Reborn As Noble - Chapter 247

Chapter 247: A Familiar Face? ( 247 )

Gloria stood with her arms crossed, her gaze lingering on the Pekko farm owner as Javier excitedly chatted with him. Liana tilted her head, noticing Gloria’s distracted expression.

“Gloria?”

“Yes?”

“What’s with the wait?” Liana asked, frowning slightly.

“Didn’t you see the Young Master is already chatting with the farm owner? Pick one already.”

Gloria didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she pondered.

“Oh? Nothing…” she muttered almost to herself. “It’s just… I feel like I’ve seen that man before.”

Liana paused. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

Gloria sighed, rubbing her chin. “You remember Mrs. Caretaker? The one who handled Buddy and Pikko during the battleground event?”

Liana nodded. “Yes…”

Gloria’s brows furrowed slightly. “It seems like I saw that man on the estate before.”

Liana’s expression turned curious. “Are you sure, Gloria?”

Gloria shook her head. “Well… I couldn’t confirm it.”

Just then, Javier’s voice rang out. “Gloria! Choose one, and I’ll pay!”

Gloria blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She grinned and waved toward Javier. “Okay, Young Master!”

Liana, noticing Gloria’s hesitation, nudged her lightly. “Don’t overthink it. Just pick one Pekko, and we can continue sightseeing around the village.”

Gloria pouted dramatically, swaying her body toward Liana. “Don’t push me, Liana~ Are you my girlfriend?~~”

Liana’s face twitched. She quickly took a step back, her voice flustered. “Ugh! Don’t joke about that! I don’t want Young Master thinking we’re being weird again!”

Gloria giggled, clearly enjoying Liana’s reaction. “Okay~ Okay~”

With a playful grin, Gloria stretched out her hand, palm open. In her hand sat a single peanut. “Come here~”

The entire Pekko pen stirred. Several Pekkos perked up, their round eyes locking onto the peanut. Buddy and Pikko dashed around excitedly, squawking happily. After all, this was their birthplace.

Liana watched the scene unfold, exhaling slowly as she pinched the bridge of her nose in both amusement and annoyance. Finally, she sighed. “Gloria… please choose one already.”

Gloria smirked, still holding out the peanut. Liana narrowed her eyes. “If you do that, do you really think a Pekko will come up to you and say—’I love you, marry me?'”

Gloria giggled. “Who knows~ Maybe I’ll find the one~”

Liana groaned. “You’re impossible.”

While Buddy and Pikko dashed around, playfully chasing the younger Pekkos, another one stood still—watching. A single Pekko, slightly apart from the others, fixed its eyes on the peanut in Gloria’s hand.

Slowly, it stepped forward. Gloria remained still, watching with curiosity. The Pekko reached her, tilting its head before gently pecking her palm and carefully taking the peanut.

Then—

“Cuquawked!!”

Its voice was loud and excited, the sound carrying across the pen. Buddy and Pikko immediately froze mid-run, their heads snapping toward the noise. Then they rushed toward the new Pekko, flapping their wings.

“Cuquawked! Cuquawked!”

Their squawks filled the air, as if welcoming an old friend. Gloria blinked in surprise, while Liana crossed her arms, watching with a raised eyebrow. Javier grinned.

“Oh? Looks like you didn’t pick one, Gloria… it picked you!”

The old man let out a hearty laugh. “Hahaha! Your Pekkos are just excited to see their old friend.” He watched as Buddy and Pikko circled the new Pekko excitedly, squawking in recognition. Then he smiled knowingly. “Back when you bought those two, this one was always left alone after that.”

Javier patted Buddy’s side. “Oh! Good choice, Gloria.”

Gloria tried to act casual, but a clear spark of excitement lit up her eyes. She gently caressed the new Pekko’s beak and neck, feeling its warmth. The Pekko nuzzled into her touch, clearly pleased.

As Gloria examined its color, she noticed something familiar. Its feathers had a soft, warm tone—just like the skin of a peanut. A small smile formed on her lips. “From today, I call you… Peanuts.”

The Pekko let out a happy squawk. “Cuquawked!”

Buddy and Pikko echoed the call, as if welcoming Peanuts into the group.

Javier grinned and reached into his pocket. “Old man, as usual, 20 gold coins, right?”

The old man chuckled, nodding. “Yes, Young Master. The same price as these two back then.”

Javier casually tossed the pouch of gold toward him. “Here! Ehehehehe!”

The old man caught it effortlessly, weighing it in his hand with a satisfied smile. Meanwhile, Gloria continued to gently stroke Peanuts’ feathers, her expression soft and serene.

Javier clapped his hands together. “Oh! And give me the basic rein for Peanuts.”

The old man nodded. “Sure, Young Master. Just wait here.” He turned and walked toward his storage area, leaving Javier, Liana, and Gloria with their excited Pekkos.

As the old man walked away, Gloria suddenly turned to Javier. Before he could react, she hugged him tightly. Javier’s eyes widened as he felt her warmth pressing against him; her arms wrapped around him firmly, her voice soft yet filled with emotion.

“Thank you, Young Master… for keeping your promise and giving me this wonderful Pekko.”

For a moment, she didn’t let go, cherishing the moment. Liana stood beside them, watching with a neutral expression, though a slight twitch in her brow betrayed her thoughts.

Javier blinked, then grinned mischievously. “Ehehe~ Gloria, if you hug me any tighter, Liana’s going to get jealous.”

Gloria leaned back slightly but didn’t release him completely. She smirked playfully, tilting her head. “Oh my, is that so? Liana~ should I let go?”

Liana crossed her arms and replied flatly, “…Just hurry up and get on your Pekko already.”

Gloria chuckled, finally stepping back and patting Peanuts affectionately. “Alright, alright~ Let’s get going.”

As Javier, Liana, and Gloria disappeared down the road with their Pekkos moving steadily, the old man waved after them. “Yes, Young Master. Have a good day.”

Once they were out of sight, a woman approached him from behind. Her sharp yet gentle eyes observed the direction they had left. She crossed her arms and tilted her head.

“Husband?”

The old man turned toward her. “Hmm? What is it, Anthia?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why do you take gold from Count Garius’ son?”

The old man chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hmm? It’s just Lord Garius’ order.”

Anthia frowned slightly. “Weird. This Pekko farm belongs to Lord Garius personally.”

The old man smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Yeah. But that’s how our lord is.”

Anthia sighed, shaking her head. Then he shifted the topic. “Anthia, shouldn’t you be at the estate, keeping an eye on those four?”

Anthia understood immediately—he meant Giddie and the other three Pekkos. She shook her head. “Oh, today is my day off. The rest of the caretaker team will take over feeding them.” She sighed slightly. “After all, Lord Garius said Giddie and the others are free to roam inside the estate. He mentioned that they’re no longer a secret.”

The old man let out a hearty laugh. “Hahaha… That’s just how our lord is.”

He glanced in the direction Javier had left, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “It seems like he already knew that his youngest son really loves Pekkos.” He paused, smiling slightly. “I still remember when Javier first came here to get his own Pekko… He had no idea this farm belonged to his father.”

Anthia chuckled softly. “Well, that’s exactly why Lord Garius told us to keep it a secret—until he decided otherwise.”

The old man nodded. “Yeah… so his youngest son would find his own way to earn money, train hard, hunt monsters, and learn responsibility…” He smiled fondly. “Even without knowing the truth, the boy managed just fine.”

The two shared a knowing look before turning back to their work. Even if Javier didn’t know the truth yet, his father had been watching over him all along.

( End of Chapter )