After she finished her preparations, the singing voice Jutia-san shared with me was nothing short of breathtaking. Her usual voice had a somewhat adorable quality to it, matching her petite stature perfectly.
But as she sang, it took on a mature, cool quality that was worlds apart from her everyday tone. It was a magnificent sound—crystal clear and utterly captivating.
"So... how was it, ze-i?"
"It was incredible. It sounded completely different from the chorus earlier. Your voice is so beautiful; I was totally lost in it."
"Oh, stop! You’re making me blush, making me blush, ze-i! But I’m happy, really happy, ze-i!"
When she finished and I offered my honest praise, Jutia-san gave me a dazzling smile that was practically infectious.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, her expression shifted.
"Come to think of it, come to think of it—and this has nothing to do with us right now—but in plays and theater, a confession of love to the Spirit Race usually starts with the line: 'Sing for me,' ze-i."
"R-Really? I assume that's because songs are particularly special to your people?"
"That's likely how the trope started, but I've never actually seen anyone say it in real life, ze-i. It might be because it's rare for Spirits to experience romantic love in the first place, but I’ve certainly never heard it outside of fiction."
"Huh... Wait, I think I’ve heard something similar before. Something about presenting a Golden Fruit?"
Listening to her, I recalled a conversation I’d had with Kuro. She had mentioned that if a Spirit offers a Golden Fruit and the recipient eats it, a marriage proposal is officially established.
"Ah, that! Yes, that’s how it works when a Spirit proposes, ze-i! We compress the natural magic power we possess into a sphere to create the fruit. For a Spirit, that fruit is a gift reserved for someone truly, truly special... but like I said, falling in love is a rare thing for us to begin with."
"Is it really that uncommon?"
Romance between Spirits and humans seems like a popular theme for stories. In fact, based on what Jutia-san said about it being a staple of the stage, there must be quite a few plays centered on the concept.
However, if someone as old as Jutia-san says it's rare, then reality must be quite different from the theater.
"It's an intuitive thing, so it's hard to explain, but even though we have these physical Spirit Bodies, we still feel like an extension of the flora... like we’re just parts of nature itself. Because of that, our views on romance are a bit unique, ze-i. For starters, members of our own race are almost never seen as romantic interests. There might be an exception out there somewhere, but as far as I know, there’s never been a case of two Spirits becoming lovers or getting married."
"If even you don't know of any, then it must be an extremely rare occurrence."
"Exactly, exactly. It's as if we're all part of one giant whole. We have our likes, dislikes, and hierarchies, but essentially, there's a strong sense that we’re all the same being. Maybe it’s just my personal opinion, but I think that’s the main factor. Still, that doesn’t mean Spirits never fall in love. I’ve known Spirits who have become involved with Dryads, High Trents, and even High Elves, ze-i."
Dryads, High Trents, and High Elves... those are all races deeply connected to nature. I wondered if that was the common thread?
As if affirming my thoughts, Jutia-san continued.
"This is just my own feeling based on experience, so there’s no hard evidence, but I think the criteria for the person a Spirit falls in love with is simply: someone beloved by nature, ze-i."
"I suppose that makes sense. Dryads and High Trents certainly have that connection... but what does it mean to be 'beloved by nature' specifically?"
"Hmm, that is a very, very difficult question, ze-i! It’s hard to explain to other races, but we Spirits and Fairies have a sense of how much nature favors a person. There are several hypotheses, but it’s not something we can measure with numbers. It's pure intuition, so putting it into words is tough, ze-i."
"I see. It’s a special perception unique to your people."
"Right, right... And for what it's worth, Kaito, you are beloved by nature by an absolute landslide, ze-i! Aside from other Spirits or Fairies, I’ve never met anyone who feels this deeply loved by the natural world, ze-i."
Now that she mentioned it, I think I was told something similar when we first met. I didn't quite understand the mechanics behind it... but maybe Shiro-san’s Blessing had something to do with it?
Serious-senpai: "Do you see it now? Do you see the terrifying flag hidden in Jutia’s words? Think about it... Why was Jutia able to deduce the 'criteria for Spirit romance' based on 'her own intuition and experience' in the first place? And then we have Kaito, who, according to her, is beloved by nature more than anyone she’s ever met..."