Chapter 64 - A Special Place
"We've arrived. The flower field."
"Yes, since the weather is good today, the colors of the flowers also stand out."
Having passed through the tree-lined path, Flora and I gazed at the flower field while a bit of sweat seeped onto our foreheads.
Flowers spreading as far as the eye could see. Perhaps because the spring season had completely passed, the red flowers were gone.
However, as if to replace them, I could see light blue and other bluish flowers peeking out here and there. The other warm-colored flowers were also changing their colors toward cool colors, just as the season transitioned.
From orange to yellow. From yellow to green. From green to blue, and there were even flowers where all of that was happening in a single petal. They were very mysterious and beautiful.
A sight that could never be seen anywhere else was spreading before my eyes.
"...So this is the summer flower field."
"The season when you came nine years ago was spring, Aldo-san. This is your first time seeing the summer flower field, right?"
"...Yeah."
So this was Nordende's summer flower field. Compared to spring, which was fixed with warm colors, the number of colors was overwhelmingly large and delighted our eyes.
The way the vivid colors mixed together was very beautiful, making the flowers look even more fantastical.
I was fascinated by the flowers, which showed a completely different face from spring.
A shock, like when I first saw this flower field nine years ago, covered my heart.
The sight spreading before me was so beautiful and fleeting that I felt it might disappear if I blinked. It was so fantastical that I thought so, and I continued to gaze without even blinking. As if to sear it into my heart and mind.
"...It's beautiful."
"...Yes."
Flora quietly agreed with the words that escaped my mouth.
While Flora and I stood side by side gazing at the flower field, a wind blew through the field with a whistle. Along with it, the flowers in our sight all began to sway at once, making a rustling sound.
The vividly colored flowers began to sway, and several petals fluttered up.
The way the petals containing various hues danced in the air was so beautiful that I almost forgot to breathe. They moved as if dancing flutteringly, changing their hues between the front and back. Just watching that change delighted my eyes.
The petals riding the wind came all the way here with that momentum.
"Kya!"
Flora, surprised by the oncoming wind, let out a cute voice and held down her straw hat.
Then, the sound of the wind rang in my ears with a whistle, and the petals vividly colored my vision.
The petals riding the wind danced within mine and Flora's sight as if to welcome us, and then they gently stroked our skin and flew behind us.
Flora and I watched the petals receding behind us in a daze.
Then we slowly turned our gazes toward each other and laughed.
"Ahaha, Aldo-san, you're covered in so many petals."
"Flora, you have a lot of petals on you too."
Because of the wind just now, Flora and I had many petals on our skin, clothes, and hats. The way we both looked was so funny that we laughed together.
In the middle of the beautiful summer flower field, the sight of Flora with an innocent smile while covered in petals was very cute and beautiful.
The sight of the petals dancing earlier was also beautiful, but I thought Flora, laughing innocently in the flower field, was many times more beautiful. I'm sure I'll never forget the sight of this moment.
After laughing for a while, we first brushed off the petals attached to our bodies.
"I think I'll take this one home because it's beautiful."
I placed a blue-green petal that was on my shoulder onto my palm.
I really liked the calm, pale hue.
I knew that taking just a petal home meant it would have a short life, but I wanted to gaze at it slowly at home too.
"That's nice. I'll take this one that has orange and yellow mixed together."
"That's good. It looks like it would give me energy just by looking at it. It's a shame that it'll wither soon because it's so beautiful—"
"That's right. If you just look at it normally, it'll wither in a few days. But, you can enjoy them for a long time by sandwiching them in a book to make pressed flowers, stuffing them in a bottle to make perfume, or drying them and putting them in a picture frame, you know?"
As expected of someone knowledgeable about flowers, Flora listed ways to use the petals so they could be enjoyed for a long time.
"Ah, come to think of it, there was a picture frame with dried petals in it on the wall of Elgis-san's house! It was very beautiful!"
When I said it as if I'd remembered, Flora said while looking a bit embarrassed,
"Since I was the one who made that picture frame every time, it's a bit embarrassing."
Flora's expression softened in a bashful manner. That was also cute.
"Let's make one of those and decorate our place too."
I thought just having that would make the room much more brilliant and nice. It didn't cost money, and we could enjoy the beauty of the petals, so I thought it was good.
"Yes, let's do that! We have to collect a lot of petals today!"
◆
While we were walking around the flower field gazing at it, collecting fallen petals, and having her explain about flowers unique to summer, the sun had climbed to the middle of the sky, so Flora and I decided to take a break under a tree.
"My lady, please, onto the cloth."
"Ufufu, I feel somewhat like a noble's young lady. Well then, I'll step up."
When I spread a cloth in a place that was in the shade of the tree, Flora sat on the cloth after taking off her shoes while chuckling.
Flora's way of speaking was polite, and her movements were beautiful, so she really did seem like a noble's young lady.
When we got home, it might be okay to amuse ourselves by playing at being a noble's young lady and a butler.
I had actually met nobles and royalty, so I had acquired the minimum etiquette. That's why I thought I could manage something like imitating a noble's servant.
Unfortunately, I couldn't match Flora when it came to skill with black tea.
After confirming again that there were no protruding stones under the cloth, I took off my shoes and sat down on the cloth.
Then I let out a breath, took off my straw hat, and stretched my legs out as far as they would go.
Perhaps because the weather was good today, I had ended up sweating as expected.
When I looked at my shirt, it was a bit seeped with sweat. I could feel the sweat gradually seeping from my forehead.
When I looked at Flora, although her clothes weren't seeped with sweat like mine, a few droplets were floating on her forehead and arms.
"Here, this towel and the water bottle."
"Thank you very much."
When I handed her the towel and water bottle I took out from the bag, Flora also took off her straw hat.
Her blonde hair that had been tucked away appeared silkily, and a faint sweet scent drifted by.
Then Flora wiped away her sweat with the towel.
Perhaps because her cheeks were flushed from the heat, the way Flora wiped the sweat from her skin and fanned her chest to send a breeze looked sensual.
Even though I had even seen her taking off her clothes in the changing room the other day, I wondered why my heart was throbbing like this.
While being a bit fascinated by Flora's gesture of wiping her sweat, I also wiped my own sweat.
Then, to moisten my dry throat, I gulped down water from the water bottle. The moisture passing through my parched throat felt very good.
When I placed the water bottle to the side, unlike me, Flora was drinking water slowly. The way she drank water with little gulps made her look like a small animal, and I wanted to gaze at her forever.
"What's the matter?"
"No, it's nothing. It really is cool under the shade of a tree."
If I said the way she drank water was cute, I thought she'd be embarrassed. That bashful gesture and expression were also good, but I thought she'd become self-conscious if I said it, so I wouldn't say it for now.
"That's right. Just by not having the sunlight hit you in the shade of a tree, it feels much cooler."
Besides, perhaps because this place was a bit higher than the flower field, the ventilation was also good. From here, you could also get a full view of the flower field, so it was truly a perfect place for taking a break.
Flora and I gazed at the flower field in silence for a while.
The peaceful silence that existed because we liked each other was comfortable.
Until a few months ago, I probably wouldn't have imagined that Flora would become my wife and be sitting beside me.
Meeting Flora in this flower field, reuniting under this tree, being confessed to by Flora under this tree and becoming united...
I had many memories associated with this flower field and tree. It could already be said to be a special place.
"What's wrong? You have a smile on your face."
Apparently, I had been smiling without knowing it; Flora peered into my face, perhaps curious.
"...I was just thinking that this is the place where it all began for me and Flora."
"That's right. This is the place of our meeting and reunion, and the place that became the catalyst for us to be united. It's a very important place."
Saying so, Flora rested her head on my shoulder. The body temperature and weight I felt on my shoulder were comfortable. I felt Flora's presence strongly.
If this place hadn't existed, or if the timing of my coming had been off, Flora and I wouldn't have met. I couldn't thank this beautiful flower field enough for bringing us together.
Because thanks to this flower field, Flora and I can be close like this.
I stroked Flora's head as if to savor that fact, that happiness.