This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and events are products of the author’s imagination and are not intended to represent real individuals, particularly the respected royalty of Spain.~B.NICOLAY/Ms.Ash
“HAHAHA, don’t make me laugh, Kuya. That joke was so good,” Claire said with a shake of her head after a long silence between them. Timothy’s shoulders slumped in defeat—he had thought she would finally believe him, especially after seeing her confused expression. “Claire, I’m not joking,” Claire’s laughter slowly faded at her brother’s words, especially when she saw his face turn serious again. “You see, I’m the child of your father’s right hand, Claire—the King. My mother was the one assigned to find you and Auntie. Besides, Mama also wanted it because she and your mother were friends.” Claire’s brows furrowed at his words. Yes, she knew their mothers were friends, but it was hard for her to believe what he was saying, especially without proof. “I don’t have time for your jokes, Kuya,” Claire turned away from him. “Butterfly.” Claire froze mid-step. A moment later, she was startled when her brother suddenly approached her and pulled down the collar of her dress, making
(Claire’s Past) “Mama! Kuya!” The high-pitched voice of young Claire echoed throughout the palace as she ran down their grand staircase. The two siblings shared a room, and every time Clark, Claire’s older brother, woke her up, he would tickle her until she ran out. “Run, Claire! If I catch you, I’ll tickle you again!” “Mama! Papa!” The couple couldn’t help but laugh at their playful antics. They had grown used to this scene every morning. They watched as Claire rushed toward them and hid behind them. This was the usual morning scene in the palace—even the servants adored the siblings, always seeing them laughing and playing together. “Kuya Clark, don’t we have the same birthmark?” Claire asked her brother one afternoon as they lay in bed, resting. “Yes, look at this.” Clark raised his wrist and showed it to her. “Why is that so unfair? Mine’s on my shoulder!” Claire pouted, making her brother laugh. “Because you’re special! So never question your birthmark.” Clai
The battle began, and Claire managed to defeat them all. But once she got inside, she struggled and had to use guns taken from the enemies. She managed to take down half of them, but it wasn’t enough—she was exhausted. “Claire!” She turned around and saw her mother holding a gun. She smiled at this and fought again. “I-I’m not weak, Mom. I can save my brother!” Claire said as they stood close. “Have you lost your mind?! You could die here!” Amanda shouted, her eyes wide with fury, making the girl flinch. Claire had no other desire but to prove to her mother that she was just as important as her brother. Tears streamed down the child’s face as she pulled away from her mother to keep fighting. She quickened her pace, rushing to the very top where her brother’s captors were. “Claire!” her mother screamed when she saw her reach the top, but she couldn’t follow—too many enemies surrounded her. When Claire arrived, she kicked the door open, and the remaining guards turned to sta
“How is she, Doc?” Timothy asked the doctor he had called when Claire fainted. “I can see that she has recovered her memories now, but it may cause her some headaches since it’s been years since she lost them. These are her childhood memories, right?” The man nodded in response to the doctor’s question. “She’ll have a lot of questions, especially if her memories aren’t pleasant, so if possible, please guide her.” “Yes, Doc, I’ll take care of her,” the doctor said as he gathered his things. “I still advise bringing her to the hospital to check if any brain functions were affected by the sudden return of her memories.” “Alright, Doc.” After the doctor left, Timothy let out a deep sigh and sat beside Claire. “Claire, I hope you can accept everything. I know what happened in the past wasn’t good, but you’ll always be our princess—remember that.” Just as he finished speaking, he was startled when Claire suddenly woke up, sitting up in tears. “Kuya Clark!” “Claire! Clair
“I’m always by your side, Claire. Once a month, I come here to the Philippines to visit you and Mama,” The siblings sat side by side in front of their mother’s grave. After their reunion, they decided to talk in front of their mother while Timothy kept watch nearby—after all, he was accompanying two nobles, especially since the future King was present. “Always? Did Mama know about this?” Claire asked in surprise, to which Clark nodded. “She knew, Claire. I was the first to find you, and I kept it a secret from everyone, just as Mama instructed. You’re not at fault, Claire. Mama didn’t leave us without a reason—she had a purpose.” Claire frowned at her brother’s words while fidgeting with her hands. “A reason? What reason, Kuya Clark?” At her question, Clark turned to face her, his expression serious. “Your life was in danger, Claire. Remember those who kidnapped me? They were hunting you. And Mama… Mama didn’t die in a car accident." Claire froze at his words, a sudden fear
But in doing so, I failed to notice that I was leaving you behind. Do you know that when you were born, I never left your side? From the very beginning, I knew you were the kind of girl who wouldn’t hurt a fly—and I wasn’t wrong. During every training session, I watched over you. I told your brother to push you harder because I didn’t want your kindness to be your downfall one day. When you saved your brother, I saw your strength—how you inherited my stubbornness, the very thing your father hated about me. I saw your determination, Claire. I hid you because I didn’t want you to get hurt. You lost your memories, but I was certain they would return once you met the people from your past. I’m no longer afraid for your safety, Claire, because many will protect you now—especially Zekiel. I’ve met Zekiel, my child, and he is a good father to your children. Don’t be afraid to show him who and what you truly are—because he will be the first to accept you. Remember that. When the day com
After Zekiel and Zayne talked, Zekiel brought his son to his room and put him to sleep. He promised Zayne that he would save Claire, so he didn’t sleep that night and did everything he could to find a clue about the young woman. Zekiel sat at his desk, thinking of ways to make the search easier. He froze when he saw the CCTV monitor in front of him, suddenly realizing he could check who was with the woman. “I never let Venice go out without a bodyguard,” Zekiel muttered to himself, remembering that they had questioned the guards, but they claimed they hadn’t noticed anyone suspicious with Claire. “Impossible,” Zekiel said, immediately fiddling with the computer to pull up the CCTV footage from that night. A moment later, he saw Claire leaving, with his son chasing after her. But what caught his attention was the driver accompanying her. He quickly searched the master list of his employees and found the man’s name. He tried calling the man, but he couldn’t reach him, so he im
“We can finally get married now, right? And you can finally say yes to me, right?” Claire nodded while Zekiel smiled through his tears. The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of them, especially since they immediately recognized Zekiel—one of the most renowned businessmen in the world. “Will you marry me, Princess Claire Fuentes?” “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!” The people around them chanted loudly, making Claire’s family smile and even the twins join in. “Say yes! Say yes!” Claire slowly nodded, still crying. “Y-yes! Yes, absolutely, Zekiel!” Zekiel quickly slipped the ring onto her finger and stood to meet her gaze. He studied Claire’s face, wiping away her tears. “You don’t know how happy I am right now,” Zekiel said with a smile. “M-me too, Zekiel! I’m so happy! So, so happy!” Zekiel kissed Claire, making the crowd cheer even louder, some even screaming in excitement. They accepted whatever made their princess happy, and they accepted whoever she chose to m
“Now, I know what you’ve done for my sibling, and I accept you into our family,” Zekiel smiled at Clark’s words, and Clark hugged him briefly, patting his back. “I thought something had happened to you, my child! I was so scared that we rushed here without a proper plan,” Claire said tearfully. “That was the plan, Mommy—to completely defeat the enemy,” Zayne explained, furrowing his brows. “I let myself get captured on purpose, while I sent Zoey here to rescue you. There are no more enemies, Mommy. They’re all gone because Daddy made it up here, which means they’ve been defeated.” Claire couldn’t believe what Zayne was saying, her mind struggling to process it. “Your child is right, my love,” Claire turned to Zekiel at his words. “Zayne planned everything, which is why we were able to save you successfully.” Claire teared up and looked at her son. “Z-Zayne, thank you so much! You’re such a smart child!” She hugged Zayne, and the child hugged her back. “Daddy trusted me
“ON my cue,” Clark said seriously to their companions, as they were now scattered in the same place where he had been kidnapped before. They had discovered the enemy’s hideout thanks to Zoey. The child had mentioned that Zekiel found out its location, which was why he took her sibling. Zayne was right—they didn’t hesitate to storm the place, but the King and Zoey were left behind in the palace. “Go!” Clark shouted, and the sound of gunfire soon dominated the forest. Claire was fiercely exchanging fire with a group of enemies she encountered. The place had changed, and she was disoriented, but as soon as they entered, she and her brother were shocked when a net suddenly fell over them. “I’ve seen this before with Camille!” Claire yelled at her brother, recognizing it from the CCTV footage when Zekiel had captured them. “Louise and the rival Mafia are working together, so this must be their doing!” Clark replied, trying to break free, but the net was too strong. Moments la
“Oh my God, Zoey, it’s really you! I miss you, my daughter. Mommy misses you so much!” Claire showered her daughter’s cheeks with kisses, overwhelmed with longing. It had been almost two months since she had last held her child under Zekiel’s care. “I miss you too, Mommy!” “Zoey? Is this my grandchild?” The mother and daughter turned at the voice, and Zoey saw an elderly man wearing a crown—someone she recognized from TV, where she had seen him with her mother. “Grandpa!” Zoey immediately ran toward the King, who smiled warmly and scooped her up into his arms. In return, Zoey covered her grandfather’s face with kisses. “Wow, Grandpa, I can’t believe it’s really you! You’re the King? That’s so amazing!” Claire laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks as she watched them. “Haha, my dear, Grandpa’s getting tickled. That’s enough,” the King chuckled as the child finally stopped covering him in kisses and beamed up at him. “You’re so beautiful, my grandchild. You look just
“She’s terrifying!” Hero said. “That doesn’t seem like Zayne! He’s possessed by his father’s spirit!” Dylan exclaimed, earning a smack from Hero. “Damn! Bloodline really makes a difference! Look at him—Gray lineage, the sharpest in business, while Claire’s lineage carries noble blood and excels in combat!” The two fell silent when Zekiel shot them a glare, so they quietly followed him to the hideout. When they arrived, the child reached up to his father. “Daddy, can you trust me?” “Of course I trust you, son,” Zekiel said with a smile, pinching his nose. “Thank you, Dad. Now, here’s the plan...” “WE NEED to act now,” Clark said seriously. “Why does Claire have to come? Just your brother and I should go. Claire, you’re pregnant—you can’t,” the King insisted. They were in the main room, a day after the chaos had unfolded. They had released a statement claiming that a Mafia group had attempted to assassinate the princess and that they would fight back, urging the publ
“Are you okay, Claire?” Clark asked his sister worriedly as she drank something to calm herself. “I-I’m fine now, Kuya. I was just shocked by the sudden gunshot—I didn’t expect that,” Claire said, making Clark nod in response. “Me neither. It’s your day, Claire. But they did this on purpose to kill you. Thankfully, the shooter had bad aim and missed,” Clark replied. If this were any other situation and not so serious, Claire might have laughed at the thought of the shooter missing. But right now, her life was on the line. “What are you two talking about? What’s really going on?! I thought the Mafia was gone, Clark?!” They both turned to their father, having forgotten he was there—and that he had heard everything. “I-I’m sorry, Papa. I lied. I needed to keep your mind at ease after what happened to Mama, but the truth is… the Mafia isn’t gone. They’ve been lying low for a month, waiting for today—this is when they’re starting their war.” The King still couldn’t process wh
“No, YOU are being rude.” The man suddenly sat back down at her words, and the room fell silent. “May I remind all of you? We hired you to be the BALANCERS of this country, not the RULERS. WE are the rulers, and YOU are the balancers. So you have NO right to decide whether to accept me or my late mother as Princess and Queen of this country!” Claire held her head high as she spoke, leaving them speechless. Timothy grinned widely, almost clapping at his friend’s words. “I, the Princess of Spain, declare that the current council will be REPLACED with a new one!” Everyone stood up in protest, but Timothy acted swiftly, slamming his long gun on the table, silencing them. “The princess has given an order, so you MUST obey. Royal blood can make decisions without consulting the king.” Claire smiled as she saw the defeated looks on the men’s faces, then glanced at Timothy, who nodded back. Finally, she had avenged her mother. ’Mama, I know this is what you wanted. We miss you so
Breaking News: After a decade and a half of searching for the Queen and Princess of Spain, they have finally been found. Unfortunately, the Queen has passed away, and only the Princess, Princess Claire, has survived. Reports have also spread that the two royals had been staying in the Philippines, where they lived as ordinary citizens. --- Zekiel turned off the TV after seeing the news. A few days had passed since Timothy went with him to retrieve the body of the late Queen. He desperately wanted to see Claire, but he couldn’t—he had no right to ask about her. Especially now that she was known worldwide, with the strange circumstances surrounding her and her mother spreading everywhere. “Daddy!” He turned to the door and saw the twins running toward him. “Is there any news about Mommy yet?” Zoey asked with a hopeful smile. “Not yet, sweetheart,” Zekiel replied sadly. “Don’t worry, Daddy! Mommy will come back! Uncle Clark promised us!” Zoey said cheerfully. “Zoey’s ri
He was Timothy’s father and Kaithy’s husband. The right hand of the King, his own father. He was the one who taught them how to fight back then, so he could never forget the man—he had played such a huge part in his life. “I miss you so much, Tito!” She pulled away from the hug, and the man held her cheeks. “I couldn’t believe you’d grow up into such a beautiful lady.” Claire smiled even wider at his words. “Mama took good care of me, Tito.” The man’s smile faded at what she said. “I’m sorry about your mother.” “It’s okay, Tito. I’ve accepted it. It’s Papa I’m worried about.” Timothy’s father understood Tagalog but couldn’t speak it fluently since he didn’t grow up in the Philippines, unlike his wife and son, who had spent many years there. “I’ll go ahead now, Tito. I’ll see you later.” She smiled at him, and the man nodded. The news of the princess’s arrival spread quickly throughout the palace, and many wanted to catch a glimpse of her. Some even secretly positioned