Merlin was confident he could win Silas over. His plan was simple—provoke Silas into poisoning Emma, then swoop in at the right moment to "save" her. That way, he could expose Silas' supposed treachery while taking advantage of Emma's confused, dazed state to bond with her himself. Afterward, when she discovered the truth and demanded accountability, the punishment would fall on Silas alone. And since the concoction wasn't even truly an Enchanter toxin, even if Silas claimed Merlin had supplied it, Merlin could easily deny it and keep his own hands clean. Silas glanced at him, then smiled faintly as he took the small green vial from Merlin's hand. "You're a clever male, Malrik. Tell me, what do you want in return?" Merlin had expected him to agree. Lowering his voice, he said, "I just want your help staying by Ms. Tibarn's side. You know I arrived late, and she doesn't seem to like me very much…" "Fine." Silas tucked the vial away. "Give me a few days. Once I've successfully bonded with Emy, I'll help you.""Thank you, Commander." Merlin nodded with satisfaction. "I won't disturb you further. I'll go rest." As soon as Merlin went downstairs, Silas headed straight for Lucien's study, still holding the vial. Inside, Lucien listened to Emma recount Malrik and had just found the perfect moment to get a little closer to her when Silas appeared. "What is it?" Lucien asked, glaring at him from beside the desk. This guy had monopolized Emma all night, and now, just when I finally get a chance to be alone with her, he shows up again. "Take a look at this." Silas, fully aware of Lucien's irritation, looked perfectly unbothered. He strode right in, set the small green bottle on the desk, and said matter-of-factly, "Malrik just gave me this." "What is it?" Emma reached out to pick it up, but Silas stopped her. "Emy, you shouldn't touch it." The warning instantly darkened Lucien's face. "You mean that thing could harm her?" Hearing that, Emma quickly drew her hand back. Both she and Lucien fixed their eyes on Silas, who explained, "Malrik said this is an Enchanter Clan creation called the Enchanter's Draught. If a female inhales it, she loses control and feels an overwhelming urge to bond." "Enchanters can make toxins?" Emma frowned, surprised. "How do they even release them—like Edric does?" Both Silas and Lucien twitched at that comparison. "Not quite." Silas shook his head. "The Enchanter's Draught is actually a concentrated fragrance produced by Enchanters. "Normally, they keep the scent sealed inside their bodies. They only release it when they're in danger—or when they need to charm someone. The gifted ones can refine that fragrance into a liquid essence, which becomes this draught." "I see," Emma murmured, beginning to understand. "Why would Malrik give this to you?" Silas chuckled. "He wanted me to use it on you—to make you bond with me. That way, while you were under the effect, he could play the hero and 'save' you, taking advantage of the situation himself." That conniving fool actually thought he could outsmart him. The moment Malrik had started talking, Silas had seen straight through his plan. Lucien's gaze hardened as he stared at the green vial. Under the lamplight, the liquid shimmered faintly through the glass. Competing for affection was nothing new—every male did it in his own way. He and Emma's other suitors had their quiet rivalries too, subtle gestures in front of her. As long as no one got hurt, none of them minded. "It's one thing for him to compete for Emma's affection, but to resort to something like this…" Silas nodded, and both men turned their attention to Emma. … Meanwhile, the real Malrik—who had been traveling nonstop—finally crossed back into the Empire. The moment he was within range, he activated his lightcore. It had been over a year since he'd last logged in; the unread messages had piled up to over a hundred thousand. He scrolled for several minutes before finally finding a message from the Beastmate System. 'Male Etherian Malrik Ashen, the Beastmate System has matched you with a huntress. Her contact information has been sent to your lightcore. Please reach her within three months. Late arrival will result in a fine of 5,000,000 star coins and a 100-year ban on further matching. (If the male requests dissolution, the same penalty applies.)' Seeing Emma's name and contact address, Malrik quickly sent her a message. 'Hello, Ms. Tibarn. I'm Malrik Ashen.' … Upstairs, Emma was still staring at the green vial when her lightcore chimed. She looked down and saw the message. 'Hello, Ms. Tibarn. I'm Malrik Ashen.' Emma blinked. Isn't he just downstairs? Why is he messaging me all of a sudden? Another message from Malrik followed immediately. 'Ms. Tibarn, I've been off-world and only just received my match notice. I'm sorry it took so long to contact you.' Emma frowned, her brows tightly knitted.