Aria felt a little guilty about leaving Quinn, who was eager to spend time with her. But she didn't want to hear about the werewolves' story from Iona, so she chose to go with Meryl.
"I never knew you were friends with Iona," Meryl said as they entered the beautiful and reinvigorated lake for a picnic.
"I just made friends with her last night at a masquerade party."
"You came to the party? I thought you wouldn't come because many alumni from the werewolf's realm came."
"Well, I want to meet the girls from the all-girls academy. I have two new friends, and we even exchanged contacts."
"Good for you."
"I noticed the elves didn't come."
"We've never come to a human event like that, and we have our event. How about you?"
"How about me what?" Aria smiled widely when the other elves saw her and waved at her.
"What's your plan for the future? Are you leaving the Chavau?"
"Of course. As soon as I graduate next year, I'll be moving. Do you have any vacancies in your area? I plan to live in the southeast district once I graduate."
"At our place? You can stay with me."
"I don't want to trouble you. After all, I was planning to take Rousell with me."
"Oh, the cooker you've considered as a father?"
"En."
"That's fine too. You two can stay at my place. Besides, my house has a lot of empty rooms."
Aria smiled widely at that and looked at her friend gratefully. "Thanks, Meryl. I'll keep that in mind."
Aria and the elven girls had a picnic and enjoyed their sandwiches by the lake. They were all joking or gossiping, making Aria laugh out loud.
Aria felt like a free soul when she was with her elven friends. Of course, she also felt warm and cozy with Quinn, but… for some reason, she couldn't laugh out loud when Iona was with them.
Without realizing it, a pair of eyes looked towards the lake as if there was a magnet pulling it.
Her mind wandered to yesterday night, where she met the monstrous white wolf.
Judging from its controlled and non-violent demeanor, Aria felt confident that the wolf was the well-known Alpha king.
And she also felt sure the Alpha king was looking for her to settle a score with her, considering Aria stole his magic ointment. But… for some reason, the Alpha was relaxing and napping on her thighs?
The weirdest thing was, why did Aria feel attracted to the wolf? She even touched the top of the white beast's head and enjoyed the softness of the beast's fur.
Aria thought her feelings were temporary, but… for some reason, she couldn't shake off the scene from last night in her mind.
Aria felt she even wanted to meet the white wolf again, and also… she wanted to touch its fur again.
Very weird. Why did she have this feeling of attraction?
"Aria,"
Aria turned to Valeri, one of her elven friends who had just called out to her.
"What happened with you?"
"Hmm?" Aria tilted her head in confusion when she heard her friend's question.
"You've changed."
"I have? Like what?"
"I don't know. There is something different with you. Can't you see it?" inquired Valeri to her friends.
Simultaneously, everyone looked at Aria with probing gazes, causing the target's muscles to tense up.
"We can see it, but… she's still human."
Aria grew even more confused and felt herself in another world as if she didn't understand the language they were speaking.
"What are you talking about?" unable to contain her curiosity, Aria spoke up at last.
"The change in you, Aria. We saw that something had changed from inside your body."
"Excuse me?" her friend's answer brought further confusion
"Meryl, you have better sight than mine. What do you think?"
"She's just the same in my eyes. Nothing different." was the indifferent answer from Meryl.
"If you say so."
"Let's talk about something else. Hey, is that white coconut that you ate?" Meryl steered the conversation, and soon enough, all her friends forgot the small changes from Aria.
As Aria and Meryl walked alone by the lake to give bread to the geese, Aria spoke about what was on her mind.
"I know there's something you're hiding from me."
"…"
"You see it like the others, too. Why did you hide it?"
Meryl sighed in resignation. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have led you to the werewolf realm."
"What? Why are you talking like that?"
"Aria, listen to me carefully. Whatever happens, never step foot into the white Alpha's residence... ever again."
"Chillax. I even decided not to go to the werewolf realm."
"Then, that's good."
"Are you still not willing to tell me the truth?"
"I doubt you can handle it."
"Try me."
Meryl sighed in resignation for the second time, hearing her friend's challenging tone. "There is a seal that encloses something I don't know about within your body. The seal weakens once you enter the territory of the White Bridge Pack. And a crack appeared in the seal when you entered the White Alpha's house."
"…" seal? Inside her? Why is there a seal inside her body? "What are you talking about? What seal do you mean?"
Meryl shook her head sadly. "I don't know there is one inside you. But I know it was a powerful seal to the point I couldn't see it."
"What?"
"If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have conducted you to take the magic ointment and that too, sneak into Alpha King's house. The anti-magic array over there is exceptional to be able to weaken the seal within your body."
Aria looked lost in thought for a while as she still couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Wait a minute. You mean… there is something foreign inside my body? And someone sealed that?
Meryl nodded her head.
"What for? Also… what happens if the seal breaks?"
"I'm sorry. I don't have the answers. But I know that you'll be fine as long as you stay here. Don't go to other realms ever again."
It's not like Aria wanted to go to the werewolf realm, but she does want to go to the fairy kingdom to seek her birth parents. And yet… Meryl warned her not to leave this mortal realm?