Little Pu Tao’s presence made Simon’s arrival unexpectedly harmonious.

Only Cecil watched from the sidelines, his gaze still full of vigilance.

He felt Simon was an opponent who shouldn’t be underestimated. It was his first time here, yet he had already captured Little Pu Tao’s attention. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’why didn’t I think of starting with Little Pu Tao?’

Because he liked Simon’s eyes, Little Pu Tao clung to him all evening. It was getting very late, well past his usual bedtime, but he still refused to let go. He only released his grip after Simon once again promised to give him a Purple Gemstone the next day. Satisfied, Little Pu Tao babbled, "Ah, ah," and went to find his Breeding Master to return to his room for the night.

Lu Xia watched Little Pu Tao leave, then turned to Simon. "My apologies. I hope Little Pu Tao wasn’t too much trouble for you."

Faced with Lu Xia’s politeness, Simon quickly replied, "Little Pu Tao is adorable. I’m very happy to have earned his affection. You truly don’t need to apologize."

Lu Xia smiled at him. "It’s getting late. You should get some rest as well."

"Good night, Duke." Simon gave her a nobleman’s formal gesture and watched as she left.

Before following Lu Xia back to her room, Smelian also said good night to Simon.

Although Cecil had little desire to acknowledge Simon, his upbringing wouldn’t allow it. He gave Simon a nod, a simple greeting, and then hastily departed.

Simon seemed not to have seen the hostility in Cecil’s eyes. He maintained a faint, friendly smile. After watching the others leave, Simon turned to the old butler standing to the side and said, "You’ve worked hard as well. Please, get some rest."

The old butler bowed slightly. "Good night."

Watching Simon leave, the old butler thought that this young male was much cleverer than Cecil had been at first, and far more mature and composed.

Smelian followed Lu Xia back to her room and couldn’t help but embrace her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her gently, and asked in a soft voice, "Xiaxia, are you very fond of Simon?"

Lu Xia glanced back at Smelian. "Is that question very important to you? I thought only Cecil got jealous."

"So, Xiaxia, you knew Cecil was jealous."

"Yes, Cecil’s feelings are quite obvious."

"Then... does it bother you, Xiaxia, when we act like this?"

Lu Xia shook her head. "The fact that you have these feelings makes me happy. Besides, even though you’re emotional, you haven’t done anything inappropriate. I trust that you won’t do anything out of line. What’s more, I don’t know Simon well enough to say I like him. And Smelian, each of you is special to me in your own way."

Lu Xia was always so honest and frank, and her words smoothed away the gloom that had settled in Smelian’s heart.

He pulled Lu Xia tighter, kissing her on the cheek. "Xiaxia," he whispered, "may I be graced with your favor tonight?"

*

Graces looked at the message on his terminal from Admiral Snop requesting a meeting. A slight smile curved his lips, and a hint of amusement shone in his eyes. He knew it. He knew Admiral Snop would eventually choose to stand with him.

After arranging a meeting place with Admiral Snop, Graces packed his things and prepared to head back to rest.

Just as he was about to leave his office, Lustan walked in. "Are you heading back? Wait a moment. I need to talk to you." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Graces stopped and looked at Lustan, not bothering to ask what he wanted to talk about.

Lustan was accustomed to this attitude from him. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and crossed his legs. "Why has the fighting on the border suddenly stopped? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for a major offensive?"

Graces tilted his head to look at him. "If I recall correctly, I am the commander-in-chief of the Alliance Army. I don’t need you meddling in my affairs. That’s what we agreed to at the very beginning."

"But now you’re making a mistake. Why can’t I say something?"

"What mistake? Do I have to report my every action to you? Would consulting with you guarantee the correct outcome? If you were truly that capable, why would I be the one standing here doing this? The Empire would have been overthrown under your command long ago, wouldn’t it?"

Graces’s words spared Lustan no dignity whatsoever.

After all, he had been the commander of the Rebel Army, but it had ultimately been led to ruin. He had no solid grounds to criticize Graces. Even if he was unwilling to admit it, he was well aware that Graces was far more brilliant than he was.

"I’m not criticizing you. I’m just asking why you’d pass up such a good opportunity."

"I have my reasons, of course. It’s best you don’t get involved. It’s late, and I have matters to attend to tomorrow. If there’s nothing else, you should go get some rest."

With that, Graces left the office without a moment’s hesitation.

Lustan’s brow furrowed, his heart filled with frustration and resentment. He felt Graces slipping from his control, little by little.

This feeling of losing control was not a pleasant one.

As Graces came out of his office, he ran into Kading, who had been looking for him. Before Kading could speak, Graces said, "Lustan’s in the office. He hasn’t left yet."

Kading froze for a second at the sudden warning, then quickly recovered. He turned and hurried after Graces. "Actually, I have some other business to attend to. I’ll go take care of it now."

He had already taken off before the words were fully out of his mouth. He was clearly afraid of Lustan cornering him with questions. He wasn’t Graces; he couldn’t take such a firm stance with a predecessor.

The next morning, Graces left the military district. He didn’t have Kading accompany him; just like last time, he took a hovercar alone to the prearranged meeting spot with Admiral Snop.

This time, as he stepped out of the vehicle, he didn’t sense any of Admiral Snop’s hidden lookouts in the vicinity.

Evidently, Admiral Snop had made no such arrangements this time.

After a cursory glance at a few potential lookout spots, Graces strode toward the hotel where they were to meet.

Pushing open the door to the room, he found Admiral Snop already waiting inside. The admiral, who was in the middle of pouring a drink, glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Care for a drink, Graces?"

"No, thank you, Admiral. A glass of water will be fine."

"You’re always so self-controlled. It’s just the two of us here. Won’t you take the opportunity to relax a little, Graces?"

"This business isn’t over yet. I dare not relax."

Admiral Snop let out a cheerful laugh. He then poured Graces a glass of lemonade and set it in front of him. "You’ve been away for so long. Haven’t you thought about going back to see Duke Lu Xia?"

"I don’t dare go back. If I did, I’m afraid it would be very difficult to leave again."

Admiral Snop nodded. "It’s true. One rarely encounters a Female Master like Duke Lu Xia. So, your reasons for doing all of this aren’t that difficult for me to understand. If I were in your shoes, I would probably do the same."