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Smiling, Miranda Joy said, "I always thought you would remain calm and composed in any situation, Elder. I didn\'t expect to see you surprised."

Dean Bruce glanced at her, ignoring her remark. Instead, he asked, "A princess, stripping in front of me—could it be you\'re planning to cry wolf and have your people storm in to trap me?"

Miranda blinked and nodded. "As expected of an elder, that\'s a plan I hadn\'t even considered. If you don\'t agree to help me, maybe I\'ll try exactly what you\'ve suggested."

"Help you?" Dean Bruce chuckled. "What could I possibly do to help you?"

With a sincere expression, Miranda Joy replied, "Elder, you must have noticed the unrest in the imperial capital recently. People are anxious, and things are falling apart. I know how powerful you are. If you help me restore order and secure the Joy family\'s rule, I\'m willing to marry you."

"If you think I\'m unworthy of you, I can be your servant instead, completely at your disposal. All I ask is that you help me resolve the disturbances in the capital."

"Oh?" Dean Bruce responded, his tone cold. "And why do you think I\'m the one who can solve this?"

Miranda tilted her head slightly and said, "Originally, I was just trying various approaches. But when you saw my body and didn\'t react at all, I knew for sure—you\'re not someone weak."

As she spoke, Miranda extended her arms and spun around in front of him, fully displaying her perfect figure.

"So, Elder? What do you think?"

She smiled seductively. "If you agree, from today onward, I\'ll be yours."

"..."

"No thanks." Dean Bruce, his expression unchanging, flatly rejected her.

Of course, Dean Bruce wasn\'t about to fall for Miranda Joy\'s seduction. There was a strong possibility that she was the mastermind behind everything. How could he let himself be trapped by such a ploy?

Dean Bruce\'s confidence stemmed from his ability to cast high-level and even ultra-high-level spells in an instant. But if he were to succumb to her charms, in that moment of distraction, he wouldn\'t be able to cast magic quickly enough. Relying solely on his physical strength and magic reserves, he\'d have no chance to turn the situation around if things went wrong.

When Miranda Joy saw Dean Bruce refuse, her eyes briefly narrowed in frustration. But instead of lashing out, she put on a helpless, pitiable expression. She leaned forward, pressing her soft body against him, her hands wrapping around his arm, and her snow-white breasts rubbing suggestively against his side.

"Elder, don\'t worry, I won\'t cling to you. This is... an incredible opportunity! I doubt even at your Guild\'s headquarters there are many women with beauty like mine."

"Why would you reject me?"

As she spoke, Miranda reached out her delicate, pale hand, moving with the grace of a fish, slipping beneath Dean Bruce\'s robe. Her fingers traced along his skin, gradually reaching down until she found her target. The sudden contact with his most sensitive area caused Dean Bruce\'s breath to quicken.

The warmth and slight coolness of her touch were undeniably pleasurable.

But this was where Dean Bruce\'s modern-day sensibilities kicked in.

He had faced countless temptations before and had built a resistance to them.

With a calm expression, Dean Bruce grabbed Miranda\'s wrist firmly, his voice steady as he said, "Princess Miranda, I suggest you maintain your dignity. I\'ve heard that your relationship with the old king isn\'t exactly ideal. If I were to inform him of this, do you think you\'d still have any chance of inheriting the throne?" Join us at m|v|le|mp|y|r now.

Miranda\'s breath caught for a moment, and she quickly withdrew her hand. She smiled, though there was an edge to it. "I don\'t know where you\'ve heard such rumors, Elder. I think you\'ve been misinformed. Our Joy family may be small in number, but we are very close-knit."

"Then why, despite the serious issues in the capital, have neither of your two brothers shown up?"

Dean Bruce shot back. "From what I know, every empire has a royal advisor and powerful protectors for moments like this. Why haven\'t they intervened?"

Miranda\'s expression briefly darkened before she forced a smile. "Those high-ranking figures... how could someone like me, a mere princess, fathom their thoughts? Perhaps they think the current situation isn\'t serious enough to threaten the rule of the Empire of Lane Cloud."

Sensing Dean Bruce\'s gaze, Miranda Joy quickly realized that he wasn\'t buying her story. She hesitated, trying to think of a plausible excuse.

Dean Bruce calmly said, "If this is all you summoned me for, then I have other matters to attend to. I\'ll take my leave."

"You... may go."

Miranda Joy sighed in disappointment, her voice soft. "Father\'s condition is worsening. If you have the time, could you be so kind as to check on him?"

Dean Bruce raised an eyebrow but ignored her request. Without a second thought, he turned and left the palace. He had no intention of visiting Prani Joy.

In his previous life, he had read enough books to know that going to see Prani Joy could very well be a trap.

Returning to the inn without any obstacles, Dean Bruce was somewhat surprised. He had expected Miranda Joy to retaliate after his rejection, yet she managed to maintain her composure.

[If she doesn\'t show her true colors, continuing this investigation could take ages... Dean Bruce narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.]

His eyes closed and thought, [ No, I need to accelerate things. If I delay too long, Linda\'s soul may no longer be safe. Once the soul dies, an empty body is useless!]

[I have to find a way to force Miranda Joy to reveal her hand. Even if she\'s not the mastermind, I need to flush out whoever is behind this!]

Upon entering the inn, Nicholas William immediately rushed up to greet him, bowing respectfully. "Teacher, how did it go? Did you find out anything new at the palace? Where is my fiancée\'s soul?"

Shelly William couldn\'t help but roll her eyes.

Dean Bruce, slightly annoyed, said, "I haven\'t even had a sip of water, and this is how you treat me?"

"Heh," Nicholas laughed sheepishly, quickly fetching a bowl of water and massaging Dean Bruce\'s shoulders. "I\'m just really anxious, Teacher. This is the most important thing in my life! Once this is all resolved, whatever you say goes."

"I only hope that you\'ll continue to study the magic I\'ve taught you, so my knowledge doesn\'t die with me," Dean Bruce replied, shaking his head. "We\'ll have to wait. The person behind all this has long since erased the evidence. To uncover the truth, we\'ll need to wait for them to make another move."

Nicholas William nodded enthusiastically. "Don\'t worry, Teacher. My ancestor mastered the art of soul magic. Even if your lifespan runs out, we can preserve your soul, and I\'ll be your vessel!"

"..."

At those words, Shelly William sighed in exasperation, and Dean Bruce\'s gaze toward Nicholas William grew even more peculiar.

"Uh... did I say something wrong?" Nicholas William hadn\'t even finished speaking when Dean Bruce\'s hand landed firmly on his head.

After "affectionately" reprimanding Nicholas, Dean Bruce glanced around the room and quietly said, "Make sure Apollon Joy doesn\'t get any time alone with his brother. We can\'t be sure if the mastermind behind this can still send another soul into that body."

Shelly William, controlling Linda Quirell\'s body, nodded in agreement, while Nicholas sighed heavily.

He couldn\'t help but feel frustrated. After all, his fiancée\'s body was currently occupied by the soul of an older man, even if it was his ancestor. It wasn\'t an easy thing to come to terms with.

Fortunately, Nicholas had never been particularly fond of Linda Quirell, or things between him and his ancestor might have turned ugly.

With Shelly and Nicholas heading upstairs to watch over Apollon Joy, Dean Bruce decided to follow a different train of thought. He made his way to the innkeeper\'s door and knocked softly.

"Who\'s there?"

"W-What do you want from me?"

It came a nervous voice from inside. Footsteps followed, but the door remained shut.

Dean Bruce\'s tone remained calm. "There\'s no need to be afraid. I just want to talk. Aren\'t you going to invite me in? Or would you rather have this conversation out loud for everyone to hear?"

Creak!

The wooden door slowly opened. The innkeeper stood there, her hands protectively crossed over her chest as she eyed Dean Bruce with caution.

Ignoring her nervousness, Dean Bruce stepped inside, turned, and closed the door behind him. He spoke softly, "I know there\'s more to you than meets the eye, but I won\'t force you to explain if you don\'t want to. I only have one question."

"What is it?"

After a moment\'s hesitation, the innkeeper responded, subtly acknowledging that her identity wasn\'t as simple as it seemed.

Dean Bruce took a deep breath and asked quietly, "Do you know the true strength of the real powerhouses in the Empire of Lane Cloud? And where they reside?"

"With everything going on in the capital, there\'s no way they would just sit idly by."