Alea was still sitting with Elton. The man was trying to find out what had happened to Alea during the past year.
Of course, Alea claimed that she had been in an accident and lost her memory while being chased by criminals who wanted to molest her. Alea had promised never to tell anyone about the Kingdom of Arzen and the warm man.
"How are you after those criminals beat you up? I was afraid you died back then, but now I'm relieved that you're okay."
Elton hugged Alea again. However, once again, Alea did not feel happy or comfortable. Elton's hug was not the same as before. Alea was reminded of Arzenio's warm embrace.
Soon, Elton's cell phone rang, causing him to pull Alea away. Elton's face immediately changed when he saw the name on his cell phone screen.
"Alea, I have to answer this call." Elton suddenly got up from his seat. Alea remained seated, looking around the room where she and Elton used to chat warmly, but now... it was empty, silent, and for some reason, she remembered Lady Vatira's bedroom again.
"Alea, you'd better get back to work because there are some files I have to take care of."
Alea, who had been daydreaming, was a little startled. She could only nod and leave Elton's room.
"Alea, I still can't believe you're alive." Dina immediately hugged Alea.
"Dina, please take care of these files. I'm going to Mr. Elton's room." Soraya threw the files on Dina's desk and, lifting her chin, walked haughtily into Elton's room.
"Soraya, since you've been gone, he's been acting so disgusting, as if he's in charge here." Dina snorted in annoyance.
Alea also sensed something different about her friend.
***
It had been three days since Alea returned to the human world. It had also been three days since she tried to convince herself that everything that happened in the Kingdom of Arzenio was just a strange long dream.
However, every time she looked in the mirror, the image of Arzenio always appeared in the back of her mind, his gaze, his voice, his warm embrace by the pool. It all felt too real to be called a dream.
Today, Alea plucked up the courage to accept her lover's invitation. Elton was waiting for her in front of the elevator, his face a mixture of relief and awkwardness.
"I'm really glad you're back," Elton said softly.
"Thanks," Alea replied with a small smile.
Elton offered her lunch, walking beside her, trying to be lighthearted like before, but throughout their time together, there was an empty space in Alea's heart that made her feel guilty.
In the past, when she held Elton's hand, she felt safe.
Now... empty.
Elton chuckled as he talked about something at the office. Alea smiled, but the smile never reached her eyes.
"Why?" Elton finally asked. "You seem distant."
"No... maybe I'm just still adjusting."
Alea tried to convince herself that Elton was the reason she wanted to go home. However, every time Elton looked at her for a long time, her heart didn't flutter.
Every time he got close, Alea's body reflexively wanted to move away.
Every time Elton held her hand, it wasn't a feeling of comfort that arose... but a feeling of loss.
"Why can't I feel anything anymore...?" Alea muttered to herself.
It wasn't Elton who had changed.
It was just that her heart was different.
"Elton, can we go back to the office? I have a lot of work to finish." Alea immediately stood up from her seat. For some reason, she didn't want to stay with Elton any longer.
Elton, who sensed the strange change in Alea, could only stare in surprise. Elton convinced himself that maybe Alea was like that because her memory had just returned.
Inside the office, Alea walked quickly to the bathroom.
There, she stared at herself in the mirror. "Why am I like this? What happened to me?"
The quiet room suddenly made Alea feel something.
Alea quickly turned around.
There was no one there.
Only a slight breeze, but why was her heart beating so fast? It was as if someone was there.
"I'd better go back to my desk. I'll keep myself busy with work so my mind doesn't keep wandering."
As Alea was about to open the door, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
Nauseous.
Not just ordinary nausea, but more like something was slowly churning inside her, rising up to her chest.
"What's wrong?" she whispered.
Alea held her breath, leaning back and holding her stomach.
"What's wrong with me? Did I catch a cold? Did the food not agree with me?" she muttered.
Alea's body felt a little weak.
Alea gathered her strength and opened the door.
"Alea, what's wrong?" asked Soraya, who was standing in front of the bathroom door.
"Soraya, I'm fine."
"Hey! You look pale, are you sick?"
"No, maybe I just haven't been sleeping well these past few days. I'm going back to my desk." Alea walked past Soraya, holding her stomach.
"What's wrong with her? That's strange," said Soraya, looking at Alea in surprise.
"What's wrong with my stomach? It was fine earlier."
Strangely, Alea now felt very sensitive to light, and the smell of coffee next to her desk made her want to vomit, even though she usually loved the smell.
"Alea, what's wrong? You look pale. Are you sick?" Now it was Dina who was asking her.
"Maybe I didn't like my lunch," Alea replied, forcing a smile. However, a few minutes later,
Alea coughed slightly and covered her mouth.
The nausea struck again, stronger than before.
She hurried to the toilet.
And for the first time since returning to the human world,
Alea felt that her body was not the body she used to know.
Her hands trembled as she held onto the sink.
"I've never felt this nauseous before."
"I've never felt this weak before."
When Alea looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face seemed softer, more radiant?
It was strange.
Then...
A faint pulsation was felt in the lower part of her abdomen. It was very subtle, but real.
Alea swallowed hard.
"What is this?"
It wasn't pain.
It wasn't cramps.
It was more like... something was alive in there.
Her chest suddenly felt tight.
Her heart was beating fast, and for some reason, Arzenio's face appeared in her mind, his smile, the look in his eyes when he last touched Alea's hand.
"I... it can't be... right?" she whispered tremulously.
Alea slapped her cheeks repeatedly, trying to chase away the thought. But the nausea came again.
And again.
And again.
Until Alea held her stomach once more, and this time for longer.
It was as if her body was trying to tell her something she was not yet ready to accept.
"Am I pregnant?"
"No... This can't be possible..." Alea quickly washed her face. She tried to get rid of the thought that she might be pregnant.
"I can't possibly be pregnant with Arzenio's child. He's not human, so how could I be carrying his child?"
Alea held her head with a confused expression.
Alea recalled her whirlwind marriage to Arzenio up until that night of union.
It all made no sense to Alea.