Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 76
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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 76
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On a gentle hill located in the western outskirts of the Dominion.
When the sunset fell beyond it, the hill sparkled as if glass powder had been scattered across it.
In the middle of the hill stood the Crystal Palace, built entirely of glass from walls to ceiling.
Sixteen years ago from now.
The magnificent glass garden that the Royal Court began building in the Dominion to commemorate the end of the conquest war became a symbol marking the end of a terrible era and the beginning of a new age.
And today.
The Crystal Palace, which was known to have taken a full sixteen years from the start of construction to transplanting rare plants from all over the world, was finally opening.
The empire’s most prominent nobles were invited to the opening party, and naturally, everyone’s attention was focused on one particular family.
“I heard the Vladijef Family is attending this opening party. Is it true?”
“Really? They haven’t been active in the Dominion’s social circles until now.”
“The eldest son of the Vladijef Family apparently expressed his intention to participate. He wants to show his siblings around the Crystal Palace.”
“Oh my. How admirable of him.”
The main hall of the Crystal Palace.
The nobles who had arrived early whispered among themselves, eagerly waiting for today’s main dish to arrive.
Though it was called a party, unlike royal banquets, this party focused on the significance of the Crystal Palace’s opening, so they didn’t announce each visitor’s name individually.
Moreover, since there were many family unit attendees, children were running around in groups of three or five, making it possible to miss the arrival of the Vladijef Family members if one wasn’t careful.
It was when several gossips and those interested in social circles were keeping their eyes glued to the entrance.
“Wowwww! Look at that, brother! Ah. Valen, Valen! There’s a strange-looking tree over there!”
“It must be a baobab tree. This is my first time seeing one in person too.”
After a burst of noisy commotion, two girls holding hands tightly entered.
One had raven-black hair with amber eyes, while the other had dark blonde hair mixed with a handful of sunlight and pale violet eyes.
The girls, who formed a perfect color contrast like black and white, were wearing matching blue dresses, making it easy to guess that they came from the same family.
“They’re children I’ve never seen before. Both are lovely, but the blonde child’s future is quite… promising.”
“They’re holding hands so tightly. How cute.”
Behind the friendly-looking girls, a pale-complexioned boy followed, trudging along.
“The ceiling’s high. Energy draining. Too bright. Energy draining. Want to go home. Energy draining.”
The boy also wore blue-toned clothing and had high-saturation platinum blonde hair.
“Lev, you haven’t even walked a hundred steps since getting out of the carriage.”
And then appeared a man with a sturdy build who still retained some boyish qualities that hadn’t been refined yet, also with platinum blonde hair.
Only then did the people present realize.
That these were the members of the Vladijef Family who had been stirring people’s curiosity.
Soon, the same question appeared on everyone’s faces.
“Did the Vladijef Family have two daughters?”
* * *
More amazing than the enormous scale of the Crystal Palace were the rare plants that filled its interior.
Colorful flowers and trees were welcoming the Crystal Palace’s visitors.
However, Winter didn’t even glance at the flowers that lifted people’s spirits, warning in a deeply sunken voice.
【Consider this a battlefield from here on.】
“Valen, Valen. Come here and stand.”
“Like this?”
【Hey, are you listening to me?】
“Standing like that, I can’t tell the difference between the flowers and Valen. Oh, wait? I think Valen is the prettiest flower among all of them!”
“…Please stop that.”
“Hm, stop what?”
【She’s completely forgotten the original purpose.】
As Winter said, Tiya had momentarily forgotten her purpose for coming to the Crystal Palace.
The warm weather, as if spring had come, unlike outside.
The sights that poured endlessly without giving her eyes a moment’s rest.
The many people who came to enjoy the Crystal Palace, as well as Valen who seemed strangely excited.
Before she knew it, Tiya was genuinely excited and enjoying the Crystal Palace to her heart’s content.
When she was so focused on touring the Crystal Palace that she couldn’t even properly hear Winter’s nagging.
A clear bell sound announcing the start of the opening party rang out.
Only then did Tiya snap back to her senses.
The gazes of the nobles gathered in the main hall of the Crystal Palace turned toward the second-floor platform.
And soon, the host who had prepared the Crystal Palace’s opening party stood on the platform.
【That’s the man.】
Winter’s voice trembled with old emotions to the extent that even Tiya could immediately recognize it.
The second-floor platform was too far for Tiya to see the man’s features clearly.
Nevertheless, Tiya stared at the man without blinking once.
“Distinguished guests who responded to the invitation. Thank you for coming all this way.”
A cheerful and clear voice.
“Now, instead of the pain of war and loss, people will look at this Crystal Palace and harbor expectations for a new era. I hope that future generations will remember today as ‘the starting point of the age of peace.'”
His speech was refined in the imperial style, and his expression when speaking of peace seemed sincere.
Along with neatly styled dark blue hair, a handsome face, and a perfectly clean smile.
Count Montes was different from Tiya’s imagination in every aspect.
Tiya had thought that upon seeing Count Montes, she would be able to recognize him as the family’s enemy because he would look so vicious and evil.
But.
“He just… looks ordinary.”
The enemy of the Vladijef Family she actually faced was an endlessly cheerful middle-aged man with enough charisma to captivate the audience with just a short speech.
To be honest, judging by appearance alone, Father looked more wicked and evil.
Winter, who heard Tiya’s muttering, quietly advised.
【That’s what makes that man dangerous. Because he looks so innocently ordinary.】
Count Montes was from the royal family of a foreign country, the Kingdom of Harman.
Winter knew how much effort he had put in and how much pride he had sacrificed to abandon his noble bloodline, speech, and habits to appear like an ‘imperial noble.’
And that this driving force stemmed purely from his desire for revenge against the Vladijef Family.
When the Count’s speech finally ended, thunderous applause erupted.
Instead of clapping along, Tiya simply stood still and looked up at Count Montes.
That’s when it happened.
Count Montes’s gaze, which had been looking down at the audience, suddenly fixed on where Tiya’s family was standing.
A few seconds when it felt like their eyes met.
However, as if it had been Tiya’s mistake, Count Montes’s gaze moved away without any lingering attachment.
* * *
“Well then, brother, Valen. Rest here. I’m going to look around more with Rodion.”
“…Go.”
“Have a good time.”
As if he didn’t even have the energy to properly respond to Tiya’s farewell, Lev buried his head on the table and waved his hand dismissively.
Valentina, who had been gently waving her hand beside him, also buried her forehead on the rest area table as soon as Tiya disappeared from sight.
“I feel like I’m dying.”
It was unbelievable that they hadn’t even toured a quarter of the Crystal Palace yet.
Perhaps because she had thrown up all the lunch she ate today, acid was rising from her stomach.
“…Hey.”
“…Why.”
“That thing that looks like a carnivorous plant at 9 o’clock has been glaring at me since earlier. Do you know it?”
Too exhausted to even lift her head and look around, Valentina replied while still keeping her head buried.
“It’s staring at you, so why are you asking me if I know it?”
“I don’t know anyone here.”
It was something to be proud of, really.
Valentina also didn’t know many people, having grown up practically isolated in Dantalion Castle.
Moreover, this place was The Dominion, not even the South.
Still, thinking her social connections might be better than Lev’s, she wearily lifted her head to look in the 9 o’clock direction.
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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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