Chapter 3: Meaning of the Gift
Narrated by Lilith.
Ashley: The street is empty tonight. There’s only the two of us.
Narrator: Ashley stood quietly on the snow-covered ground for a long time.
Narrator: Finally, before more snow would fall, she knelt and held the squirrel in her arms.
Ashley: Come on. Let’s go home.
Narrator: Ashley secretly took the squirrel back and placed it in her shabby room.
Ashley: Why did I bring you back? Both of us are going to be in big trouble if you’re found.
Narrator: Suddenly, the squirrel leapt out of her arms and ran onto the windowsill.
Narrator: Ashley watched the squirrel, and it found a beautiful pine cone.
Narrator: Squeaking as it moved, the squirrel ran toward Ashley with the pine cone in its tiny paws.
Narrator: Ashley reached out her hand, and the pine cone fell right into her palm.
Narrator: It was an ordinary pine cone, if anything. It was just a bit smaller and less dirty than other pine cones.
Ashley: It looks so beautiful. It’s the best pine cone I’ve ever seen.
Ashley: ...Is this your gift to me?
Ashley: Do you... like me?
Narrator: The squirrel certainly couldn’t understand Ashley’s words. It just kept squeaking and leaping happily around Ashley.
Ashley: ...Thank you.
Narrator: The bells rang at midnight. It was now Starsnow.
Narrator: It was the first time Ashley ever received a gift. She listened to the bells and gently held the pine cone.
Narrator: Unlike Ashley, I was waiting for attendants to deliver the gifts to my throne.
Narrator: Pearls, gems, silk, antiques... The long line of gift-bringers was endless.
Lilith: There are so many gifts this year. They will all be accepted.
Narrator: An attended opened a box for me, showing me a set of jadeite ornaments from Cloud.
Lilith: Smooth and shiny, they are indeed beautiful.
Narrator: Although I could tell its value at a glance, I had no use for things like this.
Lilith: I remember a maid of mine is going to get married soon. Send this set to her as my gift.
Narrator: The attendant brought me a drink from Pigeon.
Narrator: The ruby-colored juice in the glass was indeed a tempting sight, but that was all it had.
Narrator: I took a sip and put it aside.
Choose either “Don’t you like it?” or “Won’t you pick some of them?”
If “don’t,” ...
You: Why? Don’t you like these gifts?
Narrator: No, I like them.
You: But you don’t seem to care about gifts...
If “won’t,” ...
You: Won’t you pick some to keep for yourself?
Narrator: These represent my people’s love for me. How can I refuse any of them?
You: But you don’t seem to care about the gifts...
--
Narrator: You’re wrong. I care about them more than anything.
Narrator: They carved statues for me, wrote music for me, devoted everything to me...
Narrator: These gifts show their love for me.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
