Emma clutched at the few scraps of fabric still clinging to Silas and kissed him hard. That night was pure chaos—wild, breathless, unstoppable. By the time she finally drifted off, she couldn't even remember how it happened. … When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in her own bed. The clothes she'd worn last night were gone, replaced with a fresh set. And the one who was supposed to be lying inside the crystal coffin—Marcus—was now stretched out on the floor beside her bed. "Marcus, what are you doing in my room again?" Emma looked around. No sign of Silas. She flicked open her lightcore—already past ten in the morning. Silas had probably gone to work. At the sound of her voice, Marcus' eyes shot open. He scrambled up from the floor, leaned against the side of her bed, and looked at her groggily. "I'm here to keep watch over you." "Keep watch? Why?" Emma frowned, wary, half expecting him to start acting up again. Marcus sighed weakly. "Lucien had to step out. Silas went to work. Edric's training. Before he left, Lucien told me to guard you." "So, that's what this is about." Emma relaxed, pulling back the blanket. Then, she gave him a puzzled look. "If you're guarding me, why are you on the floor?" Marcus, hearing that, lay back down on the cold tiles, his tone faintly resentful. "You made a rule last night. Said I'm not allowed on your bed." Emma blinked. Looking at Marcus sprawled there like a sulking child, she rubbed her forehead. The man wasn't just lazy—he refused to use his brain. She pointed toward the big couch across the room. "There's a couch right there."If he couldn't lie on her bed, couldn't he at least use the couch? Marcus muttered, "Too much trouble. I'd have to get up and walk over when you wake up." Emma had no words for that. She gave up trying to reason with him, went to the dressing room, changed clothes, washed up, and headed downstairs to get something to eat. When Marcus saw her leaving, he finally hauled himself up, swaying as he trailed behind her. As she stepped into the kitchen, he reminded her, "Ms. Tibarn, Lucien said he made breakfast for you before he left." "Got it. You want some too?" Marcus shook his head. "Already ate." He and Lucien had cooked breakfast together. Last night, Lucien had said that if they were going to stay in this house, everyone had to pull their own weight. The chefs they'd hired couldn't make food Emma actually liked, so they'd have to do it themselves. Lucien couldn't always be around to cook, so they'd all have to learn. After breakfast, Emma went to the storage room to pick out a birthday gift for the queen of Aurelia, Amara. Then, she ordered a bunch of ingredients on her lightcore. She wanted to bake a birthday cake for the queen—but her skills weren't exactly great. She decided to practice first. If it turned out well, she'd give it as a gift. If not, she'd just forget the idea. Sitting on the living room couch, she scrolled through the list of supplies she needed. Marcus lay nearby, pretending to be dead. "Ms. Tibarn… Ms. Tibarn, I'm back!" A familiar voice called from outside. The next moment, Corvin rushed in front of her. "Ms. Tibarn, I missed you so much!" He threw his arms around her, burying his face against her shoulder, breathing in her scent like a starving man. "Did you miss me?""I did. A lot," Emma said, gently prying herself free. The poor guy smelled like he hadn't showered in days. His clothes were torn in several places, his hair a mess, his glasses crooked. "Corvin, you must've come straight back without eating. Let me fix you something. Go take a shower first and change clothes." She actually felt a pang of pity for him. He wasn't just disheveled—he'd lost weight too. "Ms. Tibarn, I'll wash up right away," he said, his eyes shining with emotion at her concern. "You don't need to cook for me. I can just drink nutrient fluid." Emma caring about him was already more than enough. He couldn't bear to let her trouble herself for him. "It's fine. I'll make something simple—it won't take long," Emma insisted. She truly felt sorry for him. Corvin was the purest, most genuine one among them. "You're so good to me." He almost hugged her again, but then remembered the state he was in and quickly pulled back his arms. Then, he caught sight of Marcus lying on the couch and asked curiously, "Ms. Tibarn, who's that?" Emma introduced them. "This is Marcus—my match. He's from Frostveil." So, this was Marcus. Corvin had heard the name but never met him in person. He greeted him politely, "Nice to meet you, Marcus. I'm Corvin. Guess that makes us family now." Marcus cracked one eye open, voice barely above a whisper, sounding like he was halfway to the grave. "Hey, Corvin."