long history. There’s also a pact between the two that says whenever the emperor of the Great Moonasterion Empire asks to open the portal to the East Continent, the Kingdom of Suoh must answer without any question.”

That was true.

The portal that connected the West Continent to the East Continent was located in the Cyran Temple. Thus, the power to open the portal belonged to the Solfrid. In short, they didn’t need the king’s permission to use it.

“Even so, I appreciate the fact that you quickly responded to my call,” Nikolai said. “The last time I used the portal to go to the East for business purposes, the journey took a week. But this time, it only took a day.”

Yngrid smiled proudly. “We have Sienna and my son Ruto to thank for that, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t have any plan to acknowledge Ruston Stroganoff, but Mona pinched his forearm.

It was a light movement that shouldn’t hurt. However, Mona was Mona. Like the de Moonasterios, she was physically strong.

“Sienna and Ruston Stroganoff, you did well,” he said stiffly. “I appreciate your hard work.”

Sienna, the Sun Priestess, bowed her head towards him. “It’s an honor to serve Your Majesty.”

Ruston Stroganoff bowed his head, but he didn’t say anything.

[He’s acting strange. Did he really lose his memories?]

Neoma confided with Mona before their daughter left. According to Neoma, Ruston Stroganoff had lost his memories. Although he felt bad for his daughter who felt guilty for what happened, he couldn’t help but think that it was a good riddance.

“Your Majesty, are you really trying to kill me?” Manu whined in a dead voice, with a dead look in his eyes. “First, you decided to steal the new saint’s divine power so he wouldn’t be born a saint. And now, you left the throne and ran all the way here to the East Continent. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind trying to understand your family’s thought process.”

“Manu, right now, my children are in charge of everything,” he said to the Moon Priest. “You’ll really get crazy if you try to understand Nero and Neoma’s thought process because only the two of them understand each other the best. Just have faith in them.”

“It should be the other way around,” the Moon Priest whined again. “The representatives of Lord Yule thrive because of the faith of his devotees. But the current de Moonasterio family just does what they want without even consulting us!”

“Well, you were busy sleeping when the previous emperor- my father- was busy destroying the important clans in the empire because of his greed,” he said bluntly. “I took care of that matter without your support. What makes you think I need your opinion this time?”

This time, Manu didn’t get to retort.

Sienna patted the Moon Priest’s shoulder, obviously sympathizing.

Mona, on the other hand, cleared her throat to break the awkward silence that ensued. “I heard that Neoma is already on her way here,” she said, changing the topic. “May I know where exactly my daughter is right now?”

“Princess Neoma’s Mage has activated the teleportation scroll that I sent to their group, Lady Roseheart,” Sienna said politely. “They’ll be here any moment.”

As if on cue, the door on the podium in the middle of the room lit up.

“They’re here,” Ruston Stroganoff announced, then he walked towards the door. “Let me open the door for them.”

After saying that, the boy opened the door.

A few moments later, a staggering Neoma came out.

[Is she sick?]

He was worried that his daughter would fall to the floor. But fortunately, Ruston Stroganoff had caught her.

[Wait, it’s not “fortunate.”]

He frowned while glaring at Ruston Stroganoff’s hands on Neoma’s shoulders.

[How dare this boy touch my daughter’s shoulders right in front of me?!]

Ruston Stroganoff then asked his daughter: “Are you okay, Princess Neoma?”

.....

Neoma raised her head, obviously pleasantly surprised to see the royal chef. Then she spoke with urgency. “You, tell me,” she said, then she grabbed Ruston Stroganoff by the collar. “I know it’s my fault why you forgot about me, but you have to remember everything now, Ruto. You have to remember what happened to our baby.”

Ruto’s eyes went wide- and it was clear that he was shocked by her revelation. “B-Baby? Yours and mine?”

What...?

Did he hear his daughter correct?

His own thoughts were interrupted when Mona’s fluctuating Mana filled the room. Based on Mona’s anger, it seemed like he had heard Neoma and Ruston Stroganoff’s conversation correctly.

Nikolai almost growled due to the anger that rose in his chest. “What are you talking about, Neoma de Moonasterio?”

Mona, who almost squeezed his arm while trying to control her anger, said in an eerily calm voice. “How can a baby talk about having a baby?”

Ah, Mona was angry.

Neoma turned around to face them. First, she looked shocked to see that there were other people in the room aside from Ruto. Then fear crossed her eyes when she saw her mother’s face.

[I pity you, Neoma. Not even I can save you from your mother’s wrath.]

Neoma then stood in front of Ruto protectively. “Papa Boss, Mama Boss, everyone- please calm down,” she said nervously, and it was rare to see Neoma nervous. “Let me explain.”

***

[I DON’T think you can calm them down with just your words, Princess Neoma.]

Ruto was rarely nervous, but seeing both Emperor Nikolai and Matriarch Roseheart angry made him gulp.

And, for some reason, his body moved on its own.

Before he knew it, he was already pulling Princess Neoma by the arm as gently as he could. He hid the young princess behind him, and he stood in front of her protectively.

“Oh, you’re protecting me, Ruto?”

He turned to the young princess who whispered those words to him.

God, he thought he was going to go blind when Princess Neoma smiled brightly at him.

[I’ve seen several goddesses in my life that are supposedly known for their beauty, but they all pale in comparison to Princess Neoma.]

He was so going to hell for thinking that way about a girl four years her junior.

“See, your mind doesn’t remember me, but you still care about me,” Princess Neoma whispered smugly, then she patted his shoulder. “Good job.”

If someone else acted that way towards him, he would have felt insulted.

However, he didn’t find Princess Neoma annoying.

[Am I trapped under her spell or something?]

“We have to soothe the adults, Ruto,” the young princess whispered to him. “Let’s start by begging?”

“Huh?”

“Just say that you’ll take responsibility.”

“Excuse me?”

“Trust me, Ruto,” the young princess said, then she kicked the back of her knees.

Argh!

It seemed like Princess Neoma had forgotten about her monstrous strength as a de Moonasterio.

Before he knew it, he was already kneeling on the floor.

He wanted to be mad, but when Princess Neoma knelt beside him while looking up at her parents with a pitiful look on her face, his anger melted.

[Why can’t I get mad at her?]

“Mama Boss, Papa Boss, we didn’t do anything bad,” Princess Neoma said in a cracked voice. “Please don’t be mad.”

Huh?

How could someone who was just smiling smugly earlier be on the verge of crying now?

“Drop the act, Neoma de Moonasterio,” Emperor Nikolai, who was now standing in front of them beside Lady Mona Roseheart, said sternly. “Your fake tears won’t work on us.”

The young princess clicked her tongue.

Ruto was stunned.

[Did... Did Princess Neoma just click her tongue at the emperor?]

“Neoma, dear,” Lady Mona Roseheart said. Even though the matriarch called her daughter affectionately, her voice sounded a little cold. “I expect a clear explanation about what we heard just now.”

Princess Neoma avoided her mother’s gaze, then the young princess turned to him with a hopeful look on her (ridiculously beautiful) face.

[What do you want me to do, Your Royal Highness?]

Princess Neoma gave her the most pitiful, but also the most adorable puppy dog eyes that he had seen in his life yet. “Rutooo...”

Hah.

[I give up.]

He gathered all the courage he had and raised his head, bravely meeting Emperor Nikolai’s glowing red eyes and Lady Roseheart’s glowing light blue eyes.

Seeing the most powerful couple of the West Continent look at him like they wanted to crush him put immense pressure on his shoulders- literally and figuratively. However, it was too late to back out now.

“Your Majesty, Matriarch Roseheart,” Ruto addressed the power couple politely, then he gulped hard. “I’ll take responsibility.”

Of what, that he didn’t know.

***

“MAMA BOSS, Papa Boss, I swear that Ruto and I haven’t done anything indecent,” Neoma said after she explained to her parents that Calyx Dalton told her that she killed her baby in the past. “I was talking about the alleged baby in our past life, not in this current timeline. I won’t betray your trust, and Ruto wouldn’t touch a child inappropriately, either.”

Right now, they were using a tearoom in the Cyran Temple.

Her “children” were staying in the room next door.

On the other hand, Ruto was talking to his mother and the Sun Priestess. He was probably being scolded by his mother because of what had happened earlier.

[I’m sorry, Ruto...]

“Then are you saying that in the past, you had an intimate relationship with Ruston Stroganoff?” Manu asked with knitted eyebrows. “That’s ridiculous. Are you trying to recreate the mistake that Lord Yule and Lady Roxana had made in the past?”

Neoma knitted her eyebrows. “What mistake did they commit?”

“Lord Yule and Lady Roxana are both powerful major gods,” Manu said bluntly, then he pointed a finger at him. “Your crazy bloodline was the fruit of their love. That’s exactly the reason why the major gods were forbidden from conceiving children together.”

“What does it have to do with me and Ruto?” she asked. “We’re not gods, so the rule doesn’t apply to us.”

The Moon Priest wasn’t able to come up with a retort.

“Neoma de Moonasterio, I know that it’s the past you,” Papa Boss said, frowning. “But I don’t like it. I’m forbidding you to meet Ruston Stroganoff from now on.”

“You can’t do that to me, Papa Boss,” she complained. “I’m already an adult inside, so I know what I’m doing.”

“Your mental age has nothing to do with this,” her father said firmly. “I’m your father, so you’ll listen to me. We can’t trust Calyx Dalton’s words, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Your relationship with Ruston Stroganoff didn’t work in the past, so it may not work in this lifetime as well.”

“Papa Boss-”

“Do you have romantic feelings for Ruston Stroganoff now?”

Oh.

Why couldn’t she answer that question?

[I know that Ruto has feelings for me, but why can’t I admit that I have feelings for him, too? Does my past self resent him?]

“Nikolai, calm down,” Mama Boss said, then she touched Papa Boss’s arm before she turned to her and smiled warmly. It was a very different reaction from what her mother showed her earlier. “I’m relieved that you and Ruto haven’t done anything inappropriate, Neoma. I know that this should be a big deal. However, I don’t think we should make a fuss over something that Calyx Dalton said. He could have just said that to rile you up.”

“I know, Mama Boss,” she said, sighing. “That’s why I want to talk to Ruto. He has to remember it for us.”

Her mother smiled and nodded. “Then go ahead and talk to Ruto.”

Papa Boss turned to Mama Boss with a look of disbelief on his face. “Mona.”

“Let’s talk, Nikolai,” Mama Boss said firmly, then she turned to her. “Go ahead, Neoma.”

“Okay, Mama Boss,” Neoma said, then she quickly stood up from her seat and bolted out of the room before her mother changed her mind. “`Love you, you’re the best!”

***

NEOMA was humming happily while looking for Ruto.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to look for long because she saw him come out of the room at the end of the hallway soon. She was about to call him, but her smile slowly faded when she saw a pretty lady walking behind him.

Oh?

The girl (black hair, black eyes) was wearing a modern hanbok, just like what Lady Yngrid (Ruto’s mother) wore. It seemed like the standard clothing in the kingdom.

“Princess Neoma?”

Ah, as expected, Ruto immediately spotted her.

When he called her, the lady behind him also turned to her and smiled warmly.

[She looks like a bunny.]

That was a compliment.

The woman’s “bunny smile” reminded her of some of the female Kpop idols that she used to stan in her second life.

“Ruto, I was looking for you,” Neoma said while standing in front of him and the woman. “Can we talk in private?”

“Princess Neoma, can it wait?” Ruto asked hesitantly, then he turned to the lady behind him. “I have a prior appointment with Phoebe.”

‘Phoebe.’

He called her by her first name.

[Are they close?]

“Greetings, Princess Neoma,” the lady named ‘Phoebe’ said, smiling. “My name is Phoebe Willows, and I am Lord Ruto’s fiancée.”

She turned to Ruto for confirmation. “Do you know that she’s your fiancée?”

Ruto looked confused by her question.

But she didn’t like how he didn’t deny Phoebe Willow’s claim right away.

[Did Ruto express his feelings for me while he’s engaged to another girl?]

She had seen that story before- no, she had already experienced it. The role wasn’t right, though. After all, she was the fiancée in the first story. However, the fact that the person she liked was involved with another girl was the same.

At that moment, an unwanted memory suddenly emerged from the darkest part of her mind.

[“Rubin, are you cheating on me with Regina Crowell?!”]

She closed her eyes tight and covered her ears with her hands when she heard her older self’s desperate voice in her head.

[“Shut up, Neoma. I’m not in the mood to deal with you.”]

“Princess Neoma?” Ruto asked worriedly. “Are you alright?”

She could hear Ruto’s voice, but the voices in her head were louder.

[“Answer me, Rubin Drayton!”]

[“I told you to shut your damned mouth!”]

The next thing that she heard in her mind was the sound of Rubin’s hand slapping her cheek hard.

More than once.

She thought she had gotten over it.

But the next thing she knew, she had already fallen to the ground while her entire body was shaking.

It was a distant memory. And she had honestly forgotten about the part where Rubin Drayton had physically hurt her. After all, it was something that she had tried to forget really hard because she was ashamed of it- like how most victims of abuse felt.

However, hearing that Ruto might be engaged with another girl triggered the most painful memories of her past with Rubin Drayton.

Everything became clear in her head once again.

“N-No... Stop it...” Neoma said in a trembling voice, her eyes still shut tight while her hands were slapping her ears. “I’m s-sorry... I’m sorry... please stop...”

“Princess Neoma!”

She shut her eyes tighter. It was Ruto, she was aware of it. However, Rubin Drayton’s angry voice as he continued hitting her was ringing louder in her ears.

“I’m s-sorry!” Neoma yelled, her voice still trembling. “P-Please stop, Rubin...”

***

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