The Kaka Star Clan Leader never imagined Graces would be so cold and ruthless. She realized instantly that she had gravely misjudged him; it was clear that not even Lustan could change Graces’s decision.

She glanced back at Mower, knowing that after this, her daughter’s chances were utterly gone.

Mower sensed the disappointment in her mother’s eyes and frantically gripped her hand. "What am I going to do, Mother? You have to help me!"

The Kaka Star Clan Leader flung Mower’s hand away. "What’s done is done. You still want me to fix this? Since you’ve already granted them your ’favor,’ you have no choice but to take them back with you. Did you really expect Graces to preside over a ceremony for you all? How did I ever give birth to such a fool?"

After saying this, the Kaka Star Clan Leader didn’t spare Mower another glance. She turned and walked away, clearly disappointed in her daughter to the extreme.

Mower knew it was impossible between her and Graces now. What she hadn’t expected was for Graces to be so vicious, so absolute, completely disregarding her status as a female.

She saw Kading loitering past the doorway and suddenly called out to him. "Kading! Did you know about this beforehand? How dare you help an outsider scheme against me!"

Kading, suddenly hit with such a heavy accusation, quickly stammered, "No, no, no, Lady Mower! To me, Graces is my superior officer. If we’re being technical about it, you’re the outsider here."

With that, before Mower could even react, Kading turned and fled.

After leaving, Kading went to find Graces. The man’s expression was as placid as ever, as if he wasn’t the least bit troubled by the incident with Mower. Or perhaps, he had never considered her important enough to be troubled by. Seeing Kading approach, he asked simply, "Are they gone?"

Kading shrugged. "After a fiasco like that, the Kaka Star Clan Leader probably won’t be entertaining any more ideas about you. Aren’t you worried the Kaka Star Clan will pull out of the Alliance Army?"

"Don’t worry. They won’t pull out. Not unless they want to be excluded from the distribution of resources after the Alliance Army’s victory."

Kading nodded. "That’s true. If they hadn’t joined the Alliance Army, they’d still just be a backward clan abandoned in the Border Star System. You see things much more clearly. About Lord Lustan..."

He hadn’t even finished his sentence. Speak of the devil.

Lustan suddenly appeared in the doorway of Graces’s office, glaring at him.

Seeing this, Kading grew tense and said quickly, "Since Lord Lustan is here to see you, I’ll take my leave. I won’t disturb your conversation."

With that, he practically fled, as if a second’s delay might get him caught in the fallout.

Graces said nothing. He looked at Lustan, who was standing in the doorway, and waited for him to speak first.

After Kading left, Lustan walked in, closed the door, and asked, "Did you and Duke Lu Xia really have a male?"

Hearing this, Graces’s brows knitted together. His gaze, fixed on Lustan, was piercing. "How did you find out?"

"Something this important, and you didn’t even tell me. Do you even consider me your father?"

"Whether or not I consider you my father... isn’t that something you’re already well aware of?"

Lustan faltered, not pursuing the topic. Instead, he said, "Since you are now a Male Father, you should bring the male to your side to raise and teach him personally. That is the duty of a Male Father. How could a female possibly care about a male’s development? You’re treating this far too lightly."

Graces sneered. "Like you did with me? Teaching me how to plot treason from childhood? Is that it? If so, I’d rather he go without such an ’education’."

"Graces, who do you think I’m doing all this for? It’s for the Frederick family! Do you think I enjoy this?"

"And are you so certain that I want this? I will not allow my male to be forced into a life he doesn’t want, as I was. Lu Xia will raise him well. You’d best not get any other ideas. What I’m doing now is enough to take his place. He doesn’t need to be burdened with such a fate."

He stared directly into Lustan’s eyes, making it clear this was a declaration, not a negotiation.

Lustan nodded. "Fine. As long as you can accomplish it, I won’t touch him. But if you fail... you’d best consider the consequences."

With that parting threat, Lustan turned and left.

After he was gone, Kading peeked his head back into the office and whispered to Graces, who was standing behind his desk, "Are you all right?"

Graces snatched the teacup from his desk and hurled it at him. "You told him, didn’t you?"

Kading rubbed his nose sheepishly. "I didn’t mean to. The other day, Mower came looking for me, asking just how wonderful Duke Lu Xia was. I got carried away and it just slipped out. I told her not to tell Lord Lustan, but she obviously didn’t listen."

Graces glared at the cowering Kading. "Get out. Your punishment is fifty laps. Don’t come back for dinner until you’re done."

Kading could only mumble his assent and turn to leave.

*

Smelian was just leaving the hospital, about to get into his hovercar and head home, when he noticed the male rebel he had seen once at Nanxi No. 19 Courtyard.

The man was no longer wearing a Rebel Army uniform. Dressed in civilian clothes, he looked no different from an ordinary person. If Smelian hadn’t been so sharp with faces, he wouldn’t have recognized him.

Smelian watched as the man approached, handed him a letter, and gestured for him to open it.

The letter contained a handwritten message from Graces, informing Smelian that he was sending men to protect Lu Xia. If Lu Xia were to discover them, Smelian was to provide a cover story.

After reading it, Smelian pushed the letter back to the man. "He’s already gone, so he should stop meddling. I’m here. Do you think I can’t protect Xiaxia myself?"

The man replied, "The Commander’s orders are for us to watch from a distance. We will not interfere in your life. We ask for your cooperation."

"What happened? Why is he doing this? Has he been exposed?"

Smelian knew that Graces wouldn’t take the risk of sending men to protect Lu Xia unless something had happened.

"The Commander is merely concerned. He has not been exposed."

"He’d better not be."

Smelian didn’t ask any more questions. He turned and got into his hovercar, tacitly approving of Graces’s plan to have Duke Lu Xia protected.

He knew Graces must have his reasons. Ever since the day he and Graces had reached their agreement at Nanxi No. 19 Courtyard, there had been no turning back.

’He also understood why Graces had informed him. Graces knows Lu Xia is sharp and clever. She’ll likely notice the guards he sent. With me here to provide a layer of cover, it’ll be easier to dispel her suspicions. It’s best if Lu Xia remains unaware of this.’

But he was also keenly aware that when Lu Xia did find out everything, both he and Graces would have to face her wrath. Still, just like Graces, he couldn’t bear to see her continue to suffer such injustices.

Once in the car, Smelian rubbed the bridge of his nose. When he arrived home, he found that Cecil had somehow procured a sheep and was planning to roast it whole. The old butler was just having someone lead the animal away to be prepared.

Noticing Smelian’s return, Cecil walked over. "I’m planning to set up a trust fund for everyone in the family," he said. "Do you think Duke Lu Xia will agree?"

Smelian knew Cecil had a talent for business, but he hadn’t expected an idea like this. "You can discuss it with Lu Xia. As long as it’s reasonable, I don’t think she’ll refuse. But what gave you this idea?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

A corner of Cecil’s mouth lifted. "I’m part of this family now too. Isn’t it only natural to look out for them?"