Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 8
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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 8
At his radical actions, some gossips chattered like this.
“He must have sold the North’s secrets to become the Emperor’s hunting dog.”
“It would be good revenge against the Duke who disowned him too.”
Many people nodded at the plausible story, but in reality, no one knew what he had given in exchange for receiving a title from the Emperor.
However, as the Emperor’s hunting dog, he gradually established himself as a central noble by tearing apart the Royal Court’s enemies.
All those actions earned him the nickname ‘Poison Scorpion.’
Befitting that epithet, his study was always shrouded in suffocating silence.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
…Until two weeks ago, that is.
At the sound of something running from afar, the Count, who had been processing documents like a clockwork doll, stopped his hand for the first time.
Soon Tiya burst through the study door like an enemy general breaking through castle gates.
“Knock.”
Shurkha cut off whatever his daughter was about to say with a single word.
“Ah, yes.”
Tiya awkwardly stepped back and closed the door, then knocked.
Then she flung the door wide open again and entered.
“Permission.”
“Ah, yes yes.”
Once again she sheepishly stepped back and closed the door, then politely knocked.
Knock knock.
Knock knock knock knock!
Bang bang bang!
She seemed ready to keep pounding on the door until she heard permission to enter.
Shurkha took off his glasses and rubbed his brow before speaking.
“Come in.”
This time, with proper permission, Tiya burst through the door and scurried up to the desk.
Then with a very proud expression, she immediately launched a praise attack.
“Father, you woke up early today too! Did you sleep well through the night? Did you have any nightmares?”
“Cough. Ahem, hmm.”
Shurkha’s aide Anton, who had choked, gave a dry cough.
The father and daughter, who looked exactly alike, continued their conversation without noticing the aide’s efforts.
“Father, shall I check your room’s closet tonight to see if any monsters are hiding there?”
“There are no assassins in my closet.”
“Then how about reading you a fairy tale?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my eyesight or reading comprehension.”
“Then-“
Thud. Finally putting down his pen, Shurkha spoke.
“Cut the nonsense and get to the point.”
His gaze and tone were so cold that Tiya’s legs trembled as if she were standing on thin ice.
Actually, Grandmother’s gaze was just as cold, but if you looked deep into it, you could find a small fish-like warmth swimming in those pupils.
But Father’s eyes were different.
They only held an emptiness that seemed like you’d fall in and drown if you stepped wrong.
Tiya bit down hard on the flesh inside her mouth to drive away the rising feeling of sadness.
Then she carefully unfolded a wrinkled check with both hands and showed it to him.
“One hour of Father’s time, please approve this.”
In the amount section of the check, instead of numbers, this was written:
Amount: Father’s time
*Please pay this check’s amount to the bearer.
Two weeks ago, Tiya had come with the blank check Shurkha gave her and boldly demanded compensation.
“The tax from Father’s tiny domain is 30 gold per hour! I want to buy Father’s time calculated hourly, worth half the value of the spirit egg.”
“Father might not like installment compensation, so I set a period. So until when? Only while I’m in the Dominion!”
“The faster the blockade order disappears, the more beneficial it is for Father, right? Tiya’s desired compensation is cheap, cheap. Now is the cheapest!”
By Shurkha’s judgment, the North’s epidemic would calm down within six months at the latest.
Thinking it wasn’t a losing deal, he had accepted that proposal.
‘More troublesome than I thought.’
Who would have expected her to barge in every morning.
However, Shurkha was a thorough man when it came to promises.
When he sat at the guest table, Tiya quickly took the seat across from him.
Click. As the pocket watch was placed on the table, the meal was served.
Tiya’s shoulders flinched when she confirmed today’s menu. The childcare encyclopedia said you shouldn’t be a picky eater.
Of all things, pea soup had to be served!
Nevertheless, to be an excellent caregiver, Tiya forced her trembling lips into a smile and introduced today’s menu.
“Today’s breakfast is pea soup! A terrifying dish made by crushing Count Pea and boiling him thoroughly, grinding him beyond recognition.”
Gulp, Tiya swallowed dry saliva and picked up the spoon with trembling hands to scoop the pea soup.
“Ah, Father, do you want to watch me eat pea soup? I don’t do things like being picky with food.”
Then she glared at the pea soup on the spoon.
This is why Grandmother said enemies meet on a narrow bridge!
To meet Count Pea at this moment when she needed to show an example of eating everything as a caregiver.
Tiya squeezed her eyes shut then opened them, steeled her resolve, and decided to bravely face this crisis.
So with a do-or-die determination, she fiercely shouted.
“…Count, you disgusting bastard.”
Count Shurkha, who was tilting his coffee cup, as well as the aide who was organizing documents, both paused.
But Tiya’s insults didn’t stop there.
“Even grinding you up wouldn’t be satisfying enough, you scoundrel!”
“…”
“Count bastard! Like this, like this I’ll crush you and chew you up thoroughly.”
Soon after, Tiya gulped the soup down her throat and looked up with a triumphant expression.
Only then did Shurkha realize that the ‘Count’ being referred to was the pea soup.
In the suffocating silence, the aide’s stifled sounds were briefly heard then disappeared.
“Speak with a clear subject.”
“Huh?”
Tiya tilted her head with an innocent face as if she didn’t understand.
Instead of wasting time explaining the situation, Shurkha sipped his coffee.
How much time had passed like that.
For some reason, today’s meal showed no signs of ending.
Looking carefully, all the other plates were empty, but only the pea soup she had first scooped remained.
Every time she slowly put soup in her mouth, Tiya’s face wrinkled like a dried persimmon.
At this rate, the meal time might be extended.
Finally, the Count picked up an extra spoon to finish this 30-gold-per-hour task as quickly as possible.
And he pulled Tiya’s soup bowl over and began eating it up.
Tiya’s eyes widened, then she smiled brightly and clapped her hands.
“Wow! Our Father eats pea soup well too? Anton Uncle, praise stamp please! Hurry, hurry!”
“Yes, here it is ready.”
Aide Anton brought out the praise board that boasted dismal grades as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Tiya made a show of coloring in the hollow grape drawing while showing off.
“This is a praise stamp for Father defeating the pea count well. Later when you collect all the praise stamps, I’ll give you a really big present.”
“….”
“Ahem. I said ‘present’?”
“….”
“Aren’t you curious what kind of present it is? If I were Father, I think I’d be super super curious? Hm? Hm?”
Shurkha silently emptied only his soup bowl as if it wasn’t worth answering.
The aide who couldn’t bear to watch stepped in instead.
“I’m curious.”
“I knew you would be!”
Tiya drummed the table with her small hands, building up the suspense.
“Drumroll drumroll drumroll. The present is none other than… Tiya’s heart attack!”
Clang. The Count who had cleanly emptied his bowl coldly stood up from his seat and said.
“Aide. Deal with this assassin.”
“Yes sir, Count. Now then, Miss. Shall we head back?”
An assassin!
“Huh? But Tiya’s heart attack is really good! Grandmother really loves it too!”
Even while being carried away and thoroughly kicked out by Anton, Tiya’s mouth moved without rest.
* * *
After finishing the harmonious morning meal with Father.
“What do you think, Winter? Does my parenting seem to be having an effect?”
【Well.】
Winter answered Tiya’s question halfheartedly.
From the beginning, she wasn’t particularly interested in the Count’s reactions. The only thing she was interested in was the Count’s weaknesses.
So while Tiya was devotedly raising Father, Winter thoroughly searched the Count’s study looking for weaknesses.
However, since she couldn’t touch objects, all she could do was peek at documents that were laid out, and she hadn’t achieved any meaningful results yet.
‘Well, the other side hasn’t had any results either though.’
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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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