Cecil thought Smelian was the smoldering type. He might look calm and indifferent on the surface, as if Cecil’s words didn’t bother him at all, but who knew how he’d be fawning over Lu Xia in private!

’They were all males; they knew how each other worked.’

When the three of them returned home, the old butler had already prepared dinner. Just as Lu Xia was about to eat, Duke Leslie made a sudden visit.

The old butler showed her in, and Lu Xia rose to greet her. Duke Leslie smiled and said, "I happened to be out today and was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d stop by to see you. I hope I’m not disturbing you. It’s been a while, and I’ve missed you."

The old butler followed behind Duke Leslie, carrying a pile of things. Duke Leslie smiled and explained, "I saw some lovely clothes while I was out shopping and thought they would look wonderful on you, so I picked them up. Please, don’t stand on ceremony with me."

Duke Lu Xia knew exactly what was happening. Duke Leslie likely felt that with Graces gone, the relationship with Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion would grow distant, so she was making a special trip to maintain it. It was best to see through it but say nothing.

Therefore, to put Duke Leslie at ease, Lu Xia naturally wouldn’t refuse. She smiled and said, "I was just thinking I should find some time to come see you, and here you are."

As Lu Xia spoke, she instructed the old butler, "Have the Breeding Master bring Little Pu Tao down."

Duke Leslie noticed they were about to have dinner and said with a smile, "You go ahead and eat. Don’t mind me. I’ll just go up and see Little Pu Tao myself."

Lu Xia then asked if Duke Leslie had eaten and invited her to join them if she hadn’t.

"I already ate before I came. Don’t worry about me. You eat. I’ll head up."

It wasn’t her first time at Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion, and she was already familiar with the layout. Lu Xia didn’t stop her, letting her go upstairs on her own, merely instructing the old butler to take good care of her. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Once Duke Leslie had gone upstairs to see Little Pu Tao, Lu Xia led Smelian and Cecil back to the dining room. Cecil also knew the Duke was here because of Graces, so he asked, "Is there still no news about Graces? Do you need me to arrange for some people to..."

Hearing this, Lu Xia said directly, "You two don’t need to get involved in this. I’ll handle it."

Smelian didn’t say a word, simply placing a dish Lu Xia liked in front of her. Lu Xia smiled in thanks. After dinner, Lu Xia got up and went to the nursery. Duke Leslie was holding Little Pu Tao, her eyes red-rimmed, having clearly just been crying. When she saw Lu Xia enter, she quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and forced a smile. "Oh, dear. Look at me. I haven’t seen Little Pu Tao in days, and I just couldn’t help myself. Our little treasure has gotten so big again."

Lu Xia walked over and gently patted her shoulder. "Admiral Snop is still investigating Graces’s case. While there’s no news yet, try to look on the bright side. No news is good news."

Duke Leslie knew Lu Xia was trying to comfort her. "I know. It’s just... sometimes when I think about it, my heart aches. But don’t worry, I’m fine."

"That’s good. You must take care of yourself."

"I know. And you? How have you been lately? Is your health good? I see you’re getting along well with Smelian. He’s a good young man. With Graces gone, it’s good that you have him with you."

"Yes, Smelian is wonderful," Lu Xia agreed. Then she saw the refreshments the old butler had someone bring up, and she picked up a plate to offer to Duke Leslie. "Please, have something to eat."

"Thank you." Duke Leslie accepted it, still holding Little Pu Tao. The little one could now sit up on his own, and he leaned against Duke Leslie’s chest, clutching his beloved gemstone and beaming with happiness.

Duke Leslie wasn’t sure if this was what people called doting on a grandchild, but she’d never actually cared much for males. When Graces suddenly disappeared, her main regret was that the mutually beneficial connection between the Leslie and Lu Xia Duke Mansions might be severed.

But when it came to Little Pu Tao, she genuinely adored him. The child in her arms wasn’t a female, just an ordinary male, yet she was incredibly fond of him.

Little Pu Tao was also very well-behaved. Even though he didn’t see Duke Leslie often, he wasn’t shy around her. He sat steadily in her lap, letting out a giggle now and then, which made Duke Leslie’s heart melt even more.

Duke Leslie didn’t stay much longer. After playing with Little Pu Tao for a while, she got up to leave. Lu Xia personally saw her to the door. "If there’s any news about Graces, I will inform you immediately."

Duke Leslie nodded. "Alright. Don’t worry about me. You need to take care of yourself, too."

Lu Xia nodded, watching as Duke Leslie departed.

When Lu Xia returned inside, Cecil spoke up. "I suppose you haven’t heard that Duke Leslie is arranging a new partner for Hugheska."

Hearing this, Lu Xia admitted she hadn’t known, but she also wasn’t very surprised. As the only male currently in the Leslie Duke Mansion, even though Hugheska wasn’t as outstanding as Graces and had been abandoned by a former partner, Duke Leslie’s focus on her family’s interests meant she would never let Hugheska remain at home for nothing. She would certainly maximize his value. Lu Xia was just curious. "Who is the candidate this time?"

Cecil’s lips curved into a slight smile. "These days, the best Hugheska can hope for is an ordinary Viscount. And he won’t be a main husband. He can barely manage to become a secondary husband, and that’s only out of respect for the Leslie Duke Mansion."

Lu Xia nodded without saying anything more. She knew that even though Hugheska had been abandoned by a partner and had even been sent to Xiongde Academy, with the Leslie Duke Mansion backing him and being a Gene Fusion Expert himself, his marriage prospects wouldn’t be too terrible. They just wouldn’t reach the heights Duke Leslie hoped for.

Lu Xia didn’t really care about Hugheska’s marriage. To her, Hugheska was just an insignificant person. She looked at Cecil and asked with a smile, "How do you know all this?"

"One of my business partners has some dealings with the Leslie Duke Mansion. They just mentioned it in passing."

Hearing this, Lu Xia nodded. She realized Hugheska’s situation had probably become a topic of idle gossip in their social circle. That was likely why Duke Leslie was so eager to marry him off—she didn’t want him to continue dragging down the reputation of the Leslie Duke Mansion.

Lu Xia returned to her study. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Smelian standing inside. Seeing Lu Xia, Smelian turned and said, "The investigation has results."

He didn’t specify which investigation, but Lu Xia knew. It was about her car accident. She hadn’t expected results so quickly.

She asked, "Who was it?"

Smelian transferred a file to Lu Xia’s terminal. Lu Xia opened it, her eyes scanning down the lines with incredible speed, and then she let out a laugh of pure indignation.

She hadn’t thought that even after leaving, Lady Dain and Victoria still wouldn’t let her be. ’Those two are truly vicious.’

She remembered the car hurtling toward her. If it hadn’t been for Tucker and his men, Lu Xia knew she absolutely wouldn’t be standing here unharmed. That person had come at her with the intent to kill.