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Right now, she was sitting on Hanna’s lap while her cousin was tying her hair into space buns in front of the vanity mirror.

They took a bath earlier together.

Since what happened to her was a secret, not even Stephanie and Alphen (the head maid and the head butler that raised her) were informed that she had turned into a baby.

Papa Boss had become more guarded after Kyle Sprouse betrayed him.

[Anyway…]

Hanna was the one who gave her a bath because Mama Boss was taking care of Baby Empress Juliet.

Thankfully, her baby clothes were still in the Luna Palace.

“I don’t know what a “dim sum” is,” Hanna said. She looked like she was in a good mood while fixing her hair for her. “But if you’re worried about your “chubby” cheeks, then don’t be. You look cute, Neoma. And your weight is normal for a baby.”

.....

Neoma let out a sigh. “If I knew Ruto would return earlier than expected, I would have chased Regina Crowell to the depths of hell just to bring me back to normal.”

“I’m sure Lord Ruto isn’t the type of man who cares about physical appearance,” her cousin consoled her. “Moreover, I don’t think Lord Ruto will look at you THAT way until you become an adult.”

“I’m an adult– we both are.”

“Physically, you’re not,” Hanna said, smiling while shaking her head. “Neoma, calm down. Lord Ruto isn’t going anywhere.”

“I don’t know why, but I feel anxious every time I see Ruto,” Neoma confessed. “I feel like he’s going to disappear if I don’t hold on to him tight.” She gasped when the realization hit her. “Omo. I’m like a male lead in a romance fantasy novel.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Male leads in romance fantasy novels are either the Crown Prince or a Northern Duke. They’re often arrogant, handsome, rich, rude, obsessive, possessive, and very toxic,” Neoma explained, then she thumped her chest with her little fist. “I fit the bill, Hanna. I’m a wealthy royal princess who’s very pretty, arrogant, rude, and acts like a bitch sometimes. And now I’m turning into an obsessive and possessive partner!” She cupped her face with her little hands. “I’m a walking red flag!”

She once told Hanna that Nero was a ‘red flag’ and explained what it meant.

Hence, she was sure that her cousin knew what she was trying to say.

Hanna laughed as if she was amused. “Well, I guess Lord Ruto’s favorite color is red.”

***

NIKOLAI knew he’d find Ruston Stroganoff in the royal kitchen of Luna Palace where Neoma was currently staying (with Hanna Quinzel).

Hence, while Mona and Juliet were taking a bath early in the morning, he sneaked out and headed to the kitchen. The two ladies would definitely stop him from confronting Ruston Stroganoff, so he didn’t tell where he was going.

Ruston Stroganoff bowed to him politely. “Your Majesty, I took the liberty of borrowing the kitchen from the chef and the kitchen staff assigned to Luna Palace.”

It would be easy for Ruston Stroganoff to do that since he was still a royal chef.

Moreover, his position was also quite high for a young lord. Hence, no one could stop him from borrowing the royal kitchen.

[Even so, he doesn’t have the right to covet my daughter.]

“You reeked of blood last night,” Nikolai confronted the young man, then he crossed his arms over his chest. “And it wasn’t ordinary blood, either. It smelled like the blood of divinity.”

“Your Majesty is amazing,” the young man said. “Only a monster like Your Majesty could smell the blood of gods.”

“Did you just insult me?”

“It was a compliment, Your Majesty.”

Hah.

It was frustrating to see how indifferent the young man looked, even in his presence. But he should have expected it.

[The God Slayer exists to kill gods, so he won’t easily be intimidated by a mere emperor.]

He wasn’t demeaning himself, of course.

It was just a fact.

“Who did you kill?”

Ruston Stroganoff’s divine power was overwhelming last night.

But, right now, the young man looked normal.

His appearance changed a little, though.

[The burn mark on his face disappeared.]

“I didn’t kill any god yet from the Upper World yet, Your Majesty,” Ruston Stroganoff said. “I just had a quarrel with the Sky God.”

“The Sky God is a major god,” Nikolai said, slightly surprised. “Why would you pick a fight with the Sky God?”

“I didn’t get the chance to investigate properly since I let my emotions get the better of me,” the young man said. “However, I’m pretty certain that the Sky God let Helstor, the God of Eternal Darkness, enter the Upper World.”

He knitted his eyebrows. “Helstor entered the Upper World? For what purpose?”

“To kill the current Aether.”

He felt a shiver down his spine.

Of course, he immediately understood what killing the Aether meant.

“Those greedy gods,” Nikolai said through gritted teeth. “They want to kill the Aether and replace her with Neoma.”

“The current Aether is already weak. In fact, it’s almost dying,” Ruston Stroganoff added. “Hence, the current Aether’s power isn’t enough to clean the polluted air in the Upper World. For that reason, some of the gods wanted to kill it to have the justification for bringing in a new Aether. But they didn’t want to take responsibility for killing the current Aether to avoid fighting the other gods who are protecting it.”

“So, they brought Helstor,” he said, clenching his jaws. “They want the God of Eternal Darkness to kill the Aether and take the blame, so the factions in the Upper World won’t fight each other.”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”

“As the God Slayer, do you not have the authority to punish the gods who want the current Aether gone?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have proof that those gods commissioned Helstor,” the young man said. “Moreover, the fact that I attacked the Sky God might cost me my position as the God Slayer.”

“For someone who’s about to lose his high position, you look calm and peaceful.”

“Well, once I’m no longer the God Slayer, then I don’t have to follow the rules,” Ruston Stroganoff said, his dark purple eyes glowing. “I can kill anyone and anything without needing the approval of my divine father.”

He didn’t want to admit this, but he felt a chill down his spine.

“As expected,” Nikolai said while nodding. “You really deserve to be the Commander of the White Lion Knights, Ruston Stroganoff.”

***

“GOOD morning, Lewis,” Nichole greeted the fox boy that she found on the balcony of the guest room. The young boy looked like he was about to jump off in an attempt to escape the mansion. “Even if you escape here, I don’t think you’ll find your way back to the surface.”

The “surface” would be the human world, of course.

“Even though it looks like we’re in the estate of a rich noble, we’re not in the human world,” Nichole said, then she leaned against the railing and crossed her arms over her chest. “There are man-eating demons outside the mansion. Even if you’re strong, I don’t think you’d last a few days fighting them day and night.”

Lewis stood properly in front of her and bowed as a greeting, but he didn’t say anything else.

His golden eyes said he’d still try to escape, though.

[He’s really stubborn.]

“Lewis, don’t you want to know why we want to kidnap Neoma?”

The fox boy shook his head without hesitation.

“You’re not curious?”

Again, he shook his head.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the fox boy’s lack of reaction. “Why aren’t you curious?”

“Because in my book, kidnapping Princess Neoma is a crime,” Lewis said indifferently. “I won’t accept any justification.”

She burst out laughing again. “You’re so different from Trevor,” she said. “When he heard the reason why we want to kidnap my precious niece, he instantly joined hands with us.”

Lewis fell silent.

She honestly thought that the fox boy was done talking to her. After all, she knew that he was a man of few words.

Hence, she was surprised when he spoke again.

“I know that Trevor cares for Princess Neoma genuinely,” Lewis said carefully. “But I don’t like how he thinks he has the right to judge what’s good or not for Her Royal Highness. And that applies to Princess Nichole, Lord Dominic, and the Devil. Why are you all deciding for her? Princess Neoma is smart– she knows what she’s doing, and she can take care of herself.”

The fox boy’s words hurt a little.

[He doesn’t talk a lot but when he does, he strikes a nerve.]

“Lewis, I know that this isn’t Neoma’s first life,” Nichole said gently. “I’m also aware that my niece is smart and capable. But that doesn’t mean that she can always make the right decision. Hence, this time, we took the liberty of deciding for her.”

The fox boy frowned at her reasoning.

[He’s really different from Trevor, even though both of them love Neoma.]

“What are you going to do if Neoma makes the wrong decision, Lewis?”

.....

“I will stick with Princess Neoma whether she makes the right or wrong decision,” Lewis said without hesitation. “Knowing Princess Neoma, she’d rather make the wrong decision and learn from it than let other people pick the “right” decision for her. Hence, I’m prepared to protect Princess Neoma from the consequences of her decisions.”

“Why would you choose that when there’s an easier way to survive?”

“Because Princess Neoma is arrogant.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Lewis smiled faintly. “Princess Neoma is arrogant,” he repeated in a soft, warm voice. “It will hurt her pride if we paved the easy road for her. Princess Neoma is the type of person who would choose the path that no one else has taken yet, because she doesn’t like following other people. And I respect her for that.”

Ah.

That very moment, Nichole finally realized what Lewis was in Neoma’s life.

Her niece claimed the fox boy as her “son.”

But that wasn’t the right term.

A long time ago, there was a title for the chosen knight of the emperor. However, it was abolished when the previous emperors got scared of the own “monsters” that they had created along with that position.

However, Nichole had a feeling that Neoma would restore that position once she became the first empress of the Great Moonasterion Empire.

[I can see it now.]

“Guardian Knight,” Nichole said, smiling. “I’m sure you’ll be the first Guardian Knight of the future Empress Neoma, Lewis Crevan.”

“I don’t care about titles or ranks,” Lewis said, his golden eyes glowing beautifully. “As long as I can stay beside Princess Neoma, then I can become anything or everything she needs me to be.”

***

ANNOUNCEMENT: Neoma is already an adult in the advanced chapters. Hehe. Please subscribe to my priv chapters to meet the 19-year-old Neoma if you can. Thank you~

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