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Youth, and Silver-haired Maiden. Changes, from here on.
Having realising this properly, Dale had a thought that, it wasn’t wrong for those around him to harshly rebuke him.
How can this be? This girl is just so cute.
Seriously.
Although, with just that phrase, it would appear as if nothing has changed from before.
Surprisingly, despite the fact that that he knew about this now, if he had to describe how he was feeling in a word, it would be, unchanged.
Nevertheless, he was approaching the point where he would 『change from how he used to treat her』.
Dale recovered from his illness within the week, and decided to return back to Kroix.
Latina, who had been staying in the Royal Capital during this time, had been busying herself in her own way, reading the books available in the Duke’s residence, and learning mannerisms from Rose.
The reason why Latina had been able to properly greet, and talk with his Highness, the Duke, seemed to be because she had been taught the proper manners by Rose at some point. As someone close to Dale, someone who is able to come in and out of the Duke’s residence, she had been strictly guided so that she doesn’t embarrass him in some way, along with magic.
Dale had wholeheartedly rejected the invitation to the banquet from his Highness, the Duke. He didn’t plan on purposefully showing those rumour-loving nobles Latina, a extraordinarily beautiful girl, who was also a relative to 『himself』, who was somewhat famous.
When he was asked, ‘Well, don’t you want to see Latina dressed in a dress fitting for a banquet and accessorised with jewelries and makeup?’, Dale’s heart shook. Of course she would be cute. There’s no doubt she would be the centre of the party. That’s a done deal.
Nevertheless, it was because he didn’t like it. Which is why he didn’t want Latina to get unnecessary attention gathered onto her.
Men from all other places are all 『enemies』 to Dale.
Regardless of the fact that he had told Latina that he never thought of her as 『someone special』, he felt uncomfortable at the sight of 『Latina being with other men』.
It wasn’t a strange reaction even as her 『guardian』, but the fact that he was showing feelings that were a little childish even for him, made him unable to determine whether these were truly merely 『feelings』 that a 『guardian』 would have — and his gaze went a little haywire.
It was natural 『for a father』, to not wish for their daughter to be taken away by anyone, and if it 『wasn’t their father』 then, it held a different meaning.
Wind would walk around in the Duke’s garden everyday, at his own pace.
Since it was a large stretch of land fitting of a grand noble’s residence, it seems Wind was also having fun.
Hearing that he had dug up a deep hole in a corner of the garden, Dale went white. However, considering that he had done him a favour and 『brought Latina here』, Dale couldn’t be too annoyed about him, and decided to give an earnest apology.
Wind himself, wasn’t shy at all. Maybe he was doing this on purpose.
Being able to be beside Latina, Dale’s recovery hastened.
There was also the fact that it was a light injury to begin with, but his recovery speed was quick to the point where it couldn’t be explained with just that.
And in that time, Dale decided to once again go through the days where he had first met Latina.
Sitting down by the bed and talking, was due to a moment of impulse.
Just by meeting eyes with her, she would casually smile at him gently.
Dale brushes his hand through a lock of her let down hair, and she draws her body back, in shock.
That was because she was in puberty, and not a 『rejection』 towards her 『father』, and her cheeks went slightly red, and he realised then that, he made her feel shy.
Her gentle, grey eyes, would moisten up every now and then, and she would look at him with some resemblance of passion. Having finally realised it, he noticed the meaning behind the passion resting in her eyes.
A little embarassed, he turns his gaze away, and she leaks a slight, inaudible sigh, and then started to smile at him again as if nothing had happened.
What he had done by 『restricting』 himself to seeing her as his 『Small Latina』, was much more thorough than he had thought. Dale, who has now realised her intentions, 『looking』 at her now, without his filters, she looked, without a doubt, like a 『Maiden in love』.
Suppressing his embarrassment, his old habits, such as brushing through her smooth hair — Latina’s hair, which had always been smooth ever since she was young, had a shine and texture that would not lose out to the highest grade of silk. Since it felt so nice to touch, it had become a habit of Dale’s to 『gently brush her hair』. — Latina loosens herself to look truly happy, and delighted. Even that unguarded expressions of her due to her trust towards him, and her subconsciously rubbing her cheeks into the palm of his hand, looked to be a little bit sexual.
This girl, was defenceless.
She was so defenceless, to such a surprising degree that even when she was with 『someone of the other sex』, such as himself — if he was to think 『to put his hand on her』, it was as if he could say 『Thanks for the meal』 at any point in time.
You might be able to say that it was due to her 『youth』, but Dale had various thoughts regarding this her riskiness.
(This girl, if she keeps being like this, is gonna make guys cry….)
Besides, if this girl, having not noticed that her innocent, unguarded actions is something that would excite the things called men, came to understand that, and 『use it』, there would be no helping it even if she was called a 『Nationwide Beauty』 after all.
And then, despite knowing that the person herself has no idea of things like that, he troubled over the idea of being able to 『lay his hands on her at any time』.
It’s still too soon. It’s still too soon so that can’t happen. Even looking at Dale, who was muttering that as if it was a chant inside his head, Latina smiled at him innocently.
Latina was still, 『young』.
— He was starting to notice that her body was starting to mature a little — but something like that was bound to be just his imagination. After all, even she herself having noticed that her growth was slower than her friends, and so her body was still immature.
After calling it her 『rebellious phase』, and distancing himself from Latina — Furthermore, he had not seen Latina in person for over a month by using work as an excuse and running away. Nevertheless, there’s certainly no way, that she would be able to change in just that period of time.
Seeing Dale, who had been desperately telling himself things like that, fighting away his desires. Without realising what he was thinking at all Latina gently smiles — who just as the person herself wanted, welcomed her 『period of growth』–, which was something, at this stage, Dale had no idea of knowing.
She, who was like a 『cocoon』 right before they spread their wings, was truly growing into an adult at a frightening speed.
『The genes she had received from her mother』, something that she had been worried about previously, didn’t seem to influence her growth much, and as the months go by, the years go by, she, who had matured into an extremely attractive woman, became a big headache for Dale.
Just like that, just as Latina was becoming an 『adult』 — When Dale, was deciding to properly come face to face with 『the relationship he has with her』 —
Her 『dream』, changed slightly.