The 14th Day of the Tree month…… A Duchess of Symphonia Kingdom, Lilia Albert, is currently standing in front of a house with a serious expression on her face.

Her purpose, of course, is to give her chocolate to her lover, Kaito.

It has been a really long journey for Lilia to arrive at this moment.

No, physically speaking, Kaito’s home is just next to Lilia’s mansion, so it’s only about a minute walk…… but that isn’t her dilemma, as it’s more of a mental problem.

She begged Sieglinde to teach her and desperately made her chocolate.

But unfortunately, there’s no way that Lilia’s devastating cooking skills can improve in a short amount of time. Honestly speaking, her work couldn’t be described as good…… but she had filled it with plenty of love.

That’s why Lilia had confidence that Kaito would be pleased with her gift…… but the world isn’t as simple as that.

At such a climactic moment, Lilia’s shyness appeared again…… For her, this is the first time she has given chocolates to a man other than a family member on Valentine’s Day, and this chocolate is undoubtedly a honmei chocolate. (T/N: honmei choco is valentine’s chocolate with feelings in it, unlike its counterpart giri (obligatory) chocolate.)

Even if she and Kaito are already lovers, no matter how kind she knows Kaito is…… Because of Lilia’s personality, she was ridiculously nervous at the moment when she would hand it to him.

Because of this, it turned into a shamefully slow march, having her walk a distance that would have normally taken her only a minute to walk, for about half an hour.

She would almost turn back several times along the way, but she frantically pushed herself to walk forward. However, there stands another obstacle in front of Lilia.

[……P- Pressing the doorbell…… If I push that, Kaito-san will come out…… If comes out, I can give him this chocolate.]

In front of Lilia who was muttering to herself, there was the doorbell of Kaito’s home.

It’s a magic tool that has a function where if someone lightly touches it, it will let out a sound that will certainly let Kaito know that someone has come. Moreover, she had already confirmed that Kaito’s servants, Anima and the twins, are currently outside.

Kaito’s residence, which doesn’t employ many servants, only has three servants: Anima, Eta and Theta. And those three are outside——– So, Kaito is currently alone in his home.

For Lilia, the conditions couldn’t be any better. All she has to do now is press the doorbell……

[……A- As I thought, I think I should just go back later……]

However, Lilia, who’s always been terrible at romantic relationships, was still embarrassed about this kind of thing even now that they’ve been lovers for a few years and they have already engaged in a sexual relationship.

Well, in the first place, Lilia tried to give chocolates to Kaito last year and the year before that…… They were commercially-sold chocolates at that time, but she still prepared them. However, when the day came, she wasn’t able to gather the courage and the day ended without her being able to give her chocolate to him.

So, she thought of cutting off her path to retreat by making her own chocolate, by asking Sieglinde to ask her but…… after all the pretense, her weak-willed self appears again.

But then, Kaito would have complicated such a Lilia as being cute but……

[N- No, this is no good. If I don’t give it to her now…… A- Alright!]

As she tried to turn on her heel, Lilia managed to stand her ground, and after taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorbell…… and immediately pulled her hand back.

[……A- Arehh, my hand is shaking…… I- I need to calm down……]

Lilia immediately pulled back her trembling hand, and after taking another big deep breath…… she began to restlessly wander around Kaito’s door.

She looked so pathetic that such a scene isn’t that she could show to her subordinates.

However, Lilia had one big miscalculation…… that because of her nervousness, she had forgotten about it. It was……

[……What should I do? Should I call out to her?]

Lilia-san is currently in front of my house…… I don’t really know what she’s doing, but through my “Sympathy Magic”, I could feel that she was feeling troubled, coming and going in front of the door for a while now.

Did she need something from me? No matter how I look at it, I can’t see any sign that she would ring the doorbell no matter how long I wait.

I’ve known Lilia-san for a long time, so I know that when she’s like this, it’s usually when she’s feeling embarrassed…… I wonder what could the reason be?

After thinking that far, I suddenly remembered what day it is.

I see, today is Valentine’s Day…… I understand now. Lilia-san probably made me some chocolate.

I thought she wasn’t interested in Valentine’s Day because I never felt such emotion from her last year or the year before that but…… Could it be that she couldn’t make up her mind for all these times now?

Even after we’ve dated for several years, there are still times when Lilia-san feels innocent…… or rather, acting bashful.

It’s not that I’m complaining about it though, I mean, she looks absurdly cute. Just kissing her, even after the years we’ve been together, would make her red and flustered, making her look so cute that I reflexively pushed her down.

Well, if I just leave her that way, it’s unlike that the doorbell will be ringing even after the sun goes down so…… I made up my mind. Feigning coincidence, I opened the door.

[Hyaahhh!?]

[Eh? Arehh? Lilia-san…… You were here? Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.]

[N- N- N- No, i- it’s not like I- I’ve been here for half an hour or anything……]

Lilia-san…… You’re too unskillful at deceiving people. Wouldn’t anyone feel worried when they’re honestly told that they’ve been waiting for 30 minutes already……

F- For the time being, let’s just ignore her statement just now.

[We could certainly talk while standing here, but how about we talk inside?]

[Y- Yes! I- I’ll be intyuding then!]

[……………]

……She bit her tongue. She’s really cute.

I was filled with the desire to hug her right now, but I resisted the urge to do so and led Lilia-san to my room.

Why my room instead of the reception room or the dining room? Well, I already know her purpose…… This is just to avoid the places where we might encounter Anima and the others after they come home from shopping.

Leading her to my room and making Lilia-san sit on the sofa, I then brewed a cup of tea.

Putting it on the table in front of the sofa, I then sat down on the seat in front of Lilia-san.

[You came to visit me today?]

[T- There’s that too, but I also have another purpose.

[Another purpose, is it?]

[Y- Yes! Errr, errr…… ummm…… H- Here……]

[Could this be……]

[Y- Yes…… I- It’s a Valentine’s Day gift…… U- Ummm, I- I’m sorry if it isn’t tasty. Sieg taught me and I tried making it but……]

[You went all the way for me…… Thank you, Lilia-san. I’m really happy.]

I received the box that the shaking Lilia-san gave to me.

I had expected it to be a Valentine’s Day chocolate, but I didn’t realize it would be handmade by Lilia-san…… Unnn, I’m glad. It’s alright, the feeling of joy is properly exceeding my anxiousness on how this would taste like. I should have received it with a smile.

H- However, Lilia-san’s handmade chocolate huh…… H- Hmmm. Sieg-san supervised her while she was making it, so it should be fine but…… but I’m still a little nervous.

I’ve always felt uneasy whenever I heard that it was Lilia-san’s cooking based on experience. After asking her permission, I opened the box…… Unnn? What’s this?

Inside was a heart-shaped chocolate, which looked pretty good but…… the question is this picture drawn in it. It looks like a “crushed frog” but, I don’t think Lilia-san would really draw something like that in there, right?

W- What should I do!? If I react poorly here, it will hurt Lilia-san’s feelings. Think, I need to think…… Think of a good way to respond here……

[……Kaito-san?]

[Ah, no, it’s just that it looks beautiful. I- I really like this picture drawn in it!]

[T- Thank you! I’m glad you’re happy with it. As expected, if I had to describe something that is like me, it would be a “dragon”, so I draw it. It’s a brown-scaled “ground dragon”!]

[Ah, eh? Yeah! I knew it! I thought that was the case!!! Well~~ It’s really, ummm, got a nice, tasteful feel to it!!!]

[P- Please don’t praise me so much……. I- It’s embarrassing.]

I- It’s a dragon huh~~ I- I see, I should have expected it…… This is more difficult than those pop quizzes I’m really bad at.

However, it seems like I managed to respond well, and while Lilia-san looks embarrassed, she has a somewhat happy smile on her face.

As I felt cold sweat running down my spine looking at Lilia-san, I suddenly noticed some bandages on her hands.

[L- Lilia-san! What happened to your hand? Could it be that you got injured……]

[Ahh, n- no, this is, ummm…… when I’m making chocolates…… Sieg banned me from using Body Strengthening Magic, so I ended up slightly cutting myself with the knife.]

[I- Is it alright!?]

[Y- Yes…… “The knife was broken”, but I was slightly injured.]

[………………..]

Whoa there, did I just hear something strange just now? It somehow sounds like the kitchen knife broke due to Lilia-san’s strength even while her Body Strengthening Magic was turned off, but I guess it’s just my imagination.

P- Putting that aside, the fact that Lilia-san is injured is more important.

[W- What about using Recovery Magic on it?]

[Eh? No, neither Sieg nor I can use Recovery Magic, and it’s just a minor injury. I also didn’t have the time to go to the hospital, so I just disinfected and bandaged it.]

[N- No, but…… Ah, that’s right! I have some Fruit of the World Tree here!!!]

[Kaito-san!? P- Please wait! What are you trying to feed me…… I- It’s really just a small cut…… Could you please not put such an outrageous thing on the table!!!?]

I was shaken that Lilia-san was injured, so I hurriedly laid out about 20 Fruits of the World Tree on the table, but Lilia-san stopped me.

[H- However, doesn’t it hurt?]

[Thank you for your concern. However, I’m really fine. It will heal soon.]

[I- Is that so……]

[……Besides, ummm, these were wounds I received from doing my best for Kaito-san, so just a bit…… Really just a bit proud of it. A- Ahaha, it’s just because I’m not a good cook though.]

Saying that with a blush on her face, Lilia-san looked incredibly cute with her shy smile. To be honest, I can’t stand it anymore.

Seeing my lovely girlfriend cook for me and have an injury on her hand, thinking that she really did her best for me makes me feel happy and loved.

[Kaito-san?]

Lilia-san tilted her head curiously at my sudden standing up, but such a gesture was also a factor in making me feel more lustful at the moment.

Approaching Lilia-san, I hugged her body as tight as I could.

[Hyaaahhh!? K- Kaito-shan!?]

[……Lilia-san. You’re too cute. I don’t think I can hold back anymore.]

[Eh? Eeehhhh!? B- But, ummm, i- it’s still morning…… errr……]

[……Lilia-san.]

Lilia-san’s face turned bright red and looked flustered, but her resistance was weak.

Lilia-san is very shy and yet, she’s very kind…… At least, in this kind of atmosphere, she’ll somehow accept it.

As expected, Lilia-san shyly moved her gaze around but…… after being held in my embrace for a while, she looked into my eyes and relaxed her body on mine.

[Hauuu…… ummm, errr…… I will contact the mansion…… but today…… can I stay for the night?]

[Yes, of course.]

[Auuu…… P- Please…… be gentle.]

Lilia-san, the always prim and lovely Lilia-san.

Since it was said that today is also called Lovers’ Day…… I won’t be punished for monopolizing my beloved lover for today.

With my eyes closed, I slowly moved my face close to Lilia-san’s, feeling her loving warmth in my arms.

I was going to write Alice’s chapter today, but Lilia’s chapter got too long, so I’ll write Alice’s chapter tomorrow.

Lilia-san is so cute, so it can’t be helped.

T/N: I’m getting slower these days. I blame the cold weather. It feels good to sleep. Anyway, the next chapter would be the last Valentine’s Day chapter.