NIKOLAI was fuming after he received a report from Geoffrey Kinsley.


    Apparently, as soon as Neoma opened her eyes, she sneaked out of the Royal Pce with the help of Gale– Mona''s former Wind Spirit.


    [She indulges Neoma the way she indulged Mona in the past.]


    He strengthened the barrier around the pce but Gale managed to break it easily, and he had two possible exnations: First, the barrier was strong against external threats but weak against inside attacks. Second, Gale''s power was somewhat considered as something simr to some divine energy. Thus, the Wind Spirit easily managed to break the barrier.


    [Where did you go at this hour, Neoma?]


    He thought had gone to the Red Sky Tower to free Lewis Crevan and her other "friends." But the Pdins stationed at the tower confirmed earlier that Neoma didn''t go there.


    "Your Majesty," Geoffrey Kinsley, his temporary personal knight, emerged from the dark side of his room. After greeting him formally, he went straight to his report just like what he asked from him. "I found out where Princess Neoma is after following the traces of Miss Gale''s Mana. Fortunately, Her Royal Highness is in a safe ce."


    "No ce is safer for Neoma other than where my eyes could reach her," Niki snapped at the Pdin who immediately bowed and begged for his forgiveness. Of course, he simply let it slide since he didn''t have time for that. "Where is my daughter now?"


    "I have confirmed that Her Royal Highness is at the Stroganoff estate, Your Majesty."


    He was quite surprised to hear that.


    To be honest, the head maid of nco Pce already reported to Geoffrey Kinsley that Princess Neoma asked for Ruston Stroganoff as soon as she woke up. Then, when the head maid said that the young chef no longer worked for the pce, she summoned the Wind Spirit and disappeared into thin air while still in her pajamas and indoor slippers.


    He didn''t believe it at first but Geoffrey Kinsley just confirmed it.


    And now, he was baffled.


    When did Neoma get THAT close to Ruston Stroganoff anyway?


    [I understand why Ruston Stroganoff is somehow loyal to Neoma. After all, that child made a promise to Mona in the past. But when did Neoma be attached to the young chef?]


    Of course, he was aware that Neoma would often visit Ruston Stroganoff in the kitchen whether as the "Crown Prince" or "Neoma Ramsay." But he thought it was only because his daughter was a glutton– uh, he meant gourmet.


    Did he underestimate Neoma''s rtionship with Ruston Stroganoff?


    [I''m disappointed in you, Ruston Stroganoff. I thought you were smarter than this. How dare you seduce my nine-year-old daughter?]


    Maybe he should send that young chef to a war instead of a culinary school.


    "Your Majesty, should I fetch Princess Neoma now?" Geoffrey Kinsley asked carefully, interrupting his murderous thoughts. "I will send a word to Lord Ruston Stroganoff."


    "There''s no need for that," Niki said, then he stood up from his seat and called for his butler to bring a change of clothes. "I''m going to fetch Neoma myself."


    <strong>***</strong>


    NEOMA let out a dreamy sigh after devouring– uhm, having three bowls of kimchi fried rice topped with a fried egg and juicy wagyu cubes.


    [This tastes like home.]


    Her meal tasted like it was made by an authentic Korean instead of a young man living in a world where Korean food didn''t exist in the continent.


    [Ruto is really sus.]


    "Should I get you another bowl of kimchi fried rice?" Ruto asked her while watching her with sparkling eyes. He would always get that "happy beam" on his face each time she would devour the meal that he cooked for her. Must be his pride as a chef or something. "I can also cook another batch of wagyu beef if you want."


    "Later. I''m full for now," Neoma said, then she uncontrobly burped. Of course, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Still, she acted cool about it. "Ruto, did you know?"


    "Know what?"


    "Princesses don''t burp."


    "Then, are you a prince?" he asked sarcastically while shaking his head as if he was done with her antics.


    As the prima donna that she was, she gave him a big frown. "Ruto, you really don''t say–"


    "I almost never say the things you want to hear because most of the time, the things you want to hear won''t help you grow at all," he cut her off, then he poured some juice in her ss. "And I was told mymunication skill sucks."


    She nodded eagerly. "It really does!"


    "Then, I politely ask Her Royal Highness to deal with it."


    Sheughed softly.


    Wow.


    She actuallyughed instead of getting offended.


    [Why is it so easy to be with Ruto?]


    Maybe it was the ambiance.


    Right now, she and Ruto were havingte dinner in the simple yet elegant dining hall of the Stroganoff''s manor. Only the two of them were literally in the mansion right now. Ruto exined that he sent the servants on a vacation since he didn''t want them to make a fuss while he was preparing to leave.


    She let out a long and weary sigh when she remembered that Ruto was really going to leave tomorrow morning.


    "I really thought you were going to leave without saying goodbye to me, Ruto."


    "How could I leave without cooking the meal that you requested first?" he asked. Ah, he must be talking about the time that she told Veton the meal that she wanted Ruto to make for her. "Neoma, I''m good at saying goodbyes."


    She frowned again. "Don''t be good at something like that, dummy. You should be good at singing me praises instead."


    "Your ego is already too big," he said in a yful tone. "Moreover, you have a harem of young men who definitely praise you from head to toe every chance they get."


    Harem?


    She almostughed again. But then, the realization that Ruto wasn''t in that "harem" made her upset hit her like a bulldozer. She tilted her head at one side while giving the royal chef a nervous nce.


    No way.


    Just no way!


    "Ruto, you like me," she dered because it couldn''t be the other way around. "Is that the reason why you sacrificed yourself just to give me back my beautiful face?"


    "I like Lady Mona Roseheart a lot."


    Okay, what kind of rejection was that?


    Ruto liked her mother?


    [Like as in like like?!]


    "Not in the romantic sense," he rified right away. "Lady Roseheart was the one who helped me control my Elemental Guardian since Elemental Guardians are practical "Spirit Beasts." Your mother took good care of me in the past. Even now, she was still one of the people that I respect the most."


    She didn''t want to say this but she was relieved that Ruto''s feelings for his mother weren''t in the romantic sense.


    Because even though she was arrogant, she would admit that she would pale inparison to her mother. Her eomma/mom in her second life was drop-dead gorgeous and elegant. She imagined that her Mama Boss was also simr to her eomma/mom.


    She couldn''tpete with the personification of "beauty, brains, and grace."


    [Gosh. Why do I even feelpetitive towards my own mother?]


    Well, don''t answer that.


    She knew why, but her pride was as high as the sky. It wouldn''t allow her to admit her feelings after her "marriage proposal was abruptly turned down.


    "When Lady Roseheart was pregnant with you, she asked me to take care of you as if she knew that she wouldn''t live long enough to raise you," he continued, his face softening up. He must be reminded of his fond memories with her mother. "I made a promise with her, and I intend to keep it as long as I can."


    "But my Mama Boss was pregnant with me and Nero then," she said. "Does it mean that you''ll also protect Nero?"


    "No," he said. "Lady Roseheart thought that she was only pregnant with a daughter since they don''t give birth to males anymore. Thus, I only promised to take care of her "daughter." Prince Nero isn''t included in that promise."


    "Ruto, I didn''t know that you could be that petty," she said while shaking her head. "Could you be secretly a bad boy inside?"


    "I never imed that I was a good boy."


    "Why do you always have a retort to everything I say?"


    "It''s because you''re reckless," he said, scolding her lightly. "Don''t propose easily."


    Okay, she blushed once again. "You''re so good at crushing my ego, Ruto," sheined. "And I didn''t propose to you. It''s not a proposal if you didn''t say ''yes.''"


    Heughed softly while shaking his head. "Do it again after youring-of-age ceremony."


    Wow.


    At this rate, she was going to have a heart attack. But she didn''t want to assume so she acted like she didn''t get what he meant by that.


    "Propose to me again," Ruto said with a warm smile on his face. "I''ll give you the answer that you want to hear by then."


    "Don''t say that carelessly, Ruto," Neoma said, her heart beating like crazy even though she wasn''t supposed to feel that way toward a "child." But why did Ruto never feel like a child to her unlike the others around her? Ah, maybe she should stop thinking about it for now. "After all, the answer that I want to hear is always a ''yes.''"


    <strong>***</strong>


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    <strong>***</strong>


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