Malrik saw his 'daddy' before he took the fruit, and he beamed with a big smile. He encouraged Calum, "Daddy, hurry and eat it!" Calum was speechless for a moment. He forced himself to bite into the bright red fruit he didn't even recognize. This is so sour. What kind of awful fruit is this? He wanted to spit it out, yet Malrik looked at him with anticipation. "Daddy, the fruit I picked is delicious, right?" Calum was speechless once again. He truly wanted to shove the entire thing into Malrik's mouth and have him taste it himself. "Daddy, you still haven't answered me. Is it good?" Malrik asked again, noticing the man in front of him remaining quiet. He thought, Every time I bring fruit for Daddy, he would always say it was good. "It's good." Calum forced out through gritted teeth, still chewing. "If you like it, I'll go get you more!" Malrik exclaimed joyfully, then turned and sprinted toward the kitchen. As he vanished into the kitchen, Calum instantly threw the fruit he held into the trash can beside him. He glanced at Silas, his voice filled with a hint of menace. "Are you really going to allow our Ms. Tibarn to keep someone this useless by her side?" His temper was already short; sometimes his words and actions verged on banditry. Silas and Lucien were accustomed to it, but the others at home didn't understand his nature. Silas gently reminded him, "Marshal, this is a home, not the army. The family should get along at home. "Regardless of your opinion of Malrik, he is still one of the individuals Emy has pledged to bond with. If you want to stay here, there are some things you cannot say. You aren't even permitted to think of them," he declared. Upon this, Calum pressed his lips into a thin line. "I wasn't aware of the household rules when I arrived. Thank you for the heads-up. I'll be more careful from now on." He thought, I recognize I'm at fault. At home, I can't impose my own regulations—I have to adhere to our female rules. After saying this, he approached the trash can to retrieve the fruit he had just discarded and made himself consume it, bite by bite. He had just swallowed the final piece when Malrik came running back from the kitchen, another fruit in his hands. "Daddy, I found more of the delicious fruit!" He was speechless upon seeing the fruits again. "Thanks," he muttered, licking his teeth that still felt like they might erode from the tartness. Under Malrik's eager gaze, he forced down the second piece. "Daddy, is it good?" Malrik looked up at him, filled with hope. He thought, Is this kid actually kidding me? He's not doing this on purpose to annoy me… right? Stifling the urge to twist Malrik's head off, he nodded and his expression entirely emotionless. "It's good," he responded. He thought, Tasty, my *ss. Who on earth chooses these things? How can any fruit taste this sour? "If you enjoy it, I'll grab you some more!" Malrik said cheerfully before darting back toward the kitchen. Calum was speechless. What does that even mean? Is he actually planning to give me more of this? Feeling the palpable fury radiating from him, Silas quickly tried to soothe him. "Marshal, please don't be angry. Just hold on a little—I'll get Emy to come to your rescue." Then, he dashed upstairs to find Emma. … Upstairs. Emma was on a call with Marcus and Lucien. Lucien's voice came through from the other end. "Emma, I've taken note of everything you said. I'll stay on the line with you while I search for those two females, Dahlia and Lily." "Okay." Emma cautioned him, "Be careful. Until we learn more about Dahlia, don't let her catch on to anything." "Understood," Lucien replied. He then slipped Marcus's lightcore into his pocket and directed him to wait in the command room. Marcus observed him walking away with his lightcore, then slumped half-dead into his chair. I don't even have the chance to ask Ms. Tibarn: how many new matches did she receive today? Who are they? What status do they hold? Just the thought of more people arriving to vie for their females' attention soured his mood. He lamented silently, I really wish I could beat them up. … Over by the recovery pod, Lily—already dressed up and made up beautifully—saw Lucien coming and nearly launched herself into his arms from excitement. "Lucien, you've arrived! It's been ages—do you still remember me?" She gazed at him with sparkling eyes, inching closer. He observed her movements, quietly stifling the revulsion in his chest as he moved back a few steps to create some space. He addressed Lily and Dahlia. "I came to check on how your injuries are mending." "My injuries are all healed now," Lily replied immediately, her tone filled with enthusiasm. "Lucien, thank you for your concern about me." … Meanwhile, on the lightcore, Emma listened to Lily conversing with him. Even though she couldn't see her face, it was clear from her tone how openly she admired him. Over at Lucien's end, after she finished speaking, Dahlia also added softly, "Lily is right. We're both nearly fully healed. This time, we truly owe it to Your Highness for rescuing us. If the Chitinids had actually captured us, the consequences… would have been unimaginable."