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“I need your strength, Hanna,” Nero said. “If possible, I’d like to join us.”

Haaah.

What was she expecting?

Nero asked her to have breakfast with her.

Since she wanted to give Neoma and Lord Ruto some privacy, she agreed with the Crown Prince’s request.

[But I didn’t expect Nero to ask me to help him rescue Miss Dahlia.]

“I’m sorry, but I already told Neoma I’m joining her to rescue Lewis,” Hanna said. “But I will pray for you and your knights to rescue Miss Dahlia sincerely.”

She really hoped that Dahlia would get rescued soon.

.....

However, in her heart, Lewis was more important to her than a young lady she hadn’t met yet. If she was being mean and heartless, so be it.

“Why do you need to go with Neoma?” Nero asked, frowning. “Since that insolent Ruston Stroganoff is here, I’m assuming he’ll stick to my sister like glue. The two of them are more than enough to rescue Lewis from the Devil.”

“For someone who’s obsessed with his twin sister, you look pretty calm about sending Neoma to rescue Lewis with Lord Ruto.”

To be honest, she didn’t expect it.

“I hate to say this, but I acknowledge Ruston Stroganoff’s strength,” the Crown Prince said. “And I know that our Aunt Nichole won’t hurt Neoma. Hence, I’d rather send my sister to the Devil’s side than the crows’ base.”

She raised an eyebrow at that remark. “And yet you want to bring me there just to use my power in order to rescue Miss Dahlia?”

He let out a sigh. “Hanna, I’m not going to rescue Miss Dahlia just because of our relationship in the first timeline. I’m doing this because I can’t let the crows use her to harm Neoma and the Royal Family.” He put a hand over his chest. “I’m just performing my duty as the Crown Prince of the empire.”

“I understand, so you don’t have to explain to me,” she said calmly. “Didn’t I already say I’d pray for your success?”

“Hanna Quinzel, what is Lewis to you?”

“Why do I have to answer that?”

“Neoma has been raising that fox since she was a toddler, so I understand why she’d choose to rescue Lewis even though it’s already time for us to gather the new saint’s divine power,” he said indifferently. “But I don’t understand why you care about Lewis that much.”

She didn’t know why Nero was interrogating her as if she had committed a mistake, but she didn’t want to argue with him further so she just gave him an answer. “Lewis is my friend.”

“A friend, huh?” Nero asked sarcastically. “The future Crown Princess is going to put her life at risk for a friend. Are you aiming to be a saintess?”

“When Neoma is being sarcastic, it’s entertaining. But when you do it, you just sound plain evil,” Hanna retorted. She was boiling inside, but her upbringing as a prim and proper noble lady allowed her to look and sound as calm as possible. “Nero, do I have to remind you that our engagement isn’t official yet?”

“That may be true, but the empire already considers you the Crown Princess,” he said. “I know that we agreed to end our “relationship” soon. So, until then, can you act as my fiancée?”

“And by acting as your fiancée, do you mean coming with you to rescue Miss Dahlia?” she asked in disbelief. “Nero de Moonasterio, you’re driving me crazy in a bad way.”

If she was the old Hanna, she wouldn’t dare talk back to the Crown Prince.

Moreover, she was raised as a textbook noble lady. That meant she was taught that it was “normal” for noblemen to have a mistress or two. And a “proper” wife was supposed to turn a blind eye to her husband’s infidelity.

When marriage talks between her and Nero started, her mother told her to prepare herself because as the future emperor, the Crown Prince was allowed to have a concubine.

In short, she was taught to “graciously” accept her future husband’s other women.

For a time, she believed that it was the right thing to do.

But after meeting Neoma, she had to unlearn most of the things that was taught to her while growing up. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, though. Sometimes she would take a step forward, only to take two steps backwards and find herself yielding to what the society expected from a noble lady like her.

[Old habits are hard to break, after all.]

She was determined this time, though.

“Nero, I’m selfish and greedy,” Hanna said calmly. This time, her heart was really at ease. After all, it was refreshing to be honest with herself. “If I’m going to get married in the future, then I want my husband to be faithful to me. I don’t want to share him with anyone else. Hence, if you still intend to make me the Crown Princess despite our agreement to break up soon, then you better make up your mind and stop being indecisive.”

She hated how she was still willing to give Nero a chance, but she couldn’t help it.

[I really like him, huh?]

“Are you asking me to choose between you and Dahlia even though Dahlia is nothing to me?”

“For someone who is “nothing” to you, you sure are desperate to save her.”

Nero smirked bitterly. “I see you learned sarcasm from Neoma.”

“No one can teach sarcasm better than Neoma does,” Hanna said, then she stood up while looking at Nero coldly. “I won’t wait for you forever, Nero.”

***

A CAT.

Neoma made eye contact with a black cat that came out of nowhere.

[Of course, it can’t be a normal cat.]

What kind of cat could break through the Shadow Barrier that Hanna put over the entire bedroom? Moreover, Ruto was with her and he was protecting Neoma with his power too even though they were only having tea at the moment.

Ruto placed the teacup down on the saucer. “Should I kill it?”

The black cat growled at Ruto.

“You’re Gin, aren’t you?” Neoma asked while looking at the black cat. “If you don’t want Ruto to take one of your nine lives, then you better state why you’re here.”

<“Princess Neoma, do you know where Gavin Quinzel is at the moment?”>

It was Gin’s voice, indeed.

“As far as I know, appa is stuck in a block of ice on a certain island,” she said, trying to ignore the pain in her heart as she remembered her appa and the harmful things that he did to Mama Boss and Papa Boss in the past. “Why are you asking me about my appa?”

<“Do you know it was the great Lord Ruto who trapped your “appa” in ice?”>

Of course, she wasn’t aware since she didn’t monitor her man’s activities.

But Gin didn’t need to know that, so she maintained an indifferent face.

“So what?” she asked nonchalantly. Thankfully, she was good at acting. “Get to the point or you’ll lose one of your many lives by my tiny hands.”

She clenched her fists and raised them to threaten the black cat.

But Gin only snorted as if he found her cute instead of scary.

<“Let’s meet where Gavin Quinzel is two days from now– and we’ll return Lewis to Your Royal Highness unharmed.”>

“Sure,” Neoma said. “Just so you know, I’m not going alone.”

<“Of course. Princess Nichole and the Devil wouldn’t want you to go alone either, Neoma. After all, we always wish for your safety happiness.”>

It must mean the Devil’s side was confident they could kidnap her even though she had Ruto, Hanna, and her “children” with her.

[Fine, bring it on.]

<“Now that I’ve delivered my message, I’ll be leaving now,”> Gin said, his body turning transparent already. <“See you later, Princess Neoma.”>

“Feed Lewis well, okay?” Neoma warned the black cat. “If there’s so much as a mosquito bite on my “son,” I’ll destroy you all.”

The black cat just laughed before he disappeared completely.

“Is it alright to just let the black cat go like that?”

“Gin wouldn’t be a good hostage anyway,” Neoma said, shrugging. “The Devil’s side won’t exchange Gin’s life for Lewis. And we won’t benefit anything from killing him.”

“Alright.”

“What would have you done if you were in my place, Ruto?”

He shook his head. “I only want you to hear pretty things, so I won’t answer that question.”

“Pfft,” she snorted. “You talk as if you don’t know I curse all the time. Hear only pretty things? Oh, please. I’d rather SEE pretty things instead of just hearing them. I’m a visual kind of person.”

“Even so, I still want to treat you kindly.”

“Gosh, you’re so in love.”

[I’m glad that Ruto has retrieved his memories already, but why do I feel off?]

Ruto just smiled and sipped his tea. “Neoma, aren’t you going to ask me why I trapped Gavin Quinzel in a block of ice?”

“Will you answer me honestly if I asked?”

“Gavin Quinzel was trying to take you away,” he said. “Had he succeeded, everyone that you hold dear would have been in danger. Hence, I stopped him. I’m sorry for deciding for you.”

“I don’t like it when people decide for me,” she admitted. “However, I know that I wouldn’t be able to choose the right decision when it comes to my appa. I’m not saying that I’m happy with what you did, and I won’t say ‘thank you’ either.”

“I understand.”

“And don’t do it again,” she warned him lightly. “The next time you decide for me, I’ll get angry for real.”

He nodded. “I won’t do it again.”

.....

“Okay. Now answer me honestly,” Neoma said, turning serious. “I don’t have Tteokbokki right now. Since you were the one to trap my appa in that ice, is it also possible for you to melt the ice that you made?”

Ruto raised an eyebrow at her. “And what will you do if I said I can do that?”

***

“DON’T WORRY– we don’t need the Bead of a Black Witch.”

Dahlia gulped hard when a man in a white coat appeared in front of the cell where she was locked up.

The prison was designed to trap a Black Witch like her.

Hence, no matter what she did, she couldn’t break free. Worse, she couldn’t even summon Lapiz– her Elemental Guardian. It was as if the crows were so used to imprisoning Black Witches like her.

She couldn’t also tell where the crows had taken her.

[I thought they abducted me to steal my Bead.]

She was glad to know that it wasn’t the case. But it wasn’t like she could relax. After all, the stranger in front of him spelled bad news.

The man had a shoulder-length hair tied in a messy low ponytail. His eyes were jet-black. He had long limbs that even though he was hunching because of poor posture, it was obvious that he was tall.

“I’m Sydrion de Luca,” the man introduced himself in a lazy manner. “And I’m here to steal that ability from you.”

Dahlia scooted back until her back hit the wall. “What ability?”

“The one that could make Nero de Moonasterio suffer.”

She felt a shiver down her spine when she remembered what the Stars had told her before.

<“You are destined to be the First Star’s misfortune, and Second painful thorn.”>

“It looks like you already know what I’m talking about,” Sydrion de Luca said, then he touched the prison bars with his bare hands– melting them in the process. “Now let’s begin.”

Dahlia swallowed the sob that was threatening to come out. “I won’t let you do as you please.”

***