Chapter 285 - KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS (3)

[THE LITTLE rogue is seriously crazy. She's my daughter but…]

Nikolai held back a sigh.

He was taken aback when Neoma challenged the nobles and suggested having everyone's secrets revealed to prove the Bookworm's identity.

[Neoma, you're the one who has the most dangerous secret here.]

But he wasn't worried because his daughter wasn't dumb. Neoma knew that her royal secret must not be revealed. Not until Nero returned, at least.

[She's just bluffing.]

And it was working..

He couldn't believe that a nine-year-old child's bluff was working on the higher nobles. The representatives of the Twelve Golden Families were some of the strongest people in the empire. But he could see some of them gulp and tremble in fear.

It wasn't like he didn't understand though.

[Neoma's aura… it's the aura of a ruler.]

There was a reason why the de Moonasterios had been the rulers ever since the empire was built.

The aura around a de Moonasterio who overcame Lunacy would always change. But the aura around Neoma right now was different. It was something similar to his.

[It really is the aura of a ruler.]

Nero should catch up with Neoma as soon as he woke up. It wasn't like he was trying to make his children compete with each other. He just wanted both his daughter and son to be strong because as royals, their lives would always be in danger.

But at this moment, it was Neoma who was bringing terror to the arrogant nobles that dared to push the "Crown Prince" to the corner.

[The little rogue is about to break several laws.]

He still remembered the conversation that he had with his daughter after he handed him the astronomical amount of money that she asked for. Of course, the amount wasn't nearly enough to make him bankrupt (the money came from his own pocket, not the funds for the palace). But it was still big enough to make even Rufus Quinzel, the wealthiest nobleman in the empire, gulp.

["Papa Boss, you're rich?"]

[He scoffed at his daughter's question. But he couldn't blame her. Even though he was the emperor, he wasn't as rich as his cousin Rufus Quinzel, the empire's wealthiest noble. The amount that he gave Neoma as her "allowance" might have gone beyond her expectations. "I'm not as rich as Rufus but my money is still enough to make the empire move the way I want to," he said. "Do you know what makes an emperor great aside from power?"

["Uhm… money?"]

["Yes, money," he said while nodding his head. "I have both power and money."]

["Papa Boss, I'm going to use your money to break some of the laws," his daughter said bluntly. "Is that okay?"]

["Do whatever you need to protect the throne," he said casually. "I'll take responsibility."]

["Papa Boss, we'll share the responsibility," Neoma said seriously. "My people have my back, too."]

Neoma's people, huh?

Lewis Crevan.

Juri Wisteria.

Jeno Dankworth.

Jasper Hawthorne.

The "halfling" that she recently adopted.

[They're quite decent.]

Lewis Crevan gained the right to be Neoma's knight. Juri Wisteria and Jeno Dankworth came from noble households that supported the Royal Family. Jasper Hawthorne was a rebel but his connection to the slums could be pretty useful.

He had to keep an eye on the child that his daughter brought home. The boy was half human-half elf so he was guaranteed to have incredible healing powers. But he couldn't fully trust a child raised in the Death Camp.

[That damned camp…]

He was very angry at himself that he didn't notice that a disgusting camp like that existed at the border of his very own land. And the damned nobles prioritized the Crown Prince's "trial" over the discussion regarding the camp.

If Neoma didn't insist to face the nobles, he would have taken care of the issue the way he always did– violently.

[But the nobles are targeting the "Crown Prince" so I have to be careful.]

Although he trusted Neoma, he was still worried about the method that she chose.

Right now, there were several video-recording devices floating in the air. He didn't know how his daughter convinced Count Sean Dankworth to help her. But the count's mist was currently hiding the illegal devices.

Only legally registered video-recording devices were allowed in the Royal Palace. The ones in the hall weren't registered. Thus, it was the first law that Neoma broke.

Third, no magic spells or devices were allowed inside the Callisto de Luca Hall.

Fourth, video-recording devices weren't allowed to be used on nobles without permission.

Nikolai held back another sigh. [My little rogue has become a criminal.]

***

NEOMA would admit it: she was quite nervous after her bluff.

But for some reason, it seemed like the people from the temple and the nobles didn't notice that she was just bluffing. In fact, they looked concerned.

"W-We don't have to go that far, Your Royal Highness," Duke Arman Winchester, the head of the Noble Faction who started the whole fiasco, said. Then, he (fake) coughed when he realized that he stammered earlier. When he spoke again, his voice was loud and clear. "I suppose there is another way for us to be convinced that the creature you presented is the real Devil's Grimoire."

After that, the old duke turned to High Priest Wellington meaningfully.

Ah, Trevor was correct.

["Princess Neoma, do you know why the current High Priest Wellington is feared by most people despite his weak presence?"]

[She blinked in surprise because she didn't expect that. "I met the High Priest a few times. He looks okay. Why is he feared?"]

["The current High Priest has the ability to kill a liar."]

["Huh?"]

["The current High Priest is being used by the temple to interrogate people within the temple that committed some sort of crimes," he explained. "The current High Priest makes them confess by tying a vow in their heart. If the confession is false, then the liar will die of a heart attack. I have a feeling that the greedy nobles that wanted to dethrone you would somehow convince you to take that vow with the current High Priest."]

["Are you suggesting that I convince the High Priest to use that ability on me?" she asked, quite shocked. "If I declare that the clone is the Devil's Grimoire, won't it be the same as lying? You're the Devil's Grimoire, aren't you?"]

["The two of us are both the Devil's Grimoire," he explained again. "The Bookworm cannot exist without me, and vice-versa."]

["Ah."]

["You're not going to ask me about it, Princess Neoma?"]

["Nah. You would have already talked about it if you wanted to share it with me," she said. When the demon boy just laughed, she changed the topic. "Won't it be a problem that the Bookworm I'm going to bring over is just a clone?"]

["No," Trevor said confidently. "Even if it's just a clone, it was still a part of the Bookworm."]

High Priest Wellington nodded at Duke Winchester before turning to her. "Your Royal Highness, this humble servant has the ability to determine whether a declaration is a truth or not. But in order to do so, you have to take the Vow of Truth. Would that be alright?"

Her Papa Boss scoffed but thankfully, he didn't say anything.

She nodded confidently while looking at the High Priest. "I don't mind, His Excellency," she said. Then, she turned to Lewis. "Escort His Excellency here."

Yes, she wouldn't come down the platform because of her status.

But the High Priest kindly declined Lewis's help and walked toward her alone. After that, His Excellency gently asked for her hand as if they were about to shake hands.

[His Excellency's hand is warm…]

"Your Royal Highness, do you swear on your life that you're telling the truth when you said the creature you presented is the Devil's Grimoire?" High Priest Wellington asked. The warmth gathered in his hand seeped through hers. Then, the next thing she knew, their hands were already covered with a warm and golden aura. "The Vow of Truth will take your life if you lie."

She felt the warmth in her hand flow through her veins until it reached her heart. "I swear on my life that I speak the truth, Your Excellency," she said firmly as a snake-like chain began to surround her heart. "The creature the I present to you is the Devil's Grimoire."

The golden aura that covered their hands slowly began to fade.

Then, it disappeared completely along the "chains" that she felt around her heart earlier.

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," His Excellency said, then he turned around to face the nobles. "The Crown Prince has spoken the truth– the grotesque creature is indeed the Devil's Grimoire!"

There were different reactions among the nobles. Some smiled, others remained indifferent, while there were some who visibly frowned.

"Duke Winchester, I believe you owe His Royal Highness an apology," Duke Rufus Quinzel said firmly.

Neoma appreciated Duke Quinzel's support. And she knew how to repay that kindness. [I have to end this now.]

It would be Juri and Jeno's turn later.

***

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