Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1615: The Power She Chooses Not to Use ( 1615 )

Enania tried her best to find a counter-argument. Her mouth opened and closed as she searched for the right words. But nothing came. She sat there, unable to form a single word.

Azariah leaned forward, her voice firm.

”Liana, you shouldn’t let that happen. You should scold Lyzia. She’s young. She’s impulsive. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s letting her emotions get the better of her. You should be the responsible one. You should be talking her out of this, not encouraging it. She should be focused on her training, on her duties, on becoming worthy of her position. You should put a stop to it immediately.”

Liana raised one brow.

”Why?”

She set her glass down.

”Lyzia is stubborn. She’s always been stubborn. She uses any excuse she can find to stay here. She claims it’s because she wants to be with her best friend Celine.” Liana paused. ”And perhaps that’s even true. But I know it’s not the only reason she wants to stay in Armand.”

She folded her hands in her lap.

”I can’t control her. I can’t force her to feel something she doesn’t. I can’t make her stop having feelings for someone. She’s my sister. Telling her to stop being in love is like telling the tide to stop coming in. It’s pointless.”

Qamara glanced at Liana, her voice quieter than before.

”How long have you known? About Lyzia’s feelings toward Javier?”

Liana reached for a slice of meat and bit into it gracefully, chewing slowly before she answered.

”I don’t know how long she’s been falling for my Young Master. That part is a mystery to me. I can’t say when it began or how deeply it’s grown.” She paused. ”But as for how long I’ve known about it... quite some time.”

Enania leaned forward, her voice tight with frustration.

”Then you should stop it now, before it grows any deeper. If you know about it, if you’ve known for some time, then why haven’t you done anything? Why are you just letting this happen?” She gestured toward where Lyzia sat with Celine. ”You have a duty to guide her, not to let her throw herself at a man who already has seven women.”

She paused, her voice dropping.

”You could tell her plainly that this isn’t the path for her. You could put a stop to it, and she would listen to you. She always listens to you.”

Qamara crossed her arms. Her own voice was calmer now, more measured.

”Besides, Liana, you’re the first fiancée. You stand beside him. You’re the one who will be his first wife when the wedding comes. Your word carries weight in his household. You have the position, the authority, the voice to speak on matters like this. You could decide right now to put a stop to it, and no one would dare to question you.”

Liana reached for a napkin and wiped her lips slowly.

”And?”

Enania blinked. ”And...?”

”Yes. And?” Liana replied calmly.

She set the napkin down, folded her hands in her lap, and looked directly at her sister.

”Yes. I was his first love. I am his first fiancée. And I will be his first wife. That position is guaranteed. No one will ever take it from me.” She paused. ”And yes, that means I have a right to speak on matters concerning his household. I have a say in who joins this family and who does not.”

She lifted her chin slightly.

”And I already allowed six more girls into my Young Master’s harem. Adding one more isn’t a problem. Even knowing that the Elyria Dance limits him to seven wives, and that we are already seven. That doesn’t matter to me. Because I remember Lady Mother did mention something important to me before.”

She paused.

”She said I have the authority to decide matters concerning my Young Master’s family’s growth. That I hold the right to decide who is permitted to enter the harem, who is denied, and whether to allow one more addition.”

Her face turned serious, her voice dropping low.

”And I would rather decide to invite Lyzia into this family myself than let our mother decide what she believes is ’best’ for Lyzia.”

Azariah protested in a low voice, her tone firm but restrained.

”You don’t have the right to decide what’s best for our little sister, Liana. That’s not your place. That’s not your decision to make.”

She huffed, leaned back, and crossed both her arms and her legs.

”No matter what, Mother is still our mother. If you want to decide something this important for Lyzia, you should at the very least discuss it with Mother first. Inform her. Consult her. It’s not your place to make that call alone.”

Qamara let out a weary exhale, shaking her head.

”Liana, you should follow the Elyria Dance ritual properly. If it stays seven, then it should stay seven. You shouldn’t break the ritual just because you want something. The ritual exists for a reason.”

Liana shook her head and let out a soft exhale.

”The Elyria Dance only works for someone who truly loves my Young Master. Someone who has real feelings for him. Someone who wants to be part of him. It’s not a ritual that binds someone against their will. It doesn’t work on someone who doesn’t want it. It responds only to genuine love.”

She paused.

”And for Javier, once it is performed toward him, his heart, his love, and his feelings will be bound to them. He will care for them, love them, protect them, and cherish them for as long as he lives. That is the nature of the ritual. It does not bind a name to a list. It binds a heart to a heart.”

She glanced toward Lyzia at a distance, who was whispering something to Celine. Celine giggled softly, and Lyzia’s eyes lit up with the private joy of a shared secret.

”And knowing Lyzia has feelings for him. Real, genuine feelings for him...” Liana turned back to her sisters. ”Can you really tell her to stop? Can you look her in the eyes and tell her that what she feels isn’t real? That it doesn’t matter? That she should bury it and forget it ever existed?”

The three of them opened their mouths to protest, but paused.

Several Armand maids arrived, carrying delicate trays. Plates of fine chocolate, arranged in neat rows, their surfaces gleaming under the chandelier light. Bowls of fresh fruit, slices of melon, clusters of grapes, and bright berries, each piece arranged with care. Pastries dusted with powdered sugar, soft cakes topped with cream, and small cups of dark, sweet desserts that shimmered.

One of the maids bowed slightly with a soft smile.

”Your Highnesses.”

She bowed lower toward Liana.

”Miss Liana.”

Liana smiled softly and nodded.

”Thank you, Juira.”

”You are welcome, Miss Liana. If you’ll excuse me.”

She bowed toward Liana once more, took a step back, and left gracefully, the other maids following behind her.

Liana shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose when she saw the three of them staring at their desserts with expressions still scrunched in protest.

”I don’t want to have a fight with my sisters over this matter. Not here. Not tonight. Today is supposed to be a celebration. A vacation. A happy day. The delegations traveled from their nations to be here. The kings and queens are all present. Everyone is enjoying themselves. I don’t want this evening ruined by arguments over a matter that can wait.”

She leaned back in her chair.

”How about this?”

All three of them looked at her.

Liana smiled calmly.

”Since you’re so worried about Lyzia’s future, since you’re so convinced this is a mistake...” She crossed her arms. ”Let’s let Lyzia decide for herself whether she deserves this or not. I’ve already made a promise to her before you arrived. If she can pass the test I set for her, she’ll be allowed to become Young Master’s eighth wife. If she fails, she’ll return to the Elven Nation, to be the actual princess Mother wanted her to be.”

Qamara narrowed her eyes.

”How do we know you’ll keep your promise? How do we know you won’t lie about it when the time comes? How do we know you won’t interfere with the test, fake the results, or bend the training in her favor? You say she’ll return if she fails, but if you wanted to, you could make sure she passes. You could make the test easier.”

Enania nodded.

”She’s right. Would you honor it? What if she fails, and then you use your Star Daughter title to change the outcome? What if you use your position to force the matter? You have so much power, Liana. You could make it happen whether we agree or not.”

Liana’s face turned serious, her eyes calm and steady.

”I won’t.”

She leaned forward slightly, her voice measured and clear.

”If I wanted to use my power and my title, I could make the decision of Lyzia joining the harem final, right now, without any of you having a say in the matter. I could do it without consulting Mother. Without consulting Father. Without the Elder Council’s approval. Without anyone able to interfere. Not Mother. Not Father.”

She paused.

”And if the Elder Council tried to interfere, I could invoke my position as the betrothed of the Armand Crown Prince. I could invoke the authority that comes with that title. I could bring the full weight of Armand behind me. The wealth, the military, the mana technology, the alliances. I could make it so that no one in the Elven Nation would dare to speak against my decision.”

She met their eyes.

”You know how strong Armand is. You’ve seen the warships. You’ve seen the technology. You’ve seen the quality of life that everyone in Armand enjoys. Even the lowest commoner in Armand lives better than the nobles in some other kingdoms. Food on their tables. Clean water in their homes. Safety on their streets. Education for their children. Work that pays. Homes that shelter. All of it provided, all of it protected. And if I chose to bring that power to bear on behalf of Lyzia, there would be nothing Mother or Father or the Council could do to stop me.”

( End Of Chapter )