The three of them were still standing halfway down the stairs, with Aemilia continuing to insist that she wanted to go out with them as well. The excitement in her voice had not faded in the slightest, and from the look on Evelyn's face, Stella could already tell what was about to happen.
She was going to agree.
Before Evelyn could respond, Stella stepped in first, speaking in a calm but unusually serious tone.
"You can't come. It's better if you stay here."
Aemilia blinked in surprise, "why? What's wrong with me going too?"
For a brief moment, Stella remained silent, as though genuinely trying to explain things reasonably rather than simply refusing.
"Didn't you already forget what Jack told you the other day?" came the steady reply, "he said you and Johan, still needed more training before the mission."
The tone softened slightly near the end, enough to make the words sound less harsh than they actually were.
"So it's better not to waste time wandering around the city. The mission's apparently starting sometime this week, darling."
Even while speaking, Stella quietly observed Aemilia's reaction.
The excuse itself was believable enough. Whether it would actually work, however, was a different matter entirely.
Aemilia's expression immediately fell at Stella's response.
"Huh…? But why am I the only one who has to stay behind?" she complained, clearly dissatisfied now. "That's unfair."
"It's not about fairness," Stella answered calmly while continuing down the stairs beside them. "You heard Jack yourself. If you and Johan still need additional preparation, then wasting time wandering around the city right before the mission doesn't make much sense."
She puffed her cheeks slightly in frustration,"I wouldn't be wasting time…"
"You absolutely would," Evelyn interrupted before Stella could continue. Her tone remained flat, though not particularly harsh, "and Alina's right. We're not going out to play around all day."
The moment those words came from Evelyn instead, Aemilia's resistance weakened almost instantly.
"But still…" she muttered quietly.
Evelyn sighed faintly, "besides, someone should stay here in case Jack needs help preparing things. Johan's probably still asleep anyway."
That final excuse seemed to settle things enough.
Aemilia lowered her gaze with visible reluctance before finally letting out a defeated groan.
"Fine… but next time I'm coming too."
A small smile appeared on Stella's face, gentle enough to avoid seeming dismissive.
"Next time, then."
Internally, however, her thoughts remained elsewhere entirely.
Good. One problem solved.
The three eventually reached the lower floor of the inn together. Morning light spilled softly through the windows near the entrance while the scent of freshly prepared food drifted faintly through the room. Most of the others were already awake by now, though the atmosphere remained relatively quiet compared to the noisy streets outside.
Near one of the tables, Jack sat reviewing several folded documents spread across the wooden surface before him. His sharp gaze lifted briefly the moment the three approached.
Evelyn spoke first, "we're thinking of heading out into the city for a while after breakfast," she explained casually,"just to look around before preparations start getting serious."
Jack studied both of them silently for a brief moment. For an instant, Stella wondered whether he would refuse after all.
Then he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Don't go too far from the central districts," he said calmly. "And be back before evening."
Evelyn nodded immediately, "Understood."
Jack's gaze shifted toward Stella afterward, lingering just long enough to feel deliberate, "the city's not as peaceful as it looks," he added,
"especially near the waterfront."
Stella met his eyes without hesitation,"I'll keep that in mind."
For a second, the silence between them felt strangely heavy. Then Jack simply returned his attention to the papers in front of him, dismissing the matter entirely.
Not long afterward, the two finally left the inn together.
The moment they stepped outside, the atmosphere of Lily Pier greeted them fully for the first time that morning.
Unlike the quieter hours before dawn, the city had now completely awakened. Narrow streets overflowed with movement from every direction, merchants calling out from open storefronts while groups of travelers, sailors, and workers passed constantly through the roads ahead. The distant sound of waves echoed beyond the clustered buildings alongside the cries of seabirds circling overhead.
Warm sunlight spilled across the stone streets, reflecting against countless windows and signs hanging from nearby shops. Between the sea breeze, the scent of food drifting from crowded stalls, and the endless motion of people filling the roads, the entire city felt alive in a way Stella had rarely experienced before.
For a brief moment, Evelyn glanced sideways toward her.
"So?" she asked casually, "where do you want to go first?"
Stella allowed her gaze to wander quietly across the crowded streets stretching deeper into the city.
"Anywhere.As long as it takes me farther away from all of you."
Stella had asked for a simple tour around the city, nothing more than a general walk through the streets, and Evelyn had readily agreed, beginning to guide her through the places she still remembered.
As they moved, Stella kept a close watch on her, observing the way she spoke with quiet enthusiasm, occasionally slipping into memories of her childhood in the city.
Evelyn was about three years older than Stella, something she had mentioned earlier when asked during their journey here. Calm, responsible, and clearly intelligent, there was no difficulty understanding why she had been chosen for this mission.
As they continued walking, Stella listened carefully to everything Evelyn said, especially when it came to the city's structure, its entrances and exits, its well-known streets, and scattered details about the behavior of the people who lived here. Even casual remarks about the locals were stored away in her mind, each piece of information cross-checked against what Thomas had previously told her.
"So it was true after all… that's good."
After visiting the last location near the pier, the two of them stopped to eat at a small restaurant by the side of the street. It was a place Evelyn recognized from her childhood, one she was surprised to find still operating after all this time. Unlike Evelyn, who seemed genuinely nostalgic and lightly excited, Stella remained composed, her attention already shifting toward the next step of her plan.
With that thought forming in her mind, Stella suddenly turned toward Evelyn with a slightly displeased expression.
"My hair tie… it's torn. How did that even happen?"
Evelyn blinked in mild surprise.
"Do you have another one? I don't know why mine suddenly broke."
"I don't, actually," Evelyn replied after checking.
Stella casually moved her hair to one side, letting it fall more naturally as she leaned back slightly.
"Then it's fine. We'll head back soon anyway, right? It won't be a problem."
"Yeah, you're right," Evelyn answered with a small, trusting smile.