Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1541: Brothers, Coins, and a Spectacle ( 1541 )

Athine smiled softly, watching Liana and Gloria enjoy themselves with Buddy, who kept squawking in frustration as another feather drifted to the sand. She let out a quiet laugh before turning to face Javier, who had just set Macia and Vivica down. The two little girls immediately ran toward Felicia, who took them by the hand and led them toward the table where Liana had been cooking earlier.

”Little brother?”

Javier, who had been watching Felicia walk hand in hand with Macia and Vivica toward the table, glanced at Athine. ”Hmm? Yes, Athine?”

Athine glanced up at him before tucking a strand of her long silver hair behind her ear. Her voice was calm but carried a hint of concern.

”What will you do if Lord Zurakan files a legal dispute and seeks a mediator from the Beastkin Nation?” She paused, her eyes meeting his. ”Even if King Lioness is Father’s best friend, and even though he is the father of your fiancées... he is still a just ruler. Fair and impartial above all else. He will not simply side with Armand because of friendship.”

Athine let out a soft exhale, her gaze drifting toward the sea before returning to Javier.

”If Zurakan formally requests his mediation, the King will have no choice but to accept. And once he does, the matter will be out of our hands. We all know how he is. He will weigh the evidence, listen to both sides, and rule based on law and precedent, not by power or politics. He will not favor us simply because Father is his friend or because Felicia and Mimi are his daughters.”

Javier gave her a narrow, disbelieving glance before wiggling his eyebrows with a cheeky smirk.

”Are you seriously trying to talk about work during vacation? Wow...”

He clapped his hands together in mock teasing, his grin widening.

”Even if I know that you and Aelius handle the economy, banking, merchant guilds, and everything else, talking about work during vacation will ruin the mood. This is supposed to be a peaceful, relaxing family vacation~”

Athine gave him a playful, narrow-eyed glare before slapping his arm. Javier pretended to wince, rubbing the spot with an exaggerated hiss.

”Ow! That hurt!”

”Stop staring at my breast.”

”W... wha? I didn’t!” Javier hissed, still rubbing his arm where she had slapped him.

Athine continued, her voice calm but pointed. ”That is why Marcellus, Cedric, and Aelius are discussing this right now with the Armand officers. This matter is not something we can simply ignore.”

”Blerghh... talking about work and paperwork during vacation~”

Javier placed both hands behind his head, his gaze drifting across the beach. Liana and Gloria were still tormenting Buddy. Delya was taking pictures of his clones with her clones. Felicia was feeding Macia and Vivica the food Liana had prepared. Celine and Gracelle were chatting nearby, with Lyzia not far from them.

He turned back to Athine, his expression shifting from playful to calm and confident. He lowered his arms, slipping both hands into his pockets as he straightened his posture. A slow, charming smile spread across his face as he tilted his head, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

”Don’t worry~ This is Javier de Armand.”

He swiped his hair back with a smooth, practiced motion, his grin widening. ”I will handle the matter myself if I have to. I already have a plan for it. And don’t worry, it won’t cause bloodshed or continue the war for Zurakan’s people or our people. I’ll make sure of that.”

He tilted his head, giving her a cool, calm, gentleman smile. His eyes glinted with quiet confidence as he wiggled his eyebrows.

”Just trust this most handsome, charming prince of Armand~”

Just as Javier finished his charming talk and Athine chuckled softly, raising her palm to cover her lips, a voice came from behind him. Calm, measured, and carrying a familiar, dry tone.

”Are you trying to flirt with my wife?”

Javier paused mid-pose, a slow smirk spreading across his face as he glanced over his shoulder.

”What if I am~? What are you going to do about it?”

”Athine is my wife. And she’s already pregnant with my child. It’s far too late for you to make any moves now.”

Before javier could respond, a hand shot out and grabbed the top of his head. He swatted it away and spun around, his face splitting into a wide, cheeky grin as he came face to face with his brother.

”Aelius~ The gold coin man!”

Aelius’s brow twitched, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. ”Gold... coin... man?”

”Yeah!” Javier snapped a gold coin into the air, leaping and catching it between his lips with practiced ease. He landed in a dramatic pose, one hand on his hip, the other raised triumphantly, his eyebrows wiggling as he grinned at Aelius.

”All your magic skills require gold coins!”

Aelius stared at him, his eye twitching.

Athine, standing off to the side, let out a soft laugh. She moved gracefully toward Aelius, slipping her hand around his arm and patting it gently with her other hand. Javier, still grinning, turned and struck an even more dramatic heroic pose, thrusting his fist toward the sky.

”Gold Coin Punch!”

Aelius let out a long, weary exhale. He pulled his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. Athine reached into her cleavage, pulling out a small, neatly folded napkin, and handed it to him with a warm smile. Aelius’s expression softened as he took it, carefully cleaning the lenses with slow, practiced motions.

Athine smiled at Javier, her voice light and playful.

”If Aelius is the gold coin man, then what about this beautiful sister of yours? I use silver coins for my magic and skills~”

Javier’s smirk widened. He raised both palms, a gold coin floating above his right hand and a silver coin above his left.

”Silver coin girl~”

He flicked both hands forward. The gold coin and silver coin shot into the sky, twirling around each other in a graceful spiral. They glowed brighter and brighter before colliding in a burst of radiant light, exploding into a dazzling shower of gold and silver sparks that rained down across the beach like a magical firework.

Everyone paused to look up at the dazzling display. Delya clapped her hands in delight. Macia and Vivica squealed with joy, pointing at the shimmering lights.

Liana and Gloria turned, releasing Buddy’s tail as they glanced up at the sparkling sky. The moment their grip loosened, Buddy seized his chance and bolted, putting several meters of distance between them before glancing back at his rump. His eyes widened in horror at the damage done to his tail feathers.

Gracelle, Celine, and Lyzia stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the glittering display above, their expressions filled with awe.

Aelius stared at the display, his glasses now clean and back on his face. He let out a dry, flat sigh.

”...Show-off.”

( End Of Chapter )