Royal Secret: I'm A Princess!

Chapter 954: FREE WILL

"DID you call me, my love?" Mona asked when she saw Nikolai waiting for her in the villa's master bedroom. "Is it the kids?"

She had to cut her conversation with Irina short and excuse herself when Nikolai subtly summoned her via telepathy.

It wasn't a technique that the two of them could use at any time they wanted.

But it worked since they only had a short distance with them.

"My love, do you remember when Nero briefly discussed about what he planned to do with the resentful Spirits of the male Rosehearts that he caught?" Nikolai asked while wrapping an arm around her waist. "Our son has finally made a decision, but he still wants to hear our opinion."

Oh?

That was a huge improvement.

[Nero is the type of child who does whatever he wants. And now that he's the emperor, he doesn't really need our opinion.]

But Mona was glad that her son didn't turn out to be a tyrant.

"I heard Nero also summoned Neoma," Nikolai added. "The twins are together. Should we use a communication device to see them? Neoma gave us a communication device that Lady Paige Avery made. They said it would work even when we're here at the Spirit World."

Mona nodded in agreement with Nikolai's suggestion. "Let's do that," she said, a bit excited to see the twins that she had missed so much already. "I want to see our babies."

***

THERE WERE only a few things that could make Nero nervous.

And one of those things was Neoma's silence after he made a huge decision.

[Does she not like my idea? But I thought she would agree right away since she hated how the male Rosehearts had to be killed just for the de Moonasterios to have the Soul Beasts. Or does she have any other ideas?]

Nero wanted to know what was going on in Neoma's mind, but he decided to be patient because he knew that his twin sister needed time to think.

However, someone else had gone impatient in his place.

"What's there to think about, Neoma de Moonasterio?" William asked, obviously getting impatient and irritated by Neoma's silence. "The male Rosehearts have never wished to become a mere living weapon for the de Moonasterios. This is the chance to free them. Are you hesitating because you're afraid for the future generations to grow weak without the existence of the Soul Beasts?"

Nero was about to scold William for picking a fight with Neoma again, but his twin sister beat him to it.

Of course.

[As if Neoma would lose in a verbal fight.]

"William, I want to respect you as my former master, but shut the fuck up and stop being judgy," Neoma said, cursing and using foreign words again. However, her voice sounded 'quiet.' And it actually sounded scarier than when she was yelling. "I understand that this is a sensitive subject for you. But don't be narrow-minded. I'm taking this as seriously as you do."

Nero glared at William, silently telling him to back off.

Although William flinched, the Grand Spirit still spoke his mind. "Do you have any other idea?"

"Of course, I do."

Nero was surprised by what Neoma said.

But when he was just about to ask his twin sister about the idea that she had, a round mirror suddenly appeared right in front of them.

Oh.

[It's the one-time use communication device that Neoma gave our parents.]

In an instant, the 'mirror' was activated and showed the faces of their parents.

Neoma's face beamed right away. "Mama Boss, Papa Boss~"

Nero slightly bowed his head politely. "Greetings, Father, Mother."

Dahlia also bowed her head silently.

On the other hand, William only greeted their mother.

<"Neoma, Nero, I heard that we're having this meeting to decide the fate of the Soul Beasts,"> their mother said. <"Your father informed that he agrees to completely cut off the de Moonasterio's connection to the Soul Beasts. Once you succeed in doing that, then no de Moonasterio in the world would ever be born with a Soul Beast again.">

Nero nodded his head politely. "That's right, Mother. I believe this is the best way to free the Soul Beasts."

"And I strongly agree with His Majesty," William added, and then he glanced at Neoma. "But it seems like the Imperial Princess has other ideas."

<"You do, Neoma?"> their father asked curiously. <"We'd love to hear it then.">

"Free will," Neoma said casually. "What I want to give the Soul Beasts isn't just their freedom– but also their free will."

***

OF COURSE, Neoma was well aware of how much the male Rosehearts had suffered when the evil de Moonasterios killed them just to turn them into living weapons.

Worse, the male Rosehearts even lost their physical bodies as humans.

Their souls were forcefully put inside different beasts raging from ordinary beasts up to the mythical ones.

It was a horrible experiment, indeed.

[That's why I understand William's deep-rooted anger, and that's also the only reason I'm letting his snarky comments slide.]

Even so, that didn't mean she wouldn't speak her mind.

"Free will," Neoma said lightheartedly. She may have sounded nonchalant, but she was serious as hell. After all, the Soul Beasts were also important to her. "What I want to give the Soul Beasts isn't just their freedom– but also their free will."

"What do you mean by that, Neoma?" Nero asked, half-confused and half-curious. "I'm under the impression that setting the Soul Beasts free is already giving them their free will."

Neoma glanced at William. "This may sound offending to William, but I do believe that not all Soul Beasts hate the de Moonasterios."

Of course, William scoffed at what Neoma said. "Only because they lose their memories once they get born as a Soul Beast. If they remember their past lives, just like the Spirits of the male Rosehearts that are here with us right now, then I assure you that those Soul Beasts would kill their master even if it means killing themselves in the process.

You don't know what you're talking about, princess."

"I do," Neoma said calmly. "I know you're only tolerating my existence, William. But whether you like it or not, I'm still a Roseheart. I have my mother's blood flowing in my veins. Half of me is the bloodline that you hate, but half of it is from the bloodline that you love. I know you hate me for being more of a de Moonasterio than a Roseheart, but you just gotta suck it up, bro."

She didn't want to speak like that in a serious situation just like that one.

But she couldn't help it.

[William can be so insufferable when we're talking about Soul Beasts.]

"I do believe that I have the right to speak about this issue," Neoma said, trying to use more formal words this time. "Not only did I inherit my mother's blood, but I'm also the Imperial Princess of this empire, William. You will not disrespect me in my own house, and not in front of my brother and my parents. If you refuse to listen to what I want to say, then you may leave now.

You may be a Grand Spirit, but you don't have the authority over the Soul Beasts."

Mama Boss and Papa Boss looked so proud of her for standing up against William.

Nero, the emperor, nodded earnestly in agreement. "You heard the Imperial Princess, William. We're here to discuss what we need to do about the Soul Beasts. If you're only here to shove your opinion down our throats, then the door is open."

William paused for a moment before letting out a sigh, and then he acted like he was zipping his mouth shut.

It was a quiet surrender without an apology.

[But I'll take that since I don't need an insincere apology anyway. It's enough that he knows his place now.]

Heh.

"What were you saying again, Neoma?" Nero asked, nudging Neoma to pick up where they left off before William interrupted. "About the Soul Beasts' free will."

"Tteokbokki loves me."

Everyone looked confused by Neoma's claim, so she explained right away.

"I can also sense that your Soul Beasts love you, Nero. And the Ice Phoenix also loved the ancient twins before Zeru got you as their master," Neoma said, and then she turned to her father. "Your Soul Beasts also love you, Papa Boss."

His father looked awkward.

<"Your father doesn't recognize love from people who aren't us,"> Mama Boss explained. <"But I agree with you, sweetie. Your father's Soul Beasts love him.">

Papa Boss just coughed as if he was embarrassed.

"Anyway, I do agree with William that it's partly because the Soul Beasts don't remember their lives as Rosehearts," Neoma said, pausing for a moment. "And that's why I want them to choose if they still want to serve the de Moonasterio after they retrieve their memories."

***

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