Chapter 396: The Guardian Spirit

**Dorothy’s POV** The words of the Great Elder seemed to pull the Crown Prince and the president out of their power-driven haze, reminding them of the precarious stalemate they found themselves in. Lacking the confidence to take bold action, they eventually retreated, each leading their followers away in evident frustration. Even though they refrained from leaving any spies behind, I knew they had other means of gathering information. The palace was teeming with servants and guards—thousands of eyes and ears to feed their insatiable curiosity. The Council of Elders itself may have been beyond reproach, but the palace staff’s underground network was far-reaching and shockingly efficient, often leaving the so-called masters of the house unaware of how much their servants truly knew. Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked the Council, “Are we really abandoning the plan so easily?” The Great Elder responded with a knowing wink, his silence betraying the enigmatic wisdom he so