Reborn As Noble

Garius, Lady Francesca, Lady Garcinia, and Lady Phenelopie sat in the lavishly decorated meeting room, enjoying tea and freshly baked biscuits. The tranquil atmosphere contrasted sharply with the preparations for the grand celebration set for the next day.

Marcellus and Cedric stood near the entrance, their expressions serious and hands resting on their weapons. Surrounding them were elite guards in gleaming armor, skilled mages under Marcellus's command, and Cedric's paladin unit, their polished shields reflecting the chandelier light.

Garius took a sip of his tea, a faint smile on his lips, when a distant scream pierced the stillness. He chuckled softly, setting his cup down. "It seems everything is under control."

Francesca, ever composed, returned his smile, tilting her head in curiosity. "By the way, darling, I haven't seen our youngest son. Where is Javier?"

Garius froze mid-sip, eyes widening in panic. Tea sputtered from his lips as he coughed violently.

Marcellus and Cedric exchanged nervous glances, their earlier composure faltering. Francesca's serene demeanor shifted, a dark aura radiating from her.

"Err... Errr..." Garius stammered, visibly sweating.

Marcellus attempted to speak but managed only a strangled, "Mother, I—"

Before anyone could respond, one of Francesca's elite battle maids stepped forward, unwavering despite the tension.

"Lady Francesca," the maid began calmly, "the young master is currently in his room with Miss Liana. He refused to attend, claiming the gathering was 'boring.' When we tried to escort him here, he laughed and ran away."

Francesca's smile tightened, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, he laughed, did he? My sweet Honey Bun is laughing while I'm worried sick about his safety?"

Garius raised his hands in surrender. "Francesca, you know how he is. He's probably just—"

"Don't," she interrupted sharply, her tone dangerously calm. "Make excuses for him."

Marcellus leaned to Cedric, whispering, "Why does she always get scarier when she's calm?"

Cedric nodded, gulping. "This is worse than Father's training drills..."

Suddenly, Francesca stood, graceful yet commanding. "Darling, excuse me for a moment. I will personally retrieve our son and remind him of his responsibilities."

Garius nearly knocked over his teacup. "Wait, Francesca, there's no need to—"

She shot him a pointed look, silencing him instantly.

Garcinia and Phenelopie exchanged amused glances. Garcinia took a delicate sip of her tea, murmuring, "Ah, young Javier has really inherited Francesca's flair for mischief."

Phenelopie smirked. "It's almost poetic. I pity the boy."

Francesca signaled to her personal maids. "Ladies, with me. Let's pay a visit to my darling son."

As she swept out of the room, Garius slumped in his chair, muttering, "That boy is going to give me gray hair..."

Marcellus and Cedric let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful they weren't the targets of their mother's wrath—for now.

"Ekkkk! Mother! Mercy!!" Javier's voice echoed through the manor halls as Francesca, wearing her ever-serene smile, dragged him along by a firm grip on his hair.

"Mother! Please, I can walk on my own! No need to—OWW! That hurts!"

Behind them, Liana trailed with her usual composed expression, a subtle sigh escaping her lips. "I told you, young master..."

"Not you too, Liana!" Javier whined, attempting to squirm free.

Francesca's grip remained unyielding as she calmly responded, her tone making her even more terrifying. "You were laughing and running away during a time of crisis, Javier. Is that appropriate behavior for the son of a viscount—soon-to-be count?"

"But I—Ouch!—was going to handle it, I swear! Just in my own way!" Javier protested, his eyes darting toward Liana for backup.

The procession halted abruptly as Francesca raised her free hand. "Bind."

From the shadows, a masked assassin froze mid-strike, immobilized by Francesca's spell. The air shimmered with magical restraints.

"Vanish," Francesca murmured, not even glancing at the assassin.

A series of sharp, crystalline spikes erupted, impaling the would-be attacker with lethal precision. The assassin's lifeless body crumpled silently to the floor.

Liana paused, momentarily impressed by her lady's effortless execution. The other maids remained unfazed, as if such occurrences were commonplace.

Javier gulped, his mischievous smirk vanishing. "W-Well, that was…effective. See? You didn't need to drag me; I could've—OW, okay, okay! I'll behave!"

Francesca resumed her march to the meeting room, her smile unchanged. "You'll do more than behave, my dear. You'll sit quietly and learn the importance of vigilance. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mother! Crystal clear!"

Liana exchanged a glance with one of Francesca's maids, both suppressing chuckles at the sight of the once-confident young master being completely subdued.

As the meeting room loomed closer, Javier braced himself for what would undoubtedly be an unforgettable lesson in accountability—courtesy of his terrifyingly composed mother.

The heavy doors to the meeting room opened, and Alf, Errinette, and Hesbeirn entered, commanding respect. They moved with calm confidence, the signs of a well-executed mission evident on their composed faces. Garius, sipping his tea leisurely, gestured for them to speak.

"Report," Garius said, his voice steady.

Alf stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "My lord, the situation has been handled perfectly. The intruders have been eliminated, and the manor is secure."

Errinette nodded, her demeanor sharp. "We conducted a thorough sweep of the estate. All areas are now clear, and our forces are stationed at key points to prevent further breaches."

Hesbeirn added firmly, "The attackers targeted only the Armand family, avoiding the guest quarters to prevent raising an alarm."

Francesca, still seated with her serene smile, glanced at Alf. "And the guests? Were any alerted to the commotion?"

Alf shook his head. "No guest noticed the disturbance. The guest area was far enough from the main house, and our containment efforts kept the incident localized."
Stay tuned for updates on empire

Garius placed his teacup down, his eyes glinting with approval. "Good work. Our preparations have proven effective. Hesbeirn, double the patrols throughout the night. I will not tolerate another breach."

"Yes, my lord," Hesbeirn replied, bowing deeply.

Errinette glanced toward Francesca, then Garius. "With your permission, my lord, I will oversee the reorganization of the maids to maintain vigilance for tomorrow's event."

Garius nodded. "Do it. And Alf, uncover the identities of the remaining intruders. I want to know who dared target my family."

Alf's lips curled into a rare smirk. "As you wish, my lord. My team will extract every ounce of information from the remnants."

Javier, silent until now, leaned toward Liana and whispered, "Wow, they're scary when they're serious."

Liana glanced at him, a mix of exasperation and fondness on her face. "Take notes, young master. This is what it means to protect what matters."

Javier pouted. "I protect in my own way, you know..."

Francesca's sweet smile didn't waver, but the dark aura around her grew palpable. She reached out, gripping Javier's hair and pulling him closer with unnerving calm.

"Honey bun?" she said, her tone deceptively soft.

Javier froze, his playful smirk replaced by wide-eyed panic. "Y-yes, mother?" he stammered, sensing doom.

Her grip tightened, and her voice turned icy. "Care to explain why you thought it acceptable to skip the family meeting and hide away with Liana while assassins were lurking around?"

"Eeeeep! Mother! Moootherr!" Javier squealed, flailing as he tried to escape her iron grip.

Garius sat frozen, his usually stoic expression cracking into stunned disbelief. His teacup hovered midair, forgotten as he blinked at the scene.

Marcellus, the eldest son and normally composed, immediately averted his gaze to the intricate designs on the room's wallpaper.

Cedric subtly stepped back, busying himself with straightening his armor straps. "Nothing to see here... just a normal family moment," he muttered.

Liana followed with a composed expression, though a slight twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement. She sighed. "I told you, young master."

"Told me what?" Javier hissed back, struggling slightly.

"That running from your mother's summons never ends well."

"I thought she'd be too busy to notice!"

Francesca's dark aura flared as she turned to him, her smile sharp enough to cut steel. "Oh, darling... I always notice."

"Eeeppp!!" Javier protested, his cries filling the room as Francesca dragged her youngest son toward his fate, while the rest of the family and staff either feigned ignorance or watched with barely concealed amusement.

( End of Chapter )