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Moreover, Neoma wondered.

[When did our family become this big?]

Mama Boss, Papa Boss, and Nero were a give since they were her immediate family.

This time, they were joined by Ruto, Hanna, and Baby Empress Juliet.

They gathered in the emperor’s room to have lunch together (since Neoma and Baby Empress Juliet’s current state were both a secret).

[This might also be our last meal together in a while.]

But she set that sad thought aside in the meantime.

“Okay, let me summarize it,” Neoma said, everyone’s attention on her. It was a little embarrassing to take the lead because she was a baby sitting in a highchair, but whatever. “Ruto, Hanna, and I will rescue Lewis from the Devil’s side. Mama Boss and William will go to the Blood Sea to retrieve a piece of the baby saint’s divine power. Then Nero and his “children” will go to Saanya Desert to save Dahlia and retrieve the other portion of the divine power that fell nearby. And finally, Papa Boss will defend the fortress while we’re all away.”

.....

The “fortress” would be the empire, of course.

In short, Papa Boss couldn’t leave the Royal Palace and support either of them physically. No wonder her father looked like a lost puppy at the moment.

“Papa Boss, don’t be sad,” Neoma consoled her sulking father. “Your job is the most important here.”

Papa Boss let out a sigh. “I wish I could clone myself and send one to each side,” he said, then he looked at her with a worried look on his face. “Especially to you, Neoma. After all, you’re in that state at the moment.”

Oh?

She was touched.

[I thought Papa Boss would choose to go with Mama Boss if he could.]

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Ruto said, and he had the nerve to talk to Papa Boss while cutting the rib-eye steak in Neoma’s plate into bite-size pieces. “I will protect Princess Neoma.”

Neoma smiled proudly.

[I don’t like when Ruto addresses me by my title, but he has to in front of the emperor.]

Papa Boss and Nero glared at Ruto, though.

“I’m especially worried because of you,” Papa Boss said. “After you save Lewis, I want you to stay away from my daughter.”

Nero nodded firmly in agreement with Papa Boss’ ridiculous threat.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Your Majesty,” Ruto said politely, looking at Papa Boss properly this time. “I’ll only leave if Princess Neoma wants me to.”

Papa Boss and Nero’s expressions turned grim.

On the other hand, Mama Boss and Hanna smiled warmly.

Only Baby Empress Juliet remained indifferent. “Enough with your childishness, Nikolai,” she scolded the emperor. “You too, Nero. Don’t copy your father’s bad example.”

Nero cleared his throat. “Yes, my lady.”

Wow.

Neoma was impressed when Nero addressed the former empress as a lady.

Her twin brother wasn’t wrong. She just admired him because she couldn’t do it. After all, even in a baby form, the former empress still exuded majestic vibes.

[Nero doesn’t really get fazed easily, huh?]

“Neoma, can I talk to you in person later?” Baby Empress Juliet asked. “I have something important to tell you.”

Neoma politely nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

Oops.

[I addressed her as if she was still the empress again…]

Thankfully, it seemed like no one minded.

“Hanna, dear, I’d like to talk to you in private, too,” Mama Boss said, smiling. “Do you have time?”

Hanna looked flustered at first, then she nodded shyly. “Of course I have time for you, Lady Roseheart.”

[I guess it’s time to say goodbye to each other again later.]

Neoma was sad to separate from her family once again, but she was also glad that she didn’t have to say goodbye to Ruto this time.

[It’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes, right?]

***

HANNA was surprised when Lady Roseheart handed her a beautiful single-stemmed rose in a glass case. The color of the flower was unique, though. “This is the first time I saw a blue rose in my life, Lady Roseheart.”

When Lady Roseheart invited her to her bedroom, she thought they would only talk.

Hanna didn’t expect to receive a precious gift.

“Only the Rosehearts can produce blue roses naturally,” Lady Roseheart said kindly. “I heard from the gardeners that you’re cultivating some poisonous flowers. Hence, I thought a blue rose would be an appropriate gift to you.”

She gasped when she realized what the lady meant by that. “This is a poisonous flower, my lady?”

“That’s correct,” the lady said, nodding. “Hence, please don’t take it out of the glass case unless you have a need to.”

“May I know what kind of poison the blue rose has, my lady?” she asked curiously. “And may I also know how it works?”

“You just have to stab the heart with the stem of the rose,” Lady Roseheart explained. “The rose will absorb that person’s blood. Once the rose’s color turns from blue to red, the person stabbed with the rose will die within seconds. And… the corpse won’t be pretty.”

That gave her the chills.

[This blue rose is scary, huh?]

“I’m sorry,” Lady Roseheart said while scratching her cheek as if she was embarrassed. “Maybe it wasn’t an appropriate gift for a young lady like you, after all.”

Hanna smiled and shook her head. “I love this, Lady Roseheart,” she assured the lady. “And if I need to cleanse my eyes after seeing a hideous corpse, then all I have to do is look at Princess Neoma’s pretty face.”

The lady laughed softly, then she turned serious.

“Hanna, thank you,” Lady Roseheart said kindly, then she put a hand over hers. “I heard what happened from Nikolai. I’m talking about the incident when the fake Juliet put her hands on the emperor.”

Ah, she remembered that.

To be honest, she knew that what happened wasn’t a mere accident as the fake Lady Sloane claimed. However, back then, she couldn’t understand why the former empress would lie. Hence, she let it slide.

But after Neoma revealed that the baby she brought to the palace was the real former Empress Juliet, it finally clicked.

[The fake Lady Sloane doesn’t have the grace that the real empress possesses.]

Hence, she felt like a fool for being deceived.

“If it weren’t for you, then Nikolai would have been in grave danger,” Lady Roseheart said. “Thank you for saving the emperor, Hanna.”

“I just did what I had to do, Lady Roseheart,” Hanna said, smiling. “We’re family, after all.”

And she didn’t say that just because she was Nero’s potential fiancée.

Emperor Nikolai was her uncle, and Lady Roseheart would be her aunt once the emperor married Lady Roseheart (and Hanna knew it would happen soon).

But moreover, she already considered Neoma as her sister.

[Whether I become Nero’s wife or not, Neoma is already my family.]

“That’s right,” Lady Roseheart said, smiling warmly at her. “We are family, Hanna.”

And Hanna was happy to have that confirmed.

***

NEOMA gasped after hearing what Baby Empress Juliet said. “Your Majesty is going to lose your memories?”

“Normal humans like me aren’t supposed to remember our previous lives,” Baby Empress Juliet explained. “I only got to keep mine because I begged Lady Roxana to let me meet Nikolai and Mona as my former self for one last time. But since Lady Roxana is no longer a powerful goddess, she could only lend me the memories of my previous life for a limited time.”

“When will Your Majesty lose all your memories?”

“I believe I only have a few hours left until I lose them all.”

Neoma gasped again. “Already?”

“I already said my goodbyes to Mona and Nikolai,” the baby empress explained. “Moreover, we’re also done devising a plan to expose the fake Juliet. I’m leaving everything in your hands now.”

She was sad, but what could she do?

The former empress had already made a decision.

“Empress Juliet, were you not happy during your previous life?”

“I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t happy,” Baby Empress Juliet said while shaking her head. “After all, I was born lucky and privileged. Most of all, I met true friends in Mona and Nikolai. However, I can’t say that I lived a fulfilling life. After all, I wasn’t able to do the thing that I wanted to do most.”

“To serve the Light Goddess?”

.....

“That’s correct,” the baby empress said. “Because I was born a noble in the Moonasterion Empire, my parents forced me to worship Lord Yule even though I’ve admired Lady Roxana since I was a child. I was deeply moved when I learned that it was the Light Goddess who contributed most when saving the world from the Absolute Darkness during the Ancient Period.”

Ah, she heard that story before.

“But I never understood why Lord Yule was the one celebrated the most even though it was Lady Roxana who sacrificed herself for the world,” Baby Empress Juliet said. “And the stupid patriarchal society that we have even erased the traces of Lady Roxana to manipulate more people to worship Lord Yule and Lord Yule only.”

Oh?

[So they destroyed Lady Roxana’s temple to force the people to worship Lord Yule?]

The nobles of this empire, really…

[I should ask Nero to discipline the nobles later.]

“But now that I’ve been reborn, no one can stop me from serving Lady Roxana by becoming the Light Saintess,” Baby Empress Juliet said. “Hence, I need to forget who I was in my past life. I want to devote my new life to serving the Light Goddess.”

She was touched by the former empress’ devotion.

To be honest, Neoma was rude to the gods, since most of the gods wanted her dead just because she had the potential to become the next Aether.

[But I often forget that not all gods are bad.]

She should stop committing blasphemy left and right.

[I promise to be more respectful from now on.]

“I’ll support your decision, Your Majesty,” Neoma said sincerely. “I wish Your Majesty happiness.”

“Thank you,” the baby empress said. “Neoma, can I ask a favor?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Before you rescue your “son,” can you bring me to the Hazelden Kingdom?”

She heard that the Quinzels had a portal directly connected to the Hazelden Kingdom. Moreover, she was still waiting for Jasper oppa and her “children” to arrive. Hence, she still had time before her scheduled meeting with the Devil’s side.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Neoma said. “But may I know why Your Majesty needs to head to Hazelden?”

“Lady Roxana asked me to stay by the new saint’s side until I’m big enough to be independent,” the baby empress explained. “Apparently, she asked Lord Manu to raise me along with the new saint.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “I thought Your Majesty is going to stay here in the empire. But considering that the empire worships Lord Yule, it only makes sense that Your Majesty moves to a different country.”

“Most of the people in Hazelden worship Lord Yule since the kingdom is still a part of the Altalune Continent, and the continent is governed by the Moon God,” the baby empress said. ‘Altlalune’ was the official name of the Western Continent. “However, Hazelden is more tolerant of people with different religions. It won’t hurt to start spreading the Light Godess’ words in that kingdom instead of the empire.”

She nodded in agreement. “If that’s the case, then I’m sure Brigitte unnie and Uncle Glenn will support Your Majesty.”

“I hope they like me enough to adopt me.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you,” the baby empress said as if brushing off what she said about getting adopted. “Neoma, I have a new name now. Please call me by the name that Mona and Nikolai gave me.”

“Really?” she asked, happy for the baby empress. “What should I call Your Majesty from now on?”

“‘Monik,\'” the former Empress Juliet said with a warm look on her face. “Mona and Nikolai gave me a name from their names combined together.”

She didn’t know, but she suddenly felt emotional.

[Mama Boss, Papa Boss, and the former Empress Juliet’s friendship is so genuine.]

“That’s a beautiful name,” Neoma said, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you, Monik.”

***

MONIK closed her eyes and savored the warmth of Mona and Nikolai’s embrace.

Right now, she was in the arms of Mona as Nikolai hugged both of them.

This would be the last time that the three of them would be together before all her memories as Juliet Sloane disappeared.

Later, she would awaken as Monik– the Light Saintess.

[My head will only be filled with Lady Roxana’s words, just like how the Moon Saints were born with their head filled with Lord Yule’s words.]

“Safe travels, Monik,” Mona whispered softly. “We will take care of everything.”

“You may rest in peace now as Juliet,” Nikolai said gently. “And live your life the way you want to as Monik.”

She was never a crybaby.

But for the last time, she allowed herself to shed tears.

“I’m sorry I have to leave you again, and thank you for being my friends. You made Juliet’s life worth living,” Monik whispered between sobs. “Mona, Nikolai, let’s all be happy until the end this time.”

Goodbye, Juliet Sloane.

Goodbye, Empress Juliet de Moonasterio.

Goodbye, Mona and Nikolai.

[Goodbye, my previous life.]