Chapter 236: To Ferderica’s Holy Land (3)
Riltara sat there, chewing on the jerky with a distant look in her eyes. She had lost all control of her pace, devouring the meat so quickly that it was almost alarming. Ketal watched her, amused by the unfamiliar scene.
She coughed suddenly, pounding her chest as a piece caught in her throat. “Cough, cough!”
Without missing a beat, Ketal offered her a cup. “Here, drink this.”
Riltara took it with trembling hands, drinking deeply. At first, she didn’t notice anything unusual until the flavor burst across her tongue. This wasn’t just ordinary water. It was a sweet drink, infused with the juices of fresh fruit, cold and fragrant.
Her eyes widened in shock. The taste and aroma of real fruit, something she’d never experienced in her life, made her dizzy with sensation. Even after clearing her throat, she found herself gulping down the rest, unable to stop.
She emptied the cup and sat there, dazed.
“Ah...” she murmured, voice barely audible. Her expression had gone blank, lost in the swirl of new sensations. For a moment, she looked as if she’d been given a narcotic. They say the sugar addiction could surpass even drugs—and perhaps, for someone like her, it truly did.
She kept reaching for more jerky, stuffing her mouth in near silence. Each bite was accompanied by a suppressed moan, a sound she tried and failed to conceal. However, as the meal wore on, her movements began to slow. Eventually, her hand stopped altogether.
Smiling, Ketal asked her quietly, “Are you full?”
“Yes...,” Riltara replied, barely above a whisper.
“How does it feel?” he pressed, voice gentle.
She stared down at her hands, feeling a strange heaviness in her belly. “I feel... full. My stomach is full.”