An A-Ranked Adventurer's Chapter 63

Our Special Place

「We're here. The field of flowers」

「Yeah, since the weather is nice today, the colors of the flowers look better too」

After we came out of the tree lined path, we gazed at the field of flowers while slightly sweating from our foreheads. 

The flowers stretched in every direction as far as our eyes could see. Perhaps it's because spring is completely over now that the red colored flowers were no longer there. 

However, light-bluish flowers have bloomed all around the field as if they are subst.i.tuting in for them. Other warm colored flowers have also started to turn into a cool color the same way the season changed. 

Orange flowers were turning yellow. Yellow ones were turning green. Green ones were turning blue. There were even some flowers that have completely changed into one color as well. They were very mysterious and beautiful.

A scene that absolutely can't be seen anywhere else was laid out before my eyes.

「…So this is what the field of flowers look like in the summer, huh…」 

「Since it was spring when you came here nine years ago, this would be your first time seeing what it's like in the summer, right?」

「…Yeah」

This is Nordende's field of flowers in the summer. Compared to spring where the flowers only had warm colors, there is now way more different colors to bring joy to our eyes.

The way their vibrant colors mixed together was so beautiful that it was as if I was looking at something magical.

I watched in fascination as the flowers showed me a side that looked completely different from how they looked in spring. 

My heart was struck by the same impact as when I first came here nine years ago. 

The view before my eyes is so beautiful and unreal that it makes me wonder if it's going to disappear if I blink. Since they felt magical enough to put that thought in my mind, I continued to gaze without blinking, as if I was burning this image into my heart and my brain. 

「…It's so pretty」

「…Yeah」

Flora agreed in a quiet voice to the words that I instinctively let out. 

As we gazed at the flowers together, a gust of wind started to blow across the field with a loud *phyuu*. Accompanying it was the sound of the flowers rustling as they swayed.

When the brilliant flowers shook, some of their petals soared into the sky.

I almost forgot to breathe because of how beautiful it looked when all the different colors of flower petals mixed together as they flew in the air. They moved as if they were dancing, changing their colors as they swapped places with each other. Witnessing that alone was pleasure to my eyes.

The flower petals rode the wind and flew right at us with the same momentum.

「Kyaa!」

Surprised by the wind that was coming at us, Flora held on to her hat as she screamed adorably.

As the *phyuu* sound went past my ears, the petals filled my vision in vivid colors. 

They danced in the wind before us as if they were welcoming us. Then, they gently brushed our skin before flying away.

We saw them off in blank amazement as they left us behind.

After that, we slowly looked at each other and laughed.

「Ahaha, Aldo-san, you have petals all over you」

「You're covered in petals too, you know?」

Due to that gust of wind just now, we got flower petals all over ourselves. We laughed as we saw how each other looked. 

In this beautiful field of flowers, the sight of Flora laughing innocently while covered in flower petals was so adorable and beautiful.  

The flower petals' dance just before was beautiful too but I found her innocent laughter many times more beautiful. I'm sure that I'm not going to forget this scene for a second time. 

We laughed for a while, and then we cleared the petals off each other's body.

「These are kind of pretty, I wonder if we should bring some home」

I put some of the emerald-green petals that was on her shoulder in my palm.

I really liked that soft shade that brings a peaceful feel.

I know that it won't last a long time if we just bring the petals back like this, but I want to take my time to enjoy looking at them at home.

「Sure. I'll bring back these orangish yellow ones 」 

「Sounds great. I feel like just looking at them will liven us up. It's too bad that they'll wither so quickly despite them being so pretty…」

「Yeah. They'll normally wither in a few days if we're only going to look at them. However, we can enjoy them for a long time if we like flatten them with a book, or make them into perfume in a jar, or dry them and put them in a frame, you know?」

As expected of Flora, she was very knowledgeable about flowers. She gave me various methods we can use to extend the petals' life so we could enjoy them longer.

「Ah, that reminds me, there were some dried flower petals in a frame hung up on the walls inside of your parents' home! It was really nice!」

When I told her what I remembered, Flora got a little embarra.s.sed and said,

「It's a little embarra.s.sing hearing you say that because I'm the one who puts the petals in there every time」

Flora smiled shyly. And it was adorable.

「Let's make one of those decorations for our home as well」

I think just that alone could really brighten up our house. It doesn't cost any money and we'll be able to enjoy the beauty of the flower petals.

「Okay, let's do it! We have to collect a lot of flower petals today!」

We walked around the field of flowers and collected the flower petals that had fallen off. While Flora was teaching me about flowers that only appear during summer, the sun had moved to the middle of the sky. Because of that, we decided to take a break under a tree.

「Please go ahead on the cloth, my lady」

「Ehehe, I feel like a n.o.ble's daughter for some reason. Alright then, please allow me to do so」

When I laid out the cloth in the shade of the tree, Flora took her shoes off with a smile and took a seat on it.

The way she replied was courteous and the way she moved was sophisticated. She really looked like a n.o.ble lady.

It might be fun to take our time to play pretend with each other when we're home as a butler and his lady. 

I had met with royalty before in the past so I know the basic etiquette to some degree. I think I can imitate a servant pretty well. 

Unfortunately, the tea I make is nowhere near as good as the tea Flora makes. 

After making sure that there weren't any rocks under the cloth, I took my shoes off and sat down.

I let out a deep sigh as I took my hat off and stretched out my legs.

The sky was so clear today, so it's no surprise that I sweated a lot.

When I took a look at my own shirt, it was slightly drenched in sweat. I could also feel the sweat running down my forehead.

As for Flora, her clothes weren't as sweaty as mine, but I could see a little bit of sweat on her forehead and arms.

「Here, a towel and some water」

「Thank you」

When I handed her a towel and a water canteen from my bag, Flora took her hat off as well.

Her golden colored hair that was locked away unraveled entirely as a sweet scent came drifting through the air. 

Then, she wiped her sweat with the towel.

Was the heat getting to me? The way she wiped her skin and her gesture of fanning air to her chest looked kind of hot.

At that moment, I wondered why my heart was beating faster even though I already saw her undress in our bath area before. 

While I was slightly fascinated by the way she wiped herself, I started to wipe the sweat off myself as well.

Then, I quickly chugged some water from the canteen to moisten my throat. *Gulp, gulp, gulp*, I felt refreshed from the feeling of water going down my throat.

When I put my water canteen aside, I saw Flora drinking from her canteen in a different way. She was drinking with her head slightly tipping back and forth like a small animal so it made me want to keep looking at her. 

「What is it?」

「No, nothing. It's cool in the shade, isn't it?」

I think she'd get embarra.s.sed if I told her that she looks cute when she's drinking water. Her expression and the gestures she makes when she's embarra.s.sed is nice but I think she'll become self-conscious after, so didn't say it for the time being. 

「Yeah. Even though it's only blocking the sunlight for us, it still really cools me down a lot」

Moreover, this place is more ventilated since it's slightly more elevated than the field of flowers. We can gaze down at the field from here too, so it's a really great place to take a break at.

For the next little while, we looked at the flowers silently.

The gentle silence was nice because the person I love is right next to me.

Until a few months ago, I would have never imagined that Flora would be sitting next to me as my wife.

I met her at this field of flowers, then I met her again under this tree, and it was under this tree where we confessed our feelings to each other … 

We have lots of memories with this field and this tree. We could already call it our special place.

「What happened? You have a smile on your face, you know?」

Apparently I was smiling without realizing it. Flora was looking at me curiously.

「…This is where it all began for us」

「That's right. This is where I ran into you again and where we vowed our love for each other. It's a very important place for me」

With that, she rested her head on my shoulder. It felt nice feeling her warmth and weight on my shoulder. I could really feel her presence.

If this place wasn't here, the timing would have been different and I would have probably never ran into Flora when I first came here. I can't thank this beautiful field of flowers enough for bringing us together. 

It's all because of this field of flowers that I am able to cuddle with her like this.

I stroked Flora's head as I appreciated that fact and the happiness that it brought.