Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 289

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**

**Chapter 289: Play the Victim Smartly**

Corvin’s eyes widened in disbelief as he processed Silas’s audacious request. “You’re seriously asking him for two more Level 10 beast cores?” His voice was tinged with incredulity. “What if he just ghosts you the moment he sees your demands? You know how these things go.”

Silas, however, merely chuckled, exuding an air of confidence that was hard to shake. “Oh, come on! This guy just tossed out two Level 10 beast cores like they were nothing more than pocket change, all in a desperate bid to learn how to win over his huntress. That leaves us with a couple of intriguing possibilities. One: this therian is incredibly powerful. A being of such strength surely has more than just a couple of Level 10 beast cores stashed away.”

He leaned in closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Two: if he’s publicly asking for advice on how to woo a huntress, then his emotional intelligence is practically non-existent. He’s completely lost when it comes to romance.”

“And three,” Silas continued, his tone growing more animated, “the sheer size of the reward he’s offering indicates he’s desperate to win her over.”

Corvin’s brows knitted together in confusion, his gaze fixed on Silas as if trying to decipher a complex riddle. “So? What does that mean for us? Why does it matter that he’s desperate?”

Silas let out an exasperated sigh, his patience wearing thin. “Just think about it, Corvin! Picture yourself as a powerhouse, sitting on a mountain of Level 10 beast cores. You’re aching for Emy’s affection, but she barely acknowledges your existence. Now, if I told you I had a foolproof method to secure her favor, but it would cost you four Level 10 beast cores, would you hand them over without a second thought?”

Corvin’s response was immediate and fervent. “Absolutely! Without a doubt!”

In his mind, he recognized the truth: strength alone wouldn’t win a huntress’s heart. No amount of beast-slaying could guarantee that kind of love.

The realization dawned on Corvin like a light bulb flickering to life. His eyes widened, and he stared at Silas in awe. “Silas, you’re a genius! I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!”

A self-satisfied smirk crept across Silas’s lips. “Honestly, I was being more than generous by only asking for four cores.”

In another part of the vast warship, Drake was deeply engrossed in the replies he had received from his lightcore post. He sat in his bedchamber, reading aloud the most promising suggestions to Remy, who was perched comfortably beside him.

“Beastie-Not-Cuddly says that winning over a huntress is a piece of cake. All you need to do is whip up some delicious food, and she’ll be all over you,” Drake recounted, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

Remy quickly interjected, shaking his head with conviction. “Daddy, Mommy already has a Merfolk who’s an excellent cook!”

Drake couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. He had a nagging feeling that his own culinary skills were far from impressive. The idea of him cooking was laughable at best.

Just then, a new private message pinged in his inbox, pulling him from his thoughts. Ever since he had posted his thread, the flood of advice had been overwhelming, but most suggestions seemed like fleeting tricks rather than lasting solutions. He was in search of something that would win Emma’s heart for good.

Curiosity piqued, he opened the new message. It was from a therian who went by the username “Embrace of the Moon.”

To his surprise, this therian had not offered any specific tips. Instead, he made a vague promise and requested four Level 10 beast cores in exchange.

Drake’s initial instinct was to dismiss the message, but the word “Embrace” struck a chord, reminding him of Emma. Before he could second-guess himself, he found his fingers dancing across the keyboard, crafting a response.

Embrace of the Moon: Based on everything you’ve shared, the fact that your huntress still offers you some form of mental comfort suggests she hasn’t completely given up on you. It’s likely that it’s your current approach that she finds unappealing.

Drake: So what should my cub and I do?

Embrace of the Moon: If your current tactics aren’t yielding results, then it’s time for a change. Are you familiar with playing the pity card?

Drake stared at the screen, pondering the suggestion for a moment before typing back: Yeah!

But then doubt crept in. Would Emma genuinely care for him if he played the victim?

Embrace of the Moon: Then take your cub and go play the pity card in front of your huntress. But remember—you must play the victim smartly. Make her want to comfort you first.

Play the victim smartly?

Drake mulled over the idea, feeling a rush of determination. Without wasting another moment, he bolted out of his bedchamber with Remy trailing behind him.

“Daddy, where are we going?” Remy asked, his voice laced with sleepiness as he yawned, still nestled atop Drake’s head. The chill of the Thalassian Palace night prompted him to burrow deeper into his father’s hair for warmth.