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It was safe for them to talk that way because of her Shadow Manipulation Technique.

The barrier around her and Lewis was invisible to the eye, but thanks to that, no one could hear their conversation from the outside. Moreover, people who would look their way wouldn’t see them clearly.

[Anyway...]

She was with Lewis- whose hair and eyes dyed with magic- because he picked her up after Sir Emmet, the vice-captain of his father’s army, dropped her off at the plaza. That was where Lewis fetched her.

“But Lewis, did you say that Miss Dahlia would stay in Hazelden, too?”

“Yes,” Lewis, who was walking beside her, said. “But she’s staying in the palace, not in the same villa as Prince Nero.”

.....

That was a relief to hear.

She couldn’t do anything with the fact that Dahlia was a valuable member of the Order that Nero was preparing. But she was glad to know that Nero knew how to put a line between him and the Black Witch.

[Nero promised that he will marry me, and I trust him.]

“Lady Hanna, are you okay?”

She turned to Lewis, confused. “I’m okay, Lewis. I trust Nero. He won’t betray me.”

“I hope so,” Lewis said. “If the Crown Prince betrays you, I might be forced to commit treason and beat him to a pulp.”

She laughed softly at what Lewis said.

But, to be honest, she was touched. Even if he was just saying that to console her, she still appreciated it.

[Neoma raised Lewis well.]

“Thank you, Lewis,” she said, then she lightly bumped her shoulders with his. She was aware that Lewis hated physical contact, but she also knew that it was alright as long as they didn’t have skin-to-skin contact. “Did you hate it?”

Lewis touched the part of his shoulder that touched hers. “It’s alright, Lady Hanna. I’m fine if it’s with you and Princess Neoma.”

“Lewis, I don’t mean to patronize you, but I believe it will help you get better if you get used to skin-to-skin contact slowly,” she said gently. “I’ve read in a book that physical contact is vital not only for mental and emotional health but physical health, too.”

“Really?”

“Do you remember the time when Neoma talked to the doctors who are in charge of taking care of the children that you saved from the Death Camp?” she asked. When Lewis just nodded, she continued. “Neoma told the doctors and the Healing Sages to help improve the children’s mental health. Ever since then, books that talk about the importance of mental health and how to take care of it were released by those doctors.”

“Ah, I see.”

She laughed at Lewis’ indifference.

[He really doesn’t care about things that aren’t related to Neoma.]

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lewis said, surprising her. “Since it’s you who gave that piece of advice, Lady Hanna.”

She couldn’t help but smile widely at that. “I’m relieved to know that you listen to me, too.”

“Of course,” he said. “We’re rooting for each other, aren’t we?”

“Thank you,” she said, still smiling.

But her smile soon disappeared when she felt someone approach them from behind sneakily.

Lewis felt it, too, seeing how his body turned around immediately at the same time she did.

“Hey, it’s just me.”

Oh.

It was Duke Jasper Hawthorne.

She was about to greet the young duke politely, but he smiled and shook his head while gesturing at his casual outfit.

[Ah, he’s disguised as a commoner.]

It was the right thing to do since they were in the commoners’ area. Hence, both Lewis and she were also in disguise.

In the end, she just smiled and nodded politely at the young duke.

Then she deactivated the barrier that protected her and Lewis.

“Where’s Miss Ramsay?” Lewis asked Duke Hawthorne sharply. “I thought I told you to keep her safe while I was out.”

“Don’t worry too much,” the young duke said casually. “A stronger knight appeared.”

She tilted her head to one side, curious.

“Viscount Stroganoff arrived,” Duke Hawthorne explained. “Miss Ramsay and the viscount are having a lovers’ quarrel, so I lent them my office in the meantime.”

Lovers’ quarrel?

Because of those seemingly innocent words, she saw pain cross Lewis’ eyes.

“Miss Ramsay and the viscount aren’t lovers,” Hanna said firmly. When the young duke turned to her with a shocked look on his face, she smiled “kindly” at him. “Please refrain from assuming Miss Ramsay’s relationship with the viscount, Your Grace.”

Duke Hawthorne looked taken aback. “Uhm, I apologize,” he said, even though it looked like he was confused as to why he was apologizing to her. “I misspoke... I guess?”

She just smiled at the young duke, then she turned to Lewis.

[Oh?]

Lewis gave her a small, grateful smile when their eyes met.

Hanna smiled back at him, happy to have fulfilled her friend’s duties.

[I’ve got your back, Lewis.]

***

“YOU LIED earlier when you said I got prettier, didn’t you?” Neoma confronted Ruto. “You can’t see my face, so how could you say I got prettier?”

Ruto, who was writing a reflection paper, stopped midway to look at her.

Yes, she made him write a reflection paper that said:

Thus, Ruto was sitting in the receiving chair while writing on Jasper oppa’s desk.

Of course, she was sitting behind the table, using the young duke’s chair as if it was hers.

[Jasper oppa left and lent us his office. He said he’d go and inform Lewis and Hanna that I have an unexpected guest.]

She could have just left with Ruto.

But she figured Lewis and Hanna would get worried, so she opted to stay in Jasper oppa’s office. It was a safe place, anyway.

“I can see your face clearer now, Neoma,” Ruto said. “Because you’ve become stronger.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t see the faces of average humans,” he explained. “However, I can see the faces of gods and strong Spirits clearly.”

“So, the stronger the person is, the clearer their image is in your eyes?”

“It doesn’t apply to average humans. That means I can’t still see the face of the strongest human in the world,” he said, then he continued writing his reflection paper. “However, humans like the de Moonasterios are the exception. After all, you have divine powers that gods possess. Thus, the stronger you get, the clearer I could see you.”

“You can’t see me before,” she said, shocked. “Am I that weak in the past?”

“You were strong for a human back then,” he said. “But remember when Sie- I mean, the Sun Priestess beat you before?”

She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning like a fool.

[Ah, he remembers that I hate hearing him call Lady Sienna by her first name.]

“For someone who received Lord Yule’s divine power, you were pretty weak back then,” he said casually. “The Sun Priestess is considered a little above average at best within people who have received their god’s divine power, and yet she still defeated you.”

She pouted. “But I killed a minor god back then.”

“A dying minor god, you mean?”

“Ruto, I’m a narcissist,” she reminded him bitterly. “I’m sensitive to criticism.”

He stopped writing, then he raised his head to look her in the eye. “You’re prettier and stronger now, so the past doesn’t matter.”

“Praise me more to make it up for criticizing me earlier.”

“You’re tall.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You look good as a brunette, too.”

She smiled and nodded. “I know, right?”

.....

“Let’s stop this,” he said. “A seventeen-year-old boy praising a thirteen-year-old girl’s physical appearance feels wrong.”

If she didn’t know that both she and Ruto were adults inside, she wouldn’t have let happen in the first place.

“Then just praise me for my personality,” she urged him.

“Your personality is a little... uh...”

She glared at him. “Ruston Stroganoff.”

“You really sound scary when you call me by my full name,” he said, laughing softly. Then he handed her the reflection paper he just finished. “I’m done with your punishment.”

She read Ruto’s reflection paper. Like what she told him to do, he filled the paper back and forth with his “promise.”

[Damn, his penmanship looks superb and elegant.]

But the content was a little different from what she asked him to write:

“Why did you only put my first name?” she asked, confused. “Why put a blank after my name instead of simply putting ‘Ramsay’ on it?”

“You’re not a Ramsay.”

“Then you should have just used my surname,” she said. “I’m still a de Moonasterio, and I’ll be registered to the Royal Household officially soon.”

He gave her a half-smile. “You won’t be a de Moonasterio forever.”

She had to cover her face with the paper to hide her silly grin from him. “Ruston Stroganoff, you’re trying too hard to pacify me, aren’t you?”

“If you say so.”

[This punk...]

“Neoma, let me see your face.”

“Fine,” she said, then she put on a serious face before she put the paper away from her face. “Look as much as you can before I send you home.”

He put his chin on his hand while he propped his elbow up on the table. “You’re really sending me back home?”

“You’re a patient, Ruston Stroganoff,” she said sternly. “Don’t make your mother worry too much.”

“But I’m fine-”

“You’re not fine,” she said, cutting him off. “I heard it from Lady Sienna. You nearly died because Helstor and Callisto de Luca ganged up on you. The Sun Priestess said it was a miracle that you survived the attack of a full god like Helstor, plus the half-god de Luca.”

To be honest, she was shocked that Helstor and Callisto de Luca had joined hands.

But she was more concerned about what happened to Ruto after he confronted the two for her sake.

[To be precise, Ruto confronted Calyx Dalton.]

And because of that, Ruto was ambushed by Helstor and Callisto de Luca.

“Those two oldies caught you because you tried to kill Calyx Dalton for my sake,” she said, her heart aching once again. “I understand why your mother dislikes me.”

“Neoma, it’s my decision to do the things I do for you.”

“Ruston Stroganoff, you may be an adult inside,” she said gently. “But for your mother, you’ll always be a baby. If I were in her shoes, I also wouldn’t be happy to see my son putting his life on the line because of a girl.”

“But you’re not just any girl, Neoma.”

“I know that. I’m the most beautiful and probably the strongest girl on the entire continent, too,” she said shamelessly. “But your mother doesn’t care about that. For her, I’m just someone who puts her son in danger. Usually, I don’t give a fuck about other people’s opinions of me. But I don’t want to be disliked by your mother. After all, she’s a precious person to you.”

He kept quiet while listening intently to her, so she didn’t stop talking.

“And after I got reunited with my Mama Boss, I realized that as a daughter, it’s my responsibility to be careful not to do things that would make my mother worry,” she said gently. “So, if you can, please don’t make your mother suffer due to your stubbornness.”

Ruto fell silent for a while, then he slowly nodded. “I understand,” he said softly. “I’ll return home and apologize to my mother properly.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “And remember that I care about you, Ruto.”

His face lit up when she called him by his nickname.

“I don’t want you to die for me,” she said, pouring her heart into every word she was saying. “I want you to live for me instead, Ruto. If you die because of me, I feel like I’d go crazy and destroy this world for real.”

It wasn’t just Ruto, though.

If any of the people she loved died, she wouldn’t forgive this world. Or the gods. Whoever or whatever it was that would take her precious people away from her, she would destroy them.

“So, for the sake of this world that you want to protect, please don’t get hurt. Don’t even think about dying, Ruston Stroganoff,” she said, dead serious. Her eyes even turned glowing red despite the magic that dyed her pupils brown. “Don’t make me destroy this world.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll be more careful from now on,” Ruto said obediently. “Neoma?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re so cool,” he confused, awed. “I think my heart skipped a beat.”

That actually made her laugh.

She was used to getting praises for her unparalleled beauty, but it was rare for her to receive that kind of compliment. It was refreshing, and she was glad that it came from Ruto.

“Let’s stop fooling around,” she said, then she turned serious1. “I have some news about the baby saint, and the decision that our family has come up with about his birth.”

Ruto turned serious, too. “And I have information about the technique that Helstor used that nearly killed me. It’s not much, but I can also tell you the things that I know about Callisto de Luca’s current state.”

“As the representatives of the Moon God and the Sun Goddess, let’s exchange information,” Neoma said, getting into ‘business mode’ in an instant. “Let’s take down the enemies together, Ruto.”

***

“UNCLE, am I really His Majesty’s son?” Calyx asked his Uncle Raven while they were having dinner. “Ruston Stroganoff said that I don’t have the glow of the emperor’s firstborn.”

“Don’t think about useless stuff, Calyx,” his Uncle Raven scolded him. “They don’t have proof that you don’t have the glow of the current emperor’s firstborn. After all, only a select few could see that glow. One of those people is the saint, but that position is currently vacant. As long as the Astello Temple doesn’t have a saint, the Royal Family couldn’t prove to the public that you aren’t Emperor Nikolai’s real firstborn child.”

He wasn’t convinced by what his uncle said.

To be honest, he wanted to know if he was really the emperor’s son. But his uncle’s vague response only made him confused.

He and his Uncle Raven turned to His Excellency, who was back in his crow form- the crow with a metallic voice that was sitting on the backrest of the long table’s center seat.

“A few years ago, Lord Yule left a message to the world that says the First Star would bring the new saint to the temple,” his Uncle Raven said. “According to Lord Helstor, the royal princess is the First Star and not the Crown Prince.”

Calyx raised an eyebrow, his head hurting even more. [So... I’m not the First Star?]

“It’s a shame, but it’s too late for us to change that since the Moon God himself announced the prophecy to the public,” his Uncle Raven said. “The public already believes that the Crown Prince is the one destined to bring the new saint to the temple.”

His Excellency Callisto de Luca said in an amused tone.

***

Belated Happy Mother’s Day to Neoma1, Mona, Amber, and Brigitte (and all the mothers in this novel!).

A little lame extra...

Neoma: *celebrating Mother’s Day with her Papa Boss before she rescued her mother* Papa Boss, I want my Mama Boss.

Nikolai: I also want your mother, Neoma.

Neoma: ...

Nikolai: ...

Neoma: Eww, Papa Boss.

***

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