That night, Alya returned to her room with heavy steps. The pain in her body had become routine, but the pills Damien provided kept her functional in her daily duties. Even so, Alya couldn't ignore the changes in her body. At three months pregnant, it was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal her condition.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Alya placed her hands on her increasingly heavy abdomen. I must stay on mission. No one can know, she thought. Yet her mind wandered back to the nights when Damien began showing her unusual attention—attention that now carried significant consequences.
The following day, Damien summoned Alya to his study. The room's atmosphere felt more tense than usual. Damien sat in a large chair behind his desk, fixing Alya with an inscrutable gaze.
"Alya," he began slowly, "you understand how important your role here is, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," Alya replied, bowing her head.
Damien stood and approached her with deliberate steps. "I need people around me whom I can trust completely. You've proven yourself so far, but I want to make sure you're not hiding anything from me."
Alya's breath hitched. "I would never betray you, sir."
Damien nodded slowly, though his sharp eyes remained locked on her. "Good. Because I don't tolerate betrayal, even from those closest to me."
The conversation ended on an unresolved note of tension. Alya knew Damien was becoming more vigilant, making her mission even more perilous.
Clara's Growing Suspicion
In the kitchen, Clara continued her attempts to probe Alya with increasingly uncomfortable questions. This time, she was more direct.
"Alya, I know you're hiding something," Clara said as she washed dishes.
Alya stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about, Clara."
Clara glanced at her with suspicion. "You look different. I've seen enough to know there's something you're not telling me. If you need help, I can help you."
"I'm not hiding anything," Alya replied quickly, leaving the kitchen under the pretext of another task.
Yet in her heart, Alya knew Clara was getting too close to the truth. She needed to find a way to keep her secret safe.
Madam Eliza and New Pressures
That afternoon, Madam Eliza summoned Alya to her office to assign her a new task. The room was filled with documents and notes regarding the upcoming party scheduled for the following week.
"Alya, I want you to oversee the preparations for this party," Eliza said, handing her a list of tasks. "Mr. Damien wants everything to be perfect."
"Understood, Madam," Alya replied.
Eliza studied her with a sharp gaze. "You've been doing well, but don't disappoint Mr. Damien. I will be monitoring everything closely."
Alya bowed her head, trying to conceal her nervousness. "I'll do my best, Madam."
As Alya left Eliza's office, she knew the pressure was mounting—not only from Damien and Clara but also from Eliza, who was known for her intolerance of mistakes.
While checking the archives for her tasks, Alya's thoughts drifted back to the early nights when she had faced Damien in the reading room. What had started as a test of trust had evolved into something far more complicated.
Their relationship had become not only a tool for Alya to gather information but also a source of increasing conflict within her.
As Alya walked through the mansion's long and silent corridors, she suddenly felt movement in her abdomen, a new sensation that made her stop in her tracks. What is happening to my body? she thought.
She gently placed her hand on her belly, trying to calm her anxiety. But there was no time to dwell on it—Damien called for her again to assign additional orders.
The Secret of the Pills
In the reading room, Damien regarded Alya with a small smile. "You've been looking better lately. The pills I gave you are working well, aren't they?"
Alya nodded, though her heart was filled with doubt. "Yes, sir. Thank you for your care."
"Good," Damien said. "I want you to keep taking them. I can't have you falling ill when I need you most."
Without knowing the true nature of the pills, Alya obeyed. Yet the effects of the pills became increasingly evident: her abdomen grew larger more quickly than it should have, and she experienced strange nightly pains throughout her body.
Meanwhile, Damien monitored Alya's development with meticulous care, his every observation steeped in suspicion as though he was waiting for something to happen.
That night, Alya sat in her room, holding one of the pills Damien had given her. With her belly growing larger and symptoms she could no longer ignore, she began to wonder if the pills were truly for her benefit.
What are you really doing to me, Damien? she thought.
Alya clutched the green pill in her hand, anxiety clouding her thoughts. While the pills made her body feel stronger, her belly felt heavier, growing far more rapidly than she had anticipated.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She quickly hid the pill behind the table and opened the door. Damien stood there, as usual, wearing his inscrutable smile.
"Alya," he said in a low but firm tone. "I want you to join me in the observation room tonight."
"Yes, sir," Alya replied, hiding her unease.
The Observation Room
The observation room was filled with monitors and advanced equipment that always made Alya uncomfortable. She followed Damien inside, striving to maintain professionalism even though her body felt increasingly burdened.
"Sit," Damien ordered, pointing to a chair nearby. Alya complied as Damien stood before her, scrutinizing her intently.
"Alya," he began slowly, "you are a very valuable servant to me. I want to ensure you are always at your best."
"I'm grateful for your care, sir," Alya replied calmly, though she sensed a deeper motive behind Damien's words.
Damien moved closer, standing beside her. His hand rested casually on her abdomen, making her almost flinch in surprise.
"You look different," he said softly, though his eyes carried a sharper intent. "I want to make sure everything is fine."
Alya held her breath, keeping her expression neutral. "I've just been feeling a little tired lately, sir. But I'm fine."
Damien gave a faint smile before withdrawing his hand. "Good. I don't want you hiding anything from me, Alya."
Alya nodded, but her growing anxiety couldn't be quelled. He couldn't possibly know, she thought. I've been so careful.
Symptoms That Can No Longer Be Hidden
In the following days, the changes in Alya's body became impossible to ignore. Her belly grew faster than it should have, even for the estimated stage of her pregnancy. She experienced back and leg pain as well as small movements in her abdomen that puzzled her.
Despite this, she continued her duties as usual, exerting all her strength to conceal her condition from those around her. Her uniform grew tighter, forcing her to use extra fabric to hide the changes.
On the other hand, Damien ensured she took the green pills regularly, always under his supervision. He also began to touch Alya's belly more frequently, under the guise of care, though she remained unaware that Damien already knew she was pregnant.
On a quiet night, Damien stood in his private laboratory with one of his trusted scientists. They discussed the progress of the ongoing experiment—an experiment that now included Alya.
"How is her progress?" Damien asked, his gaze fixed on a monitor displaying data about Alya's condition.
"Remarkable, sir," the scientist replied. "The fetuses are developing much faster than anticipated. With five simultaneously, such conditions would typically be impossible without the help of specialized substances."
Damien smiled with satisfaction. "And how is Alya's condition?"
"Her body is adapting well, though there is added strain on her internal organs. If all goes well, she will deliver the first perfect generation."
Damien nodded slowly, his focus unwavering on the monitor. "Good. Ensure she remains healthy. I cannot afford to lose this subject."
Meanwhile, within the mansion, pressure on Alya continued to build. Madam Eliza assigned her increasingly strenuous tasks, while Clara grew more suspicious of her changes.
One afternoon, while preparing the dining room for the party, Clara approached Alya with a serious expression.
"Alya, you've been acting strange lately," she said. "I know you're hiding something."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Clara," Alya replied quickly, avoiding her gaze.
Clara narrowed her eyes. "You can't keep this up. If you need help, you can tell me."
"I'm fine, Clara," Alya said, trying to sound convincing. "Let's finish this before Madam Eliza arrives."
Clara sighed but didn't press further. Yet Alya knew Clara wouldn't stop until she uncovered the truth.
That night, Alya stood before the mirror, staring at her belly, which now appeared larger than ever. She tried to calm herself, but fear crept deeper into her thoughts.
Outside her room, Damien stood in the hallway, holding documents about Alya's condition. A faint smile played on his
lips as he walked away, leaving behind the impression that he knew far more than Alya suspected.