Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1399: More Surprises to Come ( 1399 )

Celine shook her head slowly, her voice thoughtful.

"I know about sibling marriages. In Divinity, Celestia, and Orthosia, such unions are also practiced among the nobility to preserve bloodlines and consolidate power."

"Oh?" Marcellus glanced up from his book, raising an eyebrow.

"If you’re aware of the practice, why did you seem so surprised when you heard about them being married?"

Celine fidgeted slightly, her gaze drifting away.

"It’s because... Prince Aelius and Princess Athine... don’t look like siblings at all. Prince Aelius has dark brown hair, while Princess Athine has beautiful silver hair. Their features are quite different."

Aelius let out a soft laugh, and Athine raised her palm to cover her lips, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter.

"That’s because I take after our mother’s traits," Athine explained, her voice gentle. "Aelius takes after our father’s. As for the others..." She gestured gracefully toward Marcellus, Cedric, and Heres. "They all have nearly the same hair color, just different hairstyles. Surely you’ve noticed your future husband’s hair as well?"

Celine’s eyes widened. "Eh? H-how do you know...?"

Cedric smirked, still polishing his blade. "This is Armand. Here, words, information, and news reach us even before they are officially announced."

Marcellus grinned, closing his book with a soft thud. "We even know how the ’accident’ happened."

Celine’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she fidgeted even more, her gaze dropping to the floor.

Athine glanced at Marcellus, her voice carrying a gentle, curious tone. "Brother?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Marcellus looked up from his book.

"Where are Liana and our little brother’s other fiancées? If Princess Celine is here, shouldn’t they have come to greet her as well?"

Marcellus let out a small sigh, closing his book. "Ah, about that... Liana said they won’t be introducing themselves until after the formal audience with Father. She felt it would be improper to meet Princess Celine before she has been officially received by the Sovereign."

Athine nodded thoughtfully, a warm smile spreading across her lips. "Oh... well, that is true. It’s only proper to follow protocol. First impressions matter, especially for someone who will be part of the family."

Celine’s gaze drifted to the cup that a maid had just poured, a rich, dark liquid steaming gently. She watched as the maid smiled and nodded, took three graceful steps back, and rejoined the other maids.

Celine lifted the cup, bringing it close to her nose. She inhaled softly, her eyes widening slightly at the rich, sweet aroma.

"It smells wonderful," she murmured, before glancing up at the others. "What is this?"

Cedric finished polishing his sword with a final, satisfied stroke before carefully sheathing it into its white-and-gold patterned scabbard. He looked up, a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh, that? That’s what everyone here calls chocolate drinks. It’s a warm drink made from cocoa powder, mixed with milk and a bit of white gold to sweeten it. It’s one of Armand’s most beloved exports."

Celine held the cup close, her eyes softening with recognition. "I tried chocolate before, in the Elven Nation. Lyzia showed me. But I never imagined it could be turned into a drink..."

She tilted her head, glancing at the dark liquid swirling in the cup.

"And... white gold? I’ve heard about it from Lyzia. She said it’s sugar from Armand. That it’s cheap and available for everyone." She paused, her voice dropping slightly.

"In my nation... in fact, in our entire continent, sugar and honey are exclusive to the rich, the merchants, the nobles, and especially the royalty. Commoners can only dream of tasting something so sweet."

A quiet warmth spread through the room as the princes exchanged glances. Heres smiled and shook his head. Cedric rested his sheathed sword across his knees, his expression thoughtful. Aelius leaned back in his chair, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.

Marcellus let out a soft chuckle, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.

"Well... before our little brother came along with his stubborn vision and tireless work, chocolate was just a bitter, forgotten fruit growing wild in the southern forests of the Human Kingdom. Nobody wanted it. And sugarcane? When Javier first imported it, people thought he was insane. They called him crazy for insisting on farming those two things."

He shook his head, a fond smile tugging at his lips.

"But he didn’t care what anyone said. He planted those fields himself, refined the recipes himself, and pushed until both became what they are today. Now, chocolate and sugar are staples not just in Armand, but across the entire continent."

Celine looked down at the cup in her hands, her voice soft with wonder. "He did all that..."

Aelius smiled. "That’s our little brother for you. He sees value where others see nothing, and he has the patience and determination to turn it into something that benefits everyone."

Athine chuckled softly, letting out a light laugh before playfully slapping Aelius’s arm.

"No, no~ It’s more like our little brother is just that confident. I still remember his smug little face when he told Father, ’This will work’ and ’I know it.’ It wasn’t just stubbornness. He genuinely knew something that no one else did. Just look at all his inventions today."

"Right~" Cedric nodded, his smirk widening. "From farming to... ah." He paused, catching himself before he could mention military applications. He cleared his throat, recovering smoothly.

"Well... let’s just say he’s a genius among all of us. And there are more surprises you’ll see soon enough, Princess Celine. But we’ll leave all that to your future co-wives to show you."

Aelius nodded in agreement.

"Yes. That’s also the reason why Armand has become the global supplier of food, frozen goods, staples, frozen meat, and countless other products across every sector. From land to river to sea, from fertilizers to ore and materials. It’s why Armand is the wealthiest nation on this continent."

Heres smirked, leaning back with his arms crossed.

"Even Arjam is flourishing because of that system. If you saw how the farm networks are set up, the irrigation channels, the rotating crop fields, the automated water wheels that distribute water without wasting a single drop... it’s all connected. What used to be a struggling, war-torn region is now one of the most productive agricultural hubs."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

"And it’s not just Arjam. Our allies, the Beastkin Nation, the Elven Nation, and the Demon Nation, are all adapting our systems to fit their own lands. And they’re seeing the same results. Food surplus, economic growth, and a higher quality of life for their people. All because of the foundation Javier built."

( End Of Chapter )