521 - Divine King's Perspective: Where Shishi Is
This is an SS from around the time of retirement, before Leo came to pick her up.
Since Tina seemed to enjoy the hammock in the garden, I made her a swing, thinking something similar might be good, but the spirits took it upon themselves to be helpful. To ensure that the vines supporting the swing would not carelessly snap and cause an injury, the vines were layered many times over, becoming thick and sturdy. Since it only needed to be large enough for Tina alone to sit, the bottom board of the seat, which had only the width of a single girl, was made wider and thicker. To top it off, so that Tina would not be thrown out by the momentum of the swing, a basket was even created to cover the seat.
It was supposed to be a simply constructed swing, but before I knew it, it had become a splendid basket with a chair that even had a backrest. Tina was amazed by the completed (evolved) swing, saying, "It's less of a swing and more like a wedding gondola..." but she likely had no complaints about how it felt to use. Unwary, Tina had begun to nap while sitting in the swing before I realized it.
...Is this simply a nature that cannot be cured?
For someone who claims to have grown into a girl of marriageable age, Tina's wariness toward the opposite sex is not functioning. No, she had reacted to blatant things since she was young.
If it were Jean-Jacques or Aaron, who had served her since childhood, I might understand it to some extent, but being so unwary even toward the Divine King (me) is a bit of a problem. To Tina, I should be an adult male she encountered occasionally. To judge whether someone is a safe member of the opposite sex, she should be overwhelmingly lacking in information.
If Tina were originally a soul of this world, I would understand her lack of wariness toward the Divine King. That is the kind of existence the Divine King is. Loved by all in this world, holding the power of life and death over them. There is no distinction between humans and spirits, nor between inorganic and organic matter.
However, Tina is a soul brought from another world. She has no imprinting of absolute obedience to the Divine King, and she should feel toward the Divine King (me) the same as she does toward any adult male around.
...Or perhaps, she is scenting it unconsciously.
I stroke Tina's cheek with my dominant hand as she lets out a strange, soft snore. For her not to wake up even when a man touches her like this while she sleeps is more than just a bit of a problem. Normally.
There is just one thing that is not normal.
...My dominant arm was always with Tina's brother.
Rather, it might be more correct to say that I existed together with her as Tina's brother. Everything about the brother in Tina's memories is Leonardo, whom I was together with. Leonardo's feeling of being an older brother and the feeling of being an older brother that I hold toward Tina are those of a single older brother who had the same younger sister and shared the same memories.
...Is it half my influence that Tina grew up this way?
It is not as if Leonardo intentionally raised her that way. Tina grew up to be a girl who was terrifyingly, almost artistically, unstable.
Too ignorant of worldly affairs to live among humans and leaning more toward spirits, and having been raised half-heartedly by an unreliable brother (Leonardo), she has not put down roots in the earth. Tina's soul was so unstable as a human that she could easily be snatched away to the side of the spirits if the spirits so much as laid a hand on her. And because I took an interest in her, the spirits also took an interest in Tina, and the opportunities for spirits to play pranks have increased significantly.
The only reason such an unstable Tina can remain on the human side is solely thanks to the memories of her previous life. Thanks to having memories of her previous life, the assumption that "humans are that kind of thing" acts as a weight, keeping Tina on the human side.
And these "memories of a previous life" that Tina possesses gave me an unexpected joy. Though Tina herself has no awareness of it.
Every morning, we exchange greetings with a natural "good morning," and before bed, we part in front of the bedroom saying "good night." We share meals around the table, and if she finds something that piques her interest, she pulls my hand as she walks, and if I say I am going out, she sees me off with "have a safe trip," and when I return, she welcomes me with "welcome home."
Just like a normal family.
What Leonardo wanted and what I wanted were the same. What Teo wished for and my wish were likely the same. ...As for this, I do not want to admit it yet.
...For now, just sleep well.
I will not let anyone disturb your sleep. Tina is the Divine King's (my) treasure. I will not permit humans or spirits to touch the Divine King's treasure.
While thinking such things, I poked Tina's cheek with my finger, but it seems I poked too much. The half-asleep Tina bit down hard on my finger.
The memory searching for the fact that something like this had happened before is Leonardo's.
Since the Tina in Jasper's IF was sturdy, I wondered if the Tina in the main story is unstable.
I made this, which is both thick and thin. Those who are interested, please take a look at the production blog.
