"And you're not getting off easy either. When you're back, you'll have to sing and dance for me every night until I fall asleep." Just picture it—a gorgeous man with a perfect body, dressed in nothing but voile, dancing for me on a 100-foot bed. Under the green canopy, his sleek, dark-purple tail coils around my leg… oh dear… Just the thought made Emma's nose threaten to bleed. "All right, that's enough punishment for now." Not wanting Edric to notice her fluster, she quickly hung up the call. … Sing? Dance? He could handle the rest of her requests easily enough—but those two? Edric frowned deeply. Singing wasn't a problem; his pitch was decent. But dancing… twisting and moving like that… and in front of his beloved huntress no less… Just imagining it made his entire serpentine body flush red with embarrassment. But since it was Emma's order, he had no choice. After thinking about it for a while, he gritted his teeth and began searching through his lightcore for videos of male dancers. He hadn't expected to find so many. Some were bold and masculine, some graceful and soft, others fiery or downright seductive. Some even stripped as they danced—if not for the system's restrictions, those men probably would've gone completely naked. As Edric scrolled through the videos, his mind spun with questions. What kind of dance would Emma like best? Maybe I should just learn them all… … Emma had no idea what Edric was up to. After ending the call, she took a moment to calm her flushed thoughts, then glanced at Coalball, who was still pouting with his mouth pinched shut.She still couldn't understand most of Coalball's chatter, but after spending so much time together, she had learned to guess his meaning. "I know you don't want a mate," she explained patiently. "I only said that to keep Edric busy so he wouldn't overthink. Don't worry, I'm not actually going to find you a female." Hearing that, Coalball visibly relaxed. Lucien, who had overheard the call, had watched Emma pinch herself and fake tears just to scare Edric, and then make up those silly demands to ease his guilt and make him feel wanted again. It worked—Edric now believed Emma still needed him, still loved him. Lucien couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. I wonder… when I recover, will she treat me the same way? He didn't dare hope for much—if Emma could treat him even a tenth as kindly as she treated Edric, that would be enough. "Go on, go play," Emma said as she released Coalball, letting him scamper off to find Corvin.Once he was gone, she took a thin needle from her storage band and pricked her fingertip. A drop of blood welled up, which she let fall onto the Divine Tree. Watching the crimson bead sink into the bark, she smiled and stroked its leaf. "Divine Tree, you drank my blood and only grew two leaves in three days—that's not much, you know. Can we make a deal? How about one leaf per day instead? "If you manage that, you'll reach six leaves sooner and start blooming. Once you bloom, I'll reward you with another drop of my blood. Sounds good, right? You didn't say no, so I'll take that as a yes!" Silas, who had only just regained full consciousness, was speechless. My dear Ms. Tibarn, you feel bad for Edric, but could you spare a little pity for me too? He could barely maintain his consciousness, let alone transform into human form again. Growing two leaves in three days was already pushing his limit. One per day? Impossible.He watched Emma leave the desk and head for the bath, then gave his two leaves a faint tremble, desperately absorbing energy from the beast cores in the pot, hoping to grow at least one more leaf before morning. After a long day, Emma was too tired to cook. She took a quick shower, drank a nutrient fluid, and went straight to bed. … Night fell. Inside the spatial stone, the sun faded, and the moonlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling window. The Divine Tree's deep blue branches shimmered faintly, releasing glimmers of light that drifted toward Emma's sleeping form. In her dream, a striking man appeared before her. He wore a crisp white shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing elegant collarbones. His black hair framed a gentle, refined face, and a pair of dark glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. When he smiled, his expression was warm and courteous. Emma gazed at him, feeling as though she were wrapped in a gentle spring breeze. It felt wonderful."Ms. Tibarn, forgive me," said Silas softly. "It's taken me so long to see you again—and even now, it's only in this form." His voice was as smooth as his appearance, calm and gentle, full of quiet grace. He reached out, brushing his long fingers over her cheek before pressing a tender kiss to the center of her brow. A faint, verdant scent surrounded her, and the warmth of his touch made Emma jolt awake in her dream. Ms. Tibarn?