Edric nodded obediently. "Okay." … Lucien, who was finally getting a break from his nausea, was sitting on the couch in the starrail as he listened to his subordinate's report on the comings and goings of the Central Planet over the past few days. He frowned when Damian was brought up. "So, that Dahlia female has been busy competing with NexusPrime Tech for business lately. That's it? She hasn't done anything else? The subordinate nodded his head. "Yes. We purchased several sets of every product that Dahlia's new company has released. We've inspected them all and have found no abnormalities so far." Lucien scrolled through the sales data and the product list of Dahlia's new company. "Why is she targeting Damian?" Considering the price tags on her products, it was obvious that she wasn't raking in any money. If anything, she was driving her business to the ground. The subordinate replied respectfully, "According to the investigation, it seems Dahlia has her eyes on Damian." Lucien lazily lounged on the couch, tilting his body to a side as he crossed his legs and propped them up on the coffee table. His movement disturbed the fabric of his tailored black pants, accentuating the lean lines of his legs. He looked rather ill due to what seemed like a never-ending train of morning sickness. Hence, his eyes were shadowed with fatigue. Lucien stopped short when he heard that Dahlia had set her sights on Damian. After a beat, he asked calmly, "And what do Damian, the Ashenflame foxes, and the Empire's upper echelons think about this?" His eyes went slightly lidded, causing his long lashes to cast a shadow beneath his eyes. None could see the emotions hidden in his eyes. The only thing they could catch a glimpse of was a flicker of something unreadable flashing now and then. The subordinate hurried to add, "We learned that Dahlia once sent her mate, Kael, to approach Damian and ask him to become her mate. Damian rejected her on the spot. "Dahlia's company began its series of commercial attacks on NexusPrime Tech not long after that. As for the Ashenflame foxes… The pressure on Damian has been increasing, specifically among the Elders. "The Elders believe that Dahlia's identity as a human female is an asset because she has the ability to elevate her mate's power. On top of that, she's demonstrated remarkable business acumen. "The Elders are of the opinion that both the clan and NexusPrime Tech would benefit if Damian were to mate with Dahlia. They don't see any downsides to her proposition. As for the Empire's stance… I'm afraid we aren't sure where they stand as of now. "One thing is for sure, though. All they care about is profit. NexusPrime Tech has always been their cash cow. So far, the new technologies Dahlia revealed have enhanced and complemented the existing industries. "Several officials have hinted to Damian that an alliance between NexusPrime Tech and Dahlia's technology would bring the Empire immense wealth and technological advancement. "As a result, they also hope that Damian will mate with Dahlia." Once the subordinate was done with his report, he shot a surreptitious glance at Lucien's face before continuing, "However, it seems that Damian is adamant to fight Dahlia to the end. "He doesn't appear to be affected by the Elders' wishes or the Empire's officials' requests. I heard that some of the Elders on the council have considered removing Damian from NexusPrime Tech. "He's not… doing very well at the moment." NexusPrime Tech was Damian's pride and joy, but he didn't exactly have the final say in everything. He wasn't that powerful. Instead, he relied on the support from both the Empire and his clan to get to where he was today. None could replace him in the past. As a result, none dared to poke the fox's den… until today. Now that Dahlia was in the picture, Damian's previously stable position had become precarious. Lucien's finger, which had been on the light-screen, went completely still. He slowly lifted his gaze to look at his subordinate."Inform Damian that Marshal Calum is interested in his plight. Tell him that the Marshal can protect him from both the Empire and the Ashenflame fox clan as long as he hands over 40 percent of NexusPrime Tech's annual profits to the Marshal." He paused as his lips curled into a mysterious smile. "In fact, tell him that he can have absolute freedom." "Yes, Your Highness." Lucien continued reviewing the remaining documents after waving the projection away. He painstakingly looked through all the recent reports his subordinates had on Dahlia's activities. From what he could see, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "She's quite the actress," he murmured absentmindedly. Lucien forced himself to ignore his discomfort as he finished the rest of his work. He'd just turned his screen off when he saw Alaric approaching him. "You really are dedicated, Prince Lucien. It's so late. Yet, here you are, hard at work." Alaric sat down beside him before placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. Soon, a gentle flow of ability seeped into Lucien's body, easing his discomfort. "Thank you." Lucien's condition improved noticeably as the churning in his stomach had finally eased. "I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Emma." Alaric rose to his feet with a sharp smile. "After all, she'll feel bad when you're suffering, and I can't bear to see her so distressed." Lucien chuckled softly as he remarked, "Mr. Wynn, is this you dropping your act because Emma isn't here?"