It was like a page straight out of a colorful picture book. She stared at a ginkgo tree, her feet glistening gold in the warm sunlight, her hair as white as cotton. If fairies did exist in this world and one could transform into human form for just one day, such a fantastic and picturesque view could be recreated.
Mariabelle might have been drawing looks from me and everyone passing by just by sitting on the bench covered in leaves because she was a half-fairy elf. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she had told me if she’d been using magic. All she did was look at me with her amethyst eyes and soften her visage into a smile to snap me out of my trance and get my feet moving again.
She stared directly at me as I walked closer, and I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. Then my nerves settled down somewhat as I noticed the black cat sleeping on her lap. A ginkgo leaf was on its head when it awakened, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. The creature looked far too cute for the familiar of the legendary Arkdragon.
“Look,” said Marie. “I told Wridra I want to go for a walk with the two of us, so she sent a bodyguard.”
“It looks just as sleepy as I do, but I couldn’t ask for a better guard,” I replied.
The familiar hissed, which made us both laugh.
Meanwhile, the cups I had bought earlier were filled with warm café lattes. I handed one to Marie, and her eyes shimmered brighter in the sunlight. There was an air of sophistication about her, as if she were a highborn lady. When she smiled so innocently, I had to take another deep breath to steady myself.
“Hm? What is it?” she asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said. “It’s just that the sight of ginkgo trees here took my breath away.”
“I know what you mean! The beautiful colors on the ground and in the sky stunned me. I noticed this with the cherry blossoms. In Japan, people planted many trees in the same area, making for incredibly vivid views like these.”
Marie had taken my breath away, but I shut my mouth and reached out my hand instead. She immediately took it in her hand and continued to praise the ginkgo trees as she rose from the bench.
I nodded along as I helped her up, then looked at the trees that were adorably shaped like pointy hats. “Trees are so full of life. I’ve been to many places, and they’ve amazed me wherever I go.”
“They grow to such heights to hoard the blessing of sunlight. That’s why forests are so deep and dark, and they’re hardly ever as colorful as it is here.”
It was strange to listen to an elf girl complain about nature. Having lived in her village, I knew elves were relatable despite their stunningly beautiful appearance. They loved sweets, dressed up to make themselves look pretty, and often asked about human civilization when bored. Marie was especially curious in that sense. I found it relieving that they were just like normal people and could enjoy the same things we did.
“Moments like these truly give you a taste of autumn in Japan,” mused Marie. “In my village, migratory birds are the first signs of the change in seasons. They used to tell me they’d come fleeing because winter was approaching.”
“Come to think of it, I saw birds resting at your house often.”
“Yes, they must have needed to recharge after flying from far away. They had a ridiculous appetite. They would even stare longingly at my meals,” she said. “Oh, as for signs of autumn approaching, you could tell by fruits growing, blue caps, and Sicrasus flowers.”
“Hm? What’s a blue cap?” I asked.
“Oh, you’ve lived in our village and don’t know about blue caps? That’s a shame and kind of unbelievable, to be honest. You’ve really been missing out.”
Why was she looking down on me like that?
I tried to think back and couldn’t recall hearing of this “blue cap,” even though I had only spent just under a year in her village. And so I furrowed my brows while digging deep into my memories, only to have Marie giggle and hug my arm.
“I’m kidding! It’s just what we call a bridal outfit. Everyone gathers with blue flowers and plants to make the color like a clear river. We didn’t have any ceremonies when you were around, but we use a blue cap in the autumn and white cap in the spring.”
“A marriage ceremony, huh? Well, I wasn’t around for that long, and I figure marriages aren’t too common for elves, considering they live so long,” I said.
“Yes, but they’re so much fun. The food tastes even better when we eat together under the blue sky. If there’s another ceremony...” Marie trailed off, then moved away from me for some reason. The sudden movement felt cold despite the warm weather.
“What’s wrong, Marie?” I asked.
Marie remained facing away from me and spoke up, her voice cracking slightly. “Nothing.” She had tilted the cup in her hand as she moved in a fluster, and mumbled, “Ouch,” as she spilled a bit of its steaming contents.
She stumbled.
“Forget it, it’s fine... Well, it’s not not fine. Anyway, this is so nice for a scenic walk. If there were a place like this in our neighborhood, I might walk there every day,” she added.
“Yeah, I thought it would be nice to see the leaves that have changed into autumn colors. I wanted to take us to Kyoto, but Toru just laughed when I asked him if we could stay in any good places.”
“Kyo-to?” asked Marie, blinking her big, pretty eyes. She had never been there before, so it was no wonder she didn’t know about it. On the other hand, I should’ve known that it would be impossible to book a room at such a popular place during this time of year.
“I guess you could consider this an alternative of sorts. Ginkgos are the symbol of Tokyo. Some universities, like this one, have planted a bunch of them. You don’t need to pay an entry fee to see them; it only takes half an hour to get here.”
“Well, ‘frugal’ is one of my favorite words. I always feel good about activities that don’t cost a fortune. It makes me feel less guilty when you buy me sweet drinks like this,” said Marie, smiling and letting her tongue playfully peek out of her mouth. Our little chat had helped me calm down, and I was happy that she’d moved closer to me.