Reborn As Noble

Inside Armand Manor’s study room, a heavy silence hung in the air. Stacks of documents towered over the large mahogany desk, forming what could only be described as a bureaucratic nightmare.

Marcellus, seated at the head of the table, groaned in frustration, raking his hands through his hair. ”Ugh!! I hate paperwork!” His voice echoed through the room, but no one came to save him.

Across from him, Cedric slumped in his chair, his expression equally pained. Meanwhile, their personal maids remained composed. Lithia, standing beside Marcellus, exuded a calm, reassuring presence, while Meira focused on something more urgent.

”My head hurts… Meira… more tea, please?” Cedric muttered, leaning back.

Meira smiled softly, her tail swaying gently. ”Yes, Master Cedric.” She gracefully prepared his tea, placing it alongside freshly arranged biscuits.

The brothers exchanged glances, both wanting to run but knowing they couldn’t—Mr. Alf was watching. The legendary butler, assassin, and unofficial warden of the study room had made one thing clear: ”I will check on you every hour.” A simple statement, but a terrifying one.

Marcellus slammed a hand on the desk, looking at his younger brother desperately. ”Ugh! I don’t want to inherit this job! You take it, Cedric!”

Cedric snapped his head up instantly. ”Hell no! I hate paperwork too!”

They both stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Escape was impossible. Lithia sighed, rubbing her temple, while Meira chuckled, her tail flicking.

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Outside the study room, Mr. Alf was already on his way.

Marcellus leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples before glancing at Lithia. ”Lithia, sit next to me.”

Lithia nodded gracefully and took the seat beside him. Meanwhile, Cedric didn’t say a word; instead, he simply patted his lap. Meira blinked once, then smiled knowingly. Without hesitation, she settled onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Cedric sighed in relief, resting his forehead against her shoulder. He tilted his head up slightly, and Meira leaned down. Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss. When they parted, Meira’s warm eyes gazed into his. ”Accompany me today, Meira.”

Her tail flicked slightly as she whispered back, ”Yes, Master Cedric.”

Marcellus eyed them out of the corner of his eye, then turned to Lithia with a smirk. ”I don’t see why I have to suffer alone, you know?”

Lithia chuckled softly, shaking her head. The mountain of paperwork remained untouched, but for now—just for a moment—no one cared.

Marcellus sighed as he flipped through the documents, his free hand intertwined with Lithia’s. She leaned gently against his shoulder, providing a quiet comfort—unlike someone else in the room.

On the other side, Cedric was completely ignoring the paperwork. Instead, he was busy kissing Meira. Again.

Marcellus’s eyebrow twitched, and he slammed his palm on the desk. ”Oi! Stop kissing and do some work, Cedric!”

Cedric didn’t even look up, simply waving a hand dismissively. ”Mmm… later… busy…”

Marcellus gritted his teeth. Lithia chuckled softly, adjusting her position to sit more comfortably beside him. ”At least one of us is working, right?” she teased.

Marcellus groaned. ”Barely.”

Meanwhile, Meira smiled as she nuzzled against Cedric. ”Don’t be jealous, Master Marcellus. You have Lithia, after all.”

Marcellus let out a deep sigh. ”At this rate, Alf is going to kill us all.”

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a chill ran through the room. Standing at the entrance was Alf. His calm yet terrifying gaze swept across the scene. ”What are you doing?”

His voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was absolute. ”Is the paperwork finished?”

Silence. Meira froze instantly, her tail stiffening. Lithia went rigid as well, straightening her posture. In one swift movement, they stepped away from their masters, standing properly behind them, hands neatly folded.

Marcellus and Cedric shared a look. They were doomed.

Alf crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. ”Finish the paperwork before evening.” His serious tone left no room for argument.

Marcellus and Cedric gulped. Just as the pressure in the room settled, another presence entered.

Erinnete walked in gracefully, her sharp gaze landing on Lithia and Meira. She spoke calmly but firmly. ”Don’t disturb their work.” Lithia and Meira stood even straighter. ”Go to the kitchen and ask the chef team to prepare food for them.” She glanced at the piles of untouched documents. ”Your masters will be eating here.”

Lithia and Meira bowed immediately. ”Yes, Mrs. Erinnete!” They quickly left the room, their footsteps hurried.

As the door closed behind them, Marcellus and Cedric both sighed heavily. Cedric slumped in his chair, muttering, ”We’re trapped, aren’t we?”

Marcellus groaned. ”Completely.”

Alf said nothing, but his presence alone was enough to keep them in check. With no other choice, the two brothers finally picked up their pens and got to work.

Alf tapped his fingers on the desk, his sharp gaze fixated on the two brothers. ”These documents! You should read them carefully!”

Marcellus and Cedric flinched at the reprimand. Alf picked up a stack, flipping through the pages with precision before placing two documents in front of them. ”This one is for the budget allocation to maintain the border wall.” His tone was strict yet firm. ”And this—” he tapped another document, ”—is for the village budget allocation.”

Marcellus sighed, rubbing his temples. ”Haaah… I know it’s important, but why does it have to be us doing this?”

Cedric leaned back, crossing his arms. ”Father should just handle it himself. He’s way better at this.”

Silence fell in the room. Alf’s eyes narrowed slightly, sending a chill down the brothers’ spines. He spoke in a calm, measured tone. ”And how will you two manage when it’s your turn to take over the household?”

Marcellus groaned, and Cedric grumbled, but neither dared to argue.

Then, Marcellus paused mid-writing and glanced at Alf with a smirk. ”By the way, Alf… once Father retires, you’re going to keep working, right?”

Cedric perked up, clearly interested in the answer. But Alf’s expression remained unchanged as he adjusted his gloves calmly. ”No.”

Marcellus blinked, and Cedric raised an eyebrow. Alf continued, ”I will continue to assist your father only.” He glanced at both of them, his sharp eyes unwavering. ”And don’t worry about it.” He folded his arms, adding, ”My assistant will be the one handling the next generation—” His gaze darkened slightly. ”—under strict supervision.”

Marcellus and Cedric exchanged nervous glances. Strict supervision… somehow, they already felt bad for whoever would take Alf’s place.

As soon as Alf left the room, the heavy tension lifted. Marcellus let out a deep groan, slumping in his chair while Cedric leaned back, exhaling a long sigh. For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Cedric glanced at his older brother. ”Brother?”

Marcellus grunted, ”What now?”

Cedric grinned mischievously. ”How about… we give Javier this job instead?”

Marcellus sat up slightly, rubbing his chin. He smirked. ”Hehe… good idea…” The thought of being free from all this paperwork was tempting.

But then reality hit. Marcellus sighed, shaking his head. ”But… I don’t think Father will agree.”

Cedric groaned. ”Yeah… he’d probably just punish us instead.”

The two brothers sat in silence for a moment before slumping forward in unison. ”Haaah… we’re doomed.”

Cedric’s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement as an idea struck him. ”Oh! I know how!”

Marcellus raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Cedric leaned in, whispering something inaudible.

Marcellus’s expression shifted—from calm… to a smirk… and then to a wide, devilish grin that spread across his face.

They both chuckled, their low, creepy laughter echoing through the study room.

Marcellus crossed his arms, nodding in approval. ”Good idea, Cedric.”

Cedric grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. ”I’m sure this will work, Brother.”

Their creepy laughter filled the study room, a chilling harmony of mischief.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Alf silently sighed. ”I should check on them in thirty minutes instead.”

( End of Chapter )