Another request, and another Joshua route! I had a request for an Edward route, but Izumi requested this one and it was easier to get up. I also still have Wilfred’s 2013 Valentine’s Event in the drafts, but I’m still annoyed /bricked Title change! The title for the event was too long, so now it’s a generic title. Again, I will refer to the heroine by just “the heroine” since I’ve decided not to name her (unless I can find a better option because my name choices are LAME cries).
Please note that this event is canon to last year’s event, though it is not necessary to have read/played last year’s event. Click here to read Joshua’s Princess’s Valentine 2013 Event route.
Prince Joshua and the heroine are walking around in a national park, visiting a foreign country on royal business. Prince Joshua noticed that other than developing modern technology, this country is also working hard towards environmental protection. The heroine agrees, saying that from just walking through the city, you can see they’re focused on keeping harmony with nature. Prince Joshua comments that perhaps they can learn a thing or two from this country as he stops to admire the various sights before inquiring their guide to provide more detailed explanations. Prince Joshua asks a question about a plant that causes the guide to go back to the jeep to make a call to an expert. The heroine feels sorry for the guide since having Prince Joshua around is making the guide’s job tough while she takes a look inside a pamphlet. She notes that they are being observed by a variety of citizens and members of the press, and thinks that Prince Joshua is a popular guy even in this country.
Prince Joshua walks up to the heroine, smiles, and comments that it’s admirable that the heroine is trying to expand her knowledge by reading a pamphlet. She tells him that since while they’re here, she was thinking she should learn something before they go back. Prince Joshua says again that it is admirable and adds that she is becoming more and more like a princess every day. She asks if that is right and admits to herself that it’s actually been hard trying to keep up with him.
The Minister for the Environment then tells Prince Joshua that it’s time for the press conference and they all head to a building close to the park. There, Prince Joshua answers the questions with his usual grace and without hesitation. At this, the heroine thinks that the reporters are feeling the heat more than Prince Joshua is. A question about a recent part having been built at Dres Van Manor is raised and for Prince Joshua to elaborate on the particulars of the park for the audience. Prince Joshua explains that while the castle is his, there are many people who work there. If those workers aren’t happy and don’t work hard, then the castle doesn’t function well. Consequently, the country suffers as well. To keep the families of the workers happy, they have constructed a park on the castle grounds set up with playground equipment and plan to expand upon this nationwide with future development projects. The crowd erupts into cheers, and the heroine thinks he’s amazing and that she must learn how he does it, even just a little.
On their way to the airport, the heroine reflects on the press conference. She notes how whenever they go on business, he always knows how to make an impression and calls him a magnificent prince. She takes a glance to her side and sees Prince Joshua feverishly reading a research paper. Prince Joshua asks her what’s up and if she’s interested in the evolution of that plant as well. She tells him she’s okay, and thinks that even if she read it, she wouldn’t understand, and then wonders if she can really pull off the role of being a princess. More than ever, she wants to become a princess that Prince Joshua will be proud to have at his side. Even after boarding the jet, she thinks long and hard about what it is that she could offer Dres Van.
The next day, the heroine hears a knock on her door and hears Jan on the other side. She let’s him in and says she was waiting for him as he places a bunch of documents on her desk. Jan tells her that they are the documents from the library pertaining to the subject matter she inquired about. When she sees that it’s a lot, she apologizes to him for having bothered him when he’s so busy. He smiles and tells her not to worry about it as he will do anything to help. He says that it’s admirable that she wants to study the philanthropic works of the princesses of other countries. It turns out that after getting back to Dres Van, the heroine decided to try to have a discussion with Jan first thing in the morning. She quotes Prince Joshua, saying that ‘you shouldn’t jump in without doing your research first, that’s the most important thing.’ Jan looks worried, saying that if she tries to keep up with Prince Joshua’s pace, she might wear herself out, so she should pace herself. He says that from what he’s seen up until now, a princess’s job often concerns public relations due to women’s high level of communication skills. He adds that, from the beginning, her job has been to strengthen the relationship with the 5 principle countries. She wonders about that and thinks that if it’s something only a woman can do, then she can do it.
Her eyes catch the sight of a calendar hanging on the wall and sees that it’s already February. It strikes her that Valentine’s Day is coming up and smiles. With an idea in mind, she asks Jan what the procedures in Dres Van are for giving out Valentine’s Day chocolates to everyone. When he questions her, she explains that in Oriens, there are obligatory chocolates and chocolates you give to your friends, and that it’s customary to give chocolates to the person you like, or your Valentine. Jan understands, but explains that the rule in Dres Van is that you only give chocolates to the object of your affection. The heroine tells him that’s different from Oriens. There, in addition to giving chocolates to the guy you like, you also give them out to your friends, your boss, etc. In order to show your appreciation, February 14th is a day you freely give out chocolates to everyone. Jan is surprised, saying that’s the first time he’s ever heard of that, but says it’s a really nice tradition.
She tells him her idea, that she was thinking that what if she were to make a bunch of chocolates, hold a party for the other princes and their butlers, and hand them out to everyone? Jan smiles and says that he thinks that would be great and that he bets it would bring everyone closer together. The heroine thinks on how she’s given a lot of obligatory chocolate back in Oriens, but this time there will be a purpose. This will be her first job!
She admits that she only wants to do this for Prince Joshua, and Jan says he believes that Prince Joshua will understand and that after all is said and done, Prince Joshua will certainly be jhappy knowing her objective. He wishes her luck in pulling everything off with a smile, and the heroine says she’ll do her best!
From the doorway, she sees Prince Joshua’s face as he lets himself in having been looking for Jan. Jan explains that he had an errand to perform for the heroine. When Prince Joshua questions this, he sees the stack of papers on her desk comments how it is admirable while picking up a book. While the heroine begins discussing the details of the party with Jan, Prince Joshua picks up a book on the history of princesses of the principal countries. His eyes catch a magazine under the pile of books and is able to make out the words, “What Girls From Oriens Are Getting Their Valentines!” Taken aback, he leafs through the pages, making sure not to draw the heroine’s attention. Inside he finds article titles like, “Show Your Affection With Chocolate Cake!” with instructions on how to make unique Oriens chocolate.
The heroine continues the discussion and remembers that she needs to also tell Prince Joshua. When she calls out to him and turns around, he quickly drops the book he was holding onto the desk. She asks him what he’s up to, but he says it’s nothing in particular. When she tries to ask about just now, he quickly says that it looked like she was studying hard and so he just wanted to see what she was reading. When she brings up the subject of Valentine’s Day, he asks what about it while suspiciously clearing his throat. She tries to explain the Oriens tradition of obligatory chocolates and how she would give them as gifts to everyone in order to deepen their bonds, but he cuts her off. He says he knows that, and she’s surprised to hear that he already knows. She wonders if he means the obligatory chocolates and if he talked to Jan. Prince Joshua says he gets what she’s thinking. She thinks about how it’s just like him to be so in tune with her and that she bets he’s already read books on the culture of Oriens’s Valentine’s traditions. She tells him that she’s thinking about continuing the practice there in Dres Van. When he questions her, she tells him that she was thinking about having an Oriens style Valentine’s Day there. As she speaks, she points to the book on the history of princesses of the principal countries. He stammers a “Th-that sounds great.” Hearing this, the heroine lets out a sigh of relief, thinking he’d be against her giving out chocolates to others.
Jan excuses himself and steps out into the hallway, with Prince Joshua soon catching up with him. When Jan asks Prince Joshua what it is, Prince Joshua asks if it is true that the custom is for a girl to give their boyfriend a chocolate cake on Valentine’s Day in Oriens. Jan says he hasn’t even heard of such a thing. Prince Joshua tells him to keep it between them, but he read it in a magazine, making sure the heroine is unable to hear. Jan then says it’s just like Prince Joshua to go all out in his research, smiling as he adds that he’s learned something new from Prince Joshua before leaving.
Back in the room, the heroine is making a list of ingredients she’d need to make the chocolates she wanted when Prince Joshua comes back in high spirits and with a friendly smile on his face. When she asks him what’s up, he responds in surprise that it’s nothing. When she says he seems happy today, he smiles again and says it’s just because he’s so proud of how she’s acting as princess before giving her a soft kiss. He then holds her in his arms and says that he’s so happy she’s such a thoughtful person and that he’s looking forward to Valentine’s Day. She thanks him, saying she’s doing her best. She thinks how she’s going to put her whole heart into her charity work and that she can’t disappoint him.
Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. The heroine had just gone out to buy ingredients to make chocolate sweets and is carrying them back to the kitchen. She comments on how it’s just like her to buy too much and she can’t see anything in front of her. She walks down the hallway hugging countless paper bags until she crashes into someone. She quickly apologizes to them even though she can’t see who she bumped into. The bags then become lighter and she sees that it’s Prince Joshua. He takes the heaviest bag from her and says that she’s carrying a lot and that it’s really heavy. She apologizes again and tells him they’re full of ingredients to make the chocolate. Hearing this, his eyes open wide for a brief moment before his face returns to normal. He asks if that means he should carry it to the kitchen, right? She replies in the positive, but then tells him that he doesn’t have to carry the bag for her. He says that it’s okay and that he doesn’t mind before leading the way to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the heroine thanks him for his help. She begins to line up the ingredients on the table and begins deciding on what she should make. She decides on making brownies, takes the bag Prince Joshua is holding, and pulls out a bunch of chocolate bars. She then thinks that for Prince Joshua, she’ll follow the magazine’s advice and make him a chocolate cake. She then realizes that this whole time, Prince Joshua was staring at the large quantity of chocolate she had purchased. “That sure is a lot,” he says, and then asks if she’s planning on using it all. She says she will, and thinks that she’ll be making a lot, so even this amount is probably not enough. He then asks, “So this is Oriens tradition?” She repeats the word “tradition” in question before saying that she guesses it is common to do this before Valentine’s Day before explaining that girls will lock themselves inside their houses and work their butts off making chocolate gifts. She then remembers that Dres Van doesn’t have obligation chocolates, so this is all strange to him.
She begins to melt the chocolate in a big pot normally reserved for dinner banquets because of the large amount she has. As she’s stirring, Prince Joshua looks into the large pot and then declares, “You guys in Oriens are crazy.” She giggles and says that, for them, this is pretty normal. She then thinks that maybe this is a bit more chocolate than the average girl would make, but…. As the heroine is in her thoughts, Prince Joshua begins to compare the contents of the pot with his own stomach. He frowns and mutters, wondering if he can get that in there. She asks what that was, curious as to what he is up to, and looks up at him. He seems startled by this and says it is nothing for her to worry about. He then leaves the kitchen.
Out in the hallways, Prince Joshua looks back at the kitchen and, speaking to himself, wonders that Oriens style chocolate cake are that big? He then remembers that the picture in the magazine never mentioned any sort of measurements. He sees Jan passing through the hall and calls out to him, saying that Jan is just the person he wanted to see. He tells Jan to call off dessert for the time being. Jan repeats his words in surprise, and Prince Joshua says, “This thing is going to be a marvel.” With a smile, he says that if he accepted it and didn’t eat it all, it would be rude. Leaving happily, Jan is left in confusion, again repeating Prince Joshua’s words of calling off dessert. Still in confusion, he calls the head chef.
The day of the part finally arrives and, with Jan’s help, the heroine carries a basket with the chocolate treats all smartly wrapped. Jan is surprised by the amount that she has made. She tells him that she wanted it give it her all and that it’s her first step into the world of charity work. “I want to show everyone what I’m capable of,” she says. Jan tells her that this is very thoughtful and thought out, and that he is certain that Prince Joshua will be quite pleased. He then tells her to go be with the host and that he will catch up with her later. She gives him the okay and tells him that she’ll be handing out the chocolates to everyone in the meantime before leaving for the party in high spirits.
She wonders where the princes are as she looks around. Once she finds the five princes, she welcomes them. Prince Roberto then stands right in front of her, having noticed her coming and happily calls out to her. He asks what she’s holding and she responds that they are for everyone before passing them out. Prince Roberto asks if they are Valentine’s chocolate. She tells him that they are and that though it’s a little early, she wanted to give them out as a token of her appreciation for everyone. Prince Glenn says that he gets it and says with a smile that this is something they do in Oriens, right? Prince Edward is surprised and asks Prince Glenn to explain. Prince Glenn says that in Oriens on Valentine’s Day, it’s customary to hand out chocolates to men and women like this. Prince Edward comments that then this is just a way for them to express their gratitude to each other. He then compliments them on having a wonderful culture before thanking the heroine with a smile of admiration. Prince Wilfred, with a laugh,says that she’s becoming more and more like a princess as he looked at the package in his hand. She thanks him, and he adds that he really gets the sense that she’s trying her best to be a good, hard-working princess. Hearing this makes her really happy. Prince Keith, while opening his package, asks if Prince Joshua knows all about this. She says that he does. “Hmm… that fuddy-duddy? Really?” he asks again. With surprise, he asks if Prince Joshua is okay with everything? She tells him that of course he is. Prince Joshua is not so narrow-minded that he can’t accept other people’s traditions.
Just as she answers, Prince Joshua joins them, having been looking for her. He apologizes for having left her alone. She asks if everything is going alright, and he answers that he was just making his… rounds. He suddenly goes quiet and had his eyes on the basket full of chocolate. When he looks up, he saw all the other princes holding similar packages in their hands and eyed them up for a brief time. In a bad bit of timing, Prince Keith takes the chocolate out of its package, pops it into his mouth, and comments that it’s good. Prince Joshua finally understands what is happening and becomes pale as the heroine wonders did something happen? She asks him what’s wrong, but he answers that it’s nothing with a frown. Prince Roberto catches on and also asks what’s wrong and soon everyone surrounds him with their packages in hand. He says again that it’s nothing at all.
Another person then joins the group and, holding the basket, the heroine turns away from the princes. (This is where a choice pops up and instead of just putting the correct answer, I will go ahead and put both because BUTLERS)
A: Go to Pierre.
She calls out to Monsieur Pierre and he cries out to her when he notices her before running towards her. He exclaims that he’s glad to see her here while giving her a hug. He then noticed that he was surrounded by the princes and became aghast, his face turning red. “What’s this!? Am I in paradise?”
B: Head toward the butlers.
She says that this is just a token of her appreciation and then proceeds to hand out the chocolates to the group of butlers. Louis asks if it is okay to accept such a gift. Yu thanks her and smiles saying that it’s just what he’d expect from a princess from Oriens. Luke says he must inform Prince Keith. Alberto says that he better accept it before Prince Roberto takes it away from him. Claude smiles and comments how she’s quite a person to go so far as to worry about the butlers. She notices that they’re happier than she expected, so she’s glad. Just then, she hears a familiar voice come from behind her say, “Oh! Is this where my Baby is!?” When she turns around, there is Pierre with a friendly grin on his face. He tells her that he was just thinking what a handsome group of men these guys are and asks her if they’re the princes’ butlers. She tells him that the princes are right over there. Pierre’s face turns red as he exclaims, “Aiiyee! I’m in paradise!”
As Pierre is introduced to the princes, it is like he is dancing on clouds. The heroine gives him a box of chocolates, saying that is it a ‘thank you’ for always looking out for her. Surprised, he tells her she shouldn’t have! He says he’s so happy! He doesn’t know how long it’s been since he’s received Valentine’s Day chocolates since he’s always out giving them. Keith smiles and says, “I guess when it comes to giving chocolates, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman.”
Prince Joshua looks on intently. Prince Roberto smiles and asks him what’s wrong? “You aren’t jealous, are you?” His words catch Prince Joshua off guard, and he suddenly starts to blush.
“Wh-what are you getting on about…? Should I be jealous over this?”
Prince Edward smiles and comments that that’s the prince he knows — very open minded. Prince Joshua says that it really has nothing to do with that. It’s all just a part of the heroine’s culture. He frowns, though, and says that therefore, there’s nothing to get upset about…. “Well, you sure looked exited, didn’t you?” asks Prince Glenn. Prince Wilfred tells Prince Glenn that he shouldn’t say stuff like that and points to Prince Joshua and the heroine. Prince Joshua comments that this mole hill has become a mountain before monologuing to the heroine on her being the next princess. As his monologue continues, she listens intently. She thinks that just as she thought, Prince Joshua always has Dres Van on his mind and that she needs to learn from him. The truth is, though, the only person she wanted to give a Valentine to was Prince Joshua, but she can’t bear to say such selfish things. She pledges to herself that more than ever, she will work hard to become a woman worthy of being his princess.
The heroine places a freshly baked and finished chocolate cake on the table. She had followed the recipe in the magazine and stayed up late into the night making the cake. She did pretty good for herself. Today is the day of her Valentine’s date with Prince Joshua. Because of some royal affair tomorrow, it was decided to have their date in town today. She wonders out loud if he’ll like it before putting the cake in a box, putting a ribbon on it, and going to prepare for their date.
Walking around town, she notices that all the shop windows are decorated for Valentine’s Day. She thinks how everywhere she looks, it’s all Valentine’s Day decorations. Everyone’s getting their chocolates for their boyfriends and crushes. It seems like all the faces of the women of the town are filled with determination. She quietly tells herself that it’s only a little bit longer until she gets to their meeting place as she approaches a particular shop. She notices how crowded it is here and stops, realizing that she is in front of a very famous sweets shop.
Then, she hears someone say why, if it isn’t her! Hearing the familiar voice, she stops what she’s doing and sees Prince Leonardo standing a few feet away from her. She asks what he’s doing here and he says what a coincidence it is meeting her at a place like this. Holding up a cake box for her to see, he says that he’s actually here to pick up the cake that he ordered for a later meeting. A very important guest is coming to visit and he loves cake. The heroine says that the shop is pretty popular, isn’t it? Prince Leonardo smiles and agrees. Jokingly, he frowns and comments on a prince like him doing his own shopping, then says he wonders what’s becoming of his own country. He then says that she’s looking pretty fancy today and asks if she’s going on a date. Blushing, she answers that she is. Prince Leonardo smiles and waves his hand at her, saying “Well, we all know how Prince Fussy is over time, so you better get going.” She giggles and bids him a farewell.
As she waves back, she goes to cross the street, but then a car barrels toward her with the loud screeching of the breaks. At the same moment, someone quickly yanks her by the arm and out of the way. Surprised, she looks to her side to see it was Prince Leonardo who had just saved her from the car. He asks if she is alright and says that was close! She says she’s okay and thanks him. He frowns and comments that whoever was driving the car didn’t bother looking when he made the turn. As he is talking, the two look down and gasp. The heroine quickly bends down to pick it up from the ground, but Prince Leonardo’s cake is smashed up. She timidly asks him if he was going directly to his meeting from here. He smiles and says, “Well, maybe…”, but his face is clearly pale. She says they need to get him another cake, but there is a long line formed in front of the shop, and tickets with waiting numbers are being passed out. She realizes that that won’t work. Prince Leonardo says that he’ll just look for another shop, smiling in an effort to not make her upset. She thinks about how he came all this way to pick up a special order for the shop, though. Will some simple cake from another local shop do?
Just then, she remember what Prince Joshua had said about the mole hill becoming a mountain and how she’s going to be the next princess. She mentally tells herself that she needs to stop thinking only about herself, and that maybe she can be of help to Nerwan. Taking a good look at her cake, she tells Prince Leonardo to take it and presents him with the box. Surprised, he asks if it isn’t for Prince Joshua. Frowning, he says that there’s no way he could accept it. She tries to reassure him, saying that Valentine’s Day isn’t until tomorrow, so she’ll just bake another one for Prince Joshua. She says she knows it’s nothing like the cake he had from that store, but if Prince Leonardo tells his guest that it was made by the next Princess of Dres Van, maybe that’ll mean something. Prince Leonardo says that if he knows it was homemade by the Princess of Dres Van, there’s no doubt that the guest would be glad to have it, but is she really sure about it? She says it absolutely is with a smile. Prince Leonardo finally accepts the cake.
Once arriving at the meeting place, the heroine apologizes to Prince Joshua for being late as he looks down at his watch and scowls. He tells her she’s three minutes late. She apologizes again, and his mouth forms into a big smile. He tells her that it’s okay, and that he’s sure she had a lot to do before getting here. The heroine is confused and notices that he’s grinning at her like he can’t contain himself. She starts thinking that he wouldn’t be waiting for his present?
She calls his name in question and he replies in excitement. She thinks how this is no good and she can’t tell him she gave away his cake. When she says it’s nothing, he responds in slight disappointment. After walking on a path for a while in silence, she gathers the courage to start speaking. He looks at her as if he had been waiting for her to say something. As she tries to form words, he starts to look fidgety and impatient. She finally lets out that she didn’t bring him any Valentine’s Day chocolates today. Smiling, he says it’s okay and begins to continue until he realizes what she’s said and his face falters. She hangs her head in shame, and he starts to brood. He mutters, as if coming to terms, that well, the holiday isn’t until tomorrow, so he guesses it would make sense that she’d want to celebrate it on that day. He says that they should do their best to enjoy themselves on their date today anyway. He smiles and says that he has work tomorrow, so they should let loose. As they begin to walk again, she silently pledges to herself that once they get back to the castle, she’s going to work her butt off making him something good to give him!
Valentine’s Day has finally arrived, and Prince Joshua and the heroine are to attend a diplomatic conference being held at Nerwan Castle. The heroine thinks on how she hadn’t had the ingredients left over to make a chocolate cake, but the small package she made for him came out pretty good and smiles. Prince Joshua asks what’s up since she’s just smiling to herself. She hadn’t realized she was doing so and quickly puts the package back into her pocket. Standing outside the castle, she takes a peek over at him and wonders when she should give it to him? Once the conference starts, she has no idea when it’ll end, so… maybe now’s the time?
When they enter the castle, his cellphone starts to ring. It’s Jan calling, so Prince Joshua tells the heroine to wait here for a second. In order to get away from the commotion of the conference preparations, he walks off to a remote location. Just then, the heroine hears the voices of a group of nearby girls chatting. Girl A exclaims how Girl B can’t pass up an opportunity like this and to just give it to him! When she peeks over, she sees a group of girls trying to offer their encouragement to another girl and wonders what’s going on. When she takes a better look, she notices an adorable girl holding a package with an anxious look on her face. While Girl B wonders if he will accept it, Girl C says that she’s sure he will since her gift looks nice. She then tells Girl B to have some confidence in herself and to just do it! The heroine realizes that Girl B is about to give her chocolate and confess her feelings to someone. Just listening makes her anxious as well. She starts to smile until Girl B exclaims that she’s really going to do it! She’s going to give her gift to Prince Joshua! Hearing this, the heroine freezes.
As the heroine stands there dumbfounded, she feels a pat on her shoulder. Turning around, she sees Prince Leonardo with a smile on his face. He asks her what she’s doing alone. She tells him that she’s waiting for Prince Joshua to come back, though her mind is still on the girl. Prince Leonardo tells her to follow him and leads her to a different spot. There, he hands her a cute little bag of sweets and says it’s for her. She asks what it is, and he tells her that it is for the cake yesterday. He tells her that the cake was a huge hit, and the guest was super happy. When Prince Leonardo had said that it was made by the Princess of Dres Van, the guest said that relations with Dres Van must be going well, and from that point on the negotiations went over smoothly. The heroine is surprised, but says that she’s glad she was able to help. Prince Leonardo thanks her. He then frowns and asks how’s Prince Joshua? He was wondering how Prince Joshua felt since he took his cake. “Oh, uh,… he was cool with it,” she says. She thinks on because she didn’t have a cake, she had to make something else…. Prince Leonardo smiles and says he feels good knowing that and tells her that the cake was really great. Just when he says that, someone comes up behind the heroine asking what was great?
It’s Prince Joshua, seeming to have popped out of nowhere, and he asks if this is something they can’t talk about in front of him? Prince Leonardo says that it isn’t, and that he was just thanking the heroine for the cake. He then says, “You ate some, too, right? Her homemade chocolate cake.” Hearing this, Prince Joshua’s expression stiffens. He repeats the words, when a servant of Nerwan calls out to Prince Leonardo. Frowning at having to go, Prince Leonardo excuses himself and waves at the two before leaving.
A silence descends on Prince Joshua and the heroine, and she thinks that he’s probably got the wrong idea and that she better tell him everything. She looks up at him, and she can tell that he is stifling his anger. Prince Joshua says that he guesses she just gives out chocolates to everyone huh? She tells him that that’s not it. With a frown, he says that he thought it was okay during the party, so she must just be trying to have it all ways. Confused, she repeats the last part of that sentence in question. He adds that to make things worse, she used her country to excuse her behavior, and then Leonardo…. She’s even more confused now and wonders what he’s talking about. He brought up the chocolates she gave as gifts and Prince Leonardo together, and she is totally confused. He then says that he’s never had any interest in this Valentine’s Day thing from the beginning and suddenly turns away from her. She mentally questions this and that, on that of that, he said she was trying to have her own way…. She is so shocked, she starts to get upset. She exclaims what an awful thing to say! She tells him that when he helped her take those bags into the kitchen, wasn’t it him who stuck around and watched as she made the chocolates? She thinks on how she had thought he was okay with her giving out those chocolates. He says that that was because… that magazine of hers…. She questions about the magazine, and his face blushes red. He tries to change the subject and declares that he doesn’t even like sweet stuff! She thinks on how he’s gone too far and, without even thinking about it, clutches at the chocolate in side her pocket. She then says to him that she didn’t even make him any chocolates! He says that that’s perfect, he didn’t want to eat any sweets anyway! She says that then it works out for the both of them!
The atmosphere around them becomes thick. The servant from before comes back, saying that the only seats that are vacant are the ones reserved for Dres Van and that Prince Leonardo is in the conference room wondering where they are. Prince Joshua says he’ll be right there before leaving. The heroine is left to wondering what should she do now? How can she give him his chocolate when they’re fighting? She lets out a large sigh as she follows after him.
After the conference is over, Prince Joshua goes into the garden for a breather. Because of his argument with the heroine, he felt ashamed and wanted to go outside for a while. Prince Leonardo enters the garden after a while having been looking for him. He pulls out a pretty, bow-wrapped box with Valentine’s Days chocolates inside and presents it to Prince Joshua. When Prince Joshua asks what it is, Prince Leonardo says it’s a gift from the cutest maid in his castle and he guesses she’s a fan of Prince Joshua’s. He tells him that she couldn’t give it to Prince Joshua directly, so she asked him to do it. Prince Joshua doesn’t say anything. Prince Leonardo tells him that he knows Prince Joshua already has the heroine, so if he can’t accept it, that’s okay, but Prince Joshua interrupts him. He asks Prince Leonardo what her name is. Prince Leonardo is surprised, and Prince Joshua asks him if he won’t introduce him to her as he takes the package from Prince Leonardo. With a shocked expression on his face, Prince Leonardo can only look at Prince Joshua.
The heroine thinks on how she just wanted to do something as a princess based on what she learned from observing Prince Joshua, but it resulted in a misunderstanding along with not having a chocolate cake for him, having a fight at the conference, and still not giving him any chocolates.
The conference has just ended, and Prince Joshua leaves his seat. Wondering where he’s gone and feeling anxious, she goes and searches around the inside of Nerwan Castle. She tells herself that she said too much and she should apologize, it’s Valentine’s Day after all. She then sees someone with purple hair in the direction of the thicket. In the middle of calling out to Prince Joshua, she stops dead in her tracks. He’s talking to Girl B from before. She hears Girl B thank Prince Joshua for accepting as her face points to the ground, blushing. Prince Joshua is looking at the package in his hands, but stays quiet. When the heroine looks down, she sees the gift that she had yet to give to him and, without making a sound, leaves with her head hanging low and returns to the castle.
Night comes and the heroine is looking at the night sky. They’ve returned to Dres Van, but the heroine has stayed inside the park since coming back, not wanting to return to her room. She says to herself about how even though she’s given out a large amount of chocolates this year, she somehow managed to not give any to the person she wanted to the most. Holding the package on her lap, she doesn’t know how much time has passed as she sits at the top of the playground slide. Thinking about it now, she realizes that ever since they had seen the part on their other trip, she’s just been trying to live up to the high standards that Prince Joshua has set for himself. That’s why she threw that Oriens style party and handed out chocolates to everyone. He had said that she was just trying to have everything her way… everything she’s done has been for nothing. Because of that, he ended up taking chocolate from another girl…. Just the memory of the scene crushes her heart. “(I guess I’m being selfish…)”.
She lets out another long breath and hears a meow off to her side. She sees a couple of cats next to her and comments that they get along. Even in the cold, the two cats look happy together. Standing up, she declares that this isn’t getting anything done, she needs to make up with him!
Just then, she hears a voice in the dark ask what she’s doing out here. She realizes it’s Prince Joshua. Looking down in a hurry, she sees him standing underneath a lamp looking her way. Looking at her with a serious expression, he tells her that he was looking everywhere in the castle for her. She looks down at the package in her hands. She tells him that she has something to give him. He doesn’t answer, and she continues to say that she didn’t have the chance to give it to him and shows him the package. She says that it’s small and is sort of worn-out from holding on to it for so long, but she made it thinking only of him. “More than any other chocolate, this makes me think of you.” She adds that she had previously planned on giving him a chocolate cake, but…. Hanging her head, she tells him that it’s okay if he doesn’t want it, saying she screwed up this time.
He asks her what she means by ‘screwed up’. At this, she explains everything to him from the beginning, from her wanting to be more like him to bumping into Prince Leonardo. She apologizes, saying everything turned out to be a failure. At her apology, his eyes open wide in amazement.
“Hold on. According to your explanation, you guys in Oriens… give out chocolates to everyone?”
The heroine tells him that they do, and he knows that already. He then looks taken aback and asks about the chocolate cake. She tells him that she made him a big, delicious cake, but like she said earlier, it had to be given to Prince Leonardo. Prince Joshua’s face goes through a variety of emotions; first, surprised; then he blushed; and then last, as if overwhelmed with emotions, he looks straight at her. He smiles.
“You’re such a wonderful person. Working so hard, thinking about Dres Van, you’re a magnificent princess.” His smile is replaced with a frown. “Despite all that, I… said all those thoughtless things out of jealousy.”
Confused, the heroine repeats the last word in question. Blushing more and more as he speaks, he tells her that he was embarrassed watching her give all those presents out to the other princes and Pierre. On top of that, he mistook what happened with Prince Leonardo. He says that still, even feeling all that, he shouldn’t have said what he did. After he is done speaking, he looks at her with an embarrassed smile. She tells him that they’re both pretty stubborn, huh? He smiles and agrees with her, and they both share a laugh.
Looking up at her from the bottom of the slide, he says that he wants to make everything up to her, and to hurry and get down, coming closer to the sand box below as he speaks. As she’s about to slide down, she remembers that the gift box is worn-out. Is he going to accept it like this? She stutters that she can’t slide down. He asks why not, and she answers it’s because of the chocolates. He doesn’t know what she’s talking about and tells her to hurry up. He then says that if she doesn’t come here, he’s going to get her. He steps on the slide and starts trying to climb up. The heroine tells him that the cats are up here, though, surprising Prince Joshua.
“Even still, I’m coming!”
He then begins to climb up the slide. The heroine then says that she’ll go down and to hold on, but slips. As soon as she begins to think that she is going to crash into him, Prince Joshua catches her in his arms and plucks the present from her hands.
Finally, I caught you.
“Finally,” he says, and accepts the gift with a kind smile. He kisses her softly, but then suddenly, as if he can no longer support himself, he collapses into the sandbox, taking her with him. She asks if he’s okay. He says he is and that he was okay until she touched him, but then all his power was drained away. Laying in the sand together, they smile at each other. He then pulls her into his arms and they have a deep and passionate kiss. He says he wishes they could be like this forever. She says she does, too, as they hold each other tightly to make up for the time they were apart. They then hear a meow and look in the direction it came from to see the cat couple looking down on them as if in surprise from the top of the slide.
After some time, they sit down in the sand, finding it hard to separate from each other. She sits between his legs, his arms around her from behind. She tells him that since he’s been so open with her, she has something to confess as well. When he asks what it is, she tells him that she saw him take the gift from that girl and that it’s been weighing on her mind since then. He thinks for a bit with a frown, before saying he turned it down.
Letter:
From: Prince Joshua
Subject: “It’s going to melt”
Nothing calms me like your touch.
But it also makes me nervous.
It’s like my heart melts. Only you can make
me feel that way.
From now on, we’ll always be together. I’ll
never let you go.
From Joshua
The heroine turns to face him in confusion. He says that he did accept at first. However, she asked Prince Leonardo to bring the chocolates to him. He was thinking that he had to turn her down properly or else it would be rude, so he returned them to her in person. He says the only person he wanted chocolates from was the heroine, so he made sure the girl knew exactly why he couldn’t take them.
She replays the situation in her head and realizes that what she saw was when he was given them back, and thinks how no matter what he does, he always does it properly. That’s why she fell in love with him. Prince Joshua then confesses that because he was looking forward to her gift so much, he’s been refraining from eating sweets. He adds that there wasn’t any way he was going to let other chocolates spoil what he was going to get from her. Hearing this makes her so happy that she gets a lump in her throat.
She encourages him to try the chocolates. When he opens the box and looks inside, he is surprised. He attempts to ask what it is, but he can’t form the entire sentence.
“When I think of you, I think of cats.”
Although the box is worn-out, the chocolates remained perfect inside. They are chocolates shaped like cats. He frowns and asks if she’s making fun of him. Smiling happily, she says she’s not at all. Prince Joshua then says that if it’s from her, he doesn’t care what shape they are and that he’ll eat them. She takes out one of the chocolates and holds it towards his mouth. Seeing the cat shape, he is hesitant at first. He then gives in and opens his mouth. She asks him how it is, and he says that it’s great. She says she’s happy and relieved that he likes it. He kisses her again, and smiles when he pulls back. He asks her how it was and if it was good. Blushing, she says it is. He then says he’ll give her something sweeter before slowly kissing her again. She can taste the faint flavor of melted chocolate.
“Listen up… when we get back to the castle, I’m not letting you go. We have lost time to make up for, so prepare yourself.”
“Yes, my prince…”
They kiss once more and, no matter how many times they kissed each other that night, it seemed like they couldn’t get enough of each other.
Letter:
From: Prince Joshua
Subject: “Become anxiety”
I misunderstood you, got jealous, and
rushed to judgment.
But the reason I did so is because I love you
more than anything. Even the slightest thing
can get me worried about you.
I hope you’ll let me stay by your side.
From Joshua
The heroine thinks on how she had made a chocolate cake for Prince Joshua for Valentine’s Day, but was unable to give it to him. On top of that, they had an argument. Having been told that he wasn’t interested in Valentine’s Day, she was completely lost.
The conference is over and everyone is leaving. Not knowing where Prince Joshua is, the heroine goes to search for him in Nerwan Castle alone. She finally finds him in the hallway. In the middle of calling out to Prince Joshua, she pauses. Standing in front of him is Girl B staring at the ground. The heroine quickly hides behind a pillar and recognizes Girl B from earlier. She sees the Valentine’s Day chocolates in Prince Joshua’s hands, thinks that he accepted them, and leaves, unable to take any more.
She runs to the front entrance and stops. She reminds herself that she is in Nerwan Castle. She won’t be able to go home by herself and will have to take a jet with Prince Joshua. Wondering what she can do, she hands her head low. She then hears the sound of running in the distance and someone calling out to her.
Turning around, she sees Jan looking worried. He asks where she’s going, but she’s unable to answer and can only look at him. She asks what about him, where is he going? He tells her that he was worried about her. When she questions him, he says that the fact is that he felt like there was something strange with her during the meeting. She thinks on how her fight with Prince Joshua started right before the start of the conference and, if Jan has noticed that she was upset during the meeting, then it’s pretty embarrassing. She tilts her head down in shame, prepared for the enviable line of questions. Without saying a thing, though, Jan just stands next to her. She mentally notes that he’s such a gentleman, and that it was so lonely being at the conference alone. As if he had known her feelings, he had come to her without having been asked to. He gives her a friendly smile and suggests that they step outside for some air.
Outside, she notices that there is still some snow laying on the ground. She comments that it’s like Dres Van. Compared to the other seasons, winter is the dreariest. Jan lightly agrees, and she goes on to say that there are no flowers and all the trees are bare.
Jan then walks over to a large tree in front of them and squats down. She wonders what he’s doing when he calls out to her to come look. When she gets down next to him, he points out a flower that is blooming. He tells her it’s called a ‘snowdrop’. “Even in the snow, it sticks its head out of the ground and blossoms with life.” In admiration, the heroine says that she’s never seen one before and says it’s beautiful. He tells her that they have lots of them in Dres Van, too, but they’re easy to overlook, so you need to pay attention when looking for them. She understands, and says that she’ll keep an out of for them. He adds that the snowdrop symbolizes a person’s dreams due to the fact that they bloom in the face of snow.
Jan pauses, and his face begins to blush a bit as he says it’s kind of smelly, isn’t it? Seeing this, she quickly disagrees with him and says not at all. She tells him that thanks to him, she feels a bit better. His expression is replaces with a smile as he says that’s great before standing up again.
She starts to think how he’s always so thoughtful and that, although he never shows it, he’s always worrying over her. On top of that, he never asks any embarrassing questions, rather he just chats with her like this. She thanks him. Grinning playfully, he asks for what? She thanks him again inside her heart, thinking how he’s one of a kind and she wants to give him something to show her appreciation. She then realizes that she never gave Jan any chocolates. She decides that for all he’s done, there’s no time like the present. She tells him to wait here a moment and runs back into the castle.
When she gets back, she sees Jan waiting on a bench. She apologizes for making him wait and, as she runs up to the bench, he stands up. He asks what it is all of a sudden. She takes out Valentine’s Day chocolates and holds it out towards Jan, who looks at her curiously. He asks what it is and she tells him it’s for him. The chocolates inside are different from Prince Joshua’s and are meant to express her gratitude. He’s surprised. She says it’s for always looking out for her and that there are Valentine’s Day chocolates inside. She adds that she knows it’s hardly any thanks for all he does for her, but won’t he accept it? Looking troubled, he quietly looks at the package before carefully taking it into his hands. Blushing, he says that he’s so happy. She says that for helping her put together the party and for helping her pass out all the chocolates to everyone, she made a separate gift for him without letting him in on it. She tells him she’s glad she was able to give it to him.
He thanks her and asks if he may open it. She tells him of course and sits down next to him on the bench. He carefully opens the box and when he sees what’s inside, his eyes pop open. They are teacup shaped chocolates.
“When I think of you, it’s like your trademark style…”
With a smile, she thanks him for always making her delicious tea. He happily takes the chocolate into his hand. “This is the first time I ever received such elaborate chocolates. Thank you…” He puts a piece of chocolate in his mouth. He expresses that it’s good, and she says she’s glad he’s happy. She starts to think from the bottom of her heart. She thinks on how he’s a pretty handsome guy, so she’s sure he gets lots of chocolates. She’s just happy she was able to convey her feelings of appreciation for him. But there’s still one more gift.
She looks down at the box and thinks that she can’t give it to Prince Joshua while they’re fighting. She wonders if she’ll ever be able to give it to him?
Jan takes the heroine’s chocolates and places them in his mouth one at a time. He had no idea he would receive such a cherished gift. He felt like it was almost a waste to eat something so nice. He then notices her sad face. With a frown, he says nothing as he notices Prince Joshua’s gift in her hands and pretends not to see. While trying to look away, he pops another chocolate into his mouth. If he were to call her, it’s certain that she would leave right now. It is such a wonderful time that if he could, he’d wish for it to last forever. But…
When the heroine looks over to him, she sees that he’s stopped eating and is looking at the box in her hands. “Those chocolates… shouldn’t you give them to Prince Joshua?” She tells him that they had just had a fight, and that she told Prince Joshua that she wouldn’t give him any chocolates this year. Jan frowns and stays quiet as she continues to say that besides, Prince Joshua said he doesn’t like chocolate anyway. As she speaks, the memories start to flood back.
Just then, Jan looks at her with a smile. He tells her he’s sure that Prince Joshua didn’t mean it when he said that because he’s been going on and on about how he’s been looking forward to getting chocolate from her, even going as far as to skip dessert. He tells her that if she can just be frank with him, he’s sure Prince Joshua will let her know his true feelings. She asks if that’s right and he says it is. Hearing this, she suddenly wells up with courage and she decides it’s time to apologize to him! With a renewed sense of purpose, she stands up.
Suddenly, she hears a voice call out to her. When she turns around, she sees Prince Joshua standing behind her out of breath. He says that he was looking for her. She runs to him and apologizes for having said such mean things. She tells him that she didn’t mean them at all and had only wanted to give him his gift as she presents it to him. He happily accepts, but then frowns and says that he’s also said some bad things. “Actually, I was looking forward to this more than anything…” With a smile, he embraces her while holding his gift. After letting go, he turns to Jan. He tells Jan to prepare the jet. He wants to get back to the castle as fast as possible so that he and the heroine can enjoy this chocolate together, alone. With a smile, Jan says he’ll go get the jet prepared for takeoff. With a smile on his face, Jan bows and the walks by the two.
While walking to in the garden covered with patches of melting snow, Jan notices a blossoming snowdrop in the corner.
“The snowdrop also symbolizes ‘comfort’,” he says in a low voice. He takes out the gift box given to him and looks it over. He thinks back on the time that they were together and, in a voice no one can hear, he says,
“Like a selfish kid, I just wanted to keep you all for myself, just a little bit longer…”
Looking forward, he heads back towards the castle.
Letter:
From: Jan
Subject: “Hope and…”
I’m so happy you thought of me when giving
out chocolates.
You’re as kind as I thought.
Do you remember when we saw that
snowdrop? That flower has one more
symbolic meaning, you know?
I’ll have to tell you it whenever we see one
again.
From Jan
