Chocolate?
Was that what this brown, round confection was called?
"No, thank you, but I don’t really have the money for—"
"Oh, no worries! We’re doing a tasting event today, so it’s free! Please, go ahead and try one."
The woman handed Airen a piece of chocolate, a round confection resembling a dumpling.
It looked unfamiliar—something she had never seen before.
"Hmm?"
A rich, sweet aroma flooded her senses the moment it neared her nose.
It was so enticing that she had no hesitation in putting it into her mouth.
And with just a few moments of rolling the chocolate around on her tongue—
A new world of flavor unfolded before her, one she had never experienced before.
"......!!"
"How is it? Delicious, right?"
Airen’s pupils widened slightly.
Without realizing it, she lightly cupped her own cheek with her hand.
It was sweet.
So sweet that she wasn’t even aware of the girlish expression she was making.
No—more accurately, it was a combination of sweetness with a subtle hint of bitterness.
And there was a nutty richness blended in, just a touch.
But more than anything, that slight bitterness served as the perfect balance, elevating the entire confection to perfection.
She savored the taste as much as she could, but it melted away far too quickly.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
It dissolved much faster than any candy, almost like cream.
"This is called chocolate? It’s incredible."
"Oh? Ah... Sir Knight, have you never seen chocolate before? Are you perhaps not from the North?"
"I am not. I only arrived here recently."
"I see! Well, this is chocolate! It’s a specialty of the northern regions. People love it because of its sweetness. With Saint Valentino’s Festival coming up, we decided to make a special batch mixed with hazelnuts. What do you think?"
"It was truly delicious. A fine confection."
"Hehe! Hearing that makes me so happy. Oh! Since this is your first time trying chocolate... Here, take a few more!"
"No, that won’t be necessary—"
"Come on, no need to be shy. Take them!"
With a beaming smile, the woman handed Airen a neatly wrapped bundle of three more chocolates.
Honestly...
After having tasted it once, it was hard to resist the temptation.
Perhaps because she had always lived a life of restraint, disciplined in every aspect—
She had a particular weakness for sweets.
It was one of the small indulgences she wished she could keep hidden.
As she tucked the chocolates into her pocket, she found herself thinking—
Hazelnuts, huh?
So that was the source of the nutty flavor.
But more importantly...
"Excuse me, I’d like to ask something."
"Of course! Ask away!"
There wasn’t even a hint of annoyance in the woman’s cheerful demeanor.
She was a professional—no doubt about it.
And considering this was just a tasting event, that was even more impressive.
"What exactly is Saint Valentino’s Festival?"
"Ah! It’s a northern holiday and a festival! It’s one of the busiest times of the year for us because so much chocolate is sold!"
"I see. So it’s a day for eating chocolate?"
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Not quite! It’s actually a day when women gift chocolate to men they feel indebted to! That’s why so many women come to buy chocolates—it’s a way to express their feelings!"
...What?
Women giving chocolate as a gift to men they were indebted to?
"If you have °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° someone you’d like to give a gift to, Sir Knight, please consider our shop!"
With that, the smiling shopkeeper waved her off.
Airen stood frozen, unable to move for a moment, lost in thought.
"A woman giving a man a gift... could this be...?"
Airen Juliet.
Before she was a great general, she was still a woman who carried feelings for a man in her heart.
And as a warrior who always prioritized action over thought, her mind was now racing faster than ever before.
***
Later That Night
Clatter.
The sound of a door opening, followed by a hesitant voice.
"A-Ah... Welcome back!"
The one greeting her was Reika.
Their third roommate, Silin, had been temporarily dispatched to another castle.
Which meant that the spacious three-person room had been left entirely to Reika.
Knowing that Reika must have felt lonely, Airen smiled warmly at the girl who had eagerly welcomed her back.
"Hm."
Without a word, she reached into her coat and handed Reika a small package.
"What’s this...?"
"A confection. They were handing them out earlier."
Reika carefully unwrapped it.
"Ah... This is chocolate, isn’t it?"
"Oh? You know about it?"
"Yes! It’s a type of confection from the northern continent. I’ve always been interested in making sweets, so I knew about it. Though... this is my first time actually seeing one in person."
Come to think of it, she was a noble daughter of the Nighhardt family.
Someone like her would’ve had access to any kind of luxury she desired.
"Let’s see... Mmm. ...Wow, this is delicious!"
"Isn’t it?"
"Yes! This is incredible... I suppose the North’s culinary skills must be on another level, considering it was once home to the old empire’s capital."
Lately, Reika had grown comfortable enough around Airen to speak naturally, without stuttering.
There were even times when she felt more at ease with Airen than with Swen, her former mentor.
Perhaps it was because they were both women, or perhaps it was because Airen had always treated her with kindness.
"Oh, I know! Airen, let’s eat it together!"
"Hm? No, I’m fine—"
Though she initially refused, Airen couldn't resist the temptation of chocolate. She took another piece, letting it melt in her mouth once again.
And so, after sharing a brief, sweet moment—
A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she carefully brought it up to Reika.
"Saint Valentino’s Festival...?"
"Yes. A holiday in the northern continent where women give chocolate to men they feel indebted to."
"Really? That sounds quite romantic... I had always heard that northern people were generally cold and lacked emotional expression."
"Is that so? That’s the first time I’ve heard that. You really do seem to know a lot of random facts, Reika."
Reika chuckled awkwardly at Airen’s remark.
"When I was locked away at home, all I could do was read... So, I ended up absorbing all sorts of random information."
"I see... Anyway..."
Airen covered her mouth and cleared her throat a few times, trying to gather her courage.
Or rather, she was attempting to say something—
But for some reason, the words felt incredibly difficult to say out loud.
More daunting than standing on a battlefield, sword in hand, against a formidable enemy.
Reika observed Airen’s hesitance for a moment before tilting her head slightly and asking—
"Do you... want to give chocolate to Swen?"
"Cough!!"
Airen choked, coughing violently, as if something had gone down the wrong way.
Reika, startled, quickly moved closer in concern.
"A-Airen?! Are you okay?!"
"A-Ah... Y-Yes, I’m fine. It’s just... um... that is to say..."
Why...
Why was it so difficult to be honest with her feelings?
"I..."
Even so, she mustered all the courage she could and slowly nodded her head.
Her flushed cheeks revealed a vulnerability completely unlike the fearless knight she usually was.
"I see... That’s a wonderful idea. As soon as you mentioned it, I immediately thought of Master, too."
Master... Did she mean Swen?
Airen recalled that, during her time with the Aishus Army, Swen had acted as Reika’s mentor in magic.
"I was just wondering... um, what you think about it... if it’s a good idea or not."
Airen fumbled with her words—an unusual sight for her.
Reika suddenly realized that this must have been how she herself looked whenever she hesitated around Swen.
Airen had always been patient and kind to her.
So, this time, Reika wanted to do the same for her.
"I think it’s a great idea!"
"R-Really? I mean... I’m just a little worried that Swen might find it bothersome..."
"No, not at all! I think he’d be really happy. If I were in Swen’s place, I’d be overjoyed!"
"...You think so?"
The brave warrior who had once played a decisive role in the western fortress defense of Valharat—
Now sat there, flustered, unable to hide her nervousness over something as simple as gifting chocolate.
Reika found the sight to be... utterly adorable.
Airen Juliet.
The woman destined to become Swen’s first wife.
Would I ever be able to love someone like that?
Would I ever be able to share such a love with Master... with Swen?
No.
This wasn’t the time to be thinking about herself.
Airen had always been there for her.
Now, it was her turn to help Airen.
"In that case, let’s do it! Let’s give Swen chocolate together!"
***
The Next Day
"What do you mean it's sold out...?"
"Ack, I’m really sorry, Sir Knight! Since Saint Valentino’s Festival is so close, we completely sold out in the blink of an eye."
Despite returning to the shop, Airen found that the hazelnut chocolate she had fallen in love with was completely out of stock.
She couldn't quite hide her disappointment.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper cautiously offered a suggestion.
"Well... we still have some of our regular chocolate left. Would you like to try that instead?"
"I suppose this will have to do..."
After purchasing a neatly packaged block of chocolate, Airen shared a piece with Reika right there.
"Hmm... It’s not quite the same."
"It does feel like something is missing... It’s still sweet, but..."
The chocolate was still delicious, of course.
But it lacked the fullness—the rich depth—of the one they had tasted the day before.
The absence of the nutty flavor left an emptiness in the taste.
Still, at least they had something left to give to Swen.
"If only I had made up my mind yesterday, I could’ve bought it then..."
She regretted hesitating for even a moment.
But with the festival so close, there was nothing she could do about it now.
"...I suppose this will have to do. I’ll just give him this."
Airen forced a small, bitter smile.
For some reason, Reika felt an unexplainable pang in her chest at the sight of Airen’s dejected expression.
"No... Airen."
"Hm?"
"Let’s make it ourselves!"
Reika grabbed Airen’s hands tightly, her eyes shining with determination.
"R-Reika...?"
Airen looked into Reika’s pink eyes.
A burning passion—one she had never seen before—was blazing in them.
"Airen! Let’s make our own chocolate! One that tastes even better than what we had before!"