Only in this way would Kieran have any chance of earning Emma's acceptance—and perhaps, in time, becoming her mate. Lucien and the others remained silent, their eyes fixed on Emma. Whether to accept Kieran as her follower was entirely her decision. They had no right to intervene. Emma hadn't expected the situation to take such an unexpected turn. She looked at Kieran and asked calmly, "Why do you want to be my follower?" Kieran replied with honesty, "Because from the first moment I saw you among the Aurelians, I wanted to be your mate. "But you were talking to Alaric then, so you didn't notice me. You had tended to me throughout these days—and had even inspected my body just now. "Among the Merfolks, we have a rule—apart from a male, our body can only be seen by our huntress." Emma blinked in mild surprise. She hadn't known the Merfolks followed such customs.Her gaze shifted to Lucien, Silas, and the others standing nearby. Lucien confirmed, "That rule does exist. Emma, if you wish to keep him, we have no objections. If you don't, that's fine too—just send him away." After all, no one else knew what had happened here today. As long as Kieran kept his mouth shut, no one would ever learn that Emma had seen him. "Little female, please let me stay!" Kieran pleaded. "I'm skilled—I can weave the finest shark silk in Interstellar, and I can cry the most beautiful pearls. I can also hunt the tastiest sea beasts for you from the ocean floor, and—" "Alright, enough," Emma interrupted, rubbing her temples. Still, keeping a fish that could literally cry pink pearls didn't sound bad at all. She had just checked her lightcore—one pink pearl was worth several hundred million star coins. Keeping Kieran was essentially keeping a living treasure vault. Emma studied him for a moment, then said, "Alright, you can stay. But remember this—no deceit, no schemes, and absolutely no harm within this home. I hate liars more than anything." Kieran nodded fervently. "I swear it. I'll never harbor harmful thoughts. I'll only obey you, my lady. I'll never hide anything, never deceive you." A follower could not recognize a female as a "huntress" the way a suitor might. That was why he addressed her as "my lady." That gentle phrase sent a faint tremor through Emma's chest, a strange, tingling warmth. "I'll trust you for now," she said. Kieran's face brightened. To seal the bond, he pricked his finger and drew a mysterious sigil on Emma's palm with his blood. As he infused the symbol with mental power, it glowed with a soft pink light before sinking into her skin and disappearing. … A heartbeat later, a tiny pink mermaid—no larger than her fingernail—appeared on Emma's pinkie. It was the follower's mark. Emma could feel its presence. With it, she held complete power over Kieran's life and death. The follower pact was now complete.Glancing at the small pink mermaid on her finger, she turned to Lucien and said, "Since Kieran is staying, arrange a room for him." Lucien handled all room assignments in the household, but Kieran quickly spoke up. "No need to prepare a room for me. As an aquadome therian, I'd prefer to redesign the estate's artificial lake and live in it, if possible." Lucien nodded. "As long as it doesn't inconvenience Emma, do as you wish with the lake." "Thank you," Kieran replied gratefully. "I promise I won't disturb you, my lady. I'll stay underwater—it won't affect anything above." Corvin regarded him with curiosity. "Your elders claimed you were cold and distant. I don't see that at all." To him, this fish seemed far too easy to tease. Kieran flushed and stammered, "I'm not distant. I just... don't talk much most of the time." Those old men from the Merfolks never stopped lecturing him—reminding him how their lineage had once rivaled the Drakonid in power and status. However, after losing their Rank 11 experts, they had fallen behind and were forced to bow to the Drakonid. They kept urging him to ascend to Rank 11 and restore the Merfolks' glory. Honestly, Kieran couldn't care less. He thought Drake did a fine job managing the Aquadome. Drake had a fierce temper, sure—but he treated all beastfolk fairly. "So, that's the story, huh?" Corvin chuckled, draping an arm around Kieran's shoulders. "Well, you're Emma's follower now. You'll have to talk more at home." If Kieran barely spoke, he had little hope of ever rising from follower to mate. He nodded solemnly. "I'll remember." It was clear to him that Emma's suitors and mates were all remarkable beasts—especially Corvin and Silas, the one who had fed him those leaves. With Kieran's matter finally settled, Lucien glanced at the time and said to Emma, "It's getting late."