Artoria the Big Liar

"Well... Overall, it's not bad. As a novice, it's already very good." This time, I didn't hesitate to praise.

"It's a pity that you don't smile very much. If you smile, you will look better." I didn't respond to this sentence, so this sentence became the witch's soliloquy—the time the witch gave me was only a moment , I didn't even react.

Then, like a child who got a new toy, the witch kept taking pictures as she went shopping.

nearby【%'

Thanks to the excellent quality of the camera itself, none of the photos she took is bad, and the composition is also very good, which can not only highlight the theme, but also retain the beauty - it is unimaginable that she is illiterate, and she just got the camera not long ago .So, I told the truth and kept praising.In the end, she was really happy, and the smile kept blooming on her face, just like another round of the sun, shining the sun on my closed, dark, corrupt and depraved heart.

At about 10:30, the witch finally stopped, and I went to a roadside cafe with her to rest.

She was sitting opposite me, and I was sitting opposite her. There was a cup of iced milk tea in front of each of us. We looked into each other's eyes, as if we were playing a non-speaking challenge, waiting for the other party to ask questions first. .

I don't know why, but I, who is usually very patient, didn't even survive 2 minutes, so I couldn't help asking questions.

"Speaking of... why did you suddenly think of buying a camera?"

"In the square, what do you think is the relationship between the old man holding the camera and the old man being photographed?"

"It should be husband and wife?"

"Right? And they've been married for many, many years." In a trance, the witch's pupils flashed with a brilliance that I couldn't understand at all.As if reciting a beautiful poem or prose, she said softly: "The husband is fully concentrating when taking pictures, and the wife poses specially when being photographed, adjusts her smile and expression, and shows her best side. Then, the husband presses When the shutter was released, both of them laughed happily, they were the happiest two people in the world. So, I thought at the time that it must be a very magical thing that can bring happiness and smiles I asked you later, and it really is. It can freeze time. No matter how time passes, as long as you pick up these memories, you will definitely return to this day and this street. Even if both parties forget it in the future , The device itself can also help two people preserve their respective memories... So, I want a device like this, I want to preserve my own memory, and your memory."

"But, didn't you say that your previous memories were forged?" I asked.

Without any pause, without any thought, the witch said: "Those memories are forged, but the current memories are all real, right? I am by your side, shopping on the streets of Misaki Town this morning, this is my memory , will not be fake, absolutely true. Since it is true, it should be preserved, so as not to forget one day in the future, right? After all, memory will become blurred after a short period of time. After experiencing After a while, the details will be forgotten. After a long time, maybe only the outline is left. Now with a camera, it is much better."

I picked up the milk tea and took a sip.The smell of milk and tea mixed together is so wonderful that it makes me fall into a trance.It seems that the brain is searching for the memory, but it still can't find it, leaving only a faint trace and a touch of sentimentality like milk tea.

This sentimentality didn't last long, and the witch's voice woke me up from my memories.

"Arthur, have a laugh?"

The eyes were reconnected with the brain, and I saw the witch leaning over, holding up the camera, and pointing the lens of the camera at me.

Suddenly, as if he had figured out something in his heart, the sentimentality quickly fermented, just like the grain turned into wine, transformed into something else—a comfortable, wonderful feeling like the sound of wind chimes.

At this moment, the witch pressed the shutter, and there was a "click" sound from the camera.

"Perfect! Sure enough, you should smile more, so that it looks good enough!"

As she said that, the witch held the camera with one hand without stopping at all, and showed me the screen.

The photos of witches are basically slanted, and this time it is the same.On the screen, I was wearing the formal suit chosen by the witch for me, holding a cup of milk tea, as if I was thinking about something, but just in a daze.The window is beside me, the summer sun falls on me, the pale golden hair and fair skin reflect the brilliance, and the glare of the sun makes the whole photo hazy, making it like a dream, revealing the reality in the illusion , the reality wraps this illusion.

I didn't think about it at all, I have such a phase【,_

However, in the photo, I didn't smile, but the corners of my mouth slightly raised a curve.

"Is that a joke?" I asked.

"Yeah, don't you see that the corners of your mouth are slightly raised?" the witch asked back.

"This... is not a joke at all, is it?"

"A fake smile is not a smile. This is just right, even if it's only a little bit, but it's Arthur, after all, your smile from the bottom of your heart?"

It was only here that I finally came to my senses—not only was I smiling in the photo, but I was also laughing at this very moment.

It's not normal, it shouldn't be.

I have laughed many times, but those laughs are for a reason.Either Mordred made me feel satisfied and proud, or the situation turned out better than expected.But this time, only this morning, I was sitting in this ordinary coffee shop, drinking cheap milk tea, chatting with the witch by the window, but I laughed from the bottom of my heart for no reason.

What's more, the smile itself didn't stop when I consciously laughed.All the comfort before the mood, the whole person seems to be floating.As a result, the summer sun is no longer harsh, the voices on the street are no longer noisy, and the eyes of the bystanders in the coffee shop seem to have appreciation and blessings, so that the world is so kind and beautiful.

This is really... an experience I have never had before.

(5369 words in this chapter)

Chapter Nineteen: Lady

After all, it was just a cup of iced milk tea, and after a few words, there was nothing left.

The witch and I walked out of the coffee shop quickly, and she was still fiddling with the camera, constantly taking pictures of the city's scenery.

We wandered aimlessly through the city center, more like a trip for the sights than a shopping trip.The journey has no end, only when I want to go back, the journey is over.In this way, the witch is still in the city where she will live for three years, with a smile, enthusiasm, and sensibility, and she will continue the trip to the end, indulging in it.

However, maybe because she remembered something, the witch stopped and looked at me with expectation in her eyes.

"Arthur, can you take a picture of me? I want to buy some clothes. How about you take some pictures when the clothes are selected?"

"Why do you only think of buying clothes at this time? In the morning, you said you wanted to buy clothes before you went shopping, right?"

A woman like a witch is like a blooming red rose, gorgeous but thorny. The short-sleeved shirt and trousers are too plain and really inappropriate.This kind of simple clothes is more suitable for people like me and Mordred.Wearing such clothes on the witch's body will only reduce her sensibility and charm, making her fall into vulgarity, lacking solemnity and gorgeousness, and thus making her more frivolous and flashy.

My clothes are not good.Whether I can take a good picture of the witch, I have no confidence at all.

Therefore, I had to vaccinate the witch in advance, so as not to spoil the hard-won good mood.

"Let me tell you first, my photography skills are not high. All I can do is press the shutter button to take pictures."

"Me too?" The witch looked at me, her golden eyes were as soft as water. "As long as the photos can be left, the clarity is enough... In this way, I can do a few looks, right? Just like that old lady."

"Okay. So be it."

After speaking, the witch took my arm and walked into a huge shopping mall.

According to the road signs, the witch and I came to a clothing store. It was quite large and divided into several areas. A wide variety of clothes were quietly placed on hangers.Once customers walk through it, they will be overwhelmed by endless clothes and don't know how to choose. In the end, they have to ask the shopping guide for help, listen to other people's opinions, and offer their own money.

The formal clothes on me are not ordinary expensive.The shopping guide lady near the door usually came over immediately.Her anticipation was ardent, and she kept talking, trying to choose the right clothes for the witch.

To my surprise, the witch did not only choose the most expensive clothes as before, but kept watching and choosing, as if this was a field she was really familiar with—this made the shopping guide very distressed. But when I explained that she was from France, the shopping guide lady suddenly realized that she no longer offered to recommend clothes, but she would answer whatever the witch asked.

Sure enough, the same is true in this world. In the public perception, the taste of the French is inherently much higher than that of other nations. It seems that every Frenchman should be a master of fashion, a master of luxury appreciation, and live a gorgeous and beautiful life. Life has almost become a stereotype.The witch herself fits almost everything in this stereotype.

In the end, the witch chose four sets of clothes—this number is already very small in terms of shopping alone.

After getting dressed in the fitting room and tidying up in front of the fitting mirror, as agreed, she stood in front of me, blooming with a beauty that I have never seen before, releasing a charm that I have never seen before —— Now, it's time for me to take pictures of her.

Gorgeous frilly black dress, this was the first one the witch tried on.The patterns are complicated, cool and breathable, cute yet dignified, elegant but more interesting, between ordinary clothes and dresses, highlighting the witch's beautiful figure, exuding her fairy tale-like charm from the inside out.Wearing this long dress, she seems to be a real celebrity who goes to and from various fashion salons. Just standing quietly in the corner is enough to steal the attention of the audience.

For her second set, she changed her style drastically, switching to a loose black top and slim black trousers.It's avant-garde and designed, as if it had been designed by a fashion guru in Milan.Beautiful people not only express themselves, but also affect the environment.If she wears this outfit and walks on the streets of Misaki Town, even this small town seems to become a fashion capital, and can even drive passers-by and set off a new wave of trends. I'm afraid even the muse in mythology is nothing more than that.

The third set is more everyday and casual.The simple black midi skirt and dark blue overcoat are quite similar to what I wore when I first met the witch, or it was simply another outfit for changing clothes.The scene seems to have suddenly switched to the night in Shinjuku, Tokyo.Rather than highlighting the witch's own characteristics and personality, it pays more attention to the integration with the modern city.At first glance, it’s just an ordinary match, but the more you look at it, the more attractive it becomes, and the more you look at it, the more you can’t divert your eyes——I was probably attracted by her like this at the time, right?

The last set was beyond my expectation, it turned out to be a formal suit.The simple black coat and simple white shirt seem very ordinary, but the black tie that obeys the curve, and the black flared trousers that ordinary people can't control at all, while trying to blur the gender of the witch, they can't cover up her inner self. The air that emanates from the outside.Moreover, as long as you look closely, you can feel the witch's rebellion against order and her strong desire to emphasize her own personality.

As the witch said before, every time she took a photo, she switched to a style that fit the dress.Every movement is just right, and every detail conforms to the instinctive beauty of human beings.The contrast between the black clothing and fair skin caught my eye.And as a temporary photographer, I only need to increase the exposure a little bit, and then press the shutter button, and a photo that can be used as the cover of any magazine is completed.

After the filming was completed, the witch did not change into any outfit, but changed back to the original short-sleeved shirt and denim trousers.

She came to me and watched the photos that had been taken on the screen with me-to my surprise, she was very satisfied.

"Isn't this a good shot? But... the store is quite dark, how did you make the light so normal?"

"It's good to actively increase the exposure. Cameras have this function."

"Huh? You can also adjust the brightness? Isn't it enough to press the shutter?"

"Of course not. Ordinary people can take ordinary photos. But in this era, there are photographers. There are also many complicated knowledge in taking photos. Only by mastering these knowledge can you take the best photos. Isn’t there a lot of advertisements posted on the wall at the entrance of this store? The clothes and models in the advertisements are all taken by professional photographers.”

The Witch's complexion is a bit uncomfortable - she is illiterate after all, and it will be very difficult to learn.

In this regard, I changed the subject, half to comfort her, and half to state simple facts.

"But you don't need to have such a high pursuit. Clear photos and beautiful photos are indeed like makeup, which can make memories look more attractive. But restoring the original truth is not a bad choice, it's just a different tendency. Remember. Did I say it before? The size and performance of the camera are difficult to achieve absolute perfection, and we can only tend to one of them. Many things in the world are like this, there is no difference between right and wrong, it’s just that everyone chooses differently.”

"That's it... I don't have such a high pursuit, as long as I can preserve my memory."

"Let's wait for a clearer and better camera. The speed of this era is very fast. In a few years, the original expensive camera can be compressed to a small size, and many more convenient cameras can be added. Function."

As soon as the future was mentioned, the witch's eyes drifted away, and she was not listening at all.

But soon, she seemed to suddenly think of something, and said to me with a smile——

"Speaking of... Arthur, do you think I should wear makeup?"

"I don't know, I haven't considered this issue. I have never worn makeup, and I don't need makeup. I haven't studied clothes, and makeup is even more impossible."

"That's it... Since you mentioned makeup, why don't you accompany me to a shop that sells cosmetics?"

"On the bright side, we are all high school freshmen, what do we do with makeup?"

"Heavy makeup is of course not acceptable, but light makeup is okay? Surely it will look better?"

"It's just a waste of time and money, it doesn't make any sense."

Hearing what I said, the witch tilted her head, and sure enough, her face was slumped again, looking helpless and quite speechless against me.

"...Anyway, it's my money, and at most it's just lent to you. You don't want to put on makeup, so why not? How could I force you? On the contrary, it's almost as good as you force me."

"...Do you still want to put on makeup for me?"

"Of course." A smile bloomed on the witch's face again. "If you put on some makeup, you will definitely look better, right? Anyway, I don't see you when you look up. I want to make my eyes more comfortable, can't I? Of course, if you don't want to buy it, it's okay. At worst, I will buy it myself. It's just, I heard that the cosmetics salesperson likes to tell lies the most, and also likes to boast? If I was cheated and bought a particularly expensive cosmetic, then you will definitely be very angry, right?"

If there is no if, the witch looks like this, and she will definitely be cheated miserably by those unscrupulous cosmetics salesmen.

I sighed helplessly, and said: "...I really can't do anything about you. Then go."

After paying the bill at the clothing store, the witch continued to hold my arm and went straight to the cosmetics store on the same floor.

Then, I finally discovered that the person who was deceived was not the witch at all, but me who thought she would be deceived.

This woman is simply a genius in the fields of fashion, fashion, and beauty, and she is a super genius.She can tell the pros and cons of cosmetics at a glance.The choice of lipstick color, the advantages and disadvantages of various powders and creams, she can choose the most suitable one just by intuition.Even these cosmetics are not expensive, at least not as expensive as I imagined, and the price is above average.

At this time, I finally remembered that this woman can actually read minds and know the other person's feelings.Unless it is the kind of deception master who has even deceived himself, it is impossible to deceive her.So, the salesman who thought he had caught the fat sheep was played around by the witch, until the witch said something to him in French, the salesman sighed heavily, with an expression of confession, at a very cheap price. Cosmetics are sold at the price.

When I left the mall, my left arm was already covered with shopping bags, and my right arm was still being held by a witch.The time has come to 11:30, the shopping in the morning is almost over, and it is time to prepare lunch.

"Arthur, what are you having for lunch today? It seems that there is a French restaurant nearby?" The witch looked expectant, and almost everything she was thinking was written on her face.

I rolled her eyes and said, "Yes. But it's very expensive, more than ten times the price of ordinary restaurants. And it's not very delicious, it's more hype and style, not to mention that this is not France but Japan .Especially the steak, which is a good food, but it has to be cooked to seven, five or even three ripe. There are also many strange and dark dishes, such as grilled snails. The appetite is still very small, and ordinary people can hardly eat it-you really Are you interested in these dishes?"

"Then... go home and eat?"

"I thought you'd have to go to a restaurant to eat."

"...It's just that I can't accept that the French diet has become like that." As she spoke, the witch's smile gradually became disdainful: "What is it? A steak that is half-ripe? Is that something that humans can eat? Eat it Doesn’t the stomach feel uncomfortable? And the beef is so hard to bite, isn’t it true that you swallow it whole? It’s only been a few hundred years? How did the French diet become like this? Obviously France is the most fertile land in Europe , It's really outrageous!"

Even if I'm as wooden as I can hear, the witch's words are just for me, she doesn't actually think so.

Because, her expression has not changed. It was only when I criticized the restaurant that the food was too small that her golden eyes flickered, and she had the idea of ​​giving up going to the restaurant to eat French food.

Since the Witch treated me this way, I decided to do the same to her.

"Then... what do you want for lunch?"

"Steak! Fried steak, the kind that's fully cooked! And sprinkled with pepper, a lot of pepper!"

"In my time, pepper was more expensive than gold of equal weight. It was a luxury! Even though pepper was cheap in this era, I still liked the taste of pepper. Pepper and meat are a perfect match! Whether it is barbecue, Fried meat, stewed meat, or soup with meat, as long as you add pepper, it will be very delicious!"

really.The climate in Europe is not conducive to growing delicious spices.Most of them need to be purchased from Africa and India through trade.Because the trade route was too long, it was difficult to stabilize the situation in West Asia, which caused the price of spices to be too expensive in Western Europe.

This situation did not improve until the Portuguese discovered the Cape of Good Hope.Even thanks to the spice monopoly, Antwerp in the lowlands rapidly developed from a small town to a trading capital that could rank first in the whole of Europe.If any nobleman did not add enough pepper to the dinner meat, he would be ridiculed by other noblemen present.

"Besides steak? What else do you like?"

"Everything else is up to you. Anything else is fine. But... it's best to have fruit, grapes are the best, and apples are fine. If you don't eat some fruit at the end of a meal, you still feel a little uncomfortable."

I frowned slightly again.

For a witch, eating fruit after a meal is a matter of course, almost a habit.

However, for the barren ancient times, especially for France during the Hundred Years War, even the crown prince himself was displaced. How could a daughter of a rich peasant in the Lorraine region eat fruit whenever she wanted?Apples require a whole piece of forest land, and grapes are the main raw material for wine making. These are the assets only of the nobles.Combined with the taste of a witch and the temperament of a prodigal daughter, I am afraid that only families above the Duke can cultivate such a woman.

But if this is the case, it will conflict with the fact of being illiterate...

For a while, I fell into confusion.

"What's the matter, Arthur? Don't you like fruit?"

The voice of the witch woke me up from my confusion.

I suppressed this confusion in my heart, then smiled and said to her——

"One fruit a day keeps disease away from me—this is a common saying handed down from modern England. As far as Mordred and I are concerned, fruit is not a necessity. But since you want to eat, buy some. This The agriculture of the era is very developed, no matter what season, you can eat fresh fruits, so you can rest assured."