Edric stopped short when he heard Emma's answer. After a moment, he said, "Emma, I don't think I worded it right. Let me rephrase. This time, we're not going to talk about Alaric. Instead, let's talk about Calum and Malrik. Did you like them right at the start?" Emma didn't know how to answer. Fortunately, Edric already had an answer in mind as he continued speaking, "You didn't really feel much for them either, did you? Still, you gradually came to accept them because the Beast God chose them for you and they were good to you." He looked at her straight in the eye as he intoned solemnly, "Emma, perhaps humans process emotions differently than us, so that's why you tend to overthink things. "Emma, maybe human emotions are different from ours. Maybe that's why you worry so much. Therians are simple people. We say and think what we mean. When we say, 'I like you,' that's all there is to it. It's the same vice versa. "Emma, you don't have to worry so much. Alaric likes you. That's it. I don't think he'll mind why you accepted him, just that you do accept him as a mate. He only cares about whether he can stay by your side." After that, Edric picked her up and carried her toward the bed. "It's late. You should rest. You don't have to figure things out right away. Besides, Alaric isn't going anywhere. You have time to sort things out, and you can talk to him when you're ready. There's no need for you to rush into things." Emma couldn't help but cup his face and kiss him softly upon being on the receiving end of his gentle care. "Edric, I'm sorry. I haven't spent time with you in so long." Edric held her hand, nuzzling his cheek against her palm as if finding comfort in her warmth. "Emma, you're with me every day, aren't you?" He smiled as he added, "To me, companionship doesn't have to be a grand manifesto. You don't have to go out of your way to do a big gesture or whisper sweet nothings to me. Emma, I'm happy as long as you're here with me. I'm satisfied as long as you're by my side every day. "I'm fine with just watching you while your mind is miles away. As long as I can watch you smile, feel your breath… All I need is for you to stay by my side. That is what companionship means to me." "Edric…" Emma whispered, her eyes turning teary as she wrapped her arms around him. "Emma, don't cry." Edric's heart clenched at the sight of her getting so emotional. He quickly tried to comfort her as he murmured, "I didn't say all of that to make you feel guilty, and I definitely don't want you to feel like you owe me anything." He lowered his head, cupping her face tenderly so their eyes met. "We have a long life ahead of us, a whole lifetime worth of it. I'm working hard every day to grow stronger. I'll just steal you away once I'm strong enough. What do you say? I swear I'll be sneakier than Lucien, so sneaky that they can only dream of finding you." Emma had been on the verge of crying. However, whatever he said next promptly made her burst into giggles. "Then, you'd better work hard. I don't want to wait too long.""Of course!" Edric nodded seriously. "I can't bear to make you wait forever." Emma kissed him hard and pushed him down onto the bed. Then, she drew a Beast God's fruit from her storage band and took a generous bite of it. Before Edric could react, she had already pressed her lips to his and pushed the fruit into his mouth with her tongue. Edric's eyes widened. "Swallow it," Emma ordered sternly, gripping his chin tightly. "Don't you dare spit it out." "You have to heal all your injuries if you want to get stronger. I asked Alaric, and he's informed me that this fruit is the best medicine available right now for the injuries you've been suffering." Edric had hidden his condition so well that Emma didn't even notice that he was hurt. It had taken Alaric bringing it up for her to even realize that something was off with Edric. Of course, Emma wasn't naïve enough to believe that Alaric had brought it up due to genuine concern. Still, his intentions didn't matter. She was grateful that he informed her at all.Edric obediently swallowed the fruit. He looked at her guiltily. "Emma, let me explain—" Emma shoved the rest of the fruit into his mouth before he could say anything else. "Eat first. Talk later." Edric didn't dare say another word and quickly gobbled up the fruit. Soon, he felt a wave of pure energy rushing through him. It felt as if he'd been dunked into a warm bath. His body shook as he let out a soft groan. The warmth continued to surge, slowly encircling his old hurts and healing them. Soon, the scars and aches he'd accumulated over the years seemed to fade. When the last of the damage was gone, Emma promptly leaned down and kissed him deeply. "I don't want to hear it. Right now, all I want is for you to grow stronger and steal me away." She bit his lip hard and mumbled against his lips, "Also, you're not allowed to hide your injuries from me from now on."Emma had finally realized that all these males around her shared a similar bad habit—they liked to hide the darker side of reality from her. They wouldn't breathe a word or grumble about the dangers of the world. They wouldn't grimace or run crying to her when they were hurt, much less when they were in serious danger. In fact, they'd rather keep her hidden away in some safe bubble rather than tell her anything about their aches and pains. They wouldn't say anything as long as those problems were kept outside her door.