Although Lu Xia had told Smelian about the Ice Spirit Gene in advance, his heart still couldn’t help but pound wildly when he finally saw it.

He accepted it with both hands. He wanted to express his gratitude to Lu Xia, but any words he could think of seemed feeble and pale in the face of such a gift.

Seeing his silent, deeply moved expression, Lu Xia said softly, "Go on, open it."

Smelian slowly opened the box. Inside was a vial of pale blue Ice Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid.

Lu Xia explained, "This is the extraction liquid. You’ll enter a period of weakness after the injection, so if possible, it’s best to ensure you’re in a safe environment when you use it."

Cradling the box, Smelian nodded emphatically.

Seeing that he had accepted it, Lu Xia was also delighted and began telling him about how Cecil had become a Gene Fusion Expert that day.

Smelian listened intently and replied with a smile, "He did seem a little different today."

*

The news of Cecil becoming a Gene Fusion Expert made Lady Daina ecstatic.

After ending the call, she immediately summoned her household butler, wasting no time in preparing a banquet to celebrate Cecil becoming a Gene Fusion Expert.

Back when Duke Leslie and Lady Rafaelde held a banquet to celebrate their male becoming a Gene Fusion Expert, Lady Daina, despite appearing calm, was secretly very envious. She had been eagerly anticipating this day ever since.

’It couldn’t be helped. As a female, no matter how well she feigned indifference, a bit of vanity was always there.’

’Fortunately, Cecil hadn’t disappointed her this time.’

’She was actually well aware that Cecil had only become a Gene Fusion Expert because Lu Xia was a fundamentally good person, willing to improve these defective males around her. Otherwise, how could their fates be changed, one after another?’

Lady Daina’s actions, of course, did not escape the notice of others in the Imperial Family, and news soon reached Her Majesty the Queen.

The Rebel Army was gaining momentum. Ever since Lady Dain and Victoria had suddenly vanished from the holoscreen, there had been no word from them. All searches had turned up empty. The public outcry from the exposé had yet to subside, but Her Majesty the Queen had offered no explanation, opting only to suppress the people’s protests with military force.

At this point, it was difficult to maintain the Imperial Family’s reputation at the level Her Majesty the Queen desired.

And so, at a time like this, Lady Daina’s plan to hold a celebratory banquet for Cecil was particularly galling to Her Majesty the Queen.

Therefore, that very evening, Her Majesty the Queen summoned Lady Daina to the Imperial Palace.

Lady Daina knew perfectly well what Her Majesty’s purpose was, but she was not afraid.

’As a member of the Imperial Family with no title and no real power, the Rebel Army’s uprising has nothing to do with me. At a time like this, I just want to live my own life. Even if Her Majesty is displeased, what can she do?’

’I haven’t incited public opinion, so what crime have I committed?’

So when Lady Daina saw Her Majesty the Queen, her expression remained natural. She even smiled as she greeted her, "Good day, Your Majesty."

Her Majesty the Queen looked at the seemingly oblivious Lady Daina and forced a faint smile. "Daina, you seem to be doing quite well for yourself lately. I hear Cecil has become a Gene Fusion Expert."

Lady Daina feigned surprise and delight. "Oh, so Your Majesty has heard about it? Truly, nothing escapes your notice. I had originally intended to keep it low-key, but you know how it is. Becoming a Gene Fusion Expert is a major event, and I thought I should hold a celebration for Cecil, so as not to hurt the boy’s feelings."

Her reasoning was sound, leaving Her Majesty the Queen without an easy rebuttal.

Her Majesty the Queen looked at Lady Daina, who genuinely seemed to have no idea why she had been summoned. A fire of anger burned within her, but she couldn’t unleash it. After all, what Lady Daina said was true.

Becoming a Gene Fusion Expert was, indeed, a major event.

It was just that for it to happen at a time like this was rather inopportune.

Suppressing her vexation, she said, "So it seems Duke Lu Xia’s research on the gene fusion agent is proceeding quite smoothly?"

Lady Daina sighed. "Smoothly? Not at all. Cecil had to beg for it. Lu Xia originally didn’t want to give Cecil the injection, saying it was too dangerous. But my male pleaded so relentlessly that Lu Xia finally took a risk and gave it a try. Thankfully, the result was good. If the research were really going that smoothly, wouldn’t Lu Xia have released such a wonderful thing to the public by now?"

This statement did much to soothe Her Majesty the Queen. ’If the gene fusion agent were really so easy to develop,’ she thought, ’the Gene Research Institute wouldn’t have spent so many years with no results, only for a single female to succeed where they failed.’

With this thought, Her Majesty’s mood calmed considerably. She even took the initiative to ask how preparations for Cecil’s celebratory banquet were coming along and if she could be of any help.

"Your Majesty’s words are more than enough. How could we trouble you with the details? Besides, this is a trivial matter for you. We can handle the arrangements ourselves."

"Mm. If you need anything, just tell me. The ranks of the Imperial Family are dwindling. With Dain’s fate unknown, it’s just the two of us left to keep each other company."

At Her Majesty’s reminder, Lady Daina frowned. "Is there still no news?"

Her Majesty the Queen shook her head. "I originally thought that after abducting Dain and Victoria, they would use them to threaten the Imperial Family. But to this day, there hasn’t been a single word. I truly don’t know what they’re planning."

Lady Daina sighed. "On the bright side, no news is good news. If they were to use them to threaten the Imperial Family, what would you do?"

"For the sake of the Imperial Family’s reputation, Dain and Victoria would have to be sacrificed. I believe the two of them would understand my decision."

Upon hearing this, Lady Daina thought to herself, ’Just as I expected.’ Her Majesty the Queen had no intention of rescuing Dain and Victoria.

’Then again, those two fools brought this entirely upon themselves. I don’t feel the least bit of sympathy for them. This just gives me a new level of understanding of Her Majesty’s selfishness and indifference. I can’t say I’m disappointed; I’ve long since grown used to it.’

’No matter how euphemistically she phrases it, she can’t hide her cold-blooded, selfish nature.’

Though Lady Daina thought this, she didn’t let a hint of it show on her face. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty must take good care of your health. With you at the helm, the Empire remains whole."

Her flattery pleased Her Majesty the Queen. "If only Dain were as sensible as you, she wouldn’t have met with such a fate."

Lady Daina simply smiled, not responding to the comment. It seemed Her Majesty the Queen didn’t require a response anyway.

After leaving the Imperial Palace, the first thing Lady Daina did upon returning to her car was to send Lu Xia a voice call request.

Lu Xia answered right away. "Lady Daina, is there something I can help you with?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Lady Daina held nothing back. She recounted her summons by Her Majesty the Queen and mentioned the Queen’s suspicions regarding the gene fusion agent.

After hearing how Lady Daina had explained things to the Queen, Lu Xia smiled. "Thank you, Lady Daina. It’s true that the gene fusion agent can’t be released to the public so soon."

Lu Xia didn’t need to elaborate on the reasons, as Lady Daina already understood them perfectly. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have given Her Majesty the Queen that explanation.