Chapter 414: THEY’RE COMING HOME

[THIS IS unbelievable!]

Tara was glad that she made it to her chamber before she turned into her human, adult size. But as soon as her bare feet touched the floor, her knees buckled. She hugged her shaking body tight while controlling her facial expression.

She shouldn’t laugh.

A queen like her must always smile kindly, not laugh out loud.

But she failed to stop herself from grinning in a very unrefined way.

“It was amazing,” Tara whispered to herself between chuckles. “I only inhaled a bit of the “air” Princess Neoma released, but it was enough to make me at least ten years younger.”

For a Spirit like her, a decade was a very short time. It was like a month for humans, if she needed to compare. Still, it was still an amazing feat. Because her energy was rejuvenated, she was able to transform back into her human form that she hadn’t been able to do so for decades.

.....

Moreover, even the dying plants in Prince Nero’s room earlier didn’t just come back to life- the plants even turned into giant, healthy, and strong trees.

[What would have happened if I have taken more of Princess Neoma’s breath?]

She shivered from excitement- the kind of excitement that she hadn’t felt for decades.

“Princess Neoma is more valuable than I thought,” she whispered to herself. “Did I choose the wrong twin?”

Nero had the potential to be the next ruler of the Spirit World, though.

Ah, the royal twins were making her greedy.

“If I can’t choose, then I’ll just grab them both,” she whispered to herself. “They’re twins anyway, so I shouldn’t separate them. Right?”

“You can have Prince Nero, but I’ll kill you if you touch my Moon Princess.”

Her hand automatically moved to hit the demon, who suddenly appeared behind her. But her hand hit nothing but air.

[He managed to break into my barrier?]

She didn’t have guards on the floor where her chamber was because she was confident she could protect herself well.

“I came here when I heard you mention my Moon Princess’s name while laughing like a pervert,” Trevor, who appeared in front of her while floating in a lotus position, said while clicking his tongue. “Your greed is showing, old hag.”

She glared at the demon for calling her an “old hag.” “Is this how you repay me for allowing you to stay here for years?”

“Oh, please,” he said while rolling his eyes at her. “It’s a win-win situation for you since you’re obsessed with a male Roseheart like Prince Nero.”

She clenched her hands. “There are things I must do as the queen-”

“I didn’t ask,” he cut her off rudely. “My queen, don’t be too greedy and just stick to the choice that you made for your beloved Spirit World. I already have a lot of rivals for Princess Neoma’s attention without you adding on the list.”

“Before you worry about your “rivals,” you should worry more about the fact that Princess Neoma doesn’t even consider you as a suitor.”

The demon laughed like a maniac, but his glowing violet eyes showed his true feelings at the moment- anger.

Hah.

She smirked at his reaction. “Did I hit a nerve?”

“Once I’m free from my curse, I’ll return,” Trevor warned her, his body now turning translucent. “I’ll come back to return the favor, my queen.”

And then he disappeared after leaving a threat.

“Did he say “once” he’s free from the curse?” Tara whispered to herself, confused. “But I thought only the Devil himself could undo his curse?”

If Trevor sounded confident, could it be...

[Did he make a deal with the Devil?]

***

“IT’S TIME, my lord,” Lukas said while cracking his knuckles. “Lord Manu has opened the door to return here.”

He was met with silence.

Well, if there was someone spying on him in his house, they would have heard nothing. But Lord Helstor, the God of Darkness, was speaking in his mind.

Only he could hear his god’s voice.

“Yes, we can’t let Lord Manu hand over the dragon to Princess Neoma,” he said. “Princess Neoma must fail in saving either Lady Mona Roseheart or Gavin Quinzel.”

Thus, he must steal the dragon before Lord Manu met up with Princess Neoma.

“I understand, my lord,” he said while nodding. “Princess Neoma must not be happy in this lifetime- we must fill her with despair in order for us to succeed.”

The Darkness would only be free once the Light disappeared completely.

At this moment, Princess Neoma held the brightest and the strongest Light that threatened his god.

“Yes, my lord- I’m on my way.”

A certain Light mage suddenly entered his mind.

Paige Avery.

For some reason, he couldn’t forget the Light mage that he fought three years ago. And he wanted to meet her again. This time, he wouldn’t lose.

Lukas smiled at that thought. [Paige Avery, let’s meet again.]

***

“EVEN if you glare at me, Neoma won’t return faster,” Nikolai said to Lewis, who was glaring at him while standing in front of his office desk. “Or are you mad because I didn’t let you see my daughter after she took off her disguise?”

Lewis gave him a death stare.

[Ah, I hit a nerve.]

He smirked at Lewis. “Yes, I did it on purpose,” he said proudly. “Why would I let you see my daughter after she changed into the princess that she is?”

After Neoma drank the potion to make her hair grow long, he forbade Lewis from stepping into his daughter’s room.

Neoma, at age thirteen, was already a remarkable beauty.

Of course, his daughter had always been beautiful. But after her growth spurt, she became more “lethal.” He was afraid the insects around her daughter (namely Lewis, Trevor, Jasper Hawthorne, and especially Ruston Stroganoff) would forget that Neoma was still a child just because she was tall.

[I don’t care if Neoma is literally an old soul- she’s still a child to me.]

“Petty,” Lewis “whispered” to himself. “Your Majesty is petty.”

He smirked. “That’s not how you talk to your master, Lewis.”

The young fox just glared at him again.

He was about to say something when they heard a knock on the door.

Then Kyle Sprouse entered his office and greeted him. The chancellor just gave Lewis (who bowed lightly to Kyle as a greeting) a quick glance before he turned to him and gave his report.

historical

[If Neoma was here, she would have scolded Kyle for ignoring Lewis.]

“Your Majesty, I have received a report from the Moonrose Knights.”

Of course, the ‘Moonrose Knights’ would be Neoma’s “children.”

But unfortunately, the Moonrose Knights weren’t officially recognized by the empire yet. Thus, Lewis remained as a White Lion Knight until now.

“They’re about to return to the Royal Capital,” Kyle continued with his report. “The young knights have finished their training in time, Your Majesty.”

Nikolai smiled, satisfied. “Then that means it’s also about time for Manu and Neoma’s Soul Beast to return.”

***

“WE’RE ALMOST home, Crimson,” Manu said to the big red egg in his arms. He covered the red egg with a dark blue blanket that had fire resistance imbued with magic. Because, yes, the red egg was as hot as boiling lava so he needed some protection. “Or are you going to wake up as ‘Tteokbokki?'”

Neoma de Moonasterio’s Soul Beast was strange because it had two different personalities.

As ‘Tteokbokki,’ the Soul Beast was a crybaby who wouldn’t shut up about missing his violent yet kind “thug princess.”

On the other hand, Crimson, the God of Wrath, was violent and just plain bad.

“I guess that’s not my problem anymore,” he said lazily. “My job is done here.”

The red egg in his arms contained the adult Fire Dragon.

He had to put the Soul Beast inside an egg to bring it back to the other world safely. Crossing to the other world from the ‘Dead World’ with a conscious adult dragon who was still drunk with power would be difficult, so he had to put it to sleep.

[Princess Neoma’s Soul Beast has inherited her extreme arrogance.]

His thoughts were interrupted when he finally reached the door at the end of the long and bright tunnel that he used to return to the ‘present’ world.

[Has it been three years already here?]

When he opened the door and he stepped out, he found himself in the garden of the old Roseheart Mansion that he used as his ‘landmark’ in order to return safely.

.....

It wasn’t as safe as he thought it would be, though.

“Welcome back, Lord Manu.”

[Argh, I should demand higher compensation.]

He stepped into someone’s territory.

The whole Roseheart Estate was in isolation from the ‘real world.’ It meant as long as the place was under someone’s territory, then it would be forgotten by the people living in the affected area.

No one would see or remember the Roseheart Estate in the meantime.

[Which means I’m trapped here, and I can’t ask for help.]

Manu scowled while looking up at the handsome yet annoying man standing in front of him. “Lukas, the God of Eternal Darkness’s errand boy.”

Lukas looked offended, but he hid it by smiling ‘politely.’ “In case you have forgotten, I am Lord Helstor’s Messenger.”

“Helstor?” he asked, then he snapped his fingers. “Right, the God of Eternal Darkness has a name. I almost forgot since he’s-”

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when he felt a burning sensation in the corner of his mouth.

The next thing he knew, he was already bleeding.

He now had a long cut from his left cheek down to the corner of his mouth.

“I’m aware of how arrogant the de Moonasterios are,” Lukas said, not smiling anymore. “But I didn’t know the Moon Priest is arrogant, too.”

“I’d rather be arrogant than a coward,” he said while wiping the blood off of his cheek with the back of his hand. “You ambushed me here because you know I don’t have the strength to fight after I raised the Red Dragon, right?”

Lukas smiled “innocently” at him. “If you already know that, then you shouldn’t have picked a fight with me. Hand me over the dragon, Lord Manu.”

“I refuse,” he said, hugging the red egg in his arms a little tighter.

“Don’t be stubborn, Lord Muna,” Lukas said. “Even if you weren’t exhausted from raising the dragon, you’re no match against me. As a Moon Priest, you weren’t built for fighting.” His eyes glowed menacingly. “You should be afraid of me- the Messenger of Lord Helstor?”

Yeah, he should be afraid.

[That’s if I’m alone.]

He smiled ‘politely’ at the elf. “I may not be built to fight, but why would I be afraid of a mere Messenger when my backup is Nikolai de Moonasterio?”

Lukas looked shocked by what he said.

It was too late for the elf to regret coming there alone, though.

The ground shook hard, and the barrier that trapped the Roseheart Estate under Lukas’s territory cracked. Then the small cracks quickly turned into long cracks. It didn’t take long for the glass-like barrier to completely break.

“You’re late. I almost wet my pants here,” Manu complained, then he looked up. “You know I’m not a fighter, Nikolai de Moonasterio.”

Yes, it was really the emperor.

Nikolai de Moonasterio was standing on the head of his Azure Dragon, flying in the sky.

“Nikolai de Moonasterio,” Lukas said through gritted teeth. “Why are you here? An emperor shouldn’t leave the palace when his heir isn’t around!”

Manu laughed softly at the elf’s confusion. “If you didn’t expect Nikolai de Moonasterio to come here just because the empire’s law says the emperor and his heir couldn’t leave the palace at the same time, then you’re stupid,” he said. “You shouldn’t underestimate Nikolai de Moonasterio’s obsession with Mona Roseheart.”

Nikolai de Moonasterio ignored Manu, his glowing red eyes focused on Lukas. “I’ve waited for so long to see Mona again- for our children to meet their mother,” he said coldly. “I will kill anyone who’s stupid enough to get in my way.”

Lukas visibly shivered from fear.

Manu closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. “May you not rest in peace, Lukas.”

***

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