10: It's Amazing, right?

Zaria was still in the clutches of her memories when someone broke her out from her reverie.

"It's amazing, right?" A low and hoarse voice entered her ear. 

"Yes, it is... very amazing." She was still picturing Elian. 

Elian, laughing with her.

Elian, smiling at her. 

Elian, holding her hands. 

Elian's face getting closer to her.

But other than herself, who could talk with her in her fantasies?

Hold on.

The revelation dawned on her suddenly.

She was crouching down on the floor, face to face to his level. Amidst lost in the memories of past, she did not even realize she was on the floor at this moment and he was leaning down.

He was smiling at her with half-lidded eyes indicating that he had awoken just now.

She looked at him with wide eyes that shook a little, not moving an inch.

Her heart skipped a beat. What a beautiful and wonderful sight. 

"I meant this room. It is just how it was used to be. Not a thing has been moved over." Elian moved back and felt that he had frightened the girl, so he explained a bit to make her less awkward.

Ever since he had come back, her reactions made him feel as they were just mere strangers.

Zaria was still in her own world. 

Of course, everything was the same.

She did not let her aunt or anyone touch this room of his. She was taking care of it in his place.

Dusted every corner, cleaned the table, shelves, chairs and everything in the room which belonged to him was handled only and only by her. She wanted to do this and did not like anyone else doing this. 

She was allergic to dusting, but she still would do it for him as he liked cleanliness in everything. 

Getting sick for one whole week did not even matter. Doing all this became a new normal.

"Again lost in your imaginations?"

"Yes." She also smiled gazing at him, but it froze.

Wait, why were they so close again!?

His face was near hers and hers, his. 

Oh, Lord! 

"Aaah!"

She yelped and moved backwards. She looked in her hands, the tray was not in her hands anymore.

Seeing her jolting, he was now fully awake and looking at her.

She vigorously glanced around and sighed when she saw the breakfast tray on the side table. She stood up abruptly.

She had wasted so much time saying this. What would he be thinking of her!

"I..This.." She could not say coherent words anymore. She was fumbling over them. She was so nervous that almost her heart came to her throat. 

Before she could say anything else, his chuckle startled her. The voice was also fascinating like him.

"You.. what happened to you?" She looked at him with bewilderment when he asked this question while laughing.

"What?"

What was there to laugh about? But, his low-frequency voice sounded nice.

Is there something wrong with me or with my dress? She looked at her dress which she was wearing today. It was surely eye-catching and no one could dislike it, that she was certain about.

"Where did that cat go who was protecting her kittens yesterday?"

She wanted to cry. She should have shut her mouth that day. Now he was making fun of her again.

Zaria very much knew well what he was talking about. Of course, her flowers were like her own children. She was the one who nurtured them like a mother to her children.

"Aunt sent you some tea." She looked down at the ground. It seemed more interesting to her.

She dared not look at him. What if she blurted something which should never be said this early? 

Was she always this silent? Or was it because of his teasing? 

"I'm sorry. I think I should stop this now. Lest you become upset with me." His tone was sober now, light but a little deep, magical and perfect.

Concisely, music to her ears.

She wanted to say that she could never be upset with him, but she did not think it was appropriate because he still did not know her feelings for him. 

What if he told her that she was a freak?

The last thing she ever wanted was anything but his rejection.

"It's okay. Um... It is getting cold." She pointed at the English breakfast tea. He looked at the tray and smiled. He held the cup and inhaled.

The aroma coming out of it was definitely his mother's tea made for him. His mother remembered that this tea was the start of his day. 

When he was out of the country studying, even making it a thousand times by his mother's given recipe, he still could not bring out this taste.

'Every hand has its own taste.' He thought and took a sip of it.

Although he knew his mother could not cook perfectly, she could make his favourite tea for him and was learning to make new ones. It always turned out to be awesome for him, but his father was unquestionably forever jealous of him.

His wife still could not make his favourite one. 

"Thanks for bringing it. As compensation for scaring you earlier, I'll take you outside with me. You can be my tour guide, you won't mind that, would you, little lady?" He wanted to see the new changes in the city.

He missed it and what could be the better opportunity to make her feel less afraid of him?

Zaria was dazed when he heard his request. When she cognized she still had not answered him, she nodded her head quickly forgetting that she still had to stop, otherwise her head would fall off.

"Sure. Sure." Her head ached. She must have made a fool out of herself in front of her Elian. 

"Take care," She quietly said and bolted from his room not giving him a chance to say anything back. 

Leaving his room and closing the door behind, she put a hand on her chest. Her heart...

It was beating very fast. She was not a child. 

She was an adult! She should act like one.

Get a grip!

Yes!

She slapped her both cheeks lightly and nodded to herself and went to Lisa to tell her about the interaction between her knight and her. 

Whenever she thought of it, unexpectedly something ironic would happen.

"He's so cool, isn't he?" Ria's eyes were sparkling with adoring love. 

Lisa only shook her head helplessly.

The pigs will start to fly, but this little girl will never change.

She was still the similar Zaria Smith when she was in her childhood, the same girl who had a blabbing mouth when it came to the love of her life. In just these few minutes she had narrated the whole incident to her best friend.

Her obsession with knights was also similar to her obsession with Elian Anderson. It was becoming increasingly alarming.

Lisa silently prayed in her heart that the fragile and bubbling heart of this little girl would not get broken by the person she cared for the most. 

"Don't you want to go to the Madam now? She must be waiting for you at the dining table. You haven't eaten breakfast yet. Go now. Shoo." Lisa quickly urged Zaria to go downstairs and indulged herself in chores. 

"Good morning, everyone." Zaria greeted her aunt and uncle and sat down on her chair. 

"Good morning, everyone," Elian repeated when he also came to eat his fill. He looked refreshed and full of energy as he took his seat beside Ria.

Zaria froze.

He would sit beside her in his childhood. It was a habit.

The black polo shirt and blue jeans suited him with his black hair which had fallen on his forehead. He looked like a handsome man who had come out of the comic world. 

And to top of all, he sat with Ria.

His aftershave and cologne scent engulfed her as she inhaled a little not wanting anyone to see her looking like an obsessive lover.

After that she bowed her head down, eating. This did not get unnoticed by the Old Anderson couple. Both had a light but knowing smiles on their faces.

Ah, these two...

'They look like a nice couple, don't you think?' Madam Anderson glanced at her husband who only sighed.

She could feel herself blushing. She had never ever sat with any man from the male population other than her uncle before even if he was her closest friend.

Men and women must keep their distance. She always believed in this saying. It was true and beneficial.

In this way, no one harboured feelings for her.

Both Elian and her were children when they loved to sit together, but now they were adults. They had grown up and like how they were sitting together.. they matched with the Old Anderson couple.

Things were different now, or were they really?