Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent

Bruce held the map up against the morning light, his brow furrowed deeply as his eyes traced the route marked in red ink.

The forested trail they'd just passed curved into a narrow valley and then widened again—right into the territory governed by House Adam.

The realization hit him like a sudden downpour. He glanced at Kyle.

"Uh… Young Master. The… next stop is Lord Adam's territory."

Bruce said hesitantly, his voice almost cracking.

There was a moment of stillness.

Kyle, still tending to his horse's saddle, looked up with a calm, utterly unreadable expression.

"Alright."

He said plainly.

That was it. No shift in tone, no narrowed eyes, not even a raised brow.

Bruce blinked.

"You… uh, remember who Lord Adam is, right?...or at least Lady Rose Adam?"

Kyle tilted his head faintly.

"I recall the name."

Bruce's heart dropped a little.

Melissa, however, seemed to recall more. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her tone turned razor-sharp.

"Wait. Is that the same Lady Adam who was once engaged to our lord but broke off the engagement?"

Bruce gave her a tight nod, lips pressed in a grim line.

"Yeah. That Lady Adam."

The camp grew uncomfortably quiet.

Several knights paused mid-packing. Even the birds above seemed to quiet down as the weight of that revelation settled in. An engagement? Rejected? Kyle?

It was unthinkable.

"She rejected our lord?"

One of the junior knights whispered to another, scandalized.

"Who would be that foolish?"

Someone else muttered.

"I thought the Grand Duchess and Lady Silvy would've killed anyone who tried."

"Oh gods, does that mean there was a time when someone had him and let go?"

Amidst the rising murmurs, the Grand Duchess Amana, who had been casually adjusting her gloves, gave a soft chuckle.

"Then it is fortunate that Lady Adam did reject him. If she hadn't, I would have simply stolen him anyway."

She said in a cool, silken voice.

The knights froze.

There was not even a trace of jest in her voice. Not even a twitch of a smile. Just a calm, matter-of-fact statement of impending doom.

Melissa hummed.

"Would've helped her avoid the heartbreak."

Silvy snorted softly from her side.

"Would've helped her avoid the funeral."

Kyle sighed, long and drawn-out, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Enough. It's in the past. She made her choice."

He said mildly.

"Exactly. And we'll be sure to remind her what she lost."

Amana replied.

"Please don't."

"Oh, don't worry. We won't say a thing."

Melissa said with a gentle smile.

Which only made Kyle more nervous. Because saying nothing and doing nothing were two very different things when it came to these women.

Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly and pointed to the map again.

"There's a village near the border—Wessleton. We should reach it by evening if we keep our current pace."

Kyle gave a simple nod.

"Then let's move."

The caravan stirred to life once more. Horses trotted forward, guards rechecked their weapons, and supply carts rolled on rumbling wheels.

But even as the group resumed their steady journey, a strange tension lingered in the air. It wasn't from Kyle, who looked as relaxed as ever.

Nor was it from Bruce, who had long since resigned himself to the chaos that followed his young master's footsteps.

No—the tension came from everyone else. The soldiers and attendants, who'd just learned that some foolish noblewoman had once dared to turn down Kyle Armstrong.

And now they were heading into her land.

It was like walking into a storm cloud while dragging three bolts of lightning behind them.

Bruce muttered under his breath.

"May the gods protect Lady Adam. And everyone near her."

Melissa caught the whisper and smiled faintly.

"The gods can try."

From somewhere behind, a few soldiers began taking quiet bets.

"Will she faint?"

"No, no, she's proud. I bet she'll try to act normal."

"And then the Grand Duchess will smile at her."

"Okay, yeah, she's fainting."

Meanwhile, Kyle ignored all of it.

The road ahead was long. The Spring of Rebirth was still days away, and he had greater concerns on his mind. Divine shards, gods, and unrest far beyond this valley.

But even so… he did wonder, vaguely, what Lady Adam would think when she saw him again.

______

Lady Rose Adam sat slumped in the cushioned chair beside her vanity, eyes dull with exhaustion. Her once pristine morning robe was wrinkled and slightly stained with ink.

Several reports and letters lay sprawled across the desk nearby, some unopened, most ignored.

Her hair, usually kept in elegant waves, was pinned up carelessly, and dark circles clung beneath her eyes like bruises of stress.

A knock came at the door, followed by the hurried steps of a maid.

"My lady, the scouts have returned. Lord Kyle Armstrong and his party will arrive by noon."

The maid said softly.

Rose froze mid-sip of her lukewarm tea. The cup paused at her lips as the name echoed in her mind.

"…Kyle Armstrong?"

She repeated dully.

"Yes, my lady. Your father's orders were clear. You are to receive him as a guest and offer your hospitality."

The maid confirmed, bowing slightly.

Rose leaned back in her chair, groaning as she buried her face in one hand.

"Of all the people to come wandering through this cursed land, it has to be him?"

The maid remained silent, used to the lady's complaints by now.

"I am not ready for guests. I haven't had proper sleep in three nights, the estate is understaffed, and we barely managed to repair the west wing roof last week. Now I'm supposed to smile and welcome the most troublesome man I've ever known?"

Rose muttered.

The maid hesitated.

"Shall I inform the staff to prepare the receiving hall?"

"Yes. And send the tailor up. If I must endure this, I refuse to look anything less than perfect."

Rose grumbled,

She stood, reluctantly, and stared into the mirror.

Her reflection showed the worn face of a noblewoman burdened with far more than she had signed up for—duties her father had left her with in his absence, the ridicule of noble society, and now… the ghost of a broken engagement returning in the flesh.

"Why now? Why him?"

She whispered to herself.

There was no answer. Only the inevitable ticking of the clock counting down to Kyle Armstrong's arrival.

As her maids bustled around to prepare her dress, Rose sat stiffly, letting them work in silence. Her thoughts were a storm.

Kyle Armstrong.

She hadn't seen him since the engagement was called off.

Back then, he had been promising—but unproven. A name without power. A boy, not yet a legend.

And now, he returned with dragons at his back, armies at his call, and a reputation that echoed louder than any noble lineage.

"Lady Rose, the seamstress has brought your newest gown."

A maid offered, holding up an elegant crimson and gold ensemble.

"Fine. Dress me in that. If I must face Kyle Armstrong, I will do it looking like the noblewoman he once lost."

Rose said, her voice clipped.

Another maid paused in fixing her hair.

"My lady… forgive me, but do you regret—"

"I regret nothing. I did what was best at the time. He was a nobody. I was… ambitious."

Rose snapped, before softening.

She stood and stared out the window toward the distant road.

"Now he's everything I once wanted. But he's no longer mine."

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

"And I'm expected to greet him with a smile. How utterly cruel."