Emma came to first. Like a cheating wife caught red-handed, she shoved Corvin off her with all her strength. "Edric, I can argue—" D*mn it, not now, mouth! Don't trip up at a time like this! "Edric, please, just hear me out! It's not what it looks like!" Corvin, confused and hurt, reached for her hand. "Ms. Tibarn…" "Wait a second." Emma waved him off impatiently, too busy trying to explain herself to Edric. "It's fine, Emma." Edric's voice remained as calm and gentle as ever. "I only called to tell you that Corvin's recovery should be complete soon." When he had video-called her earlier, Edric had noticed Corvin's improving state and guessed he was close to full recovery. He'd simply forgotten to mention it at the time. When he remembered later, he'd called back to tell her—only to be greeted with this scene. "Well… I suppose you already know now," he said after a moment, his tone growing tight. "So I'll let you two continue. I won't interrupt." His voice faltered at the end, strained with emotion. He had always known this day would come—Emma could never truly belong to him alone—but he hadn't expected it to come so soon. After a pause, he managed a quiet reminder. "Emma, Corvin just recovered. He might lose control if he gets too excited, so… be careful, all right? Don't let him hurt you." That sounded very wrong. Emma wanted to cry. She hadn't done anything! Seeing the wounded look in Edric's eyes made her heart ache. "Edric, please believe me, nothing happened! It's a misunderstanding, I swear. Corvin just suddenly recovered and didn't have time to put on clothes. You have to believe me!"She was one step away from swearing to the heavens. "I promised I'd bond with you first, remember? I meant that, Edric—you have to believe me!" Nothing could shake her resolve. The first bond had to be with Edric. Her words touched him deeply. Even now, she still remembered her promise. But guilt crept in too—he hated that she was waiting on him like this. "Emma," he said softly, "I may need more time to advance to the next rank. If you're in a hurry, you don't have to wait for me. We're all your suitors—whoever treats you sincerely… I—I won't mind." "I'm not in a hurry," she cut in quickly. Do I look even like I'm desperate?! "Edric, don't worry about it. Focus on your advancement; we'll take things as they come. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you."She had made a promise, and she wasn't about to break it. Edric was worth that much. Edric listened, overwhelmed, as she kept reaffirming her faith in him. His heart swelled with gratitude. "Thank you, Emma. I believe you." How lucky he was—to have someone like her. It was getting late, and Edric didn't want to keep her any longer. Before ending the call, he added, "Emma, Corvin's ability is still unstable. Have him spend some time in the training room these next few days to stabilize it." "I will," Emma said seriously. "I'll make sure he does." As Edric's projection faded, she exhaled in relief. Thank goodness. He's easy to calm down. Corvin, however, sat beside her with his head down, his expression miserable. He hadn't interrupted while she spoke to Edric, but the conversation had pierced him like a blade—especially when she'd said she would bond with Edric first. He knew he had no right to complain—he'd met her later, after all. She'd fallen for Edric first; choosing him made perfect sense. But it still hurts so much. His eyes shimmered red with unshed tears as he looked up at her. Emma turned toward him after hanging up, guilt weighing heavily on her chest. The poor feline looked like he was about to cry. She quickly pulled the blanket over him again. "Corvin, I know it must've hurt when I said I couldn't bond with you yet, but I—" "Ms. Tibarn, please don't," he interrupted gently, wrapping his arms around her. "You don't need to explain. I understand. Edric came before me—it's only right that he's first. I won't fight him for it, and I don't want you to feel pressured." He lowered his head and pressed a soft, tentative kiss to her lips. When she didn't push him away, he relaxed and dared to whisper, "Ms. Tibarn, can I… can I be the second?" Right now, it was only him and Edric. He didn't know about the others, but second place didn't seem unreasonable, did it? Looking at the gentle, hopeful liger before her, Emma couldn't bring herself to refuse. She nodded solemnly. "All right, I promise." Corvin's gloom vanished instantly, replaced with radiant joy. If he'd been in his beast form, he probably would've been rolling around the room by now. "I knew it," he purred happily. "You're the best, Ms. Tibarn!"