In the grand halls of Castle Varley, nestled within the opulent lands of the Adrestian Empire of Excess, Bernadetta von Varley grew up under the watchful eye of her father, Count Varley. A man of great power and influence, he was known far and wide for his love of food and his ability to host feasts that could make even the most stoic of stomachs quiver with anticipation. Yet, for Bernadetta, this legacy was more of a prison than a privilege. Her father’s expectations of perfection extended to every aspect of her life, including her figure—a prison of propriety that she could never hope to escape from without his approval.

Her mother, Lady Varley, was no less complicit in this regime of control. While she may have harbored secret sympathies for her daughter’s plight, she was bound by her own fear of her husband’s wrath to enforce his will without question. Together, they created an environment of strict dieting and rigorous exercise that left Bernadetta feeling more like an object to be sculpted than a daughter to be loved.

The castle staff knew better than to cross their lord’s wishes regarding his daughter’s weight. The cooks would prepare meals that were as bland as they were small, ensuring that Bernadetta’s plate was always half-empty at mealtimes. The maids would help her practice her posture for hours on end, tying her to chairs to force her to sit up straight—a cruel reminder of her father’s obsession with her appearance. And her tutors would drill her on etiquette until she could recite it in her sleep—all in an effort to mold her into the perfect noblewoman that would reflect well on House Varley’s name.

But Bernadetta’s true nature was one of insatiable hunger—a hunger for food that could never be fully satisfied under her father’s regime. Her eyes would often wander to the kitchens when she passed them in the hallways, her nose twitching at the scent of roasting meats or baking bread that she was never allowed to taste. It was there that she found her first glimmer of hope—a kind-hearted cook named Agnes who took pity on her plight. Agnes taught Bernadetta to cook in secret—a rebellion in its own right—and shared with her tales of foods from across Fódlan that made her mouth water with longing. Through these stolen moments of culinary bliss, Bernadetta discovered that food was more than just sustenance; it was love made edible—a love that she craved more than anything else in her lonely life.

As Bernadetta’s secret love for food grew stronger with each stolen bite from Agnes’ kitchen, so too did her desire to escape her father’s tyranny. The kitchen staff became her confidants—a ragtag group of sous-chefs, bakers, and scullery maids that saw beyond her title to the girl desperately seeking refuge from her own body’s desires. They taught her to appreciate flavors from across Fódlan—spicy curries that made her eyes water with joy, sweet pastries that melted on her tongue like kisses from heaven, and rich stews that warmed her soul on cold winter nights when her heart felt coldest.

Under Agnes’ gentle tutelage, Bernadetta began to learn the art of cooking—a skill that would soon become her greatest weapon in her silent rebellion against her father’s strictures. She would sneak down to the kitchens late at night when everyone else was asleep, her heart racing with excitement as she donned an apron that was far too large for her frame. The warmth of the ovens was like an embrace from an absent mother—comforting and welcoming in its consistency. The clatter of pots and pans was her lullaby—a symphony of sustenance that drowned out her father’s harsh words echoing in her mind.

Her skills grew with each passing moon—from simple dishes to complex feasts that would make even the most discerning palates weep with pleasure. Yet she knew that her secret could never be revealed; to do so would mean facing her father’s wrath—a fate she could not bear to imagine after witnessing his cruelty towards those who dared to disobey him. So she continued her clandestine culinary education in silence, her love for food growing stronger with each stolen recipe or secret ingredient she discovered hidden away in dusty cookbooks or whispered conversations with her kitchen allies.

It was during one of these late-night escapades that she stumbled upon an underground feasting competition—a clandestine event where those with an appetite for more than just life’s ordinary fare could come together to indulge in gluttonous excess without fear of judgment or retribution. The very thought of such an event made Bernadetta’s heart race with excitement—a place where she could be free to eat without restraint or consequence! With trembling hands, she entered her name in the roster—a declaration of independence from her father’s tyranny over her waistline—and waited with bated breath for the night of her liberation to arrive.

The night of the underground feasting competition had arrived—a clandestine event held in an abandoned tavern on the outskirts of town. Bernadetta’s heart was in her throat as she donned her disguise—a simple cloak that concealed her identity—and made her way through the moonlit streets to her destination. The tavern was alive with whispers of anticipation as contestants from all walks of life gathered to see who could consume the most food in one sitting without succumbing to their own gluttonous desires.

As the competition began, Bernadetta’s anxiety melted away with each bite she took—the flavors exploding in her mouth like fireworks at a summer festival. Her last bits of hesitation were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd as they watched in amazement at her ability to devour plate after plate of food without pause or complaint. Her stomach stretched to accommodate her newfound freedom—a freedom she had never known before this moment. And as she continued to eat, something strange began to happen: she felt lighter rather than heavier—as if her body was somehow processing the food at an unnatural rate.

The other contestants began to falter—their stomachs bulging with untouched food as they gasped for air or clutched at their distended bellies in pain. But Bernadetta? She felt only euphoria—a rush of power that seemed to come from deep within her very soul as she continued to eat without pause or hesitation. It was as if she had been born for this moment—a gluttonous goddess come to claim her throne among mere mortals! And when the final plate was cleared away, it was she who stood victorious—her slender frame belying the vast cavern of her stomach that had consumed more than any other that night.

The crowd roared with applause as she was crowned "The Reclusive Ruminator"—a title that both thrilled and terrified her in equal measure. For while she had found acceptance in this secret world of feasting champions, she knew that her father would never allow such behavior to go unpunished if he were to discover her secret life. Yet she could not deny the thrill of victory—the feeling of finally having something that was truly her own—and so she returned to Castle Varley with her newfound confidence in tow, ready to face whatever challenges awaited her in her quest for food freedom.

The news of Bernadetta’s engagement to an obese nobleman from House Gluttonia sent shockwaves through Castle Varley—and none felt them more acutely than Bernadetta herself. Her father had arranged this union to form an alliance with one of the most powerful houses in the Adrestian Empire of Excess—a house known for their love of food and their ability to indulge without restraint. The thought of marrying someone so much like herself filled Bernadetta with dread—what if she too became so large that she could no longer move? What if her appetite consumed her as it had her fiancé?

Her fiancé, Lord Gustavus of House Gluttonia, was a man of immense girth—his jovial laughter echoing through the halls as he waddled from one feast to another. His love for food was legendary—his waistline a testament to his gluttonous nature—and Bernadetta could see in his eyes that he expected her to be his partner in culinary crime once they were wed. Yet she knew that she could never be like him—not truly—for she had seen firsthand what such excess could do to one’s body and spirit. Her secret feasting had given her an appreciation for food that went beyond mere consumption—it was an art form that she revered with every fiber of her being.

The engagement party was a gauntlet of gluttonous delights—a never-ending parade of dishes that seemed to mock her with their richness and decadence. Bernadetta picked at her food with trembling hands—each bite feeling like a betrayal to her newfound self-control—while her fiancé devoured everything in sight with gusto that was both fascinating and horrifying to behold. She felt like an imposter—a fraud in her own skin—as she forced smiles for her father’s benefit while her heart screamed for release from this prison of propriety.

But as she watched Lord Gustavus’s eyes glaze over with pleasure at each new delicacy placed before him, she realized that she had something he would never have—the ability to choose when to indulge and when to refrain. Her unique digestive powers had given her an edge in this world of excess—a power that she could wield to maintain her figure while still enjoying food to its fullest extent. And with that realization came a spark of rebellion—a determination to live her life on her own terms despite her father’s best efforts to control her every move.

The engagement feast was in full swing—a cacophony of laughter, clinking glasses, and groaning tables laden with food that seemed to stretch on forever. Bernadetta sat beside her fiancé, Lord Gustavus, her heart racing as she watched him devour plate after plate with reckless abandon. She had tried to pace herself—to show restraint in front of her new family—but her own gluttonous nature whispered seductively in her ear, urging her to indulge just one more time. And so she did—each bite more delicious than the last—until she too found herself lost in the sea of flavors that surrounded her.

But as the night wore on, something changed—a shift in the air that made her stomach clench with dread. Gustavus’s laughter grew quieter—his breaths more labored—until finally he slumped over his plate with a final gasp that silenced the room. The physicians were called—their faces grim as they worked tirelessly to revive him—but it was too late; he had eaten himself to death in his quest for culinary nirvana. The room was filled with gasps of horror as his lifeless body was carried away—a grim reminder of what awaited those who gave in to their basest desires without thought for consequence.

Bernadetta’s father was livid—his face purple with rage as he turned on her with accusations of gluttonous temptation. "You did this!" he roared, his fists clenched at his sides. "You led him to his doom with your insatiable appetite!" Despite her protests that she had tried to control herself—that she had even warned Gustavus of his excesses—his anger was unrelenting. She was to be sent away—to House of Gorge at Garreg Mach Monastery—to learn discipline under Byleth’s watchful eye before she could bring further shame upon their house.

The journey to House of Gorge was one of fear and trepidation—what awaited her there? Would she be able to resist the siren call of food that had claimed her fiancé’s life? Or would she too succumb to her gluttonous nature? As she stepped through the gates of her new home, she vowed to herself that she would find a way to balance her love for food with her need for self-control—to become more than just "The Reclusive Ruminator"—to become someone worthy of her own respect and that of her newfound family at House of Gorge.