Reborn As Noble

”Munya~?”

Mimi stirred, her ears twitching gently as she blinked open her eyes. Her tail slowly flicked once, then twice.

Warmth. Soft.

Hmm?

She blinked again and realized she was lying on someone’s chest, arms loosely wrapped around them, legs tangled, and her cheek pressed gently against something very non-blanket.

She slowly looked up.

Javier.

He was sleeping peacefully, his head leaned slightly against Buddy’s feathered side, one hand resting lazily over his stomach.

Thump-thump… she could hear his heartbeat—calm and steady.

Her ears flicked again.

”…Huh?”

She leaned up slightly, propping herself on one elbow as her tail swayed lazily behind her. Her sleepy golden eyes scanned the area.

Dozens of her royal escort guards were all asleep—some curled up in their cloaks, others under neat blankets. Someone even had a mana-heated pillow, and a couple were snoring.

Outside the building, dozens of elite guards stood on full alert, forming a secure perimeter around the little guest waiting area like it was sacred royal ground.

Mimi rubbed her eyes.

”…What happened again?”

She looked back at Javier.

”He’s the son of Father’s best friend, right? What was his name again…”

She tilted her head, lips pursed.

”Umm… Gari… Gaira…?”

”No wait—Garuk? …Garos?”

Her brows furrowed a bit.

”Garis?”

She looked at Javier more closely.

”…Ugh. Hard to remember. Oh well.”

She yawned again.

”Armand family. Close enough.”

Calmly, she leaned her head back down onto his chest like nothing happened.

”Warm~”

Javier stirred.

His brow twitched. Something… didn’t feel right.

His senses slowly rebooted as light filtered through his eyelids and the warmth of Buddy’s feathers cradled the side of his head.

Then he felt it.

Wet. Warm. Sticky.

”…?”

He opened one eye and looked down.

His shirt, once crisp and clean, was now soaked in a suspiciously shiny patch of drool. It clung to the fabric, glistening under the morning light like a cursed mana slime.

His other eye opened instantly.

He stared at it, then turned his head slowly.

There was Mimi, still blissfully asleep, mouth slightly open, her cheek pressed against the center of the damage zone—softly mumbling in her sleep.

”Munya~ warm… squishy… yum yum~…”

Javier’s face blanked.

”…”

”EWwwwwwwwwww!!!”

His shout echoed across the compound.

Every guard in the area bolted upright in panic.

Buddy squawked violently.

”CUQUAWKED!?”

Mimi stirred, blinking one eye open lazily.

”…Huh?”

She lifted her head, still half-asleep, and a visible string of drool dangled and snapped onto Javier’s already-wrecked shirt.

Javier stared at her, eyes wide with betrayal.

Mimi looked at him, then at his shirt.

”...Oh. Oops.”

She yawned again.

”Well, you were comfy.”

”Ugh! Move over!!” Javier groaned, trying to push Mimi gently off his chest.

But Mimi just blinked at him, completely unbothered, and yawned again, stretching like a lazy cat.

”Mmm~ so noisy in the morning...” she muttered, flopping onto her side—still half-leaning on his leg like he was a personal sofa.

At that exact moment—

One of the royal guards nearby, who had been snoring with a pillow over his head, suddenly snapped awake.

”HUH!?”

Another guard shot up, looked around with sleepy eyes, and rubbed his face.

”Wh-What? Who shouted…?”

Then they saw it.

Their princess, half-curled up against the foreign noble, looking entirely too comfortable. Meanwhile, he sat there looking like he’d just stepped in a mana swamp—shirt soaked with visible drool, hair mildly disheveled, glaring into the void of existence.

A long, awkward silence fell.

Then—

”...P-Princess Mimi?!”

”W-Why are you using the Armand heir as a pillow?!”

”Someone call the captain—wait no, don’t! He’ll faint!”

”Someone call the king!!”

Mimi just waved a hand dismissively in the air.

”Too loud… shut up... I’m still tired...”

She flopped back down on Javier’s lap sideways, completely ignoring the chaos around her.

Javier sat there, deadpan, his voice dry as the Armand desert cliffs.

”...I hate mornings.”

”Ugh! My clothes!” Javier groaned, tugging at his now drool-soaked shirt.

With an annoyed grunt, he peeled it off and tossed the wet fabric to the side with visible disgust.

Mimi was now sitting up on the bench, both ears perked, her eyes wide open and fully alert. She stared at his shirtless torso with blatant interest, her tail swaying slowly behind her.

”...Wow.”

Her eyes sparkled faintly.

”Good muscle.” She nodded in approval. ”Not too much. Just… the right amount.”

Javier raised a brow.

”Don’t stare.”

Mimi tilted her head, ears twitching.

”I’m just appreciating what my future pillow looks like.”

”…I’m not a pillow.”

”Nyaa~ You were last night.”

She grinned lazily.

”Mimi’s type… Nyaa~”

Javier stared at her, his expression stuck between confusion, concern, and internal screaming.

”Excuse me—what?”

Mimi stood up, stretched, and then turned toward him with a big, satisfied yawn.

”Oh right—Father said I should marry you before. I refused.”

She blinked up at him, smiling.

”But now…”

She gave him a thumbs-up.

”Okay~.”

Javier took one step back.

”…What.”

Before Javier could fully react to the absurdity of what had just come out of her mouth—

Mimi jumped.

”Let’s get married~! Nyaa~!”

”OI—!!”

She tackled him in a soft blur of hair and fluffy tail, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso like a vice. Her cheek squished against his, and her voice came out in a sweet, playful sing-song.

”Nyaa~ you’re warm~!”

Javier staggered back a step.

”Get OFF me!!” he shouted, trying to pry her off, but Mimi clung to him like a sleepy octopus, showing no intention of letting go.

”Nyaa~ I don’t mind marrying you, really. You’re cute~ You smell nice~ You have great abs~”

”WE’RE UNDERAGE!!” Javier barked, borderline panicking now.

Mimi tilted her head cutely, still pressed against his face.

”Nyaa? Then let’s get engaged~”

Javier’s soul visibly left his body for a moment.

”Stop. Stop talking.”

She just smiled and hugged him tighter.

From the side—

”S-SHE SAID ENGAGED?!”

One of the guards dropped his halberd.

Another guard frantically scribbled notes: ”Possible international incident! Marriage proposal! Shirtless!! Princess initiated!!!”

Buddy watched from a distance, wings fluffed and eyes glowing with judgmental amusement.

Javier tried again to pull Mimi off, his voice cracking slightly.

”Someone get her off me before this turns into a political alliance!!”

Mimi just giggled softly and nuzzled closer.

”Mimi De Armand~ sounds kinda cute, nya~”

( End of Chapter )