Although the pain in her stomach had subsided after returning from the hospital, Lu Xia was still overcome with a deep weariness. It was the kind of exhaustion that couldn’t be shaken off no matter how much she rested, leaving her perpetually drained of energy.

Graces escorted her back to her room and tucked a pillow behind her. "You should rest for a bit. I’ll bring dinner up to you when it’s ready."

Lu Xia nodded. "I’m fine. You don’t need to worry."

But despite what Lu Xia said, she didn’t look well. In fact, she was excessively pale. Even her lips, which were usually a healthy pink, were drained of color.

Yet even so, the young female showed no sign of vulnerability.

Somehow, it made one’s heart soften.

Graces had seen all sorts of females, but he had never met one as considerate as Lu Xia—so considerate it was heartbreaking.

He wished Lu Xia would show her vulnerable side. It wouldn’t matter if she were a little more willful; he could take it if she hit or yelled at him. She shouldn’t have to bear any of her pain alone.

Noticing Graces’ silence, Lu Xia looked up at him, a questioning look in her eyes. "What’s wrong? Is there something else?"

Graces concealed the ache in his gaze and said softly, "About what Doctor Eugene said... can we do it tonight? I’ll be very gentle. I won’t hurt you or the baby."

’She hadn’t expected him to bring this up now. She thought he would stay silent until she was the one to ask.’

But the thought of what they were discussing made Lu Xia feel awkward and embarrassed. She feigned composure and nodded. "Okay."

With her consent, Graces didn’t linger. As he turned to leave, he made sure to add, "Get some rest."

After Graces left, the vast room fell silent. Lu Xia sat still for a moment, then buried her face in a pillow. ’This is just mortifying.’

*

That night, after dinner, Graces accompanied Lu Xia on a walk in the courtyard to aid her digestion before they returned to the bedroom. He personally drew a bath for her, but as he was about to follow her in to help, Lu Xia stopped him. "Graces, I can bathe myself. You can just wait for me out here. You don’t have to do everything for me."

Graces pressed his lips together in a subtle line. ’He’d thought they’d reached some sort of tacit understanding during their walk earlier. It seemed he’d been getting ahead of himself.’ "Alright," he said. "I’ll wait for you here. Call me if you need anything."

Lu Xia nodded and, without another word, went straight into the bathroom.

’Even though they were about to do something far more intimate, she still couldn’t quite bring herself to let Graces help her bathe.’

Graces stood outside the bathroom door, listening to the sound of splashing water from within. Inwardly, he was not nearly as calm as he appeared.

’He knew perfectly well that even though Lu Xia had accepted Doctor Eugene’s suggestion, she was only doing it for the baby, not because she had accepted him.’

’The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he knew some things couldn’t be rushed. For now, the opportunity to be this close to Lu Xia was already a blessing.’

’After all, there were plenty of others like him.’

Just as he was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened. The young female had just finished her bath, her fair cheeks flushed a delicate pink from the steam, making her seem even younger.

"Let me help you with that," Graces said, taking the towel from her hand and carefully beginning to dry Lu Xia’s hair.

The room fell silent. Neither of them spoke, and the quiet atmosphere grew thick with a mixture of intimacy and awkwardness.

When Graces set the towel down, Lu Xia knew it was time. She tried to sound casual as she asked, "Should we... do it now?"

Graces hummed in assent. "Yes."

After the exchange, neither of them moved, as if each was waiting for the other to make the first move. The atmosphere grew even more awkward.

In the end, it was Lu Xia who decided she might as well get it over with. She grabbed Graces’ shirt, pulled him down, and pressed her lips against his.

’The man’s lips looked firm, but they were surprisingly soft.’

Graces was startled by Lu Xia’s sudden move but kept his wits about him, bracing his hands on either side of her as he came down.

In a heartbeat, he went from passively accepting the kiss to actively returning it, seizing control of the encounter.

Lu Xia’s body went lax, and she let him take the lead.

...

As she was drifting off to sleep after it was all over, Lu Xia couldn’t help but think that Graces probably hadn’t been fully satisfied. Compared to the first time, he had held back considerably. He’d been focused on her feelings the entire time, constantly asking how she was doing.

’She really hadn’t wanted to answer. Any response felt like she was just complimenting him. Eventually, she got so annoyed with his questions that she couldn’t resist biting his shoulder.’

All she got in return, however, was a soft chuckle.

Graces looked at Lu Xia, who was fast asleep beside him. Her once-pale face now held a lingering rosy flush, and she looked much healthier than she had during the day.

He tentatively pulled the young female into his arms. With a contented sigh in his heart, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep.

The next morning, when Lu Xia woke up, Graces was gone. She sat up and stretched, feeling as though the exhaustion that had been plaguing her had vanished along with the events of last night. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’Right now, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t hide how light and refreshed her body felt.’

’Who would have thought that all her previous fatigue was simply due to unfulfilled desires?’

’It was so embarrassing, she’d die if anyone found out!’

After quickly washing up, she came downstairs. The old butler saw her and greeted her with a smile. "You look much better than you did yesterday."

"I am feeling much better. Where’s Graces?" Not seeing him in the dining room, Lu Xia couldn’t help but ask.

"He said he had to go to the military headquarters for something this morning, so he’s already left. He made you breakfast before he went, though. I’ll go bring it out for you."

’To think he was busy but still hadn’t forgotten to prepare breakfast for her... It would be a lie to say her heart wasn’t moved.’

Once her breakfast was served, Lu Xia ate while speaking to the old butler. "Please schedule a meeting with our spokesperson today. Ask them when they’re available. If we can confirm a time, we can schedule the photoshoot."

’The launch of the beauty cream was not far off.’

"I’ll contact them right away. Will you still be going to the research institute later?"

"Yes, I have to go. The work on the hair growth liquid is progressing well. We should see the results in the next day or two."

Hearing this, the old butler looked like he wanted to say something but held back. Seeing his hesitation, Lu Xia couldn’t help but press, "If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you hesitating?"

"You’ve only just recovered. Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?" It was only then that the old butler realized Duke Lu Xia was a complete workaholic.

’She’d just had a health problem yesterday, and now she was already going back to work. It was a bit insane!’

Lu Xia knew the old butler meant well and smiled. "I’m just going to take a look. I’d only be sitting around at home otherwise. Don’t worry, I’m much better now."