The most delighted with the outcome of this contest was undoubtedly Steven. 𝗼𝐯𝐥.𝗻𝐭

The issue of the stolen artifact had been somewhat resolved. Even though the actual artifact’s whereabouts remained unknown, at least the group of elderly professors had been placated and sent on their way.

Moreover, discovering a talent like William and securing the mysterious site near Hudson University for the 13th Bureau were significant achievements.

The 13th Bureau triumphed, overshadowing all the Soulmancers and re-establishing their authority.

This was nothing short of fantastic!

After the competition concluded, William and his group decided to return to New York.

Alice, however, felt a bit perturbed. To her surprise, she had become the center of everyone’s attention.

The Soulmancers who came to Ravenwood were all vying for her favor.

Lucien was the most audacious of them all. He approached Alice, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Alice, are you single by any chance?”

“Huh?” Alice was caught off guard by his question. She barely knew Lucien, having only faced him in one duel, and even then, it was William who had fought on her behalf.

Lucien, not quite grasping the subtleties of the moment, pondered for a while and then added, “I’m single myself. I was wondering if we could…”

Alice quickly interrupted, “I’m married, with two children—a boy and a girl.”

As she spoke, William casually strolled over. Pointing at him from a distance, Alice exclaimed, “Look! My husband!”

Lucien slowly turned his gaze towards William. After studying him for a long moment, with a complex expression on his face, he took a deep breath and turned back to Alice, gritting his teeth. “Alice, you’re so outstanding. Don’t you think it was a bit hasty marrying someone of such weak capabilities?”

“That’s none of your business!” Alice, always direct in her rejections, rolled her eyes. She then skipped over to William, taking his hand with a squinted-eye smile, saying, “Darling, you’re back.”

While calling him “darling,” Alice appeared calm on the surface, but inside, her heart was racing, almost leaping out of her throat. She had truly taken a leap of faith, fearful that William might rebuke her and cause an embarrassing scene.

Although William sometimes seemed oblivious to social cues, he could read the situation. He gave Lucien a brief glance, immediately understanding the mischief Alice was up to. Letting Alice cling to him, he simply nodded and uttered a single syllable, “Hmm.”

Lucien’s brow furrowed even more deeply; William’s attitude was truly exasperating.

He regarded Alice as a treasure, but William seemed to dismiss her so casually.

Moreover, this man was merely a novice, just starting out as a Soulmancer.

If not for Alice’s presence, Lucien wouldn’t even have bothered to spare William a second glance.

With a hint of resentment, Lucien looked at William and coldly said, “Your attitude towards Alice is rather lacking, don’t you think?”

“Hmm?” William, seemingly evaluating Lucien as a father might scrutinize his daughter’s boyfriend, gave Lucien a top-to-bottom look. Finally, with a raised eyebrow, he retorted, “What’s it to you?”

“As Alice’s master, knowing her complex family background, and also considering his relationship with Alice’s late grandfather Charles Turner, William felt he should protect the girl like a father. It’s obvious that this man is pursuing Alice, but given his attitude towards William, William really doesn’t appreciate him.”

Big ambitions but little skill, a bad temper, and overly meddlesome,such a young man had no sense of humility.

Alice, blissfully hugging William’s arm, felt elated. To her, her mentor had the protective aura of a boyfriend, and he even smelled delightful. On such a rare intimate occasion, why wouldn’t she want to snuggle a bit more?

What she didn’t realize was that William saw her more as a daughter. Otherwise, he would have been upset by now.

Lucien felt that William was really impolite. As a beginner Soulmancer with such a big temper, wasn’t this equivalent to a poor guy dating a rich and beautiful girl?

He sneered, “If you mistreat Alice, I’ll be ready to take you on.”

William also grew irritated. Regardless of Lucien’s motives, he dared to threaten him?

Being young and always bullying others with strength, how is this acceptable?

William scoffed, replying, “You can’t even defeat my wife, what makes you think you can take me on?”

Damn!!

Lucien glared at William, grinding his teeth as he shot back, “If you’re a real man, face me one-on-one. What’s so great about hiding behind a woman?”

Alice actually looked forward to seeing William personally teach this guy a lesson, which would hopefully prevent future hassles.

William, narrowing his eyes slightly without making a move, responded calmly, “At the very least, I can hide behind a woman. Do you have a woman to hide behind?”

“…” Lucien felt the sting of the remark and angrily retorted, “I am from the Nostradamus family. I’ve always relied on my own abilities. It’s not for a novice Soulmancer like you to comment on.”

“A descendant of Nostradamus, huh?” William intoned, nodding his head before inquiring, “So, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Ha ha ha…” Alice, who had wrapped her arms around William, burst into laughter. Her laughter grew so intense that she felt a bit embarrassed, causing her to cough lightly and adopt a ladylike demeanor.

After all, she wasn’t worried about Lucien lashing out and harming William. If William really made a move, what would Lucien’s abilities amount to?

Lucien was clearly aggravated. William’s question about a girlfriend dealt a whopping 99999 points of ‘real damage’ to a Lucien who, in fact, didn’t have one — especially in front of Alice.

However, Lucien quickly regained his composure and asked, “I heard from Alice that you have a son and a daughter?”

Alice hastily shook William’s arm, hinting for him to play along. But all these gestures didn’t escape Lucien’s notice, and he quickly understood the situation.

Having a son and a daughter was probably a lie, and it was even possible that William and Alice weren’t married.

Being an astrologer, Lucien prided himself on his keen observation skills. It was only because he had been previously infatuated with Alice, losing his rationality, that he had believed her tales.

Noticing the smirk on Lucien’s face, William couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly. This girl, she couldn’t even lie properly, especially since her recent gestures were too obvious.

“Do you need to know?” William said with a smile, “All you need to understand is that neither Alice nor I think highly of you. You don’t stand a chance.”

“It seems that Alice’s words earlier were deceiving.” Lucien, proud of his own astuteness, cast a glance at Alice, then addressed William, “Regardless of the nature of your relationship with Alice, from today on, I’ll pursue her. As for you, deal with it!”

Raising an eyebrow, William posed a question, “What if I were her father?”

Lucien was momentarily speechless, glancing between Alice and William. It’s known that in the world of Soulmancers, some powerful individuals can retain youthful appearances. Both Alice and William were Soulmancers. Could William actually have a fatherly relationship with Alice?

Did he just unintentionally offend his potential future father-in-law by pursuing Alice?

Alice almost choked upon hearing William’s statement. The bond they shared wasn’t typical, but given how much he had mentored and looked out for her, she could understand his protective stance. She gave William a playfully reproachful look, the demeanor of a young girl clearly evident.

In Lucien’s mind, countless possibilities flashed by. His brain operated at its peak, analyzing rapidly.

Firstly, Alice and this seemingly young man before him weren’t husband and wife.

They could possibly be in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, but judging by this man’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like it.

Alice acted very affectionate towards this man, but the way he spoke and his expressions seemed oddly mature for his age.

If they really were a couple, Alice surely wouldn’t have the expression she wore now after what this man had just said.

From this, Lucien concluded that this man truly was Alice’s father!!!

If that were the case, he still stood a chance, though he had just inadvertently offended his potential future father-in-law.

Lucien quickly shifted his attitude by a complete 180 degrees, bowed in a respectful gesture, and called out to William, “Mr. Turner! I misunderstood earlier. I hope you can forgive me.”