Intimate Feast

Summoning what little energy remained within me, I forced myself to stand, my legs trembling beneath me. With unsteady steps, I made my way to the door, pushing it open with a silent prayer for it not to creak and alert anyone to my movements.

Peering left and right, I realized I couldn't recall which way I had come from. The tantalizing aroma of food that had guided me before was now gone, leaving me disoriented and more ravenous.

My stomach churned with increasing intensity, its desperate pleas drowning out all other thoughts. Weakness threatened to overcome me. I steadied myself and ventured out into the unknown darkness. 

"Where do you think you're going?"

The voice startled me, and I spun around to find Ludwig standing behind me, his blue eyes now void of the fiery anger but still radiating irritation. I watched his lips move, but no sound reached my ears.

The events of the evening had taken their toll, and I knew that faintness would soon overtake me. It was a sensation I was all too familiar with, the inevitable consequence of pushing my body beyond its limits time and time again.

As my vision began to blur and my trembling legs threatened to give out, I felt a pang of vulnerability. Despite my efforts to appear strong and resilient, I was only human. I was subject to the same physical frailties as anyone else.

My heart softened as Ludwig's figure loomed before me, his expression now a mix of concern and confusion. In my weakened state, I could feel myself slipping away, my senses dulling until I could no longer feel the ground beneath my feet.

Suddenly, strong arms enveloped me, pulling me close. Despite the comfort of being held, it still left me feeling disoriented and unsettled in Ludwig's embrace.

Ludwig guided me to a seat, and for a brief moment, he disappeared before reappearing with a soft glow. I blinked to adjust my vision as I heard the muted knocks of the door and its subsequent opening.

The enticing aroma of delicious food flooded my senses, and I felt a surge of newfound energy. My eyes darted eagerly to the source of the savory scent, and my mouth watered in anticipation.

As plate after plate of freshly cooked dishes appeared before me, I lost count of their number, my focus solely on satisfying my insatiable hunger. The dishes were unfamiliar to me, but I paid no mind to their exotic nature. My only concern being the delightful flavors that danced upon my palate.

Accompanying the array of food were a variety of drinks, each more tempting than the last. My stomach rumbled in protest, urging me to indulge in the feast laid out before me.

I eagerly reached for a golden spoon, my fingers trembling with hunger as I grasped it. But to my dismay, it slipped from my weakened grasp before I could even use it to scoop up the awaiting dessert.

I attempted to pick up another spoon, but my strength failed me.

"Let me..." Ludwig's voice broke through my haze of exhaustion, and he gently retrieved the spoon from my hand.

With surprising tenderness, he lifted a delectable slice of rainbow cake to my lips, feeding me with his own hand. Sweetness, sourness, bitterness—all of it I welcomed eagerly.

In that moment, I felt like a child lost in a witch's house, lured by the promise of forbidden delights, or perhaps a pig fattened for the slaughter.

But in my desperate bid for survival, I could scarcely bring myself to care. All that mattered was sating my hunger and finding a way to endure until I could return home.

In Ludwig's eyes, the irritation still simmered, but despite this, his gaze held a certain intensity that seemed to pierce through me. Once as deep as the abyss, his irises now blazed with the brightness of the sun. If only I weren't so consumed by hunger, I might have mustered the strength to push my chair away from him, to create some distance between us.

But as it were, I found myself unable to tear my gaze away from him, mesmerized by his presence even as my instincts screamed for caution.

With ragged breaths that seemed to echo my own, Ludwig leaned in closer, his proximity suffocating. I choked on my words and hastily requested water. I was desperate for any excuse to break the tension between us.

Ludwig rose from his seat with fluid grace, fetching a glass of water and offering it to me swiftly. "Careful, Louise," he cautioned, his voice low.

I took the glass from him, gulping down the water as I continued to study his face. In the soft glow of the lights, his features seemed to take on a new depth.

He truly was handsome, with piercing eyes that held secrets untold, furrowed eyebrows that betrayed his inner confusions, a well-sculpted nose that added to his allure, and lips that curved into a faint, enigmatic smile. 

As I sat there, my gaze lingered on Ludwig's scars, each one telling a story of battles fought. The scar on his face was relatively short compared to the ones that adorned his forearms and back. Half of his neck bore the marks of burns, a testament to some past trauma that had left its mark. Despite their prominence, the scars on his cheeks were smaller, almost unnoticeable unless one looked closely.

I also couldn't help but notice the varying hues of his scars—some were a deep red, others a light brown, and still others a delicate pinkish hue.

I found myself unable to finish all the food laid out before me. It was as if I had consumed an entire feast meant for royalty, yet my stomach could only hold so much. Eventually, the overwhelming fullness caused me to struggle for breath, and I knew it was time to retire for the night.

Throughout the meal, Ludwig remained silent, his attention focused on the food rather than on me. But as the feast came to an end, he gently guided me to the bed, his touch reassuring and comforting.

With his support, I felt my strength returning, if only momentarily. I sat there for a moment, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on me.

As darkness enveloped my eyes, Ludwig's face lingered in my mind, the last image I saw before drifting into dreams.