性瘾者

[Nero got a pretty tattoo?]

Neoma couldn’t help but stare at Nero while descending.

[He’s literally glowing.]

Ah, no.

It would be more appropriate to say that the marks on Nero’s face were glowing.

Ancient texts were inked around Nero’s glowing red eyes like an infinity symbol.

It actually looked really cool, especially since the ancient texts were silver in color. They weren’t actually that visible because of Nero’s pale skin.

The only reason the silver ancient texts were noticeable was because they were glowing.

.....

“So cool,” Neoma said when she landed on her feet, standing in front of Nero while observing his cool tattoo closer. “Where did you get that tattoo?”

She had to ask in a whisper because Papa Boss was giving a heartfelt speech.

[Calyx and the other bastards have already fled, huh?]

Anyway, Nero just glared at Neoma.

[Gosh, so grumpy.]

“It was a gift from the First Emperor,” Mama Boss whispered to her. “But let’s talk about it later. Your father is looking at you, Baby Muffin.”

Oh?

Neoma turned to Papa Boss at the same time her father looked at her.

“People of the Great Moonasterion Empire, let me formally introduce Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio to all of you– she’s my daughter, and the one and only Imperial Princess.”

Ohh~

“Princess Neoma,” Papa Boss said, addressing her by her title. “Come here.”

Neoma politely nodded, then she walked towards her Papa Boss and accepted his extended hand.

It actually felt surreal.

This was already her third life, but this was only the first time she was officially granted her birthright as an Imperial Princess.

[Wow, did I finally hit the jackpot in this lifetime?]

“Greet our people,” Papa Boss said encouragingly, squeezing her hand gently. “We still have a lot of things to explain, but a proper greeting must still take place first.”

“I’d like to do that personally, Papa– Father,” Neoma said, catching herself before she accidentally called her father ‘Papa Boss’ in front of everyone. Then she turned to her Papa Bosss with a serious look on her face. “Can we go outside and greet the people properly?”

Since the crow bastards were already gone, it was safe to do that now.

“That’s a brilliant idea, daughter,” Papa Boss said, then he turned to Mama Boss and Nero. “Mona, Nero, come and join us.”

***

“OH? The infinity symbol around your eyes has disappeared,” Neoma commented when Nero and Mama Boss joined her and Papa Boss. “It was so cool.”

Hanna already turned off the camera for now.

Hence, she was free to talk to her family casually while the others were cleaning up the mess in the courtroom.

Fortunately, the pillars of Darkness had already been purified.

[It’s safe now.]

“You’re not supposed to see it,” Nero said, frowning at her. “I wasn’t in my sound mind earlier, but I heard Mother’s conversation with the First Emperor who gave me the tattoo. He said the mark would only be visible when hit by the moonlight. It’s still broad daylight, so how did you see it?”

“Nero is right, Neoma,” Mama Boss said, obviously amazed and curious. “The First Emperor put the mark on my hand and asked me to cover Nero’s eyes with it. I felt the power of the Moon in my hand, but I didn’t see it.”

Oh, that was interesting.

[It makes me feel like I’m really the main character of this lifetime.]

“Maybe it’s because I’m also considered the lesser Moon?” Neoma joked just to annoy Nero who was the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince of the empire was usually referred to as the ‘lesser Moon.’ It was her little revenge against her twin brother who kept on glaring at her. “Perhaps my existence allows me to see the tattoo given by Grandpa Primo?”

“As expected, you’re aiming for the throne and you’re not even hiding your greed,” Nero said, glaring at her. “I won’t let my guard down.”

“I’m not going to steal the throne from you,” Neoma assured her twin brother. “You’re going to give it to me later.”

‘Later’ would be when Nero finally retrieved his memories.

“You’re saying something strange again,” Nero said, scoffing. “The throne is mine.”

“What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is mine.”

Nero knitted his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not excused.”

As expected, Nero glared at her again.

Neoma was fully aware she was being immature by teasing her baby brother with her nonsense, but she couldn’t help it.

[Nero’s reactions are so cute and funny.]

“Stop fighting, children,” Papa Boss scolded them lightly. “We’re going to face the citizens later. I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

Neoma acted innocent. “I’m always on my best behavior during public appearances, Papa Boss. You should only be saying that to Nero. I’m the sunshine– he’s the raging storm.”

She couldn’t help it, okay?

[Maybe older sisters are born to “bully” their baby siblings?]

“I’m very glad to see you getting along well again, my babies,” Mama Boss said, emotional. There were even tears in her eyes. “Please never fight again, hmm?”

Nero looked at their mother in disbelief. “This is us… “getting along well?””

“As long as you don’t stab each other in the throat, you’re fine. The bar for the de Moonasterios’ sibling relationships is low anyway,” Papa Boss said indifferently. “Stay here. Your mother and I will just talk to Glenn and Rufus first before we face the public.”

Just like that, Papa Boss and Mama Boss walked away from them.

Neoma and Nero then continued their argument before their parents interrupted them earlier.

“Are you looking down on me?” Nero scoffed when he turned to her. “I’m the Crown Prince of the empire– I can lie in front of the people with a smile on my face. So, even if I don’t like you and our parents, I can still act like I do.”

Neoma clicked her tongue while shaking her head. “Gosh, it’s not something to be proud of. This noona is disappointed in you, Nero.”

“You don’t have the right to say that to me,” Nero retorted. “It was you who deceived the entire empire by pretending to be me for years.”

“Right, I’m glad you mentioned that,” Neoma said, finally remembering something really important. “Nero, Calyx was telling the truth when he said it was the Devil who cursed you because their side wanted me to be the empress. But I have to let you know that I never agreed with their vision– I never worked with them just to get rid of you. If we weren’t forced to accept Aunt Nichole’s help five years ago, I would never go to their side willingly. That was the same case for Mama Boss and Papa Boss.”

Nero suddenly looked awkward. “You didn’t get the Divine Punishment.”

“Because I’m telling the truth,” Neoma said, getting serious now. “In fact, I put the Devil and their cronies as enemies. I resented them for trying to kill you. Because of them, you were in a comatose state for eight long years.”

Nero avoided her gaze as if he wanted to run away from that conversation.

Of course, she didn’t let her twin brother run away.

“Nero, our Aunt Nichole was the Devil who cursed you.”

Nero turned to her with furrowed brows. “What?”

“Before you lost a good portion of your memories, you already know that it was Aunt Nichole who cursed you.”

“Did I forgive her?”

“Well, you didn’t care about it,” she said while fixing her bangs with her hands. “You neither hated nor forgave her. To be honest, you were actually glad that Aunt Nichole’s target was you and not me.”

“Huh?”

“I told you already– you love me to death,” she said. “The only people you hate are the people who try to hurt me. So, you didn’t really resent Aunt Nichole.”

“Ridiculous,” Nero said, his entire face red from embarrassment. “Is Goddess Althea’s power still in effect? Why aren’t you getting struck by Divine Punishment yet?”

“Clearly, I’m telling the truth. I’m going to hold your hands, so freeze me to death or whatever if you hate it,” she said confidently, then she carefully took Nero’s hands in his. Her twin brother flinched, but he didn’t pull his hands away. She took it as consent and continued holding his hands. “Nero, I’m going to be cheesy so let’s hope we don’t die from the cringe.”

“What–”

“I love you,” Neoma said, stunning Nero. She wasn’t really vocal about her feelings. Plus, it was cringe-y. But this whole ordeal reminded her that she only had five years left. She shouldn’t be wasting her time not expressing her feelings just because it was embarrassing. “Nero, I love you. Mama Boss and Papa Boss love you, too. It was never our choice to abandon you. I know I said you’re not obligated to forgive us. However…” She smiled sadly at her twin brother, then she placed a gentle hand on Nero’s face. “I still hope you find it in your heart to believe our love for you, my baby brother.”

Nero suddenly looked like he was about to cry, but he quickly gathered himself together to glare at her. “Why am I the “baby” brother? We’re twins!”

Uhm… that was Nero’s issue after Neoma’s long and heartfelt speech???

.....

***

NIKOLAI didn’t want to admit this, but he thought Marquis Vincent Lennox looked pitiful.

The Dome that Neoma created to imprison the marquis and the members of the Noble Faction had already disappeared.

But Marquis Lennox didn’t move an inch.

[He’s still probably shocked after learning that the fake Empress Dowager wasn’t the real Juliet.]

“I already told you five years ago that the Juliet who returned to the empire wasn’t the real Juliet. But, clearly, you didn’t do the test that I asked you to do in order to confirm her identity,” Nikolai said. He didn’t want to use the ‘I-told-you-so’ tone, but he couldn’t help it. “I even told you where Juliet’s diary was hidden. It could only be opened by writing Juliet’s real dream on the cover of the diary.”

Of course, it was Monik who shared that detail with him.

“There was no way that the fake Empress Dowager would know Juliet’s dream to become a priestess.”

If only Nikolai wasn’t forced to leave the empire five years ago, the fake Empress Dowager and Calyx would have been exposed earlier.

But everything was over now.

“You said you met the real Juliet before,” Marquis Lennox said weakly. “Did she leave a message for me, Your Majesty?”

[And now he’s addressing me as the emperor again?]

“Juliet is happy now,” Nikolai said, turning his back on Marquis Lennox. “That’s all you need to know, Marquis Lennox.”

***

“YOU’RE dying, Trevor Kesser.”

Trevor laughed after hearing Paige’s diagnosis. “I guess I’ll die then.”

Naturally, the Light Mage looked so frustrated at his nonchalance.

To be fair, as soon as he coughed up blood earlier, he had already realized that he was poisoned by the Impure Mana that he stored in his domain.

He didn’t expect that.

Although he couldn’t purify Impure Mana, it shouldn’t poison him just because he used his Mana to “touch” it in order to bring it to his domain.

[I guess the crows have created a deadlier Impure Mana.]

“How can you accept that so easily, Trevor hyung?” Greko asked between sobs. “The Impure Mana that you touched with your Mana is killing you! We’re being serious here!”

Even Paige Avery was speechless from anger. It was as if the Light Mage would rather keep her mouth shut than curse at him.

[Aww... my “children” are worried about me.]

After the crowd had calmed down and the pillars of Darkness disappeared, Trevor was surprised when Paige Avery suddenly grabbed him by the hand and brought him to Greko.

So, right now, the three of them were on the floating cloud while Paige and Greko were checking on Trevor’s current (horrible) state.

“I’m not taking this lightly, Paige, Greko,” Trevor said, still smiling. “I just thought that if I’m going to die soon, then might as well find a way to transfer my Mana to another person.” At that moment, Princess Neoma’s beautiful face entered his mind. “After all, a dying Sorcerer’s Mana could extend a person’s lifespan.”

***

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