"Edric," came Silas' prompt reply. "Why him?" Calum frowned as he regarded Silas suspiciously. "He didn't bribe you or anything, did he?" "You misunderstand, Marshal. I asked all of you for your opinions yesterday in the group chat, remember? You guys were the ones who said no to drawing lots and told me to arrange things. "I thought about it and decided to follow Lucien's footsteps. We'll go with the order of who bonded with Emma first." Calum pursed his lips as he thought in disappointment, Wouldn't that mean I'll come in last? Silas checked on Lucien after Calum trudged away with heavy footsteps. When he saw that Lucien was fine, he swiftly unlocked his lightcore and updated everyone else in the group chat, informing them just what he'd told Calum earlier. Corvin, who'd been setting the table, couldn't hide the grin on his face when he saw Silas' announcement."Silas is the best. He didn't put me last!" Edric was also pleasantly surprised when he read the text. He hadn't expected Silas to put him first. Marcus walked in with a bowl of food, glanced at the message, and asked curiously, "But what about Lucien? He's fourth, but he can't exactly accompany Ms. Tibarn in his condition." Corvin nodded thoughtfully. "You're right." So, Marcus replied, 'What about Lucien?' Silas responded, 'We'll ask Emma and Lucien. If Emma wants him and he feels up to it, then we'll proceed as per usual. If he's not ready, then Emma will choose, or everyone else will just move up a spot.' Emma wasn't in the group, so she knew nothing of their discussion. After breakfast, Alaric checked Emma's condition. Then, he joined them on the trip back to Central Planet. Stella had also joined their little entourage. The scar on her face had faded significantly after using the medicine as instructed. Now, it was barely noticeable.Her face would return to its usual flawless self after one more application of the medicine. "Stella, your scar is barely visible now!" Emma chirped happily. Stella, who was adorably cute to begin with, looked even more endearing without the scar. It was all Emma could do to stop herself from squishing her adorable little cheeks. Stella had already looked in the mirror this morning. So, she wasn't surprised by the result as she gave Emma a grateful smile. "Emma, my face is healed thanks to the medicine your mate has given me. I truly have no idea how I'm going to thank you both for this." Emma shook her head. "The person you should be thanking is Alaric. He treated my mates and me. You can consider this medicine as our payment to him." They'd given Alaric this medicine. So, it was his prerogative to do what he wanted with it, and that included giving it to Stella. Thus, Stella should be thanking Alaric instead. Then, Emma changed the subject and inquired, "Are you sure you're not coming back to Central Planet with us?" Stella shook her head. "I still want to visit the sights here. I'll only return once I've had my fill of this place." Suddenly, she tugged Emma aside and whispered, "Emma, I know I shouldn't overstep as your friend and point fingers when it comes to your mates. Still, Alaric is my brother and as his sister… I just need to get this off my chest." … Emma sat by the window on the starrail, absentmindedly watching the stars flicker past. Her mind replayed Stella's words from that morning. "Emma, do you still remember the avalanche you got stuck in back at Frostveil? My mate, Axel, told me that Alaric had been secretly tailing you and saved both you and Drake. He even healed all your injuries." "His face had been badly hurt then, making him worry that you'd find him disgusting to look at. So, he didn't dare show himself. Emma, I'm not telling you this to affect your judgment. I just think you need to know this before you decide anything when it comes to Alaric."Alaric really likes you. He's done a lot for you without breathing a word about it." "Emma?" Edric walked in carrying a warm glass of fruit juice. When he saw that she was looking out the window with a blank look on her face, he sighed and asked helplessly, "Still thinking about Alaric?" Emma nodded with a soft hum, accepting the juice and taking a sip of it. "I wouldn't have known that he'd saved us if Stella hadn't told me. I always thought that Drake had protected me. It was hard not to since I woke up at the Thalassian Palace without even a scratch on me. I never knew that Alaric was my savior." Yet, Alaric had never even breathed so much as a word about it. Emma set the drink aside, wrapped her arms around Edric's waist, and buried her face against his chest. "Edric, what should I do?" He ran his fingers through her hair gently. "Emma, do you like Alaric?" Did she like Alaric?Emma thought for a moment before eventually saying, "I wouldn't say I like him, but I can say I don't dislike him." That was why she was in a dilemma. She didn't like him enough to accept him as her mate, but it felt really unfair to him if she rejected him outright.