“WOW,” Neoma was amazed when the cuts in her arms and legs disappeared after Madam Hammock applied a magical ointment on them. “Madam Hammock, you’re like a magician.”

Madam Hammock laughed softly. “I am a sage, Your Royal Highness.”

Oh, right.

She forgot because she was too happy that her skin was back to being flawless.

To be honest, one of her many ugly layers since her first life up to now was her vanity. She cared a little too much for her appearance. During her second life, she spent a fortune on her skin care routine.

[Well, it couldn’t be helped because I was a princess in my first life, then a celebrity in my second one. Both positions required me to be picture-perfect.]

Anyway…

“You’re still amazing, Madam,” she said with a bright smile. “Thank you for making my cuts disappear.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Your Royal Highness,” Madam Hammock said, then she politely bowed to her. “It’s always an honor to serve you.”

Neoma smiled brightly because it was her mission to charm everyone around her. “Thank you, Madam Hammock.”

[I wonder if Nero can match my “angel image” once he returns.]

***

“PRINCESS NEOMA, I am very saddened by what happened,” Sir Glenn said in a voice filled with remorse. “I wish you could have told me your plan first.”

Looking at Sir Glenn’s sad face made Neoma feel guilty.

Right now, she was back in her room. After the incident with Duke Sloane, Emperor Nikolai told her to rest. Yey to another day of cancelled classes.

Anyway, after she changed her clothes, Sir Glenn was the one who brought her tea. She bet it was because he wanted to talk to her. So right now, she sat on the sofa while the knight stood in front of her.

Lewis, on the other hand, was extra silent behind her.

[I can feel that my son is upset but I’ll talk to him later.]

“I know that His Majesty told you to deal with Duke Sloane,” the knight continued. “But Princess Neoma, please remember that the duke isn’t worth your life.”

“I’m sorry for making you worried, Sir Glenn,” Neoma said with an apologetic smile.

“Your Royal Highness, please don’t apologize to me,” he said. “But please promise me that you won’t be this reckless next time.”

She smiled and nodded, then she raised her hand as if she was taking an oath. “I promise, Sir Glenn.”

He looked relieved by that. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

She sipped her warm and unsweetened tea before she spoke again. “Sir Glenn, I didn’t risk my life just to get rid of Duke Sloane. I did that because I want to push him to the corner.”

“What do you mean by that, Your Royal Highness?”

“Sir Glenn, my Soul Beast and I believe that the Devil’s Grimoire is in the duke’s possession,” she said in a serious tone.

The knight looked surprised by her revelation. “What made you believe so, Princess Neoma?”

“Tteokbokki– my Soul Beast– smelled and felt the same scent and energy that he felt in the Royal Grimoire in Duke Sloane,” she explained. “He also said that the scent and the energy that clung to the duke were still very strong. That means he used the Devil’s Grimoire recently.”

Sir Glenn became serious. “I will report this to His Majesty right away, Princess Neoma,” he said, then his face softened up as he gave her an assuring smile. “You did a good job, Your Royal Highness. Let me take it from here.”

Yep, because her job was to only find the Devil’s Grimoire. Now, it was Sir Glenn’s job to retrieve it. She wasn’t satisfied though. And it was because she felt like she wasted time in the Book Reading Club.

[Wait, that’s rude. I kind of enjoyed hanging out with Byron and Harry.]

Well, whatever.

Neoma smiled brightly. “Thank you, Sir Glenn.”

***

NERO tried to use his Mana when the intruder suddenly attacked them.

But as soon as he stood up, he felt a strong force squeeze his heart tight. He clutched his chest, then he used his other hand to grab the edge of the table so he wouldn’t stumble.

[No…]

In the blink of an eye, the intruder with a black mask and black cloak was already in front of him. The assailant was about to grab him as if he intended to take him away instead of killing him when all of a sudden, the intruder froze dead in his tracks.

He could see that the assailant was trying to break free from whatever unseen force that stopped him– but to no avail.

“Prince Nero, please step back,” Hanna said in a very serious tone that he hadn’t heard from her before.

Out of instinct, he took a step back.

As soon as he did, the intruder suddenly fell on his knees while screaming in agony.

[What the…”

When the assailant dropped on the floor unconscious, he realized what happened after he saw his cousin.

Hanna was “folding” the intruder’s shadow in her little hands.

[Shadow manipulation,] Nero said to himself when he remembered what kind of ability the Quinzels were known for. [Hanna inherited Duke Quinzel’s ability.]

***

“WHERE’S Lewis?” Neoma asked Stephanie and Alphen. “I haven’t seen him since I got out of the bath.”

The last time she saw Lewis was before she took a bath.

But she hadn’t seen him until now. Usually, when she was about to go to bed, Lewis would come and say good night to her.

“Your Royal Highness, Lewis is punishing himself,” Alphen said. “He probably feels guilty that he wasn’t with you when you almost drowned in the pond.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “How is he punishing himself?”

It was Stephanie who gave an answer this time. “Lewis is in the pond right now, Your Royal Highness.”

Neoma’s eyes widened in shock. “What?!”

***

“DON’T worry, Your Majesty,” Rufus assured him. “Prince Nero is safe.”

Nikolai received a call from Rufus as soon as he returned to his office.

According to his cousin’s report, an intruder attacked House Quinzel’s mansion.

But after interrogating the assailant, Rufus found out that the attack had nothing to do with the royal prince. The intruder was apparently a human trafficker whose modus was to kidnap young girls from noble families. Those human traffickers would sell young noble ladies to be wives of perverted nobles or royalties from another kingdom.

“Destroy them,” Nikolai ordered Rufus. “Destroy the trafficking ring that targets the young noble ladies of our empire, Rufus.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” the duke said, then he paused for a while. “I didn’t want to say this until I have solid proof but I thought you’d kill me if you hear this from other people.”

“Say it now or I’ll really kill you.”

“The intruder said something disturbing,” Rufus said in a serious but a little nervous tone. “According to him, their group targeted my house to abduct “Lady Nara.” Apparently, they got a tip that the former Commander Quinzel’s daughter was adopted by House Quinzel. That if they auctioned “Lady Nara,” they would earn a lot of money.”

He froze in his seat.

Rufus had only one brother…

[Gavin Quinzel!]

“It looks like the enemies that tipped the human traffickers somehow think that “Lady Nara” is my brother’s daughter with… with Lady Roseheart,” Rufus said, the nervousness in his tone more evident now. “But thankfully, it seems like they don’t know that the “Lady Nara” they’re targeting is actually Prince Nero.”

“Still, they know that the lowly woman has a daughter,” Nikolai said in a cold and angry tone. “But why the hell do they think that MY daughter is that bastard’s daughter?”

***

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