Chapter 528

Chapter 528: NEOMA IS P(R)ETTY

“THE BABY is hungry,” Neoma whispered to herself, then she kicked a poor pebble in front of her. “I’m the fucking baby.”1

She was ‘hangry.’

Angry because she was hungry, yes.

[I just want a fried chicken...]

After Lord Levi kicked her out, she found herself in a fancy garden decorated with pretty lights around. However, she was pretty sure that she hadn’t seen that garden when she took a stroll around the temple earlier. She didn’t know where she was, so she just kept on walking without a destination in mind.

“All I wanted is to have a short vacation while being treated like a baby. But why can’t I even get my fried chicken without getting abducted by a god just to threaten me to stay away from his son?” She kicked another pebble. “Gosh, this is so frustrating-”

“Ouch!”

.....

Huh?

Did she accidentally hit someone when she kicked the pebble earlier?

[Oh, no! I forgot that I’m OP!]

She immediately rushed in the direction where the voice came from.

There, she found a boy squatting down in front of a pond while rubbing the back of his head. The culprit (aka the pebble that she kicked earlier) was near the stranger’s feet.

[Oops.]

“Hi!” Neoma greeted the boy, then she squatted down in front of him. “Sorry, you were hit by the pebble that I kicked. Do you want me to bring you to my doctor son?”

The boy raised his head and glared at her. “How can someone as young as you have a son...” He trailed off, then he blinked rapidly as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “This is absurd.”

“Hmm?”

“Your face!” the boy exclaimed while pointing at her face. “How can someone be so ridiculously beautiful? Are you a fairy?!”

“No,” she said bluntly. “I’ve already seen the fairy queen, and I think I’m more beautiful than her. But thanks for the compliment. I love hearing that I’m pretty.”

“Wow,” the boy said. “I’m not sure if I’m shocked because you claimed that you’ve already seen the fairy queen, or if I’m shocked because I’ve never met a girl as conceited as you before.”

“Then it must be your lucky day,” she said, then she gave him a round of applause. “So, how does it feel to meet someone more beautiful than the fairy queen herself?”

“Well, I guess getting hit by steel is worth it.”

“Hey, don’t exaggerate,” she complained, then she picked up the pebble and showed it to him. “This is what hit you- an innocent pebble.”

“It was covered by aura when it hit my head, so I thought I was being assassinated!”

Ah, she must have unconsciously used a bit of strength when she kicked the pebble earlier because she was upset.

However, it was probably covered by her Moonglow and not aura.

[But I guess a child can’t tell what a Moonglow is, so he thought it’s something similar to aura.]

Thus, she didn’t correct him.

“Why would someone assassinate you?” she asked curiously. “Are you a VIP or something?”

Well, based on the boy’s expensive clothes and accessories, she could tell that he was a noble. But since she didn’t have the time to memorize the names and the faces of the VIPs on the East Continent, particularly in the Kingdom of Suoh, she had no clue who the boy was.

He looked familiar, though.

Black hair, black eyes, a face that seemed gentle. She had a feeling that she had seen that face before, but she was too hungry to use her brain properly.

“What’s a ‘VIP?'”

“A very important person.”

The boy beamed. “Yes, I’m a very important person. How about you? You act like you own the world, so you’re probably a VIP, too.”

“You can’t measure how important I am to this world, so don’t ask me such a silly question.”

“Wait a minute...” the boy said, then he looked at her face carefully. “White hair with some pink strands, ash gray eyes, and skin as pale as the moon...” He gasped, then his eyes went wide. “Are you a Roseheart?!”

Huh???

Well, she was a Roseheart, and it wasn’t a secret.

However, wouldn’t most people say that she was a de Moonasterio after seeing her white hair, ash gray eyes, and pale skin?

“Wait, I mean, you’re a Roseheart and a de Moonasterio,” the boy, who suddenly seemed to be more energetic and curious about her, said. “Since you’re a girl, then you must be Princess Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio. I heard that Emperor Nikolai de Moonasterio is in the Cyran Temple with his family! Lady Mona Roseheart is here, too, right? But it’s a shame that Prince Nero Roseheart de Moonasterio isn’t here with you...”

And the boy continued with his “fanboying.”

[Yep, this boy is definitely a fanboy.]

“Kid, are you a fan of the Rosehearts?”

“Of course, I am!” the boy said. “Every Summoner in the world looks up at the Rosehearts, you know?”

“Oh, you’re a Summoner?”

The boy suddenly stood up, then he put his hands on his stomach politely before he bowed to her respectfully. “I greet the Second Star and the one and only royal princess of the Great Moonasterion Empire!”

Ah, right.

[Most people still think Nero is the First Star.]

And they didn’t correct it on purpose.

After all, the one destined to bring the new saint to the Astello Temple was the First Star. She was posing as Nero when she received that oracle from Lord Yule. Thus, her twin brother would bring the new saint to the temple later and not her.

“My name is Preston Willows, Your Royal Highness!”

Willows?

She almost choked on her saliva. “Kid, how are you related to Lady Phoebe Willows?

Preston raised his head to look at her with sparkling eyes. “Phoebe is my big sister, Your Royal Highness.”

Ah!

[That’s why this kid’s face looks familiar.]

She stood up and stretched her arms.

[Oh, well. Preston is his own person, so it shouldn’t matter that he’s related to Lady Phoebe even though I don’t want to see Lady Phoebe and Ruto in the meantime.]

“Wow, Your Royal Highness is really tall,” Preston said while looking up at her since she was a foot taller than her. “You’re taller than me even though we’re the same age.”

“Oh, we’re the same age?”

He nodded. “I’m thirteen years old! But I look small for my age, don’t I?”

“Nah, it’s fine,” she said. “Girls grow taller than boys around this age. But once you hit puberty, I’m sure you’ll grow taller.”

Phoebe Willows was tall, so it probably ran in their genes.

[Let’s just hope that Preston inherited that gene too since it seems like he wants to be taller.]

The boy grinned and nodded. “Your Royal Highness, may I know if you already have your own Spirits?”

“I do,” she said, smiling because the boy’s energy was contagious.

[I like this kid’s enthusiasm. He’ll probably faint once he meets Mama Boss.]

His eyes sparkled even more. “May I know what kinds of Spirits have you tamed yet, Your Royal Highness?”

“I have Mochi, the Wind Spirit. Soju, the Water Spirit. Kimchi, the Fire Spirit...” She trailed off, then she laughed softly when she saw that Preston was already on the verge of crying. “Why are you crying, kid?”

“I’m touched,” Preston said, then he clasped his hands together as if he was praying. “Your Royal Highness is the same age as me, but you’ve already summoned Elemental Spirits. I, on the other hand, have only summoned a minor Spirit even though I’ve been studying magic like crazy since I was a toddler.” He forced out a laugh, then he scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed. “And yet, I had the audacity to introduce myself as a Summoner.”

It looked like the kid had an inferiority complex.

[I’m glad Preston hasn’t met Nero yet. My genius twin brother who’s loved by the Spirit World would be bad for the kid’s ego. A narcissistic person like me still gets jealous of Nero from time to time, so I can already imagine how Preston would feel once he met Nero- the perfect Roseheart. And a male Roseheart, at that.]

“Hey, I know that you wouldn’t want to hear this from someone whom you think is superior to you, but we all grow at our own pace,” she said in an attempt to cheer him up. “Don’t compare your growth to someone else’s growth. Remember this, kid. The only person you should compete with is yourself. But if you really want to do a comparison, then compare your growth to your past self. Then you’ll see how much you improve, and how much hard work you must put in if you want to do better.”

Thankfully, it looked like the boy was listening to her words carefully.

“Plus, the grass is always greener on the other side,” she added with a shrug. “Just get obsessed with yourself so you wouldn’t care about anything else.”

The boy suddenly burst out laughing. “Your Royal Highness, you sounded like an adult before. But the latter part of your advice sounds silly. How can someone be obsessed with themselves?”

“It’s easy,” she said. “I just love myself a little too much.”

Now the boy looked confused.

“Never mind,” she said, then she changed the topic. “Anyway, what kind of Spirit do you have?”

.....

The energetic boy suddenly lost his smile.

Oh?

[Is it a sensitive topic for him?]

“I’m sorry for suddenly asking that out of the blue,” she said. “It’s okay if you don’t answer my question.”

“No, it’s okay,” Preston said, but he couldn’t even look at her in the eye. “The Spirit that I made a contract with... is a fairy.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Myah isn’t a combat fairy, though,” he said. This time, he lowered his head as if he was too embarrassed to face her. “Myah is just a fairy who can make edible flowers that humans can consume. Her fairy dust turns into something similar to sugar. And if you pour her “sugar dust” onto any kind of flowers, they become candied flowers that we can safely eat.”

“A fairy that can make edible flowers...?”

“It’s pretty lame, isn’t it? Funny, even,” Preston said as if he was embarrassed, then he raised his head and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s okay to laugh-”

“Your fairy sounds cool, Lord Preston!” she said excitedly. “Gosh, I didn’t know that there are fairies who can make edible flowers! That’s so amazing! You hit the jackpot!”

“R-Really?” the boy asked, confused. “Your Royal Highness thinks that Myah is cool and amazing?”

“Totally!” she said, then she gave him a double thumbs up. One for Preston, and one for the fairy called ‘Myah.’ “I’d love to meet Myah, if that’s alright with you.”

The boy was about to say something, but he stopped when her stomach grumbled loudly.

Ah, right.

She was hungry.

Neoma laughed while rubbing her stomach. “I guess my stomach wants to meet Myah, too.”

Preston, who looked visibly comfortable now, laughed along with her. “Then I guess this is the perfect opportunity to introduce Myah to you, Princess Neoma.”

***

“LORD RUTO, wait for me.”

“I’m sorry, Phoebe, but I’m in a hurry,” Ruto said while following the trail of Princess Neoma’s Moonglow. “You don’t have to follow me, so you may go back to the main mansion.”

When he felt his divine father’s presence, he quickly went out to follow him.

But he changed his mind when he felt Princess Neoma’s presence in the Solfrid Mansion. It looked like his divine father had “thrown” the royal princess to the mansion instead of sending her back to the Cyran Temple.

Princess Neoma wasn’t familiar with the Solfrid Estate yet, so he thought he should find Princess Neoma first even though his father’s presence was still in the temple.

[I guess Emperor Nikolai can deal with my divine father...]

“Lord Ruto, it’s cold,” Phoebe whined, then he grabbed the hem of his jacket. “You’re dressed warmly. Must be nice.”

He stopped walking and turned around to face Phoebe.

She wore light clothes- her sleeping clothes, if he wasn’t mistaken- since she was about to go back to her bedroom when she saw and followed him outside.

“You should head back to the mansion,” he said. “You know your way back, right?”

“I know, but it’s cold,” Phoebe complained, then she hugged herself and rubbed her arms. “I can’t move since it’s too cold.”

“I see,” he said. “Then excuse me.”

After saying that, he put his hand on Phoebe’s head lightly. Then he sent a warm wave of energy from his hand to her body. As a follower of the Sun Goddess, he was warmer than average people, and he could share that warmth with other people.

“There,” he said. “It’s not cold anymore, isn’t it? You should go back now.”

He walked away before Phoebe could even give a response.

However, she still followed him.

He just let her be since he felt Princess Neoma’s presence closer. And he was right. A few moments later, he already heard her voice.

That sound, clear, and confident voice of hers, to be precise.

“Would you like to come with me to the West Continent, Lord Preston?”

What?

[Why is Princess Neoma asking Preston to come with her to the West Continent?]

He frowned, then he walked faster.

All the negative feelings he felt earlier disappeared when he saw Princess Neoma sitting on the ground- beside Preston, right in front of the fishpond.

[Why is she dressed lightly when it’s so cold here?]

Ah, right.

The royal princess probably didn’t have time to wear proper clothes when she was summoned by his divine father.

[Father, you’re really...]

“Lord Ruto,” Preston greeted him when he saw him. “You’re here... with my sister?”

He just nodded in response to Preston, then his eyes immediately looked for Princess Neoma.

Their eyes met.

[Ah, Princess Neoma’s eyes are pretty... sharp.]

Was the royal princess glaring at him?

Then he saw her put a little violet flower in her mouth.

“Princess Neoma, why are you eating flowers?” Ruto asked worriedly while taking off his jacket. Then he got down on one knee and draped his jacket over Princess Neoma’s shoulders to keep her warm. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook for you? What do you want to eat?”

“Why are you asking, Lord Stroganoff?” Princess Neoma asked indifferently. “You lost your memories. Do you know how to cook my favorite dishes in your current state?”

The royal princess wasn’t wrong, though.

He couldn’t remember anything related to cooking at all.

[But why do I want to cook for Princess Neoma so bad?]

***

NEOMA smiled widely while watching Myah sprinkle her “sugar dust” on the little violet flowers that she picked up earlier.

Myah was a fairy the size of her hand. She had teal blue hair, green eyes, and a dress that would change color every minute. Moreover, the fairy had blue butterfly wings, too. The scepter in her hand had a four-leaf clover on top.

[She’s so cute!]

Myah declared in a chirpy voice.

The little violet flowers in her hands had turned into something similar to candied edible flowers that she used to have before.

[Let’s see if they taste the same.]

She put one flower in her mouth, then her eyes went wide.

“It’s good!” Neoma exclaimed after eating one edible flower. “It’s sweet, and it tastes like caramel candy. Myah, you’re so amazing! I want to put you in my pocket and bring you home.”

Myah giggled as if she was embarrassed, then she bobbed a curtsy.

She smiled and nodded, then she turned to Preston who was sitting beside her.

[Ah, he looks proud that I praise Myah.]

The boy took off his jacket earlier and lent it to her to use as a blanket when they sat on the ground- right in front of the fishpond.

[Something about our meeting is strange, but this is interesting so let’s go along with it.]

“Hey, kid.”

Preston smiled at her. “Yes, Princess Neoma?”

“Would you like to come with me to the West Continent, Lord Preston?”

The boy looked shocked, at first.

But before he could give her a response, he got distracted when some uninvited “guests” arrived.

“Lord Ruto,” Preston greeted the “guest.” “You’re here... with my sister?”

[Tsk.]

Neoma wasn’t happy when she saw Phoebe behind Ruto. She saw the two after Myah disappeared as if the fairy was startled by Ruto and Phoebe’s arrival.

Of course, she knew that there must be a reason why the two were together late at night.

However, that didn’t mean she liked the situation.

[I mean, Phoebe is a child. Even though I know that Ruto isn’t interested in her, I still feel bad that Phoebe is chasing a grown man. It’s wrong on so many levels.]

She was distracted when she met Ruto’s dark purple eyes.

And she stopped herself from greeting him by putting a candied flower in her mouth.

[Even though it’s unintentional on your part, it’s still wrong to lead on a child, Ruto.]

“Princess Neoma, why are you eating flowers?” Ruto asked worriedly while taking off his jacket. Then he got down on one knee and draped his jacket over her shoulders even though she wasn’t cold. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook for you? What do you want to eat?”

“Why are you asking, Lord Stroganoff?” Neoma asked, surprised after Ruto fussed over her. She didn’t want to let a stupid grin come out, so she just gave him a poker face. “You lost your memories. Do you know how to cook my favorite dishes in your current state?”

Ruto looked too stunned to speak at first.

In fact, it looked like he was confused by his own actions. It didn’t last long, though. He immediately regained his composure.

“I don’t remember anything related to cooking,” Ruto confessed, but some unknown emotion sparkled in his eyes. “However, I can learn how to cook again for you. So, tell me, what do you want to eat at the moment, Princess Neoma?”

[Gosh, he’s treating me like I’m his baby.]

It wasn’t a bad feeling, though.

“I want some creamy mushroom soup, Lord Ruto!” Phoebe said excitedly as she approached them, her eyes focused on Ruto. “It’s cold, so it will be nice to have some warm soup right now.”

[Phoebe is a child, Neoma de Moonasterio,] she reminded herself. [Don’t be petty.]

Thankfully, Ruto didn’t turn to Phoebe because he was too focused while waiting for her response.

She should be satisfied by the fact that Ruto was giving her his undivided attention.

However, her mouth suddenly had a life of its own.

“Ruto,” Neoma said, addressing him by his name this time because she was being petty. “I want some ice cream.”

***

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