c3 (1/2)
Dinner and Chalices
On the table, all kinds of silverere neatly laid out A basket was filled arm bread
There was clear soup and an array of delicious dishes
Elsa sed her drool as she looked at this table
Originally, this banquet had been laid out for only Claudius and herself to enjoy The dining table see for just the two of them, and trained waitresses stood on the side
The Holy Knight Ann Duke was still worried about the two of the in Claudius’s ear, he left the room
Although Ann Duke and Claudius’s secretive discussion potentially had so to do with her, Elsa couldn’t care less, as she was preoccupied with the luxurious dinner in front of her eyes
(If you becary)
The Seers had once told Elsa that
It was such an infuriating thing to say
It was hardly persuasive, because they had never knohat it was like to starve
They sier really was
(Please learn so a princess)
The Seers had said They treated her like training an ani her with things like ‘If you don’t use proper etiquette, you aren’t going to eat’
Thanks to their training, Elsa learned royal etiquette and the proper way to eat a meal without much difficulty
(Well fuck that!)
However, she had no intent to continue practicing that ritual
Gripping her fork like a stake, she stabbed at pieces ofoff chunks with her teeth
Elsa licked her fingers, grabbed the plate with the bowl of soup, gulped it down and moved on to stuff her mouth with bread
Elsa are that the people were shocked speechless about her behavior, but she had no intention of stopping She didn’t want to stop, and she didn’t think she could stop Elsa only cared about satisfying her tastebuds and her stomach, and she continued to chew
Soer that she had felt since her childhood years For no good reason, her emotional state had beco As if to s back those tears, Elsa drank uzzled it down
Claudius, also astonished by Elsa’s behavior, stared blankly at her Elsa fiercely glared back at his murky eyes, as she spat out a small bone
“What!?”
Did he find her disgusting? Or was he so shocked that he became dumb?
No h at him
However contrary to her expections, Claudius just s sic , he smiled tenderly
Then, he spoke However he did not address Elsa, but rather the waitress that was standing beside him:
“When Mii first caht?”[1]
This sentence had a dramatic effect
The faces of the waitresses ere previously confused and overwhelmed suddenly lit up They each started to move Some prepared steamed towels, some laid a napkin across Elsa’s lap, and others cleaned the floor Elsa was puzzled by their skillful actions
“What’s… what’s going on?!”
“No, no, keep on eating, it’s not important”
Then the Prince, who had still not begun to dine, smiled at Elsa and asked:
“It’s good that you have an appetite Is it good? How do they season the food in your country?”
“Seasoning?”
Elsa sooseberry sauce had stained the area around her mouth, like a cannibal dyed in blood
“If there’s salt then it’s a lucky day”
In response to these words, Claudius wanted to say soht her napkin to Elsa, intending to wipe her mouth
“Don’t touch me!”
Elsa immediately brushed away the waitress’s hand, and the waitress proiveness:
“I’m sorry!”
The waitress bowed her head Elsa had the sudden feeling that she had somehow become the villain, and she felt very ashamed
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and put forth a feords:
“What kinda messed up country is this?”
Claudius seemed to think Elsa had a point in her remark He lowered his eyebrows and spoke:
“You’re right We receive guests of all cultures, so we shouldn’t impose our values on others”
“Do you always eat like that?”
Elsa said sarcastically; Claudius was surprised and speechless for a moment, then he lowered his eyes and nodded
His movements were slow and his table manners were perfect With practiced precision, he manipulated his knife and fork
“It’s probably… because I’m used to it”
Hearing his response, Elsa was evenup her head, she sighed ruefully and spoke:
“You sound disgusted”
Listening to her sarcastic but truthful remarks, Claudius was amused He then asked her in a fully natural tone:
“Want so to drink?”
“Water is good”
As long as it isn’tis fine
Claudius nodded his head and said:
“Well, we’ll have theet some water for us I want to chat with you a bit”
At this point, Elsa raised her eyebrows She remembered the situation she was in
“Didn’t you hear me earlier? I said I wanted out!”
“There’s no need to be anxious”
Facing Elsa, Claudius continued to explain with his calentle tone as before
“I’ht now, it’s late in the night and it’s dangerous This place is near the Forest of Night”
Elsa nodded, and she looked at Claudius doubtfully with her red pupils However, Claudius saze and recommended:
“We should let the dessert”
Elsa pointed her silver fork at Claudius and spoke:
“If you think you’ll be able to trick onna be seriously disappointed”
Although her voice was resolute, her mouth as s
Claudius just smiled quietly
The stove’s fire was very weak
Elsa got up from her chair and went to the stove She draped a thick blanket fro her knees as she sat there It was a quilt that was bigger and felt different than any she had seen before
“Cold?”
As Claudius asked, he gestured at the waitresses to leave theht rather warm cocoa and baked cookies
“I’m not cold”
Elsa responded succinctly as she pulled the quilt higher up on her tre shoulders Even if the stove was not on, it was still very warm in this spacious room, and Elsa held her knees motionlessly Even now, she was still more of a wild untamable animal
Claudius brought his own chair nearby and sat down, cautiouslyhis distance
They reaze quietly wandered Before long, Elsa’s hand slowly extended towards the baked cookies, and after grabbing one, it retracted Claudius didn’t say a word as he softly narrowed his eyes
Around the of cookies, and for a moment it paused as she whispered:
“It’s sweet”
The sound was faint and weak
“Is it not to your taste?”
Right after he asked this, he started hearing the sound of ain
“It’s too sweet, and it feels likenu of honey if you eat so s”
Although she spoke unhappily, she licked her fingers reluctantly Claudius chuckled softly
He laughed gently, and for some reason, it didn’t hed, and she couldn’t understand hoas different fro sneers that she often directed towards others
Elsa now tried the cup of cocoa, and mur it
Her eyes were vacant, and she didn’t look back at Claudius, who had only been looking at the stove Her red eyes reflected the fla after, Elsa whispered:
“What a to do from now on?”
Her voice was hoarse and different froressive Before Claudius responded, he hesitated for a moment However, he hid his hesitation and purposefully proceeded with a cheery voice:
“Weren’t you going to run away?”
Even though Claudius said this to her, Elsa did not look back Her eyes narrowed, and with her voice lowered, she retaliated with a few tenacious murmurs:
“…Are you happy now?”
“Yeah It wasaway”
Claudius played around with the leaves of a nearby potted plant His attitude was gentle but stubborn Once more, Elsa spoke up with a weak voice:
“Were you serious about wanting to marry me?”
After Elsa said these words, the e taken to another country and wrapped in a blanket with a fragrance she couldn’t identify, Elsa could still not believe that this was reality
Every tientle, and tender, she was inclined to think these beautiful things were not real, that instead they were part of a bitter nightmare
For her, reality was steeped in striking pain and suffering They were never too far away, and she felt she would soon encounter them
“You don’t believe it?”
Claudius asked Elsa quietly Elsa responded to his question with a question
“Believe what?”
Draped in quilts, Elsa clung to her knees and stared at Claudius Her pupils no longer shi+ned with flames, and her red eyes were dull and cloudy
She half-closed her eyes, and raved, al in a hoarse voice
She brought her hand to her chest, and clutched the Star Stone that hung from her neck
“…I refuse to allow others to decide my life”
Elsa murmured these words, and when she finished she curled up her body She cradled in her head in her knees as she quietly dozed off
Claudius sat on the chair with his ar Elsa
Soon, two ently knocked on the door They politely called out to Claudius, and Claudius stood up and opened the door
“Andy, you’re just in time”
The person who caht who had left earlier Claudius invited him in and pointed to to Elsa:
“Can you help me move her to her bedroom? I’m not confident in my ability to move her'”
Seeing Elsa curled up and sleeping, Ann Duke’s eyes widened in surprise He peered at her and quietly asked:
“This… Well, it shouldn’t be a problem”
See his hesitation, Claudius told him:
“I don’t think she ake up”
Faced with Claudius’s clear answer, Ann Duke looked at him and spoke in a calm voice:
“…Did you ?”
Claudius nodded without hesitation