Lira's cheeks flushed instantly. She didn't even try to hide her blush this time. The words still echoed in her ears—"I don't want my girl looking like a maid when she walks into the palace beside me."
Beside him.
He hadn't said with me as my servant. He'd said beside me. That meant something. Something... more. She wasn't sure what exactly, but her heart was already racing in her chest like a drum. With a soft smile creeping on her lips, she quickened her steps and caught up with him. Then, without thinking too much about it, she gently held onto his arm. Her fingers wrapped around his bicep like it was the most natural thing in the world. She clung to him like a girl in love, not the dutiful maid everyone knew her to be.
Lucas looked down, caught by surprise, but he didn't mind. Not one bit. He let her hold on, walking casually as if they did this every day. A small, amused smile tugged at the edge of his lips.
