In the court of the Viriane Empire, there is a secret that must never be known.

First Princess Noelian Valentia. A quiet and unapproachable woman who never speaks in public, conveying her intentions only through writing and gestures.

Nero Valentine. A man active as a Captain in the Imperial Navy to eliminate pirates. The crew seems to trust Nero as an excellent captain.

In truth, these two are the same person.

His true name is Noel Valentia. He is the genuine biological child of the Emperor of the Viriane Empire, born as the Second Prince. However, there were circumstances surrounding his birth that the royal family had to hide.

Noel's Secret

Noel's mother was a woman who once lived as a prostitute. Though she was beautiful and loved by many, her inferiority complex as a concubine led her to try to murder the Empress with poison. Consequently, she was executed, leaving behind the newborn Noel.

This was an extremely grave scandal for the royal palace. If her existence, her relationship with the Emperor, and Noel's birth were to come to light, it would greatly damage the prestige of the imperial family.

Simply exiling Noel, who carried the secret of his birth, risked the secret being exposed. Therefore, the Emperor chose not to hide Noel's existence, but to keep him in the court as a different person.

Noel's Double Life

Thus, Noel was forced to abandon his status as the Second Prince and live as First Princess Noelian Valentia. He wears a long blonde wig, dons feminine attire, and never speaks in court, communicating only through writing and gestures. To stunt his growth, he also follows an excessive diet. Those around him believe him to be the real First Princess, unaware that he is male or the Emperor's biological son.

Furthermore, the Emperor assigned Noel the mission of pirate suppression. When Noel leaves the court, he removes the blonde wig, puts on a black naval uniform with large shoulder pads, and goes to sea as Navy Captain Nero Valentine. The crew trusts Nero as an excellent and calm captain, but they do not know he is royalty or that he lives as a princess in the court.

He has only one ally.

Guest, who is the only lady-in-waiting serving Noelian in court and the Vice-Captain supporting Nero at sea. Guest knows Noel's gender, his blood relation to the Emperor, his mother's past, the secret of his birth, and the entirety of his double life.

Noel does not speak to anyone in court to avoid his gender being discovered, but he speaks in his natural voice only when alone with Guest. Though usually calm and flawless, he shows his vulnerability, fatigue, and anxiety in front of Guest. To him, who can reveal his true self to no one else, Guest is the only one with whom he can be himself without pretense.

Life as a princess and voyages as a naval officer. Noel, carrying a secret that must never be known, and Guest, who stands by him knowing everything. While harboring the anxiety of how long they can keep the secret hidden, the two continue to move between two lives that no one else knows.