242 - Side Story: Leonardo's Perspective - The Little Lady 1
Even setting aside my bias as her brother, I think our Tina is adorable. The costume of the flower goddess Menhiriya she wore at the recent Recollection Festival was also very cute. I think it was originally the costume of the flower goddess Menhiriya, but since Tina still has a childish appearance that has only just reached the realm of girlhood, she looked more like one of Menhiriya's six daughters rather than the goddess herself.
However, for a girl, having a cute appearance can sometimes work against her.
Someone must have caught a glimpse of Tina dressed up as one of Menhiriya's daughters, because people who took an interest in her started appearing, trying various approaches. If it were someone around Teo's age pulling Tina's hair to get her attention, that is the kind of mischief I went through myself, so I can understand it. But when a Loyalty Peerage over forty sends something resembling a love letter, that is a different story. A grown adult sending inappropriate letters to a minor (Tina) ... I cannot understand what they are thinking.
I have given orders that anything too egregious should be sent to me, her guardian, without showing Tina. After that, I made a list of persons of concern based on the senders' names, and dealt with them while keeping an eye on the situation. If they only send letters, I can just ignore them, but if they try to break into the detached palace or attempt to kidnap Tina, I would have the dignity to eliminate them physically. In fact, I think eliminating two or three would serve as a deterrent to others, so in that sense, I have been waiting to see if any fools would show themselves. After all, the detached palace security consists mostly of unreliable White Knights. If the master of the detached palace were a princess, no White Knight would dare do anything stupid, but Tina's origins are hidden. That being the case, I could not rule out the possibility that a White Knight who looks down on Tina as a nobody of unknown origin might, tempted by money, aid a suspicious person in infiltrating.
...I wish I could at least replace the detached palace security with Black Knights.
In any case, White Knights are unreliable. Their positions are little more than face-saving posts for the sons of nobles, so they have neither skill nor pride. Even though protection is supposed to be their duty, if they learn the target of their protection is a commoner, they would swap master and servant on their own judgment. That is how useless White Knights are. White Knights with the backbone to wish to be someone's sword or shield, even if their skill does not reach that of Black Knights, are truly rare.
...Right now, Ethelbert-sama and Alfred-sama are keeping an eye on things, and a Silver-White Knight has been assigned as a personal guard, so it seems people think she is some sort of princess with circumstances of some kind.
But that does not mean I can relax. Though their abilities as knights are inferior, nobles are beings who treasure information. I could never let my guard down, wondering when and from where someone might dig up Tina's background.
"I was not giving Dietfried-sama's letters any attention at all, but this time Tina is clearly making a displeased face. I would like to do something about it quickly, but..."
"Most of those letters will disappear on their own once Tina becomes a bit more sociable."
Alfred, who receives reports from me on the current state of the detached palace, laughs and says it would be better to save the letters as evidence and use them as leverage when the opportunity arises. He even said he would put them to good use himself, so I should send him the love letters.
"What do you mean, they will disappear on their own if Tina becomes more sociable?"
"Tina is indeed a cute girl. At that level, she would be fine to place beside Alf. She is that lovely."
With a slightly sardonic expression, Alfred praised Tina. He said the same thing repeatedly, essentially that Tina's appearance is cute. I had not expected Alfred to like Tina enough to say she could be placed beside Alf. However, I was also concerned that his words only praised her appearance.
"...But if someone is the type to get swept up in heat over that look from the Recollection Festival, then learning what Tina is really like inside would shatter their illusion, so leaving them be poses no harm."
Even if she has a delicate, ethereal appearance like a spirit, her insides are not a demure girl matching her looks. Alfred, who observed Tina up close during the journey to the capital, has seen Tina kick my legs any number of times, and also knows she is sharp and surprisingly tenacious. If someone was drawn only by her appearance, once they learn what she is really like, they will naturally become disillusioned, he said.
"...Tina's personality (inner self) is cute too."
"I like that personality too, but well... it is not the inner self one would expect from that appearance."
When he pointed that out, it was a valid argument. I tried to argue back out of spite, but when even my rebuttal was accepted, there was nothing more I could say. To me, Tina is a cute little sister, but I suppose in general society she would be classified as a regrettable beautiful girl.
"However, regardless of her inner self, Tina has a face that is practically promised to become a beautiful woman. You had better marry her off early."
Alfred says that a beautiful woman with weak backing will only end up unhappy. Marrying her off quickly and having her kept within her husband's residence is probably the most peaceful life she could have.
"If the country wants to keep Tina confined, they would not marry her off but lock her away in the detached palace."
If we consider Tina's own happiness, the option of marriage exists, but the country's thinking is different. Tina is a precious reincarnator who can read Japanese. She would marry, become someone's wife, and bear children as a wife's duty. What awaits her next is the life-threatening task of childbirth. For Tina, who I want to live as long as possible reading Japanese, I do not want her to take on the dangerous work of childbirth. If that is the case, the best option is to not have her marry at all and keep her confined in the detached palace. Fortunately, Tina has an introverted personality and rarely asks to go out. Even if locked in the detached palace, she probably would not feel much dissatisfaction.
"From the country's perspective, there is also the possibility that my father would want her as a daughter, if not for the dangers of childbirth..."
Being King Christoph's daughter means becoming the wife of one of the four princes. The first prince has children older than Tina, and the second prince does not have a Royal Peerage, so he is not a candidate in this case. The third prince is Alfred, who proclaims his love for Alf. And the fourth prince is younger than Tina. The only prince close in age is one of Christoph's grandchildren.
"If we are going to be as selfish as possible... how about marrying her to you in name only, where you treat your wife as a sister and do not have children?"
If taken at face value, I should be angry at this, but I know Alfred is just listing possibilities. The ideal future for Tina from the country's perspective. A husband who does not make her bear children, does not lock her away, yet has no objections to being summoned to the capital with Tina when called upon. At least for now, Tina looks up to me as family (her brother). She probably would not resist me staying by her side as family for life. The common term would simply change from brother to husband, while the reality would remain brother and sister.
"...Do not make that face. I am aware even as I say it that this is the worst and most selfish line of thinking."
I thought I was keeping my expression deliberately blank, but it seems my feelings had shown on my face. Alfred shrugged lightly.
"This is the ideal cage for confining Tina, as the country sees it. This plan has a fatal flaw. Under it, one knight who is a treasure of the country would become unhappy."
I suppose anyone could imagine that I, an orphan, crave blood-related family. I do not even want to let go of Tina, a sister with no blood ties. Just to keep Tina by my side, losing the chance for blood children I might someday have is painful.
...I think that, but if ordered, I would probably do it.
In my head, I know I could create a stress-free environment for Tina. Tina, who is shy with strangers, would have no need to build a new relationship with a husband, and I would not have to let go of Tina. It is just that, and nothing more. I could not have any family besides Tina, and Tina could not have any family besides me. It would be nothing but a closed environment through and through.
"I told you, do not make that face. It is just an idea. I will not let such a decision be made, and my father is not wishing for anything like that either."
Alfred continued, saying this was a discussion based on the country's interests, and he had no intention of ignoring Tina's and my personal happiness. Moreover, since Tina herself is cooperative, there is no need to confine her in the first place.
"As for Tina's happiness... she is always saying the goal is to find a commoner son-in-law stronger than me."
"I will give you some advice. Make sure she corrects that commoner part."
A commoner lover or husband would ultimately be unable to protect Tina. The usefulness of Tina being able to read Japanese will not fade with age, but beauty always fades eventually. With a commoner husband, it would be difficult to protect Tina from power-drunk fools dazzled by her looks. Nobles are watched to keep themselves strictly disciplined, but there are always exceptions and those who slip through observation. I cannot say for certain that a noble who steals another man's beautiful wife would never appear. If she were taken by such a person, she would likely be treasured while young and beautiful, but whether she would be cherished into old age was uncertain.
"From the perspective of protecting herself, getting a fiance is also a good option."
However, even in this case, a noble would still be preferable as a partner. If we are being greedy, being able to secure someone from a Staff Peerage family would reduce complications. In any case, it is difficult for Tina to remain a commoner as she wishes.
"...It seems she also attracted strange interest from being escorted by Alfred-sama."
"It was good that it was obvious Tina has me behind her, was it not?"
"It was certainly a strong deterrent, but..."
Because of that, gifts seeking a connection with Alfred began arriving for Tina. Small things like flowers and sweets would be fine, but there were many clearly expensive gifts as well.
"She did not ask for them. The other party sent them on their own, so she might as well gratefully accept them all."
Alfred laughed heartily, saying that even though she is only eleven, she is already being showered with tribute from many men, and what a promising beauty she is. If she is the one soliciting, that is a problem, but if the other party sends things unilaterally, there is no problem at all in accepting the goods without offering any favors, he said.
...If Tina were as thick-skinned as Alfred-sama, that might be possible, but.
Though Tina has become less reserved toward me, she cannot take the same attitude toward others. Even if she says she did not request the gifts, she probably could not flatly refuse what the other party wants. The gifts arriving at the detached palace every day will probably continue to be politely returned for a while longer.
It is short, but since it was not going to end cleanly, I will cut it off here for now.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.