Reborn As Noble

As they walked out of the classroom, Francesca clung to Javier's arm, her bright smile never fading. Liana followed closely behind, her expression calm and composed, while Francesca's personal maids trailed in perfect formation.

Javier glanced down at his mother, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Umm, Mother?"

"Yes, honey bun?" Francesca replied sweetly, looking up at him.

"You came here alone?" he asked, tilting his head.

Francesca chuckled softly, gesturing behind her. "Hmm? I'm not alone. I have them with me," she said, pointing to her group of personal maids, each moving with quiet confidence.

"No, I mean... you didn't come with Father?"

Francesca's smile turned playful as she laughed. "Oh? He's been with us the whole time."

Javier stopped in his tracks, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Francesca leaned closer, lowering her voice to a playful whisper. "You'll see soon enough, honey bun. Don't worry too much about it."

Javier's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but before he could ask more questions, Francesca tugged him along, humming cheerfully as if she hadn't just said something mysterious. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Liana, watching the exchange, stifled a small laugh behind her hand. "It seems Lady Francesca has a surprise planned, Young Master," she said softly.

"Haaa... this day just keeps getting better," Javier muttered sarcastically, allowing himself to be pulled along as Francesca continued to lead the way.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Garius stood calmly with his group of personal maids, Alf, and Errinette. His strong presence was clear as he stood in front of Javier and Liana's Pekkos, Buddy and Pikko.

Garius placed his hands behind his back, a slight smirk on his lips. "Heh, look at them, Alf, Errinette," he remarked, his eyes shining with amusement. "They're smaller than Giddie."

Errinette smiled gently, her hands clasped in front of her. "Indeed, my lord," she said softly, her tone light but respectful.

Alf, standing next to Garius, allowed himself a rare smirk. "Yes, my lord. Clearly smaller than ours," he said, his deep voice hinting at humor.

Garius tilted his head slightly, his smirk growing as he glanced at Buddy. "Hmm... I wonder how my youngest son's 'Muddy' will react when he finally meets Giddie," he mused, amusement in his voice.

Errinette chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a hand. "I'm sure it will be... an interesting encounter, my lord," she replied, her calm demeanor unshaken.

Alf shook his head with a faint smile. "Truly," he muttered, crossing his arms. "I'm curious to see how this Pekko will behave when it meets its superior."

Buddy, standing next to Pikko, let out a long, unhappy squawk, clearly annoyed at being called "Muddy." His feathers ruffled in irritation, but when he spotted the golden feather tucked into Garius's pocket, he froze.

Seeing the feather seemed to take away Buddy's bravado. He let out a quieter squawk before dramatically turning his head, refusing to meet Garius's gaze.

"Oh?" Garius chuckled, noticing Buddy's reaction. "It seems Muddy knows exactly who's at the top of the hierarchy."

Buddy squawked again, a longer, more defeated sound this time, as if complaining about the unfairness of it all.

Errinette tilted her head slightly, her smile widening a bit. "Even Pekkos recognize strength, it seems," she said lightly.

"Indeed," Alf replied, his smirk returning. "It's amusing to see even the young master's Pekko submit so easily."

Garius chuckled deeply, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "It's only natural," he said, glancing at the academy building in the distance. "Muddy will have his day when he meets Giddie... if he doesn't run away first."

Garius reached into his pocket and lightly touched the golden feather, glancing at Buddy and Pikko with a knowing smirk. "If this feather wasn't with me," he said, his voice calm but filled with amusement, "I'm sure these two would be running around like they always do back at the estate."

Errinette chuckled softly, her calm expression unchanged. "Indeed, my lord. They do love to cause chaos whenever they can," she said, her tone hinting at humor.

Alf smirked, crossing his arms as his sharp eyes checked out the two Pekkos. "Chaos is an understatement. I've seen them drive even the most patient caretakers crazy."

Buddy let out a low squawk, turning his head away as if pretending not to care. Pikko, on the other hand, pecked at the ground casually, as if she didn't understand the conversation at all.

"See?" Garius said with a chuckle, holding up the feather. "Even now, they're pretending to behave, but the moment this isn't around, they'll be running off like wildlings."

Errinette's lips twitched with amusement. "Maybe they're just waiting for the chance, my lord."

"Let's hope they don't find it while we're here," Alf said dryly, but the faint smirk on his face showed he was amused.

Garius nodded, his chuckle warm and deep. "True enough. But I have to admit, it's funny to watch them try to act innocent."@@novelbin@@

"Buddy!! Pikko!!"

As soon as Buddy and Pikko heard Javier's voice calling them, they let out excited squawks and turned their heads toward him. Without hesitation, they rushed toward him with energy, their sturdy legs kicking up dirt as they dashed across the courtyard.

Crash!

In their excitement, they ran straight through the well-kept flower garden, flattening blossoms and uprooting plants in their way. Their joy completely overshadowed the golden feather, which they'd clearly forgotten about.

Garius sighed, rubbing his temple as he watched the chaos unfold. "See these two?" he said, pointing at the overenthusiastic Pekkos.

Errinette chuckled softly, her calm smile still in place. "They seem very attached to the young master, my lord. It's no surprise he insisted on bringing them to the capital."

"Ah, that's right," Alf said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Javier didn't want anyone else handling them back at the estate, did he?"

"Exactly," Garius muttered, shaking his head. "That boy is as stubborn as they come. He couldn't bear to leave them behind—not even for something as important as school."

Errinette tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, it makes sense. They've only ever been cared for by the young master and Lady Liana. No wonder they're so attached."

"Haaa..." Garius let out another sigh, watching as Buddy and Pikko happily nudged Javier and Liana, squawking as if complaining about being away too long. "I suppose they're a perfect match for that boy's antics," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

( End of Chapter )