Chapter 276: Music Box

In the world of Azeroth, there are two female heroes who cannot be ignored.

Jaina of the Alliance.

Sylvanas of the Horde.

In one crisis after another, in the face of apocalyptic changes, perhaps neither of them played the most critical role, but they were indispensable in every event.

Duke's feelings towards Jaina were complicated.

Maybe in the future, Jaina would still embark on that seemingly destined path of hardships, watching her rumored boyfriends perish one by one, witnessing the entire northern continent being destroyed by the Scourge and being forced to migrate to Kalimdor, and even having to commit patricide to cope with greater threats and ensure peace with the Horde. She would stray further and further from her path after each blow...

Eventually, after the city she had managed for half her life, Theramore, was leveled by an Azerothian nuclear bomb and all the people who trusted and supported her were killed, she aged overnight, turned completely dark, and became that Jaina who would support the genocide of the Horde regardless of the circumstances.

If it were that Jaina, there would undoubtedly be a severe conflict with Duke, an advocate of the Alliance's supremacy. However, at this moment, Jaina was still a 12-year-old girl.

Her exquisite face, as if carved by God himself, had a small chin, crystal-clear blue eyes, soft blond hair just past her shoulders, and a delicate, youthful figure.

A typical beautiful young girl with great potential.

Alas, at 12 years old, this was an age where Duke would have been in serious trouble if he had made a move on her before his time travel.

Perhaps she already had many ideas about love and peace in her heart, but they were only at the level of a young girl's fantasies.

Maybe she would still become that "Saint," but at the moment, she was just a 12-year-old girl.

Young girls have many virtues; well, no.

In fact, with Duke's current status in the world, he had no reason to envy Jaina.

Or rather, if Duke wanted to, he could easily adopt Jaina, rename her "Airi," and teach her about the concept of a "ghost father."

Cough, cough! Just kidding!

Duke was not that kind of person. He always believed in his integrity.

Look, if necessary, he could unhesitatingly declare three times:

"I'm not a lolicon!"

"I'm not a lolicon!"

"I am a lolicon!"

Uh, something seemed wrong with the third one, but never mind. Life is full of troubles, like the countless stars in the sky, so don't worry about such small details.

When Kael'thas saw Duke staring at Jaina, he couldn't help but smile. He suddenly remembered that the young man in front of him, who had twice killed over 200,000 orcs and was a prominent figure in the Alliance, was actually just a 15-year-old boy.

"Miss Jaina is indeed a masterpiece of the gods. She is one of the two most beautiful young ladies in Dalaran."

Upon hearing the handsome and charming Kael'thas, who showed no signs of corruption at this moment, Jaina's face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

"You're exaggerating, Kael'thas."

.

Jaina, already beautiful, was even more stunning in her shy state. As Duke looked at her delicate face, he suddenly understood why Arthas and Kael'thas, both present and future, would fall for Jaina.

Duke smiled and gave a slight nod, "I praise your beauty, Miss Proudmoore. Although I'd like to express my respect for a beautiful lady with magic, this is Dalaran, and it's best not to show off my modest skills in front of everyone."

Upon hearing this, Jaina felt a bit disappointed.

Duke's impressive achievements were well known, but in the realm of women, he was most famous for his splendid magical talents to please them.

In Lordaeron, Duke presented the breathtaking ice-fire rose to Princess Calia Menethil.

In Southshore, Duke used a fantastically colorful ice crystal rainbow symphony, "Ode to Joy," elevating Alleria Windrunner's beauty to a level known by almost everyone in the Alliance.

Men admired heroes for their unparalleled battle accomplishments.

Women, however, were more fascinated by the heroes' romantic and artistic abilities.

Duke had no idea that among the high society ladies, there was a widely accepted belief - only those praised by Duke's most dazzling magic could be considered truly stunning beauties.

Partly due to her own confidence in her beauty, Jaina wanted to see what kind of hero this man, whom her father had repeatedly tried to recruit and almost became the Prince Consort of Kul Tiras, really was.

Now that Duke refused to cast any spell, Jaina's disappointment was palpable.

Unexpectedly, Kael'thas chimed in, "Duke, isn't this unfair? I know that Princess Calia and Lady Alleria are rare beauties in this world. But is our Jaina of Dalaran truly not as beautiful as them?"

Kael'thas put his hands on his hips, looking like he wanted to stand up for Dalaran, making it difficult for Duke to step back.

Duke forced a smile, "Isn't it forbidden to cast spells casually in Dalaran's common areas?"

Kael'thas gently touched his shoulder, "I guarantee it with my status."

Damn, Duke almost forgot that Kael'thas was a member of the Kirin Tor's Council of Six.

Jaina didn't speak, but she stared at Duke with her eyes full of anticipation.

This was a clear case of pushing someone into a corner!

Duke hated being forced, so with a hidden, malicious intent, he raised his hand, "Alright, for Miss Jaina's beauty."

As Jaina eagerly watched, and Kael'thas and other curious onlookers gathered around, Duke, under the watchful eyes of his bodyguard Gavinrad and handmaiden Vanessa, made his move.

With the help of his system, the immature ice circuitry circulated and created the most perfect dreamlike effect.

A massive ice crystal box appeared around Jaina, or more accurately, the beautiful and almost entirely transparent ice crystal box encased Jaina.

Many of Dalaran's Morningstar mages could create an ice box.

What they couldn't do was create the incredibly intricate inner components, such as sound tubes, soundboards, gears, springs, and dampers. Although Kael'thas immediately noticed the box's complex components, he, a magic genius but mechanically inept, could never guess that it was a music box.

As the two mage hands gently twisted the 'spring' on the large box.

Two beautiful ice crystal sculptures, a male and a female, began spinning and dancing on the box, their simple rotations accompanied by dazzling streams of light.

The foreign melody emanating from the music box easily evoked Jaina 's memories of happier times, even casting a spell on her, making her fall into a dreamy reverie.

No one expected that Duke could actually solidify abstract music into a tangible magical artwork.

This was nothing short of a miracle.

The sound enchanted Jaina.

Well, if this melody were to have lyrics, they would be:

"Don't mind me, I peddle swords, worn and broken, it's only natural…"