Even though Graces wasn’t a fertility expert, he knew exactly what natural conception entailed. Centuries had passed, but discussions about its significance and value had never ceased.

If news of Lu Xia’s natural conception ever got out, it would be enough to send shockwaves through the entire Empire.

Realizing this, Graces took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn.

He gathered his things and didn’t linger at the First Military District. Without giving another thought to the loser, Ko Fei, he hurriedly piloted his hover car and left.

By the time Colonel Ke Fei finished shouting "I’m an idiot" five hundred times and went looking for Graces, he was long gone.

At that moment, Colonel Ke Fei felt it deeply: Graces had never taken him seriously at all.

This left him feeling a bit lost.

He didn’t understand. How could Graces, a ’defective product,’ be so proud and self-assured, instead of living cautiously like all the others?

’Where does his strength even come from?’

Graces couldn’t have cared less about Colonel Ke Fei’s inner turmoil. He was speeding home.

Lu Xia had just changed and come downstairs for a bite to eat when she saw Graces rush in. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. ’He’s pretty quick on the uptake.’

Before she could say a word, Graces was already approaching her. "Can we talk?" he asked.

His tone held an obvious plea that made Lu Xia’s heart soften inexplicably. She nodded gently. "Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

Instead of going to the study, they simply sat on the living room sofa. After all, besides the two of them, the only other person in the house was the old butler.

And since the old butler wasn’t around at the moment, it was a good place to talk.

Graces didn’t insist on going to the study, either.

"I want to know... how many people know about this right now?"

The moment Graces asked, Lu Xia knew what he was getting at. It seemed they were on the same page, which pleased her. "Not many, and everyone who knows can be trusted. I don’t want to publicize this, and I certainly don’t want to become some research subject. I don’t know why this happened, but since it has, all I can do is accept it."

Hearing this, the tension in Graces’s shoulders eased. He was so relieved that Lu Xia felt the same way.

A weight lifted from his chest. Graces couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting to Lu Xia’s flat stomach. It was truly hard for him to imagine that a new life was already beginning to grow there.

Even now, he hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.

’He was going to have his own child. A child conceived naturally.’

Sensing where his gaze had fallen, Lu Xia felt a little self-conscious and instinctively covered her stomach with her arm. "I don’t know what will happen during the pregnancy," she said. "I’ll probably need you to take good care of me for a while."

"Of course. Tell me whatever you need, and I’ll do my best to get it done," Graces promised earnestly.

In truth, even if Lu Xia weren’t pregnant, it was his duty as her husband. There was nothing to hesitate about.

"If you need me to, I can request leave from the First Military District to stay home and attend to you," Graces said, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Hearing the words "attend to" again, however, made Lu Xia a little uncomfortable. "That won’t be necessary," she refused decisively. "Just focus on your work. You don’t need to pour all your energy into me. I’ll let you know if I need anything."

The light in Graces’s eyes dimmed at her words. Then, he heard Lu Xia change the subject. "What happened with Colonel Ke Fei? Did he leave the First Military District?"

Her sudden question made Graces remember the man. He shook his head. "I don’t know. He hadn’t finished shouting when I left."

Graces didn’t specify what Colonel Ke Fei hadn’t finished shouting, but of course Lu Xia knew. She was the one who’d demanded that punishment in the first place.

The thought of Colonel Ke Fei shouting "I’m an idiot" in front of all those people was incredibly amusing.

She couldn’t help but laugh. "Whether he leaves or not, he won’t have the gall to bother you at the First Military District again."

"Thank you."

Graces’s sudden thanks made Lu Xia pause. "For what?"

"I know you did it for my sake." Lu Xia could have easily ignored the whole thing, but as soon as she found out, she’d immediately taken his side and defended him. Graces was deeply grateful.

But Lu Xia said, "I just couldn’t stand his overbearing attitude. It didn’t have that much to do with you."

Hearing this, Graces simply took her words as an attempt to soothe him. A smile touched his eyes. "I know. But even if only a small part of it was for my sake, I still have to thank you."

There was something else he left unsaid: the fact that Lu Xia had been willing to tell him she was pregnant.

She could have easily hidden it; if she hadn’t told him, he never would have known. Yet Lu Xia had come all the way to the First Military District herself to give him the news, simply because he was the child’s Male Father. It was an acknowledgment of his status.

In the Empire, Females would only use artificial insemination to have children with a main husband, or, in some cases, a favored secondary husband might also have the chance.

But a mere husband would never be given such an opportunity.

Yet now, Lu Xia hadn’t dismissed him because of his status.

The scales in Graces’s heart finally, irrevocably, tipped in Lu Xia’s favor.

’How could a Female like Lu Xia exist in this world?’

Noticing the fervor in Graces’s eyes, Lu Xia felt inexplicably uncomfortable. She stood up abruptly. "Well, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to get something to eat."

With that, Lu Xia hurried out of the dining room.

But Graces, watching her go, couldn’t help but let the corners of his lips curl into a smile, his eyes filled with a lingering tenderness.

Lu Xia had been worried about potential pregnancy symptoms. It was her first time, but she’d been around pregnant people before. She might not have had first-hand experience, but she knew the ropes. She was well aware that some people suffered from morning sickness right from the beginning, and she worried she might be one of them.

But after two days of anxiety, she discovered she didn’t seem to have any symptoms. She wasn’t sure if it was just too early or if her constitution was truly special, but either way, everything was completely normal. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Once she realized this, Lu Xia stopped worrying about it and threw herself wholeheartedly into her work.

Her first-generation beauty cream was about to be launched!