Smelian had been so envious when Graces became a Male Father, but he never imagined this day would come for him. He wondered if Graces had been as shocked, overjoyed, and overcome with an indescribable sense of emotion as he was now.

His eyes welled up as he looked at Doctor Eugene, completely at a loss for words. It felt like there were a million things he wanted to say, yet he couldn’t find the right way to express any of them.

As a male himself, Doctor Eugene understood Smelian’s feelings. ’If I were in his shoes,’ he thought, ’I’d probably be too overcome with emotion to speak, too.’

He was happy for Smelian and gave him a brief, smiling hug. "You know what needs to be done as well as any doctor. Besides, this isn’t Lu Xia’s first pregnancy, so it should be even smoother than the last. Contact me immediately if anything comes up. I’ll be going now."

He didn’t linger, knowing that Smelian would want to be alone with Duke Lu Xia to share this hard-won joy.

As he was leaving, he saw Cecil, who was just returning. Recognizing him as Duke Lu Xia’s other husband, he gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

Cecil noticed him as well, recognizing him as Duke Lu Xia’s private doctor.

Walking inside, he noticed Smelian standing frozen in place with a complex expression on his face. Cecil walked over and asked, "Why was Doctor Eugene here? Is the Duke unwell?"

In response, Smelian looked over, a smile spreading across his face. He walked up and gave Cecil a quick hug. "No, Xiaxia is perfectly fine."

Before Cecil could say another word, Smelian let go, turned, and ran upstairs.

Left standing there, Cecil was utterly baffled. He had no idea what was going on. ’Why would Smelian suddenly rush over and hug me like that?’

Seeing the old butler nearby, Cecil asked, "What just happened?"

The old butler shrugged. "That’s something you should ask the Duke herself, assuming she wishes to tell you."

He wasn’t sure if Cecil was privileged enough to know that Duke Lu Xia was the only female in the Empire capable of natural conception. He felt that Cecil might need some time to process such a shock.

Cecil was completely bewildered by the two of them. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was being kept from him.

Smelian was oblivious to Cecil’s complicated thoughts. He returned to his own room to wash up before cautiously making his way to the master bedroom. He knocked softly. After he heard Lu Xia’s voice from within, he pushed the door open. Lu Xia, dressed in a nightgown, looked over at him. The moment she saw him, she asked, "You’ve seen Doctor Eugene?"

"Yes, I ran into him just as I was coming back." Smelian said, walking somewhat timidly to the bedside. His gaze was full of gentle care as he looked at Lu Xia. "Doctor Eugene told me everything."

Lu Xia hummed in acknowledgment. "Hm. So, are you happy?"

Smelian sank to his knees beside the bed and looked up at Lu Xia. His eyes were full of tenderness as he said with a smile, "I’m so happy. I never dreamed I would be worthy of becoming a Male Father. I’ll take good care of the baby. Thank you, Xiaxia. It feels like ever since I met you, my life has only gotten better."

Lu Xia reached out and caressed Smelian’s cheek. "Smelian, you’re a good person. You’ll be a wonderful Male Father. Don’t sell yourself short."

"I know."

’Probably only Lu Xia would ever think I was so good.’

Having been through this once before, Lu Xia knew that this pregnancy would likely come with very few symptoms. If she didn’t say anything, no one would ever know she had successfully conceived naturally again.

But in contrast to her calm composure, the only two people in the house who knew the truth—Smelian and the old butler—were being exceptionally careful.

The daily three meals became even more lavish, and even the carpets throughout the house were replaced with softer ones. Cecil noticed all of this, and his confusion only deepened.

He had been carefully observing everyone’s every move these past few days, but aside from these changes, he couldn’t figure out anything else.

After a while, he began to wonder if he was just overthinking things, being too sensitive.

But he quickly changed his mind when Smelian moved into the master bedroom.

Due to the pregnancy, Smelian moved into the master bedroom to better facilitate the cub’s development.

After all, having gone through it once, Lu Xia wouldn’t allow the cub in her womb to have any problems from lacking the Male Father’s presence.

Cecil’s feelings were in turmoil as he watched Smelian move into the master bedroom with his own eyes.

He looked at Smelian and said, "You finally got your wish."

Smelian caught the flash of jealousy in his eyes but had no intention of enlightening him. He just smiled faintly. "Thanks for the compliment."

Cecil glared, fuming. ’I wasn’t complimenting him, okay?’

Smelian was in a great mood and didn’t want to argue. He just smiled, patted Cecil’s shoulder, and said encouragingly, "Keep trying. You’ll get there one day, too."

Cecil had never found Smelian so infuriating. ’I’ve been in this house for so long, and Lu Xia has barely even glanced at me. How could I ever ’get there’!’

But regardless of what Cecil was thinking, Smelian entered the master bedroom with a radiant, happy smile. From that day forward, he lived there.

The thought that Smelian had already moved into the master bedroom while he himself had made zero progress left Cecil feeling both melancholy and impatient.

However, he was truly inexperienced in these matters.

He had no choice but to ask his married friends for advice.

And so, that evening, when Lu Xia got home from work, she had just stepped out of her car when she saw Cecil standing in the courtyard with a bouquet of roses. Lu Xia was a bit surprised, but before she could say a word, Cecil hurried over to her.

The tall, young male had a stiff and awkward expression on his face. He presented the roses he was holding, practically shoving them into her arms. "Th-these are for you. I hope you like them."

Lu Xia blinked, and when she realized what Cecil was doing, she suddenly wanted to laugh. She could tell this was probably the first time he’d ever done something like this; he was clearly uncomfortable.

Seeing her smile, a look of nervous panic appeared on the young male’s face. "You... you don’t like them?"

"No, it’s not that, I..." Lu Xia clutched the roses and looked at him. "I just didn’t expect you to give me flowers. Thank you, they’re beautiful."

Lu Xia’s response soothed Cecil’s nerves, and a sweet feeling blossomed within him. He hadn’t expected her to actually respond to him; he had been fully prepared for her to toss his flowers aside in disgust.

"Well... as long as you like them. I’ll get you more in the future."

"Why?"

Lu Xia looked at him, completely puzzled. ’Why would Cecil suddenly give me flowers out of the blue?’

Cecil bit his lip. "They said that giving flowers to females makes them happy. I... I want to make you happy, too."

He was clearly not good at saying things like this. He had barely finished speaking when his face turned bright red, and a hint of frustration appeared in his eyes.

He’d never considered himself bad with words, but at this crucial moment, he seemed completely incapable of sweet talk, coming off as clumsy as a fool.

’Duke Lu Xia could never like an idiot like me,’ he thought.