They chatted for a while, and soon it was time for lunch. Duke Leslie had instructed the butler to prepare a lavish lunch in advance and now rose to invite Lu Xia to the dining room.

When they went over, two young females who somewhat resembled Duke Leslie were sitting by the dining table. Even before any introductions, Lu Xia knew these must be the two older sisters Graces had mentioned.

Noticing their arrival, the pair swept their gazes over Lu Xia with a hint of disdain, then reluctantly stood up. "Mother. Good day, Duke Lu Xia."

Duke Leslie looked at her two daughters, then smiled and introduced them to Lu Xia. "These are Kerry and Kaiya. I knew you were coming today, so I specifically had them stay home. Everyone, please sit."

Duke Leslie finished speaking and was about to lead Lu Xia to her seat, but then Lu Xia turned to Graces, who had come over with them, and said, "You sit next to me."

Those words made everyone present fall silent. Apparently, none of them had expected Lu Xia to suddenly say such a thing.

Lu Xia, however, had a very natural expression, as if she didn’t think there was anything wrong with her words.

And Graces very obediently sat down at Lu Xia’s side, as if this was how they always did things and it was the others who were overreacting.

"Heh. Graces, she tells you to sit and you actually dare to?" Kaiya, sitting on the opposite side, sneered at Graces as he sat down, her eyes full of disdain. "Have you forgotten all decorum now that you’ve left home?"

Hearing this, Lu Xia looked over. She knew very well that while the words seemed to be directed at Graces, they were actually aimed at her, since she was the one who had told Graces to sit.

As for the reason, Lu Xia didn’t need to think hard to figure it out. It was nothing more than that tired old rule that males couldn’t eat at the table.

"Is there a problem? Graces is part of my Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion now. Must he still abide by the rules of the Leslie Duke Mansion?" Lu Xia looked at Duke Leslie with an innocent expression, as if she genuinely wanted to discuss the matter with her. She didn’t even glance at Kaiya.

In truth, Duke Leslie hadn’t expected Lu Xia to allow Graces to eat at the table either. In the Empire, after all, besides males who were main husbands, no other males were allowed to eat at the same table as females. Even in restaurants, females and males were seated in separate halls.

In fact, most restaurants would even post signs prohibiting males from entering.

At this moment, however, she didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable. Instead, she felt a bit smug about how much Lu Xia valued Graces.

One had to understand that Graces, being ’defective,’ could only ever be Duke Lu Xia’s husband in this life. For him, as a husband, to be valued so highly by Duke Lu Xia—wasn’t this an honor for their Leslie Duke Mansion?

"Duke Lu Xia is right. Graces is part of Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion now. It’s only right that he does as you ask. Kaiya, from now on, you and your sister will stay out of Graces’s affairs."

Kaiya’s expression instantly soured at her mother’s words. She hadn’t expected to be scolded by her mother just for making a single comment about Graces. She couldn’t help but shoot Lu Xia a glare before turning away and falling silent.

Lu Xia’s expression remained unchanged, but she suddenly grew curious about the two sisters, Kerry and Kaiya. "Where are Kerry and Kaiya employed now? Are they both married and living independently, having moved out of the Duke Mansion?"

Hearing this, Duke Leslie thought Lu Xia was just making small talk and replied, "Yes, they are both married and have their own main husbands. But those two have no real skills, so they’re still living at home. Not at all like you, Duke Lu Xia, so capable. I heard you’ve reopened your family’s research institute?"

"Oh, so that’s how it is. I thought both sisters would have their own jobs and lives. I’m surprised to hear they’re still living with you, Duke Leslie. Still, I think it’s good to get out, work, and see the world. Otherwise, the only sky you can see is the size of this courtyard. Wouldn’t that be a waste of your best years?" As Lu Xia spoke, she seemed genuinely concerned for Kerry and Kaiya, her smile almost too sincere.

But to Kerry and Kaiya’s ears, these words were dripping with sarcasm, mocking them for being sheltered and for freeloading at home even after getting married.

Yet Duke Leslie didn’t catch the subtext and genuinely thought Lu Xia was concerned for the two sisters. She laughed and said, "Duke Lu Xia is right. I often tell them they need to have something to do, no matter what it is, and can’t just idle their days away. Unfortunately, they don’t listen, and I can’t control them. Not like you, Duke Lu Xia, capable of shouldering the entire burden of a Duke’s Mansion!"

"I wasn’t born knowing how to do all this. My reputation... others might not know, but surely you do, Duke Leslie? You know how bad the rumors were. But a person can slack off for a while, not for a lifetime. Since the Duke Mansion was entrusted to me, I certainly can’t let it fall to ruin on my watch. By the way, I brought some new products from our No. 1 Institute this time. They’re for removing scars, and the effect is quite good. If you’re interested, Duke Leslie, you could give it a try."

Duke Leslie’s interest was immediately piqued. "Is this from your No. 1 Institute?"

Apparently, the entire high society circle had heard about Lu Xia’s recent activities.

Lu Xia had no intention of hiding it and nodded. "Yes. This is the first generation of beauty cream we’ve developed. Currently, it has scar-removing and whitening properties. Later, we’ll add functions for fading spots and reducing wrinkles. If you try it and like it, Duke Leslie, please don’t forget to recommend it to everyone for me!"

"Of course, of course. With the relationship between our two families, that goes without saying. Oh, by the way, Prince Li Mang’s 40th birthday is in the middle of next month. We can attend together."

Hearing this, Lu Xia knew that she had essentially achieved her goal for coming here today.

The reason she had visited Duke Leslie was precisely to have the more senior Duke introduce her into higher social circles. After all, those in the upper echelons were the truly wealthy ones.

"Wonderful. I hope you’ll be able to teach me a few things then, Duke Leslie." Lu Xia showed just the right amount of humility, which greatly satisfied Duke Leslie’s vanity. She felt that Duke Lu Xia was someone worth associating with.

After the meal, Lu Xia and Graces didn’t stay long. Once they had left, Kerry and Kaiya couldn’t help but complain, "We only ever knew Duke Lu Xia as a good-for-nothing, but now we see she’s just a great pretender. We all move in the same circles. Who doesn’t know who’s who? And she has the gall to lecture us."

Hearing this, Duke Leslie put down the teacup she had just raised. "She wasn’t wrong. Since you two are both married now, you should have proper jobs. And stop running home all the time. Go live your own lives. Yes, Duke Lu Xia used to be a layabout, but look at her now. Her etiquette, her conversation, her bearing—is there any part of it you don’t need to learn from? And you’re still here whining. If even one of you were half as outstanding as she is, I wouldn’t have to be so embarrassed!"

At this point, Duke Leslie picked up her teacup again. Just as she was about to take a sip, she seemed to remember something else and looked up at her two daughters, who were wearing sullen expressions. "And another thing, stay out of Graces’s affairs from now on. Can’t you see the status he holds with Duke Lu Xia now?"