Cleaning sea beasts was always a nightmare. Emma exited Lucien's room, rolling her shoulders as she opened her lightcore to fetch ingredients. Before she could proceed, a video call notification appeared—Aria. The moment the connection came through, Aria appeared on the other end. She was lounging in her palace, her face lit with excitement. "Emma, the day after tomorrow is my mother's birthday. Lucien mentioned it, right?" Lucien had already shared the news about their bond, so the entire royal court of Aurelia knew by now. Emma smiled. "Yeah, he told me. I'm going to celebrate Her Majesty's birthday with him." Upon hearing that, Aria's eyes gleamed. She mused, If Emma is showing up at the celebration, it means Lucien isn't just favored—he's claimed. Aria leaned forward, voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "Okay, listen, Emma—don't tell Lucien, alright? We're inviting practically everyone who matters. "The ever-gorgeous Emberfox, the Enchanter Clan who could charm a room blindfolded, and the petalyn therians. "From the Central Planet, we've got the Suncrest Lineage, the Ashenflame Fox, Ravaryn, Argenclaw—and even the Drakonid, Merfolk, Pyrlin..." She went on so long that Emma stopped trying to remember the clans. At last, Aria's voice softened into a secretive murmur. "We're also inviting young elites from each clan. The goal is to find suitable followers for the females of Aurelia. I'll pick a few candidates for you—just don't tell Lucien, okay?" Emma's lips curved into a small grin. "Don't worry. Your brother won't hear a word from me." No way she'd let Lucien catch wind of that. Still, a flicker of curiosity sparked in her chest at the mention of the Enchanter Clan. She recalled once having a suitor from that lineage—a scavenger stationed on the outer battlefield. She wondered if he'd made it back alive. After the call ended, Emma placed an order for a large batch of live sea beasts. …One hour later, the delivery reached the manor. She summoned a few guards to assist—there's no way she would manage it all alone. Once she taught the guards how to clean and prep the sea beasts, she tied her hair back and started mixing marinades. This time, she planned to make different versions—spicy grilled sea beast strips, crispy sea beast nuggets, garlic-butter sea beast bites, and smoky sea beast jerky. It wasn't only for the queen of Aurelia. If she was already in the kitchen, she figured she might as well whip up some snacks for herself. It had been ages since she had made something this fancy. When the guards finished prepping, her sauces and spices were ready. She began marinating the batches, her hands moving with routine familiarity. The sea beasts were somewhat similar to fish, but they looked very different from those on Earth. In the interstellar, no one bothered naming species; anything from the ocean was just called a sea beast. The manor kitchen was perfectly stocked. As soon as the marinated sea beast hit the hot oil, a tempting aroma filled the halls—savory, spicy, and rich enough to attract attention.Therians possessed keen senses and detected the scent almost immediately. "Emma, what are you cooking? That smells incredible!" Lucien, who had been in his office, followed the scent straight into the kitchen. Edric wasn't far behind, towel still draped over his shoulders from training. Only Marcus stayed put in his crystal coffin—he couldn't smell a thing anyway. Emma laughed under her breath. "Something good. You'll see. Once it's ready, you can all try it." She removed a batch of golden, crispy sea beast bites from the oil and added them to a pan with fragrant spices. Lucien and Edric were already rolling up their sleeves. "Emma, tell us what to do. We'll take over from here." She looked at them over her shoulder, amused. "Shouldn't you both be working and training?" Emma actually had a rare bit of free time, so she figured she might as well handle it herself. "Let me take care of this," she told them with a soft laugh. "Go handle your own business before someone notices you're gone." Edric grinned. "I can wrap up training early. Let me help." In the back of his mind, he thought, Training can wait. What matters is making sure she doesn't wear herself out. Lucien added, "My meeting's done. The rest can wait." Since they were so persistent, Emma let them help. She guided them step by step. When everything was ready, Emma picked up a piece, bit in, and nearly melted. The spice hit her tongue instantly—it was fiery, savory, and perfect. Tastes like home, she thought, smiling to herself. Lucien and Edric each tried one. The heat flushed their cheeks as the flavor hit fast and lingered like a slow burn. The taste hooked them instantly—reminding them of that wine from the other night, bold enough to leave them craving more. Lucien wiped his mouth, eyes lighting up. "Emma, let's have this for dinner tonight." The spicy grilled sea beast strips were perfect—crispy outside, tender inside. The sea beast nuggets disappeared faster than they could cool. It was impossible to stop once they started.