132: NUMBER ZERO

NUMBER ZERO

BRIGITTE felt an unusual burst of divine power coming from the training ground behind Blanco Palace– the Crown Prince's official residence.

Worried that the royal prince might be in danger, she went out of her room to check what was happening outside. Nowell Elwood, her official guard, escorted her. He must have also felt the strange yet powerful aura that spread in the area a while ago.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Brigitte asked her cousin while they were walking to the direction of the training ground. "I felt the Crown Prince's aura. But why did it feel like…"

"Like there were two Prince Nero?" Nowell asked, finishing that sentence that she didn't get to finish because she thought it was ridiculous. But when Nowell, a no-nonsense man said it with conviction, the idea sounded less silly now. "That's what I also felt, Princess Brigitte. It's strange because as far as the whole continent knows, His Majesty only has one child."

She nodded in agreement.

Then, all of a sudden, both she and Nowell froze in their tracks when they felt an ominous aura coming at the front.

Much to their surprise, in just the blink of an eye, Sir Glenn was already in front of them.

Oh, my. Sir Glenn is so handsome today as well. And whoever designed the White Lion Knights' uniform, I am eternally grateful to you.

Anyway…

She and Nowell both greeted the knight politely.

Sir Glenn was smiling as usual. But this time, despite his smile, she noticed that his eyes were serious. And oh, the ominous aura that she felt a while ago was coming from him.

God, that's so sexy of him.

"Princess Brigitte, Lord Elwood, I apologize but you may not enter the training ground," Sir Glenn said politely. "His Royal Highness Prince Nero is in the middle of his training."

It was a basic excuse.

But the more basic an excuse was, the more dangerous the situation that needed to be covered up was.

"It seems like the Crown Prince has encountered a problem," Nowell, much to her chagrin, said in a voice that was obviously prying. "If there's anything that we can help you with, please don't hesitate to rely on us. We, people of the Hazelden Kingdom, will always be at His Majesty's service."

"Thank you but we can manage," Sir Glenn said politely. He was still smiling, but it was obvious that he was just trying to extend his patience. It seemed like the knight was in a hurry. "Shall I escort you back to your room?"

Nowell still looked adamant to pursue his prying.

Sir Glenn seemed to notice it, making his eyes turn sharp.

Before her cousin could even say something that might make the knight snap, she literally put herself between the two men.

"Sir Glenn, I apologize for holding you back here," Brigitte said with an apologetic smile on her face. "You may go now. We're going back to the palace as well."

Sir Glenn bowed to her. "I'm much obliged to you, Princess Brigitte."

Deep inside, she was squealing in joy. Ah, polite Sir Glenn was really the best. If she had to chase one man in her life, she would choose to chase him without hesitation.

But unfortunately, she had the dignity that she needed to maintain.

So she just smiled at Sir Glenn, then she gently pinched Nowell's ear and (lightly) dragged him back to the palace.

"Princess Brigitte, what's the big idea?" Nowell complained when they were back in Blanco Palace. "It was our chance to find out the Crown Prince's secret. If we did, we could have used it against His Majesty."

She let go of his ear before she responded. "Didn't I already tell you that I made a deal with His Majesty?"

"But that plan isn't feasible, Your Royal Highness."

She stopped walking and turned around to face Nowell. "Are you looking down on me, Nowell Elwood?"

He gulped when he realized how serious she was. "It's not like that–"

"I don't need an aide who can't trust my decisions," she said coldly. "As soon as we return to our kingdom, I'll release you from your position."

Nowell's eyes widened in shock. "Princess Brigitte, I apologize for offending you. Please reconsider your decision."

"No," Brigitte said, then she turned his back on Nowell. "Ah, you should also be grateful to me back then." She turned to Nowell who looked confused by her statement. "If I didn't stop you from prying a while ago, Sir Glenn would have definitely cut your tongue off for talking too much."

***

WHEN Neoma opened her eyes, she found herself staring at the ceiling instead. The crow with red eyes that she saw a while ago was gone. That meant what she saw was only an illusion. Now her head ached. "Was I brainwashed or something? Dammit," she complained. "Tteokbokki, we're going to train harder starting today. I don't want another clown to fuck up with my mind again. I wonder what kind of sc*mbag it is this time. Ah, shit. My whole body fucking hurts." She got up while moving her head from side to side. "What the hell happened back then…"

She almost choked on her own saliva when she saw that she wasn't alone in the room. Nero, Papa Boss, Sir Glenn, and Lewis were also there.

Nero, who stood beside her bed with his eyes widened in shock, looked at her with disbelief.

Ah, is it because I said a string of profanities?

On the other hand, her Papa Boss looked like he was already used to hearing her curse. After all, the emperor was seated on the sofa while sipping his tea calmly.

I guess calling him a sc*mbag a million times made him immune with my dirty mouth.

Sir Glenn, who stood behind the emperor, smiled at her as if he was amused by her colorful choice of words.

Gosh, even Sir Glenn looks like he's already used to my swearing habit.

Lewis, who stood on the other side of the bed, remained as pokerfaced as ever.

She noticed that her son had a bandage around his neck. She was worried, but she also knew that it wasn't the right time to ask about his injury.

I'm just glad that my son is safe.

"Neoma," Nero said, then he put a hand on her forehead as if he was checking if she had a fever or something. "You're not sick."

She didn't know how to react to that.

"Of course she's not sick," her Papa Boss said, then he put his teacup down on the coaster. "That's just how your sister talks, Nero."

"But Princess Neoma only talks like that when she's angry," Sir Glenn added brightly. "Our royal princess is eloquent most of the time."

Neoma smiled at Sir Glenn, then she gave the knight her (self-proclaimed) famous thumbs up. "There's a reason why you're my second most favorite person in the palace, Sir Glenn."

She realized that she shouldn't have said that when Nero spoke.

"Then, who's your number one most favorite person?" her twin brother asked while giving her a scrutinizing look. "Surely, it must be me."

She was about to speak when someone else beat her to it.

"Not you, Prince Nero," Lewis declared in an emotionless voice while looking at Nero straight in the eye. "I'm Princess Neoma's most favorite person."

Nero gave Lewis a murderous look.

Papa Boss, despite how dangerous the situation had become, still looked amused. It was obvious that he didn't have any intention to meddle.

Only Sir Glenn understood her position. The knight gave her a look full of pity. And an apologetic smile. Ah, Sir Glenn was probably apologizing because he knew that he couldn't do anything to help her in that situation.

Good job, Neoma, she thought sarcastically to herself. You may now bury yourself in the grave that you dug yourself.

"Neoma, your pet is talking nonsense," Nero said, then he turned to her and gave her a "sweet" smile. "Is he really your most favorite person?"

"First of all, Lewis is my son and not my pet," she said. "And yes, he's my number one most favorite person." Before blood spills in her residence, she quickly pacified her possessive twin brother. "But you're my number zero, Nero."

"Number zero?" he asked. "Is that supposed to make me happy?"0

"Of course," she said, then she gave him a double thumbs up. "Being number zero means you don't have to be on the list because it's a given that we're both each other's favorites. Family members don't have to be on the list, you know?"

Nero raised a brow at that. "Even His Majesty?"

"Papa Boss is negative zero," she said, then she smiled brightly. "Neoma won't elaborate anymore, Brother."

Speaking cutely to Nero might still work, you know?

"Stop talking as if I'm not here," Papa Boss complained eventually. "Now that you two are awake, there's something more important that we need to discuss."

She and Nero fell silent, then they both turned to their father while waiting for his next instruction. Yes, they were both brats. But Papa Boss was still the emperor. At times like that, they needed to follow him (as long as his orders weren't ridiculous).

"Glenn, Lewis Crevan, leave the room," Emperor Nikolai ordered. "The royal family will discuss an important matter."

Sir Glenn immediately bowed. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Neoma knew that Lewis wouldn't accept orders that didn't come from her, so she turned to her son and smiled. She was hoping that Lewis didn't get offended when she said that Nero was her "number zero." It made her feel awful, but she didn't want her twin brother to pick on Lewis so she had to say that. "You may leave now, Lewis," she told him. "We'll play later."

Lewis's face lit up, then he bowed to them.

"Goodbye, number one," Nero told Lewis with a smile. "Since I'm number zero, I guess I'm still superior to you."

Lewis just ignored Nero, but her twin brother looked like he was in a good mood to care.

Neoma could only sigh and shake her head.

Kids these days…

***

"LEWIS Crevan, are you alright?" Glenn asked while he and the fox boy were standing outside Princess Neoma's room. Even though both of them had sharp senses, they couldn't and wouldn't hear anything from inside the chamber. After all, His Majesty used a spell to make the room soundproof. After all, discussions within the royal family members were always highly confidential. "I hope you don't think that Princess Neoma lied to you when she said that you were her most favorite person."

He, of course, was also using a "blocking sound" spell that would prevent anyone from listening to his conversation with the fox boy.

If that could be called a conversation anyway.

After all, Lewis Crevan just shook his head as a response to his remark.

"That's a relief," he said, still adamant to make a conversation with the young boy. After all, Lewis Crevan was still a member of the White Lion Knights squad. "I apologize if I came across as nosy. I just want you and Princess Neoma to have a good relationship."

After all, Princess Neoma's safety was in Lewis Crevan's hands.

Of course, he knew that the royal princess was capable of protecting herself. But it wouldn't hurt if her personal knight was strong and loyal to her.

"I'm not bothered."

He turned to the fox boy when he finally spoke to him. "Hmm?"

Lewis Crevan turned to him. "Number zero is just a family member."

Glenn tilted his head at one side while scratching his cheek. "I'm sorry but I don't quite get it," he said with a soft laugh. "Can you please elaborate?"

"No."

***

"GALE, your mother's former Spirit Guardian, said that the reason you both saw an apparition at the same time was because of your Roseheart blood," Nikolai, seated on the sofa while facing his twins who, on the other hand, were seated on the sofa from across him, said. Then, he sipped his tea before he continued. "Apparently, the ability that you both inherited from your mother activated when the two of you clashed a while ago."

He wanted to hear more from Gale.

But that stubborn Wind Spirit left with Trevor. It seemed like the two had something to discuss that they didn't want to share with him yet. He only let the two go after they promised that they would consult him later.

"Now, I want to hear it," he said, then he put his teacup down on the coaster. "Nero, Neoma, what is it that you saw when you were fighting each other?"

Nero sipped his tea before he responded. "I saw Princess Nichole, and she was about to kill me."

"I saw an extra-sized crow with red eyes that wanted to kill me as well," Neoma said, then she tilted her head at one side. "Papa Boss, what is the ability that you said we inherited from our Mama? Does it have to do with the apparition that we saw?"

"Yes," Nikolai said, his jaw clenched hard. "Mona had the ability to see the thing or person that would cause her death."

***

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