Admiral Snop had had a little to drink. Meeting with Graces today, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. Graces remained quiet, listening patiently without a hint of annoyance.

He continued, "After you left, Duke Lu Xia came to see me many times. She never stopped looking for you, but she didn’t stop living her life, either. She has always been a young female with a strong will and her own ideas."

Graces nodded. "I know. She can take good care of herself no matter who she loses. In fact, it’s usually us who can’t stand to lose her."

He had never doubted Lu Xia’s feelings for him, but he also knew that Lu Xia’s life wasn’t just about them.

That they had the good fortune to be with Lu Xia was already an immense blessing.

At the same time, they had learned a great deal from Lu Xia: to love others, one must first love oneself. Only by being strong and confident yourself can you give more to the one you love.

Admiral Snop looked at Graces. He could still vaguely recall how Graces had been when he first arrived at the First Military District: green and naive, yet resolute and sensitive.

He was a far cry from the mature, steady, confident, and powerful man he was now.

They had all assumed that being presented by Duke Leslie to the notoriously cruel Duke Lu Xia would be the beginning of a tragic fate for Graces.

But who could have guessed that the appearance of Duke Lu Xia would mold Graces into someone so perfect, powerful, and self-assured.

Even he couldn’t help but feel a little envious. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He joked, "If I were a few decades younger, I’d definitely try to win a place by Duke Lu Xia’s side myself."

Graces replied firmly, "Then I’m afraid you wouldn’t stand a chance."

Admiral Snop let out a laugh. "You really are possessive. It was just a figure of speech; you’re going to get jealous over that? Besides, I heard Duke Lu Xia has a new male by her side, Simon, from Earl Li’s family."

Graces wasn’t surprised by this revelation; he’d heard about it long ago. "He was originally one of Xiaxia’s husbands, so it’s not unexpected."

"Oh, so that’s how it is." Admiral Snop said with dawning realization, nodding with a smile. "With you gone, Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion has certainly gotten livelier. So, do you truly not regret the path you’ve taken?"

"I’ve already come this far. Why would I regret it? I’ll only have regrets if I fail."

Admiral Snop nodded, the smile vanishing from his face as his expression turned serious.

He gave Graces a searching look. "I have a general understanding of your objectives, and I’ve verified the information you gave me. What the Imperial Family is doing now is truly something I cannot accept. However, I am also keenly aware of the state my defection will leave the Empire in. I need a complete copy of the Alliance’s charter and rules."

Graces wasn’t surprised by Admiral Snop’s conditions. He nodded and said, "That can be arranged. If you have any other requirements, you can state them now as well."

"That’s all for now. And one other thing—I only trust you, Graces."

"I understand. As long as I’m here, the Alliance Army will never do anything to compromise the interests and safety of the people. That is my bottom line as well."

"Good. I give you my word. The entire command of the First Military District will join the Alliance Army once the agreement has been signed."

Graces understood the weight of Admiral Snop’s promise. He rose to his feet and gave the admiral a formal salute.

He knew it must have been an incredibly difficult decision for Admiral Snop. The admiral was casting aside all the honors he had earned in his life and gambling his entire future—all because he trusted him. In a way, it was the ultimate entrustment.

Admiral Snop returned the salute, then chuckled. "It took some doing to get away for this meeting. Let’s get something to eat. All these recent affairs have been so stressful that I haven’t been able to rest properly in ages."

Graces didn’t refuse the admiral’s suggestion. It wasn’t as if he’d had a single peaceful day since starting this path, either.

The hotel staff soon brought their food. Admiral Snop smiled at Graces and said, "That Fire Ability of yours... you’ll have to let me see it in action sometime."

He would probably never have the chance to acquire a superpower in his lifetime, but he felt it was a privilege just to witness the might of an Alien Gene firsthand.

Graces, of course, had no reason to refuse. He replied with a smile, "Once you’ve joined the Alliance Army, I’ll be happy to give you a demonstration."

Speaking of which, another thought occurred to Admiral Snop. "Right, that time you annihilated the Insect Race nest without a single casualty—did you use your superpower then?"

’It seems some things just can’t be hidden from Admiral Snop.’ Graces didn’t try to deny it, simply nodding. "Before setting out, Xiaxia had me inject the Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid. So I already possessed the Fire Ability back then."

Even though he had suspected as much, hearing it confirmed still filled Admiral Snop with envy. He had assumed the Fire Ability was a parting gift from Duke Lu Xia for this current mission. Now, it was clear that she had developed the Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid much earlier.

After processing this, Admiral Snop asked another question. "Is the number of ’defective’ males in the Alliance Army high?"

Graces didn’t hide the truth. "The vast majority of them are."

Admiral Snop nodded, unsurprised.

After all, in the Empire, Gene Fusion Experts still enjoyed many privileges. Thus, it was usually only so-called "defective" males who would be driven to join the Rebel Army.

But now, with the gene fusion agent developed by Duke Lu Xia, that would no longer be an issue. So he asked, "Have you never considered letting Duke Lu Xia know what you’re doing?"

"The time isn’t right yet, but she will find out sooner or later."

Admiral Snop’s gaze was sharp. "Are you afraid, Graces?"

Graces fell silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. He seemed unwilling to answer.

But Admiral Snop wasn’t about to let him off the hook. "You’re worried Duke Lu Xia won’t approve of what you’re doing. You’re afraid she’ll think it’s treasonous, even if your motives are for her sake. Am I right?"

Graces looked at his old commander with a sense of helplessness. "Since you’ve already figured it out, why spell it out?"

Admiral Snop suddenly laughed. "Because watching you squirm is amusing. However, I see things differently than you. I don’t think Duke Lu Xia will care whether you’re part of the Rebel Army or the Imperial Army. She’ll be far more concerned that you hid such a dangerous undertaking from her, making her angry. I have no idea how she’ll punish you, but I’m quite looking forward to finding out."

The thought of the young female punishing him brought a faint smile to Graces’s eyes. "If that’s the case, I would welcome it."

Admiral Snop let out a hearty laugh. "It sounds to me like you’re actually looking forward to it."

Graces didn’t deny it.

’As long as Lu Xia didn’t resent him or want to leave him because of what he had done, then a beating or some other punishment was nothing. In fact, if Lu Xia just gave the word, he wouldn’t even need the young female to lift a finger; he would carry out the punishment on himself on her behalf.’