chapter 7

Two days later, Emma stepped out of the training room, satisfied.

The beast cores Adam had given her were top-notch. With just one, her ability had completely stabilized and even started to grow stronger. If she used up all 50 and had another dozen or so, she'd be able to break through to Rank 5.

After washing up, she planned to grab some breakfast, then head out to Astralis Forest. She was running out of fruit and vegetables at home anyway. She could pick some fresh ones, and while she was at it, hunt down a few Rank 4 or Level 5 beasts for practice. Beast cores alone weren't enough—real combat was what made one stronger.

She stepped out of the bathroom, towel in hand. Just as she was about to head into the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

The smart robot rolled over and immediately projected the surveillance feed.

The image lit up, and Emma's eyes locked with a pair of languid, dangerous eyes that made her heart skip a beat. What kind of eyes were those—lazy, unreadable, powerful, radiating dominance? Just one glance projected an aura that could make anyone want to bow down at his feet.

The man standing outside was tall—easily over six feet two. Even through the feed, his presence was overwhelming.

His face was half in shadow, as if carved by the Beast God himself—cold, flawless, untouchable. One look, and it was impossible to look away.

Outside, Drake let his gaze sweep lazily over the villa's green gate.

Standing behind him, Sebastian, the Grand Elder, quickly stepped forward and pressed the bell. Originally, Drake hadn't wanted him to follow, but Sebastian hadn't felt at ease letting him come alone.

Ding-dong!

Sebastian stood at the gate and spoke politely, "Honorable Ms. Emma Tibarn, your match, His Majesty Drake Smith, has arrived."

Emma froze. This man was her match? Drake Smith—the oldest one on her list?

She hurriedly tapped the control panel to open the gate. "Please, come in!"

Watching Drake stride into the villa with two of his men, Emma felt her nerves spike. The pressure rolling off him was overwhelming.

His aura was terrifying. As a partner? Forget sleeping next to him—she wasn't sure she could even carry a normal conversation without shaking.

Maybe she should bring it up herself—offer to dissolve the match. A man like this? She couldn't handle him.

Since stepping into the living room, Drake hadn't said a single word. His blue eyes swept over her with a flicker of disdain before he casually dropped onto the couch.

Weak. Far too weak. A woman like this will only slow my march to unifying the interstellar realm.

The couch was nearly seven feet long, but once he sat down, the whole space seemed to shrink around him.

Emma had no idea what he was thinking, so she stayed quiet.

Sebastian, standing at Drake's side, gave Emma a quick once-over before smiling kindly. "Ms. Emma Tibarn, there's no need to be nervous. His Majesty came today because he has something to discuss with you."

Something to discuss? Funny—that's exactly how Adam had started last night.

Emma's suspicion deepened. She looked at Sebastian, his wrinkled face bent in a kindly smile. "You're here to dissolve the match too, aren't you?" she asked.

Sebastian blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected anyone to guess so quickly. They hadn't even said the words yet, and she'd already hit the nail on the head.

He chuckled, his expression softening further. "That's right. His Majesty isn't fond of females, so he wishes to dissolve the match."

He phrased it carefully, making it sound like it wasn't Emma's fault but entirely Drake's preference. After all, a male requesting to dissolve a match could be seen as humiliating to a female. Other females might mock her for it.

"No problem," Emma replied without hesitation. "I'll apply right now. You can't force something that isn't meant to be. We both have the freedom to choose. Since you don't want it, dissolving the match is the right thing to do."

This man scared her too much. Yes, the interstellar rules said males couldn't harm females, and that a match absolutely couldn't harm his lady. But rules were just words, and people always found ways around them. There were plenty of stories about matches who had engineered "accidents" to get rid of their lady.

Emma knew her own situation and strength all too well. She wasn't this man's equal in any way. If he decided to kill her, it would probably be as easy as pie.

Drake's gaze fell lazily on her as he heard her answer. He hadn't expected this fragile little female to be so sensible.