"Thank you, but I’m really fine. You don’t have to worry," Graces’s voice came again, still audibly strained and restrained. He clearly hadn’t listened to a word she’d said.

Lu Xia didn’t press the issue. ’He can’t stay in the bathroom forever.’ "Alright," she said. "As long as you’re okay."

Without another word, and without indicating whether she was staying or leaving, she turned, walked over to the bed, and sat down.

Her gaze, however, remained fixed on the bathroom. The moment Graces came out, he would see her.

Graces listened for a moment. Hearing nothing, he assumed Lu Xia had left. The tension that had held him rigid suddenly snapped, and his body went limp. He collapsed to the floor, gasping in agony.

He was a grotesque sight, neither man nor monster. The entire right side of his body was covered in thick, black scales, a truly bizarre and horrifying spectacle.

Graces struggled to his feet and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

Half his face was covered in a layer of sharp, vicious scales. A horn even jutted from his head, and one of his eyes was now a solid black orb, the pupil having consumed the sclera entirely.

He subconsciously raised a hand to touch his face, to confirm if any of this was real, only to find that his right hand had been replaced by vicious claws.

’If she saw me like this, she would definitely be terrified, wouldn’t she?’

’Even if Lu Xia didn’t feel any disgust or disdain for me before, she would now, seeing me in this state.’

’So ugly!’

’It’s just too ugly. How could someone as hideous as me be worthy of standing by Lu Xia’s side?’

With this thought, Graces raised his hand and began to claw at the scales on his face, trying to rip them off as if that could somehow restore his former appearance.

But the scales were not just hard; they were razor-sharp. Instead of coming off, they sliced open his fingers, drawing blood.

Realizing the scales couldn’t be removed that way, Graces looked down at his clawed hand. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he sank his claws into the scales on his chest.

With a sickening rip, he tore away a patch of scales. Blood instantly splattered across the floor. Miraculously, however, the shredded flesh began to heal at an astonishing rate. Before long, the wound had closed, and a fresh patch of scales grew in its place.

The sounds coming from the bathroom caught Lu Xia’s attention, and she frowned. Just as she was about to go and ask Graces what on earth he was doing, the terminal on her wrist vibrated.

It was a video call from Prince Li Mang.

Lu Xia glanced toward the bathroom, then stepped out of the room and answered the call. Soon, Prince Li Mang, wearing a wig, appeared on the screen. He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood and even initiated the greeting. "Duke Lu Xia, good day."

"Good day, Your Highness." Lu Xia smiled back at the camera.

"Are you busy? I have something I need to discuss with you. Is now a good time?"

"It is. Please, go ahead," Lu Xia said as she walked over to the window.

"So, you know how I mentioned I have a friend who’s been struggling with hair loss? Well, after using the hair growth liquid you sent, her scalp has been very itchy for the past few days, and she’s noticed some dandruff. However, she can also faintly see new hair roots. She asked me to check with you, is this normal?"

Lu Xia wasn’t surprised by Prince Li Mang’s question. She’d been keeping track of the time; the effects should be starting to show right about now.

"That’s perfectly normal. The mild itching means the hair growth liquid is activating the scalp, and the dandruff is a sign of accelerated skin metabolism. Once the hair grows in and things return to normal, these symptoms will disappear. Afterward, the hair growth liquid can be used as a daily treatment." Lu Xia’s answer was direct and clear, instantly dispelling Prince Li Mang’s worries and putting him at ease.

He had been in high spirits for the past few days after seeing the new hair roots emerge, and Lu Xia’s confident reply completely set his mind at rest.

"That’s wonderful. My friend has been plagued by hair loss for years. I can’t tell you how happy she is to finally see some results."

"I’m just glad I could help her." Since His Highness the Prince clearly didn’t want to admit he was this "friend," Lu Xia wasn’t about to call him out. "If she has any other questions or suggestions while using the hair growth liquid, please feel free to ask. I’m always available to provide answers or make adjustments."

"My friend said she’s very satisfied with both the fragrance and the packaging. The crucial thing is that the product is genuinely effective. You have no idea... before this, I don’t— ahem, my *friend* had no idea how many similar products she’s tried. The results were always disappointing. They were all scams. Duke Lu Xia, with your abilities, you’re destined for great success."

"I’ll take that as a good omen. And thank you, Your Highness, for helping me promote my product."

"It’s only right. Your product is so good that even if I didn’t promote it, people would be lining up to buy it. Anyway, I’ll let you go. You must be busy."

"Of course. Feel free to contact me anytime. Goodbye." After ending the call with Prince Li Mang, Lu Xia immediately returned to the room and marched straight to the bathroom. This time, she didn’t wait outside. Instead, she banged on the door. "Graces, get out here!"

’I was wrong,’ she thought. ’With his avoidant personality, I shouldn’t have given him any freedom at all.’

When there was no response, Lu Xia spoke again. "Graces, don’t make me use the Contract of Obedience!"

The words had barely left her lips when a sound came from within, followed a second later by the click of the door opening. Then, Lu Xia saw droplets of blood fall to the floor.

Her brow furrowed. Lu Xia pushed the door open. Her eyes were met with a floor spattered with blood and littered with discarded scales. She lifted her gaze to the man whose body was half-encased in black scales.

Graces stood before her, the unscaled half of his face utterly bloodless, so pale it was almost translucent.

Lu Xia hadn’t expected to see Graces like this. She never imagined his condition would progress so rapidly.

Yet, she wasn’t frightened by his monstrous appearance. On the contrary, she found a strange, perverse beauty in it.

Her silent appraisal felt like an unspoken judgment to Graces. He stood his ground, as if awaiting a verdict.

He couldn’t change back to the way he was. He could only face the world in this hideous form. He could ignore the stares of others, but he couldn’t bear to ignore Lu Xia’s opinion.

’If I see even a hint of disgust in her eyes, I’ll die on the spot.’

Yet Lu Xia continued to stare, her expression showing neither disgust nor disdain. In fact, her eyes seemed... impressed.

As she watched Graces, Lu Xia could feel his anxious gaze upon her. It was a look filled with pleading, humility, terror, and contradiction.

It was as if a single word of disgust from her would make him flee.

This made her heart soften for a moment. She stepped forward and reached out to touch the scales on his face. "Is this a partial transformation... Hiss!"

She hadn’t been careful, and a sharp scale had cut her finger. The sting of pain made her wince, but before she could pull her hand back...

...Graces gently caught her by the wrist. Then, he brought her injured finger to his lips and took it into his mouth.