Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Demand

Smelian returned to his room, preparing to change before dinner. But when he came out of the changing room, he received a video call invitation from Lady Rafaelde.

His mother rarely contacted him on her own initiative. A sudden call could only mean one thing: she wanted something from him.

At that moment, Smelian dazedly remembered something. Life here had been too comfortable, causing him to overlook many things.

Now, receiving Lady Rafaelde’s video call invitation felt like being jolted awake from a dream.

He sighed softly and accepted the call. A voice quickly came from the other side. "What took you so long? What are you doing?"

"I just got back from work. Mother, is there something you need?" He raised a hand to fiddle with his shirt buttons, as if it could ease the agitation in his heart.

Lady Rafaelde scrutinized him with a sharp gaze. "Smelian, it seems you’re living quite well at Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion. But have you forgotten what I told you before you left?"

"It’s just been a bit busy lately. I haven’t had the chance to mention it to the Duke. I’m looking for an opportunity. Please, just wait a little longer."

"Busy with what? Busy becoming a department head at the hospital? Or is it that the male from Duke Leslie’s family became a Gene Fusion Expert and has now been promoted to Major General? I heard Duke Lu Xia and Duke Leslie even confronted the Gene Research Institute together for his sake. Why can’t you learn from him and secure some benefits for yourself and the family?" Lady Rafaelde’s words were filled with resentment, as if the Rafaelde family had gained nothing simply because Smelian hadn’t actively fought for it.

"The things you mentioned... the Duke had already promised them to Graces before I even arrived. The Duke isn’t a stingy person. You don’t need to be so anxious."

"You’re too naive. Even if Duke Lu Xia isn’t a stingy person, why should she give you anything? You’ve already missed so many opportunities, and you’re just a husband. Besides, that male from Duke Leslie’s family must have had some incredible luck to become a Gene Fusion Expert. Is he going to become the main husband next? Don’t you have any sense of crisis? At the very least, you should make Duke Lu Xia like you! Smelian, I want you to bring Duke Lu Xia home next week!"

Clearly, that last sentence was the main purpose of Lady Rafaelde’s video call.

Smelian wasn’t the least bit surprised.

After all, Lady Rafaelde always had demands for him.

He didn’t refuse, nor did he argue. "I’ll do my best."

"I don’t want your ’best effort,’ I want your guarantee. If you can’t even do this one thing, Smelian, you’ll have disappointed me greatly. I heard that not long after Graces got together with Duke Lu Xia, the Duke personally took him to visit Duke Leslie. We, the Rafaelde family, need that same honor. You must remember: everything you have today was given to you by the Rafaelde family. You need to be grateful."

Words like these always crushed him, leaving him breathless. It was always like this. Smelian never felt the Rafaelde family had given him anything, yet they constantly demanded he sacrifice himself for them.

His mother had clearly forgotten that becoming one of Duke Lu Xia’s husbands was not his choice. She had forced him into it using that same sense of family duty.

Back then, the rumors about Duke Lu Xia had been far from kind, yet his mother hadn’t considered that if the rumors were true, he could very well have lost his freedom and his life.

Now, his mother was once again using family duty to demand he bring Duke Lu Xia back, all to display the Duke’s Mansion’s high regard for the Rafaelde family.

It was all suffocating. "Mother, I will do my best to handle the matter you brought up. But the Rafaelde family’s honor is not something a ’defective’ male like me should be concerned with, nor is it my responsibility. The Duke is waiting for me for dinner. That’s all."

The moment the words left his mouth, Smelian didn’t hesitate for a second and disconnected the video call.

As the light screen vanished, the immense pressure seemed to disappear along with it.

This was the first time he had ever defied Lady Rafaelde. In the past, he would have just remained silent. But now, thinking of Lu Xia, thinking of how she indulged Graces, he couldn’t help but wonder if she might indulge him, too.

’Besides, I’m not a member of the Rafaelde family anymore. What does it matter if I do it or not?’

Unlike Smelian’s composure, Lady Rafaelde, having been contradicted and hung up on, was about to explode with rage.

’I never thought this ’defective’ male, whom I never thought much of and even found somewhat repulsive, would one day defy my authority. Who gave him the courage?’

Yet, beneath the fury of having her authority challenged, there was a panic she was unwilling to admit—the fear that something was slipping from her control.

’Smelian seems different from before.’

’His heart is leaning toward Duke Lu Xia. He’s starting to resent the Rafaelde family’s control over him and is no longer willing to sacrifice for us.’

’How can this be!’

’We worked so hard to latch onto Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion. We absolutely cannot lose this support. As much as I hate to admit it, it seems my attitude toward Smelian will have to change.’

Lady Rafaelde was clearly very adaptable. She summoned her butler. "Make preparations. I’m going to Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion tomorrow evening."

Since Smelian wanted to break free from her control, she would go there personally and make him understand what the family meant to him.

When Smelian came downstairs, Lu Xia was indeed waiting for him.

He walked over quickly and said apologetically, "Sorry, I was held up."

"Don’t worry, your timing is perfect. This soup was just served." Lu Xia smiled, then had the butler ladle a bowl of soup and place it in front of Smelian. "Have a taste. It’s very good."

"Thank you. It looks delicious." Smelian picked up the porcelain bowl in front of him, not mentioning what Lady Rafaelde had demanded of him.

He didn’t want to—in fact, he was somewhat repulsed by the idea of bringing Duke Lu Xia back to his family home. Selfishly, he was even more unwilling to let the Rafaelde family leech off of Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion.

"What’s wrong, Smelian? You look like you have something on your mind," Lu Xia said, noticing his absentmindedness.

Her words made Graces look up as well, subtly sizing him up.

Smelian paused in the middle of drinking his soup, then looked up at Duke Lu Xia. "I just received a video call from my mother. She wants me to invite you to visit the Rafaelde family, but I don’t want to."

In the end, he couldn’t hold it in and spoke his mind, because he felt that Lu Xia would understand.

’She can empathize with Graces, so does that mean she can empathize with me, too?’

He was desperate to know the answer.