Reborn As Noble

Among the crowd, children clutched their mothers’ skirts, watching wide-eyed as the private soldiers ripped crates and barrels away.

”Mother...” one little boy whispered, tugging gently at her sleeve.

”Isn’t that the rich man before? Didn’t he pay so the merchant could give it to us?”

The woman hushed him quickly, fear flickering in her eyes.

”Shh. Keep your voice down.”

But the boy’s gaze stayed fixed on the nobles, his small fists tightening. He couldn’t understand why the food promised to them was being taken away.

The nobles, meanwhile, laughed loudly as they mounted their carriages, tossing fruit to their guards as if mocking the starving crowd. One bit into a loaf of bread, crumbs spilling down his silk robe.

”Hah! And they call Armand generous. This is how true lords take what they want.”

Another wagged a jeweled finger at the nearby families. ”Remember this, nothing in this city belongs to peasants. Not even the scraps. If you want food, beg your lords, not foreign men who flaunt their wealth.”

The women pulled their children closer, bowing their heads. None dared speak up.

But in their silence, their thoughts darkened. Armand pays so we may eat. These nobles steal so we may starve. Which one truly deserves loyalty?

The whispers began to spread like smoke among the people.

The clash of boots rang against the stone as a squad of royal guards advanced, their armor gleaming under the midday sun. The captain of the royal guard stepped forward, flanked by the knight captain and several men, forming a circle around the scene.

He lowered his head slightly in respect , just enough to observe noble etiquette, but his eyes were sharp as steel.

”Your lordships,” the guard captain said evenly, his voice calm yet carrying authority.

”May I inquire as to what is happening here?”

The knight captain added with the same careful tone,

”These goods appear to have been purchased already. Surely there must be some misunderstanding.”

Their words were polite, but the weight in their voices pressed against the nobles like a blade sheathed but ready. It was the kind of courtesy that left no doubt, they were demanding an answer, even if their mouths shaped it as a question.

The surrounding soldiers shifted, hands resting lightly on the hilts of their swords.

”Watch your tone when addressing us. Are you implying that we, of noble blood, are in the wrong here?”

The others smirked, emboldened. One leaned lazily out of his carriage window, lips curling.

”Even if you are the royal guard captain, do you truly believe you have power to act against us? We answer only to the King, not to mere soldiers.”

The guard captain’s expression did not waver. He lowered his head once more, voice calm but edged with iron.

”Your lordships are correct, we are but soldiers, sworn to uphold order in the capital. Yet you all know well... the throne is empty, and the council is watching closely. In such times, even small disturbances may spread as dangerous rumors.”

His eyes flicked briefly to the trembling merchant, then back to the nobles.

”If these goods were already purchased, by another lord, then to seize them by force may cause... complications. Misunderstandings that could reach the council chamber. Surely, none of your lordships would wish for that?”

The guard captain’s voice stayed steady, but his words sounded harsher now.

”Your lordships... forgive my boldness. Yet what you have done here may be seen as theft, seizing another lord’s bought goods. If Count Armand himself brought this to the council, how would it look?”

A hush fell for a moment, commoners leaning forward, hope flickering in their eyes.

But the nobles only laughed.

One scoffed openly, snapping his fingers for his men to load more crates into the carriage.

”Theft? Don’t be silly. These items were already paid for, were they not? The money buys no one’s name forever. What gold buys, gold can take away, and my bloodline is worth more than Armand’s charity.”

Another leaned on his cane, smirking down at the captain.

”Watch your tongue, guard. You’re close to insolence. Don’t forget your place. Even without a king, the council has our allies. Do you really think a complaint will harm us?”

The last noble, venom dripping from his voice, spat toward the ground.

”Just you wait, peasant. I’ll make sure Duke Kimar hears of this. Let’s see if your tongue dares wag once his shadow falls on you.”

Their carriages rattled forward, soldiers hauling the stolen goods away, leaving only dust and arrogance behind.

The merchant dropped to his knees beside his empty stall, trembling with fury he could not voice. The people who watched clenched their jaws in silence, their eyes filled with the memory of Garius’s generosity and the nobles’ cruelty.

The royal guard captain let out a long breath.

”If not for the rules and the law that bind my sword, I would have already beheaded those arrogant fools where they stood.”

The knight captain gave a grim nod. His gaze followed the departing carriages, eyes narrowing.

”Yes... but because they crawl under Duke Kimar’s shadow, our hands are tied. Rumor spreads fast, that Duke Kimar, brother of our late King Edmund, will claim the throne with most of the nobility behind him.”

The guard captain spat softly into the dust, his voice low with disdain.

”They cling to him only because of bloodline. But every man in this city knows whose house stands unshaken. The Armand family’s weight weighs heavier than all their petty schemes combined.”

”True,” the knight captain admitted, though his voice carried a weary edge. ”But one vote alone can’t drown out the noise of a hundred snakes hissing together. If all those nobles join their greed into one voice, even Armand’s weight will be tested.”

Silence hung for a heartbeat. Then the knight captain’s lips curved, almost wistful. ”Still... if I could choose, I’d rather see Count Garius crowned as our king. At least then, the realm would know order.”

The guard captain gave a short, bitter laugh. ”You and I both, and i believe everyone here want it. But that isn’t how this kingdom works. Titles and crowns aren’t given to the worthy. They’re torn apart by politics, stitched back together with bribes, and dressed in lies. What we want... will never be enough.”

The two captains turned back to their posts, their armored boots heavy on the cobblestones. Around them, the people whispered about Armand.

( End Of Chapter )