Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 142

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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 142

“A fire? How on earth did this happen…? No, are there any casualties? What’s the scale? Is it serious enough that we need to evacuate everyone in the palace immediately?”

Though it was shocking news like a bolt from the blue, the Princess tried to assess the situation with surprising composure.

The Steward, who had come running in a panic with his face pale as a sheet, seemed to regain his senses at her attitude.

He caught his breath for a moment, then reported in a much calmer voice.

“The flames are fierce, but fortunately there are no casualties yet. It’s quite a distance from the main palace, so the possibility of it spreading here isn’t great, but it would be best to evacuate to a safe place just in case.”

Anaël hesitated for a moment.

This place held memories with her late mother. If the flames spread here, she would lose all her childhood memories with her mother.

After a moment, having made up her mind, Anaël spoke.

“Mobilize all available personnel in the palace immediately to put out the fire as the top priority. I’ll gather my valuables and then evacuate, so Tiya, you—”

“I’ll move together with Your Highness.”

Before she could finish speaking, Tiya interrupted.

Since time was of the essence, there was no room for argument, and above all, it would be reassuring to have Tiya by her side.

When Anaël nodded, the Steward immediately grasped the situation and withdrew.

“I’ll relay Your Highness’s orders immediately and wait outside the door.”

“Very well.”

Tiya followed the Princess straight to the bedroom.

Contrary to her words about gathering valuables, what Anaël picked up was a palm-sized cloth doll.

As if proving the maker’s poor craftsmanship, the arms and legs were all different lengths and the facial features were crooked.

Nevertheless, it seemed to be a priceless treasure to Anaël.

She carefully gathered the worn doll and added somewhat sheepishly.

“Mother made this for me herself… I wanted to take this with me.”

Then she looked around the room once.

As if trying not to forget that place where traces of her mother’s presence remained, she etched it in her eyes before turning around.

Crash!

A thunderous roar shook the very foundations.

At the intense shock that made her ears ring, Anaël reflexively cowered, and Tiya immediately approached the window to look outside.

Black smoke was billowing up from not far away. She could tell at a glance that this wasn’t a simple fire.

【We need to move right now.】

No sooner had Winter’s warning fallen than rough knocking pounded on the door.

“Your Highness! You must come out immediately!”

The two girls, meeting each other’s gaze, clasped hands tightly and opened the door.

When they threw open the door, instead of the Steward who had said he would wait, only one young-looking maid stood before the door.

The maid, confirming Tiya’s presence, hesitated for a moment, then muttered with an expression of difficulty she couldn’t hide.

“You were with a guest. You must evacuate immediately. Please follow me.”

Apparently quite urgent, the maid started walking without even waiting for Anaël’s response. Because of this, they began crossing the corridor as if pushed along behind the maid.

Perhaps due to Anaël’s orders, the corridor was eerily quiet with not a single sound of human presence.

Even the guard who should have been protecting the Princess’s bedroom was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is the Steward?”

“There was an explosion at the fire scene, so he went to assess the situation. He ordered me to escort Your Highness to a safe place.”

An explosion. Was that the cause of the roar they heard earlier?

‘What could explode in the stables?’

As Tiya pondered this, Winter suddenly spoke quietly.

【Be careful not to let her hear, and ask the Princess if she knows that maid.】

Tiya rolled her eyes to look up at Winter. Winter was watching the maid walking ahead with a wary expression.

At that serious atmosphere, Tiya didn’t ask questions and gently tugged on Anaël’s hand. After meeting her eyes, she moved only her lips silently to ask.

‘Do you know that maid well?’

Anaël tilted her head for a moment, then responded in the same manner.

‘She’s a cleaning maid in the Princess’s Palace. I’ve seen her occasionally.’

Is that so?

When Tiya responded to Winter with a glance, Winter still didn’t take his eyes off the maid as he answered.

【Her steps are too light and quiet. …Not like a maid.】

Really? She just looks ordinary to me.

Before they knew it, the corridor surrounding them had narrowed, and the wall decorations had become sparse. They had entered the most secluded area within the Princess’s Palace.

Perhaps due to Tiya’s question, Anaël also seemed to sense something was wrong and asked quietly.

“Why are we going to such a remote place?”

“All the horses from the stables ran away, so we had to urgently arrange for an external carriage. It should arrive soon, so please trust me.”

The maid, turning to look at them for the first time, smiled reassuringly and quickened her pace.

“However, it would be better for the guest to move separately from Your Highness. With a fire of unknown cause occurring, we can’t keep an outsider together with Your Highness.”

“That means… this fire might be the work of an outsider?”

“I haven’t been to the scene myself, but the Steward seemed to think so. So you must get to safety quickly, Your Highness.”

At those words, Anaël’s steps quickened while Tiya’s slowed down.

Then she stopped completely.

“Tiya?”

Because Tiya gripped Anaël’s hand tightly, Anaël had no choice but to stop as well.

The maid, who had walked a few steps ahead before belatedly realizing this, turned around.

“Your Highness, what are you doing instead of coming quickly?”

Instead of the Princess, Tiya asked.

“You said you didn’t go to the fire scene?”

“Yes, everyone went to fight the fire on the Steward’s orders, but I heard the news late. Thanks to that, I was able to escort Your Highness like this.”

A gentle voice and an unruffled attitude. Every answer the maid gave had reason and logic.

Nevertheless, an inexplicable sense of unease scratched at Tiya and Winter’s nerves.

“But why do you smell of soot—”

【Duck!】

That was when it happened.

Simultaneously with Winter’s shout, something flashed.

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, a sharp dagger was gleaming right in front of Tiya’s nose.

Swoosh—

If the sand whip that lashed out from Tiya’s nape hadn’t wrapped around and caught the dagger, that blade would have surely pierced through Tiya’s forehead.

Click, click.

The scorpion Jarek, now perched on Tiya’s shoulder, snapped his pincers. Each time, the sand surrounding Tiya moved smoothly as if alive.

“I heard he cherished his daughter so much, but I didn’t know he’d attach a scorpion to her.”

The maid, who had turned around nonchalantly, now held another dagger in her hand. She spun it threateningly and asked back.

“You were going to ask why I smell of soot, weren’t you?”

Tiya’s hand, clasped with Anaël’s, tightened.

【Run!】

Using Winter’s words as a signal, the moment they turned around, the maid’s answer came from behind them.

“Well, of course, it’s because I set the fire.”

Before they could even draw their magic wand, another sharp blade came flying.

* * *

Clatter.

The Vladijef Family’s carriage heading toward the Imperial Palace shook greatly.

Shurkha, who had been examining documents inside the carriage, looked up. He lifted the curtain he had lowered to look outside.

“I’m sorry, Count. The road seems to be rough…”

Only after hearing the coachman’s apology did Shurkha draw the curtain again.

It didn’t seem like there had been an attack.

He clicked his tongue and pushed aside the documents he had been reading. Perhaps due to his frayed nerves, the words simply wouldn’t register in his mind.

At this very moment, Jarek, the spirit that had been protecting him, was not by his side.

This morning, he had impulsively assigned Jarek to stay with Tiya.

Even thinking about it again, it had been a foolish and difficult decision to understand. Nevertheless, there had been reasons for acting that way.

It was an inexplicable premonition, and the conviction that Count Montes would not simply take this lying down.

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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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