Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

Chapter 446: SLIVER OF HOPE

NIKOLAI just received the terrible news from the Fletcher Twins.

[Glenn’s child is the next saint?]

He didn’t even know that Queen Brigitte was pregnant.

But he understood why the queen kept quiet about her pregnancy. It was normal for monarchs like them to hide their children as much as possible. In some extreme cases, the heir to the throne would only be introduced to the public once they were old and strong enough to protect themselves from any kind of danger.

“I can’t stay here anymore,” Nikolai declared, earning a surprised look from Kyle Sprouse and Geoffrey Kinsley. “Open the portal to the Hazelden Kingdom.”

Geoffrey gulped, then the Paladin turned to Kyle nervously while giving him a response. “A-As you wish, Your Majesty...”

The Paladin didn’t move right away, though.

.....

Like him, Geoffrey was probably expecting the count to nag at him.

“I understand, Your Majesty,” Kyle Sprouse said indifferently. “Will you bring Geoffrey with you?”

Oh?

He didn’t want to admit this, but he was stupefied by Kyle’s positive response.

[I was ready to sneak out if he denied my request to travel to Hazelden.]

“Kyle, did you eat something strange?” Geoffrey asked, bewildered. “Are you alright? Do I need to call Marcus to have him check on you?”

“Haha, very funny, Geoffrey,” the count said sarcastically, then he turned to him with a hurt look on his face. “Your Majesty, I didn’t know your expectations of me were this low. Do you really think I wouldn’t allow you to go to Hazelden to console Glenn?”

[Yes, I really didn’t think you’d allow me to leave easily.]

He didn’t say that out loud because he knew it would hurt Kyle’s feelings even more.

“Even though Glenn and I don’t always get along, he’s still my friend,” Kyle continued. “If I could, I would go to comfort him as well. But as the chancellor of the empire, it’s my duty to hold the fort while Your Majesty is away.”

He raised an eyebrow at Kyle. “You’re not dying, are you?”

The count let out a frustrated sigh. “Your Majesty, please leave before I change my mind.”

He immediately turned to Geoffrey. “Prepare the portal to Hazelden, and tell the Fletcher Twins that I’ll be there.”

Geoffrey Kinsley bowed to him. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

And just like that, the Paladin left his office.

“Kyle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Mona is in Hazelden.”

“I’m aware, Your Majesty,” Kyle said, indifferent again. “And to be honest, I’m in awe that Your Majesty managed to restrain yourself this long. I thought you’d bolt out as soon as Lady Roseheart arrived at Hazelden.”

Kyle wasn’t wrong.

If he was still the old Nikolai, he would have done that without considering Mona’s feelings.

But Neoma, his precious daughter, taught him how to treasure the people he loved properly. Admittedly, it was hard to break his bad habits.

Still, for the sake of his family, he was trying his best to change for the better.

“I won’t deny that my biggest reason for coming to Hazelden is to see Mona and our children,” he confessed. “But Glenn’s unfortunate situation also requires my presence.”

Kyle nodded in understanding. “Your Majesty, what do you think Glenn would do if he was forced to choose between his wife and his unborn child?”

“Glenn isn’t like me,” Nikolai said without missing a beat. He grew up with Glenn, so he knew his sworn brother like the back of his hand. “It won’t be easy, but he’ll definitely choose his child over his wife.”

***

[HE’S JUST like Nikolai.]

Mona couldn’t help but see Nikolai in their son while he watched Nero’s interaction with Queen Brigitte earlier.

Before her son retreated to his room, the queen had asked two more questions.

[“Prince Nero, I heard you say Princess Neoma will kill the Moon Priest. Is it because Her Royal Highness doesn’t want me to give birth to my child?”]

[“I apologize on behalf of my twin sister, Your Majesty. Neoma is very emotional right now, so she has forgotten that she doesn’t have the right to decide for you and your husband. I will talk to her later.”]

[“Your Royal Highness, as the Crown Prince of the empire, do you agree with Princess Neoma’s choice regarding my baby?”]

[“Can I be honest, Your Majesty?”]

[“Of course, Your Royal Highness.”]

[“I don’t agree with Neoma’s choice. I understand that she cares a lot about you, Queen Brigitte. But if my twin sister chose to save Your Majesty’s life, I’m afraid of the consequences that may not only affect Neoma- but the entire continent as well.”]

Mona let out a sigh when she remembered the guilt in Queen Brigitte’s eyes after Nero said that choosing the queen’s life over the birth of the new saint would affect Neoma and the entire continent.

It was like saying that innocent people would suffer if Queen Brigitte refused to give birth to the new saint in order to save her own life.

“That was a deep sigh, Mother,” Nero, who was sitting on the chair across from her, said as he placed his teacup down on the saucer. “Are you still worried about Neoma?”

“I’m more worried about you, Nero,” Mona said, then she sipped her tea before she spoke again. “Nero, you didn’t have to put it that way. I’m talking about your conversation with Queen Brigitte earlier.”

“I apologize, Mother, but I fail to see how else should have I phrased my words better,” her son said, indifferent. “Queen Brigitte is the queen regnant of this kingdom. Her Majesty understands that she’s a ruler first, before a wife and a mother. Even if I didn’t say all of that, the queen knows that there will be consequences if she gave up the baby in order to live.”

Nero wasn’t wrong, but she didn’t like how her son sounded calloused.

It reminded her of how Nikolai would often act cold when fulfilling his duty as a monarch.

[Nero is only thirteen years old and yet, he already acts so jaded.]

“Mother, I am not soft-hearted like Neoma,” Nero said solemnly. “And I don’t understand why Mother looks displeased by my decision to choose the new saint over the queen. If you were Queen Brigitte, you would choose your child over your own life, too.”

“You’re not wrong, Nero. I chose you and Neoma over my life, but it was my own choice,” she said sternly. “However, your words earlier sounded like you were pressuring Her Majesty to keep her baby. You made it so obvious that you do not care about the queen’s well-being at all.”

Her son, who obviously refused to admit his mistake, just sipped his tea.

[Nero wasn’t sincere earlier when he apologized on behalf of Neoma while saying that his twin sister forgot that she didn’t have the right to decide for the queen. After all, he did the same under the pretext of sharing his opinion when Queen Brigitte asked for it.]

In short, her son technically manipulated the queen earlier.

“We do not have the right to make Queen Brigitte feel like her child’s life is more important than hers,” she continued lecturing her son as gently as possible. She didn’t raise her voice, and she remained calm. But her voice was firm and clear. “Only Queen Brigitte has the right to decide whether or not to keep her baby, Nero. She may discuss it with her husband. But at the end of the day, only the queen may decide what to do with her body.”

“It seems like I’ve made a mistake, Mother,” Nero said, but he didn’t look or sound apologetic. “I will apologize to the queen later.”

She let out a sigh. “Son, don’t apologize if you don’t mean it.”

Her son opened his mouth to say something, but failed to do so when they heard an explosion outside.

The explosion was made by Neoma since her Mana could be felt all over.

Of course, that got her worried.

[My baby...]

Nero, on the other hand, let out a soft laugh. “Neoma is having fun hunting down the Moon Priest,” he said. “Mother, let’s watch my sister go berserk on Lord Manu.”

Mona was now extremely concerned about her children.

Neoma’s outburst reminded her of the times Nikolai would lose his temper. On the other hand, Nero was cold and vicious.

Her children didn’t act like children.

[I don’t want to admit this, but it looks like my babies are a little... scary.]

***

“HONEY, isn’t our baby amazing?” Brigitte said while combing her fingers through Glenn’s hair. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in one of the guest rooms in the villa. Glenn, on the other hand, was kneeling on the floor while hugging her waist. Her husband’s face was lightly buried in her baby bump. “Since our baby is the next saint, then we can safely assume that he’s a boy. I bet he’ll look like you.”

“You’ve made up your mind,” Glenn said in a hoarse voice. His voice became like that because he hadn’t stopped crying ever since they entered the guest room for privacy. “You want to keep the baby even if it means...”

Her husband trailed off, then his sobs swallowed his words.

It broke her heart to see and hear Glenn cry this much.

Of course, she was also devastated by the possibility of her dying once she gave birth to their child.

She wanted to meet her son.

She wanted to stay with Glenn for a very, very long time.

She wanted to have more children with her husband.

She wasn’t loved by her parents, and she didn’t get along with her siblings. That was why she promised herself that she would build a happy family with Glenn. They would raise their children with love and care. And they would teach their children to look after each other affectionately.

That was her simple dream, but...

.....

“I’m a queen, Glenn- I have duties to fulfill,” she said softly, holding back her tears. Glenn had already broken down into tears, so she must be strong for the two of them. If the both of them broke down at the same time, they wouldn’t be able to make a wise decision. “Moreover, our son needs to be born for the sake of the world.”

“I know that, but...” Glenn said, pausing a bit before he stopped hesitating. “But you’re my world, Brigitte.”

‘Brigitte.’

The first time Glenn called her by her first name without her title was during their wedding day.

Then it happened again during the first time they made love.

This was only the third time that he called her by her name.

[And this might be the last time.]

She had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself from crying.

“When His Majesty went through the same thing in the past, I thought His Majesty was selfish for choosing Lady Roseheart over their children.”

Her heart sunk because she could already see where the conversation was headed to.

“I thought it should be natural for any parent to prioritize the lives of their innocent children over their spouse- especially the mother,” Glenn said in a cracked voice. “But now that I’m in a similar situation, I realized how arrogant I was to think it was natural for a mother to sacrifice her life for her unborn child. I didn’t know that all this time, I have this stupid prejudice that a woman’s main purpose in life is to give birth to children. I owe every woman and every mother in the world an apology.”

Ah, she really loved this man.

[He’s not afraid to admit and correct his mistakes.]

“Back then, I also didn’t understand why His Majesty couldn’t love Prince Nero and Princess Neoma,” Glenn continued between sobs. “But now, I think I do.”

“Glenn...”

“My queen, I can’t stop you from keeping our baby. You have full autonomy over your body, after all,” Glenn said, his voice barely audible from crying hard. “However, I might find it difficult to love our son if he becomes the reason why I have to lose you. My brain knows that it’s not our child’s fault. But my heart can’t accept it...”

For the first time since she met Glenn, he said hurtful words to her.

But she couldn’t blame her husband for having such sad, painful thoughts.

“Please don’t say that, honey,” Brigitte said, her voice cracking as her strong fa?ade finally faded. The thought of Glenn hating their son broke her heart. Before she knew it, her tears were already rolling down her cheeks like waterfalls. “Please don’t hate our baby.”

Her husband fell silent for a moment, then he looked up at her.

Glenn looked shocked when he saw her crying. After all, the first and last time he saw her cry was during their wedding day. Still, back then, she cried tears of joy.

This time, she cried because she was hurt and scared.

She could see the instant regret and guilt on her husband’s face as soon as he saw her crying. It was as if he suddenly realized the cruelty of his words earlier.

“I’m so sorry for being small-minded, my queen,” Glenn said, then his hands reached out to cup her face gently. His fingers wiped her tears away in a hurry. The panic in his eyes was clear while his other hand slid down until he was rubbing her baby bump carefully. “I’m so sorry I made our child listen to such harsh words.” He leaned down to kiss her baby bump. “Your father is very sorry, child.”

Her heart melted.

Glenn was really a kind man.

[Our precious child, even if I’m gone, you’ll grow up well because your father is a very incredible person.]

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t yield to you, Glenn,” Brigitte said, her heart heavy for making Glenn choose a difficult decision for the sake of the world instead of their own family. “And thank you for supporting my decision, even if it kills you.”

“I love you, my queen,” Glenn whispered, then he raised his head to meet her eyes. His gaze was still full of warmth and love for her. “I will love everyone and everything that you love, too.”

***

NEOMA swung Skewer, her Death Scythe that was now engulfed with Tteokbokki’s red flame, in Manu’s direction.

A boomerang-shaped flame came out of her scythe as a result.

“Stop it, Neoma de Moonasterio,” Manu said sternly, then he blocked her boomerang-shaped flame with his hand covered with divine energy. “This isn’t the time for us to fight.”

The boomerang flame that the Moon Priest deflected ricocheted and hit the tree.

That tree immediately caught fire.

“Don’t burn the innocent trees, Neoma de Moonasterio,” Manu scolded her sternly. “It’s the home of the Spirits living here.”

Yeah, that made her guilty.

“Delwyn, extinguish the fire and move the Spirits somewhere safe,” she said, then she dropped Skewer.

Before the Death Scythe hit the ground, it vanished along with Tteokbokki’s flame.

Then Delwyn, in his human form, came out of her back and flew toward the burning tree.

On the other hand, she ran toward Manu while gathering her Mana in her right hand. As expected, a de Moonasterio’s best weapon was their body.

“Hey, you’re a de Moonasterio,” Manu complained while running backwards. Oh, the saint was smart enough not to turn his back on her in the middle of a fight. “Your physical strength is monstrous! I’m not built for fights like this!”

She stopped running, stomped one foot forward, bent her knees, twisted her hips and chest towards Manu’s direction, and threw a powerful punch in the air.

Since her fist was covered with Mana, a shock wave was created.

The force in the air reached the Moon Priest fast. He was able to block it, but the impact sent him flying until he hit a tree.

She followed her first attack with continuous air punches.

Manu managed to create a wall-like barrier in front of him. Every time her air punch hit the barrier, it exploded. Long cracks instantly appeared all over the barrier, and she knew it wouldn’t take long before it crumbled under her force.

“Neoma de Moonasterio, you do not have the right to decide for Brigitte Griffiths!” Manu yelled desperately. “Only the queen has the full autonomy over her own body! You haven’t even asked her if she wanted to keep her baby or not! Are you crazy?!”

The Moon Priest’s words woke her up, and she froze on the spot.

[He’s right- I do not have the right to tell Brigitte unnie what she needs to do with her body.]

She must have gone crazy.

Manu calling her out for her arrogance calmed her down immediately.

“Princess Neoma, please don’t take it out on Lord Manu.”

It was her Brigitte unnie’s voice.

When she turned around, she saw the queen accompanied by Glenn. The two were holding each other’s hand.

Plus, both the queen and the king had puffy eyes.

[Ah, they cried.]

“Princess Neoma, thank you for caring a lot about us and our precious child,” Uncle Glenn said in a croaky voice. “My wife and I have already made a decision.”

“We want to keep the baby, Princess Neoma,” Brigitte unnie said. She smiled sadly at her, as if the queen knew her decision would break Neoma’s heart. And it did. “I can’t give up on my child when he’s already five-month-old. Moreover, I can’t be selfish. I have duties to fulfill as a mother and a queen. If my child will end up being a light in this world, then I can rest in peace.”

Her knees buckled, and she eventually plopped down on the ground- sobbing.

She couldn’t say anything since Brigitte unnie and Uncle Glenn already made a decision. Like what Manu said, she didn’t have the right to decide for the royal couple.

[But it hurts...]

“Neoma, stand up and stop crying.”

Her tears stopped falling when she heard the familiar voice.

She wasn’t the only who was surprised.

Brigitte unnie and Uncle Glenn also looked shocked when her Papa Boss, the emperor who was supposed to be cooped up in the Royal Palace, materialized in front of them while being engulfed by fading bluish lights that could only be Moonglow.

“Papa Boss...” she said weakly.

Her father extended her hand to her and helped her get up, then the emperor turned to the royal couple.

Well, to be precise, her Papa Boss was looking at his sworn brother.

“Glenn, good job choosing your child.”

She gritted her teeth. Her father wasn’t wrong, but it sounded cold saying it in front of the royal couple who made a hard decision for the sake of the fucking world. “Papa Boss-”

“Now, it’s time for the Moonasterion Empire’s Royal Family to choose Queen Brigitte’s life over the world,” her Papa Boss declared. “There’s a way for the queen to give birth to the saint without sacrificing her life during childbirth.”

Neoma gasped, her respect for her father increasing tenfold at the moment. “Papa Boss, you’re so cool!”

***

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