The old butler acted as if he hadn’t seen the shock on Cecil’s face, simply leading the way with a calm and collected demeanor. It was as if such things were a common occurrence in this household.

It took Cecil a long moment to recover before he finally seemed to calm down. "What is Smelian’s status now?" he asked.

The old butler had stopped in front of a door by then. "Smelian is still a husband."

Hearing this, Cecil seemed to finally let out a sigh of relief. ’If Smelian had also been promoted, I really would have lost my composure.’

However, the old butler’s next words made his heart, which had just settled, leap again. "But Smelian is also a Gene Fusion Expert now, so a promotion is only a matter of time. The Duke doesn’t mistreat those who are truly loyal to her. This is the room prepared for you. It’s cleaned daily. If you need anything, please let me know."

The old butler pushed the door open but didn’t enter, standing at the threshold as if waiting for Cecil’s inspection.

Cecil was so unsettled by his conversation with the butler that he couldn’t spare a thought for anything else. Besides, a single glance showed the room was fully furnished and lacked nothing. Cecil looked back at the old butler and said, "I’ll find you if I need anything."

"Very well. I hope you have a pleasant stay. I will have someone call for you at dinnertime." The old butler was very discreet. Since Duke Lu Xia had permitted Cecil to live in the house, he wouldn’t do anything to make things difficult. He would simply treat everyone equally.

’In any case, there were two others like Cecil out there. He just didn’t know when they would show up.’

Still, just to be safe, the old butler had prepared two extra rooms in advance.

After the old butler left, Cecil spent a long time alone in his room, composing himself. The old butler hadn’t been wrong. He had returned at this time precisely because he’d heard Duke Lu Xia was holding a public banquet to announce Graces as her main husband. Given the relationship between Duke Lu Xia and Lady Daina, his mother was sure to attend.

If she didn’t see him there, she would undoubtedly drag him home for a lecture.

In truth, as Lady Daina’s son—even if he was a "defective"—his life hadn’t been as difficult as it could have been. At least his siblings at home mostly ignored him, rarely paying him any mind.

Other than some emotional neglect, he had never suffered any physical harm.

Moreover, he had left home early to live on his own. As a member of the Imperial Family, even a "defective" one, he had a degree of financial stability, not to mention a knack for business.

The biggest hurdle he had ever faced in life was probably being given to Duke Lu Xia by Lady Daina to become a husband. But in reality, there was no helping it. Neither he nor any other "defective" male could escape such a fate. The only variable was the master; if not Lu Xia, it would have been someone else.

Looking at Graces and Smelian now, the return on investment for serving Duke Lu Xia seemed quite high.

It seemed there was a considerable gap between the rumors and reality.

’Cecil didn’t regret what he’d said to Duke Lu Xia. Even if he envied the changes in Graces and Smelian, that didn’t mean he had to start fawning over the Duke. He refused to be the kind of male who had no character or self-respect!’

After a good round of self-reassurance, Cecil felt his mood lighten considerably. ’But I still can’t help but wonder when that gene fusion agent will be released,’ he thought. ’As soon as it’s on the market, I’ll definitely buy a few doses!’

’Then I’ll be a Gene Fusion Expert, too. Nothing to be jealous about. I have money, after all!’

Unaware of what Cecil was secretly plotting in his room, Lu Xia, for her part, paid his return no mind.

The public banquet was fast approaching, and the custom-tailored outfits she had ordered for the members of her household began to arrive. There were clothes for Graces and Smelian, but of course, none for Cecil.

It wasn’t a deliberate slight; she simply hadn’t known he would be returning.

Nevertheless, Lu Xia had the old butler ask Cecil if he needed help preparing his formal wear, an offer Cecil politely declined.

Cecil hadn’t thought much of it at the time. However, on the day of the banquet, he was stunned to see Graces and Smelian dressed in formal attire that matched Lu Xia’s in color and style, leaving him the sole exception.

The look Lady Daina shot him was particularly telling. She said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes.

He didn’t need her to ask; he knew exactly what her look was conveying: ’Why are your clothes different from theirs?’

’And he truly had no answer!’

’What other reason could there be? He hadn’t been living here, so of course, they hadn’t prepared anything for him. It was perfectly normal, really.’

’Thinking back, the butler must have asked about his attire just to be thorough.’

’He really couldn’t find a single fault with how they’d handled it.’

Lady Daina had originally assumed that with Cecil living here for some time, his relationship with Lu Xia—while not on par with Graces’s—should have at least afforded him the same treatment as Smelian. But one look today told her otherwise. Hah! It wasn’t like that at all!

On the way to the lounge, she pulled Cecil aside. "Are you going to explain yourself, or should I go ask Duke Lu Xia?"

Cecil rubbed his nose. "I was wrong, Mother. It won’t happen again. I’ll stay here and... and build a good relationship with Lu... with the Female Master."

He was always quick to admit when he was wrong; he never stubbornly held out just to suffer a loss right in front of his eyes.

Lady Daina stared at him for a long moment. "You’d better mean that. Duke Lu Xia doesn’t mistreat anyone. Being left out today was entirely your own doing. You didn’t have Graces’s head start, but you mean to tell me you can’t even surpass Smelian?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier Lady Daina became. "The last time we saw them, Smelian could only stand off to the side, but now he’s standing right next to Duke Lu Xia! This banquet is for the main husband. Does that mean next time we’ll be attending one for Smelian’s promotion to secondary husband? Do you intend to be a mere husband for the rest of your life?"

Cecil lowered his head, his expression unreadable. Though he was loath to admit it, Lady Daina was telling the truth.

’If Graces could go from a husband to the main husband, then Smelian certainly had a chance to become a secondary husband. There could only be one main husband, but there could be many secondary ones. It wasn’t as if he had no chance at all.’

"That’s enough. Stop being an eyesore and go help entertain the guests." If Cecil didn’t have this opportunity to get close to Duke Lu Xia, she wouldn’t have bothered telling him any of this.

’Countless people out there were desperate for a connection to Duke Lu Xia, and Cecil had no idea what an incredible opportunity he had been given.’

’She even began to wonder if she should take a cue from other families with many children and foster some competition at home, just to instill a competitive drive in them.’

’Although Cecil was a "defective" male, no one at home had ever truly bullied him. This had led to him developing a sense of pride far stronger than most. Normally, that wouldn’t be a bad thing for a member of the Imperial Family. But he was just a husband now. If he didn’t fight for his position, how could he ever get ahead!’