Reborn as a Hated Noble Family, We Start an Industrial Revolution

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​The sound of the door hinges being pushed open instantly shattered the ridiculous tension.

​Riven stepped into the dining room with his signature, rigid military posture—a presence that somehow always made the room feel a bit tighter. His uniform was neat—not full combat armor, but a dark blue tactical shirt with a silver Wolf emblem pinned proudly to the collar.

​His sharp gray eyes calmly swept over the behavior of his two younger siblings.

​”The two of you are awfully loud this early in the morning,” Riven reprimanded mildly.

​Raveena hurriedly looked down to adjust her hair, which was already perfectly neat. Meanwhile, Raphael pretended to cough. Ahem!

​”Since when did the Grand General of Northreach pick up the embarrassing hobby of eavesdropping at doors?” Raveena quipped cynically, still trying to neutralize the remaining flush on her cheeks.

​”I just happened to be passing by.” Riven walked casually toward the table, snatching a piece of wheat bread from a woven basket without bothering to sit. ”Raphael, do you have any plans for this morning?”

​Raphael shook his head quickly. ”None. I was supposed to be at school, but it turns out today is a holiday.”

​”Good. In about an hour, our combat helicopters will take off for Luminara. I’m going to oversee the launch from the tarmac.” Riven took a relaxed bite of his bread. ”Do you want to tag along and watch?”

​Raphael’s eyes instantly lit up with excitement. ”Of course I want to come!”

​”In that case, I have one extra piece of advice for you.” Riven leaned slightly over the table. He lowered his volume into a conspiratorial whisper directed solely at Raphael. ”That girl you brought in yesterday afternoon. Bring her with you.”

​Raphael’s body reflexively tensed up, rigid as if he’d just been electrocuted. ”E-Elodie?! W-Why is everyone in this castle suddenly bringing her name up—”

​”I am merely giving you a suggestion, little brother.” Riven shrugged his broad shoulders, his facial expression remaining utterly, flawlessly neutral—a bit too neutral for something supposedly unplanned. ”Who knows, the girl might be interested in seeing the helicopter engines up close. It’s not every day a farmer’s daughter gets a front-row seat to a rare sight like that, is it?”

​Raveena, possessing exceptionally sharp ears, immediately chimed in. The smirk of vengeance bloomed once more on the older sister’s face.

​”Oh! By the Goddess, that is an utterly brilliant date idea, Brother Riven!” Raveena instigated, her teasing tone hitting god-tier levels. ”Take Elodie to the tarmac! Recreate that sweet scene from last night. Walking side by side. So, so romantic!”

​Raphael glared at her. ”Sister Raveena, did you not learn your lesson from being utterly destroyed a minute ago?”

​”What? Did I say something wrong? I’m just agreeing with Brother Riven’s suggestion. As a devoted younger sister, isn’t it my duty to fully back my eldest brother’s opinions?” Raveena countered, feigning absolute innocence.

​Riven could only shake his head slowly at the toxic chemistry between his two siblings. However, the corner of his lips clearly pulled up into an amused smile. ”Alright, alright. Enough of the nonsense. Raphael, finish your porridge quickly.”

​”The northern tarmac is quite a hike on foot,” Raphael looked at his brother hopefully. ”If we want to catch the takeoff time...”

​”We’ll take the car,” Riven answered casually, patting his brother’s shoulder. ”My schedule is somewhat loose this morning. Lieutenant Kaelen has already taken over the clearance protocols at the runway. At the very least, we have about an hour to kill before they go airborne.”

​Raphael could barely hide his wide grin. ”Are you serious, Brother?”

​”I am. Now finish your food. We leave in five minutes.”

​Ten minutes later, Raphael was tailing Riven toward the castle’s main garage area.

​The scenery transitioned from elegant, high-class carved stone corridors into far rougher, industrial concrete walls—a mechanical service area in the west wing that was rarely touched by nobility.

​The distinct, pungent scent of thick engine oil mixed with mana fuel hit their nostrils.

​Right at the threshold of the garage’s sliding doors, Elena stepped out, casually carrying Kaelven on her hip.

​The toddler immediately squealed in delight the moment his eyes locked onto Riven. ”Paaaa! Papa!!”

​Riven’s eyes instantly softened. A loving smile bloomed on his lips. The Grand General walked over to his family and planted a long, tender kiss on Kaelven’s forehead.

​”Just taking a morning stroll to get some air. The weather is incredibly fresh today.” Elena looked at her husband affectionately, then shifted her gaze to Raphael, and back to Riven. ”What about you? It’s rare to see you in the garage at this hour without your combat armor.”

​”Just handling a minor civilian transport issue. I’m taking Raphael to pick someone up,” Riven answered casually.

​Elena’s beautiful eyebrows arched slightly at the answer, but being the perceptive wife she was, she had no intention of interrogating him further in public.

​The doctor merely carved a thin smile—a highly understanding smile that, for some reason, sent a chill down Raphael’s spine again. Don’t tell me... the damn gossip about me and Elodie has actually spread to become public consumption for the entire castle?!

​”Alright then. Be careful on the road.” Elena turned to leave, gently patting Kaelven’s diapered bum. Kaelven waved his tiny hand frantically. ”Bye-bye, Uncle Rapel!”

​”Bye, Champ.” Raphael returned his nephew’s wave stiffly, then hurriedly slipped into the garage to escape any lethal questions from his sister-in-law.

​A glossy black sedan was parked neatly in the corner of the room.

​The car wasn’t as massive or luxurious as the Magitech SUV combat fleet Riven usually utilized for official frontline missions, but it was more than sufficient for a casual drive through the city.

​Its mana-engine block was directly modified by Rianor Sudrath—the acceleration was phenomenally smooth, it consumed energy with extreme efficiency, and it operated almost completely silently.

​Riven opened the driver’s door and slid in. Raphael quickly followed, shutting the passenger door with a soft thud. Blam.

​The moment the sedan’s tires glided smoothly out of the castle gates and hit the city’s asphalt roads, Riven finally broke the silence inside the cabin.

​”So... about this girl.”

​Raphael’s shoulders reflexively tensed, pressing rigidly against the leather seat. ”Her name is Elodie, Brother.”

​”I know her name. Every courtier in this castle has her name memorized by now,” Riven casually turned the steering wheel at an intersection. ”I just want to ask, from your perspective... what kind of girl is she?”

​Raphael fell silent for a long time. He stared at his own reflection in the moving car window.

​”I... honestly don’t know how to categorize what kind of girl she is.”

​Riven didn’t interrupt. He let his little brother find his own words.

​”If you’re asking what drew me to her... I can’t list it point by point. She’s smart. She’s quiet. She has never been afraid of me. But that isn’t the answer you’re looking for, is it?”

​Raphael rested the back of his head against the seat. ”I only know one thing. Every time I’m near her... it feels different. I don’t need to be anyone. I don’t need to be a prince. I don’t need to be the strongest. I just need to be Raphael. And she accepts that.”

​He turned to look at his brother. ”She makes my life feel easier. More comfortable. That’s all.”

​Riven threw a fleeting glance at his brother from the corner of his eye, then refocused on the asphalt ahead. ”You like her.”

​It wasn’t a question. It was a sentencing verdict. Raphael couldn’t muster a single argument to deny it—but the tips of his ears turning a ripe red was more than enough of an admission.

​”Good.”

​Raphael looked over in confusion. ”Good?”

​Riven stepped on the brake pedal, bringing the car to a smooth halt at a streetlamp intersection, giving way to an old man selling bread from a pushcart. ”There are far too many leeches and sycophants around us whose only purpose is to nod and say ’Yes, Prince’. Do you know the biggest reason why I finally proposed to Elena?”

​”Because Sister Elena was the only doctor brave enough to yell at a Grand General like you inside the medical tent?” Raphael guessed.

​Riven let out a soft, crisp laugh. ”One hundred percent accurate.”

​The car accelerated once more, slicing through the morning breeze. The streets of Iron Hearth were slowly beginning to pulse, waking up to their routines. Merchants were setting up their stall tents, workers walked in droves toward the factory gates, and small children ran wildly along the sidewalks.

​Raphael watched the entire panorama of life through the glass, a rush of emotions swirling within him that were incredibly difficult to articulate.

​There was anticipation. A slight nervousness tickling his stomach. Yet, above all that emotional chaos... he felt phenomenally at peace.

​”Brother... thank you.”

​Riven didn’t respond with any saccharine words. He merely carved a faint smile on his lips as he kept his eyes locked on the road ahead.

​A few minutes later, the black sedan began to slow down.

​From two hundred meters away, Raphael’s eyes could already catch the silhouette of their destination—a white-painted wooden fence with paint fading and peeling at the corners.

​Dull clay pots filled with lush herbal plants were arranged neatly in the left corner of the yard. The small wooden house stood very simply, bathed in the warm morning sunlight.

​And right in the middle of the front yard... a brown-haired girl with her hair tied up in a messy bun was busily smiling as she watered her plants with a watering can.