Reborn As Noble

”Ohhh!! Buddy! Look over there—a roast meat shop!” Javier exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he spotted a stall with sizzling skewers of roasted meat.

Without hesitation, he dashed toward the stall, with Buddy and Pikko close behind, their eyes locked on the steaming skewers and drool dripping from their beaks.

”Welcome, young master! What can I get for you?” the vendor asked, already recognizing the Armand household emblem.

”All of it! Just give me all the skewers you’ve got!” Javier declared, slapping a few silver coins down on the counter.

Before the vendor could even hand over the skewers, Buddy and Pikko lunged forward, each snatching a skewer with their beaks.

”Hey! Buddy! Don’t eat mine!” Javier cried out, wrestling a skewer out of Buddy’s grip.

Pikko squawked indignantly as Javier tried to shield his own skewer. ”Pikko! I only got one bite!”

Javier chomped on a piece of meat, glaring at the two mischievous Pekkos, who were blissfully devouring the skewers with abandon.

Behind him, Liana arrived with Gloria and the rest of the maids and guards. They paused to observe the chaotic scene of their young master battling his overeager mounts for his meal.

”Ah, young master…” Liana muttered, shaking her head with a sigh.

Gloria covered her mouth, suppressing a soft laugh, while the other maids and guards chuckled openly, finding the sight both endearing and amusing.

Around them, passersby stopped to watch, their faces lighting up at the rare sight of the young son of their lord enjoying himself so freely. The cheerful atmosphere spread, and whispers filled the air.

”That’s Count Armand’s youngest, isn’t it?”

”He’s such a lively boy!”

”Look at him wrestling with those birds! How adorable!”

Unaware of the attention he was garnering, Javier finally managed to snag another skewer for himself. ”Haha! Victory is mine!” he declared triumphantly, holding it high.

Buddy and Pikko squawked in unison, clearly disagreeing with him as they eyed the skewer with determined hunger.

Liana let out another sigh, though a small smile tugged at her lips. ”Young master… You truly are something else.”

”Hmm? You all don’t want to eat?” Javier turned back, eyeing the guards, Gloria, Liana, and the maids who trailed behind him.

The maids and guards exchanged warm glances but shook their heads. ”We’re fine, young master, thank you,” one of the maids replied.

Javier frowned, clearly dissatisfied. He pulled out another pouch, this time filled to the brim with gleaming gold coins.

”Liana!”

Liana, momentarily distracted by Pikko trying to sneak another snack, turned her attention back to him. ”Yes, young master?”

”Give them all one gold coin each. And the rest is for you.” Javier tossed the pouch lightly toward her.

Liana caught it effortlessly but immediately sighed, her brows furrowing. ”Young master, didn’t I mention before? One gold coin is a lot for us. We could live off this for months.”

”So?” Javier shrugged, flashing his usual carefree grin. ”Just give it to them. It’s not like I’ll have less money after this.”

Liana’s eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned in closer, lowering her voice. ”Young master, that isn’t the point. This is too much for simple errands—”

But before she could finish, Javier leaned in with a mischievous smirk. ”You know I still have plenty inside my magic storage, right? This is nothing.”

Liana sighed again, though a small smile tugged at her lips despite herself. ”If you insist, young master.”

She turned to the guards, maids, and Gloria. ”Here. The young master wishes for you to have this.”

”Young master, this is too generous—” one of the guards started, but Javier waved him off.

”No complaining! Take it and enjoy yourselves. If you don’t, Buddy and Pikko will eat more than their fair share, and there won’t be anything left for you.”

The group chuckled, accepting the coins with gratitude. The marketplace buzzed with life as vendors and onlookers watched the generous young noble spreading wealth and joy, his carefree demeanor a stark contrast to the usual reserved nobles.

Meanwhile, Buddy and Pikko squawked impatiently, as if reminding Javier that the food stalls wouldn’t wait forever.

Javier’s eyes sparkled as he spotted a food stall ahead with a steaming pot of sizzling squid balls. The vendor, a cheerful older woman, skillfully skewered the glistening, golden-brown snacks while her pot bubbled enticingly.

”Ohhh! Buddy! Pikko! Look! Squid balls! And they’re HUGE!” Javier exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.

Without missing a beat, he darted to the stall and slammed a handful of silver coins onto the counter. ”Aunty! Give me all of this! Every last one!”

The vendor blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer enthusiasm of the young noble. ”A-All of them, young master? That’s quite a lot—”

Before she could finish, Buddy and Pikko squawked loudly and lunged for the tray of freshly cooked squid balls.

”Hey! Hey! Buddy! Pikko! Stop snatching them!” Javier yelled, flailing his arms in a vain attempt to wrangle the two overzealous Pekkos.

Buddy had already snatched a skewer and was gulping down the squid balls with drool dripping from his beak. Pikko followed suit, expertly grabbing a skewer in each claw and balancing them like a pro as she munched happily.

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”Eughhh! You two gluttons! Those were mine!” Javier groaned, grabbing a skewer before they could steal any more.

”Young master, please control your Pekkos!” Liana called from nearby, her voice stern but tinged with amusement. She had been perched on Pikko moments ago, but now the bird had betrayed her to join the food frenzy.

The vendor watched the chaotic scene unfold, first with wide eyes and then with a hearty laugh. ”Oh, young master, your birds sure have an appetite! But don’t worry, there’s more where that came from.”

Javier sighed dramatically, clutching his lone skewer as if it were a priceless treasure. ”Aunty, please. Make double the amount next time. These two don’t know the meaning of sharing!”

Buddy and Pikko, as if understanding his complaint, squawked simultaneously, looking immensely satisfied with their feast. Around them, passersby chuckled, entertained by the spectacle of the energetic young noble and his insatiable Pekkos.

As the busy scene calmed down for a moment, Gloria walked over to Javier with her usual gentle smile. She had seen some chaos starting, but this time it wasn’t caused by Javier or his playful Pekkos. A sparkle in her calm eyes showed that she had a plan.

”Young Master,” Gloria said softly, her voice kind and motherly. ”Let me help you take off your jacket. It must be hot walking around in it.”

”Oh! Thank you, Gloria! Ehehe,” Javier said, handing her his jacket right away while focusing on his squid ball skewer.

With care, Gloria took off the jacket, her movements smooth and careful. The Armand emblem on the jacket shined in the sunlight, but no one noticed it for long. Gloria turned away with the jacket, folding it neatly and holding it close.

She waved for Liana to come over. ”Miss Liana, come with me for a moment.”

”Hmm? Miss Gloria?” Liana said, confused by the sudden need for secrecy.

”Shhh, just wait,” Gloria whispered, pulling Liana by the arm to a spot farther away from Javier.

Liana frowned and looked back at Javier, who was happily fighting off his Pekkos for the last squid ball. The guards and other maids seemed to step back, almost as if they knew something was about to happen.

”What’s going on? What does this mean?” Liana asked, her face showing her suspicion.

Gloria leaned in closer and whispered, ”Just wait and see, Miss Liana. Lord Garius’s orders are very important.”

”Lord Garius?” Liana blinked, her confusion growing.

”Be patient, my dear. You’ll understand soon enough,” Gloria said with a knowing smile, her tone playful but serious.

Liana crossed her arms, staying where she was as she watched Gloria. Whatever was going to happen, it was clear that Gloria was following Lord Garius’s mysterious instructions closely.

( End of Chapter )