Reborn As Noble

Javier glanced at her and noticed she was holding out a small scroll toward him. Her hand was steady, her fingers elegant, the parchment rolled tight and sealed with a faint, shimmering thread of gold. Her eyes remained fixed on the ocean, her expression calm and unreadable.

”What is this?”

Javier tilted his head, his hand extending to reach for the small scroll.

”Oh, hush, Honey Bun~ Just take it and read it. No need to ask so many questions~”

Javier took the scroll, settled back onto the long cushion, and rested his head against the armrest. He broke the seal and unrolled it, his eyes scanning the elegant script written across the parchment. His brow furrowed deeper with every line.

”But Mother... the timing...” He paused, his voice dropping. ”It will clash with the upcoming legal dispute.”

He glanced up at her, his confusion deepening.

”Does Father know about this?”

Fransesca glanced at him, her smile soft and knowing. She turned her gaze back toward the waves.

”You don’t need to worry about that, Honey Bun. I’ll inform your father later.” She paused, watching the ocean stretch endlessly before her.

”As for the legal matter... Aelius can handle it. He and Athine have managed the economy, the merchant guilds, and the Armand Bank for years. They’ve negotiated with nobles, settled trade disputes, and balanced the treasury through times of war and peace. A legal dispute like this... is well within their capabilities. They’ll handle it better than anyone. You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

Javier showed her his usual cheeky grin, both hands tucked behind his head, the scroll still dangling loosely between his fingers. He tilted his head at her.

”Why me?”

Fransesca narrowed her eyes at him, holding his gaze for a long moment. Then she sighed softly, her lips curling into a helpless smile as she shook her head.

”Because you’re the only one who can do it, Honey Bun.”

She turned her gaze back toward the ocean, watching the waves roll in.

”So far, only two people have been able to learn, understand, and perfectly control the mana of the other continent. It’s different from any nation on this continent. The flow, the frequency, the very nature of it is foreign.”

She paused, letting the wind lift a strand of her golden-brown hair.

”Having the ability to use that mana without detection gives us a huge advantage. It means we can send someone there without being noticed. We can gather intelligence, observe the enemy, and move freely in places where any of our own people would stand out immediately.”

Javier smirked, glancing up at the sky.

”The first person is Father, right?”

Fransesca let out a soft laugh, covering her lips with her palm.

”But your father really can’t go there. If he were to set foot on that continent, the three false goddesses would notice him immediately. His presence, his power, his very existence would light up their senses like a blazing beacon. It would ruin everything before we even begin.”

She paused, her voice softening.

”But my Honey Bun can~ You can move like a shadow. You can slip through gaps no one else can. You can walk among them without raising a single alarm.”

Javier smiled and glanced at the waves while lying back on the cushion.

Fransesca continued, her voice warm.

”Make sure no one notices you at all, Honey Bun.”

”Yes, Mother. Don’t worry~”

Fransesca’s expression turned serious for a moment. Her voice dropped, calm but firm.

”Never ever use your current mana or power while you’re there. You must rely only on the magic you create from that continent’s mana. Nothing else.”

”I know, Mother~”

Javier chuckled, his smile confident. He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

”I already created a few skills. And I know how to convert the surrounding ambient mana into the type I need. So I can use that power without ever drawing on my own. I won’t need to use my current power at all.”

Fransesca smiled, her eyes warm with quiet confidence.

”I believe in my Honey Bun.”

She gave him a playful wink, tilting her head slightly.

”Want me to give you the usual~?”

Javier chuckled and shook his head, a small, fond smile crossing his face.

His gaze drifted back toward the ocean, and slowly, the playfulness in his expression faded. His face turned calm. Serious.

”Mother...”

”Hmm? Yes, Honey Bun~? You want your kiss now~?” She pursed her lips from a distance, teasing him. ”Ara~ My Honey Bun is getting bold now. Not even hiding it anymore? Are we finally past the shy stage~?”

Javier kept his eyes on the horizon, watching the waves roll in.

”I can hide my mana. I can mask my presence. I can move like a shadow, I can blend in completely so that no one would ever suspect anything, just like you said.”

He paused, his voice dropping lower.

”But what if there’s someone who doesn’t rely on mana to sense others? What if there’s someone who can feel a presence through other means? Someone whose instincts go beyond magic, beyond power, beyond anything I can mask?”

He turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes.

”What should I do then, Mother?”

Fransesca gave him a playful, narrowed look. Her smile stayed sweet, but her eyes shifted. Something dangerous curled behind her gaze, soft and terrifying at the same time.

”If that happens...” she said, her voice calm and sweet, ”...you do whatever you think is necessary, Honey Bun.”

She tilted her head, her voice turning warm, almost maternal.

”You don’t need to ask me. You already know what to do. You’ve always known. The moment someone sees through your disguise, the moment someone senses what you truly are, you don’t hesitate. You don’t give them time to react. You don’t give them a chance to warn anyone.”

She turned her gaze toward the horizon. Her face turned serious. Her smile faded. Her aura slipped, just slightly, a weight pressing against the air around them.

”You put a blade through their throat. You burn the body. You scatter the ashes. And you walk away like nothing happened.”

She lifted her head slightly, her eyes glinting with something ancient and cold.

”Just make sure their main heroes and those three false goddesses never notice you.”

Her face turned dangerous. The warmth in her voice vanished, replaced by a calm, quiet fury.

”Because I will personally handle those three... myself~”

( End Of Chapter )