I knocked on Ludwig's door. I had the most wonderful plate of Linguini, and I just had to tell him about it! My impatience was growing, so I pounded on the door.
Ludwig! LUDWIG!
I was just about the pound on the door again, when it flew open.
Instead of blonde hair and blue eyes, I was greeted by dark hair and dark, bespectacled eyes.
"Oh! Hi Roderich! How are you? Where's Ludwig? I have to tell him about this wonderful pasta I ate!"
"Oh, hello Veneciano. What a… Nice surprise it is to see you. Why don't you come in? Ludwig is in the cellar, getting rid of some of his old things."
"Ah… That's cool! Maybe I'll go help!"
Roderich and I walked to the cellar door. It was open.
"Hey, Ludwig! Vene- Oh. Ludwig?"
I peered in at the doorway.
Ludwig was sitting on the ground, holding something. A stick maybe? Through the dim light, I saw the glint of tears drop from his eyes. He sounded like he was in pain.
I turned to Roderich.
"Roderich. What's going on-"
The bespectacled man had a smile on his face. A smile? When his friend was in tears? But I then realized that it wasn't a smile out of meanness. He looked… Happy. Like he was satisfied. Almost relieved. He definitely knew something I didn't.
All I knew right now was that my friend was upset, and I didn't know why.
I dashed into the cellar, and I kneeled down next to Ludwig. I saw that he was holding an old, worn deck brush.
A deck brush? What would be so heart-breaking about a deck brush? This one… Looked particularly… Familiar. The blonde man beside me looked up, tears still falling. However, he grew silent, as if his pain had subsided.
Our eyes met. I smiled. He looked down, as he wiped away his tears. When he looked back up, he smiled. He smiled as if he'd received a wonderful gift.
He looked so happy to have an old, beat-up deck brush.
"You're leaving? No way. No way, Holy Roman Empire! No! Let me give you this! Take it, and always think of me."
For a moment, I saw a face. A face I hadn't seen for so long.
Holy Roman Empire…
But then, Ludwig's familiar face returned. Now, I felt tears rolling down my face.
"Ludwig. Ludwig! Can it be? Can it really be true. Were you the Holy Roman Empire? Are you really him?"
He chuckled softly.
"Veneciano. No matter how many years pass, I'll love you the most of anyone in this world."
My heart skipped a beat. I felt butterflies fluttering happily in my stomach.
"It really is you! I knew you'd come back! I knew we'd meet again! I never lost faith!"
In joy, I wrapped my arms around him. He returned the favor, and held me in his arms.
We had found each other. We found each other, hiding in plain sight.