Twice Dead, Twice Reborn: The Princess Who Defied Fate!

MY FATHER IS A SC*MBAG

If Chioma were to write her life narrative and give it a title, she'd entitle it 'My Father is a Sc*mbag.'

After she awoke and begged whether her father would bring her with him, he just glanced at her, shook his leg until she let go, and then turned to Nero. He pretended as if he didn't see her, even though she offered him her most attractive grin.

[Unthankful d*uche.]

"Nero, work harder to awaken your powers as a de Moonasterio," Emperor Joo instructed her twin brother. "From now on, I'll carefully watch over your development."

Okay, Chioma was astonished to hear that.

[He became interested in Nero despite the fact that I was the first to awaken?]

It seems that she was not the only one who was taken aback by the emperor's proclamation.

The staff surrounding them seemed proud and delighted. If His Majesty was interested in the prince, that simply meant that Rina Palace would now get greater attention from the emperor. More attention equaled a larger budget for the palace.

Of course, the servants would be honoured if Nero became the Emperor's formal heir apparent.

[Whatever the case, I am still being ignored here!]

"I'll work harder to protect my sister, Your Majesty," Nero assured the emperor. He smiled, but his words were as icy as the expression in his eyes. Gosh, her brother was definitely a monster in the making, right? "Thank you for your concern. Now, if you have nothing else to say, I'd like to kindly excuse myself with Princess Chioma. I'm sure she's tired from her awakening."

The servants and knights who had heard the prince gasped.

Even Chioma was stunned.

[Oh my. Nero has balls. When we were youngsters, he couldn't look the emperor in the eyes. But just now, he's speaking to our father as if they were equals.]

Wait, this should not be about her identical brother.

[I should be the star this time!]

"Papa, Chioma saw a monster in my dream," Chioma added in her charming voice, which Nero couldn't resist. She also gave her father the best puppy dog looks she could conjure, despite her strong desire to strike his neck. How could the emperor be so callous to such an adorable young girl?! "Can you tell Chioma about it, Papa?"

Emperor Joo looked at her with disdain. "I don't want to talk to a princess who can't even talk properly."

Okay, it made her cheeks flame with humiliation.

The staff even turned aside, as if they didn't want to make her feel even more embarrassed. But, what the hell? The harm was already done!

"There's nothing wrong with the way Chioma speaks," Nero stated. Then he gazed at her and lightly pinched her cheek. "Don't worry, Chioma. The way you talk is fine."

Chioma faked a grin. "Thank you, Brother." She refused to give up and glanced up at the monarch again. "Papa, I will talk properly from now on. I promise."

Emperor Joo gave her a grim expression before turning away from them. "Strengthen the security around Rina Palace and add more royal knights," he instructed Glenn, his personal knight. "Make sure that no harm will befall the royal prince."

Glenn succumbed to the demand. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

She waited for the emperor to issue another edict that would demonstrate that he cared about her. But that did not happen. His Majesty exited the dining hall without glancing back once.

Chioma felt a stab to her heart.

[Does he mean that he exclusively worries about the prince?]

What a scumbag father.

***

"Chioma, how do you feel?"

"I feel great, Brother," Chioma informed him. Then she touched the area next her. "Let's sleep now, Brother. I'm sleepy."

Nero grinned as he softly pinched her face. "I'm glad to see that you're still as energetic as before. And thankfully, your eyes have returned to their original colour."

That was correct.

Her crimson eyes became ash grey only a few minutes after she woke up. After that, she was so hungry that she ate three plates of large steak in one sitting. Fortunately, the nanny did not discipline her for eating "too much."

Anyway, she felt drowsy shortly after eating supper. So Nero instructed her attendants to give her a bath and make her bed immediately soon.

So now they were in their bedroom.

Chioma and her twin brother now wore identical yellow silk pyjamas. Nero would usually study a heavy history book before going to bed. But tonight, he seemed to be motivated to watch after her since he hadn't brought a book.

"Chioma, can you tell me more about what you told the emperor a while ago?" Nero inquired, sitting next to her, his fingers toying with her jumbled hair on the pillow. "Did you really see a monster in your "dream?""

Chioma nodded. Now that she was resting on the bed, her eyelids were becoming heavy. "Yes, Brother. I saw a shadow monster that looks like a baby dragon."

His brow furrowed in evident annoyance. "Did it hurt you?"

"No," she lied and shook her head. "I cried loudly until it got away from me. It seems like the monster hates loud crying noises."

"That's a relief," her brother responded. "Chioma, just because your power awakened doesn't mean you have to fight to protect yourself. You don't have to do that because I'm here for you."

She grinned and nodded. "I know that, Brother."

[If our father weren't such a jerk, I wouldn't have worried about this "awakening" nonsense, you know? I wanted to live like a lazy princess adored by her strong brother.]

"I'll work hard to awaken my powers as well," Nero pledged. "Chioma, once I become the official crown prince, you won't need to beg for the emperor's attention. When I grow up and become more powerful, I can overthrow him anytime."

She laughed uncomfortably at this. Was Nero actually considering toppling their father in the future? If someone else heard her identical brother, they'd undoubtedly assume Nero was plotting a coup! "Brother, why would you need to overthrow the emperor when you're already the crown prince? Being in that position means you're the heir apparent."

"I can't wait for His Majesty to die before I ascend the throne," he remarked, smiling. Oh, my. How could he grin like an angel while he was talking cold, devilish things? "I can't just sit back and continue watching him treat you bad, Chioma. I want to end it as soon as possible."

[And only for that reason, you wish to topple the emperor?!]

Oh, what a violent idea for a five-year-old infant!

"Brother," she cried out with a snarl. "I want us to get along with our father. We're a family, aren't we?"

"The two of us are family," he said. "We don't need the emperor."

"But I want us to get along with our father," she said with a pout. "He's also our family, Brother. I'm greedy so I want to be loved by everyone."

He released a frustrated sigh. "Alright. I'll try to get along with the emperor."

Chioma grinned and spread her arms. When her twin brother hugged him, she rewarded him by kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Brother."

Nero's face lightened up. "Anything for you, Chioma."

***

When Nero was certain Chioma was already sound asleep, he quietly sat up and got out of bed. Then he delicately drew up the blanket to cover her beautiful neck. [I will come back, Chioma. Sleep tightly.

After certain that his sister was asleep, he silently exited their room.

"Guard the princess well," Nero coldly instructed the two royal knights waiting at the entrance. "If something happens while I'm away, I'll have your heads. Is that clear?"

Both knights bowed profoundly. "We understand, Your Royal Highness."

He turned his back on them and began to walk away.

Alpha, the thirty-year-old head butler with brown hair and dark chocolate eyes, trailed close behind. He even wrapped a silk robe over his shoulders. "Your Royal Highness, the assassin is in the cell now. Based on our investigation, she was alone when she entered the palace as a mole. Are we not going to report this to His Majesty?"

"The emperor doesn't care about this issue because it wasn't me who got poisoned," sternly said Nero. "And I can deal with the assassin on my own."

He hadn't awoke yet, like Chioma had.

However, he was certain that he was the strongest five-year-old child in the whole kingdom. Aside from his innate physical strength, he was endowed with a powerful Mana and a tremendous skill for swordsmanship. Despite his little frame, he was full of promise.

Of course, his need to defend Chioma made him stronger.

[Talking about Chioma...]

He had a sense her twin sister was aware that his meal was poisoned. That was undoubtedly the reason she urged him to exchange meals with her.

[I should have spotted it.]

He wanted to interrogate Chioma about it, but he didn't want to press her after she had just reawakened her abilities. He would gradually begin to interrogate her when she had recovered enough. But he'd be extremely cautious not to frighten her.

When they arrived to Rina Palace's basement, his thoughts were interrupted. It was a hidden cell, which he just lately discovered. When he asked Alpha where he might torment Chioma's negligent nanny before, the chief butler sent him there.

Oh, okay. His first murder was of Chioma's reckless nanny. And now for the second.

"Your Royal Highness!" the assassin, still dressed in her maid uniform, kneeled and knelt until her forehead met the icy floor of her cell. "I beg your forgiveness! I was being blackmailed by Herbert Severano! I didn't want to harm you or Her Royal Highness!"

Nero grinned. He wasn't sure why, but the smell of blood and the sensation of chopping flesh with his sword got him aroused. Ah, he was the only five-year-old kid in the empire who thought this way. "I don't care who ordered you; the fact that you're the reason I almost lost my Chioma is enough for me to kill you." He reached out to Alpha. "My sword."

Alpha bowed before holding his small blade in his hand.

"Your Royal Highness!" the assassin said hopelessly. "Please have mercy!"

Nero smiled pleasantly as he pulled his sword from its sheath. "I don't have mercy for people who hurt my precious Chioma."

There was filthy blood spilled that night.

***

Joo grinned when he heard Glenn's account.

Apparently, Nero had been assassinating any servant in Rina Palace who dared to insult him or the royal princess. It's no surprise that even at the age of five, he had the staff under control.

[Fear is an excellent technique for getting others to follow you.]

To be honest, he hadn't expected Nero to preside over the Rina Palace. Neglected youngsters like his were often tortured by servants. But his son found a way to run the palace, right?

[He's really my son.]

"Your Majesty, what should we do about Herbert Severano?" said Glenn. "It seems like the original target was Prince Nero and not Princess Chioma."

"I'd like to ask for Nero's opinion on how the foolish Herbert should be dealt," Joo replied. "Tell the royal prince that I want him to join me for dinner tomorrow evening."

***

Chioma drew while resting on her stomach on the carpeted floor. She was idly colouring on a lousy doodle she had produced. For her "drawing assignment," she created a stick figure of herself, Nero, and her sc*mbag father.

[Why is it so difficult to be close to my father?]

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door, followed by Nero's voice. She summoned her brother to come in.

"Chioma, you're not yet done with your assignment?"

Chioma grinned when Nero entered the room. She sat up and showed him the paper she was working on. "I'm done, Brother."

Nero grinned and sat next to her. Then he attentively examined her artwork. He was particularly interested in her stick figure clutching the hand of his own stick figure. He grinned as he gazed at her, indicating that he was pleased. "Your drawing has improved, Chioma."

That was ridiculous since she was well aware that her artwork was terrible. She grinned anyhow.

"Thank you, Brother," Chioma said kindly. "Are you done with your sword training?"

He grinned and nodded. "We can play today."

She feigned to be pleased, raising her arms and yelling excitedly. "Yehey!"

Her gullible twin brother seemed happy with her reply.

[Heh.]

Alpha knocked and entered the room, interrupting their joyous moment. The chief butler had a massive package in his hands.

"Greetings to the royal prince and princess," Alpha said with a bow. When he lifted his head, his attention was drawn to Nero. "Your Royal Highness, His Majesty had sent you clothes to use for tonight."

Nero's brow furrowed. "For what?"

"His Majesty is inviting you for dinner, Your Royal Highness."

"How about me?" Chioma inquired hopefully. "Did Papa send me clothes as well? Am I also invited to that dinner?"

"My deepest apologies, Princess Chioma," Alpha stated with a bow. "His Majesty only sent clothes and invitation for Prince Nero."

Nero's attitude quickly soured, but as he turned to face her, his eyes widened in surprise. "Chioma, are you crying?"

Chioma did not want to weep, darn it!

She was extremely aware that her father had never loved her in her previous life. She also understood that obtaining his favour in this lifetime would be very tough. She assumed she was ready to be treated like sh*t by her father again. But she didn't expect it to still ache.

[What did I do to make the dumb emperor detest me so much?]