Reborn As Noble

Javier exhaled, looking between them. ”Come on, just this once.”

Marcellus and Cedric both turned to face him fully, crossing their arms in unison and giving him a flat, unimpressed look. Marcellus let out a slow sigh.

”Why not ask Liana? Wouldn’t it be better for her and your harem girls to watch over her?”

Cedric nodded in agreement. ”Besides, we have Armand officers escorting them, and this whole place has your own security inventions everywhere.” He nudged Marcellus with his elbow. ”Our little brother is basically the Ministry of Defense of this entire nation.”

”Ugh...” Javier pinched the bridge of his nose. ”Actually... I haven’t let her meet Liana and the others yet.”

Marcellus’s eyebrows shot up, a slow, mischievous grin spreading across his face. ”Wait... you haven’t? Why not? Are you actually nervous to bring a new girl home to your first wife?”

Javier shot him a flat glare. ”It’s not that! It’s just... I wanted to speak with Father and Mother first before introducing her to everyone.”

Marcellus’s grin widened, and he leaned in closer, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. ”Aww~ Our little brother is scared of Liana’s reaction.”

Javier shoved both hands into his pockets, his expression calm but firm. ”It’s about proper protocol. She’s a foreign princess on a diplomatic mission. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to just drop her off with my fiancées without first formally presenting her to the Sovereign. That’s how diplomatic relations work.”

Marcellus and Cedric exchanged a look, their grins widening. Marcellus raised a hand, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together in the universal gesture for money. ”Well... if you want us to babysit your new guest~”

”Ugh! It’s not like it’ll take more than an hour!” Javier protested.

Marcellus turned slightly, shoving his own hands into his pockets as he glanced at Javier sideways, a teasing glint in his eyes.

”You’re the one who always told us, ’Time is more valuable than wealth. You can always earn more money, but you can never earn back lost time.’ Isn’t that right, little brother?”

Cedric nodded with a smirk, bobbing his head in agreement.

”He’s right. You did say that. And time is precious, especially when we have plenty of duties waiting for us. And as a future king, you should understand that our time is precious. So, if you want us to spend our precious time babysitting your new princess, you’ll have to make it worth our while.”

”Gihhhh!!! This is why I hate you both. Ugh!”

Javier rolled his eyes in defeat, snapping his fingers to open his dimensional storage. He reached inside and pulled out two hefty pouches, each bulging with gold coins and glittering gems. He tossed them to his brothers, muttering under his breath.

”You’re both already rich enough, and you still extort your own little brother.”

Marcellus and Cedric caught the pouches with matching grins, opening them to peek inside. Marcellus fished out an expensive piece of jewelry, then casually tossed it back to Javier, who caught it with a confused tilt of his head.

”Oho~? I thought you both liked valuables.”

Marcellus let out a low chuckle, his grin widening. ”Heh~ I just love the glint of gold coins. There’s something satisfying about hearing them clink together, you know? Besides... your precious gold coins are like sweets to us, little brother.”

Cedric nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. ”It’s not about the money, Javier. It’s about the principle. Watching you squirm and pay up is priceless.”

Javier exhaled, muttering under his breath about how annoying his older brothers were before turning his gaze toward Aelius and Heres.

Aelius simply smiled, raising his palm in a calm, dismissive gesture.

”Nope~ I don’t need money. Between the profits from the Armand Bank, the Merchant Guild dividends, and the substantial salary I receive as head of the economy..” He paused, his smile turning slightly amused. ”I rarely have to spend anything. My household is within the estate, Father still provides everything, and the Armand family shares all resources. I have more than enough.”

Heres shook his head with a gentle smile.

”Same here. I have no idea what to do with the money I have. Food, clothing, house, everything is managed by the Armand Estate Keeper and the royal staff. There’s little for me to spend it on.”

Javier let out another long-suffering sigh, turning back to Marcellus and Cedric. ”Why can’t you two be more like Brother Aelius and Brother Heres?”

Marcellus grinned, slinging an arm over Javier’s shoulders. ”Don’t drag them into this, little brother. Besides, like I said before... your money is the sweetest thing for me~ Heheheh~”

Javier shrugged, his expression shifting to calm indifference. ”Whatever. It’s not like it puts a dent in my wealth anyway.”

”Right~” Marcellus grinned, still clutching the pouch.

Javier’s tone turned serious as he looked at Marcellus. ”Alright, just accompany her and bring her to the guest wing. I’ll go talk to Father and Mother.”

Marcellus slung the pouch over his shoulder, nodding. ”Alright, alright. I’ll call Harny and Lithia to introduce themselves to her. Might as well make her feel welcome.”

Cedric pocketed his own pouch with a smirk. ”Yeah, same here. I’ll call Meira and Zania to join as well.”

Aelius smiled calmly. ”Perhaps it would be best to call Athine as well. She is the First Princess of Armand, after all. It would be appropriate for Celine to meet her.”

Heres smiled warmly. ”I think I’ll do the same. Kliatana might be feeling a bit lonely at home, so this would be a good opportunity for her to meet someone new.”

Javier nodded, walking over to Celine with both hands still shoved casually in his pockets. He stopped before her, his tone calm.

”The audience with the King will be postponed for a while. There are some... matters that need to be resolved first.”

Celine’s eyes widened for a moment before she raised her fan, covering her lips as she spoke with practiced royal grace, her voice formal and polite.

”I see... Might I inquire as to how long the delay may be, Husband? It would be most favorable if I could present myself before His Majesty the Sovereign at the earliest possible convenience, as my mission carries the weight of my father’s trust and the hope of fostering goodwill between our nations.”

Javier nodded again, his expression serious. ”I understand. I cannot promise an exact time, but I will do my best to ensure you meet my father before the day ends. I will see to it personally.”

Celine lowered her fan slightly, a small, respectful smile touching her lips. Her tone remained formal, carrying the weight of her station.

”I thank you for your assistance, My Husband. Your efforts to facilitate this meeting are greatly appreciated. I shall await your word with patience, and I place my trust in your arrangements. Please convey my sincere regards to His Majesty.”

( End Of Chapter )