243 - Side Story: Leonardo's Perspective - The Little Lady 2
Tina was invited to a tea party by Siegwald's wife, and using that as an opportunity, I stepped foot into Christoph's castle. It was worrisome to leave Tina alone in the detached palace guarded by the White Knights, but if she was at Siegwald's residence, it was safe. That residence was also the home of the Silver-White Knight Commander and Vice Commander, so active Silver-White Knights and retired former Silver-White Knights frequently visited. In a worst-case assessment, it could be called the second safest place in the capital after the king's castle.
"Ah, so you finally showed yourself,"
When I waited a while in the sitting room I was shown to, Christoph returned with Timon as his escort. A formal audience would have been fine too, but that would take several days of procedures and make it hard to coordinate schedules with Tina. As a result, we settled on an informal meeting during a break in his work.
"As for the information leak about your younger sister, it is as I had Alfred convey to you. Since it does not constitute a criminal act, I have no intention of making a fuss about it."
"And the same goes for you," Christoph said, beckoning me. I approached before him and knelt. As I waited to see what words would follow, he flicked my forehead with his finger. It was subtly painful, but there was no way I could show that on my face, so I endured it.
"...Since there was no actual harm done, if it is kept secret, it is not a problem. Do not go out of your way to report it with such foolish honesty."
"Do not increase my work," a sigh tinged with exasperation sounded above my head. He was saying that for a crime with no actual harm from the information leak, if you do not speak of it, it will not be found out, so I should cover it up instead of reporting it to my superiors.
An attendant removed his luxurious mantle, and now unburdened, Christoph lightly rotated his shoulders. Many years had passed since he succeeded the throne, so he should have grown accustomed to the weight of the mantle by now, but that did not change the fact that it stiffened his shoulders.
"There are people who are noisy about punishing you for the guardian's supervisory responsibility, and dealing with that was more tiring."
"If we were to question the guardian's responsibility, the one who should have his head cut off first would be myself," Christoph continued, and from that I could tell who the "noisy people" were. It would be the father of the White Knight who impregnated my would-be fiancee. A White Knight had impregnated a daughter from another family who was engaged to someone else, so the fault lay with the son, yet for some reason I, who had my fiancee stolen from me, was the one resented. They said I was the one who closed off the son's path to advancement.
...I think that was the son's own fault, though.
At the time, I was Christoph's favorite, and Christoph wanted to assign a wife to me and have me take up residence in the capital. Then, although it was somewhat half-baked, I found someone I considered marrying, and that someone cheated, and what was more, became pregnant with another man's child. Naturally, the marriage talks were scrapped, and Christoph's plans were also ruined.
Rather, I think the "noisy people" should be grateful for Christoph's rationality. After all, despite having incurred the personal resentment of the king, they still get to work at the royal castle without a care. Considering that Christoph would cut off even his own children if necessary, this was an incredibly lenient response.
"...Was it a mistake to assign Alfred to you?"
Both Alfred and Alf are the same "Alfred," but Christoph does not distinguish them by name. When talking with Christoph, I have to think from the flow of conversation which Alfred he is referring to, and it sometimes confuses me. This time too, I hesitated for a moment about which one he meant. Maybe it was also because I had been with Alf until just before being guided into the sitting room.
"I assigned Alfred to you because you lack flexibility, and I thought he would support you in that area... but Alfred has been supporting you too well, and it seems you have not grown at all, has he?"
Christoph's favoritism toward me tends to go a bit too far. Even though I was a Silver-White Knight, when I wished to wield my sword closer to the people as a Black Knight, that wish was granted, and Alf was even assigned to support me, who is poor at political maneuvering. It must have been quite troublesome for Alf. Even though he had finally risen to the rank of Silver-White Knight, to those who did not know the circumstances, it was as if he had been demoted along with me.
...Well, from Alf's perspective, it seemed like a welcome opportunity to put some distance between himself and Alfred-sama.
There were various other considerations behind Alf accompanying me to Grenore, but I am starting to feel it might be time to send Alf back to the capital. Alf is a noble. Whether he reclaims his former fiancee or finds a new partner, it would be easier to find a spouse in the capital than in Grenore.
"...There are many who want to trip you up. Sincerity is one of your virtues, but stop showing openings just because you are trying to be righteous."
"Sometimes you need to play dirty," I receive the same admonishment every time I am summoned. Since this is said not only by Christoph but also by Alfred and Alf, it is probably truly my flaw.
...Still, I want to be an honest person.
Maybe that showed on my face. Christoph deepened his wry smile before changing the subject and offering me a chair.
"I told Christina-sama to arm herself, but have you thought of anything?"
"Tina was troubled, saying that the only thing she could think of was to read Japanese when requested."
It seemed Christoph had said something to Tina. Christoph understands Tina's personality and makes concessions, but not all ministers at the center of politics follow Christoph's opinions. A reincarnator who can read Japanese is valuable. There must have been opinions to confine her in the capital, seal her freedom, and lock her away for life to make her read Japanese.
To silence such types, it is necessary to make it known that Tina holds a higher position at the negotiating table. Not just a child who can read Japanese, but that she cooperates in deciphering Japanese of her own free will. And that depending on Tina's feelings, that cooperation could easily be lost.
"Christina-sama is cautious. It seems to be a characteristic of Japanese people that they will not say they 'can do' anything unless they are absolutely certain they can..."
"Even if she lacks confidence, she must be harboring things she wants to try," Christoph said, narrowing his blue eyes. I cannot perceive Tina's thoughts unless she tells me... no, even if she tells me, I cannot grasp them. But Christoph already seemed able to guess what Tina might be thinking. As her brother, it is a bit frustrating, but thinking this comes from Christoph's experience as a father with children and as a king, there is no way I can compete.
"I will assign Alfred as Christina-sama's support. Let him work to his full ability."
What is important is proving that Tina is a useful person. And showing that this usefulness comes from Tina's goodwill. If these two things are inseparable, no one will choose to do anything that might sour Tina's mood.
"Whether we return to Grenore also depends on Christina-sama's efforts."
"...So you are saying I need to think about how to use myself if I want to return to Grenore?"
"If I give you the answer, will it not become difficult to send Christina-sama back to Grenore?"
If Christoph makes a proposal, it becomes a command from the king. If Tina makes a proposal, it means Tina cooperated voluntarily.
Since we want to show that she is a useful person who does not hesitate to cooperate voluntarily, Tina has no choice but to come up with a proposal that will silence the ministers. If she cooperates on Christoph's orders, she will not be able to refuse an order to remain in the capital either.
"With Christina-sama, it should be easy. She just cannot say it because she lacks a little confidence. While swindlers who boast they 'can do' things they cannot are a problem, Japanese people who will not say they 'can do' unless they are completely confident they can do it perfectly are also a problem."
What Christoph was saying was like a legend associated with Japanese people. It was also an impression about "Japanese people" that he had heard from reincarnators who occasionally appeared.
...But now that he mentions it, a competitive perfectionist does describe Tina.
Back when we were living in Wiack Valley, Tina tried to bake pancakes. The failed pancakes that even I could see were failures were apparently unforgivable to Tina, and they did not appear on the table for a while. But eventually, whether through practice or improvement, she seemed to have learned to bake fluffy pancakes, and before we returned to Grenore city, pancakes were appearing on the table again. Thinking about perfectionism, I recall that she also did not like the taste of her homemade stew at first, and she frowned repeatedly over it.
...What is this. When I think back, her Japanese characteristics were showing quite clearly, were they not.
They were really small details that I only realize in retrospect, but several things come to mind that fit. The reason I could not notice that Tina was a Japanese reincarnator might, come to think of it, be because I was her guardian. In fact, Alfred had noticed that Tina was a reincarnator on the very day he came to Grenore city.
...And also, Tina's way of hiding it is just too skillful.
Tina hid the fact that she was a reincarnator perfectly without telling a single lie. Even when Alfred pointed out that she was probably a reincarnator, she was surprised and blinked, but that was it. Tina neither said "no" nor "yes" herself. She just listened to me denying Alfred's words.
...It is true that Tina has a foolishly honest side, but she is also more clever than me.
At the very least, Tina can take an action that I cannot. Staying silent when she judges that speaking would be disadvantageous. Rather than being a woman despite her small size, she has the cunning wisdom to survive.
...If Alfred-sama will support Tina's thinking.
Tina will be able to secure their return to Grenore. With Tina's thinking ability and Alfred's maneuvering, it should be more reassuring than having me support her by her side. As her brother, it is not just a little pathetic.
When I returned to the detached palace loaded with mountains of souvenirs from Christoph, Tina came to greet me. She had a smile saying "Welcome back," but it was the face she makes when she is a bit mentally exhausted. When she makes this face, she used to ask for hugs, but now that she has turned eleven, it seemed Tina was trying to graduate from hugs. She no longer asks for them herself, so as a hopeless older brother, I hugged her small body. When I do this, Tina puts on an angry face saying "Hugs are forbidden," but the tension in her shoulders eases just a little.
"Did something happen at the tea party with Mikaela-sama?"
"Mikaela-sama was a wonderful goddess, but I encountered my aunt by marriage."
"...Aunt?"
If Tina has an aunt, it would be Saromon's elder brother's wife. Recalling what I had heard from Alf before, after her husband died, it was Bertrand who sent her back to her family home.
"It seems my aunt was the type to dwell on things, and she spent the entire tea party apologizing about Bertrand-sama's stay in Grenore."
"That certainly... sounds like a tiring tea party."
"Good work," I said, patting her head, and Tina presented her head as if asking for more pats. Being picked up and hugging were forbidden, but it seemed having her head patted was fine. I thought this was also treating her like a child depending on the situation, but since pointing it out would probably get it forbidden too, I decided to keep quiet.
"What was Christoph-sama's business about?"
"It was almost the same content as what Tina heard."
Aside from being scolded to learn to be a bit more cunning, it was almost the same. To silence the troublesome types, prove Tina's usefulness.
"...Is reading Japanese not enough?"
"It is not that it would not be enough... but Christoph-sama seems to want something a bit more substantial."
He probably wanted to show that she is not just a child who can read Japanese, but a person who correctly understands and can utilize Japanese. Not a child who can be controlled through restraint and violence.
"If you can silence even the ministers that Christoph-sama finds troublesome, you can return to Grenore."
I showed her the document that Christoph had written, saying I had gotten permission. When I showed it to Tina, saying there was a written pledge rather than just a verbal promise, Tina saw through it, saying it was probably Christoph's idea. Christoph had told me to show it only when Tina said verbal promises could be broken at any time, but I showed it before she said that and was seen through anyway. And incidentally, the criticism that followed was also as Christoph had predicted. She asked how much effect could be expected from a document written during an informal meeting.
...Tina really is smart, is she not.
The idea of doubting Christoph's words would not even occur to me. But Tina doubted Christoph's carefully prepared document, and Christoph had even anticipated that Tina would doubt the document.
...It is true that I am lacking in many areas.
"But I think silencing the noisy people is necessary."
After confirming the writing on the document with a difficult expression, Tina carefully folded the paper. As I watched to see where she would put it, Tina hid the document inside her clothes, just like she had before. She seemed intent on keeping it on her person, literally at all times.
"Alfred-sama said he would consult with us. A messenger or he himself will probably come soon to confirm your schedule, Tina."
"I have a feeling he will barge in himself around tomorrow. I will ask Valerier to prepare tea and sweets."
Surely a prince of the country would not come the very next day. I thought that for a moment, but when the prince in question was Alfred, it was not impossible.
And as Tina predicted, Alfred came to the detached palace the next morning. As Christoph had predicted, Tina apparently already had some ideas, and she confirmed several things with Alfred. Christoph said he was assigning Alfred as support, but they did not really consult about anything. I realized that the "support" was just a pretext, and that the prince Alfred was actually a liaison connecting Tina and Christoph, when Tina started talking about creating a weapon to silence the ministers.
"I will decipher the research materials of Saint Yuuta Hiraga and revive three lost secret arts."
In contrast to Tina who declared this with a somewhat reluctant expression, Alfred was beaming. I understood that this was probably the words they had wanted to draw out from Tina, but I did not understand the meaning of their expressions. I only understood that it was an unwilling declaration for Tina. After Alfred left to deliver the message to Christoph, Tina demanded a hug from me.
"I am a bad child, am I not."
Saying that, Tina hugged me around the waist with what I could tell was all her strength. She pressed her face into my side, and it was a little ticklish.
[Author's Note]
I was thinking there would be one more chapter for Chapter 7... but since this feels like a good stopping point too, this marks the end of Chapter 7. Next will be Chapter 8, which I have a chilling feeling will become terribly long once I check the plot outline.
And now, I am off to work on the manuscript for a doujinshi. The next update will be at most on the 22nd. If all goes well, I plan to have it done within a week.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.