Reborn As Noble

Gloria stayed with Liana for a while longer, chatting and laughing with her and her sisters. They ate together, catching up as the house buzzed with wedding preparations.

After finishing her tea, Gloria stood up with a soft smile.

”Liana?”

”Hmm?” Liana turned to her.

”I’m going now. I think I should head home too. It’s not far with our Pekko’s speed.”

Liana blinked. ”Are you really going now?”

Gloria nodded gently. ”Yes~ I believe I also want to see my mother, father, and my siblings again.”

Liana crossed her arms, feigning a pout. ”Alright. Just be careful on the way. And don’t forget to attend this boyish girl’s wedding.”

Gloria giggled. ”Don’t worry. Even if I don’t want to go, I’m sure my mother will drag me here anyway.”

They both laughed.

”Safe trip,” Liana said softly.

Gloria smiled and waved as she turned, heading toward Peanut with quiet grace.

”See you soon,” she said over her shoulder.

Liana looked on as Gloria gracefully mounted her Pekko, Peanut. Gloria turned with a gentle smile, raising her hand in a final wave.

Liana returned the wave, her smile lingering softly even as Gloria rode off into the distance.

She stood there for a moment longer, watching the path quietly.

”Liana!!!”

She flinched slightly at the familiar voice.

”...Yes, Mother?”

Viessa’s voice rang sharp from the courtyard. ”What are you doing standing there!? Go wash yourself and change out of that maid uniform!”

Liana sighed. ”But Mother, this is the Armand family maid uniform...”

”So what!?” Viessa snapped, stomping toward her. ”You’re not here to work as a maid—you’re here to help with your sister’s wedding!”

Liana tilted her head. ”Isn’t that the same thing...?”

Smack!

”Ow!! Mother!!”

Viessa’s fan struck with precision.

”Don’t you dare talk back to me, young lady!”

Liana pouted, rubbing her head. ”So unfair...”

Viessa crossed her arms. ”Unfair? Hmph! You come home after running away, dressed like a servant, and now you’re arguing with your mother? Now... go! Clean up and change—something nice, not a uniform!”

Liana muttered under her breath as she walked off, ”Even Mrs. Erinnette isn’t this scary...”

”What did you just say!!?”

”Nothing, Mother!!” Liana yelped, instantly straightening her back as she took a few delicate but swift steps backward—gracefully retreating like a well-trained maid evading a noble’s wrath. She didn’t dare meet Viessa’s eyes again.

That fan was too fast.

Without waiting for another smack, Liana quickly slipped inside the house and made her way up the stairs.

Her footsteps slowed as she reached the hallway, her hand brushing against the familiar walls.

She stopped in front of the same door she hadn’t opened in years.

She opened it gently. Nothing had changed.

The small room was clean, quiet, and untouched—as if frozen in time. No sibling had claimed it. No one moved her things.

The soft scent of old elven wood and dried flowers lingered in the air.

Liana smiled faintly.

She stepped inside and let herself fall onto the bed—her old bed.

It creaked under her weight, just like before.

Liana closed her eyes, breathing in.

Still the same.

Liana walked toward the window and gently pushed it open.

The soft creak of the wooden frame welcomed a breeze carrying the scent of flowers and baked sweets from the courtyard below.

Outside, the household bustled with excitement—decorations being strung up, flower petals scattered, workers moving chairs and tables. The wedding preparations were in full swing.

Her gaze slowly drifted upward—to the sky.

Clouds still lingered from the rain earlier. The sunlight filtered through them, faint and golden.

She rested her arms on the windowsill, leaning slightly forward.

”...Young master,” she whispered softly, her voice barely above the wind.

”What are you doing right now?”

Her eyes flicked toward the horizon.

”Do you miss us...?”

Her smile became gentler. ”Are you eating well?”

A pause.

”Or maybe... did you go flirt with another maid again?”

Liana smiled faintly, then turned away from the window.

”It’s really been a while...”

She reached for her change of clothes and made her way to the bathing room—nestled at the far end of the upper floor.

Unlike the luxurious bathing systems in the Armand estate, this one was more traditional—old-fashioned, but still elegant in its own elven way. A tall, thick wooden branch—almost like a curved root—stood from the corner of the wall. It spiraled slightly, its bark smoothed by generations of use.

Liana placed her hand on the branch and gently channeled a bit of mana into it.

A faint hum responded.

Water began to pour down gently from overhead, cascading like rainfall. It wasn’t as steady or automatic as the magic-enhanced showers in Armand—this one required manual mana infusion. And if the flow weakened, you had to channel it again.

Liana tilted her head up into the stream, letting it soak her hair and shoulders. The water was cool at first but quickly warmed up from her mana.

She reached for a nearby vial carved from crystal bark—filled with herbal body wash. The scent of lavender, mint, and some rare elven flower filled the room as she rubbed it over her skin. Compared to the fancy perfumes and soaps in Armand, this felt more grounded... more nostalgic.

She closed her eyes.

The scent, the water, the feel of the room—it all brought her back to the years before she ever stepped foot in the Armand estate.

And yet... the only thing on her mind now...

”...Young master,” she muttered with a soft sigh, ”you better not be peeking on anyone right now.”

A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued bathing.

After her shower, Liana stepped out wrapped in a towel, feeling refreshed yet slightly exhausted from the journey and her mother’s scolding.

On her bed were several elven dresses, carefully arranged by the household maids on Viessa’s instruction.

She sighed softly, examining them one by one.

”This one...is way too revealing!” she muttered, pushing aside a silky gown with delicate, transparent sleeves.

”And this one...” she held up another, more fitted, elegantly hugging every curve. ”Too...curvy.”

Her eyes landed on another dress—green, soft, and graceful in design. Its fabric shimmered gently, embroidered with subtle silver threads shaped like vines.

”This one’s nice,” she murmured softly, running her fingers along the delicate stitching. She slipped into it, adjusting the dress carefully.

Turning in front of her mirror, she frowned slightly.

”...Too fancy.”

She sighed again, placing a hand on her hip and looking at her reflection skeptically.

”Why does Mother always choose things like this...”

( End Of Chapter )