The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the Hart family kitchen, blending with the earthy scent of herbs drying on the windowsill. Sunlight poured through the open window, creating golden patches on the worn wooden table where Evelyn sat, absentmindedly pushing crumbs around her plate. Her mother, Marian Hart, bustled about, her apron dusted with flour as she pulled another loaf from the oven. "You hardly touched your breakfast," Marian remarked, her voice a mix of concern and disapproval. "A young woman needs her strength." Evelyn sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "I'm just not hungry." "You've been distracted lately," Marian continued, placing the loaf on the counter to cool. "Is it Thomas? I know he can be a bit… eager, but he's a good match. His family is well-off, and he's always polite." "Polite isn't enough," Evelyn muttered quietly. Her mother paused, turning to her with a furrowed brow. "Evelyn, you're not a child anymore. It's time to think about your future. Thomas may not be a storybook prince, but he's stable. That matters in life." Evelyn felt a tightness in her chest. Stability. Predictability. These were the qualities her mother cherished, yet they were the very things that felt suffocating to Evelyn. Her thoughts drifted back to the previous afternoon, to the mysterious stranger by the lake. Adrian. His presence had been a breath of fresh air in the stagnant confines of her life. But that was silly, wasn't it? He was just a traveler passing through, nothing more. And yet… "I just need some air," Evelyn said suddenly, standing up from the table. Marian opened her mouth to object, but Evelyn was already halfway out the door. The village square buzzed with activity. Merchants called out their wares, children dashed between carts, and the blacksmith's hammer rang out in a steady rhythm. Evelyn navigated through the crowd, her skirts brushing against the cobblestones as she made her way toward the edge of town. She needed space. Space to think, to breathe, to figure things out.