Reborn As Noble

Liana finished grilling the meat and placed a thick, juicy patty on top of the bun. She reached for the bowl of fresh vegetables, adding a layer of crisp lettuce and tomatoes, then drizzled a generous amount of her special sauce over the meat. She topped it with melted cheese, then arranged the next bun carefully over the stack before moving on to the next plate.

She paused and glanced toward where the queens had been sitting. The lounges were empty. The maids were still there, cleaning up. The queens had already left to enjoy their vacation elsewhere.

She turned her focus back to the food, assembling burger after burger, each one stacked with meat, sauce, cheese, and vegetables.

A loud squawk heard from behind her.

”Cuquawked!” (Yo, elf witch!)

Liana turned and narrowed her eyes., hand still holding the jar of special sauce. Buddy stood close, his chest puffed out, his head leaning toward the food with obvious interest.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked?” (Looks good~ For me?)

Liana smacked his huge beak lightly before pushing it away.

”You’re a big eater, so you have to wait for yours.”

”Cuquawked!?” (Eh!?)

Buddy pulled his head back, staring down at her with narrowed eyes, his feathers ruffling with clear disagreement.

Just as Liana was about to say something, Gloria, who had been placing the top buns on the finished burgers, waved another bun in Buddy’s direction.

”Buddy~ Here~ Catch~”

Buddy’s head snapped toward Gloria. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, before letting out a low, grumbling squawk.

”Cuquawked!”

Gloria let out a soft chuckle, glancing at Liana.

”What is this big orange pekko saying, Liana?”

Liana smiled, shaking her head slowly.

”Buddy said, ’Do you think I’m a dog? I’m a majestic pekko. The son of the King of all Pekko. I’m Master Buddy.’”

Gloria smirked, nudging her glasses up the bridge of her nose. ”Ara~ Really?”

The moment Liana finished drizzling her special sauce over a fresh burger, Gloria grabbed a sauced bun from the stack and waved it teasingly in Buddy’s direction.

Buddy’s eyes snapped open. His head shot up, his beak parting as he let out a sharp, startled squawk.

”Cuquawked!!”

Gloria’s grin widened. She flicked her wrist, tossing the bun in a high, lazy arc toward him.

Buddy lunged, jumped, and snatched it mid-air, gulping it down in a single motion before landing back on the sand with a heavy thud.

”Cuquawked!!!!!”

Liana let out a soft laugh, setting down her jar of sauce.

”Buddy said, ’Don’t waste Liana’s special sauce, you big-boobed witch!’”

Gloria’s smirk widened even further. She lifted a finished plate, a huge, stacked burger resting on it, glistening with sauce and melted cheese. She moved the plate slowly to the left, and Buddy’s head followed it. She moved it to the right, and his head tracked it perfectly, his eyes locked onto the burger like a hawk watching prey.

”I’ll give you my portion if you behave, Buddy~”

Buddy pulled his head back, turning it away with a dramatic huff. His beak pointed in the opposite direction, his posture stiff with wounded pride. But one eye remained locked on the burger, refusing to let it out of his sight.

Gloria kept teasing Buddy, waving the burger slowly from side to side. Her smirk widened, her voice dropping into a sweet, coaxing lilt.

”Don’t you want this, Buddy~? Perfectly made, with premium wyvern meat, grilled just the way you like it. Topped with a fried egg, the yolk still soft and runny. Melted cheese, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and of course, Liana’s special sauce, generously poured over every layer.”

She lifted the top bun slightly, tilting the burger just enough for him to see the glistening meat, the golden yolk, the melted cheese, the rich sauce seeping into the bun.

”Look at that~ Juicy. Tender. Savory. Everything a majestic pekko could ever want~”

Buddy swallowed hard. His beak remained pointed away, his posture stiff with wounded pride, but his feathers were ruffled, betraying his true feelings. His eyes darted toward a certain long couch in the distance. He glanced around, noticing that Javier’s girls were all busy with their own preparations, no one paying attention to him.

He huffed, a low, grumbling squawked escaping his beak, before he turned and walked away toward the long couch.

”Cuquawked!! Cuquawked!”

Gloria blinked, lowering the burger slowly. She tilted her head, glancing toward Liana with a confused expression.

”What did he say?”

Liana let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she reached for another bun.

”Buddy said, ’Doesn’t matter. The beautiful elf will prepare it for me. I can wait!’”

”Ara~ How unusual~” Gloria tilted her head, watching Buddy’s retreating figure. ”Buddy never refuses food. Especially something like this. Premium wyvern meat, fried egg, cheese, all stacked into one perfect burger. He’d usually drool over it and beg until we gave in.”

Buddy arrived at where Javier was lying. He glanced down at his master, who was sprawled across the long couch, both arms wrapped around Celine and Lyzia, all three of them fast asleep. Buddy let out a slow exhale from his beak, then lowered himself onto the sand beside the couch.

He sat down and spread his wing wide, covering the entire couch with his massive orange feathers. His body became a wall, shielding Javier and the two sleeping girls from view.

Liana glanced toward where Buddy had settled. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed him sitting beside the long couch, one massive wing spread wide across the cushions, covering the entire couch from view. His posture was stiff, his feathers slightly ruffled.

”Buddy?”

Buddy’s head snapped toward her before he let out a nervous squawk, his voice cracking slightly.

”Cu... cuquawked?” (W... what?)

Liana narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

”What are you doing?”

Buddy’s eyes darted left and right. His beak opened and closed twice before a squawk finally came out.

”Cuquawked... Cuquawked!” (I’m... I’m sunbathing... yeah! Sunbathing!)

Gloria set the plate down on the table with a soft clink. She crossed her arms under her breasts and tilted her head, her smirk returning.

”Really?”

”Cuquawked! Cuquawked!”

Liana kept staring at Buddy for a long moment, her eyes narrowing further.

”If you’re sunbathing, why is only one wing spread out? And why is your position so... weird?”

Buddy glanced down at his wing. He froze for a second, then slowly spread his other wing, extending it wide across the sand on the opposite side, trying to look as relaxed as possible, like he had been basking in the sun the entire time.

”Cuquawked? Cuquawked~” (What? This is how pekko do sunbath, you know~)

( End Of Chapter )