Reborn As Noble

Celine’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson, her eyes widening in surprise at Liana’s teasing words. She stammered, her voice barely above a mumble. ”I... I don’t... umm... I wasn’t...”

Liana chuckled softly, her smile warm and patient, her hand still extended toward Celine.

Just as Celine was about to take Liana’s hand, a sudden voice rang out from behind her.

”Eeeeehhh!? Sis Liana! What are you doing to my friend!?”

Celine glanced over her shoulder and saw Lyzia running toward her, her hand extended as if to shield Celine from Liana. She positioned herself between them, her stance protective.

”Don’t hurt my friend! I swear I’ll protect her with my life!”

Liana straightened gracefully, both hands clasped in front of her, her smile never wavering. ”Really~? You will?”

Lyzia put both hands on her hips, puffing her chest proudly and lifting her chin in a smug gesture. ”Of course! She’s my friend, so I’ll protect her with all my power. Don’t underestimate me, Sis Liana! I’m not weak~ Hnn hnn~!”

”Ara~”

In an instant, Liana’s hand shot forward, grabbing Lyzia’s wrist and twisting it behind her back in one fluid motion. Lyzia’s body turned with the twist, her arm locked in place as she let out a yelp.

”Aw, aw, aw! Sis Liana!!!!!” Lyzia tapped her free hand against Liana’s arm in rapid defeat. ”It hurts! It hurts!”

Liana leaned in close, her voice soft and sweet, whispering into Lyzia’s ear. ”Next time, my little sister~ learn how to protect yourself first, before you try to protect others~”

Lyzia pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at Liana the moment she released her hand.

”Mou! Sis Liana, that’s unfair! You received training in Armand. You’ve been living here since you were a teenager. Hmmph! If I had the same training, I’d be stronger than you for sure!”

”Arara~ Really?” Liana smiled, clasping her hands in front of her and tilting her head to the side with a sweet, innocent expression.

”Of course!” Lyzia puffed her chest out again, her confidence unwavering. ”I have talents that you don’t have! I’m sure within a few months, I’ll be able to reach your level, or even surpass you!”

Athine began walking back toward the Garden Room, followed by the others, including Gloria and the rest of the co-wives, leaving Liana with several Armand maids standing at a respectful distance.

Liana’s smile widened, a glint of playful mischief in her eyes. ”Well~ Since you said you wanted to stay in Armand for a while... why don’t I ’personally’ show you... oh wait~” She crossed her arms, one hand resting on her cheek with a sweet, teasing smile. ”Let you ’experience’ the ’real training’ here in Armand?”

Lyzia’s eyes lit up. ”Really? I can stay with Celine more? Yay!!!”

”Yay~.” Liana’s smile widened, her tone carrying a hint of playful warning. ”Enjoy it while you can, my sweet ’little sister’. Don’t worry~ You’ll find it ’too much fun’~ soon.”

”Hnn hnn!” Lyzia wiggled her eyebrows, helping Celine stand before turning back to Liana. ”I’ll prove it to you, Sis Liana!”

”Of course~ I ’believe’ in my ’little’ sister~” Liana’s smile softened as her gaze shifted to Faelar and several of the Elven attendants and servants who had escorted Lyzia.

”Faelar?”

Faelar stepped forward, bowing slightly. ”Yes, Star Daughter?”

”How long will you be staying in Armand?”

Faelar straightened, her expression respectful. ”The King and Queen have instructed us to remain until Princess Lyzia decides to return home. There is no set duration. We are to accompany her and ensure her safety for as long as she wishes to stay.”

”Well... since we don’t know how long she plans to stay,” Liana said, her smile soft as she kept her gaze on Faelar, ”Are you and your unit currently busy?”

Faelar shook his head respectfully. ”No, Star Daughter. Our duty to patrol the border forests has been temporarily reassigned to other personnel. Our only task now is to accompany Princess Lyzia and ensure her safety.”

”Hmm... Well, since you’re here...” Liana’s eyes glinted with a thoughtful light. ”How about arranging a joint training session between your Elven forest scouts and the Armand Pekko Forest Guards? While I know the Elven forces are far more experienced when it comes to forest warfare, forest navigation and survival, it never hurts to learn new techniques or share different perspectives. The Pekko Guards have developed unique methods for patrolling dense woodlands and tracking that might offer valuable insights.”

Faelar’s eyes widened, a flicker of surprise and excitement crossing his face. ”Really? We... we could?”

Liana nodded gracefully. ”I can’t promise anything yet, but I will try to arrange something with Young Master. Since our nation, the Elven Nation, is one of Armand’s closest allies, and our Elder Queen, Queen Mylezra, is one of the Armand Sovereign’s wives, I’m sure we can arrange something beneficial for both sides.”

Liana’s gaze shifted to the elven maids, servants, and the few elven officers who had accompanied Lyzia. She smiled warmly.

”And since all of you are here in Armand now, it wouldn’t hurt to learn something from the Armand units and officers as well. Perhaps we could arrange a cross-training program while you’re all staying here. It could be a valuable experience for both sides.”

The elven maids, servants, and officers bowed gracefully, their voices filled with gratitude. ”Thank you for the opportunity, Star Daughter. We are honored to learn from the best.”

Liana’s smile softened before her expression turned serious as her eyes landed on Ashara and Jiowana, who were still kneeling on the ground.

”And you two.”

Both women stiffened, their voices barely above a whisper. ”Y... yes?”

Liana’s voice was calm but firm, carrying an edge of authority. ”It will not be easy to forgive what you tried to do to my Young Master. However, I am aware that your actions were driven by your duty to protect your princess. Because of that, I will not impose the usual punishment.”

She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly.

”Instead, you will be enrolled in the Maid Training Program, supervised by a chosen authority of Armand. You will learn what it means to serve, to protect, and to follow orders without recklessness. Your loyalty to Princess Celine will not be questioned, but your methods will be refined. You will train until you are no longer a liability to the one you swore to protect. Understood?”

Ashara’s voice trembled. ”B-but... if we leave Princess Celine... who will protect her...?”

Liana’s face hardened, her aura flaring slightly, just enough to press down Ashara, Jiowana, Celine, and even Lyzia were pinned to the ground.

Her voice dropped, cold and sharp.

”If this low level of aura alone is enough to render you both helpless, how do you expect to protect her against the enemies that lurk on this continent? How would you stand against a real threat, one that would not hesitate to crush you before you could even draw your weapon? You are not protectors. You are liabilities. And until you become strong enough to stand against real threats, you have no right to call yourselves her guards.”

She released her aura, still crossing her arms as she glanced down at them.

”Train. Grow stronger. Prove that you are worthy of standing by her side. Only then will I allow you to resume your duty as her personal guards. And you do not need to worry about your princess’s safety while she is with me.”

Liana turned, glancing over her shoulder with a calm, unwavering gaze.

”She will soon become Young Master’s wife. And as his first wife, I have sworn to protect all my co-wives with my life. As long as she does not betray the love and trust he places in us, I will ensure her safety as if she were my own sister.”

She paused, her voice dropping into a cold, firm tone.

”I do not care who it is. Julius, any of the summoned heroes, or even the most skilled assassins from your continent. They do not know the strength of my Young Master, nor the power his wives carry. If any of them dare to lay a hand on our family, we will crush them without hesitation.”

( End Of Chapter )