Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life

Chapter 117

* * *

That day had an unusually good start.

Feeling exceptionally better than usual, Lev instinctively knew that today was the day.

The day when he could finally act like a reliable older brother to Tiya – one of the few such days.

Though he had only dreamed of being a proper older brother without accomplishing anything, today he was confident he could achieve at least one thing.

“…What?”

Lev casually repeated himself to Tiya, who was gaping in shock.

“I said I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

He couldn’t let go of his stubborn desire to give Tiya a piggyback ride someday, just like brother Rodion had done for him.

Naturally, it would have been unthinkable on any normal day.

But today he felt so energetic that power seemed to surge through his entire body, and most importantly, Tiya had become younger due to the side effects of the magic potion.

Though Tiya didn’t understand what was happening, she entrusted herself to Lev as he instructed.

However.

“Wait, wait.”

“…”

“Hup!”

“…”

“Grrruuup!”

Despite all the favorable conditions, getting Tiya onto his shoulders proved difficult.

No, he couldn’t even properly carry Tiya on his back, let alone give her a piggyback ride.

Lev collapsed straight to the ground and couldn’t get up for quite a while.

“Brother?”

Tiya hovered around Lev and glanced at Valentina who was nearby.

Do you know why my brother is acting like this?

Valentina shrugged her shoulders.

Soon, Lev struggled to his feet with a serious expression, pondered deeply, then made another proposal.

“I’m still not strong enough… This time, let’s arm wrestle.”

Before he knew it, Lev’s demands had begun shifting from trying to act like an older brother to needing to overpower Tiya with strength.

Still not understanding what was going on, Tiya accepted the challenge.

“Valentina, you join too!”

Valentina, who had been standing nearby and got caught up in the moment, was the first to compete against Tiya.

The match between the two quickly concluded with Tiya’s victory.

Next was Tiya versus Lev.

The two children competed neck and neck until their faces turned bright red, and Lev barely managed to win.

Finally, Lev’s face brightened up completely.

【He’s happy about beating his six-year-old sister.】

Winter shook his head and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

Unaware of this, Lev was basking in his victory when he soon came to his senses.

‘Ah, this wasn’t what I was trying to do…’

He had wanted to act like a reliable older brother to Tiya.

Though he had won, it was no different from losing, so Lev trudged away dejectedly. He was watching with a dejected expression as Tiya ran into the manor shouting about hellish training.

“I lost to Tiya in strength… Even though I used all my power…”

He heard an equally dejected voice. Looking back, he saw Valentina staring down at her own hands, muttering blankly.

Was that really such a shock?

Lev said nonchalantly.

“Corn may have become a peanut, but despite how she looks, she’s a kid who’s been rolling around in the harsh North. There’s no way she’d be soft like other girls her age.”

Valentina seemed to have forgotten she was in a cold war with Lev, as she couldn’t quite come to her senses and kept muttering.

“But I’m a boy. And I’m a year older than Tiya…”

“You’re really weird. Why are you so shocked about losing to Corn in strength? Since when did you care about being a boy, all of a sudden…”

That’s when it happened.

Valentina’s shoulders flinched, and she quickly looked at Lev with an ‘oh no’ expression.

At the same time, as if realizing something, Lev and Valentina’s gazes met in mid-air.

Shock spread across both children’s faces.

Lev was the first to speak.

“You, you don’t tell me… Get a grip! That’s Corn! How could you possibly like a kid who says she’ll become a great mage and go around beating up bad guys later?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t like her. And what’s wrong with beating up bad guys? It’s better than getting beaten up.”

Valentina answered with a cold expression as if she had finally come to her senses. However, seeing him spouting nonsense with such a detached face, Lev was now certain.

Lev suddenly grabbed Valentina by the collar and shook him.

“You, you bastard! How dare you with Corn…!”

The strength gradually left Lev’s grip as he shook him. Lev looked just as confused as Valentina.

“No, you really like Corn? Of all people? You, you savior bastard!”

“I said no! And I’m still mad, so don’t act friendly with me.”

Valentina coldly brushed off Lev’s hand and turned around, but both children knew it was nothing more than an escape.

Watching Valentina’s back as he walked away quickly, Lev shouted loudly.

“Hey! I’m counting on you from now on!”

Valentina’s steps became even faster.

That evening at dinner when they all ate together, Lev couldn’t stop the laughter that kept bursting out like quiet chuckles.

* * *

After eating an early dinner and resting in his room, Lev suddenly felt a burning pain in his solar plexus, as if a spark had flown there.

He immediately realized.

That the time he had been anticipating had come.

It was the evening exactly one day before the month the doctor had mentioned.

“Kkokko, good job! So let’s stop here for today!”

Through the slightly open window, he could hear Tiya’s voice enthusiastically conducting Kkokko’s flight training.

Even without looking out the window, he could clearly picture Valentina sticking to Tiya’s side like a goldfish’s tail.

Unlike his body that was increasingly burning with fever, his mind was peaceful.

Lev slowly withdrew his hand that had been carelessly reaching out.

Then he clenched his empty hand into a tight fist.

Today had been perfectly complete, and he had said his own farewell to his family members.

He had no more regrets.

So he wouldn’t call anyone like this.

Because he hoped that the last image his precious people remembered of him wouldn’t be a face stained with pain, but the image of them all having dinner together.

Feeling his breathing become increasingly labored, Lev called for a companion to watch over his final moments.

“…Peach.”

At the name uttered with his labored breathing, a small bird like cotton fluff was summoned.

Peach flew busily around Lev’s bedside before landing on his shoulder.

Peach’s bean-like eyes scanned the surroundings.

Neither Valentina nor Kkokko, who had been guarding one corner of the room for a while, were visible.

Lev awkwardly extended his hand toward Peach, who didn’t understand why she had been summoned. The sudden contact was awkward not just for Lev.

Peach poked Lev’s index finger with one of her tiny legs like crossing stepping stones, then entrusted her body to him.

Only then did Lev raise his hand to meet Peach’s eyes. Shiny black pupils filled with curiosity gazed at Lev.

This was the first time they had made eye contact like this. No, should he say it had been a very long time?

Still, when he first made Peach submit, they had gotten along fairly well.

Toward that insignificant bird staring intently at him, Lev spat out words like poisoned thorns.

“I hate you.”

Peach wasn’t a high-ranking spirit capable of understanding human speech. Nevertheless, it seemed to instinctively sense the emotion in his words and became dejected.

Even so, Lev felt no regret and offered no apology.

He had constantly blamed Peach for his approaching death.

But he knew the truth.

“Still, whatever happens from now on, it won’t be your fault.”

That his death wasn’t entirely because of Peach.

Four years ago, when the Countess died and even Tiya left for the North, Lev had been restless.

He wanted to quickly become an adult who could pull his own weight.

He wanted to get healthy and go to the North to see Tiya.

It was for this reason that he became curious about the spirit ritual he had postponed due to his health.

Those beings he couldn’t see but could faintly sense.

To subjugate one of them, he didn’t even need a spirit stone.

‘When I meet Tiya in the North, I want to warm my sister’s hands. So I want flames.’

With just those words, among the countless spirits that had gathered around Lev, a fire spirit dwelt within his body.

So all of this happened because they had chosen each other.

Finally accepting this fact, Lev said:

“I’m sorry for being an inadequate master.”

At his calm apology, Peach rubbed its body against its master’s hand.

Now the high fever began to spread throughout Lev’s entire body. Even so, Lev willingly embraced Peach.

If he died like this, Peach would return to nature.

He didn’t know if spirits, who lived for eternity, could understand death, but he hoped it wouldn’t feel guilt over his death.

With such thoughts, Lev held Peach in his arms and waited for the approaching death.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking was heard.

Of all times. He didn’t want to show anyone his suffering final moments.

Lev pretended not to hear and curled up on the bed.

Peach in his arms chirped, and the knocking sound persistently echoed through the room.

Just as Lev squeezed his eyes shut, Peach slipped out of his embrace as if going to greet the visitor.

But Peach wasn’t heading toward the door.

Flapping its small wings, it headed toward the window.

Something was tapping at the window through the slightly open gap.

In his blurry vision, he saw something black.

Gasping for breath, he barely managed to sit up and saw what was sitting by the window.

“A crow?”

It was Kkokko.

Kkokko sat on the windowsill, earnestly knocking on the window with its beak to get Lev’s attention.

Lev staggered toward the window as if entranced.

Kkokko spread its wings wide as if it had been waiting, then soared into the air.

“Brother! Look at that! Now Kkokko can fly too!”

Tiya’s voice came from beyond the window.

Lev’s gaze couldn’t tear away from Kkokko flying in the sky.

He had been certain it would never fly again.

He thought it would just wither away and die.

In that moment, a certain desire stirred within Lev’s heart.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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