At first, Esther hesitated to sit beside Gaara. After a brief moment of consideration, however, she gave in and chose to follow his lead. She kept a safe distance not too close, yet not too far. Because with Gaara, it was always wiser to be cautious. He could be unpredictable at times.

“I once had the thought that you might be from abroad,” she said softly. “But I wasn’t sure if you were actually born here.”

“Well, now that I’ve told you, you should be convinced I’m not from ...