Haruna Konomi (Christmas Costume)

thanks Vivi for reviewing
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Secret Santa
Demon King's Servant: "What I'm after is in the ice cave. Alright, shall we get going?"
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[This is the world of a story once drawn of a country ruled by the Fire Demon King and the Ice Queen, where Christmas traditions are underway.]
[This time, let's tell the tale of one of the many little customs the Fire Demon King's servant practices.]

Demon King's Servant
S-so cooold~...!
You're doing just fine...?

Queen's Servant
Because I am the servant of the "ice" Queen.
But it must be difficult for you as a servant of the "fire" Demon King...

Demon King's Servant
It's cold, but...if it's for the Demon King, I can handle this much...!

[One such custom the Demon King's servant practices... Is to secretly prepare a Christmas present for the Demon King who always works so hard.]
[It is a very important custom for the servant, who has watched over the Demon King since she was little.]

Queen's Servant
So what you're looking for is...

Demon King's Servant
An "ice flower that won't melt from even the hottest flame".
Please lead the way.

Queen's Servant
Sure, leave it to me, as this is a request from the Ice Queen.

---

Queen's Servant
It's here.

Demon King's Servant
This is an "ice flower"... How beautiful!
Why isn't this sold in a store? Is it difficult to grow?

Queen's Servant
No, it's not, but they're hard to get onto store shelves.

Demon King's Servant
...?
Um, it's okay if I take one, isn't it?

Queen's Servant
Yeah. Go ahead.

Demon King's Servant
Wah - it's freezing cold to just barely touch it...need to hurry with the scissors...

[*Clink*]

Demon King's Servant
Oh no - I can't get the blades to cut at all...!

Queen's Servant
Even with your special scissors...?

Demon King's Servant
Eh-...? But these are normal scissors...

Queen's Servant
Hm...? Ordinary scissors can't cut the stem of an ice flower.

Demon King's Servant
Eh-...!? Is that true?

Queen's Servant
...Yeah, fire won't melt them nor will scissors cut them,
so we can't put ice flowers onto the store shelves.
...Were you by chance unaware of that?

Demon King's Servant
Y-yeah...
Ah - if you're so knowledgeable about them, you must know a way to harvest them?

Queen's Servant
...Sorry, I don't.
I thought for sure a servant of the Fire Demon King
would have a special way to gather them...

Demon King's Servant
What do I do...

Queen's Servant
...You can't just give her another present?

Demon King's Servant
Yeah, this year I really want to give a "flower" to the Demon King.
Last year I gave her a normal flower that filled her with joy,
but she ended up accidentally using a little too much power and burned it up.
That mistake left her so depressed...

Queen's Servant
That's why you want "an ice flower that won't melt from even the hottest flame"
to give as a present, then...

Demon King's Servant
Yeah...
A long time ago the flower appeared in a picture book the Demon King loved,
so I'm sure she would love it...

Queen's Servant
Picture book...?

Demon King's Servant
["To save her friend from her high fever, the heroine embarks on a journey to find 'an ice flower that won't melt from even the hottest flame'."]
Something like that, I think? I don't remember the details, though...

Queen's Servant
I loved it too, especially...

[Her hands were on the verge of freezing, but she did not let go of the flower stem. To save her friend, she desperately needed this "ice flower".]
[And what happened next? With a pitter and a patter, water began to drip down.]
[Despite the ice flower being unable to melt from even the hottest flame, the girl's warm heart and thoughts of her friend began to melt the ice flower's stem.]

Queen's Servant
I love this part...
I wanted to serve my Queen with such a strong heart.

Demon King's Servant
Wait!
Right there - isn't that the way to harvest it...?

Queen's Servant
Ah-...that may be.

Demon King's Servant
...I'll try.
I won't let my heartfelt feelings for the Demon King lose to this...I'll be okay!
...!
(It truly is incredibly cold...! My hands...are freezing...)

Queen's Servant
Hey, are you alright...?
It's just a picture book. I don't know if it's true or not, so you should stop...
...No, you can do it.

Demon King's Servant
Y-eah...un-til it me-lts... I will...not...let go...!
(Because the Demon King, year after year...)
(Looks forward to her Christmas present...!)

Queen's Servant
Ah-... It melted...

Demon King's Servant
I-I did it! This will make the Demon King so happy!

---

[Christmas Day has arrived. The Fire Demon King, with stocking hung by her bedside, found inside a beautifully wrapped box.]
[Trembling with heart aflutter, the Fire Demon King opened the box and leaped from her bed with joy.]

Fire Demon King
Look at this!
Santa-san gave me the most wonderful present!

Demon King's Servant
Oh, what could it be?

Fire Demon King
An ice flower!
Even my fire won't melt this one!

[Having received such a lovely Christmas present, the Fire Demon King gave the biggest smile she could.]
[The Demon King's servant smiled with all her heart in kind, as her lady's smiling face is the greatest Christmas present she could ask for.]