Reborn As Noble

Javier looked out of the window, noticing how far they had already traveled from the busy heart of the capital city. His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to his brothers. "By the way, where are we going?" he asked, tilting his head. "You know the noble school and the capital aren't that far apart."

Marcellus shrugged casually, glancing out of his own window. "Hmm? I don't know. Maybe to the house outside the capital?"

Javier blinked, his confusion deepening. "Huh? We have one here?"

Cedric chuckled, crossing his arms. "Of course we do. Did you not know?"

"Nope," Javier replied bluntly, leaning back in his seat. "When did we get a house near the capital?"

Marcellus smirked, teasing him. "Probably before you were even born, little brother. It's not like Father would send the entire family to stay in an inn, after all."

"Haaa..." Javier sighed, shaking his head. "This family keeps too many secrets from me. First, I find out about secret military units, and now we have hidden houses?"

"It's not hidden," Cedric corrected with a grin. "You just never bothered to ask."

Javier grumbled under his breath, glancing at Liana, who sat quietly beside him. "Did you know about this?"

Liana nodded gently, her emerald eyes calm. "Yes, Young Master. It's a secondary residence used for formal events and important gatherings near the capital."

"Of course you knew," Javier muttered, slumping back in mock defeat. "I'm the last to know anything in this family."

Liana smiled softly. "Now you know, Young Master. Isn't that enough?"

"Yeah, I guess," Javier replied with a cheeky grin, folding his arms as he resigned himself to the ride.

Javier frowned and leaned back in his seat. "If I knew we had an extra house near the capital, why did we need to rent one before?" he asked, glancing at Liana.

Liana looked at him calmly, her emerald eyes steady. "Hmm? Oh, it was Madam Francesca's order," she explained. "She mentioned renting a house in the capital city, not too far from the school, so you'd have more privacy and independence."

Javier sighed, rubbing his temple. "Of course it was her idea..."

Across from him, Marcellus and Cedric exchanged amused glances before grinning at their little brother.

"Don't cause trouble now, little brother," Marcellus said with a chuckle. "You know how Mother is when she's serious. We don't want to get caught up in it."

"Exactly," Cedric added, leaning back with a smirk. "If you complain too much, she might decide to keep you even closer under her watch. Trust us, that's not something you want."@@novelbin@@

Javier groaned, slumping further into his seat. "Haaa... fine, fine. I get it. I won't say anything. But it still feels like overkill to rent a house when we already had one."

Liana gave him a small, reassuring smile. "It was her way of giving you space while still ensuring you were close enough to be safe, Young Master."

"Yeah, yeah," Javier muttered, glancing out the window again. "Mother's always got some grand plan, doesn't she?"

"Always," Marcellus and Cedric replied in unison, their grins widening.

As the carriages pulled up to the large estate, Javier stepped out, his eyes widening in awe. "Whoa... this isn't a small house. Really? This is our family house in the capital city?"

Marcellus stretched casually, looking up at the grand structure. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well... it's grand," Javier admitted, still taking in the size and elegance of the mansion.

Cedric smirked, crossing his arms. "Of course it is. How do you think Father keeps attending meetings with the King and the nobles in the capital? The guards need a place to rest, and the maids take turns too. So, a bigger house for everyone."

"Oh..." Javier murmured, still impressed by the mansion's size and details.

Before he could say more, Marcellus suddenly grinned mischievously. "By the way! I'm taking the master bedroom!" he shouted, dashing toward the house.

"Hey! It's mine!" Cedric shouted, pushing past him and sprinting after Marcellus.

"Oi! Wait for me!" Javier shouted, curiosity piqued. He bolted after them, eager to see what made the master bedroom so special.

Marcellus and Cedric reached the top of the stairs, jostling each other for the lead. "Get out of my way!" Marcellus shout, shoving Cedric to the side.

"Not happening!" Cedric growled, pushing back.

Javier, determined not to be left out, finally caught up and tried to squeeze between his brothers. "Move over, you two! Let me see how good this master bedroom is!"

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't budge them. "Ugh! Fine! Time to use magic! Buff up, physical boost!" Javier declared, his body glowing faintly as his strength increased.

Marcellus glanced down at him and smirked. "Oh, not so fast, little brother. Dispel!" he said, canceling the magic with a casual wave of his hand.

"Oi! Dirty trick!" Javier yelled, frustration rising. "Oh, you two want to play? Fine! Vines!" he shouted, raising his hand as magical vines erupted around them, tangling Marcellus's and Cedric's legs.

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"Oi! No fair!" Marcellus shouted, struggling against the vines.

"Dirty trick!" Cedric protested, trying to free himself.

"All's fair in claiming the best room!" Javier retorted, laughing as he pushed past them toward the bedroom door.

"Not so fast, little brother! Mud Lake!" Marcellus shouted, waving his hand with a mischievous grin.

"Eeepp!" Javier yelped as the ground beneath him turned into a sticky, magical mud pit, trapping his feet. "This is dirty! Ewwww!" He tried to move, but the mud clung stubbornly to his boots, holding him in place.

"Hahaha!" Marcellus laughed triumphantly. "First one to the master bedroom gets it!"

Cedric smirked, already running ahead. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Javier groaned, struggling against the mud. "This is so unfair!" he muttered, glaring at his brothers as they raced down the hallway.

Meanwhile, outside, their half-siblings watched the commotion with varying degrees of amusement and resignation.

"Mother, I'm going first," Aelius, Lady Garcinia's son, said calmly, glancing at her for approval.

"Go on then, dear," Lady Garcinia replied, waving him off with a faint smile.

Athine, Garcinia's daughter, quietly followed her brother, her calm demeanor unshaken by the chaos ahead.

Heres, the son of Lady Phenelopie, stood by his mother, who was currently pregnant with Garius's child. He smiled faintly, watching the antics unfold from a distance. "It's always like this with them," he murmured to his mother, his tone light and amused.

Phenelopie chuckled softly, resting a hand on her growing belly. "They're all your father's children," she said, shaking her head. "It's no surprise they can't resist competing over everything."

Despite the occasional disagreements, the relationships among the siblings weren't hostile. They weren't particularly close, but they maintained a balance of respect for their father rather than deep familial bonds.

Back in the hallway, Javier finally freed himself from the mud with a loud squelch. "You two are going to pay for this!" he yelled, dashing after his brothers, leaving a trail of mud behind him.

"Not if you can't catch us!" Cedric shouted back, laughing.

"Haaa... this family," Aelius muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he walked calmly inside.

As the siblings raced toward the master bedroom, their laughter and shouts echoed through the grand hall. But just as they were about to reach the door, they all came to an abrupt stop.

Standing there, arms crossed and looking imposing as ever, was their father, Lord Garius. Beside him, their mother, Lady Francesca, stood with a calm smile.

"Ugh... this isn't fair," Marcellus muttered under his breath, leaning slightly toward Cedric and Javier. "Why is he always one step ahead of us?"

"Ehem!"

The sharp sound of their father clearing his throat cut through the air. Every sibling immediately straightened, their earlier bravado disappearing in an instant.

Aelius and Athine, who had been walking calmly toward their rooms, froze in place. They stiffened as if they had been caught doing something wrong, their posture rigid under their father's gaze.

Javier, Marcellus, and Cedric exchanged uneasy looks, each silently deciding who might take the blame for the noise. None of them dared to move.

"Well?" Garius said, his eyes scanning the group with quiet authority. "Can anyone explain why my hallway sounds like a battlefield?"

Francesca's smile only grew as she gently placed a hand on his arm. "Oh, come now, dear. It's nice to see them enjoying themselves, isn't it?"

"Enjoying themselves?" Garius muttered, glancing at the mud-covered Javier. "We'll see how much they enjoy cleaning up the mess they've made."

( End of Chapter )