Cecil’s celebration for becoming a Gene Fusion Expert was a great success.

By the next day, the news had spread throughout the upper echelons of high society.

Because Lady Daina’s status was far higher than that of Duke Leslie and Lady Rafaelde, the level of attention it garnered was entirely different.

Although Her Majesty Queen had reluctantly accepted Lady Daina’s previous explanation, hearing the news again made her heart pound with irritation, leaving her seething.

It felt as though Lady Daina was flourishing while she herself was trapped in dire straits.

The two had, in fact, been rivals since childhood. With her easygoing personality, Lady Daina had always been the previous Queen’s most favored female cub, and great hopes had been placed on her.

If she hadn’t resorted to so many schemes, she never would have seized the throne.

Now, she was mired in crisis, with everyone waiting to see her made a fool. Yet at this exact moment, Lady Daina’s "defective" male had become a Gene Fusion Expert. A celebration was even held for him, letting the world know just how well Lady Daina was doing. In comparison, she looked like a failure, the one at a clear disadvantage.

For someone who cared so much about her reputation, this was an unbearable humiliation.

Thinking of Lu Xia, the culprit behind all this, filled Her Majesty Queen with intense hatred.

’If she hadn’t developed that damn gene fusion agent, I wouldn’t be in this situation today.’ All her grievances, new and old, came flooding back at once.

She was well aware that Lu Xia’s actions were, in fact, a contribution to the Imperial Citizens. But she couldn’t be bothered with that anymore; she needed an outlet for her rage.

And so, that very day, while Lu Xia was resting at home, she received a message from the institute.

The Empire had dispatched an inspection team to investigate No. 1 Institute and No. 2 Institute for any research violations. The order had come directly from Her Majesty Queen herself.

Upon learning of this, Lu Xia fell silent for a moment before telling the heads of the two institutes to simply let them search.

She knew perfectly well that publicly celebrating Cecil becoming a Gene Fusion Expert last night must have upset Her Majesty Queen, which was why she was now stirring up trouble.

Lady Daina also received the news quickly and contacted Lu Xia the moment she found out.

Lu Xia answered the call, and Lady Daina’s anxious voice came through immediately. "Xiaxia, are you all right? It’s all my fault. Her Majesty Queen is taking her anger out on you because of me."

"Don’t worry, Lady Daina. I anticipated something like this. There’s nothing to fear. There’s very little they can find in my institutes. Just let them search."

Hearing that Lu Xia seemed well-prepared, Lady Daina breathed a small sigh of relief, but still added, "This Queen of ours is notoriously petty. Be careful what sort of tricks she might pull!"

"Even if she wants to cause trouble, she still needs to produce legitimate evidence, doesn’t she?"

Seeing that Lu Xia seemed unconcerned, Lady Daina said worriedly, "I’ll have my people keep a close watch on the situation. Contact me immediately if anything happens."

"Of course, Lady Daina."

After the call ended, the old butler brought Lu Xia a glass of warm water and asked with concern, "Is everything really all right, Madam?"

"Who knows? It all depends on what Her Majesty Queen wants to find and what kind of crime she needs to pin on me to be satisfied." Lu Xia paused, then smiled. "But if she really does try to pull something, it could be an opportunity for us."

’With the Empire still facing external turmoil, Her Majesty Queen dares to act so recklessly.’ Lu Xia didn’t mind making things a little more difficult for the Queen.

’The gene fusion agent is ready. The success rate has been increased from the initial 50% to 65%, and has now reached 80%. It’s completely ready for public release. I imagine the news will send shockwaves through the Imperial Citizens. Since Her Majesty Queen is so bothered by this, I don’t mind announcing it ahead of schedule. Let’s give everyone something to celebrate.’

Seeing Lu Xia remain so calm and composed, not at all flustered by the situation, the old butler was deeply impressed. He added with concern, "Please, just tell me if there is anything you need."

"I know. Everything’s fine for now, so don’t be so nervous. By the way, did the clothes I ordered online a couple of days ago arrive?"

"Yes, they’ve all arrived. I’ve placed them in the new nursery we prepared."

Lu Xia had recently bought a lot of new clothes for the little cub in her belly. Since she was recuperating at home, she had too much time on her hands and was getting bored. She started shopping to pass the time, and once she began, she found it hard to stop.

Besides, she already had a young cub at home, so buying infant supplies wouldn’t attract too much attention.

Now that everything had arrived upstairs, Lu Xia said cheerfully, "Some of these things are for Little Pu Tao, too."

Seeing that she was still in such good spirits, the old butler knew she truly wasn’t worried and finally relaxed.

Cecil, however, was extremely worried when he learned what had happened.

Seeing him rush home, Lu Xia knew exactly what was on his mind. She smiled and said, "It’s not as bad as it seems. Don’t overthink it."

Cecil, who had rushed home intending to comfort Lu Xia, was touched. He never expected that at a time like this, she would be the one comforting him.

Lu Xia’s sudden reassurance left Cecil with a mix of complex feelings.

She turned to look at the worry on the young male’s face. ’He really is worried about me.’

She smiled and gently ruffled his golden hair. "Speaking of which, we’ll probably have to complete the enhancement of your gene fusion degree here at home. I’ll have the old butler prepare a space for you."

Simon will probably need it after Cecil as well.

"I’m not in a hurry, sister. It won’t be too late to do my enhancement after this is all over. It’s all my fault the Queen is targeting you."

"Don’t say that. Don’t take the blame for other people’s mistakes. Even without you, Her Majesty Queen would have noticed me eventually. The creation of the gene fusion agent was already something beyond her control, so it’s only natural she’s unhappy about it. But it was something we had to do."

"Besides, things aren’t that bad yet, and I have a plan. So you don’t need to worry. Even if the worst happens, I still have you all, don’t I? There’s nothing to be afraid of. I trust that you’ll protect me. Right?"

"Yes, sister. We will all protect you. We will never let you come to any harm. Please, believe me."

"Of course I believe you, so don’t you worry. Look, I bought so many clothes for the little cub. Aren’t they cute?"

As she spoke, Lu Xia held the clothes out in front of Cecil. With a smile in her eyes and the sunlight streaming down around her, Cecil felt as if her entire being was glowing.

And just like that, the panic in Cecil’s heart was completely soothed.