Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 77

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

Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life

 

Chapter 77

 

The next moment, Valentina buried her head again, her expression crumpling miserably.

 

“Damn it.”

 

There must be more than just a few nobles invited to this grand opening party.

 

Why hadn’t she thought that southern nobles would come too?

 

“What? What’s wrong?”

 

Valentina didn’t need to answer Lev’s question.

 

Because the person who had properly confirmed Valentina’s face was approaching them.

 

A boy around Lev’s age with green hair and a face covered with freckles and a mischievous dimple stood directly in front of Valentina.

 

And he called out to Valentina, who was still keeping her head down.

 

“Hey, you’re that bastard, right?”

 

Valentina raised her head in response to that voice.

 

The moment he faced Valentina, who was looking down with half-closed eyes and a pitiful expression, heat rushed to the boy’s face.

 

Valentina smiled faintly and spoke quietly.

 

“Hello… Toby.”

 

“It’s not Toby, it’s Jasper!”

 

“Ah, I see. I must have gotten confused since it’s been so long.”

 

“Toby and Jasper are completely different!”

 

Toby—no, Jasper—whose face had reddened for a different reason than before, belatedly became conscious of Lev and solemnly corrected his expression.

 

Meanwhile, one of Lev’s eyebrows rose crookedly.

 

He leaned toward Valentina and whispered.

 

“So who is that carnivorous plant?”

 

“The son of a vassal family from the main house.”

 

“If I’m not mistaken, does he perhaps like you…?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Seeing Valentina and Lev put their faces close together and whisper affectionately, Jasper’s expression gradually twisted.

 

Jasper, who had been fuming and racking his brains alone, suddenly shouted.

 

“That, what was it, right! The young Duke of House of Dantal had something to tell you when I met you. But it’s a very secret matter that ‘outsiders’ shouldn’t hear.”

 

Jasper spoke while obviously emphasizing the word outsider.

 

It was clearly a lie.

 

The meeting with Jasper was purely coincidental, so there couldn’t be anything to convey.

 

Moreover, even if Lucian really had something to tell Valentina, he wouldn’t have used such an idiot as a communication channel.

 

Nevertheless, Valentina had no choice but to get up from her seat.

 

Whatever the case, Jasper was the heir of an influential southern family, and if things went wrong, there was no telling how he might distort today’s events when reporting to the main house.

 

“I’ll go have a quick conversation and come back.”

 

At that answer, Jasper turned around with a satisfied face.

 

Lev still muttered with a shocked expression.

 

“No, how can he look at you with those eyes? Is he crazy?”

 

“Why? I’m beautiful enough.”

 

“…Yeah, right. Go deal with that idiot well. Take a guard if you need one.”

 

“It’s fine. It’s better to have no witnesses.”

 

“…Just don’t kill him.”

 

Valentina simply shrugged her shoulders in response.

 

* * *

 

The sparsely populated Fantasy Forest.

 

Since it was a space designed with the concept of recreating a primeval forest, the ground was overgrown with dirt and weeds instead of well-maintained paved paths.

 

Moreover, the surroundings were full of dangerous plants that required careful attention when viewing, and perhaps because of this, the nobles didn’t even come near this place.

 

Jasper’s steps only stopped when they reached that place.

 

Valentina asked first.

 

“What did my brother tell you to convey to me?”

 

A crooked sneer appeared on Jasper’s lips as he turned around.

 

“Did you really believe that? What business would the Duke have with a bastard like you?”

 

She hadn’t expected anything, but it was as expected.

 

Valentina swallowed an annoyed sigh and outwardly hung her head low, pretending to be hurt.

 

If she pretended to be heartbroken and left like this…

 

“Hey, bastard. Are you close with that guy?”

 

But Jasper didn’t seem to intend to end it here.

 

Valentina asked with an innocent face, pretending not to know anything.

 

“Who?”

 

“That Vladijef from earlier. I couldn’t tell if it was a woman or a man.”

 

What kind of idiot can’t even distinguish between a woman and a man?

 

“We’re friends.”

 

“Friends? There’s no way a Vladijef would seriously associate with a bastard like you. Don’t you know you’re an illegitimate child?”

 

Illegitimate child, bastard—these were words she heard every day at the main house.

 

Strangely, something surged up from within her.

 

“Don’t say that. They’re all kind people.”

 

After adding that, Valentina realized she had said something unnecessary.

 

Jasper tilted his head crookedly and suddenly said.

 

“Really? Then I should get close to them too.”

 

“…What?”

 

“You see, I’m going to be staying in The Dominion for a while. Well, it would be good to build some connections with the heirs of great families while I have this opportunity. I’ll visit that house occasionally, so you better put in a good word for me. While I’m at it, I’ll also see if that guy really considers you a friend.”

 

What the hell is this bastard babbling about?

 

Valentina stared directly at Jasper.

 

It was absurd that he would visit Vladijef Manor without any justification, but she knew this idiot was really the type who would knock on the manor’s door without being able to distinguish between heaven and earth.

 

If Jasper really came to Vladijef Manor and Tiya saw how he treated her…

 

‘Absolutely not.’

 

Anyone else would be fine, but not in front of Tiya. That would be too…

 

She didn’t know why, but absolutely not in front of Tiya.

 

‘If one part of him breaks, he won’t be able to move from his house.’

 

The next moment, Valentina’s eyes turned coldly calm.

 

Perfect timing.

 

Valentina looked over Jasper’s shoulder as he chattered away with a flushed face.

 

True to its name Fantasy Forest, a giant magical plant was trapped in a cage.

 

Roots that had half-emerged above ground and a giant flower bud with its mouth tightly shut. There was even a sign saying ‘Do Not Approach.’

 

It seemed the ferocious plant had been put to sleep with magic.

 

However, magic wasn’t necessarily required to wake a plant that had been put to sleep by magic.

 

‘Rose.’

 

Rose answered Valentina’s mental call.

 

Rose shot out from under Valentina’s skirt like an arrow and scurried toward the magical plant.

 

The moment more mana than usual was drained away, the magical plant’s roots twitched.

 

Slowly.

 

A vibration as if something was moving underground was transmitted over the wet soil in the cage.

 

However, it seemed too much for the roots to extend outside the cage.

 

Valentina smiled like a flower that lures prey with its sweet fragrance.

 

Jasper, who had been endlessly boasting about himself, suddenly opened his mouth and stammered.

 

Stupid bastard. Hiding her true intentions, Valentina conspicuously approached the magical plant’s cage.

 

Now all she had to do was lure that idiot into the trap.

 

“Gasper, let’s go a bit further inside…”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Swoosh!

 

“It’s Jasper!”

 

Rough hands grabbed Valentina’s hair and yanked it.

 

‘Fine, let’s just kill him.’

 

Even as she was pushed by the rough hands, Valentina didn’t lose control of her mana flow and was about to move the magic plant’s roots to catch his ankle when—

 

Thud thud thud thud!

 

The sound of vigorous running came from behind—

 

“Don’t bully Valen!”

 

Thwack!

 

Someone rushed at Jasper and knocked him down.

 

“Tiya!”

 

Rodion’s voice followed from a distance. Valentina withdrew the magic plant’s roots.

 

“Agh! What are you doing! Let go of me!”

 

“No! You let go first! No, apologize to Valen first!”

 

“Why should I apologize to that lowborn— Argh!”

 

“Because you bullied Valen! Ah, Winter! I told you not to stop me!”

 

Before anyone knew it, Tiya and Jasper were grabbing each other’s hair and bickering loudly.

 

Her ankle throbbed—she must have stepped wrong when she fell.

 

But that wasn’t what bothered her.

 

She had shown Tiya the side of herself she least wanted to reveal.

 

Valentina bit her lip and stood up. Her face flushed red with shame.

 

Still, she took a step forward to stop Tiya when—

 

Valentina gasped at her reflection dimly visible in the muddy water.

 

Not only was her dress dirty, but her hair was disheveled and mud was splattered on her face. Like a boy who had played in the dirt to his heart’s content.

 

Though she was merely dirty, in that moment Valentina felt a sense of crisis as if her true self had been exposed.

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