In front of Althea stood a handsome young man around the age of seventeen-eighteen. He was wearing not so luxurious clothing and his hair tied up in a high ponytail, a one-meter sword hung on his waist, and was dressed fully in black.
Althea couldn't understand why Ethaan had to change his appearance. The previous matured look of him was gone and now what stood before him was a teenage boy.
"Let's go", said Ethaan waving at Althea from the door.
Althea who was rooted inside the room finally walked up to Ethaan and asked, "why did you change your appearance?"
"To stay beside you", said Ethaan as his eyes turned into the shape of a crescent moon.
Althea halted her steps, "You are coming with me! I mean you are following me into the Baro clan?"
"What? You don't want me to?", Ethaan raised his brows giving a questioning gaze at Althea.
"No.. that's not what I mean. It's just…", Althea didn't know how to continue. How is she going to introduce Ethaan to his family! She cant tell them about her past life now. If she were to come clean in front of her parents, it's still too early. She needed time to tell them about her secrets and also she is too weak now.
Looking at Althea's flustered face, Ethaan understood her thoughts. "You don't have to introduce me to your family as your fiancée for now. I have already thought about what identity I should use to stay beside you. Let's go, I will tell you on the way"
Saying that Ethaan walked out of the inn with Althea following behind him.
Baro Clan
"Clan Leader, Eldest miss, Young miss is back", reported a guard as he rushed inside the front hall where Hruth and Furiana were sitting.
"Althea is back!", Furiana immediately stood up to rushed out.
"Where is she?", asked Hruth. Both Hruth and Furiana were worried to death about Althea since it has been over half a month, they were making preparations to go look for Althea in the Hollow mountain range.
"Young Miss just entered the Clan and is heading towards the front hall", replied the guard.
Furiana wanted to rush out but Hruth stopped her, "Althea is coming here, don't worry she is fine"
Furiana nodded her head, the weight in her heart seem to lighten the moment she heard that Althea came back and is fine.
"Clan Leader, Eldest Miss, there is… Young Miss didn't come back alone", said the guard with a struggle.
Both Hruth and Furiana looked at each other, Althea went to the mountains alone and also she isn't acquainted with anyone so they were a little shocked.
"Who?", asked Hruth narrowing his eyes.
"It's a young man around seventeen to eighteen years of age", said the guard lowering his head.
"A man!" exclaimed Furiana.
Hruth motioned the guard to leave.
"Althea didn't seem to know anyone from the Twin Lake city", said Furiana.
Hruth nodded, "Maybe they got acquainted on the mountains. Whoever the man is, if he has ulterior motives in approaching Althea then, I won't be merciful. Let's just observe the man"
Furaina nodded. After a while, Althea and Ethaan arrived at the front hall.
"Grandfather, Mother!" Althea called out as she ran towards them.
Furiana hugged Althea, "You worried me to death"
"I am sorry Mother", replied Althea.
Hruth glanced at Ethaan who was silently standing then glanced towards Althea. " Althea, you are not going to introduce this friend of yours"
Althea let go of Furiana and said, " Grandfather, Mother, first, I am sorry I made both of you worry. I didn't mean to, it's just something came up and my return was delayed". Then she turned towards Ethaan and said, " This is Athan, I met him on the mountains"
Ethaan walked up and bowed towards Hruth and Furiana, "Hello, I am Athan. Nice to met you"
Both Furiana and Hruth sized up Ethaan from head to toe. He was handsome and his strength doesn't seem too weak too. Ethaan had already suppressed his strength and aura so both of them didn't find anything odd.
Fixing his gaze at Ethaan, Hruth asked, "If you don't mind, may I asked your origins?"
Without waiting for Ethaan to reply, Althea said, "Grandfather, Athan was injured when I found him on the Hollow mountain range. Currently, he doesn't remember anything, he is suffering from amnesia"
"Then, how comes he only remembers his name", asked Furiana.
"I couldn't remember anything. Not even my name, the name Athan was given to me by Young Miss", explained Ethaan.
Standing beside Ethaan, the corner of Althea's mouth started twitching. She couldn't bear to watch Ethaan lying with a straight face. Althea seems to forget that she too was lying with a straight face a moment ago. On the way back to the Baro clan, Ethaan said that he will stay beside her from now on and the memory loss idea was also his. Althea wanted to refuse but thinking about how Ethaan had gone through so many things to find her, she couldn't bear to chase him away. Besides, Ethaan said that he will help her with the cultivation as both of them are practicing the same cultivation method, the 'Twin Flame Dragon Cultivation Technique'. Both of them got the incomplete technique and as to how they can get the complete technique, they still had to figure it out.
"Grandfather, at first I was the one to save him but later Athan was the one who protected me in the forest", Althea said.
"Thank you for protecting my granddaughter", Hruth sincerely thanked Ethaan.
"Clan Leader, you don't need to thank me. I was simply doing my duty, if not for Young Miss, I would have already been dead and devoured by beasts", said Ethaan with a sigh.
'This guy is quite talented at acting', thought Althea as she purses her lips.
"To repay the favor, I promised to myself that I will protect Young Miss until I regained my memories", Ethaan said cupping his hand.
Hruth and Furiana glanced at each other once again. No matter how they looked at him, he doesn't seem to be lying. And when said, he wanted to protect Althea, he doesn't seem to say casually but they could tell that he was sincere. Even Althea subconsciously glanced at Ethaan when he said he wanted to protect her. She knows that Ethaan was not lying and truly wanted to protect her.
Ethaan's main purpose staying beside Althea was to protect her. Of course he also wanted to build a closer relationship with Althea and slowly build feelings for each other.
After asking few questions, Hruth dismissed them and allowed them to go to their courtyards. He ordered the servants to prepare a separate courtyard for Ethaan but Ethaan denied it and said that he will stay in the same courtyard as Althea to protect her. Since there are extra rooms in the courtyard, Hruth reluctantly agreed.
Althea led Ethaan to the courtyard where she and her mother was staying. After arranging the room for him, Althea asked the maids to serve them dinner. Ethaan sat outside the courtyard watching Althea arrange a room for him. After the maids brought the dishes, Althea waved at Ethaan asking him to come inside.
After Ethaan was seated, Althea made the maids leave the courtyard. "Let's dig in"
"Hmm.." Ethaan replied and started to eat. Although he doesn't need to eat or drink, he didn't mind accompanying Althea to eat. With his cultivation level, he could survive without food.
Stuffing a piece of meat inside her mouth, Althea glanced at Ethaan and asked, "What is the name of the plane where you came from?"
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