As Roxanne made her way toward a familiar spot, Thea's words kept echoing in her mind.
She would be lying if she said they hadn't affected her.
Knowing Baldon, she dreaded the day he discovered where her heart now truly belonged.
She knew that, in a battle, Luke could easily defeat Baldon. At his current level, there was no one in the entire village who could truly challenge him.
But what frightened her was what would come after.
The people were loyal to Baldon, and they already held a deep fear or animosity toward Luke. If things ever came to that, Luke would be cornered and eventually forced to leave the village where he had grown up.
She didn't want him to make any decision that might bring him pain.
Yet, at this point, it felt inevitable.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Ah!"
Roxanne startled as Luke suddenly appeared behind her and whispered into her ear.
She nearly tripped from the surprise, but Luke caught her by the waist and pulled her closer.
