Reborn As Noble

Meanwhile.

Certain places in the Human Nation.

”Fayna?”

”Hmm? Yes? Falce?” Fayna glanced up from her breakfast, her fork pausing mid-air as she turned to look at Falce across the table.

Falce leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table as she studied Fayna’s face. ”What’s with you? You’ve been lost in thought all morning. Something on your mind?”

”N... nothing.” Fayna forced a smile, looked back down, and poked at her breakfast with her fork, pushing the food around her plate without eating.

”Really? Nothing? You sure?” Rasya tilted her head, her brow furrowing as she set her cup down. ”You’ve barely touched your food.”

”Yeah. You’ve been staring at your plate since the food arrived,” Deliza added, dabbing her lips with a napkin as she finished the last bite of her breakfast.

”No... it’s not just today.” Erlaine lifted a forkful of food to her lips, chewing thoughtfully before continuing. ”Ever since Vice Leader Vane gave us the mission to gather intelligence on Armand, she’s been like this.”

”Mm... it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Fayna smiled softly before pretending to take a bite of her food.

”If you say so.” Falce shrugged before continuing to eat.

Fayna’s gaze drifted toward the window, her thoughts spiraling.

Dumb Vane!

He’s really going to be in huge trouble if Julius ever finds out about his plan. If Julius even suspects anything, he won’t hesitate to crush Vane without a second thought.

She bit her lower lip, her fork pressing into her food.

I hate this. I hate watching him risk everything while I can’t do anything to help.

We were supposed to be together!

I don’t even want to be here with them...

This ”mission” to gather intelligence on Armand is just a fake. He just wants to send me far away so Julius won’t suspect me... so I won’t be punished if Vane’s betrayal is discovered.

I know he’s trying to protect me by keeping me out of it, but it feels like he’s pushing me away. He thinks he’s keeping me safe, but all it does is make me feel helpless. I want to be by his side, not hiding in some inn while he faces Julius alone.

What if something happens to him? What if Julius finds out before Vane is ready? What if... what if I never see him again?

The girls erupted into giggles the moment Falce brought up the topic of Julius. They gushed about his kindness, his voice that could melt hearts, the way he carried himself with such confidence and grace.

”Mm~” Gulia let out a dreamy sigh, her face softening into a lovestruck expression, eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed as she propped her chin on her hand. ”And the way Sir Julius spoke to me before... He said I was beautiful. He even asked if I’d like to go out for tea sometime, if he wasn’t too busy~”

”Hmmph~ You? Please~” Erlaine scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. ”Sir Julius asked me out for a date before, but that bitch Karue always gets in the way. She’s always hovering around him, making excuses about plans, meetings, and such. It’s so annoying.”

”Ugh! I hate that bitch too,” Deliza chimed in, stabbing her fork into her food. ”Just because she’s the leader of her summoned heroes party under Goddess Maekaria, she thinks she stands on the same level as Sir Julius. She acts all high and mighty, but she’s nothing compared to him. Our handsome Julius is on a completely different tier.”

”Hmmph! She’s not even close to our handsome Julius’s level,” Rasya added, crossing her arms with a smug look. ”He’s a true leader. That’s why everyone agreed when he was appointed as our Supreme Leader~”

Fayna kept her eyes on her plate, her grip tightening around her fork as their words washed over her. She said nothing, forcing her expression to remain neutral even as her stomach churned.

Handsome?

Charming?

Kind?

Julius?

She forced herself to stay calm, but inside, her thoughts boiled with disgust and anger.

He nearly raped me before!

He forced himself on me, held me down, and I would have been defiled by that monster if Vane hadn’t arrived just in time.

And he sleeps with every girl he wants, whenever he wants, as if they’re nothing more than toys to be used and discarded. He doesn’t care about them. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.

He walks past the poor on the streets, the beggars pleading for a single coin, a scrap of bread, and he doesn’t even glance at them. He kicks them aside like they’re garbage, sneering that they’re ”filthy” and ”useless.”

He laughs at their suffering, mocks their desperation, and thinks he’s above everyone else because he’s ”chosen” by the goddess.

He’s not kind. He’s not charming. He’s a monster wearing a beautiful mask. A parasite who feeds on adoration and power, who sees people as tools and toys.

Fayna’s knuckles turned white around her fork.

If only they knew... if only they could see the real Julius... they wouldn’t be swooning over him. They’d be running in the opposite direction.

”Fayna?”

Fayna glanced up from her food, tilting her head slightly. ”Yes?”

The girls exchanged glances, some wearing weird smiles, others looking dreamy, before Falce leaned forward and asked, ”What do you think about Julius?”

Fayna forced herself to smile, keeping her voice neutral. ”I don’t know. He’s the Supreme Leader of our heroes. That’s all.”

”No...” Falce pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at Fayna. ”We didn’t ask for that. We mean... you know... since Julius is so handsome, charming, kind, and gentle... don’t you feel anything for him? He’s the kind of man every girl dreams about.”

”He’s dreamy~” Gulia added with a sigh.

”Absolutely divine~” Deliza chimed in, clasping her hands together.

”A true gentleman~” Rasya nodded firmly.

Fayna rolled her eyes before letting out a soft exhale, her voice casual. ”I’m not interested in a man like him.”

”Really? Fayna?” Erlaine blinked, her expression shifting from surprise to disbelief. ”Are you blind or something? How can you not be interested in Sir Julius? He’s the most handsome man in the entire continent!”

”Maybe she’s just playing hard to get,” Rasya teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

Just as Fayna was about to respond, a distant shout cut through the air.

”Cannon!!!”

A scream followed, then another, and another. Panic erupted outside.

The girls shot to their feet, hands instinctively reaching for their weapons. But before they could move, a cannonball tore through the tavern roof, crashing into the floor with a deafening impact before exploding in a blinding flash.

The blast wave hit Fayna like a giant’s fist, lifting her off her feet and hurling her backward. The world spun violently. Wood, dust, fire, and smoke all tumbling together as the tavern crumbled around her. She crashed through a splintered table, her body skidding across the floor before slamming into something solid.

( End Of Chapter )