"He's seriously hurt, tied up, and under the influence of charm poison. Where could he possibly be?" Celia asked. She thought, Incompetent. They're all incompetent—unable to locate a single person. Dahlia sat nearby, her expression equally displeased. Since Malrik vanished, she had chosen to remain with the Enchanter Clan rather than return home. She felt a surge of distaste hearing Celia venting her frustration. She glanced at the notification on her lightcore and said, "Ms. Yates, I have just received a message from the Suncrest Lineage. They're saying that Emma has returned from Aquadome. Do you think Malrik could've gone to search for her?" "Emma is back already?" Celia stared at her, taken aback. She confirmed with a nod. "The rumor is she's been back for several days." Celia thought, Useless. All of them. Emma's been back for days, and the Suncrest Lineage is just figuring that out now. She noticed Celia frowning silently and continued, "Malrik was once matched with Emma. Even though they have dissolute their bond, he still has feelings for her. In a situation like this, it's not impossible for him to seek her out." "If that's the case, we're in trouble." Celia understood that provoking Emma was a mistake. Emma had Lucien at her side, who had achieved Rank 11—along with Marcus and Drake. Three Rank 11. The Enchanter Clan could not afford to antagonize them. Dahlia observed Celia's hesitation, so she leaned closer and whispered, "Ms. Yates, this isn't a problem at all. Emma managed to dissolve with Malrik in the first place, meaning she has no feelings for him and never did. You can go directly to her and inquire about Malrik. Tell her he's already my match. I'm confident that once she learns I'm bonded with him, she won't want him back." … Inside the manor. Edric entered with a cup of warm beast milk. His brow furrowed after noticing Emma's weary expression. "Emma, lie down for a bit." Edric offered her a cup of milk, speaking soothingly. "You've kept watch over him all night. If you continue like this, you'll wear yourself out. Go rest. We'll look after him—you don't need to worry." Emma recognized the concern in his eyes, then glanced at Marcus, Kieran, and Drake—all equally anxious. She realized that if she remained here, it would only cause them more distress. She nodded, took the milk, and had a few sips. "Alright. I'll rest for a while. Drake, Kieran—you two should also take a break. Come switch with Marcus and Edric later." They couldn't all remain here indefinitely. "Yes, my lady," Kieran responded. Drake also rose, nodding obediently. "Emmy, I'll listen to you." She smiled at them, stood up, and exited the room. She knew that if she didn't leave, Drake and Kieran wouldn't either.Once she stepped out of Malrik's room, she headed straight for her own. Kieran, who required some soaking, returned to the artificial lake outside. Drake trailed her upstairs. When her bedroom door closed, he transformed into a small dragon and curled himself around the doorknob, keeping watch. He was aware that he had no right to simply enter Emma's room and stay with her. Thus, this was the only way he could remain by her side. She was completely unaware that he had been following her. After arriving back at her room, she went to the training room, absorbed several beast cores, then took a shower and collapsed onto her bed. When she finally woke up, it was already the afternoon. Still concerned about Malrik, she freshened up, put on her loungewear, and headed downstairs. However, the moment she reached the top of the staircase—She halted, her eyes widening at the sight in the living room. In the living room— Malrik stood in front of Marcus, clutching a large, rare fruit, grinning brightly from ear to ear. "Daddy, I found another one! You've got to try it!" Marcus leaned against a pillar, his striking face etched with complete despair. Marcus' body was rigid like a statue, his eyes fixated blankly on the ceiling as if his very soul had departed. "Daddy, what's the matter? Do you not like Malrik anymore?" Malrik asked. Under his relentless insistence and those painfully hopeful puppy-dog eyes… Marcus gave in, took the fruit, and mechanically opened his mouth. "Daddy, is it delicious?" Malrik observed him with bright, expectant eyes. "…It's… delicious…" He forced the words out through clenched teeth. At that moment, he genuinely wished he could just disappear. He thought, Could someone please intervene?No. I prefer to just fade away. Please… anyone… save me! Why am I caught in this nightmare again—this cursed, endless cycle of fruit‑feeding… Emma stared blankly at the all-too-familiar scene, utterly stunned. She instinctively checked the time on her lightcore. She thought, No doubt about it—an entire night has passed since I came back from the Enchanter Clan. So I'm not dreaming. I haven't fallen into a time loop. It's just that Malrik… has gone silly again!