Reborn As Noble

"So… Gumarak is here?" Lioness asked with a spark of excitement, tail flicking as he leaned in.

Veldrac's grin widened immediately. "Oho! Yes, is he? Did that thick-headed dwarf finally show his face again?"

Garius exhaled heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Haa… do you truly think he would come here? First of all, he still fears the both of you, especially after the punishment you insisted on. That endless forehead slapping, with healers standing by to keep him conscious…"

"Hah!" Veldrac barked with laughter, his smirk turning sharp.

"That's what he gets for claiming those Celestials. If not for Javier, he would've been dead already."

Lioness nodded firmly, his grin matching Veldrac's.

"Agreed. That boy of yours pulled him from the abyss. He owes Armand everything."

Garius gave a low sigh, shaking his head slightly at their childish satisfaction. "Second, his kingdom is still recovering. And his lands are far from mine. You both know this. If he intends to come, it will be at the coronation itself, directly to the royal palace, not here."

Both kings clicked their tongues in unison.

"Man… if he were here, we'd have real entertainment tonight!" Veldrac said with unrestrained excitement, his booming laugh echoing across the courtyard.

"Yeah! Agreed!" Lioness smirked, his tail swishing behind him. He lifted his palm dramatically toward his own face, making it shake as though barely restrained.

"Look at this! My hand trembles just thinking about slapping his forehead again!"

Garius stood unmoving between the two, his expression unreadable save for the faint narrowing of his eyes.

Children… the both of them. Rulers of their nations, yet still behaving like boys itching for mischief.

Both kings leaned in toward Garius at once, their grins wide and mischievous.

"So… any entertainment for us tonight?"

Garius exhaled slowly, his patience thinning.

"What do you want? Wine? Music? But if you're hinting at women…" His eyes sharpened, his tone cutting. "No."

"Aww…" Lioness groaned dramatically, throwing his head back.

"Oh? I have a good idea," Veldrac said suddenly, his grin widening.

Garius raised an eyebrow, his expression flat. "…Hmm?"

"Your youngest son has that flying thing, right?"

"Yeah," Garius replied evenly. "So?"

Lioness leaned forward eagerly.

"How about you give him a quest? Tell him to fetch that stubborn dwarf king. With that machine of his, I'm sure they'd arrive here in less than two hours."

Veldrac smacked his palm against his thigh, laughing.

"Oho! That would be perfect!"

Garius only sighed, his hand brushing against his forehead.

"You two never think past the moment. Even if Javier could bring him here, it would mean he'd be responsible for escorting Gumarak back to the Dwarven Kingdom after the coronation."

He shook his head slowly. "And my son is clever enough to avoid such chains the moment he sees them."

Before either Veldrac or Lioness could add another word, the carriage door behind them opened swiftly.

A figure rushed out.

Her steps light, her movement graceful, every gesture carrying a serene elegance.

All eyes turned as Queen Mylezra, sovereign of the Elven Kingdom, crossed the courtyard with surprising speed. Her long robes flowed like water, yet her composure never faltered.

The moment she reached Garius, she wrapped her arms around him without hesitation, pressing herself close in a warm, unabashed embrace.

"My future husband~" she said softly, her voice filled with warmth and joy.

Meanwhile, Veldrac and Lioness both smirked knowingly, their laughter caught in their throats as they exchanged a glance.

"You should not… do this in front of everyone," Garius said, his tone low but firm, though he did not push her away.

"No!" Mylezra's voice rang out clear, her embrace tightening.

"I have waited far too long for this promise to be fulfilled. Francesca agreed, and we were supposed to marry before, but it was always delayed. War, corruption, the filth… always some excuse. Now there is none!"

Her serene face carried no jest. For all her grace, her words struck with the weight of truth.

She tilted her head up, her eyes gleaming with determination.

"Even Javier knows this. He already said it himself...'Welcome to the family, stepmother.' And if you truly refuse me, then I will marry him instead when he turns eighteen."

Mylezra leaned back just enough to look directly at Garius, her smile soft but her tone sharp.

"And then, Garius, I can still call you Father-in-law."

Veldrac's booming laughter broke the silence, followed quickly by Lioness's grin as he slapped his knee.

"Ehehehe! That's the Mylezra I know!" Veldrac roared.

"Hah! Direct and fearless as ever," Lioness agreed, smirking.

Garius closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled slowly.

Veldrac slapped Garius's back with a booming laugh. "Alright! We'll attend this marriage once the coronation is over!"

Lioness grinned wide, tail swishing lazily. "Yes, yes… I'm sure everyone will be excited."

Garius remained unreadable, his gaze steady on Mylezra as though weighing the full meaning behind her answer.

"My, my~ what is with this hold up?"

Francesca's voice carried smoothly across the courtyard as she appeared, her steps graceful, her presence commanding without effort. Her elegant gaze swept over Veldrac, Lioness, and Mylezra, each of them caught mid-mischief.

"At the very least," she said with a faint smile, "shouldn't everyone be invited inside first? Am I not right?"

The two kings, so boisterous a moment ago, coughed lightly and shifted.

"Ah… yeah," Veldrac muttered.

"Umm… alright....." Lioness added, scratching his cheek as though he had just been scolded like a boy.

Francesca's eyes softened as they turned toward Mylezra.

"Mylezra, dear… the wedding will happen soon. I have already begun planning for it. So if you can wait until all the carriages have passed inside, and everyone is seated in the grand hall, then there will be no need for a fuss here in the courtyard, hmm?"

Mylezra released a small sigh, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Very well… Francesca."

"By the way, Veldrac…" Francesca lifted her fan lightly to her lips, her eyes narrowing just a touch, a glint of amusement flashing within them.

Veldrac paused mid-laugh. "Hmm?"

Her smile deepened. "Who did you bring this time? I saw a rather frightening dark aura from the third carriage of yours…" She tilted her head slightly, gaze never leaving him.

"If I'm not mistaken… it's Nyxara, isn't it?"

Veldrac blinked, then broke into a booming laugh, clapping his hands together.

"Hah! As sharp as ever, Francesca! Yes, yes...it's Nyxara. Who else could it be? She insisted on coming the moment she heard about this gathering!"

Francesca let out a soft chuckle, the fan brushing lightly against her lips as her laughter rippled like silk.

"Ah~ despite waiting for so long… she still sits patiently inside the carriage, hmm?" She turned her eyes toward Garius, her smile carrying a quiet mischief.

"Dear… she is still the same shy girl as before, isn't she?"

Her gaze slid to Mylezra, the fan lowering just slightly. "Mylezra, what do you think?"

Mylezra's serene smile curved into something sharper, her eyes flicking toward the third Demon Kingdom carriage. "Yes… she is waiting. And yet at the same time…" Her voice softened into a teasing lilt.

"She looks jealous."

Her glance lingered deliberately on the closed carriage, the air around it faintly trembling with that dark aura.

Francesca's eyes glimmered knowingly as she folded her fan. "My, my… then tonight will not only be lively, but perhaps… entertaining."

( End Of Chapter )