Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 152

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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 152

“I request that Valentina Dantal be protected in this manor for the time being.”

It was a statement closer to a notification than a suggestion.

Shurkha had brought up the matter of Valentina’s residence entirely at Tiya’s request.

“Father, Valen can’t go to the South! Absolutely not! So when Duke Dantal comes, please tell him that we can’t send Valen back.”

And the reason he listened to her request.

“I’m talking about ‘this.'”

It was because of a certain hypothesis Duke Vladijef had mentioned while pointing to the family ring.

“You know well how crude coincidence can be. Therefore, I don’t believe in the coincidence that the ‘Palantio infused with divine power’ that Tiya sent just happened to be a cure for the plague.”

Both the Duke and Shurkha were bound by contracts with the Spirit of Time. They couldn’t speak freely due to the prohibition, but even that much of a hint was sufficient.

The Duke believed without doubt that Tiya had contracted with the Spirit of Time and come from the future to the past.

On the other hand, Shurkha opposed her opinion.

Though he didn’t know how much time she had regressed, Tiya’s humanity seemed far too intact for her to have paid such a price.

So he thought it was just the old man’s baseless speculation.

“Do you need Valentina Dantal?”

“Need…? Yes, that’s right. I totally need her! I want Valentina to stay by our side! So Father, please buy as much time as possible. I have a plan!”

He too was swept up by that strange sense of unease, and when he came to his senses, he found himself granting Tiya’s request.

“You seem to be quite fond of that.”

Duke Dantal’s brow slowly furrowed at Shurkha’s unexpected proposal.

His gaze moved to Shurkha as if sizing up his opponent. As a great noble of the South, he was accustomed to reading people’s minds, but he could glean nothing from Shurkha’s eyes in the end.

His thoughts from when this man had shaken the South under imperial command were correct. This man was of a very difficult type to handle.

Indeed, he should have been more blatant in his machinations when this man stood trial in the Royal Court.

Mulling over regrets about the past, Duke Dantal straightened his posture. Then he asked directly.

“Does it have that much value? Enough, for instance, to accept a request to halt the embezzlement investigation in the South that the Count is conducting?”

A brief silence fell over the reception room.

What could this man, who seemed to lack even enough paternal love to worry about his second son’s health, possibly want with Valentina?

Just as he was about to seriously probe those inner thoughts.

Creak.

Without even a knock, the reception room door opened, and Lev walked in with a face as resolute as a soldier heading to battle.

Standing directly before Duke Dantal, he took a deep breath.

Then shouted in the loudest voice of his life.

“Please give me your daughter!”

Silence descended upon the reception room once again.

Even Duke Dantal could say nothing at this moment, looking down at the young man bowing before him.

Meanwhile, Tiya peeked her head through the doorway and desperately winked at her father.

Shurkha, who cleverly caught that signal, pointed to his bowing son and concluded matter-of-factly.

“This is the reason. As you can see, my second son has fallen head over heels for Valentina Dantal and throws tantrums saying he’d rather die than not be able to see that child.”

Flinch.

Lev’s shoulders trembled, but he gritted his teeth and maintained his silence.

Soon his face turned bright red as he barely managed to lift his head.

“I would rather d-die than be separated from your daughter.”

“I will pay sufficient compensation, so I request your reconsideration.”

Lev, whose eyes were half out of focus, could have looked like a boy struck with love’s fever if one didn’t know the truth.

With Shurkha’s supporting fire, devoid of any trace of humor, the scene was completed quite dramatically.

Duke Dantal, who had been speechless for a while, finally opened his mouth.

“I’ll have a conversation with Valentina.”

The father and son’s first coordinated performance was excellent enough to be hard to believe it was improvised.

* * *

“Young Master Lev proposed to Lady Valentina!”

This rumor spread throughout the manor in an instant.

Thanks to this news reaching Valentina, who had been quietly staying in his room, he was able to receive Duke Dantal, who came to see him, with considerable composure.

“You’ve really got the people of this family wrapped around your finger. Especially the second son.”

“…”

No, actually he couldn’t completely hide his agitation. Every time Duke Dantal mentioned Lev, Valentina’s neck flushed red with heat and goosebumps rose enough to make his fine hairs stand on end.

Fortunately, to Duke Dantal, this appeared to be nothing more than the behavior of an embarrassed girl rather than something suspicious.

As if gauging something, he slowly examined Valentina’s hand movements and face as she brewed tea across from him.

After a moment, the atmosphere changed completely with a single statement from his mouth.

“What was your reason for giving testimony favorable to Count Valoz in court?”

Though it was a sudden question, there was no tremor in Valentina’s hand as she lifted the teacup.

He quietly voiced the answer he had already prepared.

“At that time, Rodion Vladijef demanded false testimony from me. Though I didn’t suspect it was your doing, Duke, I would have drawn unnecessary suspicion if I hadn’t complied with that request.”

Duke Dantal didn’t press further at this answer that appropriately mixed truth and lies.

However, while waiting for the tea leaves to steep without letting his guard down.

“Do you remember Riant Village?”

Words that absolutely couldn’t be ignored slipped from the Duke’s mouth.

“Yes, of course.”

Riant, a rural village on the outskirts of the South. There was no way he wouldn’t know it.

That was where Valentina had lived with his mother before entering Dantal’s Rose Castle.

The only remaining memory of a happy childhood. And simultaneously, the terrible place where memories of losing his mother lay dormant.

Why is this man talking about that village now?

To hide his heightened tension, Valentina quickly lowered his head to pour the tea.

However, he failed to notice that his expression was clearly reflected on the surface of the water that filled the teacup.

“Before coming to the capital, a man who introduced himself as being from Riant Village came to Dantalion Castle. He insisted on meeting you. His appearance was so shabby that we had him beaten and driven away, but that fellow said something quite strange.”

Duke Dantal deliberately slowed his words while observing Valentina’s face reflected in the teacup.

“He said that in the house where you and your mother lived, a young boy was living together with you.”

“It was a place where lowly people who crossed others’ thresholds without permission lived. Probably some village boy came and went as he pleased. Come to think of it, there was someone my age…”

“He definitely said the hair color was an unusually deep blonde. Just like you and me.”

Trickle.

Just before the tea overflowed, Valentina barely managed to right the teapot.

And finally lifted his head to meet Duke Dantal’s gaze.

“There are occasionally those who speak useless nonsense. Usually aren’t they people in need of money?”

In the air, Valentina’s and the Duke’s strikingly similar eyes clashed.

After a moment, the Duke let out a snort and spoke as if in agreement.

“Yes, there are disgustingly many of that sort.”

Just when it seemed the atmosphere might lighten.

“But isn’t it also true that such types, being as impoverished as they are, have an amazing ability to smell money? What do you think about such a person seeking you out?”

Only then did Valentina realize.

That perhaps all of this might be a trap that Duke Dantal had laid.

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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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