Reborn As Noble Chapter 1222: Sugarcoated or Honest ( 1222 )

Gracelle offered a soft smile as she glanced toward Liana.

"I can’t explain why... but being around you makes me feel at ease, chatting with you and simply staying close. It’s as if we’ve crossed paths before somewhere."

Liana let out a breath, folded her arms, and fixed her gaze on Gracelle. "Is that the question you wanted to pose? Hmm?"

"Uh... no... but... what I just said is..." Gracelle hesitated, her face full of earnestness. "I truly sense it, like we encountered each other long in the past."

Liana shook her head. "Allow me to pose a question to you, Gracelle."

"Hmm? Sure?" Gracelle turned her eyes to Liana.

"You’re aware of elven nature, aren’t you? Elves tend to be secretive, long-lived, and distant, preferring isolation in their territories, seldom mixing with other races or straying far from their woods."

"Yeah..." Gracelle nodded gently, tapping a finger to her pressed lips while looking aside. "I suppose that’s right."

Liana reclined in her seat, arms crossed, eyes on Gracelle.

"Elves get portrayed as secretive, enduring long lives, and standoffish, opting to isolate in their domains, hardly interacting with outsiders or leaving their forests behind. They cherish customs, the wilds, and quietude, with most staying inside their nation’s borders."

"Mm... I’ve come across that info, and it seems like general knowledge," Gracelle concurred.

Liana flashed a subtle smile beneath her mask.

"Now... Gracelle, how many elves do you reckon roam beyond the Elven Nation?"

"Umm... from tales before my sickbed days... elves seldom... umm... hold on..." She rubbed her cheek. "I recall no accounts of elves entering Human Kingdom lands or even hamlets. They trade solely with Beastkin."

Her gaze drifted up. "Ah... speaking of which, elves freely trade in one area. The Armand region. Ehehe... the lad I wish to see hails from there~ He’s from nobility... uh... last I knew, his dad held viscount status?"

Liana sighed.

She truly... truly lacks any fresh news? Did her kin never share tales or converse during her bedridden time? Unbelievable?

It’s hard to fathom. Bedridden over five years, her knowledge is stale, from when Young Master was just eleven or twelve.

So she’s clueless about the Two Wars Against Armand?

The initial conflict erupted when the Noble Coalition waged war, as those lords backed assaults on Armand for rejecting the "Saint of Three Gods" cult. Armand spurned this sham faith and outlawed the Saint of Three Gods teachings in their lands. The cult tormented and slew non-believers, coerced conversions, extorted the destitute, and razed villages by branding them "satanic worshippers."

Armand flatly refused and dismissed the doctrine.

The follow-up war saw the full Human Kingdom assail Armand amid the Celestial Filth disaster.

Armand triumphed in both without losses, owing to Young Master’s innovations and magical tech progress. The sole loss came from ex-summoned hero Kenjirou, who butchered an entire Armand village’s folk.

No point informing her now.

All that lies in history.

Young Master nears seventeen... mm~ Soon, post Prince Aelius and Princess Athine’s nuptials, and perhaps the Maid Beauty Contest, he’ll formalize it~

"Umm... Miss Elf?"

"Hmm? Yes?" Liana looked at Gracelle.

"You fell silent all of a sudden... something bothering you?" Gracelle eyed her.

"Yes... there is." Liana stared intensely at Gracelle. "I’m weary and exhausted."

"Ehe... ehehe..." Gracelle chuckled nervously.

"Back to it. You know the Elven Nation trades openly with Armand and Beastkin lands, so elves abroad are usually merchants or traders, correct?"

"Mm... that’s right~" Gracelle smiled softly.

Liana crossed her arms. "Now... what odds or numbers of elven girls do you figure venture outside the Elven Nation?"

"Err... seldom?" Gracelle grinned awkwardly.

"Mm..." Liana nodded. "Indeed. Most elven girls detest human cities; the Human Kingdom’s mud, smoke, and waste stench overwhelms us. Thus, those departing are workers or merchants, mostly males even then. Our kind demands pristine, natural, tidy surroundings."

"Oh..." Gracelle pressed her lips together, attentively hearing Liana out.

"Just one spot in human domains suits an elf like me perfectly—no environmental woes, top-notch modern sewers, pure air, zero filth or odors, the purest haven. The sole place elves relish working or vending, some even settling there."

"Umm..." Gracelle eyed Liana. "So... your thoughts on the Human Nation? Or Mathrias, my area?"

"Sweetened reply or straight truth?" Liana grinned slyly.

"Honest one!!" Gracelle squinted.

"Certain?" Liana smirked once more.

"Yes!"

Liana laughed lightly. "Repulsive, reeking, grimy all over. Streets caked in dirt, air choked with smog, nobles worse still. Fortunate my ’fiancé’ appreciates how lovely and adorable elven girls like me are, ensuring my comfort with his magical gadgets for a fresh, delightful setting."

"Err... may I inquire?" Gracelle scratched her cheek, eyes shifting away.

"What?" Liana looked her way.

"How’s this linked to... umm... err... you know? Ehehe..." Gracelle dodged her gaze as Liana’s sharpened.

"It ties directly to your earlier words."

"R... really?"

"Yes... You said it felt like we’d met before, didn’t you?"

"Y... yes?" Gracelle stared back, puzzled.

Liana breathed out.

Is she feigning or truly naive and trusting? No signs of pretense.

What a challenging girl. Could she out-cling even Mimi?

She sighed once more. "Now... ponder deeper. Given my prior details, where might you have encountered me? Hmm?"

( End Of Chapter )