The next day, Lu Xia received an anonymous package at No.2 Institute. It had been accepted by the front desk and delivered to her office.

When Lu Xia returned to her office and saw the package, she was surprised and wondered who it was from. There was no information on it, just a space for her to sign. Lu Xia wracked her brain, but she couldn’t recall buying anything online recently.

After scanning it with a detection device and finding nothing dangerous, Lu Xia felt safe enough to open it. Inside was a black brocade box, which held a red gemstone of exceptionally high quality.

Even though she hadn’t studied gemstones in depth, she could tell this one was of superb quality and worth a fortune.

Who would send her such a valuable red gemstone?

Lu Xia examined the box again. After checking it several times, she confirmed there was no other information. She then went to ask the front desk staff who had delivered it.

The staff member looked puzzled. "Just now, someone outside suddenly threw something in and ran off. I picked it up, saw it was addressed to you, and ran it through security. Once I confirmed it wasn’t dangerous, I had it sent over. What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"

"No, it’s nothing. I understand." After hearing the explanation, Lu Xia knew someone must have sent it intentionally. She just couldn’t imagine who would be so generous as to gift her such a large, high-quality red gemstone.

Lu Xia returned to her office, picked up the red gemstone, and sent a photo to Graces. "I don’t know who sent this red gemstone," she wrote. "The front desk staff said the person just threw it in and ran off. Could you help me look into it? No worries if you can’t find anything. I’ll just assume it’s from a kind stranger."

Graces, who was in a meeting, glanced distractedly at the message from Lu Xia on his terminal. The moment he saw the red gemstone, he knew, almost instantly, that it was from Lustan.

Because this type of red-and-gold-flecked gemstone was only produced on a mining star exclusive to the Frederick family—a mining star that now belonged to the Imperial Family.

’He never imagined Lustan would be so audacious!’

’What is he trying to do?’

Graces had never wanted Lu Xia to have any contact whatsoever with Lustan, but Lustan obviously didn’t feel the same. Perhaps he felt he owed his transformation to Lu Xia’s help, so he had sent a gift to express his gratitude.

Graces knew Lustan was capable enough not to leave any traceable clues, but he was still terrified.

Forcing himself to calm down, Graces replied to Lu Xia. "I’ll see what I can find out. There was nothing else besides the gemstone, right?"

"No, that was it. Don’t go out of your way for this. Just check on it when you have a spare moment. Go on, get back to work. I won’t disturb you."

After messaging Graces, Lu Xia casually tossed the red gemstone into a drawer and locked it.

’Even though I don’t know who sent it, it’s best not to accept something from a mysterious source.’

*

After the meeting adjourned, Graces spoke briefly with his adjutant and left the First Military District.

When he next appeared before Lustan in the Dark City, the other man greeted him with a smile. "Well? Did your Female Master receive her gift? Does she like it? I picked out the very finest one to send her. If that mining star hadn’t been usurped by the Imperial Family, I wouldn’t have minded gifting her the entire star!"

"That’s enough! What the hell are you trying to do? Didn’t I say I would consider it? Why did you have to go and do something so unnecessary?" As his emotions surged, black dragon scales materialized on his cheeks.

Seeing this, Lustan chuckled. "Graces, control your emotions. I was simply expressing my gratitude. I have no other intentions, and I certainly don’t think it was unnecessary. My dear Graces, you’ve been with your Female Master for so long and she’s given you so much... yet have you ever given her a proper gift? It’s not that you don’t want to. You’re just hesitant. You feel that no gift is worthy of the noble Female Master you hold so dear in your heart. Isn’t that right?"

Graces didn’t reply, but his silence was answer enough. That was exactly what he thought. Especially after Lu Xia had given him a dose of the priceless Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid, he felt even more at a loss for what kind of gift he could possibly offer in return.

’It was as if he had nothing to give.’

Lustan’s smile grew wider at his silence. "Graces, I think you’re missing the point. What matters isn’t the gift’s value, but its meaning, the person giving it, and the joy of receiving it."

"Surely you don’t want to keep hesitating, never giving her anything, only to look back years from now filled with regret, do you?"

Graces was loath to admit that Lustan’s words had swayed him.

"Even so, you shouldn’t have acted on your own and sent her something. I forbid you from contacting her. Otherwise, I won’t do a single thing you’ve asked of me!"

"If you mean this little incident, there won’t be a next time. It was the only thing I had worth giving, after all. Besides, Graces, the best gift you could give her is the ability to shelter her from the storm, to become her strong pillar of support. I heard... that not long ago, she was wronged by the Imperial Family because of you. Don’t you want to get revenge on her behalf?"

Lustan spoke these tempting words in the gentlest of tones, like a devil, patiently luring him in.

"I said I would consider it, and I will. Stop pressuring me!"

"Of course. Take all the time you need. I’m in no hurry. After all, I’m living quite comfortably here."

"Just make sure you remember that. And don’t overstep again. You should be well aware of your own status."

"Of course. I am, after all, a dead member of the Rebel Army."

Graces didn’t waste any more breath on Lustan. As he left the room, he said to the attendant on guard outside, "Report any move he makes immediately!"

The attendant assented at once, without a hint of hesitation. But Graces knew perfectly well that Lustan had his own ways of contacting the outside world.

The Rebel Army of old had not been entirely wiped out. They had merely gone dormant, waiting for the day they could rise again.

Graces was certain that the "fortune" Lustan claimed to have left him included these very people.

Graces wasn’t ready to replace Lustan and become the new leader of the Rebel Army, but he was, admittedly, shaken. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Because he couldn’t bear to see Lu Xia be wronged ever again.

But he was also keenly aware that this was a path of no return—a path that might lead Lu Xia to despise him.

On his way back, Graces stopped by a flower shop to buy a bouquet.

Even though Lustan’s words were undoubtedly ill-intentioned, Graces had to admit he was right. A gift didn’t need to be extravagant; the sentiment and the joy of receiving it were what truly mattered.

’He had been wrong before. Thankfully, there was still a chance to make up for it. It wasn’t too late.’