Spoiled By My Nine Beast Husbands (Emma Tibarn) novel Chapter 54

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley 54**

“You must take exceptional care of it,” Emma insisted, her voice laced with an intensity that surprised even her. “It saved my life. If anything were to happen to it, I don’t think I could bear it. I’d be so upset I wouldn’t even want to eat.”

There was a saying that circulated among people: when a woman stopped eating, it signaled deep trouble lurking beneath the surface.

In her solitary days, when Emma lived alone in her small apartment, the world had turned a blind eye to her eating habits. No one had ever cared whether she consumed her meals or skipped them altogether. The significance of such a trivial act had always eluded her.

Yet, the instant Edric caught her words, a palpable change washed over him. His complexion drained of color, and his grip tightened protectively around Lucien, the small creature nestled in his arms. “Emma, please don’t fret. I promise you, as long as I’m here, nothing will happen to it,” he reassured her, his voice firm yet soothing, as if trying to quell a storm brewing within her.

Damian, who had been sitting quietly on the couch, absorbed in his thoughts, suddenly sprang to his feet. The concern etched on his face was unmistakable as he addressed Emma. “Ms. Tibarn, Edric and I will ensure that Coalball is well taken care of,” he declared, his tone betraying a genuine worry for her well-being.

So it was true, then. The old adage about a woman’s refusal to eat being a sign of something more serious was not just mere superstition.

“I was merely expressing my thoughts. There’s no need for all this tension,” Emma replied, her voice softer now, yet still firm.

With that, she felt the conversation had reached its end. The weight of the moment pressed heavily upon her, and she turned to retreat to her room, seeking solace in solitude.

“Ms. Tibarn!”

As she began to leave, Damian hurriedly stepped in front of her, his demeanor betraying a hint of anxiety. “Ms. Tibarn, Edric needs to advance to level ten, which means he can’t remain with you. I…”

Emma anticipated his words, the unspoken implications hanging in the air, and she interrupted him gently. “Damian, your room is on the second floor. You should take some time to rest. Also, this…”

With a deliberate motion, she retrieved the capsule containing the Gravicar, its weight feeling heavier in her palm as she handed it back to him. “I still believe it’s far too extravagant for me. I can’t accept it,” she stated, avoiding his gaze, her heart racing as she turned away and ascended the stairs swiftly.

Damian watched her retreating figure until she vanished around the corner of the third floor. His eyes fell to the capsule in his grasp, and he felt a tightening sensation in his chest, a mix of disappointment and confusion.

She had actually turned him down.

Even a top-tier Gravicar, something that was supposed to signify luxury and status, had failed to sway her.

He recalled a time when she had agreed to assist Drake with mental comfort for just a handful of star coins. Now, it seemed, she was indifferent to the allure of wealth, even something as valuable as a Gravicar worth trillions.

What, then, could he possibly do to earn her forgiveness?

Edric, having overheard the exchange between Emma and Damian, chose not to offer any comfort to Damian. After all, the cunning fox had tricked Emma, and a little suffering was well-deserved.

Had he not acted decently in the forest, Edric mused, he would have already kicked Damian out of the villa after Emma’s rejection.

With a dismissive glance at Damian, Edric placed Lucien on the couch, his eyes narrowing as he regarded the creature with a mix of irritation and amusement.

Lucien met Edric’s fierce gaze, instinctively shrinking back into the corner of the couch, a fallen phoenix reduced to a mere plucked bird.

“Didn’t you block all news about that night when the Divine Flame appeared? How did this information still leak out?” Edric pressed, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Damian’s eyes remained glued to the video playing on the screen, his heart racing as he noted the staggering view count—over seven trillion. It was far too late to suppress the news now.

The clip depicted the colossal fireball that had descended from the heavens on the night a high-tier Chitinid had attacked Emma. The energy radiating from that fireball was nothing short of terrifying, accompanied by a piercing cry that felt almost sentient. Only the Divine Flame, bestowed by the Beast God, could unleash such power.

The explosion had obliterated a Rank 11 Chitinid in an instant, yet Emma had emerged unscathed.

Both Damian and Edric shared a silent understanding: the Beast God had sensed Emma’s peril and intervened to save her.

This was not an isolated incident within the vast expanse of the Interstellar Empire. There had been other instances where the Divine Flame had descended to rescue women in dire situations.

Those fortunate women had all subsequently reached level ten in their abilities.

In the aftermath, the government of the Interstellar Empire had decreed that any female saved by the Divine Flame was endowed with unparalleled natural talent. They believed that the Beast God was safeguarding the therians of the Interstellar Empire through these chosen women.

Whenever a woman was rescued by the Divine Flame, the government whisked her away to Central Planet.

There, she was granted the finest living conditions, her safety ensured at all costs. Moreover, she was provided with top-tier training resources designed to expedite her advancement.

Yet, only those who resided among the elite on Central Planet were privy to the unsettling truth: all those so-called privileges were nothing more than sugar-coated traps, ensnaring them in a web of false security.