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Youth, Being warned by his Older brother. (First half)
Hearing Kenneth’s words, Dalelooked surprised — and pondered, but in the next instant, he went back to smiling bitterly again.
“What are you saying…. Why would I…”
“Probably because…. If you acknowledged that Latina has grown up then, you would 『have to let her go』.”
With Kenneth’s words, Dale stiffened up, as if he was startled.
It was just that, rather than because he understood the essence of what Kenneth was talking about, it was nothing more than an instinctual reaction to rejection; To run away from reality, and avoid thinking about it.
Which meant that, he still had not realised 『his own troublesome qualities』.
“You probably don’t want to lose this current lifestyle of yours, where you’re living with Latina. From the beginning, you’ve clearly 『changed』 ever since Latina came here. It’s natural for you to think that.”
“Of….of course! What’s wrong with wanting to stay together with my cute Latina…..”
“Once that child becomes an adult…. Guys who would want to take that girl as their bride, will come flocking. Even taking into account that she’s of the 『Demon race』, just her personality and looks are far above the 『norm』.”
“That’ll obviously, be true too….! Which is why, I have to keep a close eye on her so that weird 『bugs』 don’t get close to her….”
“Then what do you plan on doing when some guy shows up, and Latina asks if she can be his bride?”
“……!”
His face was clearly twisted, — But even then, Dale wrung out the words fitting of a 『Guardian』 in a low voice.
“….There’s a part of me, that wants to beat the hell out of him….. But if that’s what Latina wants then, I’ll let her.”
As long as that girl was happy.
What I have always been praying for, was that girl’s happiness after all.
“I thought so. I knew you would say such things.”
Then, Kenneth continued.
“Once you acknowledge that, that girl is an adult, there is definitely no way that you would be able to keep away from 『this matter』. That’s one of the reasons why you 『don’t want to acknowledge it』.”
“One of the reasons…. What else is there….”
“Have you stopped to think about why Rita is that mad?”
“As if I would know anything about that….”
“Rita has always been the 『person Latina talks to』 after all. As a girl, there are probably some things that she couldn’t ask neither you nor I.”
Things like the changes of the body that come with growing up, and the things that happen because of it.
Various things that were difficult to ask men, and even if asked, difficult to answer. The one who Latina had been talking with about such things, was the most familiar adult woman to her, Rita.
For Latina, Rita was 『Someone she talked to』, to get a different standpoint from Kenneth.
Rita saw that Latina was close to 『becoming an adult』.
As well as the fact that, this small girl, who had been in love with her『guardian』 ever since she was little, now has feelings of love, appropriate for girls her age.
As well as the sight of that small girl, nurturing both feelings of good will, as well as sad, painful feelings into her heart.
Rita had always been by the side of that young girl, watching over her as she grew up.
“For Rita, your denseness towards Latina’s tender emotions, are probably unforgiveable.”
“And I’m telling you that there’s a chance that, that…. is something both you, and Rita, are just overthinking…..”
“It’s obvious, even to me, that Latina has those kinds of feelings for you.”
“Wha…..”
“Although, it was only after that girl had went on a 『trip』 with you, and come back when I actually noticed it. When I told this to Rita, I heard that, that child had had such feelings for you since a long way back.”
Dale was trembling, astonished. It seems he truly 『had not noticed』 those feelings of Latina’s.
“Latina hasn’t been hiding those feelings of love from you. Her expression, her tone, every single one of her actions…. Everything she does for you, is plain and out in the open. Yet, seeing that you 『didn’t even try to notice it』, that’s why Rita is angry.”
“Even if you say that…. I….”
“The reason why you 『haven’t realised it』, is the same as before. You’ve been keeping Latina inside a box, treating her like a 『small child』. It’s because you look at that girl with such eyes.”
Dale had been looking at Latina as his 『Cute, little daughter』. Even now, when she’s growing up, he’s been looking at her through a 『filter that sees her as his little Latina』.
Even Latina’s obvious yearnings for him, so obvious that even the surrounding people notice it, was blocked by Dale’s visual 『filter』.
It wasn’t just Rita, but judging from the faces of all the people who knew about Latina’s feelings, every single one of them wanted to tell him off.
The people around Latina had seen her gallant figure – Her sad expression from not having her love noticed, as well as her smile, having swallowed those feelings down — that Dale didn’t even try to notice.
It would’ve been too extreme as well, if Rita was to act impulsively and yell out, Why don’t you realise this!
“After all I’ve said…. No matter how you are right now, you’re not gonna keep saying that Latina is in something as stupid as a 『rebellious phase』 right?”
“But….I mean…. I’m….”
After quietly stuttering out some broken words, with his eyes swimming around for a little while, Dale finally managed to squeeze out some meaning from his words.
“But, still, to me, Latina is my 『Cute little Latina』 and…. I don’t see her…. Like that…. In the end.”
There was indeed some sense in that. She was still a young girl in the process of growing up. However, Kenneth made a point about that not being an 『answer』 either.
“You, probably won’t be able to say that after a few more years. Are you going to say the same thing at that time as well?”
“That…I wouldn’t know… until that time comes.”
The reason why Kenneth couldn’t allow for Dale to 『avoid this』, was because Dale still hasn’t realised his most annoying quality.
“Why are you so determined to run away from 『considering Latina’s feelings』?”
“B-because…. She’s still, Latina is….”
“If Latina was to 『become someone’s wife』…. Or if you were to 『take someone as your wife』, your 『current lifestyles』 will end. However, 『If you were to end up taking Latina as your wife then』, you would probably be able to continue out the 『same lifestyles you’ve been having right now』.”
Right from the beginning, it seemed as if there was there was no place for anyone else in Dale and Latina’s way of life.
The two of them support each other emotionally, and share each other’s happiness by being close to each other.
It wasn’t just that, but Dale was completely reliant on Latina for all of his daily household work, and other various matters, more than the person himself was aware. It’s precisely because she knows Dale so well that, that she was trying to show him a much braver and considerate front than the person herself wished for.
It was the same when they were eating. The dishes that Latina cooks were all cooked because she knew well what Dale likes.
— Truthfully speaking, it didn’t seem likely that a woman who could organize a more comfortable lifestyle for him, or be more familiar with his likes than Latina would appear when Dale was looking for a partner. Even if Dale himself didn’t ask for someone of that level, such a woman would probably hate Latina, seeing that she was a high spec young girl 『who could be used to compare her with』.
The thing known as the compatibility between a man and woman, wouldn’t become known until they are together. Nothing could be said at this stage.
“Even if it’s not right now, you can do that after a few years. Despite that, why, why don’t you even try to consider that possibility?”
If he wanted to continue their current life of sharing their happiness together then — Doing that was one of the 『options』 available to Dale as well.
He wasn’t saying that they should immediately jump into that sort of relationship. However, it would probably be alright to at least 『consider it as one of the possibilites』.
In the first place, there was no one Dale 『wanted to be with』 more than Latina, anyway.
“Like I said…. This is 『your problem』. I can more or less guess… why you’ve never tried to have 『someone special』 with you, though. I think that, most likely, that child had already resolved herself for something like that.”