Reborn As Noble

Chapter 57 A Wild Ride Home ( 57 )

Javier scratched the back of his head nervously, his usual grin faltering under Lianaʼs piercing glare.

”Buddy,” he muttered, nudging his pekko gently, ”wake up. Our ʼmadamʼ is mad, and itʼs not looking good for us.”

The pekko stirred, squawking softly before standing and ruffling its feathers.

”Young master,” Liana snapped, hands on her hips, her emerald eyes practically drilling into him. ”Do you have any idea how worried your mother was?”

Javier gave her an awkward chuckle, raising his hands. ”Ehehe... but Liana, itʼs not like I was slacking! I found this amazing ore mine! Look at all the ore weʼve mined—itʼs practically a treasure trove!”

”Ore mine?” Lianaʼs tone was icy. She took a step closer, forcing Javier to lean back slightly. ”You caused Lady Francesca sleepless hours of worry over an ore mine?”

”Well... yeah?” Javier muttered, scratching his cheek.

Liana sighed deeply, pressing her fingers to her temples. ”This is your familyʼs land, Javier De Armand!. Do you think anyone would dare to steal from a viscountʼs territory? And if they did, they wouldnʼt live to tell the tale!”

”But itʼs such a great find!” Javier protested, gesturing toward the mined materials he had stored away earlier. ”Think of the potential, Liana! All that ore, all that profit... we could—”

”Enough!” Liana cut him off sharply. ”Weʼre leaving. Now.”

”But Liana—”

”No buts.” She leaned closer, narrowing her eyes. ”Hereʼs what weʼre going to do. Youʼll tell everyone you were hiding in the ore mine because of the monster activity outside. Thatʼs the excuse, understood?”

Javierʼs jaw dropped. ”You want me to lie?”

”Yes.” Her voice was steady and firm. ”Unless you want to explain to Lady Francesca why you were out here mining instead of staying safe like a proper young master.”

Javier slumped his shoulders, groaning dramatically. ”Fine, fine. But for the record, this whole thing couldʼve been epic!”

”It couldʼve been a disaster.” Liana turned on her heel, heading toward her pekko. ”Now, unsummon your knights and letʼs go.”

Javier sighed, raising his hand to dismiss the puppet knights. As the glow from the mana cores faded and the knights disappeared, he muttered under his breath, ”Man, sheʼs scarier than any monster out here.”

Liana didnʼt even turn around as she replied, ”I heard that.”

Javier froze, feeling the weight of her words. With a sheepish grin, he hopped onto Buddy, patting the pekko neck. ”Alright, buddy. Time to head home before Madam Liana breathes fire on us.”

The pekko squawked in agreement, and the group began their journey back

As they rode through the dark forest, lit faintly by the glow of the light crystal Liana had brought, she couldnʼt help but glance at Javier. His clothes were soaked with monster blood, and despite his usual smug grin, he looked every bit the part of a reckless adventurer whoʼd gotten in over his head.

”This excuse will work,” Liana thought to herself, her lips pressed into a tight line. ”With all that blood, no one will question that he was forced to hide in the mine.”

The ride was tense but quiet until suddenly, the bushes to their left rustled violently.

”Watch out!” Liana snapped, pulling the reins of her pekko to a halt.

From the shadows emerged a monstrous creature unlike any they had seen before. Its glowing red eyes gleamed menacingly, and its sharp fangs dripped with venom. The monster let out a guttural roar and lunged toward them.

Before Javier could react, Liana was already in motion. Her expression turned fierce, and with a quick motion, she raised her bow. The air shimmered as her mana surged into the arrow, illuminating the area with a brilliant green light.

”Not tonight,” she muttered angrily, releasing the arrow.

The magic arrow tore through the air with a sharp whistle, striking the monster in its chest. A second later, it disintegrated into ash, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Javier stared at her, wide-eyed. ”Whoa! Liana, that was... insane!”

Liana shot him a sharp glare, her emerald eyes still blazing. ”And this is exactly why you shouldnʼt be out here alone! If that thing had caught you off guard, what then? Youʼd be monster food!”

Javier gulped, scratching the back of his head. ”Well, uh... I had my knights, you know...”

”Knights or not, youʼre still reckless!” Liana snapped, lowering her bow but keeping her gaze locked on him. ”If anything happens to you, do you know how much trouble youʼll cause for everyone? Your mother, your family... me!”

Her words struck a nerve, and Javier looked away, feeling a rare pang of guilt. ”Sorry...” he mumbled.

Liana took a deep breath, calming herself. ”Letʼs just focus on getting home safely. No more detours, no more excuses.”

”Right,” Javier replied, his tone unusually subdued.

The two rode on.Liana kept her bow at the ready, her eyes scanning their surroundings, while Javier stayed close behind, for once without his usual mischief.

As they continued through the dimly lit forest, Javier leaned forward on his pekko, patting its neck with a grin.

”Look at my buddy here,” he said with a chuckle, glancing back at Liana. ”Leveling up like a champ! Did you see that stomp? Took that monster down like it was nothing! Ehehehe.”

The pekko squawked in agreement, almost smugly, before casually stomping down on another smaller creature that tried to ambush them from the underbrush. It didnʼt even break its stride, its cheerful demeanor almost mocking the creatures that dared to cross its path.

”See? Told you heʼs the best!” Javier beamed, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Liana, however, was having none of it. She sat stiffly on her pekko, her piercing emerald eyes fixed ahead. Her grip on the reins was tight, her jaw clenched, and her silence was as heavy as the tension in the air.

Javier chuckled nervously, glancing over his shoulder. ”Come on, Liana, donʼt be like that. I mean, everything turned out fine, right? No one got hurt, and we even—”

”Stop talking,” Liana interrupted, her tone icy.

Javier blinked, his grin faltering. ”Uh, Liana—”

”Not. Another. Word,” she hissed, not even sparing him a glance.

Javier swallowed hard, deciding it was best not to push his luck. His pekko squawked softly, as if sensing the tension and wisely deciding to keep quiet as well.

The rest of the ride continued in an uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by the sound of hooves and the occasional rustle of the forest. Javier couldnʼt help but glance back at Liana from time to time, but her expression remained unreadable, her anger simmering just beneath the surface.

”Man, I really messed up this time,” Javier thought to himself, slumping slightly in his saddle. For once, he felt genuinely nervous about the scolding he was bound to receive once they got home.

Javier grinned mischievously as Lianaʼs icy words cut through the air. ”Focus on the road and your surroundings,” she had said, but he had other plans.

”Heh… Buddy! Letʼs dash toward the road. Letʼs see what she does!” Javier whispered, urging his pekko forward.

The pekko squawked enthusiastically and took off in a sudden burst of speed, kicking up dirt and leaves behind them.

”Young master!!!” Lianaʼs sharp voice rang out in the forest, but Javier simply turned his head with a playful smirk.

”See yaaaa, Lianaaa!!” he called, laughing as his pekko dashed ahead.

Lianaʼs eyes narrowed, her patience snapping. ”Chase him!” she commanded her pekko, and the creature responded immediately, leaping into a full sprint with incredible grace and speed.

Javier, glancing back, caught sight of a blur closing in on him.

”Huh? What the—somethingʼs fast behind me—wait, is that…?” His eyes widened as realization hit.

”Younggggg massssterrrr!!!” Lianaʼs voice roared, growing louder with each passing second.

Javier panicked, kicking his heels into his pekkoʼs sides. ”Eeeeeek! Run faster, Buddy!! Donʼt let her catch us!!”

The chase was on. Javier clung to his pekkoʼs reins as it dashed through the forest, dodging trees and jumping over roots, but Lianaʼs pekko was relentless, its speed almost unnatural.

”Come on, Buddy! You leveled up! Donʼt let me down now!!” Javier pleaded, his heart racing as Lianaʼs voice grew dangerously close.

Despite his pekkoʼs best efforts, Lianaʼs mount had the advantage. With a powerful leap, it closed the gap and came alongside Javierʼs.

”Got you!” Liana growled, her hand shooting out to grab the back of Javierʼs tunic.

”Ahhh!! Mercy!! Mercy, Liana!!” Javier yelped, flailing uselessly.

The chase ended abruptly as Liana reined in both pekkos, forcing them to stop. Javier hung his head in defeat, panting and muttering under his breath.

”Youʼve got some explaining to do when we get back,” Liana said coldly, her piercing glare making him shrink in his saddle.

”Yes, maʼam…” Javier muttered, mentally bracing himself for the lecture of a lifetime.

( End Of Chapter )