After Dr. Vera left, Doctor Eugene informed Lu Xia that the Fertility Research Institute had contacted him.

Lu Xia wasn’t surprised to hear this. She had discussed the matter with Doctor Eugene long before, right after the child was born. Their plan was to disguise the natural pregnancy as a standard fertility procedure. As long as they followed all the standard steps and refused to let the Fertility Research Institute extract any genetic material, their secret would be safe.

In a situation like this, the more open and aboveboard they acted, the less likely they were to arouse suspicion.

So, Duke Lu Xia had no objection to Dr. Vera wanting to see Little Pu Tao in person. After all, it would only be this once. Constant visits for no reason would be out of the question.

Trying to hide it would only make the Gene Research Institute more suspicious.

After confirming the time with Doctor Eugene, Lu Xia ended the call.

With Little Pu Tao’s one-month celebration a week away, Lu Xia discussed her plans with Smelian. She proposed that after the celebration, she would accompany him on a visit to Lady Rafaelde.

Smelian was surprised and pleased that she still remembered. At the same time, he didn’t want to trouble her over his affairs. "My mother already came to visit last time," he said. "There’s no need to make a special trip back. It’s all the same, really."

"It’s not the same," Lu Xia said, her tone simple and natural. "If I go back with you, Mother probably won’t give you any more trouble in the future." Her words warmed Smelian’s heart.

’So her reason for going back with him... it’s all for my sake.’

"Alright." He said no more, simply accepting her kind gesture with a smile.

When Lu Xia returned to the bedroom, she told Graces that people from the Fertility Research Institute were coming to see Little Pu Tao. Graces knew Lu Xia had already arranged everything concerning the baby with Doctor Eugene, so he simply nodded. "I’ll be extra careful that day."

Having Graces there put Lu Xia more at ease.

The next morning, Doctor Eugene arrived at Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion, accompanied by a formally dressed Dr. Vera.

The old butler welcomed them inside. As they walked, Doctor Eugene casually asked about Little Pu Tao. At the mention of the little chubby one, the old butler’s face broke into a wide smile. "Young Master Pu Tao is doing very well. He’s gotten much plumper since you last saw him. He eats well, sleeps well, and is very docile. He never cries or fusses."

Dr. Vera found this chatter utterly pointless. He couldn’t help but cut in, "Is there anything... unusual about him?"

The moment he spoke, the old butler fell silent. He eyed Dr. Vera with suspicion, as if sensing ill intent, which left Dr. Vera feeling vexed.

Doctor Eugene smiled, trying to ease the tension. He introduced the man to the old butler, "This is Dr. Vera, an expert from the Fertility Research Institute. He heard about Little Pu Tao and came specially to see him."

The butler’s wary expression didn’t waver. "Doctor Eugene, you should understand that Her Grace trusts only you."

"Of course, I know that. I would never betray Her Grace’s trust." Doctor Eugene accepted the butler’s praise, which only served to elevate his own standing, with good grace.

Dr. Vera was resentful, but he had to admit that his easy entry was entirely thanks to Doctor Eugene. He suppressed his frustration, telling himself to wait until he saw the child.

They had eagerly analyzed the data Doctor Eugene had provided, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. It was all standard fertility procedures and records.

It was completely unremarkable, just as Eugene had said. Perhaps it really was just a coincidence—a fluke.

Yet, when they tried to replicate the process using genes from other ’defective’ males, they got no results whatsoever.

That made this meeting with the ’special’ infant all the more valuable. He wondered if he could persuade Duke Lu Xia to let him draw a blood sample for research.

’Surely, getting the answer directly from the source would be more efficient.’

As he was lost in thought, the old butler led them to the nursery on the second floor. Lu Xia, knowing they were coming, was already waiting inside with Graces.

"Your Grace, Doctor Eugene and the man from the Fertility Research Institute are here."

"Let them in." No sooner had the words left Lu Xia’s lips than Doctor Eugene walked in with a smile. "Good day, Duke Lu Xia. Graces, good day to you as well. Are you off today?"

The last question was clearly directed at Graces. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Yes, I’m off today," Graces replied, gently placing Little Pu Tao into Eugene’s arms. "He’s put on quite a bit of weight recently."

"He has! Look how chubby he is. He’s even cuter than before. How did our Little Pu Tao get so handsome? Let’s get you on the scale."

Dr. Vera stood aside, watching as Eugene placed the little chubby baby on the scale. He had to admit the child was being raised well, but that was all. There was nothing outwardly unusual about him. He looked no different from any other infant produced through standard fertility techniques. If he had to point something out, it was only that this one was slightly cuter than average.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

His gaze shifted to Duke Lu Xia. ’I have to make my move,’ Vera thought. ’The basic information Doctor Eugene is gathering is worthless to the Fertility Research Institute.’

"Duke Lu Xia," Dr. Vera said, stepping forward with a practiced smile. "I am a researcher from the Fertility Research Institute. My name is Vera, and it is an honor to meet you today. We understand that at the time of conception, your husband was not yet a Gene Fusion Expert. The Fertility Research Institute considers this a matter of extreme importance. I’m sure you understand the implications—this could potentially change the social status of ’defective’ males. I was hoping you might permit me to take a small blood sample for research. If we can discover something of value from your infant, it would be a monumental achievement for the good of the Empire and its people."

Lu Xia listened to him, then let out a laugh. "And if you find something valuable in his blood sample, I suppose the Fertility Research Institute would then want me to ’donate’ my child to you for further study? That would be an even greater contribution to society, wouldn’t it?"

’It would be wonderful if she thought that way,’ Dr. Vera wanted to say. But fortunately, he wasn’t a complete fool and caught the undertone in the Duke’s words. "Of course, we know you’d be reluctant to part with him," he said instead. "But on the path of research, sacrifices are inevitable."

"Hah!" Lu Xia scoffed. "It seems you don’t know me very well. I have my own research institutes. If I wanted to contribute to the Empire, why wouldn’t I conduct the research myself? Why would I hand over my findings to you? What benefit is there for me? The most I could expect is to have the donor’s name tucked away in some inconspicuous corner of a research paper, while all the honor and glory belong to you. The sacrifice is made by others. So don’t lecture me about contributing to the Empire. It sounds incredibly hypocritical."

"I want you and everyone at the Fertility Research Institute to understand something. The only reason you are standing here today is out of respect for Doctor Eugene. Otherwise, you would never have even laid eyes on my Little Pu Tao, let alone made such an outrageous request to draw his blood. Do you really think I would agree to that?"