Reborn As Noble

Mimi’s expression softened completely, and she smiled sweetly at Javier.

”Nya? Husband? You’re not coming here?”

Javier smiled softly, shaking his head.

”I can’t. I need to work on something. It’s important.”

”Oh... okay, nya~”

Mimi turned back toward Liana, her tail swaying happily, and grinned.

”Nya~ Big Sister~ Can I have some of your special sauce on my meat? Please~?”

Liana glanced around quickly, her eyes scanning the hall. She leaned down slightly and hissed in a low voice.

”Mimi! The food is already served and it’s delicious. The Armand chefs have been preparing for hours. What would they think if they saw you adding my sauce to their dishes in the middle of the feast? It would be an insult to their craft!”

”Pleaseeee~”

Mimi gave Liana a pleading look, her eyes wide and shimmering, her lower lip pushed out in a pout.

Liana let out a long, weary exhale. She raised one finger, signaling for Mimi to wait, then tapped the mana talkie in her ear and spoke in a low voice. She nodded, listened, then said something again. Mimi waited, her tail swaying slowly behind her.

Lyzia leaned down and looked at Mimi’s plate. She dipped one finger into the sauce pooled at the edge, brought it to her lips, and tasted it. Her eyes widened slightly, then she nodded slowly, her expression settling into something like reluctant approval.

Liana smiled, nodded, and said thank you in a low voice.

She reached out and flicked Mimi’s forehead the moment she finished.

”You’re lucky the head chef allowed this. In exchange, he asked me to spare a batch of my sauce so it could be served to the Armand family and the rest of the guests.”

Mimi grinned.

”Nyaaaa~ I love you, Big Sister~”

Liana shook her head with a small smile. She touched the bracelet on her wrist, and her dimensional storage shimmered open beside her. She reached inside and pulled out a large jar of her special sauce, the glass gleaming under the hall’s warm lights.

Across the holographic screen, Buddy’s eyes snapped wide. A thin strand of drool began to form at the corner of his beak.

Liana side-glanced at the camera, her smirk barely noticeable.

”Mimi. Hold your plate up so the camera can see it.”

”Nya? Why?”

”Just do it.”

Mimi tilted her head, her tail swaying in confusion, but she lifted her plate and held it toward the camera.

”Like this?”

The plate filled the screen. Piled high with roast meat, still steaming, the fat glistening with juices, the edges crisped and golden brown. Buddy’s drool dripped openly from his beak.

Liana held up the jar of sauce. The glass caught the light, and the rich, dark amber liquid inside glistened, thick and smooth. She uncorked it with a soft pop and tipped it slowly.

The sauce poured out in a rich, golden stream. It flowed over the top of the meat and cascaded down, coating every curve and crevice, gathering in the golden-brown pools of the juices. It gleamed under the hall’s lights, rich and creamy, fragrant and thick, catching the warm glow in a way that made it look almost alive.

Buddy’s beak hung open. His eyes were fixed on the screen. His drool became a steady stream. His whole body had gone still.

Liana kept pouring, slow and deliberate, letting the sauce settle into every cut and fold of the meat.

Javier chuckled the moment he noticed Gracelle and Celine rush toward the building, their stomachs growling loudly enough to echo across the sand. His eyes landed on Buddy, who was already drooling hard, a steady stream of saliva dripping from his beak onto the beach.

”Just go, Buddy. Don’t worry about me.”

Buddy kept his focus locked on the screen, eyes never blinking. He swallowed hard the moment Liana finished pouring, set the jar down with a soft clink, and looked directly at the camera with a sweet, devastating smile.

”All the meat and every meal in the hall will be served with my special sauce~”

Liana tilted her head, her voice dropping into a teasing lilt.

”Are you sure you don’t want to come here, Buddy~?”

Buddy’s head whipped toward Javier, his eyes wide with excitement. He hopped in place, flapping his wings eagerly, his talons kicking up little puffs of sand with each bounce.

”Cuquawked! Cuquawked?” (Master! Can I go there? Please?)

Javier let out a loud laugh, shaking his head.

”Yeah, yeah. You can go. But wait for Celine and Gracelle to finish first.”

Buddy spun around and bolted toward the building, legs carrying him in a blur. He skidded to a stop in front of the entrance and began pacing back and forth, his head swiveling toward the door every few seconds, talons tapping impatiently against the sand.

”Cuquawked!” (Witches! Faster!)

A shout came from inside the building, muffled but clear. ”We’re showering right now! Give us a minute!”

Buddy kept pacing, feathers ruffled, snapping a glance toward the door every few seconds.

”Cuquawked! Cuquawked!” (Hurry up! My stomach is eating itself! The sauce is waiting! The meat is waiting! Everything is waiting!)

Javier shook his head with a smile, watching Buddy’s impatience. He heard the rush of movement inside, hurried feet and doors opening and closing, before he glanced back at the screen.

Liana smiled sweetly. She tilted the camera toward Mimi, who was now tearing into a slice of roast meat. Juice ran down her chin, the thick sauce clinging to her lips and glistening on her fingers. She chewed with her eyes half-lidded, letting out a blissful hum.

Liana turned the camera back to herself, her smile turning playful.

”Young Master. Are you sure you don’t want this too?”

Javier gave her a playful look, his smirk widening. He leaned closer to the screen, his voice dropping low.

”That tactic won’t work on me. I’d rather stay here and work on my invention. It’s for the upcoming mission.”

He wiggled an eyebrow and lowered his voice even further, letting it settle into something warm and teasing.

”Though... if you really want to know what works on me... you’d have to come here and let me pin you against the wall. That’s the only tactic that’s ever worked~”

Liana let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

”Silly Young Master.”

Her smile softened.

”Have you told Buddy yet?”

Javier glanced at Buddy, who was still pacing outside the building, squawking impatiently at the door. He let out a quiet murmur.

”Not yet. I’ll tell him once this vacation ends.”

( End Of Chapter )