Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

598 NERO’S MISMATCHED PAWNS

“WHO WOULD want to die for a crafty little prince like you?”

It was Alucard Dionisio (a demon pretending to be the heir of Viscount Leo Dionisio).

Long black hair, gray eyes, pale skin– the demon had the vessel of a teenage boy.

There were demon worshippers in the Great Moonasterion Empire hiding in the North Region. Nero, with the help of the Fletcher Twins, destroyed the cult that summoned and worshipped Alucard. After that, he made a contract with the demon for him to become his knight.

Just like what happened in his first life.

Nero had what Alucard wanted the most: his blood.

[Yes, Alucard is a blood-sucking demon who’s obsessed with my blood. I agreed to be his personal source of nutrients in return for his loyalty.]

“I can’t die until I meet Princess Neoma in person, Prince Nero!”

It was Sanford Devon, a former prince of a fallen nation that the empire invaded eleven years ago.

.....

Blond hair that shone like gold, brilliant green eyes, milky white skin.

The fallen prince’s nation was destroyed by the current emperor.

[Yes, Father invaded his kingdom in the past.]

But Sanford Devon didn’t resent the current emperor because he knew how corrupted his nation was, even though he was only ten years old when that happened. Emperor Nikolai let the young prince live because he was the only member of the Devon Royal Family who didn’t take part in his family’s disgusting activity.

[If I remember correctly, Sanford’s parents and older brother were all pedophiles who would demand the common and noble households to “offer” their children to the Royal Family. Even if Father didn’t invade their nation, the oppressed citizens would have revolted against the Devons, anyway. In the end, the lives of their people improved when their nation was absorbed by the empire.]

Sanford Devon was offered a noble title after the fall of his nation, but he refused it. But he didn’t actually need a noble title to be famous.

[After all, Sanford Devon is one of the youngest Swordmaster in the empire.]

But that wasn’t the fallen prince’s “real” identity.

[Sanford Devon is actually a Rogue who has a penchant for stealing from the rich. He then shares his loot with the poor.]

“Prince Nero, I only agreed to be loyal to you because I’m obsessed with pretty faces,” Sanford Devon said, then he clasped his hands together as if he was praying. “You said Princess Neoma is prettier than you, even though you’re twins. I want to bless my eyes with the image of the most beautiful lady in the empire, so please allow me to see Her Royal Highness before I die.”

If Sanford Devon was interested in Neoma in a sexual way, he would have killed the fallen prince a long time ago.

[That would prove that he was a pedophile like his family.]

But that wasn’t the case.

[Sanford Devon is just obsessed with pretty faces. His penchant for beauty is like other people’s penchant for jewelry or shiny things. In short, this crazy bastard sees people as mere statues that he could judge as either “beautiful” or “ugly.”]

“If I’m satisfied with your job, then I’ll let you see Neoma,” Nero lied with a straight face. “So you better not slack off.”

Sanford Devon grinned at him. “Prince Nero, I’ll show you the power of a Swordmaster.”

He just rolled his eyes while the fallen prince did a weird “victory dance.”

“Can we stop talking already?!”

It was Lucien Attewell, the seventeen-year-old crazy wizard who had run away from the Royal Mage Tower four years ago. Curly red hair, bright orange eyes, and tanned skin– this boy would look like a decent noble child if he would only keep his mouth shut.

“Let’s make everything explode!” Lucien Attewell exclaimed. “I want to test my new babies!”

By “babies,” the wizard meant bombs and other kinds of explosives.

[Crazy kid.]

“Prince Nero, can I go home?”

Nero turned to Melvin Luchessi– the most important member of his team.

Blue hair, really pale blue eyes, skin as white as now.

This lanky and frail-looking nineteen-year-old boy was Nero’s secretary who was in charge of administrative jobs.

[He’s also the second son of Count Tyler Luchessi of the Neutral Faction. The members of the Neutral Faction are the kings of the North Region, where the demon worshippers hid. When I helped the lords of the North destroy the cult, I asked Count Luchessi to give his second son to me to become my secretary.]

Of course, there was a reason why he chose Melvin Luchessi even though the young lord looked like he would be the first one to die on the battlefield.

“I’m useless in a fight,” Melvin Luchessi complained, his pupils shaking with fear. “I don’t understand why Your Royal Highness brought me here. I’m just a simple scholar! What if I died here? I’m only nineteen years old! I want to have a wife and an heir!”

“If you died, let’s blame it on Alucard,” Nero said casually. “He’s in charge of our protection, health, and transportation anyway.”

Sanford Devon laughed while clapping his hands. “That’s right! I should write a will and ask my friends to kill Alucard if I died during our missions!”

“You cheeky rascals,” Alucard growled lowly. “I may look like a child in this vessel, but I’m still older than your ages combined!”

“I told you to stop talking!” Lucien, the crazy wizard, complained while stomping his feet on the sand. “Let’s make everything explode now!”

Melvin frowned, his eyes brimming with tears.

[This group is so… mismatched.]

Maybe it was time to get serious.

“Everyone, shut up.”

Nero’s cold and commanding voice pierced through the noise.

And then everyone fell silent in an instant.

Alucard, Lucien, Sanford, and Melvin all looked at him while waiting for his next order intently.

[Finally, some peace and quiet.]

The silence matched the creepy atmosphere of Saanya Desert.

Right now, Nero and his group were standing in the middle of nowhere. Everywhere they looked, all they could see was sand and some cactus.

However, he knew that they were in the right place.

“Raku,” Nero said, summoning the final member of the team. “Come out.”

“…”

Raku, the most silent member of the team, didn’t utter a word in a response to his summons.

But a huge shadow cast over them.

Then, when that person landed, it caused an earthquake.

Raku, thirty-five years old, over two meters, huge built. Short black hair, snake-like golden eyes, skin covered by black scales.

The last member of Nero’s team was half human-half dragon.

[I’m glad we’re allies in this lifetime.]

“This is our first time working together, but I have faith in the people that I have chosen,” Nero said in a commanding voice. “If you don’t want to die tonight, then follow my lead well.”

Raku, Alucard, Lucien, Sandford, and Melvin bowed to him. “As you wish, Prince Nero.”

***

“NEOMA, here.”

“Oh, thank you,” Neoma said when she received the teleportation scroll from Ruto. “Do we just have to rip the scroll?”

Neoma, Ruto, and Hanna were in her cousin’s cabin at the moment.

The three of them were standing inside the magic circle that Ruto created. According to him, the long-distance teleportation scrolls would only work with a magic circle. She didn’t expect that he knew how to draw magic circles, too.]

[Gosh, my man is really a jack of all trades.]

“Yes,” Ruto said, answering her question. “The ship is near the island where Gavin Quinzel is. But it will take us another day to reach the island if we don’t use the teleportation scrolls. Since we’re in a hurry, we’ll be using these scrolls then.”

[I hope my “children” can catch up to us soon.]

She wasn’t worried because she trusted Ruto and Hanna.

But she didn’t want her “children” to worry about her, so she wanted to be with them as soon as possible.

“Will you be okay, Neoma?” Hanna asked worriedly. “You often get dizzy when using teleportation devices, don’t you?”

“I think I’ll be fine this time,” Neoma said, looking at Ruto with bright eyes. “Because Ruto will make sure I’m fine.”

Ruto cleared his throat and avoided her gaze, his cheeks, and ears red from embarrassment. “I’ll take care of you, Neoma.”

***

[I WANT to throw up.]

Neoma wasn’t feeling well when they landed on the beach where her appa was trapped.

“Are you alright?” Ruto asked worriedly while patting her back. “Do you want candy?”

“I’m fine,” Neoma said while shaking her head. “I’ll feel better soon.”

.....

It wasn’t like she had the luxury to worry about herself.

“I can feel Uncle Gavin’s presence,” Hanna said while looking at the cave in front of them. “He’s in there.”

Hanna probably felt it because she had the same attribute as her uncle.

Neoma, on the other hand, only felt an aura similar to Ruto.

[Is it because it was Ruto who trapped appa in the ice?]

“My Moon Princess, you’re finally here~”

Neoma raised her head and there, she found familiar faces who appeared out of nowhere.

Aunt Nichole.

The former saint Dominic Zavaroni.

Gin, the Black Cat.

Trevor.

And finally…

“Lewis,” Neoma said, smiling. She was relieved to see her “son.” “They didn’t starve you, did they?”

Lewis shook his head, then he pointed at Trevor. “Trevor beat me up, though.”

Trevor looked like he was betrayed by Lewis. “Son, did you really have to snitch on me– aw!”

The demon wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

After all, Neoma punched Trevor in the face– sending him flying. “How dare you hit my “son,” Trevor Kesser?”

***

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