性瘾者

"I DIDN'T know that demons can get sick," Neoma said with amusement in her voice. "This is so fascinating to see, Trevor."

Trevor, who lied completely still on the bed while looking pale and weak, smirked at her. "Princess Neoma, I'm happy that my suffering causes you entertainment," he said in a sarcastic voice. "But you know that demons don't work for free, right? You should reward me with your first and last dance during the Moon Festival."

She felt the sudden rise of tension in the room.

After all, she was with Nero and Lewis. Obviously, the two hated the fact that Trevor asked her for a dance. Gosh, these little boys were too young to be this overprotective, and yet, look at them being so possessive of her.

"I don't mind dancing with you," she said. Trevor was sick because he "ate" the pain that Nero should have felt when he used his Soul Beast's power. Dance as a reward to the demon for helping her twin brother enjoy his remaining days "awake" wouldn't hurt. "But Hanna is going to be my first dance since I'm required to dance with her. About my last dance, well…"

She felt like Trevor was going to get killed by Nero and Lewis if she gave a proper answer. So she used her big brain again to get out of that situation.

"Catch me if you can," she said vaguely. "I bet I'm going to be busy by then so if you happen to see me, let's see if you can make me dance with you."

Trevor laughed cheerfully. "I accept the challenge, my Moon Princess."

Nero cleared his throat. "Let's go, Neoma. His Majesty is waiting for you."

She turned around to face her twin brother.

Since she was acting as Prince Nero today, she wore his formal red and gold "prince suit" that matched her Papa Boss's official military uniform.

On the other hand, Nero was disguised as Lady Nara Quinzel again. He wore a brunette wig and a pretty maroon dress. Using one of Madam Hammock's potions, he also changed his ash-gray eyes into brown. After all, the color of their eyes was a shade unique only to the royal family members.

Nero looks so cute!

Her son wouldn't get left behind when it comes to looks.

Since it was a formal event, Lewis wore his formal military uniform. But instead of white and gold, the White Lion Knights' uniform this time was black and red. Apparently, they use their black uniform when escorting the royal family members outside the palace for two reasons.

First, wearing black would help them blend in the shadows and hide their presence if needed.

Second, wearing black would easily hide bloodstain compared to wearing white.

In short, whenever the royal family members were outside, all the knights expected them to be ambushed by enemies.

When assassins see the royal family, they probably think "it's free real estate."

"Yes, let's go," she said cheerfully. "I already sent Mochi to look for Duke Jasper Hawthorne and send my message to him. So let's meet up after I greet the people with Papa Boss."

Lewis gave her a firm nod.

"I'll be with Hanna the entire time," Nero said. "We will watch you from afar. To avoid getting attention, we won't bring guards with us."

"That's impossible, Brother," she said with a soft laugh. "Both you and Hanna are very pretty. I'm sure you'll attract attention so if I were you, I'd wear a wide-brim hat or a hooded cloak. Since Duke Quinzel will be in the plaza with the Black Hawk Knights, make sure to stay within their jurisdiction. Most of all, you two shouldn't use your Mana at all costs. I asked Mochi to find you after she talks to Duke Jasper Hawthorne. She'll act as your guardian."

Her brother smiled and gently patted her head. "Thank you for looking after us, Neoma. And don't worry too much. His Majesty's Soul Beasts are still with me."

She could see the divine balls of energy on either side of Nero, but of course, she was still worried about his safety. Especially since he'd be spending time with Hanna. Well, I'm the adult here so it's my job to worry about the kids.

"Hey, I'm the sick one here," Trevor complained. "You should be taking care of me as well, Princess Neoma."

She turned to Trevor with her usual business smile. When she said she should be taking care of the kids, that didn't include the demon boy. After all, he was older and more powerful than her. "I'll send Stephanie and Alphen here to bring you food and give you a bath later."

"I'm not a child," the talking book said, obviously unimpressed.

"Well, whatever," she said nonchalantly. "Try not to die on me, Trevor. After all, you'll regret it even in the afterlife if you miss the chance to dance with me."

Trevor laughed out loud. "I won't die on you, my Moon Princess."

She just smiled at the demon boy before she left the room with Nero and Lewis.

As soon as they came out of the chamber, they saw Hanna and Duke Rufus Quinzel. It seemed like the father-and-daughter duo were there to pick them up.

She almost got blinded by Hanna and Duke Quinzel's visuals.

The duke looked so dashing in his Black Hawk Knights' military uniform. Unlike Lewis's uniform with red details/decorations, Duke Quinzel's uniform was completely black. In fact, it made the duke look more of an assassin than a knight.

But His Grace looks very handsome.

Of course, Hanna looked like an angel just like his father.

Her cousin wore a lavender dress that almost resembled Nero's dress. She noticed that Hanna looked livelier recently. And she could look at Nero now without fear in her eyes.

I'm proud of you, bestie.

"Duke Quinzel, is it really alright for you to work now?" Neoma asked worriedly after they all exchanged their formal greetings. "I really feel bad that you got hurt because of me. But I'm grateful to you for saving me, Your Grace."

"Please don't feel bad, Princess Neoma. Madam Hammock did a fantastic job treating my injury so my arm is as good as new," Duke Quinzel said gently, his smile as warm as ever. "I'm just fulfilling my duty as a duke and as your uncle. I will never regret protecting and saving a child like you."

She smiled, holding back her tears.

Duke Quinzel is really a good father.

"I'm here to fetch you, Princess Neoma," Duke Quinzel said. "His Majesty is waiting by the palace's main entrance."

"Alright," she said in a cheerful voice. "Let's go."

Nero offered his arm to Hanna like a gentleman that he was. "Shall we go as well, Hanna?"

Hanna's cheeks turned pink, then she shyly nodded and linked her arms with Nero's.

Neoma could only watch the scene and worry.

What will happen to Hanna if Nero meets Dahlia in this lifetime?

***

"WHAT are you scheming with your little friends?" Nikolai asked Neoma strictly. "I heard that you woke up early to hold a meeting with Nero, Hanna, Trevor, and Gale."

"Whatever do you mean by that, Papa Boss?" Neoma asked "innocently." "We just played a little."

They could talk freely like that because as of now, they were in the royal carriage while heading to People's Palace. It was customary for them to enter Illumina Plaza in that fashion. Before they entered People's Palace, they were also required to "wave" at the crowd waiting for them eagerly.

Well, he never waved even back when he was still a Crown Prince.

Knowing Neoma, she will definitely wave at the crowd later.

Anyway, Glenn and Lewis Crevan didn't join them in the carriage. Instead, their personal knights rode on a horse guiding the carriage. As long as he was with Neoma, he wouldn't need any other guards anyway.

"You asked me a while ago to temporarily pull out the knights stationed at Castillo Hall," he reminded her. According to Neoma, she wanted to borrow the hall because she was going to practice dancing with Nero and Hanna. Of course, he didn't believe that lame excuse. "Who are you going to kill?"

His daughter's eyes widened in shock.

For a moment, she looked guilty.

But as a good actress that she was, the royal princess managed to hide her emotions by giving him a fake smile.

"Papa Boss, what scary imagination you have," Neoma said, still acting innocent. "My purpose for borrowing Castillo Hall is pure."

Yeah, right.

"Make sure that you won't leave any evidence in the crime scene," he told her sternly. "Burn the corpse and get rid of your traces."

The royal princess laughed, then her eyes turned sharp. "I won't kill them, Papa Boss. I just need to teach someone a lesson."

I knew it.

"Now we're talking," he said. "Don't abuse your power though. Even though Nero is already crowned, he's still powerless. House Quinzel and I pushed for the coronation. But in reality, a lot of old families haven't accepted your twin brother yet as the Crown Prince. If you want to protect your brother's position, then you better act properly until you gather allies."

"I know that, Papa Boss," she said, more serious now.

"House Lennox didn't attend your coronation," he said. "Do you know what kind of family they are?"

His daughter nodded before she responded. "House Lennox is the late empress's family in the mother side."

That was right.

Juliet's father was the former head of House Sloane, while her mother was from House Lennox.

"House Lennox is also the most influential member of the Royal Faction so having them on my side will solidify Nero's position as the Crown Prince," Neoma continued. Ah, she really understood politics. "I heard that even though they didn't fully express their interest in the Crown Prince, they still voted 'yes' in favor of crowning Nero."

"House Lennox supported my decision as a way to repay debt," he explained. "They took responsibility for not keeping an eye on House Sloane. But that doesn't mean that they have fully accepted Nero."

"I understand, Papa Boss," his daughter said. "I will do my best to win them over."

"It's going to be hard to win them over since they also hate me," he said. House Lennox blamed him for Juliet's death. And they hated them, even more, when he had children with Mona. If House Sloane didn't try to kill Neoma in the past, House Lennox wouldn't have allowed Nero to be the Crown Prince even though they were a part of the Royal Faction. "And they're probably looking down on you for being Mona's child."

"It's okay, Papa Boss. Not everyone has good taste," she said confidently. "And most of all, if I find them useless to my goal, I can always just drop House Lennox and find better allies."

"Easier said than done."

"Action speaks louder than words so I'll just show you that I'm built different, Papa Boss."

He just scoffed at her arrogance. "Anyway, the children that you support through Sword Lily Foundation have arrived," he informed her. "Lady Belmont, your teacher, will personally tour them around People's Palace later. Would you like to meet the children?"

"Nah, I don't want other people to find out that those children are under my foundation," Neoma said seriously. "I don't want my enemies to harm them just because they're connected to the "Crown Prince.""

Ah, the royal princess understood that as long as she was acting like the Crown Prince, everyone around her was in danger. After all, there were enemies that enjoyed tormenting their target by hurting the people close to them.

"I provided them with adequate security so don't worry about the children too much," he assured her. "Don't also forget that Lady Belmont is an influential figure in the society. Just the fact that she's acting as the head of Sword Lily Foundation is enough protection for your little scholars."

The royal princess blinked several times while looking at him in disbelief. "Papa Boss, are you comforting me?"

"No," Nikolai said firmly. "You're a child that doesn't need to be comforted, Neoma."

"Of course," Neoma said, then she turned outside the window. "You're the last person I'd expect to comfort me, Papa Boss."

***

NEOMA actually enjoyed waving at the crowd.

At soon as she stepped out of the royal carriage, she heard a loud cheer from the crowd. Judging by their clothes, the majority of them came from ordinary households. She was relieved that her Papa Boss ended up right.

Not everyone here hates me.

Anyway…

There was a barricade around the plaza that put a distance between them and the crowd. The barricade was also surrounded by the Black Hawk Knights. After Duke Rufus Quinzel greeted them when they got off the carriage, he joined his squad. After all, the duke was also the leader of the Public Order.

On the other hand, the People's Palace was guarded by the royal knights. But they weren't the White Lion Knights. After all, the emperor often sends his order to several missions.

Anyway, People's Palace is pretty luxurious for something built only for greeting the crowd.

In fact, it even looked more luxurious than Luna Palace– the one that she and Nero were using as their residence when they were still babies.

Tsk.

She suddenly remembered that Luna Palance, her former residence, didn't even have a proper garden.

But People's Palace had a gigantic and obviously expensive water fountain in front of it. It even had a statue of a mermaid holding a jar where the water was pouring from. Gosh, she couldn't believe that it was only built for the purpose of waving at the crowd.

Well, whatever.

She set aside her thoughts and waved at everyone, even to the sides that remained quiet.

Even in the modern world of her second life, there were still monarchies that remained well-loved by the people. If there was one thing that she wouldn't underestimate when it comes to the royal family was its ability to make people drawn to them.

Just like what was probably happening right now.

The more she waved, the louder the cheer got.

"Are you sure being too friendly is wise?" her Papa Boss asked when they entered People's Palace and climbed the grand staircase leading up to the balcony. Of course, Lewis and Sir Glenn were walking behind them. "I can't see Nero acting like you once he reclaims his place."

"Nero said it's okay for me to act like this," she said. "He said he can fill my shoes."

"Your brother is spoiling you too much."

She just laughed it off.

Then, they both became quiet as they entered the "Balcony." Much to her chagrin, Count Kyle Sprouse was already there.

Argh, Count Sprouse just has to be here, huh?

But since the count looked dashing in his crisp three-piece suit with one-shoulder mantle, she'd be easy on him today. Plus, she was distracted by the thing that looked like an in-ear headset microphone attached to his ear.

The "microphone" had a spirit stone attached to it.

"Esteemed people of the Great Moonasterion Empire," Count Sprouse said. Ah, so the spirit stone attached to the "headset" was a voice-amplifying one. It worked like how a microphone functioned in the modern world. "I present to you His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Nikolai de Moonasterio and His Royal Highness, Prince Nero de Moonasterio."

Neoma stepped into the balcony behind her father.

Of course, Emperor Nikolai just stood there like a beautiful sculpture, his facial expression and eyes as cold as Nero's ice.

Mama, how did you fall in love with such a boring man?

She didn't want the poor people of their empire to die of boredom so she took it upon herself to stand beside her Papa Boss. Then, she smiled brightly at the crowd and waved again.

The crowd cheered loudly…

… and then it was overpowered by a loud bang.

The next thing she knew, a part of the barricade was destroyed. Then, a certain group of people ran towards People's Palace immediately. But of course, the knights around easily surrounded them.

Leading the knights that caught the intruders was Duke Quinzel, of course.

She also noticed that the other knights were assisting their fellow knights and the civilians that got hurt because of the explosion. It wasn't strong enough to hurt the large crowd. But the people around the bomb (?) got caught in it when it exploded.

And since an attack happened, Lewis and Sir Glenn immediately stood on either of their sides.

"We don't want a Crown Prince with filthy blood!" shouted a young commoner boy, probably around fifteen to seventeen years old. His group consisted of five more boys and three girls around his age. "Step down, you disgusting illegitimate child!"

In the crowd, several grown-ups began to shout insults at him as well until they were joined by more people.

The children caught by Duke Quinzel's squad were now on the ground while being subdued by the knights. The knights were now putting handcuffs while the teenagers were struggling to get out of their grasp but to no avail.

"Get inside," her Papa Boss ordered her. "It seems like these people have forgotten who I am just because I haven't faced them recently."

"It's okay, Papa Boss. I'm a star so I'm used to dealing with haters," she said, then she turned to Count Sprouse. "Lord Sprouse, may I borrow your microphone?" When the count looked confused, she explained. "I mean, the voice amplifier."

"Ah," Count Sprouse said, then he turned to the emperor as if he was asking for permission. "Your Majesty...?"

Her Papa Boss nodded at the count, then he turned to her. "Don't curse."

"I won't, Papa Boss," she said, then she allowed Count Sprouse to put the voice-amplifying device in her ear.

After that, she cleared her throat and faced the crowd with her "business smile."

"Good day, honored people of the Great Moonasterion Empire," Neoma greeted the crowd brightly. "I am Nero Roseheart de Moonasterio," she introduced herself, including her mother's last name on purpose. It obviously shocked the crowd because they fell silent. "Now, shall we talk like civilized people?"

Unbeknownst to Neoma, Emperor Nikolai, Count Sprouse, Sir Glenn, and even Lewis all had the same thought during that moment: ["Princess Neoma is going to kill those people with her sharp tongue."]

***

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