"Ms. Tibarn, I'm not angry." There was no way Marcus would dare show anger in front of Emma. Still, having her coax him made him secretly pleased. He explained, "Ms. Tibarn, I just think Calum is too annoying. He causes trouble the moment he shows up. I think we should just return him to the Beast God." Fresh out of the shower, Calum had barely stepped downstairs when he heard Marcus's words. He walked out from the living room, and the moment his gaze landed on Marcus—standing in front of Emma—his eyes narrowed dangerously. Marcus didn't notice him at all. Head lowered, his world consisted only of Emma. "Ms. Tibarn, Calum is nothing but trouble," Marcus said, voice dripping with disdain. "Beast God Mountain is no ordinary place. If he managed to come back alive, it must be because even the Beast God didn't want him. "A beast rejected by the Beast God—why should we keep him? Aren't we just asking for trouble? Might as well return him to wherever he crawled out from." Just as Marcus finished speaking, Lucien suddenly cut in. "Marshal, long time no see." Marshal? Marcus stiffened, whipping his head toward the entrance. Calum stood there, still damp from his shower. He wore only a dark silk robe loosely tied at the waist. The slightly open collar revealed a sliver of hard, defined collarbone. His cropped white hair was still damp, a few unruly strands clinging to his forehead—yet not a trace of softness diminished the immense pressure he carried. His overwhelming aura was like a blade drawn from its sheath—cold, sharp, impossible to ignore. Calum didn't spare Marcus a glance. His gaze fell on Lucien, his voice smooth and warm. "No need to be so formal at home. Now that we'll be one family, just call me Calum." As he spoke, his eyes drifted to Emma, a rare hint of gentleness flashing in them. "One family?" Marcus laughed coldly. "You're only her match, not her mate. She can cancel the match at any time. Talking about family now is far too early, Marshal Calum." The air grew heavy, tension snapping like sparks. Emma caught the flash of cold light in Calum's eyes and felt her heart clench. She was just about to smooth things over when Silas tugged her sleeve. "Emy, weren't you going to make barbecue for Marcus and Lucien? I'm not sure which meat is best. Come to the freezer with me?" As if Silas didn't know—he'd grilled dozens of times. Emma immediately understood—he didn't want her involved. Lucien chimed in, "Emma, I want to eat your marinated sea beast. Can you prepare some for me?" Marcus also nodded at her. Even Calum said, "Ms. Tibarn, don't worry about things here. I know my limits." She clearly wasn't wanted on this battlefield. Fine. Then, I won't interfere. Emma took Silas and headed to the freezer. Once there, she let him choose the meat himself while she quickly pulled up the manor's surveillance feed. She had to check whether the three men were fighting already. … Out in the courtyard, the moment she left, the atmosphere shifted—three men, three unleashed auras. Calum stood at the doorway, the gentleness he'd shown earlier completely gone. He didn't make a single extra move—just lifted his eyes, and that deep, icy gaze locked onto Marcus. In the next moment, an invisible pressure rolled out from him, carrying the sharp tang of blood and smoke from the battlefield. Even through the lightcore's display, Emma felt his oppressive presence—cold and lethal. "You two want to challenge me?" Calum spoke at last, his voice cold and hard, with a hint of mockery curling beneath it. Lucien and Marcus dropped the pretense. Marcus stepped forward half a pace. Frost settled over his face as he stared at Calum, and in his silver eyes, the wild sharpness of an apex predator flared to life. Even the air around him seemed to tighten into thin, icy blades. "Not challenge you, but beat you up." The sluggish mood he had before was gone, his voice alive with battle intent. "Five years ago, I lost to you. This time, I'm taking it back." Lucien remained still, his elegant eyes fixed on Calum. "Marshal, in the military, you're my superior, so I follow you. In this house, you listen to me." His quiet presence carried an invisible dominance—soft on the outside, terrifying beneath. "So, I'm challenging you now, Marshal." Calum's personality was hard to read. Lucien worried that even if Calum ended up paired with Emma, he might not follow orders. That's why he agreed to Marcus' plan—to join forces against Calum. If Calum lost, then no matter how fierce he was—even a tiger—he'd have to lower himself at home from then on.