"..."

    *You''re unbelievable... You won''t be happy until you get hit today, huh?*

    Hearing the crucial part cut off was frustrating not just for Leon, who clenched his fists, but even for the usually good-natured Senior Emma, who took a deep breath and then tried to speak as calmly as possible,

    "Prince Joshua, thank you for your cooperation. We will have a thorough discussion about your dream when we return."

    "Why discuss it later?"

    No longer recalling the nightmare from last night, and shaking off the strange feeling of weariness, Joe "Hedgehog" Shua suddenly became more humanlike, blocking them with an unfriendly expression,

    "This is my dream, and I personally told you about it. If you''re going to discuss and analyze it, you have to do it in front of me! You can''t leave until you explain the situation clearly!"

    "Your Highness, it''s not that we don''t want to explain it to you, but we currently don''t have enough information, and we''re not particularly skilled in dream-related abilities. We can''t clarify it for you yet."

    "Then bring someone who is skilled!"

    For some unknown reason, Prince Joshua seemed unusually persistent about the strange dream from the night before. He squinted his eyes threateningly,

    "I remember there''s an agreement between your Purification Bureau and the royal families of various countries to protect us from anomalies as much as possible, right? But it seems you haven''t achieved that!"

    After hearing the implication in Prince Freckles'' words, Emma paused slightly, then softly said with her usual gentleness,

    "Prince Joshua, please don''t make things difficult for us. I can pledge on the Alman Family''s honor to inform you as soon as we have results. Is that acceptable?"

    "Alman... ha!"

    Looking like he was being tormented by last night''s strange dream, with bloodshot eyes, Prince Freckles bluntly rejected,

    "Don''t mention the Alman Family''s honor to me; ever since you plotted a coup to overthrow the royal family, the Alman Family''s honor has been worthless!"

    "Em... Are you Emma? Considering you''re the last member of the Bauhinia Family, I''ve been quite courteous already. But don''t be ungrateful! You''re definitely hiding something from me. I need to know why I''m having this dream right now!"

    "And that Veronica from the rebels, she dared to pretend to be my sister in the dream! You must catch her immediately and hand her over to me! Otherwise, I''ll expose the Virgin Branch''s negligence!"

    Alman... Bauhinia? That Duke family, known as one of the twin pillars of the Kingdom alongside the Ryan Family?

    From Prince Freckles'' words, Leon captured some incredible information, suddenly remembering the redwood tree across from Ryan Manor, which was used as the execution platform for the Bauhinia Family.

    Senior Emma... is she from the Bauhinia Family?

    That means her friends, family, parents, husband, and almost everyone she knew were executed because of the coup? But... doesn''t she have a daughter? Why would Joshua say she''s the last person from the Bauhinia Family?

    ...

    "Prince Joshua, please try to control your emotions."

    While being watched in amazement by Leon, Senior Emma maintained her composure and calmness despite hearing Prince Freckles'' threats. She didn''t smile anymore but explained in as gentle a tone as possible,

    "I can see that you''re being tormented by yesterday''s strange dream and are a bit too agitated, but threatening us won''t really solve the problem. It would instead invite inquiries from the central bureau and slow down our normal investigation process, so..."

    "I''m not tormented by any dream!"

    Prince Freckles shouted angrily,

    "It''s just a dream, you get it? Fake!"

    "I''m my father''s only son, the kingdom''s only heir! I''ve received the best education since I was young, destined to rule this kingdom from birth!"

    "How could I be like that useless clown in the dream, doing so many foolish things? How could I be like him, crying at Veronica''s feet, begging for forgiveness like a dog? It''s an insult to me!"

    With his anger causing veins to surface, after spilling the details he hadn''t shared earlier, Prince Freckles seemed to realize he might have misspoken. Embarrassed and enraged, he scolded them,

    "Get out! I''ll make sure my father and your central bureau hear about the Virgin Branch''s negligence, and replace all of you!"

    "Especially you, a family of traitors who staged a coup. You all should''ve been hanged! You''re lucky to still be alive because of the royal family''s mercy, and yet you dare show your face before me? Counseling me to calm down? If I wasn''t calm enough, you''d have gone to join your dead relatives long ago!"

    "..."

    Hearing him mention her family, Emma, who had always maintained her emotional composure, couldn''t help but slightly clench her right hand, causing her knuckles to turn faintly red.

    But looking at the frenzied Prince Freckles, she knew he was completely dazed by the contrast between the dream and reality, so there was no point in arguing with such an irrational person. Emma loosened her fist and silently turned to leave, but then...

    "Close the door on your way out."

    With a voice whispering in his ear, Leon, who was about to leave with her, turned back immediately. In Prince Freckles'' dumbfounded expression, he delivered a swift kick to his gut.

    "Ah!!!"

    After taking that kick, which had been held back for over half an hour, Joshua screamed as he flew backward, crashing into the table Emma had just helped up, knocking the heavy wooden table over onto the carpet.

    After holding back for quite a while, Leon naturally wouldn''t be satisfied with just that. He dashed over with a move from the ancient Yagami style martial arts, slammed him hard onto the ground, then grabbed his collar to lift him up, executing a perfectly delivered slap.

    "You... you..."

    After being familiarly lifted and receiving another all-too-familiar slap, Prince Freckles spat out a tooth, looking utterly bewildered,

    "You''re that... that..."

    "I''m your... never mind..."

    Originally about to say "I''m your dad," Leon decided it was an ill omen, so he swallowed the last word, then once again raised his right hand, ready to forgo unnecessary communication in favor of action.

    But just as Leon''s next slap was about to land, a piece of bandage wrapped itself around his wrist.

    "That''s enough, it''s unnecessary."

    After casting a slightly grateful glance at Leon, Senior Emma softly advised, Sёar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "After all, he''s a prince, and your investigation just ended. There''s no need to bring further trouble upon yourself..."

    "What trouble? I''m saving him!"

    After shaking off the bandage wrapped around his wrist and delivering several more satisfying slaps, Leon turned back with a serious expression,

    "Didn''t we just say it? The rebels used an anomalous object to invade dreams, trying to manipulate and control Prince Joshua. Fortunately, the anomaly was discovered by you and me."

    "In order to prevent the esteemed prince from falling under their control, we had to use mild pain to keep him awake, making sure he didn''t forget who he was and eventually become a puppet of the rebels."

    "As for the minor disagreement between us, as the director put it, they''re separate issues. We might have had a dispute with him, but it doesn''t stop us from saving him fiercely!"

    "By the way, I didn''t sleep well last night, so I''m a bit off today. Senior, would you be willing to help me beat…cough, save him for a while?"

    "You''re really..."

    Glancing at Leon''s serious nonsense and then at Prince Freckles with a face swollen like a pig''s head, Emma couldn''t help but shake her head in amusement, smiling despite herself,

    "Leon, in terms of being... mmm... cunning and adaptable, you''re exactly like the director... You take a break, and I''ll help save him a little, too!"