Reborn As Noble

Chapter 983: Carrying Sweet Memories ( 983 )

He spun the tongs once, pointed them at Buddy.

“Hold on, buddy,” Javier laughed. ” Wait for the meat to be fully cooked”

Buddy puffed his chest and squawked.

“Cuquawk!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Javier chuckled. “You’ll get your cut. Same deal as always.”

The beat rolled on, the fire crackled, and they both enjoyed the meat.

Javier smirked as he toss a slab of meat upward. The meat spun once in the air, Buddy leaped, snapped it cleanly with his beak, and swallowed it in one go.

“How does it taste, Buddy? It’s good, right?” Javier laughed softly. “Hehehe.”

“Cuquawk!”

Buddy puffed out his chest proudly and bobbed his head.

Javier smiled, then stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Buddy’s thick neck, resting his cheek briefly against the warm feathers.

“Man… I’m really happy I got a pekko like you,” he murmured. “We’re both a bit mischievous, yeah, but you’re the best pekko I could ever ask for. Not just my pekko… my friend.”

“Cuquawk?”

Javier pulled back slightly and smiled. “Ah, nothing, nothing.”

He gave Buddy’s neck a gentle pat. “I just hope we can stay together. You know… like Father and Giddie.”

“Cuquawked!!”

The answer came sharp and confident, Buddy nodding hard as if swearing an oath.

Javier chuckled, then turned away, slipping both hands into his pockets as he looked out at the stream.

“You know, Buddy… I still can’t quite believe it,” Javier said quietly, a small smile lingering. “Reborn into this world. A beautiful mother. A strict father. At first, I really thought this family would be like those noble stories from my old world.”

He exhaled softly.

“Cold. Suffocating. Full of expectations and empty pride.”

His smile widened.

“Turns out… they were good people. All of them. My step mothers, my brothers, my sisters. I thought they’d be pampered, entitled, arrogant, typical noble heirs.” He shook his head. “But they weren’t. They endured it because Father wanted to forge us properly. So I could grow on my own.”

His gaze softened.

“And then I met the first woman I truly wanted. My first personal maid, assigned by Mother. That strict elf… Liana.” A quiet laugh escaped him. “Ehehe… I even started calling her my elf mama because of her sweet nectar. And back then, I swore to myself, when I become an adult in this world, she’d be my bride.”

The breeze brushed past the clearing.

“A lot happened after that. Then I met you, Buddy. I even sneaked out to hunt monsters just to buy you, thinking it’d make Father furious, his noble son riding a monster bird.” Javier snorted. “Only to find out he’s even worse. He hid Giddie like a treasure because he’s crazier about pekkos than I am.”

“Cuquawk,” Buddy answered proudly.

“Then came the academy… those bratty Kliatana,” Javier continued. “Gloria assigned as my second maid. Falling for me.” He scratched his cheek lightly. “Well… maybe that part was my fault too. I’d sneak up behind her, kiss her, slap her ass, hug her, always causing trouble when she was the head of household maid.”

Javier smiled. “Maybe that’s why I want her as my second bride.”

He paused, his eyes following the stream’s slow current.

“And everything after that. Traveling everywhere. The beastkin nation. The elven kingdom. The dwarves. Wars we never wanted. Fighting to protect the Armand people and our allies.”

Silence settled for a moment.

“And now…” Javier exhaled, smiling faintly. “Now all my brothers, and Athine, are about to get married. They’ve all reached the age to move on with their lives.”

The smile stayed, but something gentle and bittersweet crept into it.

“Sometimes… I feel like growing up is just…” he searched for the words, “…saying goodbye. To all those simple, sweet moments.”

Buddy shuffled closer, brushing his side against Javier’s arm.

Javier glanced up. “…Guess that’s why moments like this matter, huh?”

Meanwhile, Liana and the others reached the edge of the clearing.

They arrived just in time to hear it.

“Sometimes… I feel like growing up is just… saying goodbye.”

Liana froze.

Her steps stopped mid-stride, breath catching in her throat. Her heart began to race. A cold, heavy worry spreading through her chest.

Gloria’s eyes widened, before she could stop herself, tears welled up and spilled over.

“…What does Young Master mean… by that?” Gloria whispered, voice trembling.

Felicia’s fingers clenched lightly at her skirt. Mimi’s tail stilled, ears twitching uneasily. Delya felt tightness in her chest.

“Saying goodbye…?”

Liana’s thoughts spiraled.

Is he hurt?

Is he sick?

Is he… preparing himself for something?

No.

No, no, no!

Her vision blurred.

“Young master!!!”

Liana broke into a run.

The next thing Javier knew, warm arms slammed into him, wrapping tightly around him. Liana buried her face against his chest, shoulders shaking as tears soaked into his clothes.

“Young master!!!”

“Wha!?”

Javier yelped, nearly stumbling backward in shock.

“W-What’s wrong!? What happened!?” he blurted out, panic instantly kicking in. His hand snapped to his dimensional storage, pulling out his mana glock as his eyes darted around the clearing.

“Enemy!? Where!? Who’s attacking!?”

Buddy squawked loudly, wings flaring as he spun around defensively.

“Cuquaaawk!!”

Gloria rushed forward, clutching the hem of Javier’s sleeve, eyes red and brimming.

“Please don’t say things like that…” she cried softly. “Please don’t talk like you’re… leaving us…”

Felicia stepped closer, trying to stay composed but clearly shaken. Mimi bit her lip, ears drooping.

Delya stared at him, stunned.

Javier looked down at Liana, her shoulders shaking, her grip refusing to loosen, and then at the others.

“H-Hey… wait, wait,” he said quickly. “What’s wrong?”

He gently wrapped one arm around Liana’s back.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

Liana’s fingers tightened for a moment before her head lifted slightly, her eyes red and glossy.

“Why…” she whispered, her voice breaking, “…why did you sound like you were saying farewell?”

Javier blinked.

“…Eh?”

He looked genuinely confused for a moment before realization hit him like a brick.

“O-Oh. That,” he said softly.

He let out a small, helpless laugh and shook his head.

“No, no… I didn’t mean goodbye like that.” His voice softened. “I just meant… childhood stuff. Moments. Stupid little days like sneaking out, messing around, not thinking too hard about tomorrow.”

Javier smiled gently, resting his chin lightly atop Liana’s head.

“It doesn’t mean saying goodbye to you all,” he said quietly. “It just means… carrying those moments with me.”

Buddy stepped closer and nudged them with his beak.

“Cuquawk.”

Javier chuckled softly.

“Yeah… yeah. Guess I worried everyone, huh?”

( End Of Chapter )

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