落とし穴１３０堀：プレゼント交換 (Part2)
"Since Hairen-sama, the main deity of our Hairen Faith, eats it with such delight, we must partake as well. After all, if the Goddess herself eats it, it must be blessed! Besides, Sota-sama and the First Archbishop of Enora are eating it too, so there is truly no problem! I’ll ask for the recipe later before we head home, so please forgive me, Mother!"
With that settled, we enjoyed our meal, and just as we were starting to feel full...
"Alright, before dessert, it’s time for the gift exchange."
"““!?””"
For those of us who hadn't brought anything particularly extravagant, this was a heart-stopping moment.
"Well, the rules are simple. The gifts collected from everyone have these numbered tags on them. You draw a number from this box, and you receive the gift corresponding to that number. It’s a surprise to see whose gift you’ll end up with."
I see. So that’s how it is.
Wait, if things go poorly, I might end up giving something meager to Hairen-sama or the various kings and queens present!?
"““……””"
We turned pale at the shock of such a high-stakes gift exchange. If we were deemed disrespectful, wouldn't our heads be on the chopping block? But ignoring our internal turmoil, the exchange began...
"...No way. My gift... it went to Queen Seraria."
"...Mikos-chan, you got Ratz-san's gift. Is that alright?"
"I got Amanda-san's, so I'm relieved."
"..."
Well, aside from Kagura, everyone seemed to have received gifts from people that weren't problematic, which was a relief. My gift was still in the pile, and since some people were even drawing the gifts they had prepared themselves, I thought I might be able to retrieve my own. I drew a slip...
"Here you go. Number one. That’s my gift."
"Eh?"
It seemed the gift I had drawn was the one prepared by Yuki-dono. When he handed it to me, I saw a small gift inside a box that fit in the palm of my hand. It was, in a way, very much like Yuki-dono, but it felt a bit underwhelming for someone in the position of a Prince Consort. However, the gazes from his wives were sharp.
"Big brother's gift..."
"Yuki-san's gift. Given that size, it must be alcohol, surely?"
"No, no, Milly, that’s impossible. At the very least, a book..."
...I have a feeling that if I don't handle this well, I might be ambushed later. Yuki-dono seemed to hear that as well.
"Ah, I’ve already prepared separate gifts for my wives as usual. This one, Enora. Open it. Seeing what’s inside will put everyone at ease."
"I see. Understood."
Prompted by his words, I opened Yuki-dono’s gift. Inside, there was a small, beautifully decorated frame, but with nothing in the center—a small shield-like object.
"...What is this?"
"Hm? Oh, it’s a photo frame. You didn't recognize it?"
"A photo... frame? Ah, a photo. It seems that’s common in Weed. It’s not something I’m familiar with yet, though."
As I stared intently at this "photo frame," Yuki-dono suddenly produced a camera and aimed it at me.
"Um, if I’m guessing correctly, do you intend to take a picture?"
"Yup. It’s a good memento. You should take photos with various people and display the ones you like. First, one shot."
"Oh, if it’s a commemorative photo, me too, me too!! Luna-sama and Lilishe-sama, would you like to join?"
"Oh, that sounds fun!"
"I’d love to!"
And just like that, the people—or beings—around us gathered, turning it into a photo session. We spent the rest of the Christmas night in high spirits.
The next day, as I met up with Kagura and headed to work, we talked about the previous night.
"Mmm, yesterday was so much fun."
"What are you saying, Kagura? You were panicking when your gift went to Queen Seraria."
"But it was good, wasn't it? She seemed happy with the handmade cookies."
"Yes. I never imagined Queen Seraria would bake cookies herself."
"Because of that, you and Kagura really hit it off, didn't you?"
"It was unexpected. But it made sense when she said it reminded her of memories with her mother."
"Anyway, that’s fine, but Enora, are you actually using the photo frame Yuki gave you?"
"Eh? Oh, of course."
"Which photo did you put in it?"
"Isn't it that one where everyone tried to crowd into the frame and ended up in a pile?"
"Ah, that one."
"Wow. I want to see that."
"Can we go see it later?"
"Ah, um, sure. That’s fine."
I answered, but I decided that as soon as I got home, I would immediately swap the photo. After all:
*"Ah, that gift. It’s mine."*
*"Oh, how rare to get each other's gifts. Let’s see... a muffler. Alright, let’s take a commemorative photo together."*
*"Eh?"*
*"Kirue, are you ready?"*
The photo frame I received currently holds a picture of Yuki-dono wearing my muffler, and me holding the frame. If anyone saw that, they would definitely tease me.
...It’s not like there’s anything illicit about it. It’s just a memento of a rare coincidence where we exchanged gifts.
Merry Christmas!!
Did everyone get their presents?
I got the gift of overtime!! (Dead eyes)
That said, gift exchanges are something I haven't really done since I was a child. It’s a hassle to worry about what to give and receive. Still, when it comes to random gift exchanges, they often end up being a joke. The sweet developments you see in novels don't exist in the real world!! Just like how a "dark pot" (nabe) rarely turns out actually delicious!!
Well then, the rest is the year-end special.
Oh, and of course, there will be no break in posting!!
By the way, with this schedule, the first post of the new year would be January 2nd, but just like last year, I plan to post at 0:00 on January 1st.
Everyone, look forward to it.