"I was surprised I managed to bring the Dragon essence back so smoothly. I was ready to go head-to-head with Nathaniel if it came to that," Dustin said.

Grace raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Oh? What happened?"

He didn't hold back and recounted everything in detail—from Nathaniel's unexpected gesture of goodwill to Felicia covering up for him and her subsequent allegiance.

He shook his head and asked, "So, what do you think Nathaniel is up to? He was suspicious of me before, and we nearly got into a fight.

"But the next day, he was like a completely different person. He was warm and had an overly friendly demeanor. He even sent me a top beauty from the Beauty Ranking. It doesn't make sense at all."

"I think this is likely connected to his mother, Lady Spanner," Grace replied.

She paused for a thought, then added, "Lady Spanner is a shrewd and calculating woman. She probably realized Nathaniel can't take you head-on. Rather than continuing to oppose you, she's trying t