After speaking, Emma gathered her things and headed for the door. "Ms. Tibarn!" Calum suddenly reached out and caught her wrist. His hand was large, calloused, rough with training; her wrist looked impossibly delicate inside his grip. Emma paused and turned back, confused. "What is it?" "I… I'm not tired. I want to go with you." His voice dipped low. "I promise I won't go near the fire again. I'll just stay by your side. Quietly. I won't cause trouble." He knew now he had absolutely no talent for cooking. He didn't dare try a second time. At least, this time, he had only burned himself and not hurt her. When he finished, he looked at her nervously, almost stiff with tension. "Ms. Tibarn… don't leave me here alone. Please?" Seeing how uneasy and on edge he was, Emma frowned slightly. He really does look afraid of being left here by himself."Alright. Come with me then." She took his hand and pulled him up from the couch. As they walked out, she kept reminding him, wary he'd do something chaotic again. "Just stay beside me. Don't touch anything. Understood?" "Got it." Hearing her instructions, the corner of Calum's lips lifted uncontrollably. "I'll listen to whatever you say, Ms. Tibarn." He really is easy to handle. Emma realized she wasn't as afraid of him as she had been at the start. The more she learned about him, the more he drifted away from the man painted by his reputation. She had looked up his records on the database before. Powerful. Cold-blooded. Ruthless. Violent-tempered. Killed without blinking—these were the labels tied to his name. People who'd seen him all said he was a bandit in a marshal's uniform, causing everyone to fear him, but the Calum she saw now was pure, easily embarrassed, and oddly dependent.He didn't look like the Empire's blood-soaked Marshal at all, more like a loyal, clingy puppy trailing its master. … They returned to the artificial lake. Emma brought him a chair and had him sit to the side, while she joined Silas and the others at the grill. Calum stayed obediently seated, his gaze fixed on Emma, not moving away for even half a heartbeat. Marcus came downstairs after a shower and immediately spotted Calum lounging comfortably in a chair. His eyes narrowed with danger. He strode forward, stopped right in front of him, and said sharply, "Do you think this place is your military camp? Look at you, such a big posture. "Ms. Tibarn is over there working, and you're sitting here doing nothing. You think that's appropriate?" Calum knew Marcus was provoking him on purpose. Before, he would've punched first and talked later. However, Silas had told him at home that Emma wanted them to act like real brothers and get along. "Ms. Tibarn asked me to sit here." For Emma's sake, he forced himself to answer calmly. "You're sitting because she told you to sit? If she told you to die, would you go die?" Marcus couldn't stand him. He thought Calum was just making excuses. Everyone in this house worked together. Marcus had come down to help with the barbecue too. So why does Calum get to relax? That isn't how things worked here. "I'm telling you, our home doesn't raise freeloaders. Either come grill with me, or dissolve the match with Ms. Tibarn and get out of the manor." "Shut up." Calum finally snapped. He shot to his feet, towering, oppressive, his gaze sharp enough to flay a man alive. He could tolerate anything except that. His bond with Ms. Tibarn was something he'd fought desperately to earn. He would never accept dissolution."Oh? You don't want to dissolve the match? Then, get to work. Stop pretending you're some great uncle sitting above everyone." Marcus met his stare without a shred of fear, his silver-gray eyes bright with challenge. Calum's fists cracked loudly. "What are you two doing?" While grilling, Emma had caught the tense atmosphere from the corner of her eye and called out. "Nothing, Ms. Tibarn. I'm just talking to Marshal Calum." Marcus flashed her a smile before turning back to continue provoking him. Yes, he is doing it on purpose. He is relying on Ms. Tibarn's affection and pushing my buttons as much as he can. Calum stared at him, jaw tight, fury suppressed with visible effort. "I'll work. Tell me. What do you want me to do?" You d*mn bastard. Tomorrow, I will break that smug face. For now, obviously, the task is grilling. Marcus didn't hold back. "You're grilling with me. You don't have to cook. Just assist me."Lucien wanted to test Calum and wanted to know just how far he would go for Emma, which was why Marcus felt this was the perfect opportunity.