The rain hadn’t stopped by the time they returned home. Hearing the car, the old butler came out with an umbrella to greet them.

As Lu Xia stepped out of the car, she saw Graces standing by the door. She smiled and waved at him before stepping under the old butler’s umbrella. "What did you all have for dinner tonight?"

"The kitchen prepared dinner. It was quite good. The young master just had his milk and has gone to sleep," the old butler reported with a smile. He didn’t ask how her date with Smelian went. After all, with Graces standing right there, he had to be mindful of maintaining household harmony.

Graces reached out and took the clothes and bag from her hands. "Did you drink?"

Lu Xia, surprised by his keen sense of smell, nodded with a smile. "I had a little wine. The restaurant Smelian booked tonight was excellent. You should go try it sometime when you have the chance."

"Alright," Graces replied with a smile, putting Lu Xia’s clothes away. "Do you need me to have someone prepare some sobering soup for you?"

"There’s no need, Graces. I’ll be fine after a shower." At this, Lu Xia glanced back at Smelian. "Rest well. I had a lovely time tonight."

Smelian smiled and nodded. "Good night, Xiaxia."

Hearing Smelian’s change in how he addressed Lu Xia, Graces instinctively glanced up at him but said nothing. He had no right to interfere with whom Lu Xia chose to be close to.

Back in the room with Lu Xia, Graces watched her walk toward the bathroom. "Xiaxia, would you like me to help?"

"No need, Graces. Don’t worry, I’m not drunk," Lu Xia said with a smile. "Admiral Snop’s gene fusion degree successfully reached 100% today. From now on, your First Military District will have two Gene Fusion Experts with 100% fusion degrees. That should be a great boost to the First Military District’s prestige, right?"

Even if she didn’t understand military affairs, she knew that military districts valued the strong above all else.

Seeing she still had the energy to talk about such things, Graces figured she really wasn’t drunk. "Yes. That’s why he couldn’t wait to message me about it as soon as he got back. I expect the entire military’s high command will know soon. You might get a little busy."

"That’s alright. It’s not like I have to do everything myself," Lu Xia said. Then, meeting Graces’s somewhat somber gaze, she asked, "What’s wrong? Is there something you want to say to me?"

"Logically, there shouldn’t be. But I can’t help but care... What did he say to you when you went out with Smelian tonight?"

Lu Xia laughed at his question. ’Just as I thought,’ she mused, ’Graces would be concerned about this.’ "He said he wants to earn my favor."

Graces wasn’t surprised. Any male who had seen how wonderful Lu Xia was would want to earn her favor.

"And your answer?"

"I said I would consider it. Would you mind, Graces?" Lu Xia looked at him directly, as if she would give up on Smelian and refuse to give him an answer if Graces only said he minded.

"He is the same as me. We are both your husbands. I have no right to interfere with your choice to be with him. I only hope that when you look at him, you don’t forget about me." As he spoke, Graces wrapped his arm around Lu Xia’s waist, pulling her into his embrace. "I will always be watching you."

Lu Xia reached out and gently stroked Graces’s head in a soft, comforting gesture. "I will always be watching Graces, too. When do you have time to go to the government affairs hall and formalize your status as my main husband?"

"I’m free anytime."

"Mm, then let’s do it tomorrow morning." Once a decision was made, there was no need to change it. Lu Xia had never been the hesitant, indecisive type.

But Graces asked, "Don’t we need to inform Smelian?"

"We’ll let him know, but I don’t think he’ll mind." ’Right now,’ she thought, ’what Smelian wants is my favor. He’s probably not thinking about status and position yet.’ "Don’t overthink it. No one is more suited to be my main husband than you, Graces. I’m going to take my shower now."

Feeling she had successfully placated the man, Lu Xia got up and went straight to the bathroom.

The next morning at the breakfast table, Lu Xia informed Smelian and the old butler about promoting Graces to the position of main husband.

Neither of them was surprised to hear it. After all, with his current status and abilities, Graces was more than qualified to be the main husband of Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion.

The position of main husband of Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion had been vacant for so long; it was high time it welcomed its master.

"Congratulations." Smelian smiled, raising his cup of tea to Graces as if it were wine to congratulate him. It would be impossible to say he didn’t feel anything about this.

But Smelian was self-aware. The bit of progress he had made with the little female couldn’t possibly compare to Graces, who had held the advantage from the very beginning.

There was nothing strange about Graces becoming the main husband. All Smelian felt was envy and a slight regret. He couldn’t help but wonder: if he had been the one to meet Duke Lu Xia first, would he be the one enjoying all of this now?

But life has no ’what ifs’. One wrong step leads to missing every step that follows.

"Shouldn’t we celebrate then? If it’s tonight, I’ll notify the kitchen in advance so they can prepare."

"We should celebrate. We’ll have a small celebration ourselves tonight, and then we’ll pick a date to hold a banquet and announce the news." Confirming the choice of main husband was a major event; it couldn’t be allowed to pass quietly.

Besides, Lu Xia was doing this partly to silence the gossip of those outside who coveted the position of her main husband.

So not only did it have to be done, it had to be done in grand fashion.

After breakfast, Lu Xia left with Graces. Before going, she didn’t forget to confirm with Smelian, "I’ll see you this afternoon at the No.2 Institute."

"Okay." Smelian watched them leave. The old butler remarked, "It seems last night’s date was a success."

Smelian smiled and nodded. "Yes. At least now, Xiaxia can see that I exist."

She won’t just see me as a long-term houseguest who needs to be looked after.

"Don’t be impatient. The mistress is a thoughtful person. If you do well, she won’t let you down." As a member of this household and an observer, the old butler saw things more clearly than anyone.

The Duke Lu Xia of today was no longer the lecherous and hedonistic female from the rumors of the past. The current Duke Lu Xia was one of a kind in the entire Empire.

To be able to become one of her people, in the old butler’s opinion, could only be described as being incredibly fortunate.

Whether as the main husband or a regular husband, the treatment they enjoyed was absolutely top-tier.

No one else in the Empire had ever been able to do that.

Lu Xia was unaware that the old butler held her in such high regard. Just then, after she and Graces got in the car, Graces spoke up. "So Smelian has decided to be injected with the gene fusion agent?"

"Yes. Speaking of which, if he succeeds today, he’ll become a Gene Fusion Expert too. It really is quite a nice day."