Chapter 6: The Real Givia
“Hmm? What’s that smell?” Abyss asked, recognizing the aroma.
Givia, a handkerchief in her hand, rushed out of the room, ushered them inside, then closed the door, her movements furtive.
“It’s pepper. I added pepper!” she whispered, then hurried to a table in the corner of the room, sitting down and looking at them. “Is the smell strong? Can they smell it outside?”
“It’s noticeable. My sense of smell is quite acute. I could smell it from outside the palace. But ordinary people probably can’t,” Rebecca said, smiling.
Leona, finally realizing the source of the aroma, slapped her forehead. “I thought I smelled roasted meat. You’re eating?”
A whole roasted pig, about fifteen kilograms, sat on the table before Givia, half-eaten. Beside it were a few partially eaten apples, a large mug of beer, and a small dish of pepper sauce. Givia had been hiding in her room, enjoying a secret feast.
The three girls, excluding the amnesiac Abyss, had never seen this side of Givia. She was now cutting a piece of juicy pork, dipping it in the pepper sauce, and savoring each bite, her expression blissful. Before today, she had always been frugal, her meals small and her manners impeccable.
“Givia, you enjoy food this much? Weren’t you satisfied with the banquet?” Leona asked, surprised. “What’s wrong with your servants? Can’t they take care of their queen?”
“I apologize, Leona. I was just pretending to be frugal,” Givia said, swallowing her mouthful of pork, wiping her grease-stained lips with a handkerchief, and sighing contentedly. “Actually, I love to eat.”
Her expression was almost childlike, a mischievous glint in her eyes, a hint of apology for deceiving them. The three girls had never seen this side of her, this playful, unrestrained Givia, so different from the stoic and dignified leader they knew. The hardworking leader of the Restoration Army was a secret glutton?
“Please, have a seat. And I apologize… It’s not their fault. I was just pretending to have a small appetite at the banquet,” Givia said, cutting another piece of juicy pork, dipping it in the sauce, her voice slightly apologetic. “Actually… I have a huge appetite, bigger than some men. But with the Restoration Army struggling, I couldn’t enjoy a feast while my soldiers were barely surviving. So I pretended to be indifferent to food…”
“You like to eat as much as I do?” Leona asked, her eyes wide with surprise, as she sat down beside her. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We could have feasted together!”
Leona was being modest. Givia’s appetite was nothing compared to hers. That fifteen-kilogram pig would be a mere snack for Leona.
“Back then, the Restoration Army was constantly under pressure from Kevin’s forces. Even if you had provided me with food, I wouldn’t have had the time or the energy to enjoy it,” Givia said, sighing, taking a large bite of the pepper-coated pork, her manners momentarily forgotten. “Now that things have settled down, I suddenly have a craving for a proper meal. But I couldn’t indulge myself at the banquet, not in front of all those nobles. So I’m hiding here, enjoying a secret feast. You won’t tell anyone, will you? It would ruin my reputation as a queen.”
Rebecca chuckled. “Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone. I think it’s endearing. Givia, you always seemed so perfect, almost like a character from a legend. But seeing this side of you, your love for food, makes you seem more real, more relatable.”
“It’s good to have hobbies,” Flora said, smiling gently. “I was worried you were bottling up too much stress. It seems you have your own way of unwinding.”
“No one’s perfect. We all have our hidden indulgences,” Givia said, showing them her greasy hands. “Food is my greatest weakness. You’re my trusted friends, so I don’t mind admitting it. I would be quite plump if I weren’t a Dou Warrior. I also enjoy sleeping in, taking long baths, and reading knightly romances… But I had to suppress these hobbies while leading the Restoration Army. My people needed a perfect leader, a symbol of strength, not someone with flaws. I couldn’t show them my weaknesses, not until our kingdom was safe.”
“You’ve worked hard, Givia,” Rebecca said, her voice filled with genuine admiration. “You’ve sacrificed so much for Ossi’s future.”
“I’ll indulge myself today, but I can’t do this often,” Givia said, glancing at the roasted pig with a hint of regret. “Ossi’s economy has suffered under Kevin’s rule. As queen, I must set an example. I have a long road ahead of me. No one, besides my father and you, knows about my secret indulgences. I’m grateful that my father helped me hide my appetite when I was younger. Oh, right, since you’re back, it means…”
“The Lord of Nightmares is no longer a threat to Hai-Teweru,” Abyss said, smiling. “I’ve destroyed his artifacts, severing his connection to this world. A part of him is gone forever, and the rest is trapped here, weakened. Congratulations, Givia. You can finally focus on ruling your kingdom.”
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