"He's rarely seen outside Starhaven. You probably haven't met him," Edric explained. "So, that's Alaric," Corvin said. He hadn't met the man in person but had certainly heard the name before. The white wolf collapsed onto the ground, muttering slowly, "Trouble…" Edric nodded vigorously in agreement. "Of course. Showing up like that at the queen of Aurelia's birthday banquet… that kind of presence is bound to stir trouble." Even Marcus had swapped his usual white outfit for a muted teal-gray today, just to avoid drawing attention. Corvin nodded again, a little more convinced. "Yeah… trouble," he muttered. Then, he leaned toward Edric, whispering, "You think Ms. Tibarn would… actually like him?" The Emberfoxes were nothing like the Ashenflame Foxes. He'd heard the Emberfox males were infamous for seducing females—truly sly and dangerous. Edric didn't respond. Marcus stayed silent too.Corvin's confidence wavered. "No way… I heard Emberfox males are experts at this kind of thing. And he's the young clan leader? That's… double trouble." He and Edric had no chance against Lucien and Silas—and some Enchanter Clan member hadn't even shown up yet. If Alaric got involved, could they even hope to win Emma's favor anymore? Marcus, sprawled nearby, spoke weakly. "Should I… just go kill him?" Edric immediately wrapped his snake tail around Marcus' mouth. "Don't say that. Alaric hasn't done anything wrong. If you kill him, Emma would be furious." They were not some villains who would kill anyone who crossed them. Marcus fell silent. Then, Corvin squeaked in panic, barely a whisper. "Look! Look! Alaric is going after Ms. Tibarn!" Edric and Marcus turned in unison. Where the man had been standing by the wisteria, he now straightened his clothing and started walking toward Emma and Aria. His gaze landed on Emma, clear and calm, with a hint of amusement. "You have been staring at me for some time… Do you have anything to say to me?" His voice flowed like melted snow cascading from the mountaintop—pure, crisp, and impossible to ignore. Aria immediately stepped back, reaching toward a newly bloomed amethyst flower, pretending to be busy. Emma hadn't expected that simply glancing at him would make him approach her. And Aria was really not being loyal. Caught in Alaric's serene, smiling gaze, Emma forced a small, awkward smile. "I… I thought you looked familiar, Mr. Wynn. I just couldn't place you, so I glanced a little longer. Sorry to interrupt your flower viewing. I'll leave right away." Alaric wasn't about to let her walk off that easily. He had been waiting patiently for her to come over. Now that she had, she hesitated. He had no choice but to take the initiative. But the moment he did, she tried to back away. That wasn't going to work. "So… Do you remember now? Where did we meet?" "Yes… on F-268, a few years back. But you probably don't remember." Back then, she had been hunting a beast and got injured. Suddenly, the difficult creature fell, and there was a vial of medicine by her side. From a distance, she had seen him—but he hadn't spoken, only watched briefly before leaving. "Who said I don't remember?" Alaric's smile deepened. He remembered perfectly. He had never seen a low-rank female dare to enter the forest alone to hunt a level 3 beast—and leave a bloody mess. When she was about to die in that beast's jaws, he intervened, killed it, and left her a vial of medicine. "I was in a rush back then, so I didn't get your name. Mind if I ask now?" Back then, Alaric hadn't imagined that he would be stuck in his clan for years, unable to leave. He certainly hadn't expected that now, finally free, he'd run into her here in Aurelia. "I'm Emma," she said. She was surprised he even remembered her. "And… thank you for saving me from that beast, and for the medicine." "It was my honor," Alaric replied, activating his lightcore. "Mind if I add you as a friend?" Corvin, hiding in the flowers, was practically foaming at the mouth. He wanted to leap out and bite Alaric. "He planned this from the start," Corvin hissed. "He just wants to seduce Ms. Tibarn." Just as Emma accepted Alaric's friend request, Lucien appeared. From the flowers, Corvin's eyes lit up. "Look! Lucien's here! I want to see how this sly fox dares to flirt with Ms. Tibarn in front of Prince Lucien." Both Edric and Marcus' eyes followed Lucien. "Emma!" Lucien called, walking straight to her side.