Without hesitation, Emma kissed him again. But just as she was about to pull away, his arms suddenly wrapped around her, deepening the kiss. Her breath was completely stolen. Marcus' kiss carried a fierce, predatory heat. His teeth brushed against her lower lip, a silent, dangerous tease. One hand gripped the back of her neck, thumb stroking the sensitive skin there, forcing her to tilt her head up and take the full intensity of the kiss. "Mmm…" The soft sound of lips meeting echoed through the quiet room. Emma could feel his tail sliding slowly up her spine, the fur brushing under her clothes, sending chills through her body. After a long while, Marcus reluctantly released her. "Ms. Tibarn, I've overstepped." Overstepped? He's already done that!Flustered, Emma stood up quickly. "You're fine now, so I'll just go." And she hurried out of the room. What a nightmare. In a place like that, it's nearly impossible not to… do something! When she returned to the living room, Edric, Silas, and Lucien had already finished preparing lunch. "Emma," Edric greeted her, his eyes burning with warmth. He strode forward, taking her hand. If Silas and Lucien aren't here, I'll pull her straight into my arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I'd tired you out so much. I promise it won't happen again." I've stayed by her side for three days while she sleeps. It's my first time losing control—I don't know how to restrain myself. Next time, I'll be gentler. Emma thought, Is this really for public discussion? Especially with Silas and Lucien here? Her face flushed bright red. She pinched his palm hard and snapped, "I'm fine. I was just sleepy, that's all. I wasn't tired out." Silas and Lucien pressed their lips together, trying hard not to laugh. Emma wanted to vanish—maybe just board a spaceship and escape. "Emma, let's eat," Lucien said kindly, rescuing her from the embarrassment. "Yes, food! I'm starving," she agreed quickly. She really was hungry—breakfast porridge hadn't filled her at all. She headed toward the kitchen first. Edric looked down at his hand, where faint marks still lingered from her pinch. Only then did it hit him—he'd said all the wrong things. I'm just excited she's awake. No wonder she pinched me. I almost want to slap myself. Not long after lunch, Lucien's assistant arrived with several Merfolks elders. In the reception hall, the elders were already emotional when they saw Lucien. "Your Highness! Where is our king? Please, where is he?" It had been so long since Kieran went missing that they were beside themselves with worry—crying so much that they shed pearls every day. Lucien understood their anxiety. "I'm not yet certain if what I found is your king. I called you here to confirm." He opened his lightcore and played the video Emma had sent him. "Please take a look—is this little pink fish blowing bubbles your king?" Silas had warned him not to take the elders to see Kieran directly—the Merfolk King clearly wanted to stay hidden. If these old men failed to recognize him, and Kieran found out, he'd just burrow even deeper into hiding. The elders leaned in, studying the footage carefully. Not only did they examine the bubble-blowing pink fish closely, but they also scrutinized every other small fish nearby. Finally, they shook their heads one after another."No, this isn't our king." "Our king is far too proud to do something as childish as blowing bubbles." "Yes, our aloof, noble king would never blow bubbles!" "Exactly!" They all agreed—their king, Kieran, was too dignified and cold to ever do something so silly. Lucien sighed. Silas had been right — they didn't recognize him at all. "It seems I was mistaken," he said, apologizing politely. "Thank you for coming all this way. I'll continue searching for your king." "Then we entrust our king to you, Your Highness," they replied tearfully. Moving around on land was difficult for Merfolks—they had to rely on Aurelia's help to find him. As they spoke, tears streamed down their faces, and pearls dropped to the floor with soft "plop" sounds.Each elder was Rank 8 or 9 being, and the pearls they shed were large, luminous, and perfectly round—the kind rarely seen even in the finest markets.