Royal Secret: I'm A Princess!

MONA gasped softly when she saw Amber Quinzel’s state.

Her son, Nero, was serious when he asked her and Nikolai to come with him earlier. Hence, she already expected that something bad happened.

Even so, she didn’t expect to see Amber as a reanimated corpse.

The duchess was currently tied to the bed with a rope made of Nero’s ice.

Amber’s skin had turned violet, her eyes all-black, and she kept growling lowly while moving her body uncontrollably. If the duchess wasn’t tied, there was no doubt she would attack everyone in the room.

“Amber…” Mona whispered, her voice shaking. “Is she…?”

“No, Duchess Quinzel isn’t dead yet,” Nero explained right away. “According to Lady Wisteria’s statement, Regina Crowell’s companion injected something into Duchess Quinzel’s body. After that, the duchess turned into something similar to a reanimated corpse.”

Mona was relieved to hear that.

Only dead people could be turned into a reanimated corpse, so she was worried that it might be too late to save the duchess now.

However, it made her wonder how a living person could be turned into a reanimated corpse.

[The crows created something that goes against Nature once again.]

Mona turned to Nikolai. “Have you informed Rufus about this?”

Nikolai nodded, then he turned to the door. “He’ll be here any minute now.”

“Amber!”

Mona’s thoughts were interrupted when the door suddenly burst open.

Rufus then entered the room running. He didn’t greet anyone in the room, and he went straight to his wife. And then he froze on the spot.

The devastated look on Rufus’ wife upon seeing his wife’s state was heartbreaking.

“No,” Rufus whispered to himself weakly, then he fell onto his knees and held Amber’s hand while crying. “Amber…”

“Amber Quinzel is still alive,” Nikolai said. “Don’t cry, Rufus.”

Mona smiled sadly.

[Nikolai hates seeing his friends cry.]

Rufus once again froze for a moment before he looked up at Nikolai with a hopeful look on his face. “Is that true, Your Majesty? But if Amber is still alive, then why did she become like this…?”

“The crows injected something in Duchess Quinzel’s body that turned her into that state, Your Grace,” Nero explained. “However, Regina Crowell claimed that she has the antidote that could return Duchess Quinzel back to normal.”

Rufus frowned, obviously displeased by the news. “I can’t trust Regina Crowell.”

“That’s the same case for us,” Mona said. “Hence, please allow me to check on Amber’s condition, Rufus. I promise to be careful.”

Amber was still alive, so there must be something that Mona could do for the duchess.

[I should at least lessen Amber’s pain.]

Mona could tell that Amber was in pain despite the incoherent noises the duchess was making.

[Amber is a friend, so it breaks my heart to see her suffer like this.]

Rufus immediately wiped the tears off of his face as he stood up. “Of course, Your Majesty. I entrust my wife to you.” The duke then bowed his head deeply. “Please help my wife, Empress Mona.”

“I’ll do my best, Rufus,” Mona promised the duke. “So please don’t cry. Hanna needs you to be strong for your family.”

Hanna was unconscious when Nero brought his fiancée back to the palace.

[If I remember correctly, Nero put Hanna to bed before he fetched us.]

But Mona heard Nero talking to his Soul Beasts earlier.

“Right. Hanna,” Rufus said. Now that he had calmed down, he seemed to have finally remembered that he had a daughter. “May I know where my daughter is?”

Mona and Nikolai both turned to Nero.

“According to my Soul Beasts that I left to protect Hanna, Hanna has already woken up,” Nero said to Rufus. “Hanna is in Neoma’s office, Your Grace.”

***

NEOMA had to take a deep breath to calm herself.

To say that she was angry after hearing what happened to Duchess Amber Quinzel would be an understatement.

first timeline, only one person could create zombies. And I’m pretty sure the method is biting the corpse.”

“That’s strange,” Ruto said calmly after hearing the story. “In the first timeline, only one person could create zombies. And I’m pretty sure the method is biting the corpse.”

Neoma turned to Ruto with a disgusted look on her face. “Seriously? The “Necromancer” has to bite a corpse to turn it into a zombie?”

Ruto nodded. “That’s why I know the crows couldn’t create that many zombies enough to terrorize the world. They could only create enough zombies to attack the Imperial Capital, hence I’m confident that they wouldn’t send that many reanimated corpses to other places.”

“But it seems like the crows have done something different again,” Neoma said, turning to Hanna again. “Regina said she has the antidote to return Duchess Amber back to normal?”

It was a bit distracting, but Hanna didn’t come to her office alone.

Sev, the ice wolf, was sleeping at her feet.

On the other hand, Zeru– the Ice Phoenix in the form of a small bird– was sitting comfortably on Hanna’s shoulder.

[Nero made his Soul Beasts escort Hanna, huh?]

If Nero couldn’t do it himself, then it was safe to assume that her twin brother was busy with his other duties.

[He’s probably with Mama Boss and Papa Boss.]

Hanna, whose eyes were still red and puffy, nodded. She was having tea to help herself calm down, but it didn’t seem to be working. “But Regina Crowell said she’ll only give it if you meet her before the war, Neoma.”

“I’ll go, then.”

Ruto sighed, but he didn’t say anything to oppose her decision.

[Good boy.]

“It’s obviously a trap, Neoma,” Hanna said in a frustrated voice. But it was clear that she was frustrated with herself. “Regina Crowell also said you have to bring a Healer with you. It sounds suspicious.”

Hmm.

Greko was the official Healer in her group.

[I’m sure Greko will agree to come with me if I asked. Although I’m hesitant to bring a child with me when it’s obvious I’ll be walking into a trap, I cannot not help Hanna and Duchess Amber.]

Neoma just had to make sure that Greko wouldn’t be harmed.

“I’m sorry, Neoma.”

Neoma knitted her eyebrows. “Hey, what are you saying?”

“I knew you would put your life at risk for my family, and yet I still asked you to help me,” Hanna said in a cracked voice, then she covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry, Neoma– I really am. I shouldn’t have asked for your help.”

“Hanna, we’re family,” Neoma said firmly. “Moreover, Duchess Amber is family to me, too. She used to be my mother, remember?”

Duchess Amber wasn’t a good mother to Neoma in the first timeline.

However, the duchess was still someone who took care of her when she had nothing.

[And even though Duchess Amber wasn’t a good mother to me in the past, she is a loving mother to Hanna.]

Plus, Neoma didn’t want Duke Rufus to be heartbroken.

[Duke Rufus was a good father to me in the first timeline. If I could repay his kindness this way, then I’d do it in a heartbeat.]

But most of all…

“Hanna, you’re my sister and best friend,” Neoma said softly. “I will never forgive Regina Crowell for making you cry.”

Seeing Hanna break down was hell.

[It hits differently when a strong person you know suddenly breaks into tears.]

Hanna removed her hands from her face, her tears still rolling down her cheeks silently. “I don’t deserve you, Neoma.”

Neoma just laughed it off. “Don’t say that, Hanna,” she said, handing a handkerchief to her best friend. “You know I’ll never hesitate to kill for you.”

***

[OKAY, MY afternoon nap is over.]

It was ridiculous, but Neoma was forced by her “children” to agree to have an hour-long nap every afternoon.

Even though they were in the middle of the war, Lewis and the others still forced her to sleep.

[Well, I guess I should sleep as much as I can. Because I’m pretty sure I cannot sleep anymore once the war starts officially.]

“You’re awake, Princess Neoma.”

“Yeah. Good afternoon, Dahlia,” Neoma said in response to Dahlia’s response while stretching her arms. “Update?”

Dahlia sat on the chair next to the bed before she responded. “Prince Nero is busy dealing with the reanimated corpses that they found in House Spencer.”

Ah, right.

According to the report that Nero gave her before she went to have her afternoon nap, Marquis Russell was already dead and had been turned into a zombie.

[Those fucking crows… they stole my prey from me.]

“Lord Ruto is currently in the conference room with His Imperial Majesty and the Griffiths Royal Family,” Dahlia continued with her report. “They said you’re free to join them anytime, Princess Neoma.”

Argh.

To be honest, she wasn’t that inclined to join the meeting.

[Ruto is so strict when he’s giving orders. I don’t like it. The more he tells me to do stuff, the more I want to rebel against him.]

There must be really wrong with her personality.

“Dahlia.”

“Yes, Princess Neoma?”

“I’m going to write my last will and testament.”

Dahlia’s eyes opened wide. “Excuse me?”

“As my official secretary, you have the power to notarize my last will and testament,” Neoma said, pretending she didn’t see the shocked look on Dahlia’s face. “I’ll donate my money to the foundation and school I support. Then divide the rest of my wealth and properties to Lewis, Juri, Jeno, Paige, Xion, and Greko. I don’t know how I’ll die, but I don’t want to be buried in the Imperial Shrine.” She tilted her head to one side. “Ah, I should also write a will that says my family and my “children” can’t destroy the world if I die.”

“Princes Neoma…”

Hmm?

She was surprised when Dahlia suddenly burst out crying.

“Why are you talking like that, Princess Neoma?” Dahlia asked between sobs. “You’re not dying… we won’t let you die…”

Aww, Dahlia was being cute.

“Don’t worry, Dahlia. I have no intention of dying without putting up a fight,” Neoma assured her crying secretary. “But I need that last will and testament soon.”

[I’m Neoma– I always have a plan.]

***

NEOMA was on her way to the conference room with Lewis and Dahlia tailing behind her when THEY came.

By ‘they,’ she meant the gods that she lured out on purpose during her broadcast.

“Argh!”

“Grrr…”

Ah.

Dahlia and Lewis both fell to the floor while catching their breaths.

The Black Witch covered her mouth with her hands as if she wanted to throw up, while her fox “son” growled angrily.

Even so, both Dahlia and Lewis couldn’t withstand the presence of the gods around them.

Yes, gods.

If there were only a few gods there, then Dahlia and Lewis wouldn’t be brought down to their knees like that.

However, Neoma didn’t expect to be visited by these many celestial guests.

There were at least fifty pairs of red eyes floating around them– and all of those eyes were focused on Neoma.

[Gosh, I’m so popular.]

And the best part?

There weren’t only minor gods there.

A few mid-level gods were also present.

But the thing that surprised Neoma was the appearance of a major god.

[Trevor, we’re gonna die from overworking at this rate.]

“Welcome, my dear clients,” Neoma said, smiling at her important guests. “Before we negotiate, let me ask you a question first: are you good at catching zombies?”

***

“LORD RUTO, Delwyn has arrived with the treasures of the Hazelden Kingdom.”

Ruto nodded politely at what King Glenn said.

He had been expecting Delwyn and the treasures of Hazelden to arrive, but his troubles didn’t end there.

“Thank you for bringing them here, Your Majesty,” Ruto said to King Glenn, then he turned to the emperor. “Your Imperial Majesty, are there knights among the Order of the Royal Knights who can ride a flying animal?”

“Why are you asking when you already know the answer?” Emperor Nikolai scoffed, then he threw something at Ruto. “There. Use that.”

Ruto immediately caught the thing that the emperor threw at him. .𝘯𝘵

It was a golden plaque.

To be precise, it was the golden plaque that belonged to the Commander of the White Lion Knights.

The engraved white lion on the golden plaque was blinding.

[Argh.]

Ruto frowned at the golden plaque that he used to own in the first timeline. “Your Majesty, I do not wish to carry something as heavy as this plaque.”

[His Majesty hasn’t given up on his desire to make the Commander of the White Lions.]

He still hated the idea of becoming the commander again, but he would admit that having that position would make it easier for him to give orders.

[And His Imperial Majesty knows that.]

“You’re already bossing us around, so why don’t you make it official already? If you accept the position, then you don’t have to ask my permission for trivial things. You can also command the different Orders of the Royal Knights as you wish,” Emperor Nikolai said, smirking. “‘Commander Ruto’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think so?”

Opportunist.

Ruto was terrified at the realization of how big of an opportunist Emperor Nikolai was.

[His Imperial Majesty is really Princess Neoma’s father…]

***

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