Elena stared at the testing stone.
The display showed both her mental power and fertility rating as ∞-the infinity symbol.
While she was still processing these results, the murmurs from the surrounding males grew increasingly loud.
"This beautiful female must be the most precious one in the galaxy! I don't care, I want to be her mate-even if I'm the thousandth in line!"
"Damn it, do the single males in our nation have nothing better to do? Her mate applications on the mating platform already exceed 1,000!"
The frenzied reaction from the empire's single males wasn't surprising. Males vastly outnumbered females in this society, and female fertility rates continued to decline. Some females possessed 3S-level mental power yet lacked fertility altogether. Any normal male would desire a female with superior ratings in both categories. After all, a female's mental power level determined not only her ability to provide mental comfort to males but also set the upper limit for her offspring's abilities.
The combination of infinite mental power and fertility meant that anyone who formed a bond with Elena would be guaranteed exceptional offspring!
While the males stared at Elena with burning gazes, Ares, who had been observing her closely, allowed a mocking smile to cross his lips.
"Now she'll show her true colors," Ares thought. "All females are the same-once they realize their advantage, they become arrogant and start selecting males."
But contrary to Ares's expectations, Elena didn't appear happy at all. Instead, her brows furrowed as she pressed her lips together in evident worry.
Ares froze. "That's impossible," he thought. "What female wouldn't be excited about such extraordinary ratings? What game is she playing?"
In his mind, Kael's excited voice rang out. "Infinite fertility! Ares, she could give us so many cubs!"
"Shut up, Kael."
"But she-"
"She's no different from other females. Just wait-she'll reveal her greedy nature any moment now."
While Ares was lost in his thoughts, he failed to realize that Elena wasn't just worried-she was terrified.
"System, isn't this too attention-grabbing?" Elena asked mentally.
"This is a necessary condition for completing the mission, host."
"But now everyone's staring at me. That's dangerous."
Elena understood that high mental power and fertility were beneficial and would earn her special treatment. But ratings that reached infinity would bring trouble. Although females were protected by law, some males would stop at nothing to form a bond with a valuable female. Not to mention interstellar pirates who regularly abducted high-fertility females.
These thoughts made Elena instinctively look toward Ares, seeking the security their mate bond provided.
When Ares caught Elena's gaze, he suddenly recalled how she'd looked in the cave. His body responded involuntarily. He almost extended his tail to wrap around her.
The sensation made Ares clench his jaw as he forced himself to look away. "Have I lost my mind? What am I thinking about in public? Is the mate bond's influence this strong?"
Seeing Ares turn away, Elena pressed her lips together. She'd nearly forgotten that Ares had been marked against his will. Yet here she was, influenced by the bond, instinctively seeking security from him.
"This won't do," she reminded herself. Still, the feeling of rejection left her dejected.
Noticing Elena's downcast expression, Ares clenched his fists, fighting the urge to comfort her. "Females don't deserve sympathy!" he told himself, just as he noticed Crown Prince Caelir approaching Elena.
Elena sensed someone approaching and looked up to see the silver-haired male offering her a warm smile.
"Don't be afraid, miss. The Noel Empire will protect you with all its resources. No harm will come to you."
While other males were planning how many children they would have with her, Caelir had keenly perceived her fear. Elena gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Caelir's crimson eyes brightened slightly.
Interesting, Caelir thought. After such brief contact, I'm already feeling possessive. This feeling is... unexpectedly pleasant.
Caelir's tone grew even gentler. "Miss Elena, let me take you to meet my mother. You'll see how serious the Noel Empire is about protecting you."
With that, Caelir elegantly bent his arm, inviting Elena to hold onto him-both a protective gesture and a warning to surrounding males to mind their behavior.
The males' voices indeed quieted, though conversations still filtered through.
"Does the Crown Prince want to be the Sacred Female's mate too? Well, she is the Sacred Female after all."
"Did you notice? General Ares has a leopard cat mark on his neck, and the Sacred Female's beast form is a leopard cat. Has she already marked him?"
"Have the Sacred Female and the General already mated? Beast God, I envy the General."
"Will the Crown Prince be jealous of the General? The General's rank is high, but the Prince is the heir."
Hearing people discuss her relationship with Ares and Caelir's apparent interest, Elena glanced at the prince.
The system says I need to mark him, she considered. From his reaction, he does seem attracted to me. This task might be easier than I thought. But making a man like him truly fall in love with me?
Elena had learned to remain rational after her betrayal in her previous life. A man's words couldn't be fully trusted. She needed to use his attraction to complete her mission, not actually fall for him.
Caelir noticed Elena's contemplative expression.
"This little female is more intriguing than I expected. Not the type to blush at the first compliment."
As a renowned playboy, Caelir had encountered countless females. Most were either overly forward or pretending to be shy. But Elena was different-her eyes held a mature wariness that only heightened his interest.
Caelir smiled lightly and guided Elena out of the hospital.
Ares followed behind them, frowning deeply as he stared at Elena's arm linked through Caelir's. Just before arriving at the hospital, that same hand had been on him, and now it rested in another male's embrace.
"Females truly are fickle!" Ares's eyes filled with disgust. He was about to turn away when Caelir called out to him. "Ares, what are you thinking? The car is this way. Mother is urging us to hurry to the palace."
Since it was the Empress's order, Ares couldn't refuse. Reluctantly, he boarded the hover vehicle, only to discover Elena sitting beside Caelir. His insides burned with inexplicable anger.
In his mind, Kael grumbled unhappily. "Why is she sitting next to that silver fox? She should be beside us!"
"Because she's a social climber," Ares sneered, not hiding his contempt. "To her, a Crown Prince has more value than a General."
