Strangely enough, even though Emerald had shared a bed with Alaric before, she still wasn’t quite used to being so close to him in broad daylight.

Maybe it was just a lingering sense of guilt—an occupational hazard, so to speak.

Leaning her head against Alaric’s shoulder, she let out a quiet yawn and quickly drifted off to sleep.

By the time she woke up, it was nearly noon.

The sun was shining brightly, casting golden light over the lush green mountains and fields. Cicadas buzzed in the warm air.

Emerald stepped outside, pushing the door open. A cool breeze lingered in the shade of the trees, offering a brief escape...