Lucien offered, "I'll walk you back to your room to rest." Emma nodded and glanced at Kieran. "Where are you sleeping tonight?" Hearing Emma's concern, Kieran's expression brightened. In a soft voice, he said, "My lady, don't worry about me. I need to return briefly—to inform my people of the situation and retrieve some things from the Merfolk." Kieran had nothing on him at the moment. He couldn't let Emma continue supporting him indefinitely. Lucien turned to Emma. "I'll arrange an escort to take him back. He's not fully recovered yet; it wouldn't be safe for him to travel alone." They had finally tracked down the merfolk king. Lucien couldn't risk losing him again. Kieran had to return to the Merfolk unharmed. Only then would Emma feel at ease. "I'm going to sleep, then," Emma said. "You all should turn in early too." As she moved toward her room, Kieran suddenly spoke up. "My lady, may I speak with you alone for a moment?" Edric glanced at him. "I'll head back to my room." "Then I'm out," Corvin added. Lucien and Marcus also turned and left. Silas picked up the silent rabbit on the couch. "Emma, I'm going back to my room too. Let Cotton Candy stay with me tonight." Once everyone else had departed, Emma faced Kieran. "What is it? You can tell me now." Kieran pressed his lips together, the tips of his ears flushing. "My lady, I'm sorry. I lied to you earlier. I... I wasn't hurt by Malrik. It was his younger brother, Merlin, who injured me." Emma stared at him in shock. "You're saying Malrik actually has a younger brother named Merlin?" Kieran nodded. "Yes. Merlin is Malrik's twin. There's a legend in the Enchanter Clan. "When twins are born, the second is considered ill-omened, so his existence must remain hidden. "So, apart from the Enchanter Clan, no other therian clans know Malrik has a brother named Merlin?" Emma studied him closely. "How did you find out?" Kieran explained, "I once visited the Enchanter Clan and learned it by accident. Merlin is ruthless—not a good beast by any measure. "The day he hurt me, I overheard him speaking with his men. They referred to you as 'Ms. Tibarn.' I don't know if he considers you a suitor, but I want to warn you, a man like that has no business being near you. He's far too dangerous." Emma nodded. Based on Kieran's account, the one Lucien and Silas had killed must have been Merlin. "My lady, I never intended to deceive you. I claimed Malrik hurt me because Prince Lucien and the others don't know about Merlin. I feared you would think I was lying. "But since you said you hate being lied to, I had to set the record straight." When he finished, Kieran sank to one knee before Emma. "I lied. Please punish me, my lady." Emma hadn't planned to punish him. "You came clean, so I'll let it go this time. Don't lie again."Kieran allowed Emma to help him up and nodded earnestly, his pink eyes shimmering like starlight. "Thank you, my lady." Emma asked, "Since you know Merlin, have you met Malrik?" Kieran shook his head. "I haven't met Malrik. I only know he has been on the outer battlefield for a long time and rarely returns to the Enchanter Clan. "Merlin has been acting under Malrik's name. The Enchanter Clan says that before Malrik left for the battlefield, he treated his brother well. Perhaps that's why Merlin dared to act so recklessly in his name." He wasn't lying this time. It was what he had heard among the Enchanter Clan. It made sense to him. Otherwise, Merlin wouldn't have been able to commit so many terrible acts without Malrik ever stepping in to stop him or clear the misunderstanding. Afterward, Kieran escorted Emma back to her room. "My lady, I may be gone for a few days when I return to the Aquadome. When I come back, I'll bring you many treasures from the waters."The Aquadome held wonders that the Central Planet lacked. Purchasing them would have cost a fortune. "Sounds perfect!" Emma replied casually. "I want edible sea beasts, glowing coral, and shark silk." Kieran smiled and nodded. "No problem. I'll bring you whatever you wish." When the time came, he planned to use a spatial stone to construct a small Merfolk Palace at the bottom of the artificial lake, keeping all the sea creatures Emma desired inside it. After returning Emma to her room, Kieran didn't immediately leave with Lucien's escort. Instead, he went to find Silas, who had been about to sleep. The young therian looked slightly surprised at Kieran's appearance. "Do you need something from me?" he asked. Because Silas had fed him leaves earlier, Kieran had a favorable impression of him. He spoke politely. "I would like to trade for some of your leaves. Would that be possible?"