Reborn As Noble

Anna smiled softly, her voice carrying a note of quiet understanding.

”That’s true, Your Highness. You never truly know who is serving beside you. The maid you share meal with could be a household maid, a battle maid, or even an elite operative. We all wear the same uniform, perform the same chores, and bow to the same family. Rank is never flaunted, and identity is protected. It’s one of the things that makes serving this household so unique.”

”Mm.” Javier planted a quick, gentle kiss on Delya’s lips before pulling back with a warm smile. ”Wait here for me, Delya. I have something to do.”

”Okay, Danna-sama~” Delya smiled dreamily, settling onto the cushion as she watched Javier stand and stretch his body, her gaze soft and adoring.

Anna glanced at Javier, her brow twitched, and her fingers tightened slightly around the hem of her apron.

Crap...

I know where this is going...

Judging by how Prince Javier is stretching...

Javier smiled softly, turning to face Anna with a cheeky grin, wiggling his eyebrows. ”Remember back when I was still a brat and I made you chase me around the estate~? Hmm?”

I knew it! Ugh! He’s so... annoying...

Anna smiled politely, inclining her head with practiced grace. ”I remember, Your Highness. I was only ten years old back then. The youngest maid to be accepted into the Armand household, back when Armand was still a noble house under the Human Nation. It was an honor to serve this family, even then. Chasing after a mischievous young master was... part of the learning experience.”

”Anyway, Anna.” Javier tilted his head, his smile turning more focused. ”You were one of the elite battle maids, right?”

Anna bowed gracefully, her voice soft and humble. ”Your Highness gives me too much credit. I was merely a servant who learned from the shadows, guided by the wisdom of those who came before me. If I possess any skill at all, it is only because this household gave me the chance to grow.”

Javier walked toward the open courtyard in the distance, his steps light and unhurried. Anna followed gracefully from behind, her movements fluid and measured, her hands clasped neatly in front of her.

He stopped in the center of the open space, turning to face her with a calm, confident smile.

”Show me what you can do.”

Anna smiled politely, inclining her head with practiced grace. Her voice remained soft and respectful, but there was a subtle teasing lilt beneath her words.

”I’m afraid I cannot do that, Your Highness. It would be improper for a maid to raise her hand against a member of the royal family. There are regulations in place, and I would not wish to overstep my boundaries. No matter how much a certain young master might insist.”

”Ah~ don’t worry~” Javier smiled, both hands tucked casually inside his pockets as he tilted his head. ”I’m just curious. Among all the maids my family ever hired or recruited, you were the youngest during that time. Even though I knew Liana was thirteen when she was recruited, and that was before I was even born.”

He raised one palm upward, and a brown flame flickered to life above his hand, dancing gently in the air. His eyes glinted with quiet confidence as he spoke.

”Besides, you also know I’m not weak. So don’t worry too much. And you have my permission~”

Anna let out a tired exhale, her shoulders relaxing slightly as a small, resigned smile touched her lips.

”Since Your Highness keeps insisting, I suppose I have no choice but to comply.”

”Yeah... just...”

Before Javier could finish his words, Anna vanished from where she stood and reappeared directly in front of him. Both of her hands flared to life, red flame blazing in her left palm and blue flame burning in her right. She smiled sweetly, her voice calm yet teasing.

”Please don’t be too careless just because you’re the most handsome boy in this nation, Your Highness.”

Javier’s smirk widened, and he wiggled his eyebrows, his tone light and playful.

”I never said that~ I’m not the type who goes around bragging about being the most handsome boy in this nation, you know. It’s just that the girls around the world keep calling me that. They rate me, compare me, and always come to the same conclusion. It’s not my fault I set the standard.”

He tapped his chin, glancing up as Anna’s magic surged toward him. The combined force of red and blue flame struck him square in the chest, sending him flying backward across the courtyard. He landed with a light skid, one hand still casually tucked inside his pocket, his grin widening.

”Ah... I think I did brag about it before... to Buddy~”

Javier’s eyes flickered across the courtyard as more than ten magic circles materialized around him in perfect symmetry. Each one shimmered with intricate runes, their edges glowing with different elemental hues, red, blue, green, gold, and violet, spinning slowly in the air like celestial rings.

”Oho~ Now I know why they recruited you despite being the youngest before. Nice~”

Anna said nothing, her expression calm and focused as she raised both hands, her fingers moving in a graceful, deliberate motion.

The magic circles flared to life all at once, their light intensifying until the entire courtyard was bathed in a brilliant cascade of shifting colors. Streams of energy spiraled upward from each circle, twisting and coiling like ribbons of living light, painting the air with radiant arcs of fire, frost, wind, and thunder.

A massive, intricate circle glowed beneath Javier’s feet, its runes burning with ancient power. The ground beneath him erupted as hundreds of glowing chains shot upward, coiling around his body and binding his arms to his sides. More luminous vines snaked up from the earth, wrapping around his legs and torso, anchoring him in place.

From the ground rose flaming bars, surrounding him in a cage of searing heat, their tips crackling with intense fire. The magic circles pulsed, each one activating in sequence, unleashing a barrage of skills toward him.

Ice shards streaked through the air like frozen arrows, their surfaces gleaming with frost. Fireballs roared forward, leaving trails of heat in their wake. Arcs of lightning crackled and twisted through the air, striking from multiple angles. Explosions of concentrated mana burst around him, sending shockwaves rippling across the courtyard.

Anna raised her right hand, and a unique long staff materialized in her grasp, its surface gleaming with intricate carvings and pulsing with raw magical energy. Above the sky, a massive circle ignited, its runes burning with intense light.

She slammed the staff into the ground, and the circle erupted. A colossal meteor tore through the clouds, wreathed in searing flames, descending with terrifying speed. It struck the ground where Javier stood, the impact sending a thunderous shockwave across the entire courtyard, flames and debris scattering in every direction.

Then, in an instant, everything vanished with a simple snap of Javier’s fingers.

The smoke cleared, revealing Javier standing in the center of the crater, completely unharmed. His coat was pristine, his posture relaxed, and a wide grin spread across his face.

”Not bad, Anna~ Not bad at all~”

( End Of Chapter )