When Smelian saw Lu Xia come in from outside holding a bouquet of roses, with Cecil by her side, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. ’It seems Cecil is finally getting a clue.’

Although Cecil’s expression looked the same as usual, his unconcealable joy was evident. Lu Xia handed the roses to the old butler and said, "Please take good care of them."

The old butler smiled and said, "Of course," then couldn’t help but glance at Cecil. ’That fellow finally did something right,’ he thought.

Lu Xia greeted Smelian and went to her room to freshen up and change.

Cecil looked at Smelian and asked, "Do you have something to say?"

Smelian shrugged. "What’s there to say? That the flowers you sent are lovely? Or to ask why you suddenly decided to send them?"

"Can’t I send flowers?"

Smelian could tell Cecil was trying to show off, but he had no intention of giving him the satisfaction.

"Of course you can. Whatever makes you happy."

After saying that, Smelian even gave him a smile, looking exceptionally friendly.

Cecil watched Smelian turn to help the old butler set the dinner table, feeling as if his punch had once again landed on a wad of cotton. Smelian didn’t seem to care in the slightest that he was trying to attract Duke Lu Xia’s attention. ’Why? How can he be so nonchalant?’

He gritted his teeth, resentful but with no way to vent his frustration.

When Lu Xia came downstairs for dinner, Cecil was quick to pull out her chair for her.

Smelian took in the scene but said nothing. He simply handed a glass of warm water to Lu Xia and asked, "Did work go well today?"

Lu Xia replied with a smile, "It went very well."

Such daily conversations took place in the home almost every day—simple, yet heartwarming.

Listening to their casual small talk, Cecil felt a pang of envy. He could never be as natural as Smelian. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "Duke, there’s a play opening at the Grand Theater soon. When you have some free time, I’d like to take you to see it."

As he spoke, Cecil was filled with nervous anticipation.

Lu Xia hadn’t expected an invitation on top of the flowers. Just as she was about to answer, she heard Smelian say, "Won’t there be a lot of people at the theater? It might not be safe."

Lu Xia understood what Smelian was worried about. In her current condition, it really wasn’t a good idea to go to crowded places. Besides, she wasn’t very interested in plays herself. Meeting Cecil’s expectant gaze, she said apologetically, "If you’d like to watch it, we can watch it together at home."

Rejected. Cecil’s lips twisted into an unnatural smile. "All right," he said. "We can go whenever it’s convenient for you, then."

After that, silence fell over the dinner table once more.

After dinner, Smelian sought out Cecil. "I don’t mind you asking Xiaxia out," he began, "but don’t take her anywhere crowded. She’s in a delicate condition right now, so her safety needs to be the top priority."

Cecil retorted sarcastically, "And now you’re trying to control where the Duke goes?"

Looking at the oblivious Cecil, Smelian said, "I’m just reminding you that Xiaxia’s safety is more important than anything else."

He left him with those words, offering no further explanation as he turned and walked away.

Cecil ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He could only see this as a provocation from Smelian, a way to flaunt his special status with Duke Lu Xia.

Just as Smelian was heading back to the master bedroom, he saw Lu Xia on the staircase, about to come down. Their eyes met, and Smelian knew instantly that she had seen his confrontation with Cecil.

And sure enough, a moment later, Lu Xia asked, "What did you say to Cecil? He didn’t seem very happy."

Smelian bit his lip. "I was just reminding him that when he invites you out, he shouldn’t take you anywhere too crowded. Your condition is delicate, so you need to be extra careful about your safety."

At this, Smelian looked at Lu Xia apprehensively. "Do you think I overstepped by doing that?"

"Don’t overthink it, Smelian. I’m not blaming you. As far as I’m concerned, as long as you and Cecil don’t come to blows, we’re fine."

She finished speaking, then walked over and gave Smelian a hug. "However," she added, "Cecil probably doesn’t know about my current condition. Don’t you plan on telling him?"

Smelian was slightly taken aback. "I thought you didn’t want it mentioned."

"No. Since he’s a member of this family now, he’ll find out eventually. Besides, I trust he won’t go around talking about it."

Smelian nodded. "All right. I’ll find an opportunity to tell him."

Telling outsiders about her pregnancy always made Lu Xia feel a bit awkward. She feigned a casual air. "There’s no need to make a big deal of it. Just let it come up naturally."

"What were you coming downstairs to do?"

"Oh, Little Pu Tao and the Breeding Master are downstairs. I wanted to go see them. Want to come?"

"Sure."

When they reached the dining room, they happened to see the Breeding Master holding Little Pu Tao and feeding him some fruit puree. Little Pu Tao was now old enough for some solid foods and wasn’t just drinking milk anymore.

Upon seeing Lu Xia, Little Pu Tao happily reached out his chubby little hands, babbling, "AH, AH." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lu Xia walked over and took Little Pu Tao into her arms. The baby immediately wrapped his arms around her neck, snuggling and nuzzling against her.

Smelian went to pour a glass of warm water for Lu Xia, and when he returned, he smoothly took Little Pu Tao from her arms.

Little Pu Tao was very well-behaved; anyone in the family could hold him. Held in Smelian’s arms, Little Pu Tao reached out to grab his hair, then grabbed his own, as if to show everyone that they were different.

With a smile in his eyes, Smelian lifted Little Pu Tao high into the air, and the little one immediately burst out laughing.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ’When my own baby is born, will they be this adorable?’

Lu Xia drank her water and played with Little Pu Tao for a while longer. Only when it was getting late did she let the Breeding Master take Little Pu Tao away.

Watching the innocent and happy Little Pu Tao, Lu Xia couldn’t help but think of Graces.

Several days had passed, and there was still no word from Graces. To say she wasn’t worried would be a lie, but on the bright side, no news was a kind of good news.

Noticing the downcast look on Lu Xia’s face, Smelian’s heart clenched. He walked over to her. "What is it? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I’m fine, don’t worry. Let’s go rest." Lu Xia gave Smelian a smile but didn’t elaborate.

After a dreamless night, Lu Xia received the 300 million in compensation from the Daferno family on her terminal early the next morning. It had to be said, the Daferno family was quite good at keeping their promises.

The moment the funds landed in the account, a message from Sivier arrived: "The compensation has been deposited into the research institute’s account. Please confirm receipt, Your Grace."

"I’ve received it. As far as we’re concerned, this matter is now closed."

"I still hope Your Grace will consider my other proposals."

Clearly, Sivier hadn’t given up. Lu Xia was genuinely baffled—what kind of image did the Daferno family have of her?

She didn’t reply. There was no way she would ever agree to another request from the Daferno family. As far as she was concerned, the arrival of the 300 million marked the definitive end of their association.