After two months, summer finally arrived across the continent.
The heat had settled heavily over the land, as though the sky itself had pressed down a burning hand upon fields, roads, and rooftops.
Sunlight poured without restraint over the 'Plain of the East', turning the golden crops into a shimmering sea that stretched toward the horizon. It was the season of harvest, when the entire region usually came alive with movement, labor, and celebration.
The city followed that rhythm, loud, energetic, and restless.
Everyone seemed to welcome the change in weather with enthusiasm… everyone except one person.
Stella did not share their excitement. The heat clung to her skin in a way she had never experienced in her homeland. In the city of' The Great Bridge', summer had been mild, softened by wind and distance from the harsh continental climate.
Here, however, the air itself felt dense, almost suffocating.
She walked through the city market with Carla and a small group of maids, moving between stalls filled with fruits, fabrics, and household goods. It was not a trip she had chosen willingly, but refusing would have drawn some social troubles.
She muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed, "This feels like standing inside an oven…"
Carla glanced at her but said nothing, already used to Stella's blunt complaints.
Even so, Stella continued to take every opportunity to leave the mansion.
She disliked confinement more than discomfort. If there was anything to learn about this continent, she intended to see it directly, even through small, exhausting errands like this one.
While walking, she reminded herself of her priorities.
Explore this continent. Return home. And above all, keep everything about herself hidden. Only by maintaining the third goal could the first two ever remain possible.
After finishing their purchases, the group returned to the mansion by carriage. Dust rose faintly behind the wheels as the city slowly faded in the distance.
Over the past months, her position had changed in subtle but meaningful ways.
She had formed a few connections, some of them genuine enough to feel stable, and her relationship with the household had grown less distant than before. She was no longer viewed as merely an outsider passing through.
Liam, in particular, had assigned her an additional responsibility.
Beyond her role as Annie's nunny, she had become the library's overseer.
At first, the task had been simple: take Annie into the garden, teach her manners, read to her from books that Stella selected herself, but Annie was still young, and the lessons often felt repetitive and dull.
Stella, despite understanding the importance of discipline, often felt a quiet sympathy for the child.
Lately, however, the heat had become unbearable, and she had stopped taking Annie outside altogether.
Evening, though, offered a different atmosphere.
When the sun began to set and the mansion cooled slightly, Stella would go to the library, that space had slowly become her refuge.
Organizing books, checking shelves, and reading in silence gave her a sense she rarely found elsewhere.
It was the part of the day she actually looked forward to.
As usual, once her duties were complete, she prepared to lock the library. Liam had been leaving earlier than before lately, his schedule increasingly irregular.
"I heard he's been receiving new documents…" she thought while placing a book back on its shelf. "Something must be happening."
Her gaze drifted briefly across the rows of books.
"He even handed over most of the business responsibilities to his brother…"
She paused, considering it further.
"It makes sense. A few months ago, his grandfather nearly died because of Hannah and Jacob… people they trusted completely. And they still haven't been found. His grandfather hasn't recovered either. Of course he's under pressure."
That evening, Liam was still inside the library when she noticed him.
He stood near the central table, reading a letter with unusual focus. His expression was controlled, but his brow was slightly tightened, enough for Stella to notice.
She approached carefully, holding a stack of returned books.
"Mr. Liam," she said, "is something wrong? You seem… concerned."
Without lifting his eyes from the letter, he answered in a calm voice.
"Yes. It appears there is a serious issue. Possibly the origin of everything that has been happening recently."
Stella tilted her head slightly.
"Is it the Caden family again?"
"No," Liam replied after a brief pause. "This is larger. Something that could affect the entire region, and should not have occurred under any circumstances, Miss Alina."
Her curiosity sharpened instantly.
"I apologize if I'm overstepping," she said, lowering the books onto the table, "but what exactly could threaten the entire region?"
Liam finally set the letter down.
His expression remained composed, but his eyes carried a weight that did not match his tone.
"A report from the southern region," he said slowly, "mentions the presence of an intruder on the continent."
For a moment, the room felt strangely distant. Stella's hands tightened around the books she was holding. Her grip faltered slightly, as if her body had momentarily forgotten how to react. The words did not immediately form meaning in her mind.
Intruder… southern region…
Her thoughts stalled completely.
Her face lost its color in an instant, and her fingers froze in place as though the books had suddenly become heavier than they should be. Silence stretched between them, thick and unmoving.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried a clear edge of disbelief.
"What are you saying…? How is that even possible?"