Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 25

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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 25

“Miss? Why are you looking at me like I’m so admirable?”

【That guy really is… Hey! You haven’t won yet, you know? Don’t you see those dead fish eyes of the Count?】

Dead fish eyes? What are you talking about!

“Today Daddy’s eyes are especially bright and sparkling— Eek!”

Tiya, who had looked up at her father’s eyes while stubbornly denying it, let out a suppressed groan.

Shurkha’s eyes were still as hollow and dry as black pits without a single glimmer of light.

No matter how many times she looked, she just couldn’t get used to them.

Nevertheless, Tiya cheered herself up and started chattering again.

“And also. We ate lunch together yesterday, but he avoided sitting next to me!”

“…”

“10 minutes deducted from Daddy’s time!”

“I see. Rodion was wrong about that.”

“Hehe. I’m glad Daddy is on my side.”

Tiya hugged her father’s upper body tightly.

Winter let out a hollow laugh through his teeth at the sight of her clinging like a cicada that couldn’t leave a withered old tree.

Before, he thought Tiya was persistent for ordering around that dead-fish-eyed guy to do this and that.

But somehow, he was starting to find her efforts not just admirable, but rather pitiful.

Moreover, what was most surprising was that the Count, even if it was due to a contract, did everything as told.

【Did his pride evaporate along with his emotions?】

Winter clicked his tongue.

Soon Tiya jumped down from the Count’s lap.

‘Good. Today’s childcare complete!’

“Daddy, I’ll come again tomorrow.”

She waved her hand, praising herself for another excellent day of childcare, but unlike usual, Tiya’s expression as she left the study wasn’t bright.

Though she acted tough in front of Shurkha, she was actually a little—no, very much—disappointed in Rodion.

“…He’s with Rodion again.”

Especially when she saw him standing side by side with Valentina.

Now she couldn’t even tell if she was watching Valentina or watching Rodion.

Before she knew it, Tiya was hiding behind a corner, secretly watching Rodion and Valentina.

Under the early winter sunlight streaming through the corridor window, their hair shone the same color. Like close siblings.

Tiya unconsciously grabbed a handful of her own black hair and examined it.

It would have been nice if she had inherited platinum hair from Mother like her brothers.

For the first time in her life, Tiya thought her hair looked shabby.

【You don’t need to be so jealous.】

Just then, Winter spoke cynically as if he had seen through Tiya’s inner thoughts.

“I’m not jealous! I’m just a tiny bit uncomfortable…”

Tiya protested like a plucked crow cawing, but quickly lost her strength.

‘My chest feels stuffy.’

It felt like there was a tangled ball of yarn in her heart. She wanted to untangle it, but was afraid that touching it would make it even more of a mess.

‘Maybe Winter is right and this is jealousy.’

Tiya’s shoulders drooped dejectedly.

She hadn’t even figured out whether Valentina was a bad kid or a good kid yet. But she found that girl uncomfortable and disliked her for no reason.

‘I really hate this feeling.’

Somehow she felt like a stranger to herself.

Tiya became more dejected than she had ever been. Winter, unable to bear seeing her shoulders droop like a sick crow, opened his mouth.

【Now that I think about it…】

Before speaking, Winter organized his thoughts one last time. Even so, his thoughts didn’t change.

Tiya had failed to observe Valentina properly, but what Winter trusted from the beginning wasn’t Tiya but his own eyes.

A child who changed clothes and bathed alone.

Valentina Dantal, who was wary of contact for fear of hurting others.

【Probably, Valentina Dantal is a boy.】

The last Dantal who lived by thoroughly disguising his gender and became the Thorn King.

Tiya’s eyes widened at Winter’s words.

Well, it was understandable that she was surprised.

Even Winter, who was saying this, had never thought of Valentina as a boy at all.

But somehow, as Tiya listened to the story, her expression gradually became more pitying.

“…Winter really has no talent for comforting people. To even say such ridiculous things.”

Finally, she looked at Winter with pity.

“It’s so absurd that feeling jealous of Valentina seems stupid now. Thanks.”

【I wasn’t trying to comfort you, I was discussing a possibility based on reasonable evidence.】

“Yeah, yeah. I believe in Winter!”

Tiya clenched both fists and cheered encouragingly.

‘This damn brat…’

Winter quietly swallowed his anger and forced a smile. He had learned how to handle Tiya by now.

【I’m glad you believe me. Then let’s approach carefully and catch them in the act, or try some leading interrogation.】

“Huh, huh? That far?”

She couldn’t say she didn’t believe Winter’s words now, so she was flustered. Just then, she saw Valentina alone without Rodion.

Sitting alone and worrying wasn’t like her.

Tiya approached Valentina confidently, deciding to just go for it.

“Alright. Since it’s come to this, I’ll do a leading interrogation right now!”

【Wait—】

Before Winter could stop her, Tiya stood in front of Valentina and asked solemnly.

“Are you a boy?”

“…”

【You… If you don’t know how to do leading interrogation, you should have said so!】

Valentina, who had only been blinking at Tiya’s words, suddenly looked hurt and drooped the corners of her eyes.

“Do I… look like a boy…?”

In an instant, moisture began to well up in her lilac eyes. It looked like tears would start falling any moment.

Startled, Tiya desperately denied it.

“No! Of course not! I was just… ju-just in case? I’m actually a girl too!”

“Mm-hmm. Anyone can see that.”

Winter, who had been watching, smacked his own forehead.

As an awkward silence fell between the two children, Valentina was the first to speak.

“Um… Actually, I wanted to tell you from the first day.”

The girl fidgeted with her hands clasped in front of her, hesitating for a moment before carefully finishing her words.

“I thought your hair was really beautiful black hair. It’s just like a night with twinkling starlight.”

At the unexpected words, Tiya’s gaze fell to her own hair swaying around her chest.

I was sad that my hair color didn’t resemble my brothers’.

But seeing that, Valentina said it was like a night with twinkling starlight.

The shell of jealousy was instantly peeled away, and she could finally see Valentina properly.

Valentina was still a Spirit Mage who had subdued flower spirits, and her hair still shone golden, but strangely, none of that mattered anymore.

‘I was jealous of such a kind child without even trying to have a proper conversation.’

Her face burned with shame.

She had thought it was a hopelessly tangled ball of yarn, but when she pulled the end of the thread, it unraveled so easily it was almost disappointing.

Tiya’s following words contained no jealousy or spite.

“I also… I also thought you were really pretty. Just like a flower fairy.”

At those words, Valentina blushed shyly, smiled, and left the garden.

Tiya finally shook off the last lingering knot that had been pressed down at the bottom of her heart and smiled brightly.

“Winter! Did you hear? She’s not a boy. And she was really nice! I knew Valentina was on our side.”

【…Fine.】

What was I expecting from you anyway.

Winter let out a deep sigh.

Unlike Tiya, who had completely fallen for her, Winter found Valentina quite disagreeable.

It wasn’t because of his suspicion that she was hiding her gender, or because she would become the cruel tyrant known as the Thorn King in the future.

It was more of a fundamental problem.

‘I can’t see through her at all.’

That was the conclusion Winter had reached after observing her for several days.

She acted obediently in everything and was always smiling, but he couldn’t read what she was hiding beneath that smile.

Moreover, she was far too calm for a child.

Winter decided to stay vigilant and be even more wary of Valentina.

Perhaps the threats surrounding Vladijef had been lurking nearby much earlier than she thought.

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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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