"Lucien, you're here." Emma's face lit up the moment she saw him. She clasped his hand with a bright smile. "Lucien, this is Mr. Wynn from the Emberfox Clan. Back on F-268, he saved me once." Lucien knew Alaric by name—nothing more. They weren't close. But hearing that this man had once saved Emma softened his expression. "Thank you for saving my huntress," Lucien said evenly. "The banquet's about to begin. On my way here, I saw some of your clanmates looking for you." His tone sounded polite, almost warm—but the subtext was clear. The first half thanked him; the second half dismissed him. Smooth. Ruthless. "If my people are looking for me, I shouldn't keep you," Alaric replied. He turned to Emma with a smile that shimmered like morning dew on peach blossoms—light, fleeting, impossible to ignore. "Ms. Emma Tibarn," he said gently, "would it be all right if I changed your contact name to Emy? We're friends now, after all. Calling you Ms. Emma Tibarn feels a little too formal." His voice carried no flirtation—just simple sincerity that made refusal almost impossible. "Just call me Emma," she said quickly. Emy sounded a little too personal. Alaric nodded, unbothered. "Then, Emma it is." As he walked away, Corvin's cheeks puffed like an angry kitten's. "He actually called our huntress Emma? I don't even dare call her that." Alaric sure had guts—barely arrived and already trying to steal the spotlight. Outrageous. "You could call her that too," Edric said dryly. "She wouldn't stop you." Emma never said no when it came to them. Corvin's eyes widened. He leaned in close, excitement lighting his face. "You mean it? I really can call her Emma?" Edric nodded. "If you don't believe me, you can—" He didn't get to finish. Corvin had already shot out of the flowerbed like a tiny blue cannonball."Emma!" Emma was in mid-conversation with Lucien when something small, fast, and blue hurtled toward her like a flying ball. "What on earth—" Beside her, Aria instinctively raised her hand, ready to swat whatever was incoming. Lucien saw and didn't intervene. Aria wasn't strong enough to actually hurt Corvin—at worst, he'd end up with a bruise or two. "It's Corvin!" Emma blurted, recognizing the tiny blue cat instantly. She lunged forward and caught him in her hands. "Corvin, what happened? Why are you like this again?" Dear God, has he drained his ability again? Corvin looked up, all innocence. "I was hiding in the flowers with Edric and Marcus. I didn't want you to spot us, so I shrank myself." Hiding in the flowers? Oh, she was going to kill them.Emma's smile turned dangerously sweet as her gaze swept toward the flowerbed. Cradled in her palms, Corvin only saw her soft smile and felt her warm hands. He had no idea how close he was to disaster. "Emma!" he chirped happily. "Can I call you that? Please? I heard that fox—Alaric—call you that, and I want to too!" Emma's tone sharpened, though she still smiled. "So, you heard all that, huh? When exactly did you three get here?" Hadn't she told them not to follow her? Yet here they were, brazenly disobeying orders. "We followed right after you left, Ms. Tibarn! But you still haven't answered—can I call you Emma?" Answer him? Emma wanted to throw him into orbit. Lucien averted his eyes, disgusted by the display. The same Corvin who was a genius with warships and mechs was now a complete fool in front of Emma. "Pathetic," Lucien muttered under his breath.Emma turned toward the flowerbed. Her tone dropped. "You two, out. Now." A faint rustle followed, and soon a half-dead Marcus and a sheepish Edric stepped out, heads down. Emma dumped the tiny Corvin straight into Edric's hands. "When we get back to the manor, we're settling this properly." Without another glance, she took Aria's arm and walked off with Lucien. Corvin blinked up from Edric's palm, confused. "Is Ms. Tibarn… mad?" Edric dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. "Idiot." Marcus lifted his hand, and an icicle shot straight into Corvin's backside. "Is your brain made of metal now? Have you become a mech too?" Corvin yelped, clutching his rear as he scrambled to his feet, finally realizing how stupid he'd been. From a shadowed corner, Merlin watched the entire scene unfold. His expression darkened, and the flower in his hand was crushed to pulp. "That Alaric," he hissed. "Leaving Starhaven to flirt with my huntress… He deserves to die."