Reborn As Noble

The next day.

At the towering main gate of the Dwarven Capital—now under Armand authority—a steady stream of dwarves bustled in and out. Guards patrolled with heightened vigilance, wary of spies and further attacks.

Then, the thunder of Pekko footsteps echoed from afar.

Three figures approached swiftly—mounted on majestic Pekko birds.

The dwarven guards immediately raised their weapons.

”Hold!! State your business!”

The lead guard narrowed his eyes, clearly on edge. His gaze scanned the group—lingering on the imposing beastkin with long twin swords strapped to her back.

Felicia calmly raised her hand, revealing the royal crest of the Beastkin Kingdom.

”I am Felicia Lioness, eldest daughter of King Lioness.”

The guards stiffened.

Still, duty came first.

”What business does the beastkin princess have in the newly declared Armand-Dwarven territory?”

Felicia’s eye twitched.

”Hmm? Are you raising your voice to me—a princess of the Beastkin Kingdom?”

The guards flinched.

”Pardon me, Your Highness. But without a formal escort or stated reason, we must confirm your purpose here—especially in this tense time.”

Before Felicia could retort, Liana nudged her Pekko forward.

Gracefully walked a few steps ahead.

The sunlight gleamed off her crisp maid uniform—the golden Armand crest gleaming on her chest.

The moment the guards noticed it, their posture changed instantly.

”Ah! Pardon our rudeness, miss—?”

”Just call me Liana.” Her tone was sharp yet elegant.

She gestured behind her.

”And this is Gloria. Now, tell me—where is the acting lord?”

The guards immediately lowered their weapons, nervous.

”A-ah... he’s at the royal palace... Miss Liana...”

Liana simply nodded.

”Good. We’ll go on ahead.”

The guards quickly stepped aside without further question.

Liana gave a polite nod as she and Gloria gently nudged their Pekko birds forward.

Felicia followed gracefully, her posture regal yet composed.

Liana only smiled.

She glanced toward Felicia, tilting her head slightly and wiggling her eyebrow with a graceful, teasing air.

Inside her mind—

I win again, stray cat.

In terms of boob size? I win.

Face? I win.

Body curve? Obviously, I win.

Beside her, Gloria smiled gently, saying nothing.

Gloria kept her usual composed smile. She had no interest in involving herself in the quiet war between those two.

”Ara~ let’s continue our journey,” she said softly. ”Before our young master adds yet another girl to his collection.”

Felicia remained silent, maintaining her noble posture as always, but her eyes narrowed slightly as she urged her Pekko forward.

As they rode their Pekkos slowly through the recovering city, Liana glanced around with calm eyes.

The streets were dusty but filled with life again. Dwarves were hauling timber, reinforcing stone walls, and clearing rubble.

The scent of smoke still lingered, but laughter and hammering replaced the silence of war.

She narrowed her eyes, spotting the familiar shimmer of metal in the distance.

Standing atop the high outer wall, gleaming under the sun, were several Mithril Puppet Knights.

Not far behind them, positioned evenly along the ridge, stood a formation of mana-powered anti-air guns, their barrels pointed skyward in standby.

Liana gently pulled her reins, halting Pikko.

”...So he’s really here.”

She approached a dwarven guard stationed near the inner checkpoint.

”Excuse me,” Liana said with her usual elegance, ”Could you show us the way to the royal palace?”

The dwarf blinked in surprise, then nodded quickly.

”Ah—pardon, miss elf. If you follow this path straight, you’ll see it soon. The royal palace is just beyond the next gate, up the slope there.”

”Thank you,” Liana bowed her head.

But the dwarf paused and scratched his beard.

”No, really... thank you, miss elf. Because of Armand... because of your people... the war finally ended. We can rebuild. You all saved us.”

His voice wavered with sincerity. Around them, other dwarves had stopped to watch with awe and curiosity—after all, elves weren’t a common sight in dwarven lands.

Liana simply smiled.

Gloria, still astride her Pekko Peanut, nodded politely.

Liana, Gloria, and Felicia guided their Pekkos slowly along the cobbled road, letting the large birds trot at a steady pace.

The scene around them was like a city waking from a long nightmare.

Dwarves hammered wooden beams into place, their sleeves rolled up and foreheads damp with sweat. Others were carefully fitting bricks, replacing shattered walls with fresh stone.

One dwarf stood in front of a broken shop, sweeping dust from the entrance. A younger one beside him held up a rough sketch of a new signboard, hopeful eyes shining despite the fatigue.

From an alley to their left, Liana’s sharp eyes caught a few children. They weren’t laughing loudly, but they played quietly—rolling a wooden ball, drawing in the dirt with sticks. Their innocence, though muted, was still there.

Across the street, a pair of old blacksmiths were trying to reassemble a forge, while younger apprentices passed them tools. The air carried the scent of soot, ash, and freshly cut lumber.

Patrolling guards in dwarven armor made rounds with focused expressions. They saluted politely as the group passed, clearly recognizing the Armand crest worn by the two maids—and the royal emblem of Felicia.

”...They’re recovering well,” Gloria said softly.

Liana nodded, her gaze calm as always. ”Yes. Even if their hearts are still healing, their hands are already rebuilding.”

Felicia remained quiet, observing every detail with a sharp but composed gaze. She didn’t speak, but in her heart, she was impressed. Not just by the dwarves—but by the fact that Armand’s youngest son had managed all this in such a short time.

While guiding her Pekko along the quiet road, Liana’s ears twitched faintly.

She turned her head.

Down near the shallow stream beside the road, several dwarven girls were kneeling by the water, scrubbing clothes on wooden washboards. Their sleeves were rolled up, and their soft giggles carried gently through the breeze.

Unlike the broad, stocky dwarven men, the girls were surprisingly slender. Their faces still held a youthful charm—round cheeks, light freckles, delicate features, and slightly pointy ears that curved differently from elven ones. They looked more like teenage girls than warriors.

And they were clearly...talking about someone.

”Our new lord Javier is so handsome~”

”Mmh! And so tall! I didn’t think humans from Armand could be this good-looking.”

”I heard human men were just a bit better-looking than dwarves, but—this is something else...”

Liana narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile strained.

She continued listening without saying a word.

”He’s the youngest among the Armand lords son’s , right? What if the older ones are even more handsome?”

”Ohh~ I want to visit Armand after this war’s over. Imagine seeing all the Armand ’princes’ in one place~!”

”He’s the youngest among the Armand lords, right? That means there are five older brothers!”

”Ohh~ I can’t imagine! If the youngest is already that handsome... the older ones must be even more breathtaking!”

”Right? That one merchant who came back from Armand said he caught a glimpse of the elder sons. He said they looked like they stepped straight out of a noble romance tale~!”

( End Of Chapter )