Reborn As Noble

Chapter 748: Cocoa Dreams and Concrete Fortunes ( 748 )

Several days later.

Javier stirred awake, his eyes blinking open to the warm light spilling through the tall windows of his chamber. He let out a long yawn, stretching his arms lazily before rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

”...Mm... now... where are those two?” he muttered groggily, his voice heavy with drowsiness.

His gaze swept the room. The large canopy bed felt oddly empty.

The soft sheets carrying only his warmth. Strange. Liana and Gloria were usually nearby, so constant that their absence felt unnatural.

They even shared his bed more often than not, their quiet breaths lulling him to sleep at night.

Even if he hadn’t gone beyond holding them close, their presence had become an inseparable part of his nights.

”Weird...” Javier mumbled again, propping himself up on an elbow. The room was silent.

No gentle hum of Liana’s morning tune, no soft clinking of Gloria setting aside her glasses as she fussed over him.

Pushing himself off the mattress, he swung his legs over the edge with a sigh.

”Haa... lazy morning...”

His bare feet touched the polished floor as he stood, movements unhurried. Javier reached for the towel draped over the nearby chair, sling­ing it over his shoulder in his usual careless manner.

”Guess I’ll wash up first...” he muttered, dragging his steps toward the bathroom built into the grand expanse of his quarters.

The massive chamber doors and neatly arranged furnishings reflected the nobility of his birth, but Javier treated it all with the same languid disinterest he always carried.

He pushed the bathroom door open, yawning again as steam from the heated basin greeted him.

Javier sat down on the low wooden stool, grabbing a bucket and pouring warm water over himself in steady streams. The hot splash chased away the last traces of drowsiness.

”Mm... yep... this is how a Japanese like me—ah, wait...” he smirked to himself, catching the slip. ”Armand style, heh. Clean up first, bath later.”

He scrubbed himself thoroughly, running the soap along his arms, chest, and hair with an almost mechanical rhythm, as if he’d long practiced this routine in a past life. Rinsing again with a bucket of steaming water, he exhaled a satisfied breath.

After washing himself clean, Javier turned to the larger tub at the center of the bath. Steam rolled lazily from the surface, filling the chamber with comforting warmth.

He dipped a hand into the water, swirling it once to test the temperature.

”Good... balanced. Not too hot, not too cold.” His lips curved. ”Alright. Time to go in.”

He slid into the tub slowly, the water hugging his body as he settled against the smooth stone edge.

”Ahhh~ this is bliss,” Javier exhaled, his head tilting back as his eyes half-closed. The warmth seeped into his muscles, melting away the lazy heaviness that had clung to him since waking.

Mm~ if Armand had natural hot springs... I think we could open a lot of public baths. His mind wandered with the ease of someone utterly comfortable.

Well, since Aelius and Athine already opened those water bathhouses with magic crystals, every village and town has one now anyway.

Those two really are something... Father was right to put them in charge of business, banks, merchants, and the economy. Talented half-siblings, no doubt about it.

He stretched his legs beneath the water, sending ripples across the surface, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

”Ahhhh~ really good...” he muttered, sinking deeper until only his nose and eyes peeked above the water, savoring the luxurious stillness.

Javier leaned back against the smooth edge of the tub, his mind drifting lazily as the steam wrapped around him.

It’s been three years since I planted those cocoa trees in the farmland Father gave me... The workers should’ve tended them properly by now. I wonder if they’ve started bearing fruit.

A grin tugged at his lips.

Sugarcane was easy enough. Most of our land’s already focused on food and sugarcane processing. With my magic sugar machine running smoothly under Father’s workers, the supply chain’s solid refined sugar for both local use and export.

That’s Aelius and Athine’s arena, though. They’ve turned it into a proper business model.

He sank a little deeper into the water, a playful spark lighting his eyes.

But chocolate... cocoa drink... ah, now that’s different.

The thought of biting into a sweet, bitter piece of chocolate, or drinking a warm cup on a cold night, made him chuckle softly.

”Ehehehe... I should go check,” he muttered, water rippling around him. If the mana-rich soil here did its work, those cocoa trees should’ve started fruiting by now.

And if they did... then it’s time to craft a magic cocoa processing machine.

He imagined rows of neatly processed cocoa beans, sacks of powdered chocolate, and cups of hot cocoa spreading across the Armand region. His smirk widened.

Heh... chocolate. Let’s see the other regions try to keep up with that.

And next... what should I do with all the gold coins, jewels, necklaces, and accessories sitting in my magic storage?

His lips twisted into a half-smile.

I barely use them. Sure, sometimes for food, Pekko feed, and the best was Mother’s birthday gift, that magic necklace I crafted.

The rarest piece, my finest work. Her smile that day was worth more than any pile of gold.

He chuckled, remembering her embrace.

But then his mood soured.

Marcellus and Cedric.... They keep ”borrowing” gold whenever they feel like it. More like extorting, really. They know Father gave me extra funds, and unlike them, I don’t need to beg for pocket money.

He sighed deeply.

Run a charity? No... Father already set up the region so well. Armand has no beggars, no starving families. Everyone has a home.

Even the staff here. Maids, workers, staff, officer. They get paid better than the royal palace staff. Other nobles give two silver coins to a personal maid, while ours get five to seven. And free housing. Free food. And not scraps, either, they eat the same meals as we do.

Javier smirked, a pride glow­ing in his chest.

The soldiers, too. Well paid, housed, respected. No one in Armand goes without. That’s why people love Father. He built something rare.

He ran a wet hand through his hair.

So... what do I do with my excess wealth? Hand out bonuses? Might be a good idea. But... what if Father asks where I got the money?

He groaned and slid lower into the bathwater, only his eyes above the surface.

”Ah... problem, problem...” Javier muttered, bubbles rising from his sigh.

( End Of Chapter )